Edge Davao 5 Issue 148

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EDGEDAVAO P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

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Page A1

Science/ Environment Page 4 Science\ Environment

New zoning code

Railway, bigger airport mulled

By Antonio M. Ajero

Nation/ World

Page 10

Sports

Page 16

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HE ESTABLISHMENT of a metropolitan railway system and a new and larger international airport in Davao City are among the big ticket items to be factored into the revised comprehensive development plan and zon-

Aside from opening or widening of city roads

ing code being crafted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

This was bared by Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, chairman of the SP committee on land use

and urban planning.

Cabling told media practitioners that due to the fast development in land transportation particular in the number of motor

vehicles and the worsening traffic condition of the city, there are now proposals to build a railways system, aside from the opening or widening of city roads. Another proposal being considered for inclu-

FRAILWAY, 11

LUXURY. SM Lanang Premier, SM Prime Holdings’ first luxury shopping center in Mindanao, holds its blessing today and opens its doors to the public tomorrow. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

SM Lanang Premier to redefine Davao’s lifestyle

By Carlo P. Mallo

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HAT used to be a part of the 40-hectare Lanang Golf and Country Club has been transformed into the city’s newest destination for dining, shopping, and entertainment in southern Mindanao.

The Sy-led and controlled SM Supermalls acquired and developed 10-hectares of the former golf course and turned the area into its 5th premier mall in the country. SM Lanang Premier, which is set to open on

Friday, will be home to a number of international and local brands that will appeal to a higher segment of the shopping and dining market.

Unlike the usual SM City mall, premier malls have a

classier and distinctive edge that targets the higher end of the market.

SM Lanang Premier promises to bring the definitive shopping experience of a premier

FSM, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS 40 fishermen repatriated

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

From Indonesia with love

By Aquiles Z. Zonio

R

epatriated Filipino fishers say they were treated well by their captors, unlike what happened to their colleagues who were previously arrested and incarcerated for poaching inside Indonesian fishing grounds.

On Tuesday, 40 Filipino fishermen from Gen. Santos City, Sarangani Province, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental and Pagadian City arrived at GenSan’s Makar wharf aboard fishing vessels owned by RD Fishing.

Rose Delima of the City Social Welfare & Development Office (CSWDO) told Edge Davao that out of the 40 repatriated fishermen, 20 were from GenSan City, 10 from Davao Del Sur, eight from Sarangani and one each

from Davao Oriental and Pagadian City.

The Coast Guard received the repatriates from RD Fishing then turned them over to the CSWDO and subjected to medical check-up by the Bureau of Quarantine and found to be in good physical condition.

“We conducted debriefing and interview after they were turned-over to us by the Coast Guard.

They claimed that they were no longer subjected to physical abuse and were fed decently by the Indonesian Jail authorities while in detention,” Delima added.

The Philippine Consular Office based in Manado, Indonesia lobbied and facilitated for the release of 40 Filipino fishers from Indonesian jail.

By Anthony S. Allada HE entire senatorial slate of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will show up in full force when they file their certificates of candidacy (COC) at 1 p.m. on October 1 at the national office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila.

“It is called 1-1-1 since we are one,” said former senator Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, referring to UNA’s acronym which literally means “one”.

Zubiri, who was here Tuesday to grace an agriculture summit at the Garden Oases, said they will be having a motorcade from Manila Hotel to the Comelec headed by their so-called “3 Kings” – former President Joseph Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

As of now, 11 UNA sen-

atoriables are in the slate, namely: former Sen. Ernesto M. Maceda, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito, Cagayan Rep. Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile Jr., businessman Jose “Joey” P. de Venecia, former senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, Zambales Rep. Maria Milagrosa “Mitos” Magsaysay (1st district), former senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon, Sen. Loren Legarda, Grace Poe-Llamanzares, and Sen. Francis Escudero.

Zubiri said their 12th member could be either Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian or Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco.

“As you can see, our slate is very solid and we are very confident to overwhelmingly win big,” he told reporters in a chance interview.

No. 1-1-1 for luck?

UNA senatorial slate to file COC on October 1 at 1 p.m.

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For 2014

FUNA, 11

CAMPAIGN. Mike Villareal, vice president of Philippine Veterans Bank, (right), promotes Gadgets and GCs Garantisado! Deposit Promo, a campaign of PVB designed to reward customers maintaining significant deposits with incentives in the form of popular gadgets and gift certificates during the Club 888 media forum at Marco Polo

T

of Presidential Decree No. 1586 or Philippine Environmental Impact Assessment Law. Alquiza said this activity is a requisite ib the application for Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) or Certificates of Non Coverage (CNCs), and other pertinent permits for DPWH infrastructure projects.

PD 1586 requires all project proponents to secure ECC/ CNCs for programs/ projects considered as Environmental Critical Projects

[LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Poll survey says

Dabawenyos prefer father than son Biazon for senator C

USTOMS COMMISSIONER Rozzano Rufino Biazon has announced he is no longer going to run for senator in the May elections, opting to continue serving as head of the Bureau of Customs.

Biazon may have made the correct decision in so far as Dabawenyos are concerned. Voters in Davao would rather have BOC chief’s father, former senator now congressman Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, run for the Senate again.

This was the preliminary findings of an opinion survey conducted by this paper, an undertaking which has been overtaken by Commission-

DPWH 11 begins complying with environmental laws

HE Department of Public Works and Highways 11 has started to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for next year’s projects in compliance with environmental laws.

DPWH regional director Mariano Alquiza said the compliance is based on Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 30, series of 2003, which provides the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)

Hotel yesterday. Also in the photo is Bert Barriga, executive vice president of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Davao, who announced his coming trip to the United States to represent Davao city in an international librarians congress.

(ECPs) or projects within Environmental Critical Areas (ECAs) prior to project implementation.

In a memorandum issued by Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, all Regional/Bureau/ Service/ PMO directors and district engineers are directed to strictly follow the law, secure all the necessary permits/certificates (e.g. ECC/ CNC, tree cutting permit, disposal site permits, etc.) for all projects prior to imple-

FDPWH, 11

Neither of them, say 23.3% er Biazon’s announcement of withdrawal. The survey was launched last Monday and was to culminate by Saturday intending to cover at least 200 respondents on the question “Whom do you prefer to run for senator, Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, his father Rodolfo, or neither of them?.”

When the survey was stopped yesterday, a total of 60 had answered the question.

Those who answered included two former Cabinet members, 10 government officials and employees, 12 businessmen, 13 profession-

als, 21 media practitioners and six workers in the private sector.

Of the 60, only 16 Dabawenyos, or 26.6 percent want Ruffy to run again (he lost in 2010), while 30 or 50 percent prefer that the former senator make a comeback. Dabawenyos have a sentimental attachment to the elder Biazon who served in Davao as head of a contingent of Philippine Marines during the Martial Law years. He was a very popular military commander at the height of the insurgency. A number of the poll respondents admitted that they

knew Biazon personally.

“As a Mindanaoan,I prefer the elder Biazon as he has the grasp of the peace and order condition in the region more than anyone who pretends to know the area,” said Serafin C. Ledesma Jr., editor-publisher of the weekly Mindanao Journal and columnist of SunStar Davao.

“I prefer the father,” said Cris Roldan, community organizer and grassroots leader. “He is the picture of the real straight path (daang matuwid). The older Biazon is not corrupt. I knew him to be a man of honor and dignity.”

FDABAWENYOS, 11

Chiz eyeing expanded pensions for retired government workers

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ENATOR Chiz Escudero is pushing for a bill granting monthly pensions to retired government workers upon reaching the age of 70.

Escudero said government pensioners are provided gratuity under Republic Act 1616. But the law, which was enacted in 1957, can no longer sufficiently provide for the needs of the government retirees five years after the retirement age of 65, he said.

The senator filed Senate Bill 2106, titled “An Act to Grant Monthly Pension

to Government Retirees under RA 161 Who Have Reached the Age of Seventy Years.”

“The proposal recognizes that majority of this class of retirees has been living in abject poverty, and many of them have to depend on dole-outs from close relatives and friends. Aged government personnel who retired need monthly pension because at their late age their opportunities of earning are already almost nil,” Escudero said.

“The lump sum they have received from RA

1616 was greatly eroded by the economic slump and high cost of living. Their economic difficulties were aggravated when the country suffered from devastating effects of natural calamities,” he added.

Under RA 1616, the gratuity is payable by the last employer. The employee is also entitled to a refund of his retirement premiums he paid to the GSIS, personal share with interest and government share without interest.

The requirements to

FCHIZ, 11

SUBURBIA 3

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 SoCot to revise cropping pattern in face of El Niño

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GRICULTURE personnel in South Cotabato are planning to revise the area’s cropping pattern in preparation for the foreseen onslaught of another long dry spell or El Niño phenomenon in the area in the coming months.

Reynaldo Legaste, South Cotabato agriculture officer, said Wednesday they are specifically looking at setting cropping or planting adjustments for palay, corn and other agricultural crops in the province’s to cope with the impact of the dry spell next month.

Legaste said they are set to launch a series of consultations with farmers and irrigators’ associations in areas within the province’s 10 towns and lone city that would likely be affected by the dry spell.

He said these areas include portions of the province’s upper valley that are served by the Allah River Irrigation System (RIS) in Surallah town.

The upper valley area, which is considered the

province’s rice granary, covers the municipalities of Banga, Surallah, T’boli, Norala, Lake Sebu and Sto. Niño.

Around 9,000 hectares of palay farmlands in the area were earlier affected by a threemonth shutdown of dams 1 and 2 of the Allah RIS to undergo repair and rehabilitation. The two dams were reopened by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) last month following the completion of the repair works.

He said they are currently preparing some mitigation measures for the El Niño, among them the reprogramming of the schedule of irrigation services in areas that would be affected by the calamity.

In an advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the El Niño will likely hit various parts of the country beginning October and would last until May 2013 [ALLEN V. EstABiLLo / miNDANEws]

BENCHMARKING. Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Ra. Cagas gestures while talking to Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy at the fabrication section Tagum City Motorpool where school tables, chairs and other furniture are manufactured

last September 25. The governor and his team including some city councilors and barangay captains of Digos City were there to study the city’s best government practices. [photo By LEo timogAN of Cio tAgum]

Davao del Sur execs to copy Tagum’s best govt practices

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TRESSING that Tagum City’s best government practices are worth emulating, Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Ra. Cagas led a 37-man delegation in a oneday visit last September 25, 2012 to take a glimpse of the programs and projects of the local government initiated

by Mayor Rey T. Uy. Uy personally shared his administration’s achievements which Governor Ca-

gas aptly described as the driving force that sets the bar of excellence in local governance.

Cagas, including some city councilors and barangay captains from Digos City, visited the Tagum City Engineering Services headquarters where the fabrication of the chairs are made at the Tagum City Motorpool, the renowned La Filipina Public Cemetery, the Tagum Pub-

lic Market, the Energy Park, where the city nursery is located and ended at the City’s iconic New City Hall with no less than Mayor Uy playing as a tour guide.

Cagas said he was amazed and impressed by how far Tagum has achieved in its young age as a city.

In an interview with the Tagum City Information Office, the governor was very vocal in his intention to run

as City Mayor of Digos in the 2013 election.

