Edge Davao 5 Issue 261

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

Serving a seamless society

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PNOY’S CHOICE. Although running unopposed, Vice Mayor Rody Duterte gets the endorsement of President Aquino for the city’smayoralty post in the coming May elections. The President blew into town for the LP Senatorial ticket’s rally at the Rizal Park last night. (Lean Daval, Jr.)

SO-SO RECEPTION FOR LP BETS

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Luya ang show...

PNoy saves the day

By Neil Bravo with a report from Che Palicte

VM Rody vows support for PNoy, LP candidates

Table manners Sports

Page 15

L

AST night’s opening salvo of the President’s picks was short of being earth-shaking.

Risa Hontiveros belted a song, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III reprised the popular John Lennon

NBA comes to town

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DAVAO SORTIE. President Aquino gestures during his speech last night during the LP Senatorial ticket’s campaign sortie in Davao. The President formally presented 9 of his party’s candidates in the May mid-term polls including cousin Bam Aquino (right). (Lean Daval, Jr.)

hit “Imagine” with anti-corruption lyrics, actress Sheryl Cruz showed up for Grace Poe and Jamby Madrigal threw bracelets to the crowd.

Crowd reception was n o t f e -

ver-pitch though.

It helped that President Aquino himself arrived midway into last night’s threehour rally and did the salesman’s job for the Liberal Party’s Senatorial ticket to the delight of a huge crowd at the Rizal Park that included local officials from the Davao Region.

“Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa mga Dabawenyos,” President Aquino said as he set the tone for the grand introduction of his anointed dozen.

He asked for the same overwhelming support Davao gave to his late mother former President Corazon Aquino while promising more infrastructure projects for Davao.

The President said his administration will push for the Davao River flood control project and the con-

FPNoy SAVES, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO Oplan Kandado

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

BIR to close more firms 17 padlocked in 2012

BIR targets P12-B tax take in 2013

By Che Palicte

TOURIST COACH. A lady checks out the colorful decals of this tourist coach owned by the Davao City government. The green-colored coach with Davao-inspired decals will be deployed for visiting delegates of major events in the city like the ongoing

MICE Con which formally opens today at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Lanang Premier. Lean Daval Jr.

M

ORE erring business establishments in the Davao region are expected to be padlocked by the government for non-payment or evasion of taxes.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Region 11 is intensifying “Oplan Kandado,” a program de-

signed to run after business establishments that have not been paying correct taxes to the government.

In a briefing yesterday at the BIR regional office 11, Regional Director Glen Geraldino said that “Oplan Kandado”

FOPLAN KANDADO, 11

Two power interruptions this Sunday

CHED orders nursing program D in 5 Region 11 schools closed T

HE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has ordered the closure of the nursing program in five schools operating in the Davao region.

Raul Alvarez Jr., regional director of CHED 11, said he had just received the order of the CHED en banc on Monday, citing the non-compliance of the subject schools to meet the standards, es-

pecially on hitting the 30 percent passing rate of the Nursing Board Licensure Examination.

However, Alvarez refused to divulge the names of the schools pending his formal letter to be submitted to school administrators informing them of the CHED order.

“In fairness to them we should first inform them before we will publicize them,” he told re-

porters during the Club 888 Forum at The Marco Polo Davao Wednesday.

Alvarez said there are about 30 schools in the region offering nursing courses, most of whom are located in Davao City.

He confirmed that more than 10 nursing programs were closed in past years because of failure to meet the standards of CHED. “Starting June, these

Rody plans to expand free kidney treatment A

five schools will no longer be allowed to enroll nursing students. The first to third year students are advised to enroll in other schools,” he said.

Meanwhile, the San Pedro College (SPC) here has consistently been among the schools nationwide that achieved the highest passing rate.

The SPC has been hailed as one of the top

eight best performing nursing schools in the Philippines, with eight takers topping the 2012 examination.

The school also was among schools with the most number of examinees: 500 first takers and 29 re-takers, 473 of whom passed, or 89.41 percent. Surprisingly, 93 percent of the first takers were able to make it.

[PNA]

SCHOOL FEE TALK. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., acting regional director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), discusses the looming increase in tui-

tion and other fees, and other concerns during Club 888 forum at the Marco Polo Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Kidney patients in hospital other than SPMC to be included in subsidy

CTING Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte yesterday said the Davao City government is mulling the idea of extending free kidney treatment not only patients in the state-run Southern Philippines Medical Center but also in other hospitals in the city.

This can be done by decentralizing the services of the city government’s “Lingap Para sa mga Mahihirap” which subsidizes treatment and medicines to patients in other hospitals in the city.

Speaking during the commemoration of the World Kidney Day in one of the malls, he said the plan includes provision of dialysis machines to smaller hospitals and for the city government to shoulder the fees for the medical personnel involved in the treatment.

Duterte said he cannot afford to refuse oth-

er residents who need to undergo dialysis in small clinics, aside from those being served by the Lingap program at the SPMC. He revealed that medical and social services incur the biggest expense in his 19-year experience of local governance.

“We spend P220 million for burial, medicine and hospital expenses for the residents. It is bigger than the intelligence fund which is only P5 million per year,” Duterte said.

He said even discretionary funds are given to the children of poor families in form of scholarships.

Duterte said the city now supports 7,000 scholars.

He also explained his hard stance against criminals as his way of taking good care of the welfare of residents.

Duterte said with the influx of Mindanaoan residents who look at the

city as a safe haven, the current population rises to 1.5 million.

“We have to stop the occurrence of criminal activities which might shoo away investors and residents alike,” he said.

Duterte said that currently, the city earns P4.5 billion from the taxes collected from business enterprises which make the local government easy to serve the needs of the residents like education for children, medical treatment for residents, incentives for law enforcers, construction of school buildings, and payment for teachers.

He stressed that he denounces violence but he is prepared to address those who will disturb the stable peace and order condition of the city.

“Do not create trouble here given the gargantuan task of serving the people,” Duterte pointed out. [RGA/JSD/PIA 11]

After campus killing

Principal wants better security for her school

T

HE principal of the school where a 17-year-old high school student was stabbed dead Tuesday send a letter to the city mayor today, Wednesday, requesting for more security guards for the Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School (KTMSCES) along Ponciano Reyes Street

where a 17-year old student was stabbed dead by a 14-year old pupil.

Merlinda Amistoso, the principal, said they only have two guards working on night-andday shifts. A second letter will be sent to the Davao City Police Office Director, Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, to show higher police visFAFTER CAMPUS KILLING, 11

AVAO Light & Power Company will conduct two sets of 30-minute power interruptions both on March 10, Sunday, affecting customers in the southern part of its franchise Communication Officer Ross Luga said that the scheduled outages are necessary to allow upgrading works of the electric utility’s lines and poles located in Toril.

The first set of interruption will affect customers in Marapangi, Toril from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM. On the other hand, the second set of service disruption will be experienced from 6:00 AM to 6:30 AM by customers in Daliao, Toril.

Particularly affected are those in Juan dela Cruz Street, L. Manuel Street, Sitio Glapaca and Davao Fish Port.

Davao Light apologizes for the inconvenience of these scheduled power interruptions. But, it will exert all efforts to restore electric service as scheduled or earlier.

However, there may be instances where restoration may extend beyond the schedule due to unavoidable circumstances.

Davao Light’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) remotely controls switches in substations and along the distribution lines. Hence, maintenance works and restoration of power supply are implemented at the barest minimum.

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

3

PNoy assures P1-B road project in GenSan City finished by 2014 P

RESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday assured the completion by next year of the long-delayed P1.13 billion circumferential road project here.

Speaking at a meeting with local government and community leaders at the city gymnasium here, the President said a significant portion of the 26.7-kilometer road project has been so far opened and the development works on its unfinished portions are being fast tracked by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Many of its phases are now complete and were expecting that it would be fully opened by (the end of) 2014,” he said.

President Aquino, who earlier made a brief stop at a portion of the project in Barangay Mabuhay here, said he was so far satisfied with the progress of the project’s ongoing implementation.

He pointed out that the DPWH has so far ac-

cumulated around P40 million in savings due to the reduced bid price offered by the project’s winning contractor.

In a briefing with the President at the project site, DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo said they have so far completed the opening and concreting of a total of 13.69 kilometers or about 40 percent of the road project.

He said the ongoing development works presently cover around 4.7 kilometers and they are preparing for the bidding in the coming weeks of an additional 2.2 kilometers of the project.

Of the five bridge projects within the circumferential road, Momo said two were already completed and the bidding for the third bridge is being prepared.

“We’re targeting the full release of the required funds before the end of the year to facilitate the project’s full completion by December 2014,” he said.

A project briefer released by DPWH cited that the total fund releases for the project has already reached P747.027 million since its construction started in 1998.

It said around P387.854 million is still needed for the full completion of the project, which was earlier endorsed by the Regional Development Council of Region 12 as among the region’s priority infrastructure initiatives.

The road network starts from the diversion road along the General Santos-Davao highway in Barangay Katangawan and stretches to the Sinawal road along the General Santos-Isulan highway in Barangay Apopong and the airport road in Barangay Fatima.

City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said the completion and full opening of the city circumferential road will eventually usher in more opportunities for the area in terms of trade and investments. [PNA]

OPENING. Tagum City Councilor and City Sports Action Officer De Carlo “Oyo” L. Uy spearheaded the opening of the City Employees Sportfest dubbed as Larong Pampalakas 2013 “Basketball Tournament” held last March 5, 2013 at the Tagum Rotary

Gym. The annual sportfest aims to boost and strengthen the physical fitness, camaraderie and sportsmanship of the city employees. [Ramil Gregorio]

Kidapawan to build stairway to Mt. Apo, PHL’s highest peak

P

EOPLE who wish to reach the summit of Mt. Apo the easy way may soon get their wish with the plan of the Kidapawan City local government to build a 16,620step to the country’s highest peak.

Mt. Apo, which straddles Davao City, North Cotabato and Davao del Sur stands at 9,692 feet and overlooks Kidapawan at least 20 kilometers to the west.

Dubbed “Hagdan ni Apo,” the P2.5-million project was presented to the Kidapawan City Tourism Council and media last week by the city government’s Investment and Tourism Promotions Office.

