Edge Davao 5 Issue 94

Nagtingog man lagi ang station bisan strike?

EDGEDAVAO P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

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Serving a seamless society

The Big News

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Strike is right--Sara

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

Indulge

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tRiking employees of the Radio Mindanao network have the sympathy of City Mayor sara Duterte-Carpio who believes the recourse taken by the media company’s union is a valid exercise of its rights.

Duterte-Carpio said on thurs-

day that the on-going strike of Radio Mindanao network (RMn) Davao Employees Union (RDEU) is correct for as long as they are exercising their right peacefully and couched on valid grounds. “the right to strike is afforded to workers by the Labor Code. Yes,

correct. they are exercising their right peacefully. so far, they are conducting a peaceful protest. We have not encountered problems,” the Mayor told Edge Davao in a text message. the mayor said the local government is ready to assist the em-

ployees should they ask for help “based on humanitarian grounds.” “the DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) will take over. keeping the peace lang sa city (government). Maximum tolerance on peaceful protests. in the event it

FSTRIKE, 13

Science/ Environment Page 4

By Jade C. Zaldivar

Sports

Page 15 TRAFFIC RULES. A police officer talks to a suspected traffic offender along Magallanes Street in Davao City. The city is heightening its efforts to put more order in the traffic system. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Payong-Payong

Confiscation starts July 26

By Jade C. Zaladivar

Follow Us On

C

onfisCation of payongpayong motorcycle units will commence on July 26 as the moratorium ordered by Davao City Mayor sara DuterteCarpio ends. the city mayor’s moratorium started last June 25, halting the confiscation of modified

n Impoundment of trisikads too n Mobile registration starts in Toril motorcycle units of payongpayong which have sidecars to accommodate passengers, and habal-habal or motorcycles whose drivers offer transporta-

tion to anywhere in the city.

Payong-payong units are makeshift tricycles that use umbrella or payongs in vernacular as roofing to shield the driver and the passengers

from heat and rain. Another class of payong-payongs are called trisibot which is a pedicab converted into a motorized trike. traffic Management Center chief Ret. Col. Desiderio Cloribel advised that before said date, operators and owners of pay-

FCONFISCATION, 13

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THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DOT 11 glad to pass NTDP ahead of EO 79

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

D

EPaRtMEnt of tourism 11 Regional Director art Boncato, Jr. said last thursday that Dot, along with local government units (LgUs) and other tourism players in the private sector are glad that the national tourism Development Plan was already done before the issuance of Executive order (Eo) no. 79 that stipulates reforms on mining policy. “the Eo 79 supports tourism and it is good that we created the ntDP earlier and that we gathered all stakeholders, including LgUs and private investors to identify our tourism products,” he said. noting that the ntDP is

a tourism plan crafted by all tourism stakeholders in the Philippines, he said there are 20 tourism clusters identified in the country. He added that within the tourism clusters, there are tourism development areas (tDa). in Davao Region, there are three tDas namely samal, Davao City and Davao del norte as one tDa; Davao del sur as second tDa; and, Compostela Valley and Davao oriental as third tDa. “our local tourism leaders and stakeholders have actually identified current tourism sites, attractions and activities as primary tourism products. and, areas to be developed are also included in the plan,” he said.

tDas are automatically mining-free.

He cited that the whole samal island was identified as tourism product of tDa 1 and it should be protected as a biodiversity site. as such, its giant clam area should be nurtured, including the bat cave and waterfalls. for Davao oriental, he mentioned Dahican, Mt. hamiguitan, and aliwagwag falls among others as tDas. in Davao City, the tourism products are composed of highlands and coastal resorts, citing the tourism program launched a few years ago, which is an integrated development plan of foot of Mount apo.

cities,” said shelly sondakh of the BiMP-Eaga secretariat in Manado. these two proximate Eaga areas situated along the southern part of Mindanao and north sulawesi, indonesia have for years established twinning ties through a sistercity relationship that has helped enhance the ongoing free exchange of tourism, socio-cultural and economic benefits in both cities.

Prior to Wings air’s launching, passengers bound for Manado would need to take the circuitous and subsequently costly Davao-Manila-Jakarta-Manado route.

“Connectivity initiatives like this truly present a cheaper and faster movement of goods and travelers. We hope to see more of these efforts

in the coming months,” said Luwalhati antonino, Mindanao Development authority (MinDa) Chairperson and Philippine signing Minister for BiMP-Eaga.

MinDa, being the Philippine national secretariat for BiMP-Eaga and Dot Xi have committed to work closely with the Manado transport and tourist ministries for the marketing promotions of the said route to ensure its sustainability.

Dreamworld travel and tours, the official ticketing and booking office of Wings air, added that most of their passengers are crew of some indonesian fishing vessels in general santos and Davao City who opted to fly back home whenever ships are not available.

pected to gather emerging leaders from business, civil society, and government, said Maya flaminda Vandenbroeck of Mission (Movement of imaginals for sustainable societies through initiatives, organizing and networking), a nationwide organization.

“We are privileged to have Mr. Perlas, who is an international resource for the most advanced and effective social change technologies grounded on science as well as spirituality,” Vandenbroeck said.

Perlas is author of the book Shaping Globaliza-

tion: Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding, which is translated to 9 languages and is being used by filipino students and in other countries. His latest work is the book entitled MISSION Possible!

Expressing his support to the seminar, City agriculture office head Leonardo avila likewise extends the invitation to Dabawenyos. the seminar, Vandenbroeck said, will also serve as an introduction of the upcoming LiWanag World festival on Creativity and sustainability set on January 2013.

Manado-Davao link revived

a

INCREASE IN TOURISM. Department of Tourism regional director Art Boncato declared on Thursday that

the inbound traffic of the local tourism industry have witnessed a significant 13% increase. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Mindanao’s economy up by 3.7%

M

inDanao’s economy grew by 3.7 percent even as the country’s economic growth slowed down by 1.1 %, the Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas reported. terestita B. Deveza, acting deputy director, BsP Department of Economic statistics, reported that Mindanao’s economic growth were notably through its most significant contribution in agriculture, fishery and forestry.

Deveza’s report was based on BsP’s 2009 statistics from the national

statistics and Census Board (nsCB) on Mindanao gross Regional Domestic Product. the agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors shared 35.7% to the gDP while the industry contributed 16.5% and the services sector at 12.9%. the Davao Region, according to her, contributed five percent to the country’s gross domestic product (gDP) as the region’s economy continues to grow especially in the industry and services sectors.

Based on 2010 data from the security Exchange

Commission, among the top 7,000 corporations in the country, Mindanao has 132 corporations from industry sector, 10 from construction, 170 from trade and 83 from services.

Deveza noted that sales of Mindanao-based corporations increased by 3.2%, as well as their profits by 32%, while assets and equity of top firms soared by 26.8% and 47.8% respectively. further, the BsP said it has a positive economic outlook for Mindanao, adding that improved economic

both economic growth and the environment in its provisions. “it is a balanced law. it allows an extractive industry for national development without sacrificing the environment. at the same time, it shows that we can go for ecological conservation without stifling economic growth,” he stated.

He said that the Eo addresses the twin issues of economic and sustainable development through the mora-

torium on granting new mineral agreements, and through the imposition of revenueraising measures. this is why the proposed Mining industry Coordinating Council would be co-chaired by the chairpersons of the cabinet clusters on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and on economic development.

Paje called as “disadvantageous” what government currently gets from the two

FMINDANAO’S, 13

DVanCEs in air connectivity and trade between the neighboring cities of Brunei Darussalamindonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East asEan growth area (BiMP-Eaga) are showing signs of resurgence as Wings air indonesia re-launches its chartered flight serving the Manado-Davao-Manado route.

Wings air, a subsidiary of indonesia›s largest privately run airline Lion air, started reviving the Manado-Davao flight last month using a 70-seater twin-engine aircraft. the airline has served the same route back in 2008. “this progress will greatly benefit our traders and businessmen who have major transactions in either Manado or Davao, and other nearby

Group sets sustainable development seminar

By Jade C. Zaldivar

Paje: mining EO practices a ‘intergenerational equity’

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EPaRtMEnt of Environment and natural Resources (DEnR) secretary Ramon Paje on thursday said the new mining policy is a practice in “intergenerational equity” and called it a “hallmark of sustainable development policy of the government.”

Paje said that Executive order (Eo) no. 79, which institutionalizes and implements reforms in the country’s mining sector, considers

FPAJE, 13

FMANADO, 13

workshop-seminar on integrative sustainable Development (isD) is set on July 14-15, 2012 which is being arranged by social development group with 2003nobel Prize awardee nicanor Perlas as the facilitator. to be held at 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm at 4th floor Philippine national Red Cross, M. Roxas avenue, Davao City, the workshop will tackle the dimensions of isD, namely the developments of spirituality, humanity, society, culture, politics, economy, and ecology. the seminar is ex-

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

THE BIG NEWS

3

Apply barrier-free tourism, PWDs urge

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

P

ERsons with disabilities (PWD), represented by the national Council on Disability affairs (nCDa), urged thursday the owners of hotels, restaurants and other tourism sites to immediately implement a barrier-free tourism (Bft).

speaking at a regional forum dubbed “accessible tourism for all” at the apo View Hotel, Davao City, adela avila-kono, accessibility specialist, organization of Rehabilitation agencies in Cebu City, said they cannot wait for the amendment of Batas Pambansa (BP) 344.

