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VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012
ON THE COVER
THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO
The new ‘King of the Road’
Motorbikes now half of Davao’s vehicles B
AD news for Dabawenyos annoyed by the presence of too many motorcycles in Davao City. The sale of this kind of vehicle is steadily rising. According to statistics, 48 percent of the registered vehicles in the city now are motorcycles. These do not include the unregistered ones which are still being used usually during nighttime. In every kilometer of the city’s 1,856.24-kilometer road network composed of national. city and barangay roads, there is an average of 33 motor vehicles. Nearly half of these (48 percent) are motorcycles. The city’s land transport sector started to change in 2005 when the motorcycles accounted for 38 percent of the total number of motor vehicles, a dramatic increase from a mere 25 percent in 2000. In 2010, or ten years after, 48 percent of the 55,858 of registered vehicles plying the city’s roads are motorcycles. Ranked second are PUJs with 30 percent, followed by private cars with 13 percent and trucks with 6 percent. The rest are trailers and buses. “The increase is largely due to the appetite of the middle class for motorcycles,” said the draft land use plan prepared by the Davao City Planning and development Office. Sustained increase The accessibility and affordability of motorcycles are
By Greg G. Deligero
identified as key contributory factors to the sustained increase in the number of motor vehicles in Davao City recorded at an annual average growth rate of 44.14 percent starting 2001. “As population grows and urbanization takes place, the demand for transport industry grows as well. This poses improvement of transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges to cater vehicles and pedestrians,” said the draft document. Davao City has three major ingress and egress points that allow linkages to other cities and provinces. According to the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), of the city 1,856.24 kilometers of roads and highways, seven percent are national roads, 39 percent are city roads and 54 percent are barangay roads. Of the road network, 67 percent are paved with concrete and asphalt while the remaining 33 percent are still unpaved gravel and earth. Ancillary to the roads and highways are the 65 bridges in the entire city, 54 percent of which needs either repairs or total replacement. Accidents Motorcycles rank third among motor vehicles involved in traffic accidents, according to the initial data generated by the Davao City Police Traffic group in 2001. Of the 6,048 total accidents initially recorded, 39.58 percent
involved private vehicles, followed by taxi with 16.87 percent, motorcycles with 11.81 percent and PUJs with 11.23 percent. The next four are vans with 5.90 percent, trucks with 3.79 percent, buses with 1.46 percent and tricycles with 1.19 percent. The rest are assorted types of vehicles including armored cars, government-owned vehicles, bicycles, trisiboats, trisikads and even ambulances comprised the remaining 6.61 percent Police Chief Inspector Rolly Almonte of the Police Traffic Group said the main factors causing the vehicular accidents are human and mechanical errors and road defects. He reiterated the basic advice for the drivers to properly observe the safety inspection standards such as the need to check tires before a trip for sign of wear, damage or wrong inflation, to check brake pedal for too much travel, fluid level and brake adjustments, to check lights such as signal, headlights, tail, parking lights and brake lights, to check windshield including wiper, washers, defrosters, for clear vision, to check steering for excessive play and to check the oil, battery and water before a trip. Sure best seller Meanwhile, the Japanese compact car and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Philippines Inc (SPH) rolled out last week what it describes as a sure best seller—the Suzuki GD110. The Suzuki GD110 is an ad-
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The Chamber’s members have adhered to their four-point policy which would show that they are indeed responsible, Rocky G. Dimaculangan, Chomp vice president for communica-
tions, told media practitioners after the conference on mining held at the University of Southeastern Philippines. Dimaculangan volunteered to invite Fr. Joel Tabora, Catholic
Ungab, Zamora-Apsay: Corona trial not delaying House legislative work
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WO members of the House of Representatives from the Davao Region who signed the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona said the ongoing trial in the Senate has not disrupted legislative work in the House. “The trial has not affected the regular meetings and hearings in the lower house since there are only few members who are in the prosecution team,” Rep. Isidro T. Ungab of Davao City’s Third District said, adding that the committees can still function and quorum can still be mustered.’ Rep. Maria. Carmen “Maricar” Zamora-Apsay of the First District of Compostela Valley said bills continue to be processed and acted upon not only by individual lawmakers but by committees and the body as a whole. “I must admit that the impeachment is affecting work of the legislature, especially for us who are active participants in it,” Zamora-Apsay said. “We need to focus attention on the impeachment, and it requires time on our part.” “However, we will not be remiss in our duties as representatives of the people, both in our legislative work and in the impeachment trial of the chief justice,” Zamora-Apsay said. The lady lawmaker said that she and 187 other representatives signed the impeachment complaint “in our collective drive to achieve reform and justice in our countrTy.”
REP. SID UNGAB
REP. ZAMORA-APSAY
“So much effort has been poured into seeking redress by so many people, both private and public persons, and by no less than President Aquino himself,” she said She said the Chief Justice, in assuming the leadership of the judiciary, had already laid himself open to challenge for accepting his midnight appointment. “However, instead of proving his merit and rightness for the position, he has shown himself to be far more faithful to those whom he owes debt of gratitude, rather than the Constitution and our people,” she said. I fully believe and know that the 188 representatives who have challenged Chief Justice Corona, have turned the key to open the door for our nation’s access to true justice,” ZamoraApsay said. Explaining why he signed the impeachment complaint, Ungab said he believes the charges in the articles of impeachment
are sufficient grounds to convict the Chief Justice He said the trial is a good opportunity to look at the details of the Judiciary Development Fund, something that is not covered in the budget deliberations of Congress. “Also his non-disclosure to the public of his SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth) and the acceptance of a position by his wife in the executive department puts transparency and accountability of public officials especially those occupying high positions in question,” Ungab, who now heads the ways and means committee of the House. Other lawmakers from the region who signed the complaint were Reps. Mylene GarciaAlbano of Davao City, Anton F. Lagdameo of Davao del Norte, Rommel Amatong of Compostela Valley, Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, and Franklin Bautista of Davao del Sur. [AMA]
$2 billion
ESTIMATED cost of a new high-speed rail project in place of the suspended NorthRail linking the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Diosdado Macapagal Airport. According to Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, the amount is a table top estimate, as the amount is uncertain in the absence of a detailed engineering design.