His one-day visit, he said, serves as a benchmarking activity to replicate Tagum’s best practices once he will get the people’s nod to lead his province’s capital city.

“Our vision is to make Digos at least equal to our pride Tagum City,” the governor concluded. [LouiE LApAt/ Cio tAgum]

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Cleaning up the waters of Davao Gulf

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HE Davao Reef Divers Club (DRDC) conducted simultaneous “scubasurero” dives last September 22 in the waters fronting the following beach resorts: Paradise Island Beach Resort, Costa Marina, Bluejaz Beach Resort & Waterpark, and Blue Waters Beach Resort. This was in line with the international coastal clean-up activities that happen every September all over the world.

The Club fielded 32 divers in the four areas off the western coast of Samal Island, and were able to collect almost 90 kilos of trash. The trash collected underwater consisted mostly of plastic bags and foil wrappers (sachets of toiletry products, candy wrappers and such).

All four groups were also able to retrieve diapers, glass and plastic bottles, tin cans, and clothing.

DRDC President Oliver “Blogie” Robillo said that the value of this positive action by scuba divers lies in the awareness that such events hopefully brings to the general public. Robillo is also co-founder of the Save Philippine Seas national movement (on Twitter: @savephseas). He said that, no matter how many times the Club conducts their scubasurero dives, the marine environment will continue to suffer if the consuming public doesn’t realize the urgency of keeping the oceans free from human garbage.

Majority of the DRDC’s monthly club dives are geared towards environment conservation awareness. This month’s scubasurero dives were sponsored by the Carabao Dive Center (www.divedavao.com), Monterey, Magnolia Chicken, and the four Samal beach resorts

mentioned above. Each club member also chipped in by paying for the boat and dive tank fees.

The participating divers reported that the coral reefs in front of the resorts appeared to be quite healthy, with thriving coral communities and an abundance of reef fish inhabiting the reefs. A DRDC member and veteran diver, Alta Celeste “Chiclet” Gerochi, lamented that it was a shame the beauty of the underwater world should be blemished by plastics and other trash carelessly discarded by people.

The club members are looking forward to the next scubasurero dives that are already being scheduled for October 2012. The club is open to all certified scuba divers. For more information, please call 300-1092 or email blogie@scubasurero. org.

The Blue Waters group posing with their haul of about 40kg of trash.

Scubasureros in action!

Members and guests of the Davao Reef Divers Club.

Club president Blogie (far right) posing with his scubasurero group.

THE ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 Increase in local demand for ICT products pushed

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NFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao, Inc. (ICT Davao) is pushing the patronage of locally developed software products among business establishments to sustain the local ICT industry.

Lizabel Holganza, ICT Davao president, said Monday at the Kapehan sa Dabaw in SM City Davao that the local sectors, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in agri-business and tourism, among other industries, can be a big market for local ICT products.

She said that as part of the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhance-

In Davao City

ment Project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Trade and Industry here, the MSMEs are encouraged to use software applications for them be more competitive.

Ed Barriga, ICT Davao executive vice president, said that locally developed software products, which are mostly business applications such as inventory, point-of-sales, and information management system, are supporting the local industry.

“By prioritizing our local industry, it will place us in a better [competitive] position than other

FINCREASE, 11

TEXTING. A banana delivery truck helper uses his free time texting while travelling between the Davao-Cotabato national highway.

Telecommunication companies are urged to cut down the prices of their

services because a big slice of their market is comprised of below minimum and minimum workers. [LEAN DAVAL JR]

BPO among biggest employers

By Carlo P. Mallo

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HERE is no stopping the business processes outsourcing (BPO) industry from becoming one of the city’s largest employers as BPO companies see the potential and talents of Dabawenyos to cater to the world’s growing demand for BPO services.

Bert Barriga, founder of ICT Davao, said that BPO companies which have set up offic-

es in Metro Manila are already looking at Davao City for their expansion, while BPO companies operating in the city are also planning their own expansions.

“Both VXi Global and Opinionology are expanding by another 4,000 square meters of BPO space. The industry continues to grow,” Barriga said.

Nationwide, the BPO

industry is seen to employ 800,000 people for various posts, including call center agents, graphic artists, accountants, office staff, transcriptionists, animators, and other back office personnel.

In Davao City, the BPO industry is still concentrated on call center agents, which comprises 90 percent of the industry. The remaining 10 percent

is employed for non voice applications.

Barriga also divulged that there a major player in the BPO industry in Metro Manila is planning to open its office here.

“There are also other companies that have expressed interest to open in the city like Stream Global, Ring Central, and EXL,” Barriga said.

As testament to the growing demand for BPO space, several investors have poured in capital into the city specifically for office space made to the specifications and standards of BPO companies.

SM Annex, Matina IT Park, and the Lanang Business Park are some of the BPO office spaces that will cater to the growing BPO industry in the

city.

However, Wit Holganza, president of ICT Davao, said that their organization continues to strive to improve the value of the BPO industry.

“We have to increase the value chain,” Holganza said.

Animators, accountants, and other professionals are paid a higher premium in the BPO industry.

6

THE ECONOMY

Stat Watch

1. Gross National Income Growth Rate (At Constant 2000 Prices)

5.8% 1st Qtr 2012

2. Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate (At Constant 2000 Prices)

6.4 % 1st Qtr 2012

3. Exports 1/ 4. Imports 1/ 5. Trade Balance 6. Balance of Payments 2/ 7. Broad Money Liabilities

USD 4,931 million May 2012 USD 4,770 million Apr 2012 USD -135 million Apr 2012 USD -209 million Mar 2012 P 4,580,674 million Apr 2012

8. Interest Rates 4/

4.1 % May 2012 P131,403 million May 2012 P 5,075 billion Apr 2012

9. National Government Revenues 10. National government outstanding debt 11. Peso per US $ 5/

P 42.78 Jun 2012

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

5,091.2 May 2012

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

130.1 Jun 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.8 Jun 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.7 Jun 2012

16. Visitor Arrivals

349,779 Apr 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18.8 % Jan 2012

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.2 % Jan 2012

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Imports growth slightly declines to US$4.96 B M

EXPO. Wilfred Teves, vice president of Davao Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Davao Agritrade (left), says that the Davao Trade Expo (DATE) this year slated on October 25-27 at SMX of SM Lanang Premier focuses

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2012

2011

2010

42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52 43.70 44.17

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74 46.31 46.03

ERCHANDISE imports dipped to US$4.96 billion in July 2012, a 0.8 percent decline from US$5.00 billion recorded in July 2011 that also had a 6.7 percent growth, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“Lower payments for mineral fuels and lubricants and raw materials and intermediate goods weighed down merchandise imports in July 2012,” said on livestock, poultry and aquaculture during the weekly Socioeconomic PlanClub 888 media forum at Marco Polo Hotel yesterday. ning Secretary Arsenio With him is Director Tess Pascual of Davao Hog Farmers M. Balisacan.

Association. [LEAN DAVAL JR.] The decline of petroleum crude imports (-27.9%) affected the value of imported mineral fuels and lubricants as it decreased by 12.3 percent to US$1.2 billion in July 2012 from US$1.3 billion in July 2011.

He added that the drop in value of petroleum imports was due to the lower volume of its inward shipments, which declined by 13.6 percent contraction, coupled with the decrease in the price of Dubai crude oil by 9.8 percent to US$ US$99.2 per barrel.

As for the yearon-year decline in total import payments for raw materials and intermediate goods (-2.7%), this was due to the contractions in inward shipments of both unprocessed (-2.6%) and semi-processed raw materials (-2.8%) in July 2012 from the same period last year.

Semi-processed raw inputs includes non-ferrous metals (-47.7%), materials/accessories for the manufacture of electrical equipment (-8.5%), animal and vegetable oil and fats (-52.3), textile yarns and fabrics (-19.4%), and urea (-47.9%).

“But it is worth noting that the decline in the value of imported raw inputs for electrical

as of august 2010

Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat Cebu Pacific Thu Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat

5J961 / 5J962 Z2390 / Z2390 5J593 / 5J348 PR809 / PR810 PR819 / PR820 5J394 / 5J393 5J599 / 5J594 5J347 / 5J596 5J963 / 5J964 PR811 / PR812 5J595 / 5J966 MI588 / MI588 5J965 / 5J968 5J965 / 5J968

EDGEDAVAO

5:45 5:45 6:00 6:10 7:50 7:50 8:00 9:10 9:40 11:30 12:00 18:55 12:55 13:35

Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu-Davao-Iloilo Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga Cebu-Davao-Cebu Iloilo-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu-Davao-Manila Davao-Cebu-Singapore Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 13:35 13:25 14:05

Silk Air Thu/Sun Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri Philippine Airlines August Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippines Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun Cebu Pacific Daily Airphil Express Daily Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday Philippine Airlines Sunday

MI566 / MI566 5J507 / 5J598 15:55 Z2524 / Z2525 5J967 / 5J600 PR813 / PR814 5J215 / 5J216 5971 / 5J970 5J973 / 5J974 5J969 / 5J972 2P987 / 2P988 PR821 / PR822 PR821 / PR822

18:55 15:00 Mani2Mani 16:05 16:35 16:55 18:00 18:40 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:20 22:20

manufactures is actually due to falling electronics prices as volume actually increased (13.7 percent),” said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General.

He also pointed out that the persistent inability of the market to absorb the current levels of production capacity alongside the general sluggishness of the global economy dragged memory chip prices.

However, imports of capital goods grew year-on-year by 10.6 percent and reached US$1.4 billion in July 2012. This was due to the increase in import payments for telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery (12.4%), power generating and specialized machines (22.5%), land transportation equipment (25.9%), photographic equipment and optical goods (23.6%) and office and EDP machines (3.8%).

“Upbeat capital expenditures have been noticeable in the following sectors/subsectors: communications, storage, construction, real estate and utilities (power and water),” said Balisacan.

Meanwhile, for the first seven months of 2012, imports grew by 0.2 percent to US$35.7 billion. With an improving export receipts growth of 7.7 percent, the trade-in-goods deficit stood at US$4.2 billion for the period January to July 2012, lower than the US$6.3 billion deficit in the same period in 2011.

The main source of imported goods for the country in July 2012 was Japan, with a 11.6 percent share in the total value of inward shipments. The Republic of China was second with a 10.9 percent of imports share, followed by the USA (10.1%), the Republic of Korea (8.5%) and Singapore (7.3%).

Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:50 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Manila Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila

15:20 15:30 16:45 17:05 17:45 18:20 19:10 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:50 22:50

PROPERTY 7

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Types of shopping malls

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N general, you will find only regional centers, superregional centers, and fashion/specialty centers on this Web site. Relatively few community centers were chosen, but appear here because the center may have, at one time, been considered a regional center. Only a few theme/festival centers were listed in heavily urbanized areas, such as San Francisco, because of their particular attractiveness or size.

Finally, the new designation, lifestyle center, displays because of their classic-mall type appearance even though they are without a classic-mall anchor store.