Tourism officer Joey Recemilla said the stairway

would cover at least seven kilometers if built starting from Barangay Ilomavis in Kidapawan City.

To ensure safety, the stairway will have protective ropes, said Recemilla.

The city government is also set to build a hanging bridge across the Marble River, one of the longest rivers in North Cotabato.

The project includes the construction of stateof-the-art public rest rooms at the Marble River and Lake Venado and a research and conservation center, the plan showed.

In North Cotabato, the Mt. Apo summit can be reached using trails from Kidapawan City and from Makilala and Magpet towns.

The mountain is one of the most popular climbing

destinations in the country.

“This time, we will make the tour to the peak a lot easier to tourists by constructing a permanent stairway,” Recemilla said.

“Also, by building structures along the pathway leading to the peak, it would discourage tourists and locals from creating a new trail and other activities that will destroy the natural park,” he explained.

At least 64,053 hectares of the mountain falls within the Mount Apo Natural Park, he said.

He said the project will strengthen the conservation of the mountain as well as boost local tourism through jobs creation, livelihood projects, and increase in local taxes. [Malu Cadelina Manar/MindaNews]

conducted recently. According to a beneficiary in Compostela town, they were told that they will be delisted from the program because they joined the rally.

Barug Katawhan held a three-day protest at the DSWD Regional Office XI Compound on February 25-27, 2012.

Following an almost five-hour negotiation on February 27, “Barug Katawhan, DSWD Region XI, PLGU-PSWDO,

MLGU-MSWDO, BLGU, and Balsa Mindano have agreed to fast track the validation to determine the number of families who did not receive enough goods, the sitios and puroks in the barangay which did not receive or failed to receive sufficient relief goods.”

Further, DSWD confirms that it will not be doing any retaliatory actions for any damages caused by the standoff. [DSWD]

Pantawid beneficiaries who joined rally, barricade will not be delisted --DSWD

D

EPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon assures all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who joined the three-day rally at the DSWD Compound and the barricade in Montevista Highway last January 15, will not be delisted from the program.

This is in response to the concerns raised by CCT beneficiaries during a focus group discussion

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Illegal trade robs wild of almost 3,000 great apes annually, say

T

HE illegal trade that sees almost 3,000 live great apes lost from the forests of Africa and Southeast Asia each year is increasingly impacting wild populations as links to organized crime grow stronger.

“Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans” is the first report to analyze the scale and scope of the illegal trade and highlights the growing links to sophisticated trans-boundary crime networks, which law enforcement networks are struggling to contain.

Stolen Apes, which was produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), estimates that a minimum of 22,218 great apes have been lost from the wild since 2005 - either sold, killed during the hunt, or dying in captivity - with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number.

The report examines confiscation records, international trade databases, law enforcement reports, and arrival rates from sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers between 2005 and 2011.

Stolen Apes says that each great ape confiscated or confirmed in the illegal trade represents many more that died either during the capture or the trafficking process.

Over the past seven years, a minimum of 643 chimpanzees, 48 bonobos, 98 gorillas and 1,019 orangutans are documented to have been captured from the wild for illegal trade. These figures are just the tip of the iceberg, and extrapolating from this research the report estimates that at least 2,972 great apes are lost from the wild each year.

“The taking of great apes from the wild is not new - it has gone on for well over a century,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director. “But the current scale outlined in this report underlines how important it is that the international community and the organizations responsible for conserving endangered species remain vigilant, keeping a step ahead of those seeking to profit from such illegal activities.”

All great apes are endangered and protected under the Convention on International Trade in En-

dangered Species (CITES) as Appendix I animals.

Yet Stolen Apes reveals that the illegal trade has shifted from being a by-product of traditional conservation threats such as deforestation, mining and bush-meat hunting to a more sophisticated business driven by demand from international markets.

These markets include the tourist entertainment

also a WCS conservation scientist.

“Although we were expecting to see these results, we were horrified that the decline over the period of a mere decade was over 60%,” Dr Maisels told BBC Nature.

Findings also indicated that large areas where the elephants ranged just 10 years ago now have very few elephants remaining.

Data drive Scientists surveyed forests in Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

Dr Maisels said survey teams spent “91,600 person-days... walking over 8,000 miles (12,875km)” to compile the largest amount of African forest elephant data ever collected.

“For elephants, we can get a standardised measure of their abundance using their dung piles.

There were 11,000 dung piles in our dataset,” said Dr Maisels.

She said the teams also recorded important “human signs” such as snares and bullet casings during the field missions from 2002 to 2011.

The results confirmed what scientists already suspected.

“Forest elephants were increasingly uncommon in places with high human density, high levels of infrastructure such as roads, high hunting intensity, and poor governance - indicated by levels of corruption and absence of law enforcement,” commented Dr Maisels.

“We were also shocked to see that huge parts of the reasonably intact African forests have lost most of their elephants.”

The bigger picture Conservationists suggest that almost one-third of the land where African forest elephants were living 10 years ago has become dangerous for animals, since poachers can access these areas using road networks meant for logging. [BBC Nature]

Forest elephants decline by 62% in 10 years

F

OREST elephant numbers have decreased by 62% across Central Africa over the last 10 years, according to a study.

The analysis confirmed fears that African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are heading for extinction, possibly within the next decade.

Conservationists said “effective, rapid, multi-level action is imperative” in order to save the elephants.

They are concerned the forest elephants are being killed for their ivory.

Results of the study, undertaken by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and several other conservation organisations, are published in the scientific journal PLoS One. Over 60 co-authors contributed to the study, which was led by Dr Fiona Maisels, a WCS conservation scientist from the School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, and Dr Samantha Strindberg,

industry, disreputable zoos, and wealthy individuals who want exotic pets as status symbols. Great apes are used to attract tourists to entertainment facilities such as amusement parks and circuses. They are even used in tourist photo sessions on Mediterranean beaches and boxing matches in Asian safari parks.

Since 2007, standing orders from zoos and private owners in Asia have spurred the export of over 130 chimpanzees and 10 gorillas under falsified permits from Guinea alone, an enterprise that requires a coordinated trading network through Central and West Africa. A safari park in Thailand admitted in 2006 that it acquired at least 54 orangutans from the forests of Borneo and Sumatra.

“It is important to establish baseline figures for the illegal trade in great apes, even if these numbers only hint at the devastation,” said Doug Cress, coordinator of GRASP. “Great apes are extremely important for the health of forests in Africa and Asia, and even the loss of 10 or 20 at a time can have a deep impact on biodiversity.”

The illicit trade is increasingly linked to organized crime, and sophisticated trans-boundary networks now move great apes along with other contraband such as ivory, arms, drugs, rhino horn and laundered money. A smuggler recently apprehended in Cameroon was transporting a live chimpanzee wedged between sacks of marijuana.

Profit margins are high for the criminal networks.

The report found that a

poacher may sell a live chimpanzee for US$50, whereas the middleman will resell that same chimpanzee at a mark-up of as much as 400 per cent.

Orangutans can fetch US$1,000 at re-sale, and gorillas illegally sold to a zoo in Malaysia in 2002 reportedly went for US$400,000 each.

“The illegal trade in apes has little to do with poverty,” said Ofir Drori, founder of the Last Great Ape Organization in Cameroon. “It is instead generated by the rich and powerful.”

Law enforcement efforts lag far behind the rates of illegal trade. Only 27 arrests were made in Africa and Asia in connection with great ape trade between 2005 and 2011, and one-fourth of the arrests were never prosecuted.

The report also found that the loss of natural great ape ranges in Africa and Asia helps drive the illegal trade, as it promotes contact and conflict between apes and humans.

Great ape habitat is being lost at the rate of 2-5 per cent annually. By 2030 less than 10 per cent of the current range will remain on current trends.

In Southeast Asia, the conversion of rainforest for agro-industry is directly linked to the illegal trade, as orangutans are flushed from the forest and end up being captured, killed, or trafficked.

Extractive industries such as logging, mining, and petroleum exploration create transportation and trade routes that facilitate the illicit traffic of great apes.

Key Recommendations

from the Report As well as highlighting the scale of the problem and the worrying trend of increasing organization of the trade, the report issues a series of recommendations aimed at reducing the startling rate of decline of ape populations, including: • Establish an electronic database that includes the numbers, trends and tendencies of the illegal great ape trade, and monitor arrests, prosecutions and convictions as a means of assessing national commitment.

• Target organized crime by investigating traffickers and buyers, establishing trans-national criminal intelligence units targeting environmental crime to ensure that intelligence is compiled, analyzed and shared with national police forces, customs and INTERPOL, and prosecuting the accused to the fullest extent of the law.

• Utilize national and international multimedia campaigns to eliminate the trade/ownership/use of great apes and emphasize laws and deterrent punishment.

• DNA-test all confiscated great apes and return to country of origin ? if discernible ? within eight weeks of confiscation.

• Review national laws and penalties relating to the killing and trafficking of great apes and support efforts to forcefully implement and strengthen those laws.

• Increase enforcement of protected areas, to both reduce illegal trade in great apes and to protect their habitat. [UNEP]

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

THE ECONOMY

5

SSS offers free mobile ID data capture services for large companies, barangays T

HE Social Security System (SSS) has opened mobile data capture services for employees in large private companies and on-site services in barangays to facilitate members’ applications for the Unified Multi-purpose Identification System (UMID) that currently serves as the SSS ID system.

SSS Officer-in-Charge Edgar Solilapsi enjoined companies with at least 100 employees to set an appointment with the SSS branch nearest them for the mobile UMID data capture services, which is offered free of charge.

“Since SSS operating hours usually overlap with regular business hours, our employed members often need a leave from work to go an SSS office and apply for the UMID card,” he said.

“With the mobile ID data capture services, they can now apply for the UMID card right in their office premises, saving them time and money, while companies avoid losing a day’s worth of employee productivity.”

The SSS also offers onsite data capture services that are set up in barangay halls for self-employed and voluntary members during SSS information and coverage drives. Barangay captains

and local officials, especially those from remote areas, can also request their nearest SSS branch for on-site UMID data capture services. They must, however, include a list of resident SSS members who will avail of the service.

Members with at least one posted SSS contribution can apply for the UMID card. Members who applied through mobile data capture and on-site services will receive their UMID cards through registered mail.

The member’s initial ID card is free of charge, while a replacement card is charged a fee of P300.