P45 billion
SUZUKI GD110
vanced commuter bike that will usher a new level of riding experience, as it comes packed with highly user-friendly features that even first-time motorcycle owners can easily understand. The Suzuki GD110 features a newly designed compact and lightweight 4-stroke engine for high-combustion efficiency, 4-speed transmission for less gear changes and simpler operation, Suzuki PAIR system for lesser emissions, high visibility meters, indicator lamps and round shaped headlamps with
park light indicator lamps for enhanced safety and convenience. “We are optimistic about the launch of the GD110 because we are anticipating it to be one of our sure best sellers. We believe that the GD110 is packed with features that answer the commuting needs of the public—affordability, user-friendliness and durability, which very much complements our campaign, “Bakit Di Ka Pa NakaMotor,” said Eiji Kobayashi, general manager of motorcycle sales and marketing said.
Fr. Tabora says ‘no responsible mining activity in the country’; Chamber of Mines says ‘not true’
HE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (Chomp) members are responsible and are ready and willing to prove it to the group that wants mining totally out of the country.
IT FIGURES
Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) advocacy committee national chair, to join the group on a visit to mining projects under “responsible” companies. “We are inviting him (Tabora) to visit one of the responsible mining companies. This is an open invitation,” he said. “This is in response to the charge made by Fr . Tabora, president of the Ateneo de Davao University, that there is no responsible mining activity in the country.” Tabora’s group had earlier held an international mining conference at the AdDU, to which representatives from the mining group were not invited. Media practitioners who were not in the list of invited were also barred from entering the Finster Hall, venue of the two-day conference. Regional Director Constancio A. Paye Jr. of Mines and Geosciences Bureau for Region 12 said that before 1995, mining activities in the Philippines were governed by Presidential Decree 463 which did not have provisions for social equity and environmental protection. The previous law, he pointed out, was only to ensure economic growth and not protect the environment and that “social equity and environmental protection” provisions in the 1995 Mining Act ensured that mining companies would practice responsible mining. “The (mining malpractices) were sins of the past, we (mining industry) are today haunted by the sins of the past,” he said, adding that the government is making sure that mining companies adhere to the law so that they would not be accused of committing similar malpractices. Dimaculangan’s colleague, lawyer Ronald S. Recidoro, vice president for legal and policy, said he could vouch that members of the association are following responsible mining standards. Recidoro said that last year, mining companies which are
members of the chamber spent a total of P6.1 billion to protect the environment. The association took up th cudgels for local government units who ask that mining taxes they are entitled to be first directly remitted to them instead of being remitted to the national treasury. This was also among the issues brought up by local government units in the region, particularly by Governors Arturo T. Uy of Compostela Valley and Corazon N. Malanyaon of Davao Oriental, two of the main mining areas in the region. Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad had earlier said that the issue was among those being considered to be part of the national government policy which is still under review by the Office of the President. A provision of the Local Government Code of 1991 states that local government units should get 40% of the mining revenues. Of the 40-percent share for LGUs, 20 percent goes to the provincial government, 45 percent to the city or municipal government and the remainder to the barangay government. The association also criticized Mr. Tabora’s group for holding an international mining conference which did not welcome miners. “This is ironic,” Dimaculangan said. In refusing participation of the so-called mining industry supporters, Mr. Tabora said what his association was doing was an exercise of its “academic freedom.” The association invited international experts on the mining industry, including Clive Montgomery Wicks, a conservation and development consultant specilizing on the impact of extractive industries, who earlier claimed that the Tampakan mining project of the Sagittarius Mines Inc. in Tampakan, South Cotabato as among the world’s most dangerous mining projects. [AMA]
BUDGET of Megaworld Corp. in investing in the development of the 15-hectare integrated township project in Bonifacio Global in Taguig City during the next 20 years. The project will feature up to 18 towers, offering a total potential development of 500,000 square meters of residential space, 400,000 sq. m of office space and 90,000 sq.m of retail space.
7.78 MMT
ESTIMATED production of unmilled rice in January to June 2012 as a result of the expansion of harvest area and improvement in yield. According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the projected output for the period is 2.7 percent higher than the actual unmilled rice production last year.
40.2 percen
t PERCENTAGE of all Filipino workers in the country engaged in low-paying jobs and have to contend with difficult working conditions, according to the International Labor Organization. The ILO also said that after the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, there is a backlog of global unemployment of 200 million –an increase of 27 million since the start of the crisis.
3.6-4 percent
GROWTH of the Philippine economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). The National Statistics Office reported that total imports growth slowed down to0.6 percent for the second straight month in November last year to $4.98 billion from $4.96 billion in the same month in 2010.
400 million plus NUMBER of new jobs
will be needed over the next years to absorb the estimated 40 million growth of the labor force each year. This global situation will also affect the Philippines. In its latest annual Global Employment Trends Report titled Global Employment Trends 2010: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis, the ILO said workers in what it called “vulnerable employment” comprised around 40.2 percent of the labor force.
P58.07 billion
AMOUNT remitted by the Malampaya consortium to the government, said the Department of Energy last week. The consortium is composed of Shell Philippines Exploration BV and Chevron Malampaya Ltc. Each owns a 45-percent interest in the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project; the Philippine National Oil Co. Exploration Corp. holds a10-percent interest in it.