BP 344 is an act to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments and

public utilities to install facilities and other devices. the forum was initiated by Department of tourism (Dot) and nCDa to identify major issues related to accessible tourism and recommend policy measures that would create an inclusive barrierfree and rights-based society for PWDs. in her presentation, kono underscored toilet accessibilities for PWDs, citing universal grabs or the L-bar or vertical bar in toilets are already practiced in other countries such as Japan, Hong kong, sweden and singapore among others. “freshening up is a tourist’s first thing to

BATH SEAT FOR PWDs. Accessibility specialist of the Organization of Reha-

sample of a bath seat that may be installed by hotel owners to accommodate

FAPPLY, 13 bilitation Agencies Adela Avila-Kono, who has orthopedic disability, shows a persons with disabilities tourists. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

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SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Climate change boosts odds of extreme weather: study

This photo, released by Oxfam in 2011, shows Goutrane Saleh, 42, picking what remains in his millet crop. Severe droughts, floods and heat waves rocked the world in 2011 as greenhouse gas levels climbed, boosting the odds of some extreme weather events, international scientists said.

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EVERE droughts, floods and heat waves rocked the world last year as greenhouse gas levels climbed, boosting the odds of some extreme weather events, international scientists said. the details are contained in the annual state of the Climate report, compiled by nearly 400 scientists from 48 countries and published in the peer-reviewed Bulletin of the american Meteorological society. the report itself remains “consciously conservative” when it comes to attributing the causes of certain weather events to climate change, and instead refers only to widely understood phenomena such as La nina.

However, it is accompanied for the first time

by a separate analysis that explains how climate change may have influenced certain key events, from droughts in the Us and africa to extreme cold and warm spells in Britain.

“2011 was notable for many extreme weather and climate events. La nina played a key role in many, but certainly not all of them,” said tom karl, director of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa)’s national Climatic Center.

Last year was among the 15 warmest since records began in the late 1800s, and the arctic warmed at about twice the rate of lower latitudes with sea ice at below average levels, according to the report. greenhouse gases from human pollution

sources like coal and gas reached a new high, with carbon dioxide emissions exceeding 390 parts per million -- up 2.10 parts per million from 2010 -- for the first time since modern records began.

Despite the natural cooling trend brought by back-to-back La nina effects, which chill waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific ocean, 2011 was among the 12 highest years on record for global sea surface temperatures. the double La nina punch influenced many of the world’s significant weather events, like historic droughts in East africa, the southern Us and northern Mexico, said the report.

La nina trends also were associated with the wettest two years on record in australia.

an accompanying analysis in the same journal, titled “Explaining Extreme Events,” examined the links between human-driven climate change and six selected weather crises in 2011, including the texas drought that lasted half the year. the authors found that “such a heat wave is now around 20 times more likely during a La nina year than it was during the 1960s,” said Peter stott, climate monitoring and attribution team leader at the Uk Met office.

“We have shown that climate change has indeed altered the odds of some of the events that have occurred,” he told reporters. “What we are saying here is we can actually quantify those

changing odds.”

Looking at Britain’s unusually warm november 2011 and the cold snap of December 2010, scientists found that frigid Decembers are half as likely to occur now compared to 50 years ago, and hot novembers are 62 times more likely.

However, a close look at the floods along the Chao Phraya River that swamped thailand last year showed that climate change was not to blame, but rather human activities increased construction along the flood plain. the damage caused by the floods was unprecedented, but the amount of rain that actually fell “was not very unusual,” said the analysis by experts from noaa and Britain’s Met office along with international col-

leagues.

While it remains hard to link single events to human-caused climate change, “scientific thinking has moved on and now it is widely accepted that attribution statements about individual weather or climate events are possible,” the report added. the key is analyzing to what extent climate change may be boosting the odds of extreme weather, said the report, likening the phenomenon to a baseball player who takes steroids and then starts getting 20 percent more hits than before. scientists can consider steroids as the likely cause for the increase in hits, but must still take care to account for natural variability in the player’s swing.

EDGEDAVAO

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

3.7% 4th Qtr 2011

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HE Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas’ $1-billion loan pledge to the international Monetary fund (iMf), which will be used to help debt-laden European countries, will not affect nor change the national budget.

BsP Deputy governor Diwa guinigundo, who was in Davao for the 2012 awards Ceremony for BsP stakeholders, stressed this in an interview earlier Wednesday. guinigundo reiterated that BsP’s loan to the iMf will not come from the national bud-

USD 3,342 Million Nov 2011 USD 4,985 Million Nov 2011 USD -1,643 Million Nov 2011 USD -114 Million Dec 2011 P4,442,355 Million Nov 2011

3. Exports 1/ 4. Imports 1/ 5. Trade Balance 6. Balance of Payments 2/ 7. Broad Money Liabilities 8. Interest Rates 4/

5

$1-B loan won’t affect nat’l budget

Stat Watch

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

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

get which Congress appropriates. “they are barking at the wrong tree. the national budget, he said, goes to the government’s conditional cash transfer program for the poor, hospitals, medicines, classrooms, roads and other infrastructure. this budget will still go to the traditional expenses of the government,” he said.

“We do not ask budget from the national government, we have our own sources of funds,” guinigundo said.

He explained BsP’s loan to iMf will be sourced from the accumulated gross internal reserves which come from the strong balance of payment it has enjoyed since 2003.

He said there are more dollars coming in than going out from the country, resulting in a balance of payment amounting to $ 76 billion from where the loan to the iMf will be sourced. guinigundo said this amount is sufficient reserve for up to 11 months, which means the country has more

than enough considering that standard reserve should be good for only three to four months. the reserve will serve as a cushion in case the country needs more dollars than what is coming in, he added. the said accumulated BsP reserves could not be used for debt payment and other government infrastructure projects. guinigundo said the iMf is a “preferred debtor entity” because it has a high triple a credit rating.

4.71% Oct 2011 P128,745 Million Nov 2011 P 4,898 Billion Oct 2011

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. L5 Cooperative is DCWD’s new ally in watershed rehab. DCWD acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado (2nd from R) and L5 Cooperative Board Chair Jessen R. Monsalud (2nd from L) are flocked by Vice-Chair Rogelio B. Luy (standing 3rd from L) and other officers of the cooperative during the signing of the

6.4% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011) Month

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

memorandum of agreement sealing L5’s support to DCWD’s rehabilitation project in Mt. Talomo-Lipadas. Serving as witnesses are City Cooperative Development Office supervising cooperative specialist Julius Adrian A. Oxales (L) and Cooperative Development Authority cooperative development specialist Doreen R. Catayoc (R). Story on page 11

Makati Business Club welcomes E.O. 97

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

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HE Makati Business Club welcomes Executive order no. 79, outlining the aquino administration’s policy on the mining sector. in a statement, MBC lauds the government’s clear designation of “no-go” zones for mining, the renewed drive for an improved sharing of revenues, and the emphasis on the primacy of national laws over local ordinances.

“We believe that the new Eo paves the way towards a reformed and responsible mining industry — one that assures the productive exploration, development, and utilization of the

country’s minerals, while guaranteeing the people’s right to a sustainable environment and a more equitable distribution of wealth,” the statement said. nevertheless, in the interest of having a more comprehensive and holistic national framework on mining, as well as to further improve Philippine competitiveness, MBC called on the government to introduce further reforms. for instance, the Makatibased business organization calls on the government to finalize a definitive map that clearly identifies the boundaries of zones not open to mining

— those “no-go” zones defined in Eo 79.

MBC also encouraged the government to strongly consider incorporating into national policy global best practices, including internationally accepted environmental standards and models on revenue and benefit sharing, by taking into serious consideration relevant local and international studies on the matter.

While the issuance of Eo 79 is surely an important step forward to resolving the bottlenecks that have hampered the full development of the Philippine mining industry, MBC

expressed its concern over the continuing moratorium on new mining agreements pending the passage of legislation rationalizing revenue-sharing schemes.

“While we understand that there may be good reasons for this moratorium, we strongly suggest that this be accompanied by the President’s certification of the draft bill as urgent and by expeditious action by our legislators for its passage within 2012 in order to avoid slowdowns to investment inflows that are crucial to the country’s aim for inclusive economic growth,”MBC said.

as of august 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Tan: ‘Black taxi is my dream taxi’ t

HEY are sleek and elegant connoting class and style, Davao City’s Black taxis are becoming the rave in the city, owing to its mixture of riding comfort and digital technology. a 25- unit fleet operated by the Davao Citybased Mabuhay taxi, the units are individually equipped with satellite global Positioning system and a Point-of-sale (Pos) system which enables each taxi passenger to pay their fares using their debit or atM cards and in the works is a system that can also process credit card

transactions. this feature puts Mabuhay Black taxis ahead of its counterparts not just in the city but also in the rest of the country as well.

Pierre Ryan tan of Mabuhay taxi says his inspiration for their Debit/ atM processing taxis was the ultimate riding convenience. “there was one passenger who asked the cab driver to go to the nearest atM machine so she can pay the fare,” tan recalls. their taxi’s are for passengers who don’t have enough cash-on-hand to

pay for their fares, they’ll just use their atM or debit card for payments, said tan. the cards must be Bancnet or Megalink cards for it to be processed. tan said that they don’t issue service charge or have no fixed minimum charges.

“Even if your fare is just one peso, you can swipe it with your card,” tan added. other problems which will be solved by the cashless feature will include the driver not worrying about not having the exact amount of change particularly if the passenger pays

up with bills of large denomination. it’s a Win-Win solution for the passenger and the taxi driver, says tan about the Pos feature which is partnership between the Mabuhay taxi Company and China Banking Corporation (China Bank).