“Our mobile and onsite data capture services are part of our thrust to bring SSS closer to our members. With the support of employers and local officials, we jointly help workers under our care to benefit from the ease and convenience offered by these UMID services,” Solilapsi noted.

Data capture involves registration of the members’ demographic and biometric data such as their basic information, photo and fingerprint scans. These will then be used to verify their identities against a massive ID database to protect the UMID system from fraudulent applications.

UPCOMING. Norma R. Pereyras, (right) Tagum Cooperative chairperson and Biogene O. Yagong, general manager, promote the cooperative’s upcoming 46th Annual General Assembly slated on March 17, 2013 during the Club 888 Forum at the Marco Polo

Davao yesterday. Tagum cooperative also announced the blessing and opening of its Digos City branch on March 14, 2013. Lean Daval Jr.

“The use of biometric technology alerts the SSS of members who applied for the UMID card using a different identity. This helps thwart attempts to defraud the SSS and other government agencies of undeserved benefits and services using the

participating agencies include the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and the National Statistics Office.

UMID card,” he added.

The UMID system was created in 2005 under Executive Order (E.O.) 420 to streamline and enhance the ID systems of government agencies, while SSS was designated as UMID lead agency under E.O. 700. Other UMID

SSS will enroll and issue UMID cards to private sector workers, GSIS to public sector workers, and PhilHealth to those not covered by SSS and GSIS. HDMF will accept the UMID card as the official identification card of its members.

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 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Gov’t. allocates P70.5 billion for Mindanao power projects

C

APITAL outlay for power projects in Mindanao over the medium-term as approved by the Department of Energy (DOE) would amount to P70.5 billion.

During a forum with power and energy reporters in Cagayan de Oro City recently, Energy Department chief investment specialist Lisa Go noted that the planned electricity generation facilities comprise both of indicative and committed projects and their commercial operations have been spread through the years.

Based on the department’s latest data, she emphasized that P42 billion have been catego-

rized as “committed projects” while P27 billion are “indicative” or those that are still in various stages of development but no firm commitments yet on a date-certain commercial commissioning.

The firmed up projects, she said, will include the coal-fired power projects being developed by the Aboitiz and Alcantara groups which will bring in additional capacity of 500 megawatts in 2015 to 2016.

These project developments would cover the 300-MW coalfired plants of Therma South Inc. of the Aboitiz conglomerate and the instalments of 200MW of Alcantara’s Sarangani Energy

Corporation, and the proposed 105-MW coal-fired facility in Zamboanga.

Beyond that period though, DOE director Mylene Capongcol stressed that the grid would be in need again of greenfield capacity of 200MW by 2018 given annual economic growth forecasts of 4.7 percent set for Mindanao.

Go added that other projects which are considerably advancing into implementation phases such as the proposed 200-MW coal plant of San Miguel Energy group had not been factored in yet.

Capongcol emphasized that the department has also been updating its power planning to

align it with the medium-term economic planning set out by the National Economic and Development Authority.

The energy officials both emphasized that the capacity needs of Mindanao would stretch to as much as 1,600 megawatts until the 2030 planning horizon for the Philippine Energy Plan.

Nevertheless, the pipelined power project developments for the Mindanao grid would not be solely confined to fossil fuel-fired facilities but would correspondingly be supplemented by renewable energy projects, primarily for resources where Mindanao has been endowed with such as hydro and biomass technologies. [PNA]

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

TAX CAMPAIGN. Deputy Commissioner Nelson M. Aspe of Bureau of Internal Revenue leads the agency’s tax campaign kick-off during a press briefing at the BIR Regional Office in Bolton Street, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

DTI issues warning on fake helmet ICC stickers

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued a warning against purchase of motorcycle helmets with fake Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.

The said advisory has cited the brand names Ben 2, KH, NSS, Oscar, Cobra, Pioneer, 2A, and Sunstar which possibly bear fake ICC markings.

These brands are imported

by Double E Trading, based on the record of DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) with a registered address of 525 Femii Building, A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila.

Further, DTI said the advisory came after some helmets sold at UNITOP General Merchandise in Dumaguete City were found bearing fake

ICC stickers. Such helmets, accordingly, were from Double E Trading.

Moreover, motorcycle helmets without ICC stickers were also sealed by DTI inside the warehouse of UNITOP General Merchandise in Malabon City, Metro Manila.

The issuance of ICC stickers was pursuant to the implementation of the joint Administra-

tive Order No. 1:2011 of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and DTI, in consonance with Republic Act 10054 or the Helmet Law. In Davao, the issuance of ICC stickers for motorcycle helmets started in August last year. Such activity lasted until December 28, the last working day of the year. [PNA]

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 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 5J965 / 5J968 5J965 / 5J968

5:45 5:45 6:00 6:10 7:50 7:50 8:00 9:10 9:40 11:30 12:00 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 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 13:25 14:05

Silk Air Mon/Sat Silk Air Wed/Sun Silk Air Thurs 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

MI588 / MI588 MI566 / MI566 MI551 / MI551 5J507 / 5J598 15:55 Z2524 / Z2525 5J967 / 5J600 PR813 / PR814 5J215 / 5J216 5971 / 5J970 5J973 / 5J974 5J969 / 5J972 2P987 / 2P988 PR821 / PR822 PR821 / PR822

13:35 15:20 12:05 15:00 Mani2Mani 16:05 16:35 16:55 18:00 18:40 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:20 22:20

Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore 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

18:55 18:55 15:45 15:30 16:45 17:05 17:45 18:20 19:10 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:50 22:50

7

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

Villar is GoNegosyo’s outstanding Filipina Entrepreneur of 2013 C

YNTHIA Villar, Managing Director of the Villar Foundation, receives another recognition for her tireless efforts in creating livelihood opportunities, empowering women, and promoting entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty.

The former Las Pinas Representative is selected by Go Negosyo as among the ‘The Women Entrepreneur Icons and Filipina Entrepreneurs of 2013’ and will be awarded during the 5th Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center last Friday, March 1, in time for the celebration of March as International Women’s Month.

Villar thanks Go Negosyo for the recognition and said it serves as an inspiration for her to carry on with her advocacies as well as a validation of her continued efforts to help her fellow Filipinos.

“The award is really a bonus. It feels good to be recognized. But it feels even better to know that you are making a

difference in people’s lives through your advocacies and actions as well as programs and projects,” Villar said.

According to Go Negosyo, Villar and the other awardees were chosen “to recognize their valuable contributions in their respective fields and to promote their stories to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs that they can also make it in life”.

The success of Villar’s green social enterprises that have provided livelihood to over 500 families in Las Pinas, where it started 10 years ago, has earned for her the moniker ‘Misis Hanep Buhay’.

The Villar Foundation’s livelihood enterprises: water hyacinth basket weaving, coconet weaving, plastic pulverizing, organic composting, handloom blanket weaving, and recently citronella oil-making have been duplicated nationwide.

So far, pilot centers have been built in 111 towns all over the country.

“There are 1,600

municipalities and cities in the Philippines , so we still have a lot of tasks ahead of us. I will continue promoting these livelihood programs because the benefits they provide to the people, especially the poor, are direct and fast. They do not need capital also because the raw materials are from wastes and our foundation provides the training and technology,” said Villar.

According to Villar, her livelihood programs create jobs and help ease the unemployment problems in the country. Villar, as a congresswoman from 2001 to 2010, also authored legislation that promotes entrepreneurship. Among which is the Republic Act 9178 or the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) Act of 2002.

“I support entrepreneurship as the key to creating jobs. Even my livelihood programs are geared towards helping people gain the skills to start their own

small businesses, even micro-enterprises can help boost our economy and provide livelihood or jobs to our countrymen. I will continue advocating those,” said Villar, who is a senatorial candidate in the May 13 national elections.

Go Negosyo cited in a statement: “From being a college professor and an entrepreneur, Cynthia Villar diverted her focus to social entrepreneurship through the Villar Foundation in 1992. The organization has helped thousands of families— from the OFWs to the mothers living in the poor communities, by teaching them an alternative and sustainable means of livelihood.”

It adds, “We have been partners with her for quite sometime now, teaching the advocacy to the OFWs to help them invest their hard-earned money wisely.” The Villar Foundation and Go Negosyo are co-organizers of the yearly OFW & Family Summit.

ENATORIAL candidate Teddy Casiño yesterday urged the House of Representatives to immediately investigate the Executive’s mishandling of the Philippine claim on Sabah.

“Not only has President Benigno Aquino III’s actions antagonized the Sultanate of Sulu, resulting in a crisis, he had also undermined the country’s claim on Sabah,” he said.

House Resolution no.

3042, filed today, called for the “investigation on the ongoing armed conflict between Malaysia and the Filipino Muslims led by the Sultanate of Sulu

and the propriety of the position taken by President Benigno Aquino III in supporting Malaysia and thereby undermining the Philippine claim on Sabah.”

Casiño emphasized the importance of the Philippine government’s call for the cessation of hostilities and the peaceful settlement of the Sultanate and the Philippines’ claim on Sabah.

“By calling for the surrender of Kiram’s group, without conditions and echoing and justifying Malaysia’s militarist solution to the dispute, Aquino has basically dropped the country’s legitimate claim on Sabah. Surely, Congress

and other bodies must do something to correct this,” he said.

Casiño added, “Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano naisip ng Pangulo na mapipilit nyang umuwi ang grupo ni Kiram nang wala namang kapalit na usap at kakasuhan pa sila. Add to that the fact that Aquino remains adamant on ignoring Kiram who had clarified that they want the government to have national sovereignty over Sabah. They had been snubbed during the peace talks on Mindanao, now they are being attacked by their own government for pursuing the centuries-old claim on Sabah.”

Cayetano is students’ Casiño calls for house probe top choice in 2013 polls on mishandling Sabah crisis S S ENATOR Alan Cayetano leads the pack of senatoriables in the 2013 national elections in the latest Campus Paper Survey with a rating of 67.6 percent.

Cayetano showed a 10.8 percent lead over fellow senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero who garnered a score of 56.8 percent “The students surveyed were looking for a candidate who best represented the issues concerning them. In this case, it was education,” said Lloyd Luna, publisher of Campus Paper. “They see Senator Alan as an idealist and as a gentleman.”