SM group pours in P2B for city’s premium mall

By Carlo P. Mallo

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HE Sy-led SM Supermalls poured more than Atrium. The mall’s Ground will house internationP2 billion in Davao City to construct its fifth Level al retail brands like Forever premium mall, as the SM group continues its 21 as well as key SM retail foray into the high-end segment of the market. anchors, SMSupermarUnlike the usual SM mall, SM Lanang Premier belongs to the crème de la crème of SM malls, which includes the flagship Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Podium, and SM City Cebu. Targeted towards the higher segment of the market, SM Lanang Premier boasts of carefully selected tenants and brands.

Constructed on a 10-hectare property that was formerly the Lanang Golf and Country Club, SM Lanang Premier is estimated to offer 144,000 square meters of space, of which, 83,000 square meters have been allocated for retail, shopping, and entertainment.

SM Lanang Premier will be home to the first IMAX theater in Mindanao, the 273 stores and restaurants,

It figures 800

No. of basement parking slots at SM Lanang Premier

SMX Davao, and a hotel, Park Inn, which will be operated by the hotel arm of the SM Group, Radisson Blu. The mall will also be home to a 122-meter long dancing fountain, the first of its kind in Mindanao.

Debby Go, SM Supermalls vice president for Mindanao, said that the group is excited as it ventures into a new segment of the market.

The mall is set to open tomorrow, September 28.

The new mall will carry some of the best features of existing SM Premier malls.

The Skygarden which is located at the property’s façade will have restaurants amidst a lush garden with refreshing water features. Inside the mall is the Flat Café, floating above the ground and offers a vast view of The

749

ket, SM Department Store.

At the rear section of the mall will be a strip of restaurants both at the ground and second level overlooking the sprawling outdoor event area called The Park. Also on the second level are 6 Digital Theaters (including SM Center Stage), the IMAX Theatre, the SM Bowling Center, and the Science Discovery Center.

The mall’s third floor will house the SMX Convention Center Davao, perfect for the growing MICE events (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) in the region.

Rising within the property is the Park Inn by Carlton of the Radisson Blu which may also be accessed from the mall through a bridge way at the second floor.

All these facilities

144,002.38 sq. m.

TOTaL built up No. of Open Parking slots at SM Lanang area at SM Lanang Premier Premier

are SM’s response to the growing demands not only of the Davao market but of the Tourism industry and its nearby provinces as well.

The first class mall, SM Lanang Premier, incorporates green architecture and environment-friendly features as part ofSM’s sustainability efforts. The mall building itself takes only 40% of the total property with paver blocks used in the open parking area to minimize surface run-off water. It will also have the city’s first rain catchment system minimizing storm water peak flow, surface run-off and siltation.

The mall is also designed with skylights and will use LED’s to ensure efficient energy consumption. Park finders will also be installed at the Basement Parking to minimize carbon output from vehicles. It will also utilize recycled water for its cooling tower and for comfort room flushing.

83,449.19 sq. m.

Fashion/Specialty Centers Characterized as higher end, fashion oriented centers between 80,000 and 250,000 sq. ft.

Community Centers Characterized as having between 100,000 and 350,000 sq. ft. Usually two types of anchors, such as a discount department store or large specialty/discount apparel store.

Lifestyle Centers A new designation that has a loose definition. Generally, it’s a center that does not have an anchor tenant in the classic sense (that is, a department store). However, lifestyle centers increasingly have a cinema as a major tenant. Others have just a small collection of exclusive shops.

Outlet Centers Characterized as manu-

586

grOSS leasable area of SM Lanang Centerstage seating Premier 430 Imax seatcapacity ing capacity

facturers’ outlet centers between 50,000 and 400,000 sq. ft.

Regional Centers Characterized as having between 400,000 and 800,000 sq. ft. Usually two or more anchors, such as a conventional department store, junior department store, mass merchant, discount department store, or fashion apparel store.

Superregional Centers Characterized as having over 800,000 sq. ft. Usually three or more anchors, such as a conventional department store, junior department store, mass merchant, or fashion apparel store.

Theme/Festival Centers Characterized as tourist-oriented, retail and service centers between 80,000 and 250,000 sq. ft.

1,780 TOTaL seating capacity of cinema 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 at SM Lanang Premier

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO A dying but still good tradition

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Special Feature

By HONOr BLaNCO CaBIe

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EDITORIAL

Hubris

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SSISTANT secretary Mario Mendoza, now the newly appointed regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Caraga Region, was reported to have expressed disappointment that no illegal logger has been convicted, despite the thousands of illegally-cut logs and sawn lumber confiscated in the region since 2010.

“We’ve been boasting millions of board feet, hundreds and thousands of logs in inches, but not a single conviction here in Caraga. These illegal operators are becoming more confident in committing this crime because they feel that they can get away with it. If this remains, Caraga has no future,” Mendoza was quoted by MindaNews as saying.

Stressing the need for putting illegal loggers and their accomplices behind bars, the DENR secretary vowed to go after the big financiers.

Earlier, retired Major Gen. Renato Miranda, head of the presidential Anti-Il-

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legal Logging Task Force (AILTF), gave an update on the nationwide campaign against illegal logging. In the past 18 months, P750 million worth of timber and logs, consisting of some 21 million board feet, had been confiscated along with 218 trucks used in the illegal activity.

Miranda reported that 670 cases have been filed already, but that there were only 97 convictions so far across the country.

Whether Miranda’s achievement will be peanuts or monumental is of no moment. To the environmentalists and keen observers, it’s now Mendoza’s turn to prove his worth as the new czar of DENR Caraga. In no time at all, they’ll know whether Mendoza is capable of putting his money where his mouth is, to use a tired cliché.

And speaking of money—especially, oodles and oodles of it—we already know as early as now where, and how, Mendoza’s boast will end (haha!).

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEy Consultant kENNETH IRVING k. ONG Creative Solutions

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate

CARLO P. MALLO Features and Lifestyle

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA Photography

JADE C. ZALDIVAR • VICky BERDINA M. DE GuZMAN ANTHONy S. ALLADA • AQuILES Z. ZONIO Staff Writers

Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEñA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance AGuSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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( Conclusion )

IRTHDAY anniversaries, remembered with the personal touch of a posted effort or a gathering of family members and near relations at normally lunch or dinner at home or elsewhere are always occasions for celebration of life.

These anniversaries become even more memorable with a personal message of kinship, friendship, joy and gratitude that the person marking the milestone has helped touch their lives in more ways than one.

And often written in long hand.

Birthday cards, like other greeting cards, are usually packaged with an envelope and come in different styles.

Book store sources say there are both mass-produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of large and small companies. While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with die-cuts or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

These sources say Hallmark Cards and American Greetings are the largest producers of greeting cards in the world.

In Britain, it is estimated that one billion pounds are spent on greeting cards every year, with the average person sending 55 cards per year.

In the Philippines, there are cards that are imported although there are cards written and

‘Industry sources say it’s been

centuries since the custom of sending greeting cards – by the ancient Chinese and the early Egyptians began the practice before the 15th century – became part of the tradition in different civilizations.’ mass produced for various occasions by Filipinos, including those in state prisons for the benefit of non-government organizations and other private beneficiaries.

In western countries and increasingly in other societies, many people traditionally mail seasonally themed cards to their friends and relatives in December and during birthday celebrations, according to book store sources.

Many service businesses also send cards to their customers in this season, usually with a universally acceptable non-religious message such as “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings.”

Industry sources say it’s been centuries since the custom of sending greeting cards – by the ancient Chinese and the early Egyptians began the practice before the 15th century – became part of the tradition in different civilizations.

By the early 15th century, handmade paper greeting cards were being exchanged in Europe while the Germans were known to have printed New Year’s greetings from woodcuts as early as 1400, and handmade paper Valentines were being exchanged in various parts of Europe in the early to mid-15th century, with the oldest Valentine in existence being in the British Museum.

Fast forward that to the first quarter of the 20th century.

Technical developments like color lithography in 1930 propelled what industry sources call the manufactured greeting card industry forward. Humorous greeting cards, known as studio cards, became popular in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Today, as the milestones of Chris and Andy Lord approach their respective front yards – only two hours apart from each other – they separately wish to God they will receive on their days some personalized birthday cards. [pNA]

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Crying out for attention

ROWING PUBLIC PESSIMISM – The masses of our people feel that the time has come for Congress – for the whole Government, for that matter, to face up to a problem it has put off for so long: the job of doing something about the serious overstaffing of the bureaucracy. Critical setbacks that dogged the previous administrations - from Marcos, Cory and Ramos, and then made worsen under Estrada and Arroyo.

Every year both Senate and the House have to review the national budget before they will agree either to increase or realign public expenditures. This year, under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, it has been a great deal more thorough than it had been in 2010 and 2011, or it had been even during the past administrations.

Even so, Congress leaders and senior officials do not think they have accomplished enough. Public money still is far from being used as efficiently and effectively as it used to be.

Today, as in the yesteryears, close to half of the government’s usable budget – that portion of the country’s annual appropriations left over after providing for debt services – more than half of the usable funds goes to personnel services alone. As a result, government simply does not have enough capital resources to keep up even its basic services – and what it does spend has gone disproportionate to the non-poor sector instead.

What is more lamentable is that there

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have been several bills in Congress aimed at easing out mass poverty and stirring up countryside development that are crying out for attention. These include proposals for rural infrastructure like farm-tomarket roads, post-harvest facilities and irrigation system, for expanding energy source, water supply and countryside investment. What makes matter worse, for instance, after analyzing budget trends independent economists and financial experts concluded that the bulk of public money actually goes to the country’s richer regions.

Many government policies actually are not implemented according to the letter. As a matter of fact, our tax system takes – in percentage terms – more from the poor (about 30 percent) than the rich, which is only 20 percent. Tax evasion involving mostly big capitalists and influential entrepreneurs cost the government about P40 billion a year. There is no effective capital-gains tax and taxes of real property and other profitable ventures are both extremely low and lightly enforced.

Another serious problem is too much politics. Like our socio-economic policies, politics still has a kind of duality. Side by side with the politics of patronage in traditional society, what we have is a modern

political community largely based in Metro Manila and other bustling metropolis. Public policies therefore are mainly crafted by lawmakers who likewise live in the big cities.

On the other hand, the urban middle class has begun to exert its influence on national politics and imposed its own standards on legislators who were overwhelmingly elected by the poor majority. Obviously, we now have a discrepancy between what the poor majority accepts and what the big-city middle class insists on.

These problems will become more and more severe in coming years – unless Congress and the Aquino leadership soon raise the political will to do something about it.

The urgency of their work is underlined for them by the increasing impatience of the people – the poor majority in particular – and the growing pessimism about their prospects and the future of the country.

The Executive and the Legislative branches of government cannot take their responsibilities lightly. Mainly because they cannot command people’s loyalties to the leadership, the legislature and the representative system it stands for unless they can prove to them over and over again that they have their interests at heart.

The prosperity of society is not possible without a Government and Congress leadership so organized as to be a handy tool for sound and perceptive governance manned by civil servants dedicated to advancing the welfare and interest of the masses of our people.

The verdict that shook Iran and Europe

HEY say a good news story is like an onion. The more one peels it, the newer and fresher are the layers that surface. If depth and longevity are the gold standards for a news story, then the assassinations of four Iranian opposition members at the Mykonos Restaurant in Berlin in September 1992 surpasses that standard. That story is more like a cluster bomb: 20 years later, it continues to explode. The verdict that was issued in Germany five years after the killings, and the subsequent decision by the European Union to cut ties with Tehran in 1997, achieved what perpetual threats of war have not.

