Edge10 issue77 July 19,2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

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SENSE OF SECURITY.A military personnel holds the barrel of an M16 rifle during a gathering at Task Force Davao headquarters in this undated photo. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Tuesday said President Duterte wants the extension of martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year. Lean Daval Jr.

FULL SUPPORT Duterte sees rise of a Bangsamoro country EDGE W

ithin the context of the Republic of the Philippines, there shall be a Bangsamoro country,” President Rodrigo Duterte declared Tuesday after receiving a copy of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Duterte committed to “support and husband” the proposed BBL in Congress to ensure the passage of the law that would create the Bangsamoro, a new autonomous political entity that would replace the 27-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The creation of the Bang-

samoro is in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on March 27, 2014.

The agreement envisions a new entity that would realize the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people for genuine self-determination under a ministerial form of government and ensure an autonomy that is far more than what the present ARMM provides.

But nowhere in his speech did Duterte mention the CAB. He reiterated “there will be no objections (to) the provisions of all

that is consistent with the Constitution and the aspiration of the Moro people.”

“I am for this. Within the context of the Republic of the Philippines, there shall be a Bangsamoro country,” Duterte said.

He noted that after decades of armed struggle and violence, “we will soon come up with a constitutionally consistent legal instrument that will lay the foundation for establishing real and lasting peace in Mindanao.”

The proposed BBL, according to Duterte, “puts into life and spirit the constitutional mandate pro-

vided in the 1987 Constitution for the establishment of a truly autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.”

The entire country, he said, will bene�it from this new autonomous political entity which he hopes will be marked by “good governance, equitable sharing of wealth and generation of revenue, and normalized, stable environment.”

Congress under the Aquino administration adjourned in 2016 without passing a Bangsamoro law.

The two houses of Congress

 FULL SUPPORT, 10

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Carpio arrives with her son, Stingray, at City Hall after the 1st citywide earthquake and tsunami drill. The mayor confirmed that the city government of Davao is spending more for disaster preparedness and rehabilitation compared to risk reduction and mitigation projects as the city is one of the seven cities in the

Catholic prelate to solons:‘Duty more vital than SONA fashion’

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Catholic priest reminded solons to uphold their duties as crafters of the laws of the land as they attend President Rodrigo Duterte’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Fr. Jerome Secillano of the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish in Sampaloc, Manila said politicians must ful�ill the mandate given to them by the people and not just walk through the SONA red carpet in their lavish out�its.

“Let them wear what they want but let them be reminded that their primordial function is to craft meaningful laws that will ensure the interests of the public,” he said.

It has been a tradition for members of the Senate and

House of Representatives to dress lavishly during the annual event, where the Chief Executive will report to the people his accomplishments and future plans for the nation.

“There is no real beauty in parading with sophisticated clothing and accessories if majority of Filipinos are stuck in the ugliness of poverty,” Secillano added.

On Monday, members of both houses of Congress are expected to parade their expensive suits and long gowns as they walk on the red carpet, proceeding to the session hall of the Batasan Complex in Quezon City, where President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his second SONA. (Ferdinand G. Patinio/PNA)

SAF 44 kin seek closure amid calls to reopen probe

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en. Grace Poe on Monday said that she saw the need to reopen the Senate probe into the 2015 Mamasapano clash noting that the families of victims were looking for closure.

“Narinig ko rin yung sinabing apila ng isang byuda ng Mamasapano, malaking bagay rin ang pag-usad ng kaso (I heard what a widow said about the case advancing being a big deal for her),” Poe said in a radio interview. “…Pag meron talagang pagtulak mula sa ating pangulo, siguro dapat ipaalala ang paghilom ng ating bayan ay napakahalaga dito sa usaping

ito kaya dapat unahin din ang kaso at tapusin na agad (If there is really a push from our President [Rodrigo Duterte] then we should remember that the healing of our country is a very important issue that is why it should be prioritized and completed),” she added.

Last year, it was Pres.

Duterte who �irst expressed interest in reopening the probe to know what really happened.

Poe also welcomed the decision of the Ombudsman to recommend the �iling of charges against former Pres. Benigno Aquino III and other key of�icials.

 SAF, 10

country that are most vulnerable to the rise of sea due to climate change according to a report by Asian Development Bank (ADB). Lean Daval Jr

Duterte wants Martial Law up to end of 2017

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resident Rodrigo Duterte has asked Congress to extend the period of Martial Law in Mindanao until the end of the year, Malacañang said Tuesday.

At a Palace brie�ing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that in the letter sent by the President to the leaders of Congress Monday evening, the extension was called for as the “existing rebellion in Mindanao will not be quelled completely by the

July 22,” the expiration of the 60day period of the initial martial law proclamation.

“Upon a thorough personal assessment of the current situation in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao and taking into account the reports and recommendations of the Secretary of National Defense as martial law administrator, the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as martial law implementor and the chief of the Philippine

National Police (PNP), I have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao which prompted me to issue Proclamation 216 on 23rd May 2017, will not be quelled completely by the 22nd July 2017 -- the last day of 60-day period provided under Section 18 Article VII of the 1987 Constitution,” President Duterte said in the letter read by Abella.

“For this reason and because public safety requires it, I call upon the Congress to extend

until 31st December 2017 or for such a period of time as the Congress may determine the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao,” the President’s message said.

Duterte has also called on Congress to convene in a special session Saturday to deliberate and consider his request.

In the meantime, Abella said that “the primary objective of

designated to hear and decide on all cases and incidents arising from the takeover of the Maute group of Marawi City.

In addition, Aguirre further requested that the SC allows the conduct of the hearing of the cases at an appropriate venue inside the premises of the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) located inside the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to ensure the greater security of the Maute detainees. ”The Court, in a Resolution dated June 27,2017, acted on two letters of the Secretary of Justice dated 13 and 14 June 2017, noted the same, and designated

the Regional Trial Court of the National Capital Judicial Region stationed in Taguig City, instead of the Regional Trial Court of Cagayan de Oro City, to speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the violent incidents in Marawi City involving the Maute Group,” Te told reporters during the press brie�ing held in SC. In the resolution, Te said that the Court also designed the SICA located along Camp Bagong Diwa instead of Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, as the temporary detention facility of any suspects, subject to its instruction to the

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to expedite the relocation of any suspects to a suitable detention facility.

Aguirre welcomes the decision of SC because of members of judiciary and national prosecution service fear their safety in the conduct of inquest, preliminary investigation and trial of the cases involving the Maute group. ”That is great news for DOJ and its panels of prosecutors in CDO. It will solve a lot of problems like where the detainees are to be con�ined and whether we are going to

 DUTERTE, 10

SC orders transfer of Mautes to Taguig City

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he Supreme Court granted Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s request for the transfer to Taguig City of the cases and detention of the Maute group members and their sympathizers charged with rebellion and other cases for staging attacks in Marawi City.

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

Aguirre earlier requested to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that the Regional Trial Court of Taguig City be

 SC, 10

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NEWS 3

Fast growing wildfire in central California forces evacuations

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wild�ire in Mariposa County in the US state of California nearly tripled in size Monday overnight, forcing residents living nearby to evade, local �ire protection agency Cal Fire reported.

The blaze, coded “Detwiller �ire,” started just at 3:56 p.m.

(2356 GMT) on Sunday, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Lake McClure in Mariposa County, which is 460 km north of Los Angeles, according to Cal Fire.

The latest update on Cal Fire’s website shows that the �ire is burning an area of 11,000 acres (44.5 square km) and no signi�icant containment has been completed.

The �ire destroyed one structure, damaged another and crept closer to residential neighborhoods.

Mariposa

County’s of�icials have ordered evacuations for all homes on three roads since Sunday.

Smoke from the �ire can be seen throughout the region, spreading to adjacent Stanislaus County.

The natural terrain where the Detwiller Fire is burning has been creating challenges for �ire crews assigned to the incident, Cal Fire spokesperson Jamie Williams said, adding: “Fire�ighting efforts have been hampered due to the steep terrain...it’s really rocky and extremely brushy.”

There was going to be a larger, regional, outside �ire team coming to take over operations later Monday, while air and ground resources continued to arrive, Williams said. (Xinhua)

Over 6,000 quake victims still in evacuation centers

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t least 6,024 people remain in evacuation centers nearly two weeks after the deadly magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocked Leyte province, the Of�ice of the Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Tuesday.

Of the total, 3,957 persons or 1,030 families were badly displaced in Ormoc City while 2,067 individuals or 581 families were heavily affected in nearby Kananga town.

Outside evacuation centers, at least 2,442 families composed of 9,626 persons have been taking shelter outside their homes or in makeshift houses.

The OCD regional of�ice said on Tuesday that 3,593 houses were damaged by the ground shaking with 1,462 categorized as totally destroyed.

OCD Regional Director Edgar Posadas said the Department of Social Welfare

and Development (DSWD) have been providing the basic food and shelter requirements of badly affected families.

“Aside from receiving goods from the government, victims in evacuation centers have also been getting aid from various organizations through the DSWD,” Posadas said.

The national government will be giving emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to earthquake victims, according to DSWD. ESA is an assistance from the government in the form of either cash or building materials for disaster-affected families to rebuild their damaged houses in a safe location.

After super typhoon “Yolanda” struck in 2013, victims received PHP10,000 to PHP30,000 cash assistance to rebuild their homes.

 OVER, 10

TAKING THE LEAD. Presidential daughter, Veronica ‘Kitty’ Duterte, reads a book entitled ‘Two Friends, One World’ to the students of Euroasia Learning

Center and Values School during the National Children’s Bookreading Day at the Annex of SM City Davao on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

PNP powers Calabarzon with 100 M16, M14 rifles T

he Philippine National Police national headquarters has boosted �irepower of the Calabarzon police force with 100 units of M16 armalite and M14 (sniper) ri�les as well as operational equipment during Monday’s turnover rites at the regional police headquarters here.

Chief Superintendent Arnel Escobal, PNP director of the Highway Patrol Group, graced Monday’s turnover and �lag raising rites as part of the police camp’s Distinguished Visitors Program.

The �irearms acquisition

is part of the PNP’s Php370 million capability-building and arms modernization program which bene�its the police units in the Calabarzon region comprising Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces.

Calabarzon Police Regional Of�ice (PRO4A) Director, Chief Supt. Ma. O Aplasca, said the ri�les are to be distributed to the �ive Calabarzon provinces.

“These �irearms will surely boost our shoot capabilities in our anti-criminality and antiillegal drugs campaign and internal security operations,”

BIRD MAN. A City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) traffic enforcer spends his break feeding the pigeons with bread at Rizal Park in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Aplasca said.

He was later joined by Escobal and Calabarzon police regional deputy Director for Administration (DRDA) Israel Ephraim Dickson during the inspections of �irearms and equipment at the camp’s grandstand.

The ri�les will be distributed to the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) with 20 units of M16 and one M14 while each Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) per province will receive the 80 M16 units accordingly with Batangas – 20; Cavite – 9; Laguna – 14; Quezon

– 30; and Rizal – 7.

Also, the Practical Shooters and Match Of�icers Confederation (PSMOC) has donated 15 reloading machines for the city police stations in the Calabarzon region.

Recipients of the reloading machines are city police stations of Batangas, Lipa and Tanauan (in Batangas province); Cavite, Tagaytay, Trece Martirez, Dasmariñas, Bacoor and Imus (Cavite province); Calamba, San Pablo, Santa Rosa and Cabuyao (Laguna); Antipolo City in Rizal province and Lucena City in Quezon province.

he Supreme Court granted Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s request for the transfer to Taguig City of the cases and detention of the Maute group members and their sympathizers charged with rebellion and other cases for staging attacks in Marawi City.