Currently there are about an average of 10 atM/Debit card taxi fare transactions being monitored by the company daily. another feature of these black taxis aside from the Pos equipped taxis is their global Positioning system. gPsequipped taxis provide unrivalled safety and convenience for passengers. in this set-up a prospective passenger calls the central call center which is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week even during holidays. the call center monitors the locations of the taxis thru the gPs and messages the nearest taxi unit, the driver then receives the address of the passenger to be picked up.

Unlike Davao City’s gPs equipped police patrol cars, tan said that Black taxis gPs system have real-time messaging features to relay to the drivers the exact addresses of waiting passengers. the device can relay messages, relay advisory and provide efficient dispatch. gPs is also advantageous for the riding pub-

lic, for instance when a passenger accidentally leaves his or her belongings in the cab and if the passenger remembers the taxi number the gPs can expeditiously locate the taxi and relay a message of the passenger’s left item.

Tourism Feature tan said Black taxis were patterned after black-colored luxury car taxis found in other developed countries.

“We want our black taxis to be set apart from the rest; the black color denotes elegance and formality” tan said. “But unlike other black luxury taxis abroad where there is much higher flag-down and tariff rates, Davao City Black taxis have the same rates as regular taxis,” he added tan said that Black taxis provide comfort, convenience and safety to passengers. Black taxi Drivers have stricter dress code, being mandated to wear black pants (no jeans, faded pants) and black leather shoes (no colored rubber shoes) they also undergo training to handle the taxis unique high-tech features. on the works is a partnership between the Department of tourism Region Xi (Dot-Xi) and the Mabuhay taxi Company to feature it’s More fun in the Philippines ads similar to the Black taxis in London England. it is hoped to be finalized

World Business

and featured during the kadayawan festival in august. tan said that he has received reports that passengers prefer to ride the Black taxis. He cites a taxi line where waiting passengers would let other passengers board other taxis so that they can ride the Black taxis.

History Pierre Ryan tan was then a 14-year old teenager when he dreamt of a owning a taxi fleet. together with the combined savings of his sister they were able to purchase a single unit of taxi. their father, Manuel tan M.D. bought more units and in 1994 Mabuhay taxi was born. “i was a teenager then so it was my father who managed the business,” tan said. through the years their business grew to become one of the biggest taxi companies in the city. at 34, Pierre is overseeing the growth of his new taxi baby. He says by next month he will be seeing Black taxis to be a 40-strong fleet. tan says he is working on introducing new innovations for his taxi fleet, which he declines to elaborate classifying it as trade secret but he says will be using ultra-modern digital technology to bring unrivalled luxury and convenience to Davao’s taxi riding public. [RGA/PIA XI]

OPEC forecasts increase in oil demand in 2013

t

HE world crude oil demand would remain stable in 2013 and reach 89.50 million barrels per day, up by 0.9 percent from 2012, the organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (oPEC) said on Wednesday. in its monthly report, Vienna-based cartel said global crude oil demand was expected

to reach an average of 88.68 million barrels a day in 2012. sluggish global economy and the fact that the growth of emerging economies continues to rely heavily on exports had been suppressing oil demands, according to the report. in a previous report published in June, oPEC had predicted that the

world crude oil demand would reach a daily average of 88.69 million barrels in 2013.

Wednesday’s report also forecast that the demand for oPEC crude oil would reach an average of 29.95 million barrels a day in 2012 and 29.60 million barrels a day in 2013, largely unchanged from its June projections.

and multimedia initiatives that would mutually benefit them. the Permanent secretary in the sabah Resource Development and information technology Ministry Bruno Vun and Permanent secretary of Brunei’s Communications Ministry Datuk Paduka awang alaihuddin awang Mohamad taha signed the first MoU. the second MoU was

inked by sEDCo Communications (s.Comm) sdn Bhd’s Chief Executive officer Jasmi adnan thien and Brunei international gateway (Big) sdn Bhd general Manager Mohd salleh aji. sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, who is also state Minister for Resource Development and information technology, witnessed the signing.

Sabah, Brunei collaborate on communications for BIMP-EAGA

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aBaH and Brunei will work together towards further collaboration in the information and communications technology within the Brunei, indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines asean growth area (BiMP-Eaga) sub-region. two memoranda of understanding (MoU) were signed here last night to promote cooperation in iCt development

EDGEDAVAO

AGRI TRENDS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

7

Growing ampalaya for food and health Text and Photos by Jims Vincent T. Capuno

“D

iaBEtEs is going to be the biggest epidemic in human history,” predicts Dr. Paul Zimmet, director of the international Diabetes institute in Victoria, australia. in the last two decades, the number of people around the world suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed from 30 million to more than 230 million. “the number is estimated to get past 350 million in less than 20 years if we don’t take steps now. the situation is no different here in the Philippines where some 500 filipinos are being diagnosed with diabetes every day,” warned Dr. francisco Pasaporte, president of the Philippine association of Diabetes Educators. the country is home to about four million diabetics, with more than three million not knowing they have the disease. “Many people still do not know that they have diabetes,” said Dr. tommy ty Wiling, president of Diabetes Philippines. the Department of Health listed diabetes as the ninth leading cause of death among filipinos today.

Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and often deadly disease that affects how the body turns food into energy. normally, the food we eat is converted into glucose and used or stored by the body with little problems. Circulating insulin hormone stimulates the uptake of sugar by the body’s cells. But with diabetes something goes awry. the pancreas, which is the organ respon-

sible for producing insulin, becomes irresponsible. some diabetics are usually totally dependent on insulin injections for survival. in fact, there are those that require daily administration of insulin. “insulin treatment can help manage diabetes,” writes Ellie Rose in an article which appeared in Reader’s Digest. “But in some places, annual care for one person can cost 75 percent of the average income.”

Enter a sour-tasting, warty fruit called bitter melon (scientific name: Momordica charantia). “Commonly known as ampalaya in the Philippines, researchers refer to it as a vegetable, fruit, or herb,” wrote frank Mur-

ray in his book, ampalaya: nature’s Remedy for type 1 and type 2 Diabetes. “it is indigenous to asia, but is cultivated around the world, where it goes by almost 90 different names.” ampalaya can be considered as nature’s answer to diabetes. almost 100 studies have demonstrated the blood sugar lowering effect of this bitter fruit. Dr. a. Raman and Dr. C. Lau, who reviewed over 150 pre-clinical and clinical studies on ampalaya’s anti-diabetes properties and phytochemistry, concluded that, “oral administration of fruit juice or seed powder (of bitter melon) causes a reduction in fasting blood glucose and improves glucose tolerance.”

in the Philippines, Dr. William torres, former director of Bureau of food and Drugs, came up with this conclusion after reviewing several studies done on ampalaya: “ampalaya fruits, leaves, seeds and other parts, when used as dry powders, extracts, decoctions, fresh or cooled, have clearly demonstrated hypoglycemic activity.”

Researchers have identified the key compounds present in ampalaya, notably polypeptide-P, a plant insulin found only in the ampalaya. similar to animal insulin, polypeptide-P lowers elevated blood sugar levels. Dr. torres maintains that ampalaya, when taken regularly, helps to increase glucose tolerance

and “potentiate insulin.”

Reader’s Digest’s Rose reports that ampalaya contains high levels of charantin, which increases insulin sensitivity and compounds that activate aMPk, a protein that regulates glucose uptake. “it also has a form of lectin (a sugar-binding protein) that lowers blood glucose and suppresses appetite,” Rose writes.

Even ampalaya leaves have some blood sugar lowering effect among diabetics, according to Dr. Eduardo g. gonzales, of the College of Medicine at De La salle University. “this effect is noticeable regardless of how the leaves are prepared — boiled then eaten, or in the form of extract, tea,

capsule or tablet.” although it has been found that a serving has a similar effect to a daily dose of the anti-diabetes drug glibenclamide, Dr. gonzales warneddiabetics not to be “overly enthusiastic in replacing their proprietary medicines with ampalaya teas, capsules or tablets.” as he wrote in his column published in a national daily: “none of the studies so far conducted on ampalaya and diabetes can be labeled conclusive. all were done using a very limited number of human subjects, and most are not controlled.”

Dr. Willie t. ong, author of How to Live Longer, has this caution: “Diabetes experts strongly advise their patients to continue their regular medications and just use ampalaya as a supplement. in serious cases of diabetes, you really need your maintenance medicines.” in terms of nutritional contents, the fruits and leaves of the ampalaya are reportedly rich in minerals and vitamins, notably iron, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B. filipinos prepared ampalaya into various dishes: it can be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. a very popular dish from the ilocos region is the pinakbet, which consists mainly of ampalaya, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.

it is part of the Da Umbrella Capacity Development Program managed by sEaRCa in partnership with the Ua&P, ateneo de Manila University school of government and the University of the Philippines Economics foundation. the Da and sEaRCa organized the forum recognizing the need for policy makers to face the challenges of competitive global agribusiness. “the world is rapidly changing,” said Dr. gil C. saguiguit Jr., sEaRCa director. “Rising incomes, growing middle class, urbanization, volatile food and commodity prices as well as climate change are driving market dynamics.” “top decision-makers at the Da ought to continually keep abreast of these developments,” he

said earlier in Los Banos. “this is vital to reshaping the country’s agribusiness future and also bringing farm incomes to higher levels and expanding rural markets by reducing rural poverty.”