What was the achievement? To a multitude of Iranian exiles, first and foremost, it was the bestowing of an elemental human gift – safety. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini’s henchmen were methodically killing a list of 500 dissidents – artists, writers, intellectuals and opposition members – against whom the Ayatollah had issued fatwas. These “anointed” individuals were not safe whether they were in Washington, Rome, Paris or Geneva.

As European governments turned a blind eye, the assassins crossed border after border and accomplished their diabolical missions one after another. With dozens dead, a generation of patriotic and brilliant future leaders was lost. Until the Berlin court’s 1997 verdict, which implicated Tehran’s top leadership in masterminding the killings, the luxury of European Union safety belonged only to its native citizens.

What followed safety was dignity. Disaffected Iranian immigrants, who in Germany and elsewhere in Europe had forever felt dispensable and invisible, were empowered by

cOmmentary By rOya HakakIaN the court’s nod of acknowledgement. They were able to step out of the shadows, and many invested in notions of citizenship and civil participation in their adopted communities. They were far more inclined to fully stop at the red light when the protection of the law extended to them in their adopted lands.

Western policymakers and non-governmental organizations have spent millions of dollars in efforts to circumvent Tehran and fund individuals and NGOs inside Iran to cultivate a democratic movement there. But most of these convoluted and ultimately questionable attempts never accomplished what the Mykonos trial did in its elegant simplicity.

The Mykonos case gave its spectators a glimpse of how real democracy works. Among the audience members at the trial were former Iranian political prisoners whose own trials, which had banished them to years of incarceration, had begun and ended within an hour. Their lives and dreams of an ideal society had been transformed by three and a half years of spectatorship. These dreams of an ideal society were given voice by attorney Otto Schily, later Germany’s interior minister from 1998 to 2005, who, in his closing remarks to the court, said: “For much too long, European governments have watched Iran’s violent behavior. A regime that touts terror and even commands it must not be the recipient of our loans or red carpet receptions.”

Schily had hoped the judges would realize that “we all have a shared duty. All of us – citizens, men and women, and even those who are our guests – must live in safety and without fear.”

The judges ruled that the Iranian government was responsible for the 1992 murders in Berlin.

We can see how effective the Mykonos verdict was simply by looking at Tehran’s treatment of it. A regime that never fails to boast (it annually marks the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy with great fanfare and has printed portraits of terrorists, such as the assassin of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, on postal stamps) has kept mum about the Mykonos case. When Tehran’s spin doctors saw that they could not spin this one, they did their best to bury it altogether. But they did not fail to register its magnitude.

The laws of political survival dictated that Tehran’s leaders retool and recast their message and image. After all, 1997 was an election year. That April, the presidential candidate, Mohammad Khatami, was lagging in the polls. By the end of June, he was elected to the presidency, beginning two unprecedented years of political openness that, for better or worse, marked the dawn of the “reform era.”

In those two years, a handful of books set the national debate on a new trajectory. The most significant of these followed in the footsteps of the German prosecutors and investigated the killings of a few leading Iranian dissidents.

These books drew the same conclusions that the Berlin trial had.

Is it hard to tell where Iran’s democratic movement is heading. But this much is certain: Rather than shying away from the tales of its 30-year suffering, it needs to proudly claim them as the pillars of its legitimacy. In that painful history, the Mykonos case is a luminous example of how suffering can lead to dignity and justice. It is also a guide to how the West can use a transparent approach to be on the right side of that struggle.

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Unintelligent, but constitutionally protected OpiniOn

By JOHN LLOyd

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( 1st of two parts )

here’s some shuffling of feet going on in Western governments, about this whole freedom of speech and the press thing that democracies are pledged to defend. And who wouldn’t shuffle, after the events of the past week, and of the past 30-plus years, in the Islamic world.

Two quite deliberate provocations were the immediate cause of the deadly riots. One, a video called the Innocence of Muslims, is so technically and dramatically bad that on first viewing it would seem to be something done in satirical vein by Sacha Baron Cohen, all false beards and ham dialogue. The other, the publication of a series of cartoons of Mohammad in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, showed Mohammad in various nude poses. Whatever their quality, they do not just make waves – they make deaths. We can no longer pretend otherwise. Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses taught us too much.

The French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said last week that “freedom of expression must not be infringed … but is it pertinent, is it intelligent, in this context to pour oil on the fire. The answer is no.” This formulation, repeated in different ways across the governments of the democratic world, says that states will and must uphold the principle of freedom; but that freedom, once conceded, should be used with care.

The question, which he turns back in large part on the media, is: How should we define “intelligent?” What is an “intelligent” use of freedom in this context?

It certainly does not apply to what the filmmakers did. The Innocence of Muslims seems to have been made by a group of Coptic Christians living in the U.S. The Copts number several million in Egypt (the figure is hotly disputed, with official sources saying there are no more than 4 million, while Copts claim as many as 14 million). And they are like other minorities in the area: Some among them have done well in business and the professions, yet they labor under both official discrimination and popular suspicion. The main producer of the video, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, allegedly hid his identity behind the name of Sam Bacile and claimed he was an Israeli Jew – thus shifting the blame to the most unpopular Middle Eastern minority among Muslims (and putting them at even more risk), deflecting anger away from his own community.

Once unmasked as a Copt, he has put his own community in greater danger than ever. That community has seen what protection it enjoyed under the presidency of Hosni Mubarak weaken in the new order: A Coptic church was bombed in Alexandria on New Year’s Day 2011, and 23 worshippers died. This is a community on very short sufferance: Bacile- Basseley, having failed to palm the fault off on the Jews, has appreciably shortened it further.

Intelligent he certainly wasn’t.

Stéphane Charbonnier, publishing director of Charlie Hebdo, the weekly satirical magazine that published a series of lewd cartoons on Mohammad, argues that: I live under French law, I don’t live under the law of the Koran … it’s plain to see that the sole subject that poses a problem is radical Islam. When we attack the Catholic right, very strongly, no-one talks about it in the newspapers. But we’re not allowed to laugh at Muslim fundamentalists?

In Charbonnier’s argument, radical Islamists are special only because they threaten random violence, as well as targeted violence against those who don’t consider them special. The first full expression of this was the reaction to The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel, which used verses said to be uttered

by Mohammad commending the worship of female goddesses – verses later retracted by him. Western scholars accept the story; contemporary Muslim scholars usually reject it.

10 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEfS

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Unremitted

BOUT P2.15 billion worth of payments for contributions and loan amortizations are still not remitted to Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pag-ibig Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) in Mindanao, a senator revealed.

Senator Franklin Drilon disclosed that the past government of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) failed to pay GSIS members’ contribution since 1997, noting that P907 million of the total amount corresponds unpaid shares in GSIS and Pag-ibig Fund premium and loan amortizations.

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Satisfied

MID recent disasters that struck the country, Filipinos seem satisfied with how the government is preparing for and responding to emergencies, a new Pulse Asia survey showed.

The administration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III registered a mean score of 80 out of 100 for all three disaster-related indicators in the September Ulat ng Bayan survey.

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Center

HE formation of a center which would be in charge of studying PH’s claims over territories in the West Philippine Sea has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and his brother Abante Mindnao party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez pushed for the creation of “Center for West Philippine Sea” that would be under the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s Office of Special and Ocean Concerns.

No significance

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ES, former first lady Imelda Marcos’ notorious collection of shoes and gowns are falling into neglect. But a ranking Palace official wondered what the fuss is all about.

Imelda’s apparel hold “no historical significance,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III was quoted as saying in an Associated Press report Wednesday. Some of Imelda ‘s gowns may deserve attention--but only because they were designed by famous Filipino couturiers, Quezon, a historian, noted.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Jeepneys get facelift, eyed to boost tourism F

ILIPINOS should pay homage to the King of the Road, a group said, as it launched a campaign to revive the famous Philippine jeepney.

At least 50 jeepneys were recently parked at the SM Mall of Asia for the Jeepney Tours’ Jeepney Arts Festival, which engaged over 150 volunteer artists to repaint the iconic vehicle.

“This is our way of honoring the ‘King of the Road’,” Jeepney Arts Festival managing director Clang Garcia said.

Noting that jeepneys originally started as refurbished World War II vehicles, Garcia called the popular public utility vehicle “a symbol of Filipino ingenuity.”

The festival meanwhile urged artists to use local tourist destinations as their design theme.

Riding on the government’s tourism campaign theme “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” Garcia said the newly painted jeepneys will hopefully be “roving tourist destina-

HOMAGE. Artists put finishing touches on a vehicle during the Jeepney painting competition at a mall in Manila September 21, 2012. The Jeepney Arts Festival pays homage to the coun-

try’s most popular mode of transport, transforming ageing vehicles into icons instead of traffic nuisances. [REutERs]

tions.”

“Some of the artists from Angono, Rizal said they will paint the Higantes Festival. Others said they will paint Bohol’s famous tarsier, Quiapo or Divisoria,” Garcia said.

Aside from aesthetically overhauling jeepneys, the campaign also aims to “improve the

jeepney culture,” Garcia said.

This, as she noted that the jeepney’s image has recently been marred by unethical practices among drivers and operators.

“The Jeepney Arts Festival is a complete rehabilitation, culturally and artistically,” Garcia said.

Jeepneys chosen for the campaign had to be in good working condition and pass smoke emission tests.

Drivers of jeepneys being overhauled also have to undergo a training program including sessions on Filipino history and values, ethical driving and passenger handling.

ments in the apparently heated discussions on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly were detailed in a statement issued in Beijing by the foreign ministry.

“The Chinese side will by no means tolerate any unilateral action by the Japanese side on the Diaoyu Islands,” Yang told Gemba, according to the statement.

China and Japan are locked in an escalating confrontation over the Diaoyu islands -- known as Senkaku in Japan -- that triggered street protests across Chi-

na and saw attacks on Japanese businesses.

The two sides have long wrangled over the islands, but relations plummeted to their lowest ebb in years after Tokyo announced on September 11 that it had completed a deal to buy three of the uninhabited outcrops from their private owner.

Commentators said the move was an apparent bid to outmaneuver the hawkish governor of Tokyo, who wanted to buy and develop the islands.

A senior Japanese official said Gemba, respond-

ing to Yang, called for “the maximum careful restraint from the Chinese side because of the recent damage to Japanese businesses and affiliates in China”.

“He insisted violence cannot be tolerated,” the official said.

Gemba had requested the meeting, the official said.

Yang had told Gemba that blame for the flare-up was all with the Japanese side and repeated earlier Chinese government calls for Japan to “correct its error (and) cease all actions which affect China’s territorial sovereignty”.

“Only by doing this can bilateral relations return to a healthy and stable development.”

Yang said Japan’s claims over the islands represented a “denial” of the outcome of the “anti-fascist war” -- a reference to Chinese resistance to a bloody Japanese World War II invasion of China.