Cayetano is currently running for reelection with the aim of addressing issues related to PTK:

Presyo, Trabaho, Kita. One of his main goals is to lower the prices of goods and services in the country to enable students and their families to afford paying for tuition fees, transportation to school and other education-related expenses.

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri was ranked third at 48 percent followed

by Senator Loren Legarda (46.6 percent), Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino (42.6 percent), Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr. (42.4 percent), Ma. Lourdes “Nancy” Binay (40 percent), Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV (40 percent), Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito Estrada (39.2 percent), Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (38.6 percent), Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara

(37.4 percent), and finally Richard “Dick” Gordon (36.6 percent).

In the same survey, students were asked to choose the issues that they want the senators to represent. Education got 57.6 percent, health got 51%, environment got 48.8 percent, economy got 46.2 percent, and peace and order got 44.8 percent.

The on-the-spot survey was conducted in De la Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Adamson University, Arellano University, St. Paul University, Mapua Institute of technology, and University of Makati from November to December 2012 with 500 respondents.

The SWS poll, conducted from Dec. 8 to 11 last year, found 37 percent of respondents expecting their lives to improve in 2013 against eight percent who said things would get worse, for a net score of 29, up by two points from August last year. The SWS said net personal optimism “has been “high” to “very high” since September 2009.

“The survey reflects our people’s overwhelm-

ing sentiment which they had earlier expressed in another SWS survey showing their preference for Team PNoy’s senatorial slate over that of the opposition,” Madrigal said.

Nine Team PNoy senatorial bets handpicked by President Aquino made it to the winning circle against UNA’s three in the SWS-BusinessWorld’s latest survey released last month.

Jamby welcomes survey showing increased optimism by Filipinos

T

EAM PNoy senatorial candidate former Sen. Jamby Madrigal on Wednesday/Mar. 6 welcomed the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations showing that two out of five Filipinos see a better life this year.

“This could only mean that Filipinos are more optimistic than ever that their lives will change for the better under President Aquino’s administration,” Madrigal said.

WOMEN’S FEDERATION. 2nd district officials led by Congresswoman Mylene Garcia join the officers of the Bunawan Women’s Federation during their induction held recently at Lanang Aplaya. Also in the photo are councilors Danny Dayanghirang, Tomasing Monteverde, Brgy. Captain Arnold Apostol of Panacan and Brgy. Captain Joseph Calvo of Tibungco.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

There’s no more fun in Sabah

B

EFORE t h e

EDITORIAL

A

Part of a bigger problem

N UGLINESS that we have to live with as citizens of a fast urbanizing city is juvenile hooliganism.

Tuesday’s killing of a 17-year old high school student by a 14-year old elementary pupil right inside the elementary school campus was so ugly that the weak-hearted could puke realizing its implications.

The victim was from the Davao City National High School who went to the Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School reportedly with the intention of beating up the younger boy who had, allegedly, earlier bullied his (victim’s) younger sibling.

Many questions may be asked about the incident. How was the assailant able to bring in a knife inside the school? Were there no security guards to secure the campus from trouble-makers and ensure that no violence would erupt in the area?

The answers to the above and other related questions are difficult to find. The probability is that the

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bloody incident could have been an offshoot of bigger and more complicated problems such as bullying, juvenile hooliganism, irresponsible parenthood, poverty and myriad of other problems, including failure of government to provide facilities and personnel neded to run stateowned schools.

Despite the laws and programs in place to deal with the matter, government and its collaborating NGOs and civil society organizations could not seem to make a dent on the growing number of minors in conflict with the law.

As to the maintenance of order inside the city’spublic schools, it is disconcerting to know that of the close to 400 public schools, only a little more than 70 are provided with security guards. This is why theft and vandalism rank high in the hierarchy of problems of public schools.

The problems are there for all to see, but the correct solutions remain out of sight.

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Malaysian security f o r c e s unleashed their bloody offensive against the Royal forces of Sultan Kiram III, there was a lot of fun at Lahad Katu in Sabah.

No less than Princess Fatima Kiram, wife of the Sultan, has told reporters in their residence in Taguig, that their residence in Taguig, that their armed followers are in Sabah “just having a picnic.” In other words, they are there just for fun (playing with guns instead of picnic baskets). But the fun was shortlived. Now guns are all over the land.

I think the Royal Lady of Sulu is cute. She has displayed a better sense of humor (in the midst of crisis) than our Bachelor Boy in Malacañang, and his bunch if ignorant (about Sabah) amateur factotums.

Mr. Aquino is obviously taking the Sabah issue lightly. He is taking the bull by the tail instead of by the horn. He’s off-tangent. He’s playing favorite – he’s soft on Malaysia, but tough and rough on the Sultan. He’s showing macho muscle to Kiram, but giving sissy sway to Prime Minister Razak.

Aquino critics suspect that he is on the side of Malaysia. But Malacañang propagandists insist he is not taking sides.

Now, that’s more alarming. P-Noy should take side – with the Philippines.

Filipino citizens have been killed, but Malacañang apologists want us to believe that our President is not taking sides.

That’s anti-Filipino.

That’s not diplomacy. That’s cowardice.

Filipinos have been killed by foreign forces. Our government should have immediately lodged a protest with the Malaysian government. It should have also sought the immediate intervention of the United Nations.

But by or inaction and cowardly silence, we showed to the whole world that we are a weak nation, and that our leaders are cowards.

By the way, P-Noy even directed DOJ secretary Leila Delima to consider charging the Sultan and his warriors with rebellion, violation of Comelec gun ban, and illegal possession of firearms.

Diyos ko po! (OMG). Aquino and Delima should consider resigning not only for incompetence, but for ignorance of the law.

The Kirams are not rebelling against the Philippine government; the Comelec gun ban does not cover Sabah; (I wonder where Delima got her law degree – maybe from the University of Iskul Bukol, founded by the Reluctant and Unrepentant Copier of speeches, or plagiarist?

Now, here’s the crucial and very debatable $64 question: Who owns Sabah?

Let’s listen to this imaginary verbal exchange between Sultan Jamlul Kiram III and Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III: Kiram: I will not leave Sabah! I will die here. This land is mine!

Aquino: Saba diha! Surrender, and come home! oooOooo A. Choice Quote: To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant. –A>B. Alcott. oooOooo B. Choice Quote: He was a coward to the strong. He was a tyrant to the weak. – Shelley.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

S

VANTAGE POINTS

Buyers’ attitudes are changing

MART AND POLLUTION-FREE SOLUTIONS IN THE FUTURE – Driven by public concern about the worsening air pollution and global warming, the world’s leading car manufacturers fifteen years ago developed and introduced the so-called “green car” on the market and electric-powered or “electric-hybrids” were the best of the technologies they had. Automakers for decades have stubbornly resisted anti-pollution laws insisting that consumers won’t go for cars simply because it conserved energy or pollute less. However, car enthusiasts’ attitude is fast changing.

In the next few years millions of people around the world including Filipino car lovers are expected to join the motoring public; fuel prices should go along with the demand. As the big cities like Manila and its surrounding metropolis disappear under a gray blanket of choking smog caused by vehicular emission and greenhouse gases deplete the ozone layer, government is being pressured to respond with far stricter clean-air regulations. Notwithstanding billions of dollar invested by several car manufacturers for studies, research and production of eco-friendly vehicles, and of course, mounting criticism the endeavor proved to be fruitful.

A new generation of affordable cars with near-zero emission and impressive performance are now available in the market. Skeptics may point out that a shift to electric hybrid cars won’t happen overnight, but notable automakers are

confident that when it comes, it will be profound.

Some engineers and machine experts on the other hand think the introduction of electric-powered cars into the market may ultimately turn-out to be an interim technology – a bridge to more smart and pollution-free solutions in the future.

To the environmentalist groups, a shift sounds like an answered prayer because the change to electric hybrid vehicles could mean zero emission. With vehicular and pedestrian traffic getting worse, the Aquino administration is eyeing immediate ways to clear the air and most importantly to look into the people’s health concern. There are, of course, research and studies and the results are proven to be disgusting. Citing for example, the Philippine situation, the real cause of about 70% of pollution in Metro Manila and other bustling cities is vehicular discharge.

Pursuing an ambitious strategy to reduce noxious emission and deadly fumes from vehicles of all types, engineers and health authorities are increasingly convinced there are ways out of the vehicular smog. Nevertheless, some quarters’

pressure may provoke the shift, but government is determined to conduct tryouts. Most promising is a government’s plan urging captains of trade and industry to introduce eco-friendly vehicles in the country. Just recently it likewise advised lawmakers to enact laws that will have to set appropriate policies and provide support if “green cars” are to proliferate in the local market.

Dwindling oil supply and global warming in the next decades will likely help spread the electric-powered or green car concept and automakers at any rate appear determined to give eager car enthusiasts a choice. In this fastpace era, Asia and the rest of the world are motorizing therefore there is a need for affordable cars that must be competitive on cost, size, weight, reliability and performance. Many countries have long been using electric-powered cars, buses and other mode of public transportation. The once-ignored technology is now fast gaining credibility and public acceptability.

Now it depends upon the government on how quick it will act to fasttrack the plan to introduce eco-friendly vehicles in the local market. Following the other green car-believer countries as example, government should train its sight on offering tax breaks to electric car buyers allowing them to write off half the price difference between the electric-powered vehicles and comparable gas-guzzlers. The question is – will Filipino car aficionados see the beauty of green cars and make it a success?

Does anyone care about newspaper ombudsmen?

L

AST week, Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth discontinued the ombudsman position, replacing it with an ambiguously defined“reader representative” to whom readers will be able to address their “concerns and questions,” as soon as the paper gets around to appointing one.

This “ombudsman lite” slot is a radical dilution of the old position. As conceived back in 1970, the ombudsman’s job was, in former Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee’s words, “to monitor the paper for fairness, accuracy, and relevance and to represent the public in whatever strains might arise from time to time between the newspaper and its readers.” (Emphasis added.) The Postombudsman was “resolutely autonomous,” Bradlee wrote. Working on contract rather than staff, the ombudsman was given the independence to write about whatever he wanted to write about.

He couldn’t be assigned. He couldn’t be edited. And he couldn’t be fired, Bradlee continued.