“Providing a situation on the global market environment will enable Da executives identify opportunities and challenges facing Philippine agriculture, agribusiness in key markets and competitor countries,” said Dr. Maria Celeste H. Cadiz, manager of the sEaRCa knowledge Management Department. “in the process, they will be more equipped to devise competitive analytics, strategies and innovative solutions for the country’s agribusiness programs to help develop well-grounded decision-makers.” as China streamlines

its food and agriculture system, its influence will be far-reaching, said Dy, pointing out that China “will shape and redefine” global agribusiness, biotechnology, food processing, logistics and trade. it will be an enormous opportunity for filipino farmers, he said. “East asian markets will belong to suppliers whose customers trust them because of the safety, quality and identity of their food.”

Dy said.

Citing the food East asia 2040 report released this year by the Us grains Council, Dy said the United states, Japan and other countries will have counterbalancing opportunities in the face of this rising Chinese power.

Japan’s trading environment, he said, will increasingly be shaped by

China. Japan itself offers an opportunity for farmers in southeast asia. for example, more than 70 percent of food in Japan may be prepared outside the home by 2040. its “entire food system, from farm to fork, will be impacted by the shift away from home cooking,” he said.

Dy pointed out that successful food industry players will be those that anticipate and adapt to a market characterized by intensified competition; a shift away from ingredients towards brands, retailers and restaurants; far greater diversity of consumer tastes; and continuous technical innovation.

East asia will be a leading global player in science-based functional foods, he said. “East asia’s future elderly, raised more

Western-minded than previous generations, will be a key market for these enhanced foods.” so-called “traditional high-tech” diets will spread from East asia to the rest of the globe.

“Commodity growers can support these diets by growing crops that provide specific health benefits,” Dy said.

Restaurants, food service chains, convenience retalilers and other outlets “will become the consumers’ primary interface with the food system,” Dy explained.

“Radical new technolgies to produce, protect, preserve, test, deliver and prepare food will proliferate. Competition to serve highly differentiated markets will be fierce.” sciencenewsphilippines@ gmail.com.

DA prepares for voracious East Asia market by 2040

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iLiPino farmers must be ready for a 600-million East asian market that has a voracious appetite and changing eating habits.

China will lead this demand for more food, along with Japan and south korea, said Dr. Rolando t. Dy, executive director, Center for food and agri Business, University of asia and the Pacific (Ua&P). “in 2040, the global food and agriculture market will be heavily shaped

by Chinese preferences, needs and developments,” he said in a meeting for policy makers held in siargao, surigao del norte. the forum was convened by the Department of agriculture (Da) and the southeast asian Regional Center for graduate study and Research in agriculture (sEaRCa).

8

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO Barking at the Wrong Tree

COMMENTARY

By Patricio P. Diaz

t

EDITORIAL

Bio plastics shortage

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iftEEn days since its implementation last June 28, the plastics ban on food and beverage is just making its way into the lifestyle of Davao’s residents and business. the integration of the ecology-friendly practice into the daily lives of Davaoeños may take time but the reception so far to the life-changing measure has been noteworthy. the plastics ban is a major component of the Davao City Ecological solid Waste Management ordinance of 2009 which called for the 2-year gradual elimination of plastics as food and beverage containers. the conditional period prescribed last June 28 which formally marked the first day of full implementation of the food and beverage plastics ban.

But while it may be too early to tell whether or not the campaign to make Davao ecologically conscious is making headway, the plastics ban leaves much to be desired. as earlier reported, the preparatory measures that were made by the city government included locating suppliers for the biodegradable packaging to replace the banned plastics.

However, there is now a growing concern for the supply of these biodegradable plastics. Ven-

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

OLIVIA D. VELASCO General Manager

dors in public markets have started to experience of the long queues every morning to buy biodegradable plastic bags at the market supplier. the supply is also not enough to accommodate the needs of vendors in public markets alone. this leads us to the question on the adequacy of supply of biodegradable plastics and alternative containers like paper bags. are there enough suppliers around the city, not just in public markets, for people to avail of the prescribed containers and bags? there is reasonable alarm that these biodegradable plastics and bags are not readily accessible to the public, especially those with business requiring a considerable volume of plastic containers and paper bags. the long queues only show that we are still at the mercy of the few, privileged entities enjoying the good business of supplying these biodegradable packaging materials.

Where the law says we can only use these prescribed bags, these plastics will surely sell like hotcakes. good for the few of them. Bad for the many who have to wait a long while, in a long line to get a day’s share.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

ALBERTO DALILAN Managing NEILWIN L. BRAVO Sports and Motoring ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO CARLO P. MALLO Associate Features and Lifestyle KENNETH IRVING K. ONG KARLOS C. MANLUPIG • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR., Creative Solutions Photography LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURA Staff Writers

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

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

RICHARD C. EBONA IMELDA P. LEE Advertising Specialists

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 942-1503

(1st of 2 parts)

Wo news reports, one in the Philippine Daily inquirer (July 7, 2012) and the other in Mindanews (July 8, 2012), gave an update of the murder case pending at Regional trial Court Branch 221 in Quezon City for almost three years now against erstwhile Maguindanao gov. andal ampatuan and his two sons andal ampatuan Jr. (former mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao) and Zaldy ampatuan (former governor of the autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao). the case is for “extraordinary mu der” – a well-planned massacre of 57 persons on november 23, 2009. this stemmed from lust for power fueling the political rivalry of two powerful clans. the promises of “special scoops” and sensational headlines led to the mass cre of more than 30 journalists and other media workers among the 57. the PDi article is from an interview with RtC 221 Judge Jocelyn solis-Reyes – the judge reacting from sarcastic criticisms about the pace of the trial, one saying it would take 55,000 years. the judge’s hope to hand down the verdict “before President aquino ends his term” will not satisfy the critics – a no source of consolation for the victims’ kin. the Mindanews report datelined koronadal City is that of the blame hurled at President Benigno s. aquino iii by Party-list gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus. she said, “Every day that President aquino’s administration delays the delivery of justice in relation to the ampatuan massacre, he further cultivates and fosters the culture of impunity.” the long delay that is bound to get longer – no indictment in the first two years – cannot be blamed on the presiding judge or on the President but on the Philippine justice system and the most revered “Rule of Law”. the judge cannot go beyond the Penal or Criminal Code and the Rules of Court; the President cannot dictate on the judge once the case has been filed in court. to a great extent, the Congress can be blamed for its evident blindness and indifference to the flaws in the laws on which our justice system is founded. only the Congress can amend laws and enact more, as necessary – not the judge; not the President. the ampatuan (aptly, Masalay) massacre was not an ordinary murder. it was committed by 200 armed men, more or less, under one command following days of planning and surveillance. it was a most brazen extrajudicial killing – a war crime at peace time. only andal ampatuan and his two sons were responsible. Had they been the only ones charged and tried the case would have been finished by now.

But the massacre was treated as an ordinary murder case. all the principals and accomplices have to be charged. guns used – all if possible – have to be accounted for and tested. of the 196 charged with warrants issued, about 100 have remained at large. We have no figure regarding the number of guns so far recovered. the number of witnesses must also be legions. if this had been how Japanese general Yamashita and others were tried for war crimes after World War ii, they could never have been convicted. that goes true for the military commanders now being tried for war crimes during the ethnic cleansing in Croatia. the Philippine Congress should pass special laws penalizing extrajudicial killing – brazen or subvert. such killings have been going on for decades and members of the Congress could only join militants in blaming Presidents for inaction.

EDGEDAVAO

“t

HE total amount of investments is equal to the total amount of savings” a simple macroeconomic theory says. this assumes that all savings go to proper and formal economic channels and that they are not kept hidden in proverbial piggy banks. Unfortunately, not all undisposed incomes remain in economic circulation simply because many filipinos prefer to have their unspent money within easy reach until the time they need easy cash. for ordinary filipinos, savings are the means to respond to unexpected (yet anticipated simply because they are inevitable) emergencies and forthcoming financial obligations. savings are not usually used to create opportunities for greater and additional incomes. or if there are, they are unreasonably postponed until the amount of savings has reached a comfortable level where emergencies could easily be addressed when they actually occur. to put it simply, filipinos are more concerned with the rainy days rather than the simple yet potential opportunities to multiply their incomes. for lack of better appreciation and knowledge where to put their savings into,average filipinos keep their extra money in the bank – simply for safekeeping. Even successful business personsdeposit their earnings in the bank

a

Earning almost effortlessly – again, for safekeeping, until such time that they need some cash either for business expansion or for ordinary personal or household spending. if you cannot yet afford to set up your business with the savings that you have, putting your savings in the right place and at right time provides opportunities for you and your family to realize additional income without unnecessarily compromising your ability to meet emergencies and financial obligations later on.

People should change their mindset a bit such that their extra, undisposed money could be called “investments” rather than mere “savings”. no matter how big or small they could be, these monies should generate additional incomes. Even in banks, there is a menu of options where to park one’s savings – in addition to the usual savings account. among these are: 1.

Checking accounts – they are usually meant for transactions, not real savings. given this, there is a notion that they don’t pay much interest. However, some commercial banks - especially the universal banks - combine the conveniences of checking account with the return of a money market account. Hence, you have convenience, access and earnings rolled into one.

2.

High-yield bank accounts – they are rare to find in sub-urban places but if you can find them, their main feature is that they of-

fer flexibility and liquidity where you could easily manage your deposits and withdrawals anywhere and anytime.

3.