Diplomats at the UN told AFP that the pair failed to reach a breakthrough in their talks, but both the Chinese foreign ministry and a Japanese official confirmed that the talks would continue.[Afp]

China, Japan in tense talks on disputed islands

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HINA accused Japan of a “severe infringement” on its sovereignty in tense talks at the United Nations between their foreign ministers over a bitter territorial row, Beijing said Wednesday.

China said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also told his counterpart Koichiro Gemba in New York on Tuesday that ties between the Asian powers would remain strained until Tokyo reverses its purchase of disputed East China Sea islands.

The Chinese com-

Charged

HE Makati City police will file charges of grave threat and slander by deed against a man who poked a gun at an 18-year-old high school senior at the exclusive Colegio de San Agustin (CSA), an official said yesterday.

Acting city police chief Superintendent Jaime Santos said they are just waiting for the victim, Jaime Garcia, to subscribe to his complaint affidavit, which he filed with the city police Saturday.

EDGEDAVAO

Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, pictured left with UN chief Ban Ki-Moon at UN headquarters on September 24.

China has accused Japan of a “severe infringement” on its sovereignty in tense talks at the UN. [Afp]

WORLD TODAY

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Squeezing

S hundreds of world leaders and diplomats converged on New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual meeting, President Barack Obama teed up a crucial meeting of his own on Monday - with Whoopi Goldberg.

With the November 6 election six weeks from Tuesday, Obama is squeezing in his duties as leader of the free world between an appearance on Goldberg’s TV talk show and campaigning in Ohio.

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Blaze

WIN blasts near army headquarters rocked the Syrian capital early Wednesday after Qatar called for an Arab intervention against Bashar al-Assad’s regime and a no-fly zone to protect refugees.

The early morning explosions set off a blaze in Damascus’s closely guarded Umayyad Square district as the Syrian opposition’s foreign backers ramped up calls for Assad’s exit at the UN General Assembly in New York.

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Urged

HE World Health Organization on Wednesday urged health workers around the world to report any patient with acute respiratory infection who may have travelled to Saudi Arabia or Qatar and been exposed to a new SARS-like virus confirmed in two people so far.

The United Nations agency put out a global alert on Sunday saying a new virus had infected a 49-yearold Qatari who had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia where another man with an almost identical virus had died.

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Super-rich

HE number of super-rich in Asia is set to reach 2.67 million people by 2015 with a net worth of an estimated $16.7 trillion, Swiss private bank Julius Baer said on Tuesday.

The findings, announced in its 2012 Wealth Report focusing on Asia, indicated that the region’s High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) were largely immune from the economic ills affecting the rest of the world.

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Strike

REECE faced a paralysing general strike Wednesday as unions take to the streets to protest at a new round of sweeping austerity cuts to be brought in next month to unlock vital EU-IMF loans.

As 5,000 police deployed around the capital, hundreds of people began to gather for separate demonstrations called by left-wing and Communist unions.

11

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 President Aquino says infrastructure projects to boost tourism in Bohol

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RESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III said on Wednesday that a slew of infrastructure projects including the construction of a new world-class airport will boost the province of Bohol’s attractiveness as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

He said the P7.4-billion New Bohol Airport that will be put up in Panglao had al-

Railway...

ready been approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board last Sept. 4.

With this development, the President said he hopes the airport, which will begin construction in November next year, will be completed by the end of his term in 2016 and will hasten the province’s rise as a premiere tourist attraction.

“Alam nating turismo ang isa sa mga pangunahin ninyong industriya. Sino ba naman ang hindi makakakilala sa Chocolate Hills at tarsiers ng Bohol? Kaya dagdagan pa natin ang magandang balita: inaprubahan na noong ika-4 ng Setyembre ng NEDA Board ang New Bohol Airport na itatayo sa Panglao,” the President said. (pNA)

(DENR) and the city government a few years ago.

The document identifies areas of the city which are susceptible to flooding, landslide and earthquakes.

Cabling earlier said that the most contentious issue in the effort to craft and development plan and zoning code is the opposition of environment activists to further development of the Matina Shrine Hills which they said is susceptible to

landslides.

The environmentalists insist that the Shrine Hills should be declared as parks and recreational zones, instead of following the establishment of more housing projects and other ventures.

Cabling is hopeful the revised documents could be approve by the SP and signed into an ordinance by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio before the May elections next year.

neers of District Engineering Offices and EIA-RO staffs were gathered for a meeting in July 2012 with DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) staff in order to acquaint themselves with the latest procedures and processes for securing ECCs

and CNCs. To consummate compliance with the order, copies of issued ECCs/ CNCs for all projects in the region will be provided to the Environmental and Social Services Office (ESSO) of Planning Service in the Department. [ASA]

ed among the 19 consolidated bills in the Senate through SB 2854 under Committee Report No. 41 by the Government Corporations and Public Enterprises Committee in the Senate on May 31, 2011.

The consolidated bill is currently in the period of interpellation.

Two other bills of Escudero were consolidated in SB 2454. These are SB 2090,

which pushes for the establishment of an education trust fund for the grantees of GSIS and SSS members, and SB 2093, which seeks to provide both teaching and non-teaching personnel of the education sector more representation in the GSIS policy-making body with the inclusion of the Department of Education Secretary.

or the voice sector, BPO companies have expanded to “knowledge process outsourcing,” especially that of software development.

Due to high demand of talents for the ICT industry, the ICT Davao, together with partner companies, will initiate a job fair with at least 3,500 vacancies on October 1-2 in Holy Cross Davao College gymnasium.

Barriga said that because big companies are locating here, indirect jobs are also generated such as in restaurants and other services that cater

to BPO employees.

He said two call centers in this city, VXI at Robinsons Cybergate in Lanang, and Opinionology at NCCC Mall in Matina, are planning office expansions involving a total of 4,000 square meters.

Noting that Davao is positioned as the alternative of Cebu and Manila for BPO destination, Barriga said that big companies such as Stream Global, US Autoparts, Ring Central and EXL have expressed interests to locate their businesses here. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro/MindaNews]

FfROM 1

sion in the new documents is a much bigger space of an international airport due to Davao City’s rapid expansion as the gateway of south, he said.

One document that is indispensable in the task to revise the comprehensive development plan and zoning code is the terrain analysis jointly made the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 11 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

DPWH...

FfROM 2

mentation. This is in order to avoid further imposition of penalties from the DENR and court cases for non-compliance with PD 1586 and other by-laws and environmental regulations.

Alquiza said as an initial activity, all planning engi-

Chiz...

FfROM 2

qualify are: 1) the retirees must be in government service on or before May 31, 1977; 2) has rendered at least 20 years of service regardless of age and employment status; and 3) his/her last three years of service prior to retirement must be continuous, except in cases of death, disability, abolition or phase out of position due to reorganization.

Escudero’s bill is includ-

Increase...

FfROM 5

cities,” he told reporters.

Among the clients of local developers are the city government, some hotels and hospitals such as the Southern Philippines Medical Center, Barriga said.

The ICT Davao is also encouraging the Department of Health Region 11 to use locally-produced applications, he added.

Holganza said the value chain of business process (BPO) outsourcing industry in this city is moving up to another level.

She said that more than just contact centers

UNWILLING. A boy holds the barb wire tightly in the entrance of an illegal settlement that is about to be demolished coincidentally represents the message that the

SM...

residents portray which is their unwillingness to leave the place at North San Juan, Brgy. Centro, Agdao, Davao City yesterday. LEAN DAVAL JR.

FfROM 1

SM Mall to Davao City with its modern structure and cutting-edge design, upscale retail mix, dining concepts, and world-class entertainment and convention facilities never before seen in Mindanao.

SM Lanang Premier sits on a strategic location in the northern part of

the city, an area long been known as an affluent residential, commercial and leisure address in the city.

One of the biggest draws of the new mall is the iMax cinema, the first of its kind in Mindanao.

Also, SM Lanang Premier will be home to SMX Davao, the largest con-

vention center to date in southern Mindanao.

SM executives, led by SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy, will grace the opening of their latest, and by far their largest mall in Mindanao, as well.

general has served the nation well and is advanced in years. Let’s allow him to fade away. The son has followed as an honest public servant. Doing well in a sensitive position as commissioner of customs. Let the son continue the legacy of the good father, who’s still there to guide him.” “ While the father had accomplished a lot during his tenure, his son who may have better ideas, can surpass his father’s achievements, said veteran broadcaster Jimmy Torres.

“The son, for fresh ideas,” engineer Conrado Vidanes said.

No to both The 23.3 percent who are neither for father nor son are mostly against what they brand as political dynasty.

Lawyer Enrique Diola of ACCRA said “Neither. Let’s give way to new blood.”

“Let’s put new faces in the Senate, Bigyan ng chance ang iba to serve,” according to Butching Respicio, businessman. [AMA]

win seats in the Senate.

The recent Pulsa Asia survey showed that eight of the UNA senatoriables are among the “winnables.”

Meanwhile, Zubiri confirmed that Nancy Binay, daughter of Vice President

Binay, is no longer running as senator despite her popularity in the survey. “The Vice President wants to avoid criticism of creating a political dynasty,” he said.

[ASA]

Dabawenyos...

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“I still opt for the father, proven and tested and has integrity. His son has not proven much. BOC is still home of the untouchables and a center of graft and corruption,” according to Arlene P. They want the son Respondents who favor Ruffy want to give him a chance to continue the legacy of his father.

Sofronio “BJ” Sucutan, former president of the multi-awarded Davao City Chamber of commerce and Industry, Inc., said “The

UNA...

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The former Mindanaoan senator also said that Estrada, Binay and Enrile have promised to join the campaign sorties in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to strengthen the chances of the UNA senatoriables to

Edge Davao hiring editor, 3 reporters

EDGE DAVAO is in need for an editor and three staffwriters/reporters for its expansion program.

The three reporters will be assigned to the business, science/environment and political beats.

On the other hand, the editor will supervise the reporters and do gate-keeping tasks.

An applicant must be a graduate of a four- year college course. For reporters, experience is not needed although preferable. The editor should have at least one-year experience in editing.

Interested parties are requested to send their applicant letter to Mr. Antonio M. Ajero, Edge Davao editor thru email address ajero_antonio@yahoo. com. For inquiries, please call Mr. Ajero thru mobile phone 09052422686 or landline 221-3601.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Realty

FOR SALE: 1) 1-hectare commercial lot at P10,000/sq m, along National Highway, facing east, beside NCCC Panacan, davao City. 2) 17,940sq m commercial lot at P2,500/sq m, along Matina diversion road.

3) 3,831 sq m lot along Matina diversion road. 4) 41,408 sq m commercial/industrial lot at P800/sq m along the National Highway, Bunawan. 5) 7,056 sq m at P1,200/sq m commercial/residential lot along Indangan road, Buhangin district. 6) 27,411 sq m commercial/industrial lot along the National Highway in Bincungan, Tagum City. 7) 116.15 to 245.92 sq meters , at P5.5M to P12.3M commercial/ office condo units in Bajada, davao City. 8) 699 to 1,117 sq m at P4,100/sq m commercial lots at Josefina Town Center, along the National Highway, dumoy, Toril. 9) ready-for-Occupancy residential Properties: 4Br/3T&B in a 240 sq m lot with 177.31sqm floor area (2-storey) at P4.8M in an exclusive beachfront community in dumoy, Toril.; 3Br 2-storey in a 71.25 sq m 2-storey in a 143sq m lot in an exclusive flower village in Maa, davao City; 180 sq m lots with 71.25sqm to 126.42 sq m floor areas, priced at P3.751M to P5.773M in an exclusive mountain resort community along Matina, diversion road. 10) 1Br/2Br residential condo units located in Bolton, Maa, Obrero, davao City.