On paper, the power to write such a weekly column and dispatch internal memos of rebuke to the newsroom sounds like a job fit for a

( 1st of two parts ) COMMENTARY

BY JACK SHAFER hanging judge. But the occupants of this perch have generally shied away from using their power to inflict public punishment or embarrassment on the Post. On some occasions the paper has filled the job with experienced government functionaries, such asJoseph Laitin, Bill Green, Sam Zagoria and Robert J. McCloskey, but usually the job has gone to journalistic veterans, such as Geneva Overholser, Andrew Alexander, Richard Harwood, E.R. Shipp, Michael Getler, Deborah Howell, Joann Byrd, Robert C. Maynard, Charles B. Seib, Patrick Pexton (who just completed a two-year tour of duty) and others. No matter what the ombudsman’s background, the tendency has been to pull punches whenever the Post erred. Instead of roasting the paper for its transgressions, the ombudsman could be relied on to sympathize with the hard job of newspapering and gently explain the newsroom’s mistakes to readers.

Worse yet, some ombudsmen have played Monday morning quarterback with their columns, detailing from

the safe remove from deadline pressure how they would have assigned, reported, written and edited a flawed story had they been in charge.

I don’t mean to suggest that every ombudsman’s column ever written has gummed the hand that feeds it.

Notable exceptions to my generalization include Getler on the paper’s misguided coverage of the Iraq war run-up; Alexander’s probes of publisher Weymouth’s “salons;” Byrd on Post Co. conflict of interest resulting in “a heavy blow to the newspaper’s credibility;” Green on theJanet Cooke scandal; and others. But in practice, the ombudsman jobs at such institutions as thePost and the New York Times have served primarily as safety shields for newspapers, with the ombudsmen catching, deflecting or containing the flak tossed by readers.

“Everybody hates the ombudsman. The editors hate the ombudsman. The staff hates the ombudsman.

News sources hate the ombudsman.

Readers hate the ombudsman. I couldn’t take it,” one anonymous journalist told former Post ombudsman Byrd after he was offered the Postposition.

9

Why the Philippines will shine brighter this year (Feature) ( Conclusion )

“T

HERE’S s i m ply too much money lying around in this country, banks have to entice people to borrow for buy a car, to buy a house and offer low lending rates to attract them,” Manuel said.

At least P1.8 Trillion in cold cash had been “parked” by banks and financial institutions with the Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas as “special deposit accounts”. Another P3 Trillion is “parked” right now with various banks in the country as “trust assets” whose safety and growth, if any, are managed by banks.

Both business and consumer confidence have remained at alltime high with the overall business confidence index topping at a whopping 49 percent and consumer confidence index rising at 6 percent. This in turn has led to a stellar economic growth of 6.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The Philippines, according to Manuel, is “no longer as indebted as before” shown by its lowest debt-to-GDP ratio ever. As such, the country now has “more money in the wallet than the amount it owes”.

Manuel cited the 52 Billion US dollars in debt the country owed to foreign creditors compared to its 15.7 Billion US dollars in reserves in 2001.

But dollar reserves ballooned to 75.3 Billion US dollars compared to its foreign debt of only 61.7 Billion US dollars in 2011 which jacked up the value of the Philippine peso against the US dollar.

Because of all these solid fundamentals, foreign fund managers and investors have been buying shares of stocks of companies listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Since 2007, foreign investors and traders had been buying Philippine stocks racking up 230 Million US dollars daily transactions that year, but have shot up to 2 Billion US dollars daily this year.

“There’s just too much money these days from foreign investors chasing too few stocks in the stock market and too few investment funds to absorb them. They’re all chasing our local stocks because of their fundamental values for long term investment,” Manuel said In 2009, Manuel recalled, the PSE Index was hovering around 1000 only, but after only four years this year, the stock index has zoomed up to 6700---and still rising.

“As long as the high confidence is there, as long as interest and inflation are kept low, we’re expecting the stock index to hit 9300 in two years time--- before the next presidential elections,” Manuel said. [PNA]

10 NATION/WORLD

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

Amid island row

EDGEDAVAO

Japan arrests China boat captain J

APAN’S coastguard arrested the captain of a Chinese boat on suspicion of illegal fishing in its exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, officials said, amid a territorial row between the two countries.

The coral fishing boat with a crew of 11 was spotted by a coastguard patrol plane in waters some 44 kilometres (27 miles) northeast of Miyako island in the Okinawan chain, the coastguard official said.

The captain, 44, whose name has yet to be disclosed, was arrested on suspicion of fishing in the exclusive maritime zone without permission from Japan, the coastguard said.

“After receiving information from our aeroplane, three of our patrol boats approached the Chinese ship, and they are now sailing back to Miyako with the Chinese ship,” the spokesman said.

The incident occurred amid a simmering dispute over the Tokyo-administered Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus.

Miyako is located about 210 kilometres from the largest island in the Senkaku chain.

Chinese government ships have routinely circled the disputed islands in the East China Sea since September, when Tokyo nationalised a number of them.

In early February, the captain of another Chinese boat was also arrested on suspicion of illegal coral fishing in the area.

He was released later after submitting a bail guarantee.

Unauthorised fishing in Japan’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone can be punished by a fine of up to 10 million yen ($109,000) under Japanese law, local media said. [AFP]

A Japan Coast Guard ship is shown alongside a Chinese marine surveillance ship near the disputed islets known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and Diaoyu islands in China, February 4, 2013. Japan’s coastguard arrested the captain of a Chinese boat on

suspicion of illegal fishing in its exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, officials said, amid a territorial row between the two countries. [AFP]

More Pinoys believe Sabah is Philippines’ territory I P

RESIDENT Benigno Aquino III should be more aggressive in pursuing Sabah, netizens said, as they backed the country’s claim on the disputed territory.

More than two out of three (67 percent) of the 11,789 respondents in a Yahoo! poll so far think Sabah belongs to the Philippines.

On the other hand, only 7 percent of Yahoo! poll

respondents chose the answer “Sabah belongs to Malaysia.”

Peaceful negotiations, meanwhile, is the next step 25 percent of respondents think the government should start looking into.

The survey has been posted on Yahoo! Philippines’ front page since Monday when fighting erupted between Malaysian forces and the Sulu sultan’s men.

The bloody altercation

is the violent escalation of a standoff since Feb. 9 over Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s ancestral claim on the territory.

Malaysia-trained fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front have also reportedly joined the Sulu Sultanate’s men Tuesday.

Malaysian authorities have launched an all-out offensive Tuesday to clear out the Filipino group holed out in Sabah.

A total victory declared

by Malaysia, however, has been downplayed by supporters of the Sulu Sultanate, even as reports floated the possibility that armed Filipino men had survived and escaped.

The President, meanwhile, stood pat on his calls for the Filipino group to lay down their arms and surrender without condition to Malaysian authorities.

[Yahoo]

PROTEST. Protesters burn a portrait of Philippine President Benigno Aquino (L) and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (R) in front of the Malaysian embassy in Manila on March 5, 2013. Malaysian forces searched house-to-house Wednesday after armed Filipino invaders apparently escaped a military assault, as a Philippine guerrilla warned more fighters had arrived.

Iran declares day of mourning for anti-U.S. ally Hugo Chavez

RAN declared a day of national mourning on Wednesday after the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who shared the Islamic Republic’s loathing for U.S. “imperialism”.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had forged a public friendship with Chavez characterised by lavish mutual praise, hugs and light-hearted moments, may attend Chavez’s funeral on Friday, state news agency IRNA reported.

The two men had sought closer ties between their geographically distant countries, although action on joint social and military projects announced in recent years has often lagged behind the rhetoric.

“Hugo Chavez is a name known to all nations. His name is a reminder of cleanliness and kindness, bravery ... dedication and tireless efforts to serve the people, especially the poor and those scarred by colonialism and imperialism,” Ahmadinejad said.

“I offer my condolences to all nations, the great nation of Venezuela and his respected family over this

tragic event,” he said in statement published on his official website.

Chavez died on Tuesday after a twoyear battle with cancer.

He suffered multiple complications after his latest operation in December and had not made a public appearance since.

The news of Chavez’s death dominated many Iranian news websites, which carried obituaries and photo galleries of him.

The United States had looked askance at Venezuela’s warm relationship with Iran, fearing that Caracas could give Tehran an economic lifeline as it struggles to stave off pressure from sanctions over its nuclear activities.

Iran denies seeking an atomic weapons capability and says it has the right to develop its own nuclear fuel cycle under its membership of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Chavez, at a news conference with Ahmadinejad in Caracas in January 2012, mocked U.S. suspicions about Iran’s nuclear work, saying: “That hill will open up and a big atomic bomb will come out.” [AFP]

11

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

DA-PRDP logo contest is on

Snagged

GPH-NDFP talks deferred A

By Che Palicte

P

EACE negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has been postponed due to the issue on the release of political prisoners.

This was confirmed by lawyer Alexander Padilla, GPH panel chair, in an interview yesterday during the PhilHealth press conference at the Southern Philippines Medical Center.

“The NDFP is insisting for the release of political prisoners who they claim are their consultants on peace process,” Padilla said.

Padilla added that talking to the NDFP is difficult, “especially about ceasefire before getting into substantial discussions”.

Compared to the GPH-MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) peace negotiations, Padilla sees no bright prospect in the current status of

GPH-NDFP peace process.

“The GPH-MILF process had agreed first to a ceasefire but the NDFP does not want to go into ceasefire first, the reason why armed confrontation continues, and they expecting the release of prisoners,” he explained.

The GPH agrees that they should first institute social and economic reforms before proceeding to political and constitutional agenda.

the mayoralty polls in May. He raised Duterte’s right arm after his speech.

Duterte for his part vowed to support the President and his Senatorial bets. “Kabilin-bilinan ng aking ina na tulungan si Presidente Noy,” he said.

Nine of the 12 Senatorial bets of the LP were present last night led by re-electionists Chiz Escudero, Loren Legarda and Pimentel,

Jun Magsaysay, Madrigal, Bam Aquino, Sonny Angara, Jr., and Hontiveros.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes, Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar were conspicuously absent.

The rally was capped with the LP bets flashing the signature Laban sign with President Aquino. (with a report from Che Palicte)

were temporarily closed by the BIR in Davao City for non-compliance with their tax obligations.