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

Aguirre earlier requested to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that the Regional Trial Court of Taguig City be designated to hear and decide on all cases and incidents arising from the takeover of the Maute group of Marawi City.

In addition, Aguirre further requested that the SC allows

the conduct of the hearing of the cases at an appropriate venue inside the premises of the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) located inside the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to ensure the greater security of the Maute detainees. ”The Court, in a Resolution dated June 27,2017, acted on two letters of the Secretary of Justice dated 13 and 14 June 2017, noted the same, and designated the Regional Trial Court of the National Capital Judicial Region stationed in Taguig City, instead of the Regional Trial Court of Cagayan de Oro City, to speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the violent incidents in Marawi City involving the Maute Group,” Te told reporters during the press

SC orders transfer of Mautes to Taguig City T

SC ORDERS, 10

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BPI-Philam chief cites need for more affordable insurance

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re Filipinos really ready to take on insurance products?

An of�icial of BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp. think so given the country’s rising middle class.

But aside from improved capacity of more Filipinos to buy insurance products that have investment components, BPI-Philam Chief Executive Of�icer (CEO) Surendra Menon said the biggest factor is the kind of products that are being offered to date.

Results of BPI-Philam’s focused group discussion (FGD) showed that Filipinos are more focused on investing in short-term products instead of long-term due mainly to �inancial constraints.

It showed that respondents can allocate only 10 to 20 percent of their monthly salary or about PHP1,000 to PHP5,000 to insurance.

Menon said some people bought insurance products in the past years when products were even pricier than today.

With higher number of Filipinos that are capable

of buying insurance-cuminvestment products, Menon said the company had formulated more affordable products that even the millennials could afford.

On Monday, BPI-Philam launched its latest offering – the unit-linked life insurance called Life Ready Plus.

For a minimum of PHP2,000 a month, BPI clients can avail of Life Ready Plus, which offers a combination of insurance and investment products.

“We’re really focused on giving real bene�its,” Menon said, stressing his expectations that “a lot” of BPI clients would be encouraged to buy the latest offering from the jointventure company.

People who are not BPI clients should avail of any BPI products before they can avail of the Life Ready Plus.

“We are trying to get to more Filipinos…We really want to get as many (clients) as we can, much more than we have in the past,” Menon said.

To date, insurance penetration rate in the country is around two percent of the

QUICK READ. Students from Euroasia Learning Center and Values School browse over the books distributed to them during the National Children’s Bookreading Day at the Annex of SM City Davao on Tuesday. National

Children’s Bookreading Day is an annual project by SM Supermalls in partnership with National Bookstore. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte creates DOF Trump threatens‘economic fiscal strategy group actions’against Venezuela

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S President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to “take strong and swift economic actions” against Venezuela’s government if Venezuela goes ahead to pursue the creation of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC).

According to a strongly worded statement released by the White House, Trump warned that if Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “imposes” the ANC on July 30, the United States will “take strong and swift economic actions.”

Venezuelans will go to the polls on July 30 to elect the 545 members of the ANC. The vote comes at a time of high tension in Venezuela, with the anti-government protests

organized by the opposition, Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), has led to more than 90 deaths since early April.

The MUD sees the establishment of the ANC, which will rewrite the constitution, as a power grab by Maduro.

Meanwhile, Venezuela saw both of its feuding political factions prepare polls on Sunday, with the government holding a simulation of the July 30 vote to elect the ANC while the opposition was organizing an unof�icial referendum of its own to gauge public support for or rejection of the ANC. According to Venezuelan National Assembly President Julio Borges, more than 7.2 million people took part in the vote held by the opposition.

LTFRB, Grab, Uber must compromise — Ejercito

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he Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board and transport network vehicle services (TNVS) Grab and Uber must be prepared to compromise to provide the public with safe and convenient transportation.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, made this statement Tuesday noting that he would call for a meeting with all parties to come up with a compromise before July 26.

“I will call for a meeting

to mediate and come up with a compromise for both parties before July 26. I am not siding with anyone on this issue,” Ejerctio said in a press statement.

LTFRB earlier announced that starting July 26, Grab and Uber drivers without franchises will be �ined PHP120,000 and their vehicles impounded for three months should they continue to operate.

Ejercito pointed out that LTFRB, Grab and Uber should be willing to consider “all remedies” without

P

To provide advice and research on policies

resident Duterte has created a new, specialized group at the Department of Finance that is tasked to provide strategic advice and research on �iscal policies in support of his administration’s socioeonomic reform agenda focused on sustaining high growth, eradicating extreme poverty and growing the economy to upper-middle income status by 2022.

In Executive Order No. 31 which took effect last June 28, the President said the Strategy, Economics, and Results Group (SERG) will be directly under the Secretary of Finance, who will assign an Undersecretary and Assistant Secretary to supervise its operations.

The SERG is now headed

by Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua, whom DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has assigned to help craft the Duterte administration’s Comprehensive Tax Reform

Program (CTRP) and coordinate closely with the Congress in �inetuning this reform proposal designed to make the tax system simpler, fairer and more ef�icient.

Dominguez had signed Department Order 4-2017 last Jan. 20 adding the SERG to the DOF as part of the Department’s reorganization.

The EO signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by authority of the President, formalizes Secretary Dominguez’s creation of SERG. Under the presidential directive, the SERG is mandated to provide strategic advice to the DOF secretary as the Economic Development Cluster (EDC) chairperson of the Cabinet, “as regards �iscal policies and �inancial implications of the national government’s priority programs.”

The SERG is also tasked to conduct research on �iscal economics policy to support

the government’s identi�ied priority programs and manage and coordinate “transformative reforms of the DOF that will ultimately result in better life for all Filipinos, especially the poor and the marginalized.”

According to the EO, the SERG will consist of two of�ices—the Strategy Results Of�ice (SRO), which will be headed by a government of�icial with the rank of Director IV, and the Fiscal Economics Research Of�ice (FERO), which shall be organized into divisions, each headed by a Division Chief.

The SERG will be manned by organic personnel from the DOF and other government of�icials or employees detailed or seconded from other agencies.

The SRO’s functions include: • developing strategy maps and plans to convert the priority socioeconomic agenda into executive and legislative

action from a �iscal perspective, complementing the National Economic and Development Authority’s Philippine Development Plan; • providing �iscal policy advice and inputs to the DOF of�icials and the members of the EDC, including the performance of quality assurance and review of the pronouncements and policy decisions of the Secretary of Finance; • managing an upto-date data bank of �iscal economic insights, outlooks, risks and accomplishments for the Secretary of Finance’s domestic and international engagements, in collaboration with other DOF of�ices; • preparing detailed implementation plans for the priority �iscal reforms in support of inclusive growth; • monitoring the progress of identi�ied priority programs and mitigate any emerging risks. (PNA)

see any impact of the situation in Marawi (City) on the way our companies want to develop their activities in the Philippines,” he told reporters. “Obviously, this country is booming. It’s a large market.”

As the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year, the ambassador said their trade and economic ties have been “developing rapidly”.

“French companies, which

are already here in the Philippines, where they provide thousands of jobs to Filipino workers, are eager to be more active and more present in the Philippines,” he said.

Mathou pointed out that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have also been very active in the market, as indicated by the success of the French Tech network.

Apart from enhancing cultural and economic links, he said the two countries also signed a defense cooperation agreement.

“We have all the elements on the table to really implement very ambitious relation. So I’m very con�ident, very con�ident,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ambassador reiterated his country’s readiness to intensify intelligence sharing with the Philippine government to �ight terrorism and extremism.

“It’s a concern for all of us so I think we have to discuss, we have to exchange intelligence… This (terrorism) issue is a global issue we all have to face,” added Mathou.

French firms keen on RP despite Marawi crisis: envoy

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ore French companies are keen on making their foray into the Philippines or expand their existing operations, as the two countries enhance their bilateral trade and economic relations, an envoy has said.

Ambassador of France to the Philippines Thierry Mathou said they look forward to developing cooperations with the Philippines in the infrastructure, transportation and energy sectors.

“So obviously, so far, I don’t

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Biz planning competition for seafarers and families

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A trader. makes the steam emitted from a kettle as softener of plastic material being used as seal of peanut butter containers at Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Security Bank Bags Triple Win at the Asian Excellence Awards

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ecurity Bank Corporation (SBC) won the awards during the recently held Corporate Governance Asia’s 7th Asian Excellence Awards at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong.

For the second year in a row, Security Bank Corporation President & CEO Alfonso L. Salcedo Jr. was lauded as “Asia’s Best CEO for Investor Relations, Philippines” for exhibiting an exceptional leadership in managing expectations of investors, shareholders and stakeholders. Security Bank CFO and Executive Vice President (EVP) Joselito E. Mape was also recognized as “Asia’s Best CFO for Investor Relations, Philippines” in this year’s awards for his effective corporate leadership dealing with capital markets.

Simultaneously, Security Bank has won the coveted “Best Investor Relations Company” award for the third time for its commitment in observing professionalism, transparency, accountability and fairness in engaging with their shareholders and stakeholders. In its journal, Corporate Governance Asia pointed out that “Time and again, Security Bank proactively encourages continuous discussions with its shareholders and institutional investors with an aim to further strengthen and support the attainment of the Bank’s corporate goals and objectives. Through consistent engagement and pinpointing areas for enhancement, Security Bank works closely with the investment

GenSan launches review of revenue generation initiatives

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he city government has launched a review of its comprehensive revenue generation plan as it intensifies its efforts to raise more local revenues.

Lawyer Arnel Zapatos, city administrator, said Tuesday the review is mainly aimed at drawing more effective policies and strategies in line with the city’s tax collection activities, existing resources, and the operations of its economic enterprises.

“We have to look first into what we have so that we can look for means on how to increase our revenues,” he said.

As part of the move, the local government initially conducted a two-day workshop last week on the city comprehensive revenue generation plan review and implementation planning.

The activity was designed to look into strategies that the

city government could adopt to raise the needed funds for the implementation of its priority programs and projects.

The local government had lined up a number of “big ticket” projects under its Local Development Investment Program for 2017-2022.

Zapatos said among the proposals covered by the review is the planned increase in local business tax rates under the city’s revised revenue and the revision of the market values of real properties.

He said it also includes the proposed upgrading and accreditation of local health facilities and other local economic enterprises.

The economic enterprises operated by the city government includes the city hospital, public market, slaughterhouse, sanitary landfill and terminal.

he Department of Labor and Employment’s in Region 12 has launched a competition on business planning for seafarers and their families in the region.

Sisinio Cano, Dole 12 director, said Tuesday the competition is spearheaded by the agency’s National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs (NRCO), in partnership with the Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines (ISP).

He said the initiative, which is now on its third round, mainly aims to encourage quali�ied seafarers to venture into social entrepreneurship and support job generation programs in local communities.

The competition is open to all quali�ied seafarers and their families nationwide and DOLE12 is eyeing to endorse multiple

entries from the region.

Cano said seafarers and their families in the region may join the competition and use it as an opportunity to improve their lives.

“We are encouraging our seafarers to grab this once in a lifetime chance to make their dreams to own a business come true,” he said in a statement.

Theinitiativeisdubbed“From Seafarers to Entrepreneurs: The 2017 NRCO-ISP Business Plan Competition (Harnessing Seafarers’ Capacities for Business Enterprises Development).”

Cano said it is open to active seafarers, especially those who are planning to retire from sea life, and inactive seafarers who have been in the Philippines for not more than �ive years and interested to venture into entrepreneurship

Gov’t launches dev’t plan for N. Mindanao

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he government on Tuesday launched its blueprint for development of Northern Mindanao aimed at establishing the region as a gateway and leader in regional development in the country over the next six years.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Ernesto Pernia said the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan 2017-2022 outlined plans and programs that would ensure the socioeconomic progress of the region that could contribute to inclusive development of the country.