11) FOr aSSUMe (rUSH): 1Br res’l condo unit in Palmetto, Maa. P600k negotiable. Note: Items 1-9 can be paid in cash, in-house or bank financing. If interested, please call Jay (PrC reB Lic. 8237) at 0922-851-5337 (Sun), 0908-883-8832 (Smart) or send email to propertiesindavao@yahoo.com.

deadline for submission of materials is 12:00 NN. deadline for Friday and Saturday issues is 5:00 PM. deadline for Sunday and Monday issues is Saturday 12:00 NN. For more information, please call our advertising Office 2213601; 301-6235 and ask for Jane or Chay.

PRIME PROPERTY FOR SALE ROBINSONS HIGH LANDS, 173 sq. meters, 1.5 M, Direct Buyers only Contact: 0926-305-1555 0942-966-2444

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Located at Bo. Obrero near Victoria Plaza 10 M, direct Buyers only Contact: 0932-532-7304

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Clinic We offer Pasta, Pizza and all Filipino foods

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PYMENT No(s).1004179 under LOyOLa PLaN contract No(s). 000 130005733 issued to Dela Cruz, Cellte Rose L. was lost. any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given by Mr. rONaLd S. gaLLINerO owner of Geekies Homemade Food Products, with business address at alcrej Bldg. Quirino ave., davao City, that Official Receipts No. 24751-24800,2480124850,24851-24900,2490124950,24951-25000 was lost. any transaction entered into shall be null and void. doc.

No. 236; Page No. 48; Book No. XVII; Series of 2012; Notary Public atty. alexis Lumbatan Shop at

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14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

floyd softens, ready to settle F

LOYD Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are settling a federal defamation case in Las Vegas, clearing a key hurdle to a long-awaited bout between two top fighters who’ve traded verbal jabs for years but have never met in the ring.

Terms of the pretrial agreement cited in documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas are confidential, said Malcolm LaVergne, a lawyer representing Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s father in the case.

LaVergne said documents filed under seal ask U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks to dismiss the lawsuit. Documents filed publicly said each side would bear its own attorney fees and costs. ‘’The matter has been resolved,’’ LaVergne said. ‘’Any alleged terms of the resolution would be strictly confidential. Floyd Mayweather Sr. is very happy that this lengthy case has finally come to a conclusion.’’

The much-awaited fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather may yet happen after the two are reportedly settling a legal battle.

Mayweather’s claim.

In a statement released Tuesday night through the mediator in the case, the Mayweathers said they ‘’wish to make it clear that they never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any

performance enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of any evidence that Manny Pacquiao has used performance enhancing drugs.’’

An attorney for Pacquiao did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.

HE Philippine national men’s football team dominated Guam, but needed a lucky break for its lone goal in a 1-0 victory in their opening match in the Philippine Football Peace Cup Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Patrick Reichelt was at

the right place at the right time, scoring a header at the 81st minute after tentative defending by the Guamanian goalkeeper.

“I took a chance, and it was a goal. I was lucky,” Reichelt said after the match.

The Filipino-German’s goal, his first in official international play, bailed

out the Azkals, who controlled the match but could not convert on opportunity after opportunity.

The Azkals had 19 attempts at goal (10 on target), compared to just nine for Guam (four on target).

Late sub Marvin Angeles had the chance to

widen the gap late in the game, but he missed an easy attempt near the goal.

In a friendly match last June, the Azkals toyed with Guam, scoring all three of their goals in the first half en route to the victory. But it was a different story Tuesday night, as the Filipinos to score against an improved Guam team.

S

physical limits, thus the need to decline the call to serve flag and country through Smart Gilas Pilipinas 2.0 during the PBA offseason.

“Nagka-back spasm na din ako after naming maglaro sa Finals ng dalawang sunud na confer-

ences. So even though gusto ko naman maglaro sa Gilas, nag-decide muna ako na ibigay na lang sa iba yung slot,” Yap said during on Monday night during a San Mig Coffee team function at the 1Esplanade in Pasay City.

The two-time league MVP added that his absence was not felt since there were many good shooters who carried the fight for Gilas in the Jones Cup, which the national team won in Taipei, and the last Fiba-Asia Cup in Tokyo.

New Azkal comes to the rescue

Yap, Pingris tinker on Gilas stint

AN Mig Coffee superstar James Yap and teammate Jean Marc Pingris may yet suit up for the Smart Gilas 2.0 provided they are healthy.

Yap said his team’s back-to-back Finals appearances last season had pushed him to his

Money many in Manny vs ‘Money’

T

Pacquiao filed the lawsuit in December 2009 seeking unspecified damages based on allegations that Floyd Mayweather Jr. defamed him by suggesting Pacquiao used performance-enhancing substances. Pacquiao denied

T

EDGEDAVAO

The DLSU Animo Squad tried to knock out the competition with a boxing-themed performance in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. UP Pep Squad won the main competition and the stunts contest.

HE lego blocks that would pave the way for the world’s megabuck boxing fight are out of the box and ready to get pieced together.

Should report be accurate, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are about to settle a federal defamation case in Las Vegas. This means it’s no longer far-fetched that the two will eventually meet probably next year in a fight the world no longer just wants to see but deserves to see.

Boxing owes it to the loyal purists of the prize-fighting business to put up this fight. Otherwise, boxing sucks forever.

The two great fighters have traded verbal jabs for years but have never met in the ring. They went against each other in another court—in that defamation suit—and with that cleared out of the way, the stumbling block should also be out of the way as well.

To know that the fight could still happen is the kick that boxing needs. Forget about the other fights. This is the mother of all boxing promotions and this should happen while the two men drink, eat and breathe boxing.

According to the reports from wires, “terms of the pre-trial agreement cited in documents filed Tuesday in US District Court in Las Vegas are confidential, said Malcolm LaVergne, a lawyer representing Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s father in the case.”

The Mayweather lawyer was quoted as saying that documents filed under seal ask US District Judge Larry R. Hicks to dismiss the lawsuit, and that others involved in the case were preparing a public statement.

Documents filed publicly said each side would bear its own attorney fees and costs.

The lawyer further said that the matters are already resolved, and by “resolved” we assume that both parties have amicably settled.

The Mayweather camp has sealed their mouths this time as to the alleged terms of the resolution and Floyd Mayweather Sr. is said to be very happy that the case is about to be put to sleep.

Pacquiao filed the lawsuit in December 2009 praying for the court to award unspecified damages based on Mayweather’s claim that he is a drug cheat. By that he meant, the Filipino champion is using performance enhancing drugs (PED).

In a sudden turn of events, the Mayweathers cthrough their mediator claimed that they “wish to make it clear that they never

intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of any evidence that Manny Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs.”

Boom.

That’s it. That’s the kind of statement that pleads for a release from liability. You can see that coming. The court has ordered the Mayweathers to indemnify Pacquiao for roughly $114,000 in legal fees for avoiding the taking of deposition from the Filipino’s lawyers.

That kind of slapped the Mayweathers a reality check. Pacquiao is serious.

Now, going back to the fight again. There is no confirmed report yet of talks about the fight happening but if ever the two fighters John Hancock the dotted line, such a fight could set records for the highest purse, gate and number of cable television paid viewers.

This early, many believed that a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight might eclipse the Mayweather super welterweight fight against Oscar De La Hoya that drew 17,078 fans to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in May 2007. Gate receipts in that fight went $18.4 million.

Today may just be a hallucination though, but if someone won’t screw up, that is if Floyd does not come up with another lame excuse, this fight would destroy all fights. Even combined.

Manny, who lost his last fight to Timothy Bradley in a bum decision, is 54-4 with two draws in 60 fights and he is due for an inconsequential fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden.

Mayweather, 35, goes around with the moniker “Money” and was an inmate for two months on a domestic battery conviction. Even then, the man was named by Forbes magazine this summer as the highest-paid athlete in the world for 2011.

Floyd is undefeated in 43 fights and is the reigning pound for pound king.

This is the fight for you Manny. Beat Money and get many money.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

A recipe trilogy...

The September that was They say, begin the month with a bang – and bang we did.

Me, together with my good friends Ivan Ray Bagtas, Jefferson Solano, Jacob Abraham Unson, Nonoy Avellanosa and my super yaya Jane Fagalas, went on an escapade to the magnificent island resort of Isla Reta to unwind and re-connect with nature. The trip was by far the best I have had in months time. The sand, wind and wave made the 40+ minute water taxi ride all worth it. Armed with our gusto to take on the weekend, we camped, played, talked and partied the night (and morning) away with sumptuous food we bought along and cooked ourselves.

One memorable dish would have to be my Chargrilled Chicken Pecho Marinated in Dark Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar and Garlic. It was so delicious that it was basically gone in seconds. here is the recipe and give it a try the next time you decide to have a weekend escapade by the beach. Till the next water taxi boys!

Ingredients 4 pieces chicken pecho, cleaned 5 pieces garlic cloves, minced ½ cup dark soy sauce 5 tablespoons brown sugar ¼ cup olive oil Combine all ingredients except the chicken. Mix well. Let sugar dissolve completely.

Pour over the chicken and massage the marinade all over the chicken to evenly coat the meat. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

Char grill the chicken for 45 minutes or until meat is done. Poke with a knife or fork to check if the chicken is done.

Serve hot right off the grill over rice.

This recipe may do even without a dipping sauce.

I have always been in love with roti. Seriously, I can have them any time of the day – with or without a dip. I have tasted a wide variety of Roti dishes and I must say, to my palate, they all taste the same. however, when my Indian friend cooked me some, I almost

thought I was in India with the Taj Mahal as my backdrop. It was heavenly delicious.

My Roti with Garlic Mayo Chili Sauce recipe is easy to prepare and light on the budget. Try it!

Ingredients 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 cup warm water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Vegetable oil for the pan Melted unsalted butter Place flours in a bowl.

Mix in vegetable oil and stir. Slowly add the warm water and mix until it becomes dough like. (IF the dough is dry, add water) Knead the dough and if the dough is sticky, try to add a bit of flour. your dough should be smooth but not sticky.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes covered with a damp cloth.

Roll out the dough in a large circle and spread about a teaspoon of vegetable oil over it. Then roll dough into a long roll (log shape) and cut into piece.

Roll each pieces out into circles. Thickness depends on you. Let them stand for 5 minutes covered with a damp cloth. heat a skillet over low to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil and place dough in hot skillet until bread puffs. Flip once to brown on the other side.

Remove from heat and let cool. Cook remaining dough.

Mix together plain mayonnaise, garlic paste, yogurt, lemon juice and chili sauce in a bowl. Season to taste. Chill before serving.