On the other hand, Geraldino said that for 2013, BIR 11 targets P11.8 billion in tax collection, or an increase of almost P2.2 billion from last year’s collection.

“The proposed zonal valuation for the Davao region, where the capi-

tal gains tax is derived, is expected to boost further this year’s collection,” he added.

Abilia Bentulan, revenue district officer (RDO) of BIR 132 East in Davao City, said that her office has submitted the final revision for the zonal valuation of Davao City and it is now awaiting approval by the Department of Finance.

paid from school funds while the other is paid by the Local School Board of the Department of Education (DepEd).

DepEd 11 spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said they will be calling the attention of all school principals “to revisit, restudy, and reinvestigate” security measures implemented in their schools.

Atillo described the incident as isolated and that they would not allow it to happen again in school campuses.

Meanwhile, the suspect is in the custody of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) of the San Pedro police station and is undergoing counselling. [PNA]

PNoy saves...

FFROM 1 struction of more class-

rooms for kindergarten and secondary schools.

These priority projects, he said, will solve the problems of flooding as well as address the need for the 66,800 more classrooms in Davao City.

President Aquino commended the leadership of Vice Mayor Rody Duterte who got his tacit endorsement despite the latter running unopposed in

Oplan Kandado...

FFROM 2 empowers the BIR to suspend business operations and temporary closure of non-compliant taxpayers.

He also cited the Run After Tax Evader (RATE) program that mandates the BIR to investigate criminal violations of the Revenue Code and assist in the prosecution of criminal cases.

Geraldino said that in 2012, a total of 17 business establishments

After campus killing...

FFROM 2 ibility outside the school premises during school hours.

Amistoso said the knife used in the killing Tuesday morning was not detected by the school guard on duty.

Amistoso said the school cannot afford to pay for additional security guards, with one of the two assigned to it being

“Issues such as agrarian reform and national industrialization are part of the social and economic agenda,” the GPH chair added.

Padilla said that despite the slow pace of the negotiations, both parties are pursuing a special track aside from the regular path that has been delayed.

Padilla refused to provide details on the socalled special track, but he assured that talks are still being pursued.

major program or a commercial product needs a trademark or a logo. It should be simple and for easy recall. The Department of Agriculture’s forthcoming Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) is no different.

It needs a logo that would capture its essence, its objectives and goals.

The DA has launched the PRDP logo design contest where the winner will take home P20,000 in cash and become part of the DA’s legacy to the Filipino people.

Four other finalists will l each receive P5,000 cash and a certificate.

The logo should reflect the PRDP’s goal to create a modern, climate-smart or resilient, and value chain-oriented agricul-

ture and fishery sector.

The PRDP is considered one of the DA’s biggest foreign-assisted projects worth $670 million (P27.5 billion) funded by the World Bank and will run for six years starting in the third quarter this year.

The PRDP will complement current major programs of initiatives of the DA, aimed at attaining sufficiency in rice and major staples.

DA family employees and non-employees are invited to join the contest, as long as they are Filipinos, 18 years old and above.

Contestants should submit original, digitally-created entries with resolution of at least 300 dpi and the width and the height of the logo must have a resolution of at least 700 pixels.

tire Davao region,”Alvarez said.

The 26 HEIs that applied for tuition and other fee increase in Region 11 are: (Davao City) Assumption College of Davao; Ateneo de Davao University; Agro-Industrial Foundation College; AMA Computer College; Brokenshire College; Davao Doctors College; DMMA College of Southern Philippines; Davao Medical School Foundation; Holy Cross College of Sasa; Jose Maria College, John Paul II; Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku; Mindanao Medical Foundation College; Philippine Women’s College; San Pedro College; St. Peter’s College of Toril; STI College of Davao; Tecarro College Foundation and University of the Immaculate Conception.

(Davao del Sur) Serapion Basalo Memorial Foundation College and South Philippines Adventist College; (Tagum City) Arriesgado College Foundation; ACLC College of Tagum City and Liceo de Davao; (Davao del Norte) Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology; (Compostela Valley Province) Kolehiyo ng Pantukan.

Holy Cross College of Calinan applied for tuition fee hike only while Holy Cross of Davao College, Holy Cross of Davao College Babak, and Assumption College of Nabunturan applied for increase in “other fees” only.

“After we are finished with the consultation, we will inform the public as to what fees of which HEIs were approved,’’ Alvarez said.

grated Ge der Development Office, lobbied for the resolution’s approval with Counci or Leah Librado, chair of the city council’s committee on women, children and family relations.

Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s Party told MindaNews in a text message that with the passage of the resolution, “Davao City joins other LGUs (local government units) opposing this administration’s privatization agenda in different services.”

Librado, who au-

thored the resolution, said in an interview the council was convinced that corporatization is similar to privatization based on the scheme that the government has been doing.

Privatization, she said is “depriving the poor people of their right to accessible health care. It is like making more patients die with supposedly curable illnesses, which also means raising the mortality rate.” [Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews]

30 colleges seeking tuition hike

T

HE Commission on Higher Education in Region 11 (CHEDRO 11) named the 30 higher education institutions (HEIs) that applied for tuition and other fee increases for the school year 2013-2014.

CHEDRO 11 Director Raul Alvarez bared yesterday during the weekly Club 888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao that 30 out of 92 HEIs had applied for an increase in tuition and other fees.

“Twenty-six HEIs applied for increase in tuition fees and other fees, 19 in Davao City; two two in Davao del Sur; three in Tagum City; one in Davao del Norte and one in Compostela Valley Province; one HEI applied for tuition fee increase only while three applied for other fees in the en-

City council junks proposal privatizing gov’t hospitals

T

HE Davao City Council approved Tuesday night a resolution opposing the corporatization of 26 public hospitals in the country, two of which are in the Davao region.

Senator Franklin Drilon presented Senate Bill 3130 or the National Government Hospital Corporate Restructuring Act for deliberation after the passage of House Bill 6069, authored by Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez.

Gabriela Southern Mindanao, and the Inte-

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VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

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Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

Celtics beat 76ers 109-101 P HILADELPHIA (AP) -- So much for Boston’s grim outlook once Rajon Rondo was lost for the season.

Avery Bradley has followed the trusted blueprint of dogged defense and impact scoring to help push the Celtics up the standings.

Bradley scored a season-high 22 points, and Paul Pierce had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 109-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Kevin Garnett scored 18 points to help the Celt-

ics improve to 12-4 since Rondo was lost with a torn knee ligament. The Celtics entered in seventh place, but were no more than two games behind the next three teams ahead in the standings. Bradley was 10 of 15 and chipped in seven rebounds and five assists, the kind of numbers needed for the Celtics to slip into a coveted top-four spot for the playoffs. ‘’My teammates have confidence in me and I have confidence in myself,’’ Bradley said. ‘’When I have an open shot, I have to take it. That’s how we

play on this team. It helps us when I do that.’’

Led by Pierce, the Celtics controlled the game and used a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Last May, these two teams went to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. On Wednesday, the Sixers lost for the ninth time in 10 games and are well out of the playoff race.

Jrue Holiday had 18 points and 10 assists for the Sixers, and Thaddeus Young had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Turner scored 18 points.

OS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers and Jeremy Lin’s Houston Rockets will travel to Asia for a series of exhibition games in October, the National Basketball Association announced on Tuesday.

The Lakers will play two games in China against the Golden State Warriors, beginning with an October 15 contest at the

MasterCard Center arena.

Three days later the same two teams will square off in Shanghai at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Lin’s Rockets will play in both Taiwan and the Philippines. Houston faces the Indiana Pacers on October 13 at the Taipei Arena.

They start their Asia swing with an October 10 contest against the Pacers

in Manila.

It has been just over a year since ‘Linsanity’ gripped New York Knicks fans and propelled breakout star Lin to global fame.

But nowhere is the point guard more popular than in Taiwan.

Lin Shu-hao, who was born in Los Angeles, is the first American of Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.

Lakers to play in China L

SPORTS 13

Avery Bradley (0) of the Boston Celtics dunks against Thaddeus Young (21) of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

14

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Big names ready for Azkals duty T

HIS time, the big names are free. The problem is who to

drop.

That’s is the question when the Philippine national men’s football team prepares its final line-up for the 2014 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers this month.

Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss said that the squad won’t entirely rely on its foreign-based stars.

In fact, Weiss said that he might only choose one goalkeeper between Neil Etheridge and Roland Mueller to possibly give a slot to Eduard Sacapaño, who stepped up in the absence of the two foreign-based keepers during the Azkals’ semi-

final run in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup last year.

“Because I think I will only choose one keeper (between Etheridge and Mueller), we have to see,” Weiss said. “It will be a tight race to make it to the best 23.”

Unlike in their Suzuki Cup campaign, the Azkals will enjoy the presence of their foreign-based members in the their upcoming tournament. For the Challenge Cup qualifiers, clubs are obliged to release their players who are called up for national team duty as it falls on FIFA international match dates.

Weiss said that he organized the week-long training sessions in the

past few months to help the locally-based players, who play in the United Football League, keep in pace with their foreign-based counterparts.

“I want to avoid that there will be disharmony with the team because players are not fit,” Weiss said. “I have my doubts because the level of the league is not yet in the level compared to Malaysia, compared to Thailand, compared to Indonesia.”

“We’re going to really have that ball – tighter, stronger and more solid and more consistent than what we did in the past rather than sitting back too deep so players must be in top shape and top fit.”

Lakers fall short against Thunder

O

KLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Desperately trying to fight their way into the playoffs during an injury-marred season, the Los Angeles Lakers watched as Kobe Bryant grimaced, grabbed his right elbow and headed to the locker room.

They got no sympathy from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Russell Westbrook had 37 points and 10 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 26, and Oklahoma City held off a second-half charge to beat the improving Lakers 122-105 on Tuesday night.

Bryant was able to score 30 points after returning from the injury, but a late rally fizzled as the Thunder scored the final 12 points of the game. ‘’Kobe didn’t look hurt to me,’’ Durant said. ‘’We’re not going to feel sorry for them. If they’re out there playing, then they can play.

Kobe looked fine. Dwight (Howard) looked fine. ‘’We know they’re a resilient team. They’ve been fighting hard all year. They made some shots in that

second half.’’

But Oklahoma City was the only one to connect when it counted the most.