Pernia said the region was envisioned as a major gateway and leading industrial core

and trade center in Southern Philippines, with its people enjoying equal opportunities in sustainably harnessing its agricultural and natural resources.

“While some may question the capability of Northern Mindanao to achieve this goal, it is important to note that the region contributes an average of 4 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and about 26 percent of Mindanao’s GRDP (gross regional domestic product),” he said during the Plan’s launch in Cagayan de Oro City.

Pernia said the region also has the highest contribution to Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing (AHFF) in Mindanao,

and second highest, following Davao, in terms of contribution to industry and services sectors in Mindanao.

He noted the region is mainly composed of manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, and trade subsectors which con�irm the potential of Northern Mindanao to be a major industrial hub and trade center in Southern Philippines.

Moreover, Pernia said the regional development foresees Metro Cagayan de Oro to become the fourth metropolitan center by 2025.

“This is based on its projected population growth and functional role as a principal gateway and transshipment hub in Northern Mindanao. It will

also remain as a key educational center in the region,” he added.

The Plan further highlights the potential of the region, particularly in the industries of banana, rubber, bamboo, cacao, coco coir, coffee, agribusiness and tourism.

The NEDA chief stressed regional development is a main thrust of the Philippine Development Plan, which is anchored on President Duterte’s 0-10-point Socioeconomic Agenda.

The government also conducted the regional roadshow for the PDP 2017-2022, the blueprint for the country’s development under the Duterte administration, in Cagayan de Oro City.(Leslie D. Venzon/PNA)

senator on Tuesday called on the D e p a r t m e n t of Information and Communications Technology (to drum up support for the proposed measure seeking the mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards.

“We’re calling on DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima to push for the approval of this proposal,” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said in a press statement.

Gatchalian is the author of Senate Bill No. 203 or the “SIM Card Registration Act” which requires all

prospective buyers of prepaid SIM cards to present a valid photo ID before they can complete their purchase.

Also under his measure, old SIM cards should be registered within 180 days from the effectivity of the proposed measure.

“I remember that during his con�irmation hearings, Secretary Salalima assured members of the Commission on Appointments that he would support this bill.

Let’s wait for their action,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on

Economic Affairs, said that he is hopeful that Salalima would exercise his duties as DICT secretary despite his close ties to telecom insiders.

“Telecom industry players have been the biggest stumbling block to the approval of this proposed scheme. With Secretary Salalima now at the helm of the DICT, I hope he would succeed where legislators have so far failed -- to change the minds of telecoms honchos and make them agree with the proposal,” Gatchalian said.

Prior to his appointment

to the DICT, Salalima served as Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Vice President for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs of Globe Telecom.

He also formerly worked as Vice President and head of Legal and Human Relations at the International Communications Corporation, later renamed as Bayantel; and as a Board Director and Corporate and Chief Counsel of Radio Communications of the Philippines (RCPI). He was also a former president of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications

DICT urged to raise support for SIM card bill A

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Phil Army to enlist IPs from Mindanao T he Philippine Army is enlisting 1,000 applicants into the armed forces from the indigenous people’s communities from all over Mindanao, a military of�icial said.

The enlistment of IPs was based on the orders signed by Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, the Philippine Army chief.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 1st Infantry Division spokesperson, said that 350 of the 1,000 IPs will be hired in the areas covered by the command.

The area of jurisdiction of the 1st Infantry Division covers the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan and Sulu.

Herrera said the objective in enlisting IPs is geared towards the complete elimination of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPANDF) and other threat groups in the remote areas.

He said the basic requirements to enlist into the Philippine Army are as follows: 18 to 35 years old; �ive feet and above in height; Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-authenticated birth certi�icate with Of�icial Receipt (OR); parents’ marriage contract with OR; Form 137, Transcript of Records, Diploma with dry seal (high school and college); two copies of 2×2 pictures with name tag; valid identi�ication cards; and, must attain an AFP Service Aptitude Test (AFPSAT) score of at least 45.

He said the applicants must also have a certi�icate coming from the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) for admission.

He said interested and quali�ied applicants can register at the following locations: Gate 2, 1st Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Major Cesar Sang-an in Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur; and, 102nd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Barangay Sanito, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. (PNA)

SMF launches health and nutrition program

T

he San Miguel Foundation has launched its health and nutrition program on July 12, 2017 at the San Miguel Brewery Community Clinic in Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. The program is called Happy si Mommy, Healthy si Baby wherein the foundation, together with its partner organizations and agencies will provide health and nutrition intervention between the �irst 1,000 days of mother’s pregnancy up to a child’s 2 years of life.

The project aims to avoid the prevalence of irreversible stunting among Filipino children as a form of periodic malnutrition in the Philippines.

The project has to go through 3 phases, Phase 1 starts at 270 days pregnancy period from July 2017 to December 2017, Phase 2 at 365 days or 0-12 months old baby from January 2018 to December 2018 and Phase

3 at 365 days or 0-12 months old baby from January 2019 to December 2019.

There are six components of the projects which include series of Education campaign for bene�iciaries, their support system and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs); and early literacy program for pregnant mothers, their children and BHWs in partnership with Adarna Group Foundation.

The other components are livelihood project sponsored by Bank of Commerce which aims to provide opportunities for pregnant mothers to generate income and save money for their pre and post birth expenses; nutrition talk to introduce nutritious, easycooking and affordable complementary food for malnourished pregnant mothers and children age 6 months to 2 years old in partnership with SMPFC Culinary Center and home gardening project. (CDIOSta. Cruz/Julius R. Paner)

The specialized Training. on Basic Sign Language for LGU Frontline Service Providers was conducted last July 11-12, 2017, at the City Tourism Office Audio Visual Room located at the New City Hall of Tagum. This training equipped the LGU’s frontline officers with the basic skills in sign language to be able to converse with deaf/hearing impaired clients without having an interpreter. Photos by Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum

LGU Tagum’s employees learn basic sign language By: Tagum City Information Of�ice

T

ransactions and frontline services in the Local Government of Tagum have been made easier for the deaf and hearing impaired constituents in the city as the City Government took initiative to address the needs of such clients in transacting their appointments.

In observance of the 39th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Celebration, the City Government of Tagum, through the Of�ice of the City Social Welfare and Development, had lined up various events and activities scheduled July 10-14, 2017.

One of the highlights of the

celebration was the specialized Training on Basic Sign Language for LGU Frontline Service Providers last July 11-12, 2017, at the City Tourism Of�ice Audio Visual Room located at the New City Hall of Tagum.

This training equipped the LGU’s frontline of�icers with the basic skills in sign language to be able to converse with deaf/hearing impaired clients and understand their unique way of communicating, without having an interpreter.

With the Local Government of Tagum having a PWD-friendly environment, the training had been truly

vital for the enhancement of rendering frontline services and assistance to PWD constituents, particularly the deaf/ hearing impaired.

The conducted training is a boost to the agenda for Social Services under the EAGLE WINGS Program of Mayor Allan L. Rellon.

The 39th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week Celebration will be on July 17 until July 23, 2017, culminating in time for the birth anniversary of Apolinario Mabini, who was also considered a differentlyabled person due to polio. Drex Rafols/ CIO Tagum

Participants. of the Training on Basic Sign Language for LGU Frontline Service Providers enacted some actual scenarios of accommodating transactions from deaf/hearing impaired clients. Photos by Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum

7 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Globe At Home brings first-world entertainment to PH

I

n its continuing effort to elevate the state of the Internet in the Philippines, Globe has rolled out extensive efforts in expanding broadband connectivity with a mission to connect 20 million homes in 2020.

Since the telco’s aggressive rollout of leading edge network technology in 2016, the country has seen noteworthy improvements in Internet speeds and adoption rates.

Based on the Akamai Report for the �irst quarter of 2017,

PH �ixed Internet speed is now 57% faster at 5.5 Mbps versus 3.5 Mbps in 2016. In terms of broadband adoption, the country registered the strongest growth in Asia Paci�ic region in terms of “above 4 Mbps connectivity adoption” at 39% adoption rate, growing a robust 111% year on year.

In terms of pricing, Globe At Home broadband plans have displayed more competitive pricing, now 88% lower compared to plans back in 2013.

In 2013 a 100 Mbps plan was at P11,999 and this year, customers can get the same speeds for just P2,499.

“The growth and improvements in speeds and adoption substantiates the company’s efforts in improving the quality of connectivity in the country. As we continue aggressive deployment of leading edge network technology, we progress towards serving more homes with high-speed internet,” said Globe Senior Vice President

for Globe Broadband Business, Martha Sazon.

Leading the charge in improving the overall connected experience, Globe At Home has strengthened its broadband plans to be able to bring �irst world entertainment to Filipinos.

Recognizing that customers are at a turning point in terms of content consumption, the recent launch of its GoBIG plans is out to change the way Filipinos watch TV. The new GoBIG plans

Customers also get six months free access to Net�lix and Disney Channel apps, and a two-month subscription to HOOQ. For areas where Globe At Home expansion is currently underway, customers can still experience fast and reliable speeds with the �irst ever Globe At Home Prepaid Home WIFI that provides 50% stronger signal than mobile WIFIs. Customers can get it for only P1,999 in all Globe stores nationwide and enjoy 10GB free data.

cities nationwide, and that there are far bigger problem makers that merit immediate attention.

“What they do not understand is the fact that while it is true that traf�ic volume is causing Metro Manila’s traf�ic, it should not be blamed on Uber and Grab because unlike other public conveyances that are constantly on the road to get passengers, most of these transport network services are only on the road when they have a client. Our LTFRB folks should address the real causes of traf�ic like illegal terminals and colorum taxis, buses and jeepneys,” Nograles said.

Nograles said that instead of solving Metro Manila’s traf�ic mess, shutting down the operation of network transport service providers would even make it worse as this would mean an increased passenger build-up on train stations and on major road chokepoints where buses, jeepneys and UV Express normally converge to get passengers.

Nograles challenged the of�icials of the LTFRB to take public transport especially during Fridays and see for themselves if there is any basis

for their claim that Uber and Grab are causing Metro Manila’s traf�ic problem.

And if any of the LTFRB of�icials can prove that it is easier and safer to ride any other means of transportation other than Grab and Uber and can fully establish that these network transport conveyances are causing Metro Manila’s traf�ic woes, Nograles said that they can immediately declare a complete ban on the use of these hailing platforms.

And with the constant breakdowns of the MRT 3 system, Nograles said that suspending the operation of Uber and Grab would deny the riding public a safe and comfortable alternative transportation method.

“People are using Uber and Grab precisely because they don’t want to ride on these badsmelling public conveyances driven by rude drivers. They get Uber and Grab because they fear riding on MRT due to constant breakdowns. People patronize their services because they feel safer and more comfortable.

Why take this away from them?” he pointed out.

mostly due to an increased contribution of the Greenland ice sheet,” Masson-Delmotte said.

“Summer warming above the Greenland ice sheet has been strongly related to human in�luence on the climate system.

Sea-level rise is enhancing coastal submersion risks.”

She said despite a greater global awareness of the effects of climate change, recent extreme weather events such as those which have been witnessed in the Arctic, France and Syria, can all be traced back to human in�luence.

“The drought in Syria from 2007 to 2010 was unusual in a

multi-centennial context, and human in�luence was discerned in the two components of drought - lack of rainfall and increased temperatures,” Masson-Delmotte said on Tuesday.

“This occurs in a region where climate models project increasing water stress in a changing climate, due to a change in large-scale atmospheric circulation for the Mediterranean area.”

Meanwhile she added that recent �looding in France’s “bread basket area” came about as heavy rainfall in that region tends to occur in a warmer climate.