Money market deposit accounts – they are offered by banks. they require a minimum balance and permit a limited number of transactions per month. However, the interest you earn is far higher than the pittance in savings accounts.

4.

Money market funds – these are normally offered by brokerages and mutual fund entities or families. the returns on money market funds are typically higher than the return on money market accounts.

5.

Certificates of depositand time deposits – these are debt instruments with a specific maturity, which can be anywhere from three months to 60 months. Depending on how long it is to maturity, CDs or time deposits may pay more than money markets.

6. government bills or notes -treasuries are considered the safest investments in the world. of course, there are more high yielding investments where you could put your money into such as real estate investments or mutual funds. the choice where to park your money depends on your personal need for cash at any given time, the amount of risk you could take, and you personal lifestyle. it’s your personal choice.

SpECiAl FEATuRE

surveillance radars, and a mobile radar. at the same time, del Rosario said smart weapons shall also be procured such guided air-to-air, air-to-ground and antiship missile to provide precision strike capability.

Del Rosario expressed sadness that “we have started at the top and deteriorated” over the years.

He said a strong air force is a source of national pride. for his part, gen. Villarete recalled when the Paf had in its inventory the f-5 jetfighters “that any intrusion in our airspace and territorial waters was immediately intercepted by our pilots and challenged the intruders. “this was because we had that capability but we no longer have that now,” Villarete said in a phone interview with the Philippines news agency.

He also said in several occasions in the past, China had put up structures on spratly islands claimed by the Philippines but Paf pilots blasted them all. the scarborough stand-off between China and the Philippines would not have happened if the Philippines had a strong air force and navy, Villarete said.

Military officials interviewed by Pna also expressed the same sentiment.

Villarete batted for the modernization of the military, particularly the acquisition of new jetfighters that will guard the country’s air space and sea lanes. (PNA)

Strong Air Force an instrument of national pride

strong air force is an instrument of national pride. this is in a nutshell was expressed by two veteran jetfighter pilots, Maj. gen.

Jose tony E. Villarete, commanding general of the 3rd air Division of the Philippine air force (Paf), and Col. Raul L. del Rosario, commander of the 3rd air Division, who stressed the importance of a credible air defense to protect the country’s airspace and territorial waters on a 24/7 basis.

Villarete and del Rosario are strong advocates for the Paf to acquire as soon as possible new jetfighters to replace the f-8 Crusaders and f-5 freedom fighters supersonic planes which were decommissioned in 1989 and 2005, respectively, due to wear and tear and lack of spare parts. at present, the Philippines has no effective air defense in the absence of jetfighters the past seven years and compounded by a limited radar capability that would detect intrusions by foreign aircraft and ships into the country’s territorial airspace and seawaters. the current state of the Paf is a far cry from the days of old when the air force had 21 squadrons of fighter planes or 251 fighter aircraft, making it as the most deadly air force in asia, second only to Japan after World War ii until the ‘70s. the procrastination in the acquisition of jetfighters to replace the decommissioned f-5s and f-8s left the Paf without a single supersonic jetfighter-interceptor in its arsenal.

Col. del Rosario said: “an aggressive capa-

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

By Ben cal bility upgrade scheme should be laid down,” and was to note that there “is already a work in progress” as manifested by Defense secretary Voltaire gazmin during the 65th Paf anniversary last week. gazmin said “the upgrade and modernization program for our armed forces is presently in full swing.”

He said the defense department is working speedily on the approval of contracts for the upgrade and modernization of 138 projects to be implemented over the next five years. the deadline for the approval of these contracts is on July 31, 2011. “these projects would surely provide the Philippine air force with brand new and reliable assets for its operations, along with the operational requirements of the Philippine navy and the Philippine army,” gazmin said. the acquisition will include surface attack aircraft, lead-in fighter trainer, attack helicopters, light transport aircraft and medium transport aircraft to be delivered in 2014. “the air force is hopeful to see the delivery of two long range patrol aircraft by 2014,” del Rosario said.

He was also glad that the Paf is also acquiring 12 surface attack aircraft, three

9

Davao City’s Black taxis, among PH most modern SpECiAl FEATuRE By ruDolPh alama

a

(Conclusion)

notHER advantage for gPs is when a passenger accidentally leaves his or her belongings in the cab. Provided the passenger remembers the taxi number the gPs can expeditiously locate the taxi and relay a message of the passenger’s left item.

Tourism feature Black taxis tan said were patterned after black-colored luxury car taxis found in other developed countries.

We want our black taxis to be set apart from the rest; the black color denotes elegance and formality tan said. But unlike other black luxury taxis abroad where there is much higher flag-down and tariff rates, Davao City Black taxis have the same rates as regular taxis. tan said that Black taxis provide comfort, convenience and safety to passengers. Black taxi Drivers have stricter dress code, being mandated to wear black pants (no jeans, faded pants) and black leather shoes (no colored rubber shoes) they also undergo training to handle the taxis unique high-tech features. on the works is a partnership between the Department of tourism and the Mabuhay taxi Company to feature it’s More fun in the Philippines ads

‘Tan said that he has received reports that passengers prefer to ride the Black Taxis. He cites a taxi line where waiting passengers would let other passengers board other taxis so that they can ride the Black Taxis.’

similar to the Black taxis in London England. it is hoped to be finalized and featured during the kadayawan festival in august. tan said that he has received reports that passengers prefer to ride the Black taxis. He cites a taxi line where waiting passengers would let other passengers board other taxis so that they can ride the Black taxis.

History Pierre Ryan tan was then a 14-year old teenager when he dreamt of a owning a taxi fleet. together with the combined savings of his sister they were able to purchase a single taxi unit. their father, Manuel tan M.D. bought more units and in 1994 Mabuhay taxi was born. “i was a teenager then so it was my father who managed the business.” tan said. through the years their business grew to become one of the biggest taxi companies in the city. at 34, Pierre is overseeing the growth of his new taxi baby. He says by next month he will be seeing Black taxis to be a 40-strong fleet. tan says he is working on introducing new innovations for his taxi fleet, which he declines to elaborate classifying it as trade secrets but he says will be using ultra-modern digital technology to bring unrivalled luxury and convenience to Davao’s taxi riding public. [PIA 11/RG Alama]

10

SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

Dairy Capital

EDGEDAVAO

Fresh milk to replace sodas in DavNor n

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario leads the launch of the milk-feeding program of Davao del Norte at the launch of the new dairy processing plant in New Corella. With him are (from left) Land O› Lakes Country

UtRitioUs fresh milk will soon take the place of soft drinks on official events and social gatherings in the province. governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario enjoined local officials to use fresh milk as the official drink being served to guests during official and social functions in the province, particularly in the barangays. “starting today, in every official event of the barangays, such as anniversaries and fiestas, i want to see bottles of fresh milk rather than bottles of colas being served to guests,” he said at the inauguration of the dairy processing plant here. aside from enjoying their health benefits, Del Rosario wanted the communities to patronize the dairy products to ensure the sustainability of the project, P23-million dairy development project being implemented by the Us-based ngo Land o’lakes (LoL) and funded by the Us Department of agriculture. a component of the dairy project, the P11-million processing plant can process 1,500 liters of fresh milk into dairy products that include fresh milk with

Manager Qazi Yawar Naeem, LOL Foundation Director Zaheer Baber, USDA Agriculture Atache Bill Verzani, hidden, and and Mayor Nestor Alcoran. [NOeL BAGUIO/ DAvNOR PIO]

plain, choco, mango, durian or ube flavors, milk bars, and yogurt. the raw milk will be supplied by the 157 milking cows being tended by 77 farmers who are beneficiaries of the dairy project. the provincial government put up a counterpart of P3.6 million for the structure, while the municipal government of new Corella provided the lot.

Honored guests LoL Country Manager Qazi Yawar naeem, LoL foundation Director Zaheer Baber and UsDa agriculture atache Bill Verzani were all optimistic the project will succeed, judging from the strong support of the provincial government, along with the local chief executives of the LgUs. the province also launched its milk-feeding program, as a component of the dairy project, in order to “rehabilitate all severely underweight pre-school children, as well as, severely wasted and stunted children.” some 2,251 severely malnourished pre-schoolers around the province were included in the first batch of the 120-day feeding program.

CYNTHIA S. DE LEON PAWNSHOP to: all our ValueD cuStomerS: Please be informed that the cynthia S. De leon Pawnshop, previously located at cartir Square Buhangin, Davao city, has transferred to Stall no. 13 Buhangin Public market. Barangay Buhangin, Davao city the manaGement Sa tanan namonG mahal nGa cuStomerS: among ipahibalo nga ang cynthia S. De leon Pawnshop, nga kanhi nahimutang sa cartir Square Buhangin, Davao city, gibalhin na sa Stall no. 13 Buhangin Public market, Barangay Buhangin Davao city

Tigato Road

Monday, July 9, at the municipal gymnasium. United towards a Strong, Wealthy And Globally competitive Sarangani (USWAG), is an adaptation of the MSME development week held every second week of July which Sarangani expanded into a month-long activity.

RECOGNITION. Allan Tolentino (center) receives a plaque of appreciation from (from left) Governor Migs Dominguez, Trade and Industry Regional Director Ibrahim Guiamadel, TESDA Sarangani Provincial Director Maisalam Macarimbang, Board Members Cornelio Martinez, Bryan Reganit and Elmer De Peralta during the

opening ceremony of USWAG Sarangani (United towards a Strong, Wealthy And Globally competitive Sarangani) at municipal gym. Tolentino, owner of Woodbridge Resort, is one of the five Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises cited for active involvement and participation to MSMEs development program in Sarangani.