The Thunder led from start to finish, letting their 18-point lead get whittled down to five midway through the fourth quarter.

Serge Ibaka, who dodged a suspension after delivering a low blow against Blake Griffin in Oklahoma City’s previous game, hit a 3-pointer and Westbrook had a two-handed slam in the Thunder’s closing run. ‘’They’re a championship-caliber team, so they’re never going to give up and they kept fighting and cut it to five,’’ Durant said. ‘’I think we did a really good job of staying composed throughout that little run that they made and we made some big shots.’’

Steve Nash matched his season’s best with 20 points as the Lakers fell back below .500 after reaching the mark for the first time since December.

His 3-pointer got Los Angeles as close as 110-105 with 6:14 remaining, but his team didn’t score again.

AnD sports events at DSA Forum today

T

HE Mayor Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte 76th Araw ng Dabaw commercial basketball tournament and open chess tournament are the topics to be discussed in today’s Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at 10 a.m. at Dexter’s Pizza Stadium along McArthur Highway, Matina.

Liga Dabaw president and chair Guillermo “Willie” Torres, Jr. and secretary-general William “Butch” Ramirez are set to brief DSA members on the four-team cagefest that will unfurl on March 12 to 15 at the Almendras

Gym Davao City Recreation Center. Joining them are coaches of three Davao City-based teams seeing action in the tournament organized by Liga Dabaw and sponsored by the city government of Davao through the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO).

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) regional director James Infiesto tackles the open chess tournament set on Saturday and Sunday at NCCC Mall Davao Food Cove.

DSA members and guests are encouraged to come early.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

Table manners

Tinapa Rolls

Cassava Cake

IF there ever was a cuisine that remains undefined and constantly evolving that would be Philippine cuisine. With over 7,100 islands and just as many ways to cook adobo and prepare kinilaw, every meal on the Pinoy table is an adventure in itself.

Chicken Binacol served table side.

Opened just recently at the Fountain Court of SM Lanang Premier is one of Metro Manila’s most celebrated Filipino restaurants, Mesa Filipino Moderne. Offering unique and creative Filipino dishes with a modern twist, the restaurant stands out from so many other restaurants.

On the restaurants menu are Tinapa Spring Rolls, fried spring rolls stuffed with vegetables and smoked milkfish which I love thanks to the beautiful balanced smokiness of the fish paired with vinegar. I also loved Mesa’s Patotim, their take on the classic Chinese-Filipino patatim,

substituting duck instead of pork trotters.

What also makes Mesa Filipino Moderne unique is their table side service which is more like a performance art, a ballet of sorts, teasing the diners as they wait for their food to be prepared right beside

Patotim their table such as the carving and serving of Mesa’s own Pritchon, crispy fried lechon that is served two ways.

And what is a Filipino meal without dessert? Mesa’s Cassava Cake has got to be the most sinful item on the menu. Soft, buttery but not too sweet, the cassava cake has got to be the

best way to end a meal. In fact, I would recumbent it over their Fried Leche Flan, but of course that is just a personal preference.

Follow me on Twitter and on Instagram @ kennethkingong for more foodie finds travel tips and random happenings in, around and beyond Durianburg.

Mesa’s unique take on a Filipino favorite and how to enjoy it Everybody is familiar with lechon but Mesa Filipino Moderne takes the lechon and adds a peking duck twist to it by first frying it and then serving it two ways.

Prepared table side, the first way consists of carving up the pritchon (a play on prito or fried and lechon) and serving it with veggies all wrapped in a pandan crepe and up to six different dipping sauces.

After the pritchon as been carved up, the rest is sent back to the kitchen to receive a quick chop and stir fry with some garlic for a delicious coating of flavour. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

FOOD

Angelica, Diether and Piolo top bill SM Davao’s Araw ng Dabaw celebration this Mar 16!

THIS Araw ng Dabaw, stars of ABSCBN’s most passionate drama series Apoy sa Dagat heats up the celebration at SM City Davao Open Grounds on March 16!

Launched last February, the new series top billing this generation’s most bankable actors Angelica Panganiban, Diether Ocampo and Piolo Pascual tells a riveting tale of two women named Serena and Rebeca (Panganiban)—twins who, by an unfortunate event , was separated and grew up in totally different environments. The characters’ respective love interests Ruben (Pascual) and Anton (Ocampo) makes the story more complex as their separate lives eventually weave together.

Catch the cast of Apoy sa Dagat live at SM City Davao Open grounds on Saturday (March 16). Admission is free.

Celebrations are more exciting at SM City Davao!

Avail of up to 70% discount on unbelievable selections at SM Davao’s Araw ng Dabaw Sale on March 11-17. Mall hours are extended until 10 PM on Friday (March15) and until midnight on Saturday (March16).

For inquiries, please call 297.6998. Like SM City Davao on Facebook and follow @smcitydavao on Twitter for event and promo updates.

SM City General Santos announces 3 Day-Sale raffle winners

SM City General Santos 3 day-sale not only gave shoppers the excitement of great discounts from all mall tenants but also with the prizes that awaited. Three sets Devant Smart 3D Internet TV was given away to its valued shoppers on March 3, 2013. Winners were named on March 3 / 9:45pm at the Event Center via lucky pick. Deadline for submission of entries was fifteen minutes before the draw. The draw was witnessed by a DTI representative and winners will be notified by registered mail. The list of winners will also be posted in designated areas at the mall.

Lucky winners of 3 Sets of Devant Smart 3D Internet TV were Lalaine Figuracion of Mabuhay Road, Sittie Hayrezaman Diamad of Yumang St., and Fritz Lester Asis of Brgy. Lagao.

Prizes are not convertible to cash but are transferable. To claim prize, winners must present his/her raffle stub, notification letter and one valid ID at the Shopping Center Management Corporation (SCMC)Administration Office located at the 2nd level of the mall c/o the Marketing Department (SM City General Santos) during office hours from Monday to Friday 10AM to 6PM. In case of a lost stub, winners are then to present Notarized Affidavit of Loss and a Valid ID. Unclaimed prizes after 60 days of notification will be reported to DTI and upon approval by DTI shall be forfeited in favor of Shopping Center Management Corporation.

Healthy meaty goodness COOKING healthy is as complicated as one’s mind. Honestly, I do not know how to classify a healthy meal from that of not. But believe me when I say that I try to cook and eat healthy meals – as much as I can.

Nonetheless, the complexity of my time and schedule disallows me to sit down and eat a decent meal that is not fast food related.

Since weekends are the best time for me to play inside my kitchen, I make sure that I feed myself rightfully. Although meatballs are but drenched in hot oil, I feel that if tweaked and given a new flavor, it would qualify as something healthy. Who am I kidding?

Practicality got to me while I was making this dish, I wanted everything to be readily available and easy on one’s budget.

More so, it would be a plus if all ingredients are found at home. Another point on why this is a must try dish is the fact that I used digestive biscuits (you can use any biscuits too) instead of flour. Although similar in composition, the biscuits would enable the meatballs to stick together more than that of the flour.

Here is my meatball dish. Prepare and cook some for your pasta dishes, as a main course or eat

it as it is. Let your imagination run wild and explore beyond the usual.

Happy cooking!

Hearty Meaty Meatballs What makes this special?

Aside from the fact that this is one of our all time favorite dish, it is as big as your fist and could be used in a wide variety of dishes.

What I have here is the basic recipe and I leave the transformation with you. Here’s a tip though, I turn mine in one flavorful adobo dish --- savored by my family and friends in a snap.

Ingredients: ½ kilo ground chicken 3 pieces digestive crackers, pounded ½ piece medium size sayote, peeled and grated ½ piece medium size carrots, peeled and grated 4 tablespoon button mushroom, minced 1 piece native shallot, minced 3 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon saffron powder 1 piece large range egg Sea salt

Practicality got to me while I was making this dish, I wanted everything to be readily available and easy on one’s budget.

More so, it would be a plus if all ingredients are found at home.

Black pepper Oil for frying

if it comes out clean, it is cooked on the inside.

Method: In a bowl, mix digestive crackers, sayote, carrots, mushroom, shallot, garlic powder, curry powder, saffron powder. Mix well.

Drain and dry over paper towel. Sprinkle with black pepper while hot.

Could be served as is or drizzled with tomato sauce before serving. Keep some in an airtight container and pop in the microwave when cravings knock on your door. Enjoy!

Belated Happy Birthday to my TROLL officemate, Dennis Casa! May you be a troll until eternity decides to retire. To my good friend Jefferson Solano, happy birthday boie. May anygma’s force be with you To my cousin, Christopher Robert S Cabaloza, happy birthday kuya.

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 leebai@chefroyale.com or visit www.chefroyale.com for more recipes. Happy Cooking!

Pour mixed dry ingredients in another bowl with the ground chicken.

Using your hands, mix.

Season to taste.

If needed, add egg or pounded crackers for consistency.

Add the egg and make sure that everything is well binded. Mix. Using your hand, part into 4. Part each into 2 and form into balls.

TIP: Do not over mix the meat as it would render it hard and a bit chewy when cooked.

In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Drop balls one by one and deep fry until golden brown. To test, use a toothpick and

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

ENTERTAINMENT

Pregnant Kate Middleton having a girl?! Royal slip of the tongue may indicate daughter HAS Kate Middleton spilled the beans about the sex of the royal baby?!

While visiting the seaport of Grimsby today, the Duchess of Cambridge may have experienced a Freudian slip and accidentally revealed the sex of her child.

After being given a teddy bear, the expectant royal apparently said, “Thank you, I’ll take that for my d…” before cutting herself off abruptly, the Telegraph reports.

Sandra Cook, 67, who was standing next to Kate in the crowd, replied to the duchess’ supposed slipup: “I said to her, ‘You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?’”

“No, I don’t know,” Kate reportedly replied, before

Cook pressed further, “Oh, I think you do.”

“We’re not telling,” Prince William’s other half apparently stated in reponse.

Few details have been revealed about the royal

baby, although the palace has confirmed she is expecting her baby (girl?!) in July.

But hey, unless she was referring to her dog, Lupo, we think we just might be onto something.

But not on Broadway.

“Probably a movie so they could augment my voice if needed,” he said.