Ban on Uber, Grab would worsen MM’s traffic woes

I

ARMCHAIRS. These students in a public school benefit from armchairs donated by a private company. Armchair shortage continue to hound public schools around the country.

are offered with bigger data allocation, fast speeds, access to entertainment content, as well as options for various streaming devices. These streaming devices such as Google Chromecast, AppleTV and the latest AndroidTV allows families to watch all their favorite movies and shows on the big screen, at their own time.

All GoBIG plans also come with additional 100 GB of data exclusive for YouTube, so families can enjoy more videos.

nstead of cracking down on Uber and Grab, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board should �irst address the proliferation of “colorum” buses, jeepneys, taxis and UV Express and dismantle illegal terminals that abound even in major traf�ic choke points.

Nograles said while it is correct that the LTFRB cannot allow unregistered drivers and operators, which is the issue being raised in the case of Uber and Grab, it should not also turn a blind eye on the fact that a huge number of people �ind it safer and more convenient to use these transport network services, rather than take a taxi driven by rude cabbies.

“The problem has been lingering since the past administration. I urge the new LTFRB to address this once and for all. Surely there’s a win-win somewhere,” Nograles said.

Nograles, who admits being a frequent Uber and Grab user, said LTFRB of�icials must be in touch with the realities on the traf�ic situation in Metro Manila and in other highly urbanized

DOT makes French diving Sea levels to rise further due champ face of dive tourism to man-caused climate change

F

rench celebrity freediver Guillaume Néry has been named as the face of Philippine freediving in a bid to promote the country as a top freediving destination in Asia, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Monday.

DOT released this statement as Néry, who is also a �ilmmaker and an environment advocate, has started holding a series of freediving workshops in the country over the weekend.

According to the DOT, Néry conducted his �irst freediving workshop in Mactan, Cebu last July 15 to 17. Another workshop will be held in Moalboal, on

August 4 to 6. The workshops will be held in cooperation with Freediving HQ and Freediving Planet, respectively.

The three-day workshops will be a full immersion with the “Freediving Ambassador for the Philippines” Néry and will cover the basics of freediving -yoga, deep breathing exercises, complete with practical sessions (dry, pool, and open water practices).

DOT said Néry will also be touring Mactan, Moalboal, Malapascua, Coron, and El Nido and will freedive with Badjaos in Davao as part of the month-long expedition.

A freediving yoga class open to the general public, press conference, �ilm viewing of the most notable works of Néry and his team, and a meet and greet will be staged at ShangriLa’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu on July 19 in time of the grand opening of its marine sanctuary.

He will be also joining the agency in future international dive shows and exhibitions to engage and invite more freediving competitors and enthusiasts.

DOT Secretary Wanda Teo, in a statement, welcomed the presence of Néry in the Philippines.

H

uman-induced climate change has the power to cause a signi�icant rise in sea levels over the next 100 years, a climate scientist from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said on Tuesday.

Dr. Valerie MassonDelmotte, co-chair of IPCC Working Group I, said at the Australian National University (ANU) on Tuesday that human in�luence on the world’s climate has contributed to changes in the warming of the Greenland ice sheet, something which is affecting sea levels the world over.

“Sea-level rise has accelerated in recent decades,

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

W

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Keeping eyes on the road

ith the recently implemented Anti Distracted Driving Act and “no signboard” policy for public utility vehicles, full observance of these laws must be ensured by authorities. As they say, laws are only as good as its implementation.

Beyond these driving laws, the bottomline is that drivers--whether of public or private vehicles-must at all times focus on the steering wheel.

The responsibility of driving safely also rests on passengers who must also keep Mr. Driver from being distracted. Talking to the driver or taking away his attention are even more dangerous than using mobile phones while driving.

Laws are only as good as they are crafted but let us always remember that there are other factors that won’t be covered by the law and are even more distracting.

Take the Land Tarsnportation Of�ice’s latest reminder to drivers of PUVs--no signboards on windshields as they are on the line of sight. Yes, this is a good reminder for drivers to comply but may not be as good for commuters especially those not familiar with the routes in the city. Still, it is the law and therefore signboards must go, unless drivers and operators are creative enough to place them Safety is not just a driver’s concern and obligation. elsewhere nowhere the so-called line of sight. Expect It is everyone’s business whether one is sitting the innovations to come by knowing fully well the beside him or at the backseat. penchant for “creative avoidance” of Filipinos.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

F

resh from his of�icial visit to Japan in October 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte, former Davao City mayor, revealed an incident that took place while �lying home when he heard the ‘voice of God’ threatening to bring down the place if he did not stop swearing, or using his ‘colorful language.’

Adding drama to his disclosure, he said: “I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. And I… everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know ‘If you don’t stop (inaudible), I will bring this plane down now.’ And I said, who is this? Of course, it’s God. Oh, OK. So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words.”

As if on cue, Davao-based televangelist and presidential friend Apollo Quiboloy, who claims to be the ‘Appointed Son of God,’ owned and seconded the claim, saying: “My voice can travel in quantum waves and particles to communicate orders from God. This is actually made easier for me because of my personal relationship with Mayor Digong. He is my homeboy.”

But the truth is that it was not God’s or Quiboloy’s; it was the pilot’s voice.

Philippine Air Lines pilot-in-command Capt. Jean-Luc Piccard admitted he was the voice the president

O

f the 25 cities most exposed to a 1-meter sea-level rise, about 19 of them are located in the Asia and Paci�ic region, according to a study co-produced by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Curiously enough, seven of the 19 cities in the region are found in the Philippines. Four are from Luzon (Manila, Taguig, Caloocan and Malabon), two from Mindanao (Davao and Butuan) and only one from the Visayas (Iloilo).

“Under a business-as-usual scenario, a 6-degree Celsius temperature increase is projected over the Asian landmass by the end of the century,” said the study’s report, “A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Paci�ic,” which Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research co-produced.

“Coastal regions of Asia and the Paci�ic are among the most vulnerable to climate change-related SLR (sea-level-rise),” the report pointed out, adding that global �lood losses are expected to increase to US$52 billion per year by 2050 from US$6 billion in 2005.

It must be recalled that a previous study published in Nature said that the world’s oceans are now rising far faster than they did in the past. The current sea-level rise rate – which started in 1990 – is 2.5 times faster than it was from 1900 to 1990.

The study found that for much of the 20th century, sea level rise was about 30% less than earlier research had �igured. “But that’s not good news because about 25 years ago the seas started rising faster and the acceleration in 1990 turns out to be more dramatic

‘Voice of God’

heard, saying he did not introduced himself by including usual spiel ‘this is your captain speaking,’ adding he did not impersonate God. He said: “Yes, it was me. I thought that it was a long shot and I never imagined it to work. Everybody was asleep and snoring when I decided to try something drastic,” narrated the pilot. “I started talking on the microphone and told him that he needs to stop… It was only the president who assumed that he was talking to God.” The Catholic Church, for her part, said it was the President’s conscience that bothered him because only the saintly could have direct access to the God Almighty.

Be that as it may, this incident reminds us of two historical accounts where divine intervention, in relation to the Philippines, was pointed out.

After the American takeover from Spain, which propagated Catholicism in the country, the Protestant missionaries arrive on Philippine soil to introduce their own brand of Christianity.

Arthur Judson Brown, in The New Era in the Philippines (1904), citing a passage from a denominational publication, The Interior, said: “The possession of the Philippines has signaled the hour for a new realignment of the Christian forces

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa of the country. The character of its churches and other Christian organizations is being tested as never before. It is a wise church which knows the time. Any Christian life in high or in humble place will not be endowed with telling power, ‘age on ages telling,’ which shall be quick to fall into line with the Divine timeliness as to the next things to be done.”

Meanwhile, US President Theodore Roosevelt, in an August 9, 1906 letter to author Frederick Scott Oliver, wrote: “Nobody knows better than I that

a democracy may go very indeed, and I loathe the kind of demagoguery which �inds expression in such statements as ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’; but in my own experience it has certainly been true, and if I read history aright it was true both before and at the time of the Civil War, that the highly cultivated classes, who tend to become either cynically worldly-wise or to develop along the lines of the Eighteenth Century philosophers and the moneyed classes, especially those of large fortune, whose ideal tends to the mere money, are not �itted for any predominant guidance in a really great nation.”

In Latin, ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’ is translated into the much abused, much cited ‘Vox Populi, Vox Dei’ maxim the lawyers want to cite in their discussions.

The phrase actually was the title of a radical 1709 Whig tract—the same lea�let that led to the hanging of painter Johnny Matthews—which evolved into ‘The Judgment of the Whole Kingdoms and Nations,’ written by an anonymous author. In its 1710 version, the pamphlet, quoted in Wikipedia, read: “There being no natural or divine Law for any Form of Government, or that one Person rather than another should have the sovereign Adminis-

tration of Affairs, or have Power over many thousand different Families, who are by Nature all equal, being of the same Rank, promiscuously born to the same Advantages of Nature, and to the Use of the same common Faculties; therefore Mankind is at Liberty to chuse [choose] what Form of Government they like best.”

But the earliest use of ‘vox populi, vox Dei’, as cited in Philip Hamburger’s Law and Judicial Duty (2009), can be traced to the 1327 sermon of the archbishop of Canterbury Walter Reynolds who brought charge against King Edward II, which goes: “At the meeting of this high court early in 1327, Archbishop of Canterbury Walter Reynolds brought charges against the king, ... homage to the prince, and Archbishop Reynolds — the son of a baker — preached on the text Vox populi, vox Dei.” In retrospect, in 2012, when asked by co-host lawyer-journalist Geraldine Tiu in ‘Para sa Masa, Alang sa Masa’ television program over ABS-CBN in Davao City, former mayor Duterte, in reaction to a local survey favoring the return of the dreaded Davao Death Squad (DDS), told listeners, as paraphrased, that ‘if the voice of the people is the voice of God, then the vote of the Dabawenyos for the return of the DDS is the will of God.’

(WWF) and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), said that sea-level rise may create problems for Davao City’s ports.

“Located along the relatively shallow channel between the city and Samal Island, these port facilities are a nerve center for Davao City’s economy, and serve a variety of ships handling both cargo and passengers,” the risk assessment said.

Is sea level rise for real? You better ask Secretary Jesus G. Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process. In his column, “Advocacy Mindanao” some years back, the former press secretary believes the constant �looding in the city was due to sea level rise.

“My calculation is that (the sea level) has risen by one foot over a period of 20 years,” he wrote. “Hence, rain waters and �loods no longer easily �low or empty out into the sea. They are clogged in the waterways and spill out into the riverbanks.”

According to Dureza, when �lood waters rush down during high tide, they get stuck, at times and worse, a “back�low” of seawater during high tide. When seawaters rise high, it �lows back inland through rivers. Hence, low-lying areas or subdivisions or residential areas around or near riverbanks are in trouble.

“I know this because I personally witnessed how the sea level had gone up over the years,” he pointed out. “Our family lived for four years in our resort house by the sea in the 1990’s while we were slowly renovating our house in the GSIS area inland. Our beach house was in fact built over the water, jutting out into the sea, with stilt cement posts and

under our �loor was sea water rising and ebbing.”

Dureza said the highest water level during high tides left water traces on the cement posts. “I would notice because every time I woke up in the morning, I could see the water markings,” he pointed out.

Sea level rise is also expected to make groundwater becomes salty in taste. “Salinity intrusion into groundwater resources occur naturally to some extent in most coastal regions via the hydraulic connection between groundwater and seawater including through canals and drainage channels,” the World Bank report said.

A United States Agency for International Development study in 2013 projects changes in salinity intrusion under a 30-centimeter sea-level during the 2045-2069 period, “which are expected to be moderate during the wet season but signi�icantly more severe during the dry season.”