Just because I am home alone does not mean I cannot have my own little party. Do not get wrong, I love the serenity, peace and quiet I only get to experience once in a blue moon, but I also want to feel like

I’m in a cocktail party eating sumptuous finger foods while sipping my good friend Johnnie and his twin brother, Cola.

So, I opened my pantry, raided my fridge and invaded my quaint kitchen and came up with a delicious Tuna, Potato and Cheese Nuggets Topped with Toasted Sesame Seeds with Mustard, Mayo and Fish Sauce Dip. Ingredients 100 grams corned tuna, drained ¼ cup grated potato ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons cumin powder 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch Salt and pepper to taste Toasted sesame seeds In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Make sure corned tuna is properly drained to be able to have a dough like mixture and could easily be formed into squares.

Dust your palms with

flour and form dollop of balls. Once formed, form balls into squares and pat with all-purpose flour to keep its shape. Do remaining balls. Roll over toasted sesame seeds. (This could be kept in the fridge inside an airtight container until you are ready to fry it.) heat oil in a pan over medium het. Fry nuggets until golden brown. Set aside.

For the sauce: In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 tablespoon regular mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon horseradish mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to balance the taste.

Chill before serving.

Do you want to be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit? Send me your recipes, questions, suggestions and comments and be featured.

If you are interested, then email me at iamtheroyalchef@gmail.com. Happy Cooking!

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

Columbia Sportswear heads off to Davao The fourth leg of the Columbia Chello Masters opens its registration.

Columbia sportswear, a brand best known for its inoperative outdoor gear and equipments, I nonsense the fourth installment of the much awaited, Trail Master series. The series which began last 2009 in nobody, Laguna, which traveled to Cebu and Bukidnon, is now opening it’s registration in Davao City.

The fourth leg of the Columbia Trail Masters is brought to Paradise Island Beach resort, Samal Island, Davao, this coming November 17, 2012.

This leg includes two disciplines, trail running and off-road biking. They’re also mud courses along the race to add some fun twist to the already challenging race.

The race will consist of two categories, the adventure race – which would include the off-road biking and trail running, for the more experienced athletes and the 10K trail run category, for the weekend warriors.

Registration for the Columbia Trail Masters is PhP 1,500 for the adventure race and PhP 350 for the Trail run category, for both men and women. Interested participants can register at Columbia Abreeza Davao, Columbia Limketkai Cagayan de Oro, and Columbia SM Cebu.

The way to Davao has become both a weekend getaway For the adventure some, and Columbia sportswear longs to bring more awareness to this site. Those who successfully rise to this challenge will have the chance to take home cash and other prices.

The Adventure race winners in the men and women’s categories will receive: • Champion: 10,000 Cash and 4,000 Columbia GC • 1st Runner Up: 7,000 Cash and 4,000 Columbia GC • 2nd Runner Up: 5,000 Cash and 4,000 Columbia GC The 10K Trail Run Category winners in the men and women’s categories will receive: • Champion: 3,000 Cash and 2,000 Columbia GC • 1st Runner Up: 2,000 Cash and 2,000 Columbia GC • 2nd Runner Up: 1,000 Cash and 1,000 Columbia GC Columbia Sportswear had long been known for promoting an outgoing lifestyle, and the Trail Masters in Davao is another example of how the brand is committed to this advocacy.

Registration begins on September 25, 2012 and will end on November 11, 2012.

The Columbia Trail Masters is organized by everest Ourdoors headed by Rhoderick Ang and Pastor Imata.

For inquiries you can contact dax_ang@yahoo.com. For updates and announcements, check out Columbia’s Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Columbiasportswear-Ph.

Mountain Hardwear opens in SM Lanang Premier

Mountain hardwear has been driven to provide the best for the best since 1993, when a group of daring adventurers who had years of experience in the outdoor industry came to the realization that there were many like them who wanted to see and explore the world they live in, the best way they can. To challenge one’s limits in the rigors of the environment, to be fully equipped is the key - whether fly fishing, skiing, snowboarding, climbing, or mountaineering. The Mountain hardwear product line features proprietary technology behind award-winning designs, and wide availability for any outdoor situation possible.

Mountain hardware made its way to the country through R.O.X, and opened its first store in Southeast Asia last July 29 at the second level of TriNoma Mall in Quezon City. Its second branch will be opened on August 28 at the second level of SM Lanang Premier to cater to the needs of the growing outdoor community in Mindanao, being the home to the highest peaks in the Philippines.

Mountain hardwear is exclusively distributed by The primer Group of Companies, Asia’s next retail giant.

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

FOOD

What is in a mooncake?

By Kenneth Irving Ong

FOR Chinese communities around the world, the full moon of the eighth month of the lunar year signals the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The celebration marks the overthrowing of the Mongol empire by the han Chinese through messages hidden in the ubiquitous mooncake.

So what makes a mooncake and what makes it different from the run-of-the-mill hopia?

Mooncakes are made with decorative molds that have floral patterns or the name of the pastry shop that made it.

What sets moon cakes apart from an ordinary hopia is the inclusion of one up to three salted egg yolks that add a savory and salty taste to the pastry.

Some mooncakes can also contain nuts and seeds along with the lotus seed filling.

The mooncake is normally filled with ground green or black beans.

The pricier mooncakes can use lotus seed paste instead.

Mooncakes are distributed by a dice game played by the entire family. For every “4” rolled out of six dice, a prize is given. The number “four” which sounds like “death” in Chinese signifies “death to the Mongols.”

Secret messages were passed along inside mooncakes during the han uprising. Don’t expect to see secret messages inside today’s mooncakes though.

Mid-Autumn Festival and Mooncakes at Lotus Court MARCO POLO Davao ushers in the 2012 Mid-Autumn Festival with a special dinner buffet and exquisite signature mooncakes at Lotus Court.

The celebration dinner will be on September 30, 2012, when the festival moon is at its loveliest.

Gaze on the full moon while savoring Lotus Court’s buffet offerings of Roast Peking Duck, Roast Pig, Crabs and other fresh seafood entrées. enjoy the flavors of new Dim Sum treats and soups du jour. Tuck into the cool fruit jellies, velvety Mooncakes, and savory Buchi balls.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival dinner comes with joyful musical and dance production numbers from the talented students of Colegio de San Ignacio,” said Ian Men-

doza, Marco Polo Davao Food and Beverage Manager. experience this Oriental festival of the senses for only Php 1,300 net per person. Kids 6 to 12 years old get half-price off the

full rate.

This early, sweeten your world with Lotus Court mooncakes in classic white lotus seed, black mongo, or sweet mixed nuts, lovingly enveloped in one or two salted

yolks.

“These holiday confections offer the best wishes of the Mid-Autumn Festival—blessings of peace and harmony among family and friends,” said Mendoza.

“Also symbolizing prosperity and good fortune, these seasonal delights are ideal for sharing to family, friends, and business associates,” added Mendoza.

Bask in the magical lambent glow of the festival moon along with Chinese communities the world over.

Mooncakes are on offer from September 16 to 30, 2012 at Php 248 to Php 258 only, with discounts for orders of four or more gift boxes.

For inquiries and reservations for dinner and mooncake gifts, call 221.0888 local 7232 or 7233.

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

eNTeRTAINMeNT

Is Simon Cowell dating Carmen Electra?

hAS Simon Cowell found his latest lady love in Carmen electra?

The 52-year-old X Factor judge and 40-year-old actress sparked dating rumors after they stepped out together over the weekend for a dinner date at West hollywood restaurant Cecconi’s.

While some are saying Cowell and electra are getting romantic—and were even caught making out!—we’re hearing a different story.

“A big group of friends had dinner on Saturday night at Cecconi’s,” a source tells e! News of the supposed date. “They are just friends from the U.K. and the U.S. They have known each other a while and she guest judged on Britain’s Got Talent.”

MThe duo did work together back in February when electra appeared on the British competition show, and it seems like they’ve stayed close since.

MIn pics of the pair leaving Cecconi’s on Saturday night, Cowell is seen with his arm around electra as they pose for photogs before getting into a black

Rolls-Royce and leaving together.

Both Cowell and electra were previously engaged, Cowell to makeup artist Mezhgan hussainy and electra to rocker Rob Petterson. Additionally, the actress was previously married to Dave Navarro

and Dennis Rodman.

A rep for Cecconi’s and electra’s rep declined to comment.

Now we want to hear from you. Do you think Cowell and electra would make a cute couple?

Sound off below. (e! Online)

Lady Gaga strips after gain weight allegations LADy GAGA knows that outer-beauty isn’t everything.

On Tuesday, the 26year-old pop star posted a revealing photo of herself wearing only a bra and underwear on LittleMonsters.com. She tweeted to her fans to “join A BODY REVOLUTION,” and captioned the somber photo of herself “Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15.”

She also posted another lingerie shot of herself. “To inspire Bravery. and BReeD some m$therf*cking COMPASSION,” she wrote.

“My mother and I created the BORN ThIS WAY FOUNDATION for one reason: ‘to inspire bravery,’” Gaga wrote. “This profile is an extension of that dream. Be brave and celebrate with us your ‘perceived flaws,’ as society tells us. May we make our

flaws famous, and thus redefine the heinous.”

She also asked fans to “be brave and post a photo of you that celebrates your triumph over insecurities.”

Gaga addressed the snarky comments (including The Talk hosts speculating about a possible pregnancy) about her figure during a recent chat with radio host elvis Duran on his syndicated morning show. “I’m dieting right now because I gained, like, 25 pounds,” she said. “I really don’t feel bad about it, not even for a second. I have to be on such a strict diet constantly. It’s hard because it’s a quite vigorous show, so I tend to bulk up, get muscular, and I really don’t like that. So I’m trying to find a new balance.” you go, Gaga

SM GENSAN CINEMA

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 148 • THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

eVeNTS eNTeRTAINMeNT

All toqued up MOST Institute’s Batch 46’s simulation restaurant

CALL me lucky or call my diet cursed, I was lucky enough to witness the simulation restaurant event of my good friend Josh. It was to be the culminating event for Batch 46’s culinary course at the MOST Institute and I was there with my appetite in tow.

The lunch started with an appetizer of beer-marinated crispy chicken fillet fingers paired with a radish, mango, zucchini and onion leek salad followed with a flavorful Fruits de Mer soup.

I never was a fan of entrees but I loved their honey-glazed Pork and Beans which was an original take on the classic dish with a sweet and savory finish thanks to the apple-bacon compote which I cannot get enough of.

Their second entree featured a Fillet Mignon with a hollandaise ho-

mard Infuse. The beef was nice and tender while the hollandaise sauce held up well. I would have loved it even more if the beef had a nice crust that could add to the flavor and texture to an already delicious slice of beef.

The meal ended with a delicious Piña Colada Surprise which is a piña colada-inspired cheesecake topped with a sweet mango jam.

Congratulations to the future chefs of Batch 46 for a job well done.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 148 •THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Davao cycling team to join Ronda Pilipinas

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HE members of the Inday Sara Cycling team of Davao City are joining the qualifying race for the Ronda Pilipinas 2013 slated on October 2728 in Tarlac.

“Among paningkamutan dyud na mag-qualify ming tanan (We will try our best to all be qualified)” said veteran Dexter Nonato, team captain of the Inday Sara squad, which saw action in the inaugural staging of the biggest nationwide cycling race in 2011.