Cabantian Road

Old Location Cynthia S. De Leon Pawnshop

taGa PaGDumala

KIAMBA’S BEST. Governor Migs Dominguez gestures as he gives an inspirational message to local food and non-food producers as their products are launched under “Kiamba`s Best”, a common brand of the town`s produce during the opening ceremony of USWAG Sarangani 2012

New Location Cynthia S. De Leon Pawnshop

Buhangin Central Elementary School

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

Sun Life Financial - Philippines President and CEO Riza Mantaring and ABS-CBN Foundation’s Gina Lopez-Roy lead the ribbon cutting at turnover ceremonies in Bayan

ni Juan in Calauan, Laguna. With them is Sun-Sun, Sun Life’s official mascot.

Sun Life shines for a brighter world i

n a world cradled by the sun, sharing its life-giving light is the inspiration behind the sun Life financial – Philippines foundation, the advocacy arm of sun Life financial in the Philippines. for the country’s longeststanding life insurer, bringing a brighter future is the way to give back to countless filipinos who have put their trust in its hands.

Generous tradition incorporated in 2008, the sun Life Philippines foundation is the culmination of a tradition that sun Life has honored through the years. Before the foundation, its human resource department conducted its corporate social responsibility (CsR) efforts, reflecting strong grassroots support. such positive reception nurtured the spirit of advocacy among sun Lifers, carrying the causes of education, environment, health, and culture. sustainability is at the heart of these ventures, which reflects the company’s mission to provide financial freedom to more filipinos. in fact, sun Life contributes a major portion of the CsR spend of the insurance industry.

Sustainable endeavors “our projects vary in scope, and we treat each

project as a long-term commitment. for instance, we just welcomed over 100 families to the Legacy of Light village, where relocated families can start a new, brighter life,” shared sun Life Philippines foundation Executive Director Veron Estrella. in partnership with the aBs-CBn foundation, inc., the community is part of sun Life’s support for the ilog Pasig clean-up, including the resettlement of those who live along its banks. Humanitarian and environmental efforts move sun Lifers to action, like its gawad kalinga tie-up a few years back, where sun Life advisors constructed houses from the ground up. and what good is a secure future with a fragile planet? the sun Life foundation joins hands with the World Wide fund to raise money to protect and preserve threatened natural resources. Even the company’s used tarpaulins were recycled into bags, while the houses in the Legacy of Light were reinforced with melted plastics.

Focus on education Education and culture is at the heart of a more secure and stable tomorrow, especially in teaching filipinos sound financial planning.

one of the foundation’s earlier campaigns, It’s Time!, is the first sustainable and multimedia financial literacy advocacy that garnered numerous local and global recognitions.

Every year, sun Lifers pitch in the Brigada Eskwela initiative by the Department of Education. to improve math comprehension among elementary students, the foundation produced the courseware on elementary algebra that will be aired in the knowledge Channel. and for numbers to be more fun, the foundation built a Math Pocket in the Mind Museum. another annual cause is the sunPioLogy collaboration with actor-advocate Piolo Pascual and Hebreo foundation. as of this year, this three-year-running event has raised millions of pesos to send more scholars to school. “a brighter world makes good business sense, because uplifting the lives of our fellow filipinos also enriches our own. We believe that to whom much is given, much is required. for sun Life, to whom a legacy of trust has been given, it is but our duty to give back,” said sun Life Philippines foundation Board of trustees President Riza Mantaring.

COMPETITIVE EDGE 11

12 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEFS

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Infidelity

House of Representatives committee has approved a bill that would impose stiff penalties on married citizens engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual other than his or her legal spouse. the House Committee on Women and gender Equality has endorsed for plenary action on House Bill 5734 which also eliminates gender bias in laws penalizing the crimes of adultery and concubinage.

New species

f

oUR new species of freshwater crab, bright purple in colour, have been discovered in the biologically diverse but ecologically-threatened Philippines, the man who found them said saturday. the tiny crustaceans burrow under boulders and roots in streams, feeding on dead plants, fruits, carrion and small animals in the water at night, said Hendrik freitag of germany’s senckenberg Museum of Zoology.

i

Charges

nVEstigatoRs of the office of the ombudsman have recommended the filing of criminal charges against iloilo Rep. augusto syjuco Jr. and several former and incumbent officials of the technical Education and skills Development authority (tEsDa). the ombudsman’s field investigation office (fio) made the recommendation. the charges stemmed from alleged financial irregularities involving syjuco when he was tEsDa director general during the arroyo administration.

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EDGEDAVAO

US commander reaffirms Philippines defense treaty B

WORLD TODAY

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senior Us commander in the Pacific reaffirmed the United states’ mutual defense treaty with the Philippines sunday amid increased tensions between the archipelago and China. in the strongest comments yet from an american official on the south China sea dispute, Commander of the Us Marines in the Pacific Lieutenant general Duane thiessen said the Philippines and Us were bound by a military agreement. “the United states and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty which guarantees that we get involved in each other’s defense and that is self explanatory,” he told reporters in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. thiessen was responding to a question about whether the Us would provide assistance if Chinese armed forces attacked Philippine units over conflicting claims to the scarborough shoal which have flared up in recent weeks. the Us commander did not elaborate on what kind of assistance would be provided.

He also stressed that Us-Philippine military exercises that began last week were not directed at China and not linked to territorial tensions. “there is no direct

REAFFIRMED. US Marine Lieutenant General Duane Theissen (L), commanding general marine forces pacific speaks during a press conference at a military base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan island. The senior US linkage. there is no tie between scarborough shoal and Us movement in the Pacific,” he said.

His remarks came after Philippine foreign secretary albert del Rosario issued a statement calling on other countries to take a stand on China’s alleged aggressiveness in the region. “since the freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce in the (south China sea) are of great import to many nations, all should consider what China is endeavouring to do in the scarborough shoal,” del Rosario said.

commander in the Pacific reaffirmed the United States’ mutual defence treaty with the Philippines Sunday amid increased tensions between the archipelago and China.

“all, not just the Philippines will be ultimately negatively affected if we do not take a stand,” he said in an sMs message sent to reporters.

Chinese and Philippine ships began a standoff in scarborough shoal on april 8, giving increased attention to the annual joint military exercise this year. a Philippine coast guard ship and two Chinese vessels are still facing off over the two countries’ conflicting claims to the shoal, about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon.

a Chinese military paper recently warned that the latest Us-Philippine exercise increased the threat of an armed confrontation in the region.

China claims all of the south China sea, even up to the coasts of other countries including the Philippines, directly conflicting with the claims of many of its neighbors.

While the Philippines concedes it cannot stand up to China’s military might, officials have also cited its 1951 mutual defense treaty which calls on the United states to come to the country’s aid in case of external attack.

Annan plan last hope: ‘Friends of Syria’

a

“friends of syria” coalition meeting in Paris on thursday called a U.n.-backed peace plan the “last hope” to resolve the crisis and said they would do all they could to help it succeed, according to draft conclu-

Growing

ELiEf in god is highest among older people and increases with age, perhaps due to the growing realization that death is coming closer, University of Chicago researchers said on Wednesday. summarizing data from surveys performed in 1991, 1998 and 2008 in 30 countries from Chile to Japan, the university’s national opinion Research Center found that, on average, 43 percent of those aged 68 and older were certain that god exists.

sions obtained by Reuters.

“Every day that passes means dozens of new syrian civilian deaths,” said the final declaration by the meeting’s host, french foreign Minister alain Juppe. “it is not time to prevaricate. it is time to act.” alluding to fears that syria could descend into all-out civil war if the plan worked out by international envoy kofi annan fails, the statement added: “though fragile, the annan mission represents a last hope.” the 14-nation group - including the United states, Britain, france, saudi arabia, turkey and Qatar - called on syrian authorities to end all violence immediately and said it would work to ensure the success of annan’s arab League-U.n. plan.

U.s. secretary of state Hillary Clinton stepped up the pressure on Damascus, saying the U.n. security Council should move towards a sanctions resolution capable of being enforced if syria does not

LAST HOPE. U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan attends a meeting of a committee of ministers from the Arab League in Doha, to discuss the situation in Syria April 17, 2012. permit an adequate monitoring mission.

“We need to continue to work and move toward a security Council authorisation so that we have the authority to proceed when the times are right,” she said.

“We need to start moving very vigorously in the security Council for a Chapter 7 sanctions resolution, including travel, financial sanctions, an arms

embargo, and the pressure that that will give us on the regime to push for compliance with kofi annan’s sixpoint plan,” she said. summing up the consensus of the meeting, Juppe said that if the annan plan did not work, “we have decided that the U.n. security Council and the international community will examine other options to get out of this tragedy.”

n

Apology

oRtH korea has demanded that south korea apologize for what it called insults during major anniversary festivities, or face a “sacred war”, as seoul unveiled a new missile to deter its neighbor.

Regional tensions have risen since Pyongyang went ahead with a long-range rocket launch last friday, defying international calls to desist.

Computer games

n

oRWEgian antiislamic fanatic anders Behring Breivik told a court on thursday that he used computer games to prepare for his attacks, once spending an entire year isolated from society playing a game for hours on end.

Breivik, on trial for massacring 77 people last July, said he spent “lots of time” playing Modern Warfare, a first-person shooting game, and also took an entire year off to play World of Warcraft, a multi-player role-playing game with more than 10 million subscribers.