Salt intrusion is bad news for those living in Davao City. “Davao has traditionally tapped surface water from its rivers as its main water source,” the WWF/BPI report said. “It prides itself in the relatively high quality of its drinking water. However, salt intrusion has already been reported in city districts to shore, especially in portions of the city where groundwater extraction continues. Sea level rise may aggravate this situation.”

Scientists claim that for every meter the sea level rises, some three kilometers of inland would be inundated. The sea will literally rise to �lood the plains. “Are the people ready for such scenario?” someone asked.

RISING SEA LEVELS

than previously calculated,” wrote Seth Borenstein in a dispatch for Associated Press.

“We’re seeing a signi�icant acceleration in the past few decades,” study lead author Carling Hay, a geophysical researcher at Harvard University, was quoted as saying.

According to the report written by Borenstein, previous research showed that between 1900 and 1990, the seas rose about two-thirds of an inch a decade. The new study recalculates the 1900-1990 rate to less than half an inch a decade. Old and new research both say that since 1990s seas are rising at about 30 millimeters a decade.

“The implications are troubling – accelerated ocean warming, ice sheet collapse and sea level rise – all point to more and more sea level rise in the future, perhaps at a faster rate than previously thought,” noted Jonathan Overpeck, co-director of the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona.

“This will make adaptation to climate change more dif�icult and costly.”

As a consequence of climate change, project sea-level rise is a highly dif�icult, complex, and controversial scienti�ic problem, according to a report released by the Washington, D.C.-based World Bank.

Using the analysis of “semi-empirical” approach – projecting global sea-level rise by taking into account the observed relationship between past sea-level rise and global mean temperature over the past millennium – a 50 centimeter sea-level rise by the 2050s “may be locked in whatever action is taken now.”

The World Bank report – entitled Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

Impacts and the Case for Resilience – maintained: “Limiting warming to 2⁰C may limit sea-level rise to about 70 centimeters by 2100, but in a 4⁰C world over 100 centimeters can be expected, with sea-level rise in the tropics 10-15% higher than the global average.”

A research conducted by the Philippine Country Study to Address Climate Change, the Manila Bay is already subjected to several hazards, including �looding and storms. “Shoreline changes due to reclamation for housing, ports, coastal roads, buildings and other urbanized development are high, adding to an increased threat of inundation,” the study said.

Let’s take Davao City as a case in point.

The recent Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts, published by the World Wide Fund for Nature

VANTAGE POINTS

10 NEWS SAF... FROM 1

“Mabuti na meron na ring kaso ang Ombudsman na isasampa sapagkat unanguna, dapat magkaroon na ng pagtatapos ito, pangalawa, pagkakataon na rin na marinig mismo sa bibig ng dating pangulo ang kanyang punto at ang kanyang naging partisipasyon ukol dito (It’s a good thing that the Ombudsman recommended the �iling of charges because �irst, there should be closure and second, this would give the former President to explain his involvement in the case),” Poe said.

She further said that she sees no problem with the decision of colleague Sen. Richard Gordon to reopen the probe especially if there was new evidence to present. “…Kung merong maaaring ipresenta na hindi namin

natalakay noong nakaraang pagdinig, bakit naman hindi, katotohanan ang puno’t dulo nito (If new evidence can be presented that wasn’t discussed during the previous hearings, why not, if the search for truth is the main objective?” the senator said.

“The decision to reopen the Mamasapano inquiry is the prerogative of the chairman of the blue ribbon committee,” she added. “Whatever new and relevant information that can be unearthed from this inquiry, in aid of legislation, will be bene�icial not only to the families of the SAF 44, but also to the Filipino people.”

Poe, however, said that the Senate panel should be prepared for the possibility that when called to testify, President Aquino could invoke his right not to talk about the case as it is already being handled by the

the possible extension of martial law is to allow government forces to continue with their operation, unhampered by deadlines and to focus more on the liberation of Marawi and its rehabilitation and rebuilding.”

He also clari�ied that it is up to Congress to decide on the actual duration of the extension.

“Ito po ‘yung sinabi ng sulat, ‘yan po ang nire-request niya (Duterte) -- until 31st of December or for such period of time as the Congress may determine. Nasa Kongreso po in order to decide,” Abella said.

President Duterte declared martial law and suspended

the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao last May 23 following an attack by the Islamic Stateinspired Maute group in Marawi City.

According to the latest update provided by Malacañang on the Marawi siege, 413 militants have been killed while 511 high-powered �irearms have been recovered from the terror group.

In the meantime, 98 government forces have died in �ighting while 45 civilians have so far been con�irmed to have died in the hands of the terrorists. (PNA)

rent a new place to hold the inquests and conduct preliminary investigations,” Aguirre said sought fro a comment.

Last June 28, Aguirre II said that 30 prosecutors in Metro Manila will undergo training on the possible continuous trial on the cases �iled against members and supporters of the terrorist group Maute in connection with the Marawi City seige.

He added that once completed, the 30 prosecutors will be divided into two panels of 15 members each headed by a senior state prosecutor.

Under the continuous trial system,

postponements of hearings are prohibited unless on exceptional grounds and direct the courts to promulgate the decision to not later than 90 days from the submission of the case for decision.

Also under the set-up, the trial of cases will be held from Monday to Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The implementation of the continuous trial system is part of the initiatives set forth by Chief Justice Sereno when she assumed the top SC post to enable the speedy disposition of cases and decongest the country’s courts.(PNA)

The July 6 earthquake has killed at least three people and injured 310 others.

Several aftershocks rocked the province in nearly two weeks.

The strongest was magnitude 5.8 that injured 78 people, according to the OCD report.

The fatalities are 40-yearold man from Kananga town, 19-year-old woman from Ormoc City, and 88-year-old

woman from Carigara town.

A total of 113 schools, 10 health facilities, 35 government buildings, and seven commercial buildings in Leyte province sustained damages after the tremor.

The government of�icially recorded PHP220.21 million worth of damages in the province.(Sarwell Q. Meniano/ PNA)

DUTERTE... FROM 1

SC... FROM 1

OVER... FROM 1

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

INSPIRATIONAL PRESENCE. Presidential daughter, Veronica ‘Kitty’ Duterte, leads the distribution of books courtesy of National Bookstore to the students of Euroasia Learning Center and Values School during the National Children’s

Bookreading Day at the Annex of SM City Davao on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

SC ORDERS... FROM 1

Murad stressed that in passing the BBL, the Duterte administration “would have taken the �irst step in correcting the historical injustice committed against our people and laid the foundation for a more just country.”

“By this joint action, we have co-founded a new Philippines-a new country �irmly set on the unshakable foundation of justice and truth, and bequeath upon our succeeding generation a country united but respecting and drawing strength from its diversity,” he added.

Violent extremism Violent extremism, Murad warned, is rearing its ugly head and this is evident in what is happening in Marawi, where clashes between government forces and violent extremists such as the Maute Group, entered Day 56 on the same day teh draft BBL was submitted.

“These misguided people have �illed the vacuum created by our failure to enact the Basic Law and fed into the frustration of our people,” he explained.

GhazaliJaafar, 1st Vice Chair of the MILF and concurrent chair of the BTC, said their draft BBL is “the best antidote to violent extremism that has wrought havoc” in the country.

He said their draft is “more inclusive being a product of a commission whose composition also re�lects the widest inclusivity” and that it “re�lects the diversity of interests of the Bangsamoro people, non-Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples and settle communities.”

“This BBL is our new formula for the very elusive peace in Mindanao,” Jaafar added.

The Moro National Liberation Front faction under YusophJikiri and MusliminSema, participated in the crafting of the draft BBL, with three commissioners among the 21-member BTC. The MNLF faction under NurMisuair, however, has a separate peace implementing panel which is drafting along with its government counterpart, a draft amendatory law that would strengthen the ARMM. The BBL on the other hand will lead to the abolition of the ARMM once the BBL is rati�ied in a plebiscite. Convergence

brie�ing held in SC. In the resolution, Te said that the Court also designed the SICA located along Camp Bagong Diwa instead of Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, as the temporary detention facility of any suspects, subject to its instruction to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to expedite the relocation of any suspects to a suitable detention facility.

Aguirre welcomes the decision of SC because of members of judiciary and national prosecution service fear their safety in the conduct of inquest, preliminary investigation and trial of the cases involving the Maute group. ”That is great news for DOJ and its panels of prosecutors in CDO. It will solve a lot of problems like where the detainees are to be con�ined and whether we are going to rent a new place to hold the inquests and conduct preliminary investigations,” Aguirre said sought fro a comment.

Last June 28, Aguirre II said that 30 prosecutors in Metro

Manila will undergo training on the possible continuous trial on the cases �iled against members and supporters of the terrorist group Maute in connection with the Marawi City seige.

He added that once completed, the 30 prosecutors will be divided into two panels of 15 members each headed by a senior state prosecutor.

Under the continuous trial system, postponements of hearings are prohibited unless on exceptional grounds and direct the courts to promulgate the decision to not later than 90 days from the submission of the case for decision.

Also under the set-up, the trial of cases will be held from Monday to Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The implementation of the continuous trial system is part of the initiatives set forth by Chief Justice Sereno when she assumed the top SC post to enable the speedy disposition of cases and decongest the country’s courts.

(PNA)

�iled substitute bills after their respective committee hearings, both titled Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR), which the MILF and even the government peace panel then agreed did not comply with the CAB and instead envisioned a Bangsamoro less autonomous than the ARMM it sought to replace.

Correcting historical injustice Monday’s submission of the BBL is exactly a week before Duterte delivers his second State of the Nation Address. The country’s �irst Mindanawon President with Moro blood (his grandmother is a Maranao) is expected to certify as urgent the proposed BBL in Congress whose two houses are headed by fellow Mindanawons -Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Jr. Pimentel and Alvarez wit-

nessed the submission of the draft BBL in Malacanang.

Duterte said the draft BBL, jointly written by Muslims, Christians, and Lumads “shall give rise to a genuine autonomous region as well as bring forth healing and reconciliation to the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro people.”

MILF chair Al Haj MuradEbrahim said Duterte has been “given the unique privilege of correcting that historical injustice (against the Bangsamoro) by entrenching the Bangsamoro Government - the embodiment of the legitimate aspiration of our people, through the enactment of this Bangsamoro Basic Law.” “We trust you. We trust that you will shepherd the passage of this law and see through the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government,” he said.

FULL SUPPORT... FROM 1

The Bangsamoro peace roadmap that the Of�ice of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) proposed in July 2016 and approved by the President, was for a convergence of the peace agreements government signed with the MNLF (1976 Tripoli Agreement and 1996 Final Peace Agreement) and the MILF (2012 Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and 2014 CAB).

The BTC membership was precisely increased from 15 to 21, purportedly to get the MNLF factions to participate in crafting the BBL. Misuari’s faction did not participate.

Secretary Jesus Dureza, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, said Congress will do the convergence of the BTC’s draft BBL and the MNLF-Misuari faction’s draft amendatory law.

The MNLF-Misuari peace implementing panel has yet to formally meet although they have conducted at least �ive informal meetings.

In a statement, ARMM Governor MujivHataman reiterated the region’s support to the ongoing peace process and its commitment to serve the Bangsamoro people.

He expressed hope that the President, who will set the legislative agenda of the national government during his SONA on July 24, “will use this important platform to push for legislation that acknowledges and addresses the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro people, and to pursue restorative justice and lasting peace in the region.”

He said he hopes the new draft BBL “will also renew the commitment not only of the peace panels, but also the commitment of our legislators in congress to pursuing peace in the region.”

Hataman noted that the proposed law “comes at a time when we are reminded of the costs of delaying our efforts towards peace in the region, as we continue to hurdle old and familiar obstacles along with new challenges.”