Nonato will be joined by teammates Ronnie Urdaneta, Junrey Navarra and Eric Donillo in Tarlac. The other members of the team supported by Mayor Inday Sara Duterte were still not yet confirmed to join.

Nonato, Urdaneta and Navarra made it a 1-2-3 finish in the Open Elite category while Donillo and Apinar ruled the Junior and Midget division, respectively, won last Sunday in the 8th San Lorenzo Ruiz Cathedral Mountain Bike Challenge in

Bayugan, Agusan del Sur. The trio, together with 17-year old Eric Dave Apinar and advicer Salvador “Jun” Paholio Jr., deputy secretary-general for Mindanao of PhilCycling presented the trophies which they received during a press conference Tuesday here.

Team Inday Sara also went home with the biggest delegation special award with a total of 36 riders in different categories.

It was a very sweet victory by Team Inday Sara since they had avenged their early lost to the host Cycleline Extreme team, which earlier dominated the Kadayawan MTB race held in Davao City.

“Napahiya ko kadtong Kadayawan, mao nag-training dyud me ug gi-planohan namo ang dula para makabalos me sa ilaha (I was ashamed after Kadayawan festival that’s why we really had trained harder and made a game plan for us to get back at them),” Nonato said.

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Team Inday Sara under coach Dino Carpio, a former Southeast Asian Games champion, trained harder and extended their distance in preparation for last Sunday’s race which had a mass start and a 12-lap circuit race.

Their hard work and extreme determination paid off as Nonato outsprinted local favorite Reiman Lapaza of the Cycleline Extreme team in the massed start while Navarra ruled the 15-kilometer mountain bike circuit race.

Navarra broke away right after the flag off and never looked back despite the fiery chase by Nonato, Lapaza and Urdaneta.

“Nagpasalamat me ug dako kay Mayor Inday Sara sa pagtabang ug suporta sa among team (We really would like to thank Mayor Inday Sara for helping and supporting our team),” said Nonato, who had an impressive start in the previous Ronda Pilipinas before he suffered an injury.

Racela takes over PBA to hold six provincial Talk ‘N Text games in Philippine Cup

ALK ‘N Text assistant coach Nash Racela was officially elevated by the Tropang Texters to the head coaching job ahead of the upcoming PBA season — albeit on a temporary capacity.

Longtime coach Chot Reyes stepped down after last season to focus on his duties for the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team, while Talk ‘N Text team consultant Norman Black was announced to take over as coach for the Tropang Texters.

But Black, who also serves as coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP, remains tied up with his commitments to the university as the PBA is set to open the season this weekend.

Racela was part of Reyes’ coaching staff in SMART-Gilas and of the Energen Pilipinas national youth team helmed by his brother Olsen, himself recently named head coach of the Petron Blaze Boosters in the PBA. “We all know Coach Norman Black is still coaching the Ateneo team.

He has to finish the season, the UAAP. Nash is our coach for the time being,” said Talk ‘N Text representative to the PBA Board of Governors Pato Gregorio.

But Gregorio clarified that the assignment is temporary and Black will take over the post when he becomes available for it.

“Until after the UAAP season,” he said.

HE Philippine basketball Association (PBA) will hold a total of six out-of-town games in the coming Philippine Cup. According to the league’s official website, Barangay Ginebra will tangle against Meralco in Digos City in Davao Del Sur on October 13, two weeks after the 2013 season begins.

This will be followed by the face off between defending champion Talk ‘N Text and Rain or Shine in Victorias City in Negros Occidental on October 27.

Three more provincial games will take place in November with Alaska facing San Mig Coffee in Lapu-Lapu City (November 10), and Rain or Shine

battling Air21 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte (November 17).

The Petron versus Barako Bull tiff on November 24 could take place either in Puerto Princesa or Iloilo City.

Global Port faces Alaska in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte in a date still to be announced.

PBA chief Chito Salud said five out-of-town games are also going to be held in each of the two other conferences.

“It has been the advocacy of the PBA season after season to always bring the games closer to the fans especially in the provinces where the league enjoys a tremendous following as well,” said Salud.

Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor, left, scores the fourth goal of the game for his side during their English League Cup third round match at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday.

Nevada judges to officiate Pacquiao vs. Marquez 4

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UAN Manuel Marquez’s wish to have non-Nevada judges officiate his fourth clash against Manny Pacquiao won’t be granted, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Keith Kizer.

Kizer told Philboxing’s Ronnie Nathanielsz that any of the recognized world boxing organizations such as the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization can recommend officials for consid-

eration.

However, Kizer said the final decision is up to the NSAC. The NSAC official added that that promoters “may also suggest and object” but that “they cannot reject” any official appointed by the commission.

Marquez earlier said he doesn’t want the NSAC putting in three American judges to officiate his December fight against Pacquiao.

“I will request that the judges for this fight will be composed of one Mexican

judge, one Filipino and one neutral judge [from outside of Nevada],” the Mexican boxer told Boxing Scene.

Marquez insisted he won his first three bouts against Pacquiao, claiming that the Nevada judges ruled the last to fights in favor of the Filipino champion. “[If they don’t honor my request], then I’m going to fight as I did in my three previous fights -- before judges appointed by Nevada. This time I hope that my victory is not taken away,” the Mexican said.

OXING coach Robert Garcia believes his boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. will dictate the pace of his title defense against Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka.

Garcia said that although Nishioka possesses speed and power, Donaire could win by engaging the Japanese in an intelligent fight.

“Nonito is too fast, too smart and I think he will be able to control the fight from the beginning,” Gar-

cia told Boxing Scene’s Ronnie Nathanielsz.

Garcia said he wants Donaire to put together his punches by throwing more combinations against Nishioka.

Donaire will be staking his World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation super bantamweight titles against Nishioka.

Also on the line are the RING Magazine and the World Boxing Council Diamond super bantam-

weight crowns.

The fight is set to take place at the Home Depot in Carson City, California on October 13.

Donaire said he is feeling good with his sparring sessions against amateur southpaw Eric De Leon and lightweight Oscar Diaz. “[The sessions have] gone great and my stamina is good right now and after sparring for 10 more rounds we’ll be ready to go,” the boxer said.

REMIER League champions Manchester City and in-form Everton were both sent packing from the League Cup on Tuesday, their respective managers paying the price for making wholesale changes to their starting line-ups for the third round ties.

City lost 4-2 after extra-time to top flight rivals Aston Villa with a completely different team to the one that started the the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday, while Everton made six changes and were beaten 2-1 by second tier Leeds United.

Chelsea also rung the

changes but emphatically booked their place in the fourth round with a 6-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.

City’s second-string team still included multi-million pound signings Carlos Tevez, Jack Rodwell, James Milner, Gareth Barry and Mario Balotelli.

The latter drilled home a low shot to give City the lead with his first club goal since March, before Villa levelled when their former midfielder Barry deflected the ball into his own net.

Aleksandar Kolarov whipped in a free kick to

give City the advantage for the second time on 64 minutes but Gabriel Agbonlahor levelled five minutes later to force extra time.

Charles N’Zogbia pounced on a loose ball to make it 3-2 and Agbonlahor wrapped up the tie with the aid of a big deflection that caused his shot to loop over City keeper Costel Pantilimon.

“I’m disappointed for the result, Aston Villa are a good team but we didn’t play well,” City manager Mancini said.

“Our play is not quick, we want to take one touch too many, this is not good.”

Donaire too smart for Nishioka - trainer

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Man City, Everton suffer League Cup exits

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EDGEDAVAO

Tiger: I’m responsible for Ryder Cup woes M

EDINAH, Ill. – There is a golf tournament in which Tiger Woods is not very good. Average, really, and it’s a major, bigger than any of the actual majors, if you ask some.

In the same 13-yearspan in which Woods won 14 major championships, more than 60 tournaments in all and earned his spot as the f i e r c e s t competitor on the planet, he posted a pedestrian 13-14-2 record in Ryder Cup play, the biennial USA vs. Europe

showdown.

Despite being the world’s No. 1 player for most of the 2000s, Woods has been a part of only one winning Ryder Cup team, way back in 1999. The only United States team to win in the new millennium is the ‘08 squad that didn’t feature Woods, who missed out due to injury.

And so it is with the latest rendition of the intercontinental classic kicking up again, with Europe having won six of the last eight, that Woods’ Ryder Cup re-

cord takes on added scrutiny. For as great a player as he’s been on his own, the one thing he can’t say is that he has helped his country conquer the world.

“I am responsible for that, because I didn’t earn the points that I was put out there for,” Woods said Tuesday when asked

by Yahoo! Sports if he bears re-

sponsibility for the poor U.S. showing over the last decade.

PBA modifies rules to reward hustle plays

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HE PBA is modifying its rules to reward players who show hustle on the court, giving leeway for those who get on the floor for loose balls.

“It takes away the excitement when a player who hustles and dives for the loose ball will be called for a traveling, so we’re implementing a new rule to cover this,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

PBA operations manager Rickie Santos went into further detail about

the change.

“Before kasi kapag yung player nag-dive for the loose ball and nag-slide siya, he will be called for a traveling. This time, he won’t be called for a traveling anymore because when a player slides, wala pa naming may clear possession noon sa bola,” Santos said.

“But of course, when the said player stands up, he needs to dribble the ball first to avoid being called for a travelling violation,” added Santos.

receive P10,000 case for the champion and P4,000 worth of Columbia Gift Certificate (GC); 1st runner up, P2,000 and P2,000 GC; and 2nd runner up, P1,000 and P1,000 Columbia GC. For the 10-km trail run category, the champion will receive P3,000 cash and P2,000 GC; 1st runner up, P2,000 and P2,000 GC; and 2nd runner up, P1,000 and P1,000 GC. Ang said Columbia is

not only promoting outdoor fashion and lifestyle but also the potential tourist spots of Davao that will also result to income generation to the venue operator, local government, and other sports wear companies for the needed equipment.

The event could also be a venue for bonding where participants can bring along their families and enjoy outdoor experience.

In the previous Columbia Trail Masters legs, most of the participants were businessmen, corporate sector and athletes.

Stephanie Batungbakal, Columbia Brand Manager said most of the participants in the previous Masters Trails were from Davao City.

“This is why we are so excited to bring the event here,” Batungbakal said.

Pastor Imata, Columbia Race Director said registration for the event is ongoing at P1,500 for the adventure race and P350 for the trail run category.

As of Tuesday, about 50 participants have registered, he said, adding that deadline for registration will be one week or two weeks before the actual date of event. (PNA)

World class sportswear promotes adventure race in Samal

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N a bid to promote tourism in this part of Southern Mindanao, the international Columbia Sportswear, a member of the Primer Group of Companies, brings its fourth leg of Trail Masters Series on Nov. 17 at the Paradise Island Beach Resort, in the Island Garden City of Samal.

Rhoderick Ang, Columbia race manager (technical side), said the activity will compose two categories,

the adventure race that includes the off road biking and trail running for more experienced athletes, and the 10-kilometer trail run category.

The annual series, which started in 2009 in Nuvali, a commercial and recreation center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, was then held in Cebu and Bukidnon.

The adventure race winners in the men and women’s categories will