Collaboration

a

new digital media service will foster the global collaboration of physicians and help them to share the latest advances in aiDs and other virus research, according to its Canadian promoters. the new bilingual french and English service, “viroXchange,” is funded by large pharmaceutical companies but will provide “independent” reporting on the latest medical breakthroughs for healthcare professionals, they said.

t

Deportation

HE deportation of osama bin Laden’s family from Pakistan to saudi arabia will take at least a few more days and is being discussed between the two countries, their lawyer said friday. the 9/11 mastermind’s three widows, their eight children and a grandchild were held by Pakistan authorities after bin Laden was killed in a Us special forces operation in the town of abbottabad, north of islamabad, last May.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

Confiscation...

Strike...

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FFROM 1

happens, dispersal of violent rallies and criminal activities,” she added.

Backed by supporters Various local organizations led by the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) and the Church Labor solidarity expressed their support to the workers who are now in their third day of work stoppage. also expressing their sympathy for the strikers were the sisters’ association in Mindanao, student Christian Movement of the Philippines, national Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Panalipdan, Bagong alyansang Makabayan and other progressive groups among others.

Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the PCPR led a liturgical service for the striking media workers at their picket line in front of RMn Davao station at anda street.

Villasanta said the man-

Mindanao’s...

agement’s denial to address the legitimate demands of union members is a form of violence, which the Church denounces.

Pastor Jurie Jayme, karapatan southern Mindanao spokesperson who also joined the liturgy cited the case of Dodong solis, former RMn Davao station manager, who was arbitrarily dismissed.

Lawyer Carlo isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna partylist, who visited the striking workers, said staging a strike is a legitimate action of workers and the highest expression of their right to defend themselves from forms of exploitation by the management. “as long as the strikers’ unity is intact, and that they continue to strengthen their ranks, they will achieve their demands from the management,” Zarate said.

Apply...

tracking of the Public-Private Partnership projects.

Citing the business sector’s continued contribution to economic growth, she said the business process outsourcing industry has an increasing demand for real properties and its business activities demand for financial intermediation.

Meanwhile, the agriculture sector is expected to recover from the impact of natural disasters to continue its contribution to economic growth.

FFROM 3 do upon arrival,” she said candidly, adding that it is very difficult for PWDs to use toilets that do not have universal grab, apart from the design mandated

by BP 344. she also mentioned that roll-in showers, bath tubs, and handheld showers are not yet stipulated in the law. in an interview, director Maria Rica Buena of the office of tourism standards and Regulation, Dot, admitted that comfort rooms of most tourism establishments do not have the correct design yet. she said, however, that the country’s tourism sector is catching up as the Dot has conducted series of information dissemination since last year. she pointed out that “there are certain provisions of the law that needed to be revised.”

“Most feedback

Paje...

the said RMn personnel tried to pull out two broadcast microphones and accessories, headset, speakers and adaptor for laptop, and the station logbook/directory.

Bahaw, however, clarified that these non-striking personnel told union members they are not aware that they are forbidden from pulling out the equipment at the height of the strike. the striking workers noted that RMn’s DXDC aM station continued to broadcast local programs since July 11 at an undisclosed remote area contrary to national telecommunications Commission rules and in violation of its franchise. as of press time, Edge Davao tried to get the side of the RMn Davao management, but there were no authorized representatives to speak on their behalf.

FFROM 2

FFROM 2 prospects and robust remittances from overseas filipinos continue to fuel household consumption. “the impressive increase in investment pledges, aside from being a sign of high investor confidence in the Philippines, contributes to bullish expectations on domestic demand,” Deveza said. she also said that business expectations were further improved through the increase of government spending due to the fast-

He noted that the workers’ demands which included salary increases for a total of P99,000 is only a small chunk off the company’s monthly profit which is reportedly at P24 million. the demand for increase, says Zarate, is within the provisions of the Labor Code.

Padlocked at 5:45 p.m. last thursday, management padlocked the gate of RMn Davao station, prohibiting any member of the RDEU to enter the station.

Joy Bahaw, RDEU member, cited the attempt of management through the network’s supervisory employees identified only in the logbook as “salas, Z., Pantaleon, B., Comidoy, M. and Miral, M” to pull out equipment from the station last July 10 but they were intercepted by striking workers.

from tourism sector is that the forum was an eye-opener for them,” she said. noting that the PWDs belong to a huge global market segment that the country needs to receive, Dot 11 director art Boncato said it is a challenge that his department shares with other tourism stakeholders. “it is something that we share with the stakeholders for them to invest in it and for them to appreciate why we have to do it,” he said.

He pointed out that filipinos are known around the world as good in taking care of PWDs and that local industries are ready to cater PWDs as tourism market niche in complying with Bft. kono said PWDs stimulate local tourism and, in fact, can sustain it, while leading to employment of PWDs and other snowball effects.

per cent excise tax on mining activities, considering that minerals are finite, nonrenewable resources. if government continued to sign new contracts that are on a 25-year term and renewable for another 25 years, it would “compromise future generations by depriving them of their share of the country’s natural wealth.” the only way to balance this, he said, is for government to optimize revenues and benefits from mining, and invest these in future generations, such as through infrastructure and construction of school buildings. the revenues would come from increased taxes and imposition of royalties “for government to have a share in what the government actually owns.”

Paje added that the Eo will prove that “mining can

Manado...

co-exist with other industries, such as tourism” with the provision on a mining ban in 78 ecotourism sites nationwide identified under the national tourism Development Plan.

He also noted how the Eo has set the bar on improving environmental standards, with provisions on banning the use of mercury, as well as reiteration of limiting small-scale mining activities in declared “minahang bayan” areas as provided for under Republic act 7076 or the People’s small-scale Mining act. a “minahang bayan” would ensure that conflicts with other tenements would be avoided, and would limit haphazard diggings and contain mining wastes that may be detrimental to the health of the community and the environment. (PNA)

FFROM 2

“We should also come up with various BiMPEaga wide fellowship and tourism activities like friendship games, student exchange programs, and yacht tours to attract more mainstream passengers to take these direct flights,» said Zaenur Rofid, indonesian Consul general in Davao City.

Manado is also a home to word-class diving sites, which has been a favorite destination of local and international tourists. another inter-Eaga flight is likewise expected to be launched within the year, serving DavaoManado-kota kinabalu and Puerto Princesa-kota kinabalu routes, which will be pioneered by Maswings.

“We urge our local tourism and transport

sectors to create enticing tour packages that will highlight the unique eco-tourism sites of each destination as one of the ways to sustain these routes” said antonino. governments of the four countries signed the Expansion air Linkages MoU in 2007 with the end goal of promoting and enhancing trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange in the sub-region.

BiMP-Eaga is an economic cooperation formally created in 1994 covering the entire Brunei Darussalam; 10 provinces in the indonesian islands of kalimantan, sulawesi, Maluku and irian Jaya; sabah, sarawak and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. [MINDA]

ong-poyong units should start complying with the city’s implementation of a standard design for motorcycle units rendering transport services.

Unlike tricycles, Cloribel explained only four passengers are allowed per unit of a newly converted enclosed motorcycle cab.

Motorcycle units used as payong-payong, Cloribel said, usually use Honda XRM or other similar “small but fast” motorcycle units. “ang kana man gung mga XRM, gagmay na siya kumpara sa mga kawasaki nga ginagamit sa tricycle. ang limit lang gyud para sa XRM is four passengers. (XRM units are small compared to those like kawasaki which is used for tricycles. the limit for XRM is four passengers)” Cloribel said yesterday during a media forum at the City Hall.

“Dili na dapat ginaproblema nganong gamay lang ang gina-allow nga pasahero kay mao pud ang mas-safe nga pamaagi (there shouldn’t be a concern on why there’s a limitation on the number of passengers because this is the safe way),” he added.

Cloribel said confiscations of trisikads or bicycles modified with a side car will also commence on the said date.

He however clarified that trisikads would only be confiscated if the units will be made to traverse on main thoroughfares and other prohibited areas.

Meanwhile, lawyer Lawrence Bantiding, officer in charge of the City Legal office (CLo) transportation regulation division said their mobile registration has started in toril District. the team is composed of personnel from both the city government and the Land transportation

office (Lto). it will accommodate the registrations of payong-payong owners and issue franchises. “kami na ang muduol sa ilaha. Dili pud mi masuko nganong karon lang mo nagpa-rehistro. Basta kay magpa-registro mo okay na sa amo (We will be the ones to approach them. We will not get angry. so long as they undergo registration that’s okay with us)” he said.

Bantiding said they have so far received around 500 applications with about 400 of which are coming from toril District, the de facto payong-payong capital of the city. these units are populous in the city’s toril district. the city government has come up with a new prototype trike design for these payong-payongs to be given franchises. The new design involves a yellow-colored side car which can seat two passengers at the front and a passenger at the driver’s back, the space at the back will only be reserved for baggage and other cargo. “the modified design will just seat around three passengers” Bantiding said. according to Bantiding, the new modified design will cost around P18,000 or P9,000 if the unit already has an existing side car.

He said that they are expecting 2,000 applications mostly coming from toril.