Delays in our collective struggle towards peace make it easy for fear to take root in the hearts of our people. Delays in our shared pursuit of justice make it easier for terror to thrive,” he said. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

INdulge!

VOL.10 ISSUE 77 • JULY 19, 2017

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

DAVAO’S PASTA FIESTA

AT TIMES, craving for something tends to be expensive -- 95% of the time, that is.

However, personally, I believe that when you are craving, go for it. Nevermind the expense.

In Davao, we are but lucky that whenever we crave for good food, we need not have the blinding silver spoon to taste good food. In fact, we just need to be at the Matina Town Square to experience The Good Food Co. This quaint restaurant is both endearing and inviting. The facade, interiors and overall design reeks of one’s love for zen and the minimalist realm. I also love that it’s very clean. I love dining places that are clean -- reminds me of blank planner pages and the many possibilities that comes with it.

On their menu are great food finds that will have you salivating in an instant. From crunchy appetizers to savoury main courses and sweet desserts, you are sure to

find one that speaks forth of your mood. For us, it was a pasta kind of day that lead us to rediscover the delicious pasta that we seldom ignore.

Their plate (which was humongous btw!) of Puttanesca is likened to a garden of flavours. This Italian Neopolitan pasta dish highlighted the marriage of tomatoes, anchovies, capers and mushroom.

The texture was definitely there and you’d love that

the flavour combo gels well together. Now that’s intelligent cooking right there.

Not a big fan of white sauce pasta, my peer said that their plate of carbonara is fine as a sunny day in Boracay. Though I was not able to taste it (it was generously topped with bacon slices), you can verily see the abundance of cheese, mushroom and bacon. Generosity at its best.

Another on their menu is their pasta al pomodoro. Quick, light and refreshing -- this pasta dish is fresh and perfect for sharing with an SO. Or you can have it all to yourself.

The other one was somewhat the same as the pasta al pomodoro but is one with a kick of spice at the end of every bite. Their arrabiata is made with garlic, fresh

tomatoes and dried chili flakes, you will surely love the addition of spice as you take a bite after another.

Chimichanga, on the other hand, is a favourite Tex-Mex large burrito packed with meat, veggies and everything else in between. Theirs is served with some crunchy crisps and greens to have you wanting for more.

Here’s to a fiesta of pasta dishes. Here’s to good food with great people.

Great company, good food and the sun outside, nothing can beat that.

The Good Food Co is located at Row of Restaurants 3, Matina Town Square, McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City Want to know my latest food finds? Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and Facebook @RoyalChefEats. Happy munching, #royalistas!

A2INdulge!

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.10 ISSUE 77 • JULY 19, 2017

Hungry for crabs at Cafe Uno THERE IS NOTHING THAT BRINGS MORE JOY TO ME THAN EATING WITH MY BARE HANDS. There is something primal and strangely satisfying with picking up food between your fingers, tearing it to bite-sized pieces, and finally putting it into your

mouth.

This experience is amplified when

one is eating crabs and shrimps. In fact, the thought of me using my hands to pry open some shells to extract the sweet briny meat from them makes be salivate while typing this up.

Although there are a few all-you-can eat crab buffets already out in Durianburg, I am glad to learn that Cafe Uno at the Waterfront Insular Davao Hotel now offers diners all the crabs one can eat for lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Priced at only Php650 nett per per-

son, the list of days are Steak Buffet Days. crab dishes extend For inquiries or reservations, you from Chili Crab to may call the Waterfront Insular Hotel Salted-egg Crab, Davao at 082.2332881 to 83 local 8700. to Curry Butter Crab and Salt and Pepper Crab.

There are also a myriad of shrimp dishes, including Shrimp in Pepper Sauce, Chili Crispy Shrimp, and Shrimp Tempura for those who want more crustaceans on their plate. Just be sure to bring your antihistamines.

Aside from the Crab Buffet, Cafe Uno also offers different themes for each day of the week. Monday lunches are Filipino Fiesta Buffets, Tuesdays and Sundays are Katsu Days, while Satur-

VOL.10 ISSUE 77 • JULY 19, 2017

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Gourmet meals at 35,000 feet

By BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO LAST JULY 12, 2017, AirAsia, voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for nine consecutive years, unveiled its latest in-flight offerings -- the “Santan inflight menu and catalogue” in Bohol, in partnership with Amorita Resort, featuring the best of Asean flavours -- savoury snacks, healthy food selections, beverages, and special gift items and merchandise.

July 9 – 11, 2017

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AirAsia Philippines’ Head of Ancillary Karlo Sanchez said, “We are delighted to offer variety and only the best meals from across the Asean region including our very own Filipino Adobo. These hotmeals are available on all AirAsia flights across our extensive network in the whole of Asean, extending as far as India, China, Australia, Japan and United States.”

Among those featured are the Thai Green Curry with Rice (aromatic chicken curry infused with authentic Thai spices served with fragrant white rice), Malaysia’s Nasi Lemak, Singapore’s Chicken Rice, and our very own, Chicken Adobo.

AirAsia’s Santan menu is also adding a new dish.

This time for pasta lovers -- Chicken Lasagne now available onboard and via online pre-booking. A tantalizing pasta dish with blended classic creamy cheese and chicken and assorted vegetables for that refreshing taste like no other.

“Gourmet experience onboard doesn’t have to be expensive and as an added value for our guests, we are keeping our pricing at affordable levels and at the same time maintaining the high quality and flavour of all our meals,” Sanchez

added.

Combo meals or hot meals with choice of drinks are priced at P180 only and to enjoy greater savings, AirAsia encourages guests to pre-book their meals or to purchase their meals in advance online.

Guests who pre-book will be assured of meal availability and will enjoy priority meal service onboard.

AirAsia won the World’s Leading Inflight Service title at the World Travel Awards Grand Finals in December 2016, and was also honoured with the Catering Innovation of the

Year award by Onboard Hospitality earlier last year.

Guests, media, and bloggers took part in a Santan food tasting session and interactive activities during the formal launch in Amorita Resort. AirAsia will also host food tasting sessions in select BPO offices and malls in Metro Manila.

Follow the AirAsia Santan journey through the hashtag #AirAsiaSantan and get the latest AirAsia news, activities and promotions on Twitter (twitter. com/AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia).

EDGEDAVAO

A4INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 1 • MARCH 5, 2012

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

Advertise with

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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

11 SCIENCE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE PERSONALLY

A

s one of the countries facing the gravest risks posed by climate change and global warming, the Philippines will continue to stand by its courageous partners from the international community in delivering our commitments and speeding up action to combat climate change.” – Senator Loren Legarda *** If there’s one issue that catches the attention of everyone, it’s climate change. After all, no one is spared from its consequences: sea level rise, famine, scorching heat of the sun, water crisis, more super typhoons and massive �loods, and unwanted diseases.

With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries of climate change. In fact, sea level rise in the country is expected to be three times that of the global average if the situation is unabated, according to the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines.

“In the Philippines, at risk are 64 coastal provinces, 822 coastal municipalities, 25 major coastal cities and approximately 13.6 million Filipinos that need to be relocated away from danger zones,” said Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change.

According to Legarda, ocean acidi�ication is causing irreversible damage to ecologically-fragile coral reefs. “With global warming of up to 2 degrees Celsius, 98% of coral reefs will die by 2050,” she surmised. “A World Bank study shows that this would cause decrease in marine �ish capture by

about 50% in the southern Philippines by the year 2050.”

In addition, sudden shifts from hot temperatures to incessant rains pose uncertainties to agriculture. Extreme rainfall and heat, heavy �loods, and constant changes in weather pose great threat to lives, health, livelihood and development.

“Extreme weather events have brought so much destruction and claimed so many lives already. In the Philippines, we have experienced the wrath of typhoons Frank, Ondoy, Sendong, Pablo and Yolanda, among many others,” Legarda said in a statement.

“Climate change knows no boundaries. It affects us all. It will make the poor poorer, create more climate refugees, and greatly affect the vulnerable – children, women, elderly, persons with disabilities, and indigenous peoples,” she pointed out.

“Think globally, act locally,” so goes a slogan. The world is doing something to stop the consequences of climate change. While the international community is trying to cut carbon dioxide emissions, there are some things that an individual can do. In the journal Environmental Research Letters, there are four actions that can make a difference.

“This may not be surprising, however, as they tend to be things people are involved with in their everyday lives: living without a car, avoiding air travel, avoid eating meat, and – most “controversially” – have less children,” wrote Robin

Andrews in www.i�lscience.com.

Avoiding air travel: “We hear much about the environmental costs of air travel,” wrote Duncan Clark in a feature which was published by The Guardian. “The problem is not just that planes burn a lot of fuel and therefore kick out plenty of carbon dioxide per passenger. Just as important are a host of other high-altitude impacts, including vapor trails and ozone production, that are usually estimated to cause as much warming as the carbon dioxide itself.”

Since 1990, carbon dioxide emissions from the international aviation have increased 83%.

“The aviation industry is expanding rapidly in part due to regulatory and taxing policies that do not re�lect the true environmental costs of �lying,” notes the David Suzuki Foundation in its website. “‘Cheap’ fares may turn out to be costly in terms of climate change.”

Compared to other modes of transport – like driving a car or taking the train – traveling by air has a greater climate impact per passenger

Let’s take a closer look at each: Living without a car: A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA). This is assuming that the average gasoline vehicle in the road has a fuel economy of about 21.6 miles per gallon and drives around 11,4000 miles per year. “Every gallon of gasoline burned creates about 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide,” it claims.

In addition to carbon dioxide, automobiles also other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide from the tailpipe and hydro�luorocarbon emissions from leaking air conditioners.

“The emissions of these gases are small in comparison to carbon dioxide; however, the impact of these emissions can be important because they have a higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide,” EPA says.

kilometer, even over longer distances. “It’s also the mode of freight transport that produces the most emissions,” the foundation states.

It’s not only carbon dioxide that planes emit. “When jet fuel is burned, the carbon in the fuel is released and bonds with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide,” the foundation explains. “Burning jet fuel also releases water vapor, nitrous oxides, sulphate and soot.”

But what makes aircraft emissions striking is that most of them “are produced at cruising altitudes high in the atmosphere.” The foundation says: “Scienti�ic studies have shown that these high-altitude emissions have a more harmful climate impact because they trigger a series of chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that have a net warming effect.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body which became a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, said that the climate impact of aircraft is two to four times greater than the effect of their carbon dioxide emissions alone.

Avoiding eating meat: “While energy generation, transport and buildings have long been a target for governments, businesses and campaigners looking into reduce emissions, the impact from food production has often been left out,” wrote The Guardian‘s Fiona Harvey. “But on current trends, with intensive agriculture increasingly geared towards livestock rearing, food

production will be a major concern.”

According to Harvey, intensive livestock-rearing is a major cause of greenhouse gases, “in part because of the methane produced by the animals and the massive slurry pits that accompany large farms.” Not only that, livestock raising also diverts water and grains to grow animals, “which is less ef�icient than directing the grains towards direct human consumption.”

A research done scientists at the Oxford Martin School found out that by shifting to eating vegetables, or just by simply eating cutting down meat consumption “within accepted health guidelines,” would make a large dent in greenhouse gases.

“Adhering to health guidelines on meat consumption could cut global food-related emissions by nearly a third by 2050, the study found, while widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet would bring down emissions by 63%,” Harvey wrote.

Another study, published in Nature Communications, analyzed about 500 food consumption and production without cutting down more forests. “The biggest contributing factor to foodrelated deforestation is eating meat,” the study says.