Rachel Weisz, who plays the evil witch Evanora in Oz (in theaters on Friday), admits she

“often” thought about breaking out into a song and dance number à la the Judy Garland classic The Wizard of Oz while shooting the 3-D flick.

“I think Evanora was born to sing,” she said.

light star is getting down and dirty—starting with these false teeth—for The Rover, the futuristic crime thriller Pattinson is currently shooting in Australia with Guy Pearce and Scoot McNairy.

So while a grin from R.Pattz is always welcome, the chompers he’s flashing in this picture from the set don’t do his storied hunkiness any favors.

The 26-year-old actor has also buzzed his hair for the film and done away with all sense of style to play a junior member of a criminal gang. After he’s abandoned following a heist, he teams with Pearce to pursue the creeps.

That’s a lot of chiseled cheek bone in that twoman crime-fighting syndicate, if not four rows of pearly white teeth.

James Franco now wants to sing: ‘I’d love to do a musical’ JAMES Franco is a man of many talents. He’s an Oscarnominated actor, director and producer of movies.

He’s a multimedia artist, a novelist and a college professor.

He’s done a stint on General Hospital and cohosted the Academy Awards.

Heck, he’s even a model for Gucci.

Is there anything left for Franco to do that he hasn’t done already?

There sure is!

“I’d love to do a musical,” Franco told me while promoting Oz the Great and Powerful, his new Sam Raimi-directed movie based on novelist L. Frank Baum’s tale about how a circus magician became the Wizard.

Robert Pattinson flashes disgusting teeth for The Rover MAYBE Kristen Stewart has chosen wisely in staying away while her man is filming.

Dentistry jokes aside, we’ve seen Robert Pattinson’s teeth (mainly when he’s laughing during interviews, because Edward Cullen really wasn’t much of a smiler) and these aren’t them!

Apparently the Twi-

INdulge! A3

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

TRAVEL

Drunk at tavern

By Carlo P. Mallo

JUST as what you’d expect to see in a tavern, drunkards.

Well, only that we were drunk from drinking too much white wine sangria and the place is not one of those taverns were you’d think of getting into a brawl.

The Village Tavern located at Fort Bonifacio’s High Street is the newest baby of the Bistro Group and is an experience you wouldn’t want your tongue to miss.

It was one windy Thursday afternoon that my friend and I decided to have lunch at the Village Tavern. One quick browse through the menu and we had our sangria on the table in no time. We drank some more as we finally decided to go for salad, crab cakes, a burger, and jalapeños wrapped in cheese. And some more sangria.

The food was divine, or it could be that we were just starving as it was 2 in the afternoon and we haven’t had a single meal that day. The white wine sangria was just perfect only that I wasn’t able to take a perfect photo of it.

And so we thought that the restaurant was already a good one. Well, things changed when dessert arrived.

From good, it only got better! The carrot cake with melted cream cheese on top was just too good to pass up on.

Who cares about diet when cakes are this good? I think we also had a chocolate cake but it was just so-so.

The next time you hit Manila, make sure to put Village Tavern on your list.

And oh, the staff had a fit as they saw us slumped on the table ready to doze off due to our drunken state and filled bellies. Cheers!

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 261 •THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

NBA comes to town

By Neil Bravo

I

MAGINE this. Jeremy Lin whipping a pass to James Harden who scores on a lefty lay in.

Second sequence.

George Hill lobs a pass to Gerald Green who slams it down viciously.

These are just some of the action we can expect when the NBA brings its show in town on October at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Houston Rockets will be playing the Indiana Pacers in this pre-season match up.

SM Prime Holdings Hans Sy and NBA Asia senior vice president and managing director Scott Levy formalized the staging of the much-anticipated event yesterday, No less than NBA commissioner David Stern officially announced the league’s upcoming preseason match at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets are set to play in the first NBA preseason match on Philippine shores, Stern said in a video message Tuesday.

The match is set on October 10 at the venue.

The SM Group has been working on since at least last season’s NBA All-Star Game.

The country has long been crazy about NBA basketball, but has not drawn consideration as a venue for the league’s games because of a lack of a suitable facility. With the state-ofthe-art MOA Arena, that has changed.

Filipinos last got a taste of top-flight NBA action in

2011, when NBA superstars led by Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul played a pair of exhibition games against a PBA selection and the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team during the league’s lockout.

Because of the labor dispute between the NBA players, the exhibition games — dubbed the SMART Ultimate All-Star Weekend — were not sanctioned by the league.

The last NBA team to tour the Philippines to play competitive matches were the 1979 Washington Bullets featuring Hall of Famers Wes Unseld and Elgin Baylor.

T h e y played

longtime NBA commissioner when he watched the All-Star Games in Orlando, Florida last year.

against a selection of PBA stars in a series of exhibition matches.

The NBA commissioner, according to Sy, is likely to get his share of the attention if and when he decides to accept the invitation of the president of SM Prime Holdings Inc. to grace the game between the Rockets and Indiana Pacers.

“I was kidding him, he’ll be more popular than the two teams if he comes over,” said Sy, who initially touched base with the

Slam dunk artist Gerald Green of Indiana (top photo) will be executing his aerial acrobatics while Jeremy Lin (lower photo) of Houston will be dishing off assists to teammate James Harden (left).

P50T for a ringside seat?

R

UMOR has it that tickets for the seats behind the bench of the two teams seeing action in the NBA preseason game at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 10, as well as other special ringside seats, will be sold at P50,000 each.

The NBA Asia was quick to dismiss the grapevine though. Says NBA Asia country manager Carlo Singson, “No that’s mere speculation.”

The NBA’s highest official in the Philippines said ticket prices for the historic preseason game between the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers have yet to be set amid reports on social networking sites that tickets for the so-called ‘Jack Nicholson’ seats could go as high as P50,000.

The reports, which first

surfaced on Twitter and came from people who are related to the family of SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans Sy, said spots behind the bench of the two NBA games as well as other choice seats at ringside will cost P50,000.

The sources said the information came from Sy himself.

However, Singson was quick to dismiss the reports as “theories and mere speculations,” pointing out that organizers of the first NBA preseason game in the Philippines have yet to finalize details of the historic event.

“We haven’t released any information on the ticket pricing, in fact, this hasn’t been set yet,” Singson said. “So all of those statements are theories and merely speculations.”

“I am not confirming anything yet, because we haven’t determined (the ticket prices) yet,” he added.

Since the official announcement of the October 10 game was made in an elaborate press conference on Tuesday, fans have aired fears that the tickets may be ‘ridiculously priced.’

Singson also pointed out the huge expenses involved in undertaking the project. Transporting the two teams and their large entourage as well as the NBA staff who will run the game will already cost a fortune, he added.

But Singson said NBA Asia is now working closely with Sy’s group to make the prices as reasonable as possible.

“We’re gonna set it at,

uhm, we’re gonna get a lot of SM inputs, obviously they’re experts at putting on local shows here, they’ve had concerts and events at the MOA Arena,” added Singson.

“So we would rely on them also, and come up with a ticket pricing strategy that would work for this market,” he explained.

“Right now, I cann o t c o n firm any numbers because we have not set the ticket pricing yet.”

In the US, tickets to the March 27 regular season

game b e -

tween the

Rockets and Pacer in Houston are valued at less than US$500 (around P20,000) for patron seats and US$15 (P610) for general admission. The same prices applied when Indiana hosted the Rockets last January 18.

However, tickets to the NBA Finals can go as high a s US$9,000.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 261 • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

THREE-PEAT. Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez spikes one against the De La Salle defense of Michelle Gumabao and Abigail Marano. Last night, the DLSU Spikers accomplished a rare three-peat in the UAAP women’s volleyball fnals beating Ateneo in three sets. (UAAP photo)

Medvil FC wins 4 straight th

By Neil Bravo

Game Schedule on Saturday, March 9, 2013 8:00 AM PWC Patriots vs Holy Child 10:00AM Oi Rogers vs Real Davao 12:00 NN Impeesa vs Calinan Blue Eagles 2:00 PM Calinan FC vs Medvil

L

E AG U E - L E A D I N G Medvil relied on a brace Lyndon Rey Camelotes to turn back PWC Patriots 2-nil and keep its unbeaten slate in the Medvil Cup football tournament at the Deca

football field.

Camelotes found the mark in the 36th and 54th as Medvil stayed on top of the standings with four wins in as many outings for 12 points. Archrival Calinan Blue Eagles kept

pace with Medvil after surviving a scary encounter with Mintal Inter Rage 4-2.

After Anthony Dimzon drew first blood in the 10th, John Conde levelled before lemontime with a marker in the 31st. The half ended 2-1 when Anthony Larobis connected in the 42nd. But in the second half, Mintal came back to life to level the scoreline when Jericho Basan slotted home in the 61st.

That proved to be

their last stand as Dimzon scored back to back to finish off the Mintal side.

Calinan stayed at second place in the standings with a 3 win, 1-draw and 1-loss record for 10 points.

In other matches, Calinan FC defeated Oi Rogers 1-0 behind the lone goal of Demar Bandala in the 60th and Real Davao FC shut out Holy Child 4-0 behind Edward Cabannon (16’), Jay Rañeses (54’ & 57’), and Loreto Bolo (60’).

SP extends streak to 4 S

ANGGUNIANG Panlungsod (SP) used a balanced attack to overthrow City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO), 89 – 73, for its fourth win in a row in the 76th Araw ng Dabaw – DACHEA Basketball Tournament Category A at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym on Monday.

SP pounded CENRO inside and out in the final half as the City Council-based dribblers moved up 5 - 2 and stayed firmly in the hunt for a final four spot.

Christopher “Bong” Go and Greggy Delica took the cudgels for SP which snapped CENRO’s three game winning streak.

Delica came out relentlessly at the paint to finish the game with 25 baskets and Go, who av-

DFC LEAGUE. One of the exciting matches in Matchday 3 of the DFC League at the Davao Crocodile Park field. The Davao Crocodile FC remained on top of the field with 5 wins and 1 draw. (DFC photo)

erage close to 40 points a game going to this match, scored 22 points, including six three pointers.

Ryan Lomotos made

15 points for CENRO. Epe Decena and Kim Madera had 12 points apiece.

CENRO and SP battled persistently right

from the opening buzzer with the latter only up by a hairline lead in a low scoring opening period, 13 – 12.