Have less children: There’s no doubt about it: population growth is a major contributor to climate change, “given that humans use fossil fuels to power their increasingly mechanized lifestyles.”

“More people means more demand for oil, gas, coal and other fuels mined or drilled from the below the Earth’s surface that, when burned, spew enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to trap warm air inside like a greenhouse,” the Scienti�ic American says.

“Having less children means that the next generation would require (and demand) fewer resources,” Andrews wrote. “The planet is already struggling to meet our needs and desires as it is.”

He added that having just one less child “saves a remarkable 59 tons of carbon dioxide. This is 295 times more effective than regularly recycling, or 590 times more effective than using energyef�icient lightbulbs.”

Two years ago, Pope Francis made news when he commented that climate change is real and that it was mostly man-made. He did also urge couples not to breed “like rabbits” but rather plan their families responsibly.

In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times noted: “By 2050, world population is expected to increase from its current level of about 7 billion to somewhere between 8 and 11 billion.

According to a 2010 analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, keeping the growth to the lower number instead of even the mid-range 9.6 billion could play a signi�icant role in keeping emissions low enough to avoid dangerous levels of climate change by 2050.”

12 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Mindanao Public School receives new desks and chairs

A

remote school in Maguindanao Province received 235 new armchairs and desks from AboitizPower distribution utility, Cotabato Light and Power Company (CLPC).

The assistance from CLPC has made classrooms at Don Antonio Martinez Sr. Elementary School (DAMSES) safer and more conducive for learning for the students who come mostly from the Maguindanaon and Tiduray tribes.

CLPC and Aboitiz Foundation Inc. responded to the request for assistance of Teacher-In-Charge (TIC) Bai Norhaya S. Cagalawan of DAMSES, which is located about 20 kilometers from the city.

On June 28, 2017, a team from CLPC, led by human resource and reputation enhancement department head Anna Lea Lee L. Nataño, turned over 100 armchairs, 45 desks with 90 chairs and two teacher’s tables and chairs to Ms. Cagalawan and other DAMSES of�icials.

“Isang blessing po ito para sa amin na mabigyan ng mga armchairs and desks. Iingatan po namin ito para mas marami pang

mag-aaral ang makakagamit nito,” Cagalawan said. “Sana hindi mapagod ang AboitizPower at CLPC sa pagtulong, lalo na para sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan.”

(This is a blessing for all of us. We will take care of the armchairs and desks so that more students will be able to bene�it from their use. We hope that AboitizPower and CLPC will continue to help, especially for the welfare of the children.)

“We welcome the opportunity to be an instrument in improving the quality of education at DAMSES and in promoting the safety of students here. As an AboitizPower company, CLPC considers quality education a vital component in ensuring a better future for the kids in our community,” Nataño said.

The turnover ceremony was attended by Salvacion Deaño, Kinder, Filipino and IPED Division coordinator; Marisol Rosal, SPED division head; Dr. Sittie Jane Mangelen, DOS North District supervisor; PTA of�icers; and Barangay Captain Datu Wilson Sinsuat. Present also were Cotabato Light Michelle P. Prudente and Arle

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11th Judicial Region Branch 14 Davao City

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR CANCELLATION OF THE SECOND REGISTERED LIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATE OF DAPHNE MARIE PABROA TADLE WITH REGISTRY NUMBER 85-24413; AND TO CHANGE/CORRECT THE ENTRIES ON THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE OF DAPNE MARIE PABROA TADLE BEARING REGISTRY NUMBER 85-19126, to wit: CHANGE THE FIRST NAME IN ENTRY NO. 1 From MARY GRACE to DAPNE MARIE; CORRECT the first letter of the middle name in entry No.1 from “F” to “P”; And CORRECT THE FIRST LETTER OF THE MAIDEN LAST NAME OF HER MOTHER, (Gloria B. Pabroa) in entry No. 6 from “F” to “P”; DAPHNE MARIE PABROA TADLE Petitioner,

SP. PROC. CASE NO. R-DVO-17-01444-SP

VERSUS THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR OF DAVAO CITY Respondent xx---------------------------------------------------------------------------xx ORDER OF HEARING

Security Bank. Corporation on its recognition at the Corporate Governance Asia’s 7th Asian Excellence Awards in Hong Kong.

Analysis identifies hotspots for water conflict worldwide

A

new analysis has projected that risks for water con�lict will increase over the next 15 to 30 years in four hotspot regions, namely the Middle East, Central Asia, the Ganges-BrahmaputraMeghna basin, and the Orange and Limpopo basins

in southern Africa.

Published in the journal Global Environmental Change, a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on environmental change, the analysis addresses the reality that while more than 1,400 new dams or water diversion

projects are planned or already under construction, many of them are on rivers �lowing through multiple nations, fueling the potential for increased water con�lict between some countries.

As part of the United Nations’ Transboundary Waters Assessment

EDGEDAVAO 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

A VERIFIED PETITION has been filed by petitioner through counsel, praying that after due publication and hearing, the Honorable Court issue an Order directing the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) of Davao City , to wit: a) To cancel the second Certificate of Live Birth of the petitioner with Local Civil Registry No. 85-24413; to change the entry of her first name from MARY GRACE to DAPHNE MARIE; and to correct the letter “F” of the first letter of her middle name and the maiden last name of her mother to letter “p” ON HER FIRST Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 85-19126; b) Furnishing a copy of the Decision or Judgment to the Local Civil Registrar of Davao City where this Honorable Court issuing the Decision or Judgment is situated, who shall forthwith enter the same in the Civil Registry, pursuant to Section 6, Rule 108 of the Revised Rules of Court; c) Further, it is respectfully prayed that a copy of the Decision or Judgment be furnished to the Philippine Statistics Authority or PSA so that the proper annotation be entered on the petitioner’s Certificate of Live Birth,

Accounting Clerk

and for other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, this Court hereby sets the same for hearing on August 23, 2017 at 8:30 in the morning. Let this Order be published at the expense of the petitioners in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Davao,once a week for THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. All interested persons may appear before this Court on or before the aforesaid date of hearing to show cause , if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Furnish a copy of this order together with a copy of the petition to the Office of the Solicitor General, Makati City: the City Prosecution’s Office , Davao City; the office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Davao City; and Counsel for the petitioner, as well as the petitioner.

Account Executive

SO ORDERED. Given this 25th day of May 2017, in the City of Davao Philippines.

(SGD) JILL ROSE S. JAUGAN- LO Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Atty. Mylene A. Anito-Guhiling, CPA/Atty. Janice A. Aspiras-Pepito/Atty.Eni Grace Fabila-PAO, Davao City.

Office of the Clerk of Court-RTC-Davao City The office of the Solicitor general -134 Amorsolo St. Legaspi Village, Makati City Pros. Faizal A. Padate- office of the City Prosecution, Davao City Office of the Local Civil registrar-Davao City Daphne Marie Pabroa Tadle-Purok 22-E, # 158 Camia St. kabacan, brgy. 76-A, Bucana, Talomo,Davao City

Qualifications: • BS Accountancy Graduate • Female • Can work with minimum supervision • Experience of at least one year

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

Program, and with the participation of researchers from the United States, Spain and Chile, the river basins study uses a comprehensive combination of social, economic, political and environmental factors to identify areas around the world most at-risk for what it calls “hydro-political” strife.

“If two countries have agreed on water �low and distribution when there’s a dam upstream, there usually is no con�lict,” said Eric Sproles, an Oregon State University (OSU) hydrologist and a co-author of the study.

“Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with many other river systems, where a variety of factors come into play, including strong nationalism, political contentiousness, and drought or shifting climate conditions.”

The Nile River in Africa, much of southern Asia, the Balkans in southeastern Europe, and upper South America are all areas where new dams are under construction and neighboring countries face increasing water demand, may lack workable treaties or have not even discussed the issue.

Asia has the highest number of dams proposed or under construction on transboundary basins of any continent with 807, followed by South America, with 354; Europe, 148; Africa, 99; and North America, 8. However, Africa has a higher level of hydropolitical tension, according to the researchers, with more exacerbating factors.

(PNA)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Survey shows Pinoys full of Hope under Duterte—Karl The Philippines, more than ever, has become a more hopeful nation under President Duterte’s leadership based on the recent survey of Pulse Asia, House appropriations chair Karlo B. Nograles said today.

“This marked optimism of the Filipinos should pave the way to reach our collective dream of becoming a peaceful and progressive nation,” added the Davao City congressman a day after the polling �irm released its “Ulat ng Bayan” survey conducted in June.

“We should seize the momentum,” stressed Nograles.

The nationwide survey, which had a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent con�idence level, showed Duterte scoring a very high rating of 82-percent that made him “the most appreciated government of�icial.”

The survey was conducted on June 24 to 29, a month after Duterte declared martial law and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao as clashes between the government troops and the ISIS-linked Maute group erupted on May 23.

In terms of demographic classes, Duterte scored the highest from the Class E at 84 percent, and the Class D at 82 percent.

“The poor Filipinos are clearly brimming with hope for a better life,” said Nograles. “They found a hero in Duterte.”

The House appropriations chief said Congress, and all other government instrumentalities, should rally behind the Chief Executive. “We should not fail our people,” he stressed.

The Nograles committee, in charge of scrutinizing the President’s budget, is ready to support Duterte’s programs “one hundred percent,” he said.

Nograles noted that in the same Pulse Asia survey for June, the Filipinos have increased their faith on all branches of government, including the House of Representatives.

Nograles was referring to the trust ratings of the House of Representatives that went up in Metro Manila and Mindanao (+12 and +13 percentage points, respectively).

Nograles said the overall positive mood of the Filipinos should unite the Filipinos in reaching their dreams.

“This is no longer the time to oppose and to rebel. More than ever, this is the time for Filipinos to unite under the most trusted and most appreciated presidency,” Nograles said.(PNA)

NEWS 13

SC orders transfer of Mautes to Taguig City

T

he Supreme Court granted Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s request for the transfer to Taguig City of the cases and detention of the Maute group members and their sympathizers charged with rebellion and other cases for staging attacks in Marawi City.

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

Aguirre earlier requested to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that the Regional Trial Court of Taguig City be designated to hear and decide on all cases and incidents arising from the takeover of the Maute group of Marawi City.

In addition, Aguirre further requested that the SC allows the conduct of the hearing of the cases at an appropriate venue inside the premises of the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA)

located inside the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to ensure the greater security of the Maute detainees. ”The Court, in a Resolution dated June 27,2017, acted on two letters of the Secretary of Justice dated 13 and 14 June 2017, noted the same, and designated the Regional Trial Court of the National Capital Judicial Region stationed in Taguig City, instead of the Regional Trial Court of Cagayan de Oro City, to speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the violent incidents in Marawi City involving the Maute Group,” Te told reporters during the press brie�ing held in SC. In the resolution, Te said that the Court also designed the SICA located along Camp Bagong Diwa instead of Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, as the temporary detention facility of any suspects, subject to its instruction to the

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to expedite the relocation of any suspects to a suitable detention facility.

Aguirre welcomes the decision of SC because of members of judiciary and national prosecution service fear their safety in the conduct of inquest, preliminary investigation and trial of the cases involving the Maute group. ”That is great news for DOJ and its panels of prosecutors in CDO. It will solve a lot of problems like where the detainees are to be con�ined and whether we are going to rent a new place to hold the inquests and conduct preliminary investigations,” Aguirre said sought fro a comment.

Last June 28, Aguirre II said that 30 prosecutors in Metro Manila will undergo training on the possible continuous trial on the cases �iled against members and supporters of the terrorist

group Maute in connection with the Marawi City seige.

He added that once completed, the 30 prosecutors will be divided into two panels of 15 members each headed by a senior state prosecutor.

Under the continuous trial system, postponements of hearings are prohibited unless on exceptional grounds and direct the courts to promulgate the decision to not later than 90 days from the submission of the case for decision.

Also under the set-up, the trial of cases will be held from Monday to Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The implementation of the continuous trial system is part of the initiatives set forth by Chief Justice Sereno when she assumed the top SC post to enable the speedy disposition of cases and decongest the country’s courts.(PNA)

14 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

Phoenix Petroleum holds tree growing drive in Davao

P

hoenix Petroleum, through the Phoenix Philippines Foundation, held a tree growing activity in Davao City on July 15, 2017.

Over 100 Phoenix Petroleum employees in Davao planted 1,000 narra seedlings at the Malagos Watershed in Calinan, Davao City.

The company has adopted �ive hectares of the Malagos Watershed since 2011. The watershed is managed by the Davao City Water District.

Phoenix has lined up more tree-growing activities in Butuan and Cagayan de Oro City in July.

The “Plant and Save a Tree” activity is one of Phoenix Petroleum’s major programs in fostering environmental stewardship, preserving the natural habitat, and ensuring the abundance of water supply for future generations.

Preserving the environment is one of the four main advocacies of the Phoenix Philippines Foundation, aside from education, health and safety, and outreach. Its other environmental programs include adoption of the Philippine Eagle, coastal clean-ups, and pawikan conservation.

Team Phoenix in Davao plant 1,000 narra seedlings at the Malagos Watershed in Calinan, Davao City.

Phoenix Petroleum’s tree growing activity is part of its advocacy to protect the environment.

UCPB in donating clothes for the soldiers in combat at Marawi City.

Phoenix Petroleum employees in Davao participate in the tree growing

activity at the Malagos Watershed in Calinan, Davao City on July 15, 2017.

UCPB Group donates clothes to soldiers at frontlines in Marawi City

T

he UCPB Group has donated hundreds of undergarments for Filipino soldiers battling against terrorists in Marawi City.

UCPB President and CEO Higinio O. Macadaeg Jr., Conglomerate Security Group Head retired Navy Capt.

Elpidio B. Misolas Jr., and Human Resources Group Head Stella A. Fulgencio brought the boxes of garment to Major Gen. Ronnie S. Evangelista, head of the military’s Civil Relations Service, at the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo on July 17.

“We want our soldiers to know that they are in the prayers of our Bank associates, and through this donation, we are grateful for their sacri�ice and service,” Mr. Macadaeg said.

General Evangelista expressed gratitude for the donation, saying these acts of kindness boost the morale of soldiers in the frontlines.

“Our soldiers value these gestures of support, and your appreciation will continue to inspire them as they carry on with their duties in the battle�ield. Thank you for putting our soldiers in your thoughts,” General

Evangelista said.

The Bank donated 1,200 pieces each of shirts, underwear, and socks, which are essential for soldiers who are deployed at a moment’s notice. The AFP assured that the donated garments will be shipped to the frontlines as soon as possible.

The UCPB Group is composed of the parent bank UCPB, and its subsidiaries UCPB Savings Bank, UCPB Leasing and Finance Corp., and UCPB Securities Inc. UCPB senior of�icers and associates bring hundreds of clothes to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Civil Relations Service (CRS) as a show of solidarity and support to the soldiers deployed in Marawi City. From left, AFP-CRS chief of staff Antonio Francisco, UCPB security assistant Charles Margaret Crame, training of�icer Jeanielyn Hung, VP and Conglomerate Security Group Head Elpidio Misolas Jr., AFP-CRS Head Major Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, UCPB President and CEO Higinio Macadaeg Jr., VP and Human Resources Group Head Stella Fulgencio, and training assistant Janna Alaine Mendoza.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

SPORTS15

Gilas beats Japan, notches third win

LEADING GILAS. Matthew Wright continues to be the steadiest player in the Gilas fold.

The Philippine national men’s basketball team overcame a gutsy stand by Japan to pull away with its third straight win, 100-85, in the 2017 William Jones Cup on Tuesday at Taipei Peace International Basketball Hall.

Christian Standhardinger piled up 22 points and 15 rebounds to spearhead Gilas Pilipinas (3-1) which unleashed a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to stave off the winless Japanese (0-4) who put up a tough �ight against the Philippines.

Japan fought tooth and nail

Boston signs Pierce for retirement BOSTON (AP) -- Paul Pierce is retiring as a member of the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics announced Monday that they have signed Pierce to a contract so the 10-time All-Star can retire with the team where he spent his �irst 15 seasons in the NBA. Pierce helped bring Boston a championship in 2008 as part the ‘’Big Three’’ of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Pierce previously said that last season would be his �inal one in the NBA. Drafted by Boston as the 10th overall pick in 1998, Pierce started a 15-season run that is behind only John Havlicek’s 16 seasons for the most played in a Celtics uniform. ‘’It’s an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic,’’ Pierce said in a statement. ‘’The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way. I’m a Celtic for life.’’

Celtics manager partner Wyc Grousbeck said the franchise was ‘’honored’’ that Pierce had chosen to retire as a Celtic. ‘’We congratulate Paul on a Hall of Fame career, and look forward to seeing his number raised to the rafters of TD Garden,’’ Grousbeck said.

The 39-year-old retires atop the franchise’s lists in 3-point �ield goals (1,823), free throws (6,434) and steals (1,583). He is also Boston’s second all-time leading scorer with 24,021 points, trailing only Havlicek.

Pierce was traded to Brooklyn in 2013, spent the 2014-15 season in Washington and the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and former Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

But Pierce never hid his af�inity for the Celtics even after he and Garnett were dealt away in 2013, ending the Big Three’s run in Boston a year after Allen left to join the Miami Heat.

against Gilas Pilipinas, taking advantage of the Philippines’ lethargic performance. The Japanese made eight triples in the �irst half alone, with Shuto Ando and Yusei Sugiura combining for seven of them.

Japan led at the half, 4241, and even stretched it to six as it threatened to make Gilas Pilipinas its �irst victim in the tournament.

But Gilas Pilipinas handcuffed its opponents, with RR Pogoy doing a stellar defensive job on Ando and the squad switching on the sweet-shooting Sugiura.

Down 73-72 in the fourth frame, Gilas Pilipinas then unleashed a 12-0 run ignited by �ive straight points from Matthew Wright, who �inished the game with 15 points, in a run that thumped the Japanese and put the Philippines ahead for good.

Mike Myers grabbed 17 points and 17 boards as Kiefer Ravena and Jio Jalalon chipped in 11 points apiece.

Gilas Pilipinas will go for its fourth consecutive win against South Korea (3-0) which has yet to drop a game in the tournament.

BACK TO BOSTON. Paul Pierce signs his contract to return to Boston before finally retiring.

Allen retired in 2014 at age 41. Garnett was also 41 when he retired in 2016.

Now Pierce, who had the longest tenure in green and white of the three, will make his exit.

The 2008 NBA Finals MVP was showered with cheers whenever he returned to the Garden, including in what turned out to be his �inal game there in February.

Pierce had just one basket in the Clippers’ 107-102 loss, but it was just as memorable as many of the buzzer-beating shots that earned him folk hero status during his time in Boston.

Current Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas backed off Pierce in the closing seconds, with the game out of reach, to let Pierce knock down one more basket on the parquet �loor that he made his personal playground so many times.

As the ball fell through the net, fans erupted. ‘’I’m glad I was able to cap it off,’’ Pierce said afterward. ‘’At least I can say I put one last bucket in.’’

NATIONAL TEAM. Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano (standing fifth from left), who is also the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Asian Senior Women’s Championship set Aug. 7-19 in Muntinlupa City and Binan, Laguna, poses with the members of the Philippine women’s volleyball team, captained by Mika Reyes (back row,

standing seventh from right), after the send-off ceremony before the team’s noon flight yesterday to Japan where it will train with top club and university teams. Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) officials Joey Romasanta, Peter Cayco and Jeff Tamayo joined the squad that is also honing up for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

BEST OF THE BEST Tan, Ramirez are 2017 SKC Athletes of the Year

VOL. 10 ISSUE 77 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017 CITATION. PSC Comvmissioner Charles Raymond Maxey

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

F

or yet another sporting season, the tiniest of ‘em all will walk the tallest.

Seven-year old karatedo child prodigy Atko Kaiyel Tan was unanimously named Athlete of the Year awardee for 2017 along with fellow Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao karateka FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR. Atsuko Kaiyel Tan

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR. Julian Ambrose Ramirez

Julian Ambrose Ramirez.

This year’s winner’s class was released last night by the Dabaw City Sports Council Inc. Tan, who also won the award last year, won two international gold medals this year in the 3rd Kuala

LIFETIME SPORTS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez

Lumpur Mayor’s Cup Open in Malaysia for 6-7 years old girls kata and the 5th Adidas International Cup at the Mall of Asia for 6-7 years old girls kata. The Davao Christian School standout also won silver in the 6-7 girls kata at the 18th KL Milo Open in Malaysia, silver in the kumite for the 5th Adidas Cup International and bronze in kumite for the 3rd KL Mayor’s Cup. Ramirez, who won the award in 2015, will take his second So Kim Cheng trophy.

The Precious Academy standout’s highlights in 2017 are a gold medal boys kata in the 5th Adidas Cup International, silver in the 18th KL Milo Open and 5th Adidas International.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch”

Ramirez will receive the Lifetime Sports Achievement Award while a citation will also go to PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond Maxey.

The Sports Leadership Award will go to Mario Palazuelo of Arnis while AAK Davao head coach Rommel Tan was named to the Hall of Fame.

Posthumous Awards will go to the late Davao Football Association (DFA) president Edward Lam and Michael Boris Diez of chess.

Citations will also be given to Michael Ibag of arnis, Engr. Aan Diez and Blanche Elyzz Bongato of chess, Michael Angelo and Maria Isabel Castillo of duckpin bowling, John Paul Ponce, Sofia Agulo and Pervis Bacayo of karatedo, Davao Regional Football Associaton for football, Jesus Vincent Lumapas of motocross, James Infiesto of Philspada, and Rosebe Hilot of rugby.

The year’s outstanding athletes are Sandra Adlao, Nasef Ecoras (archery), Sheila Mae Morales, Jonathan Ryle Mata (arnis), Karylle Kaye Molina, Arthur Samuel Salvado (badminton), Irish Yngayo, Wesley Magbanua (chess), Myra Acedo, Richard Handumon Jr. (cycling), Krashel Bishoppe Balanza, Kalel

Clark Delute, Milagros Sasin, Randy Cortez (dancesport), Shazma Theresa Del Rosario, Ronald Magday (duckpin bowling), Jessica Pido, Amir Andre Amaikurot (football), Khyzzia Pauline Navarro, John Philip Cagandahan (karatedo), Tristan Lou Galanto (motocross), Ernie Gawilan (Philspada), Diana Cosare, Raphael Carlo Mancha (rugby), Ayesha Bonnimhe Quibol, Herzel Miles Abendan (table tennis), Paquito Santos (tennpin bowling), Jacon Adeva (volleyball), Ronnie Marielle Santiago, Clyde Rodelos (wushu).

Citations for support will be given out to PSC, Mahugani Security Agency, Beefit Gym, SM Supermalls, Northwood Industries, AAK Davao Parents, UIC High School, Feliz Beach Resort, Gerard Cantada, DPWH 11, SOS Children’s Village, Ateneo de Davao University, and Davao City Sports Development Office.

Media citations will go to Edge Davao, Mindanao Daily Mirror, Mindanao Times, Sunstar Davao, ABS CBN Davao, TV 5 Davao and GMA Davao.

The 2rd edition of the So Kim Cheng Sports Awards will be held on July 22 at the Grand Regal Hotel according to the DCSC and the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Inc.