Bantiding said that they have no accredited shop to make these modifications as the city will give the unit owners the free-hand to choose their shops perhaps to lower down costs as long as it conforms to the specified modifications. as for those with existing licensed tricycles the city is still thinking of having a uniform modification but as of the moment the requirement for modifications will only be given to new areas or routes. [WIth RG ALAMA/PIA]

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late GENALIN T. MANGUDADATU, has been EXTRA – JUDICIALLY SETTLED executed by his heirs per Doc. No. 370; Page No. 74; Book No. XXXVI; Series of 2012 of the NOTARY PUBLIC FRANCISCO M. VILLANO (EdgeDavao July 13,20,27)

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SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

Nash gets his dream jersey E

L sEgUnDo, Calif. -steve nash knew the scene was more than a bit surreal when he stood in the Los angeles Lakers’ training complex, grinning and holding up a gold no. 10 jersey with his name on the back. ‘’Being here right now is something i never foresaw,’’ nash said Wednesday. ‘’that (jersey) was a major hurdle for me just to get over visually as a player.’’ the two-time MVP will get used to it. after spending the past 16 years trying to beat L.a. in Phoenix and Dallas, nash is switching teams to chase nBa titles alongside kobe Bryant. the Lakers formally welcomed nash on Wednesday, a week after reaching a deal to get the superstar point guard from the suns. after several days to get used to these developments, the 38-year-old nash is eager to open another chapter in his remarkable career - a chapter that will extend to at least 2015 under his new threeyear, $27 million contract. ‘’it’s a franchise that i think everybody would dream of playing for,’’ nash

said, evincing his usual sartorial style in a dark-blue pinstriped suit with an open shirt collar and a red pocket square. ‘’it’s an exciting project, to say the least. ... i definitely never thought i’d play 19 years in the league, and i feel very fortunate that i have my health and, most importantly, have the desire to do it. i still enjoy pushing myself to get better and produce. i don’t foresee that changing, and that’s the key ingredient.’’ nash wasn’t the only person still surprised to find him in the Lakers’ gym, where Metta World Peace got in a workout shortly before nash arrived.

Los angeles general manager Mitch kupchak thought he had no chance to get nash when Lakers owner Jim Buss encouraged him to call nash’s agent, Bill Duffy, in the opening minutes of free agency. kupchak quickly learned his team fit nash’s two criteria as an impending free agent no longer in the suns’ plans: nash wanted to be near his three children in Phoenix, and he wanted to play for a winner. ‘’i got to tick all the box-

es here,’’ nash said. ‘’it was definitely difficult. i knew in Phoenix that the Lakers have been the most hated team for 40 years, so i knew there would be a lot of people that wouldn’t understand. But i’ve played a long time in this league, and i feel like i deserve to make a move that’s best for me and my family. ‘’the people i really need not to disappoint are my children, and (i’d rather) tell them i’m going to go back East and see them three or four times a year than i’m going to be in L.a. and see them three or four times a month.’’

With the Lakers, he can

also run pick-and-rolls with the fifth-leading scorer in nBa history while feeding two of the league’s best 7-footers, whoever they may be by september. kupchak refused to talk about the Lakers’ entry in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes while showing off the prize he already won.

Bryant, Pau gasol and andrew Bynum are already salivating at the prospect of seeing nash every night. the eight-time all-star already is fifth on the nBa’s career list with 9,916 assists, and his incredibly accurate jumper should fill a major Lakers need.

the floor with my new teammates.’’ allen agreed to join the Heat on friday, deciding to leave Boston after five wildly successful seasons and the 2008 nBa championship.

Lewis agreed to terms with Miami on tuesday. allen will make just over $3 million this season. Lewis will earn about $1.35 million from the Heat, plus another $13.7 million after getting a buyout from the new orleans Hornets earlier this

offseason. for Lewis, coming to Miami is a new beginning. for allen, coming to Miami wraps up a month of unexpected twists and turns. the Celtics’ season ended in Miami a little over a month ago, with a loss in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. allen was unusually emotional after that defeat, then insisted that even after an injury-marred season - he’s recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle - he has basketball left in his legs.

Boston tried to keep him, offering him twice as much as he’ll make per year in Miami. nonetheless, allen found himself drawn to the Heat. allen said that Celtics coach Doc Rivers and general manager Danny ainge were disappointed by his decision. allen said he reached out to kevin garnett - he was particularly close with garnett and Paul Pierce in Boston - when he began leaning toward Miami, telling garnett in a text message that the move was likely. garnett’s responded by saying that he was sure ainge would do whatever it took to keep allen in Boston.

Days later, allen was signing in Miami. and on Wednesday, allen downplayed the notion that the move came in part because of a perceived rift with Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.

Heat Overload

Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are the new members of the NBA champion Miami Heat.

M

iaMi -- Ray allen’s role in Miami is yet to be totally determined. and that clearly doesn’t bother the nBa’s leading 3-point shooter. allen and Rashard Lewis signed their free-agent contracts with the Heat on Wednesday, giving the nBa champions a pair of veterans who bring tons of experience and versatility to a lineup already featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

and both wasted no time saying they want to adapt to the Heat way. ‘’Whatever’s going to be best for me in this situation is going to figure itself out,’’ allen said, flanked by Heat President Pat Riley and coach Erik spoelstra for his introductory news conference. ‘’this team won a championship without me. i’m not going to come in and expect for coach to cater to who i am and what i do. i’ve got to make that work on

Steve Nash and his new no. 10 Lakers jersey.

Miami brings in allen, Lewis

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VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

ARTS

Family, friends pay tribute to Dolphy The day that followed comedy king Dolphy’s death

on July 10 at 8:34pm came and went in a blur.

As soon as the news was confirmed, fans began flocking to Makati Medical Center, to find out firsthand what was going to happen next to the king of comedy. how was his family? Where is he going? They all wanted to know.

From Makati Medical Center, Dolphy’s body was taken to heritage Park in Taguig City. he stayed there until around 11am of July 11, after which his body was taken to his home in Marina Bay in Paranaque.

From there, they proceeded to ABS-CBN in Quezon City. The station’s Dolphy Theater was prepared to welcome its namesake for an afternoon and evening of necrological services.

Public viewing was allowed from 9pm to 2am (July 12). According to ANC, an estimated 2,000 fans came to say goodbye to Dolphy.

Two sons and their promises TV Patrol anchor Korina Sanchez interviewed eric and Vandolph Quizon in the July 11 airing of the news program.

Although grieving, the two Quizon sons remember their father with fondness and much love.

“The most important thing is that all of us had a moment with him. he would tell us that he wanted to go home, that he was tired. he reminded us that family is all we have in this world,” said Vandolph, Dolphy’s son with actress Alma Moreno.

Asked if the family was at Dolphy’s bedside during his time of death, eric — one of Dolphy’s 4 sons with Pamela Ponti — said, “Most of us were there. I was not because I was working.” he continued, “My dad wanted us to be together. he waited for all my siblings to come. When we

asked for prayers for the first time, we thought we were going to lose him. he improved; it was a miracle. he was smiling, he was saying, ‘I love you.’

We found out that he was sick (with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) 5 years ago. Just seeing him through all of his ordeals with health, he prepared us for the inevitable.

We all promised that we’ll be one for him. he wanted our family to be solid, no ‘half-siblings’ — a complete, real, unified family.”

Vandolph said he gave his father this promise: “That I’ll be a good brother to my siblings and a good father to my kids.”

Friends remember Manila Mayor Fred Lim was already friends with Dolphy when the former was still a Junior Police. When asked for his message to the king of comedy, he said, “Dude, make the angels there laugh.”

Vhong Navarro, who saw Dolphy as a fatherfigure, said Dolphy’s best advice to him was, “Laughter is contagious.

Laugh your problems away.”

Other celebrities who were spotted at the Dolphy Theater are Gio Alvarez, Isabel Granada, Rowell and Randy Santiago, Kitkat, Yachang, Maricel Soriano, Nova Villa, Archie Alemania, Ces Quesada, Piolo Pascual, Brod Pete, Bobot Mortiz and Gloria Diaz.

Ted Failon, Toni Gonzaga and Kris Aquino hosted the program.

Flags on half mast Flags in the City of Manila are on half mast in honor of Dolphy’s demise. he was born in herrera Street, Tondo, Manila on July 25, 1928.

- Rapp l e r. com

EDGEDA

A2 INdulge!

EVENTS ENTERTAINMENT

One unforget Ms. Abbygale De Leon

What makes one unforgettable?

They say that first impressions last, the way one looks, talks, and body language is what makes one totally unforgettable. Sadly, not everyone has such God given talents as most of the time, we tend to live and carry ourselves with nary a care in the world. Of course to say goodbye to being forgetful, one can go through expensive finishing schools to polish one’s personality.

Good thing the Daba-daba

Evaluating the chosen bags.

Jaycees in cooperation with Hedgren and The Travel Club hosted a one night only style clinic aptly titled “How to be Unforgettable” with former Bb. Pilipinas Universe, Abbygale Arenas-De Leon of Personi•fi as the workshop’s facilitator.

The event was an eye opener for everyone as Abbygale tackled the top ten things to do to be unforgettable. Of course I know a couple of things to be unforgettable, like giving the right handshake, flashing the best smile, and having the proper posture. But little did I realize that such small details, like proper eye contact, and giving the person you are

talking to a “pivot” can dr matically change the way yo project yourself.

Also tackled during th workshop are dress up tip since what else is the easie way to get spotted but to we

DAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

ettable workshop

raou

he ps est ear

The winner got a new Hedgren executive laptop bag.

the proper clothing for the proper occasion which made me shiver when I thought about clothing faux pas when going to work.

And lastly, volunteers were given the opportunity to practice chat they learned by of picking the right Hedgren bag to match what they were wearing that evening.

It was a total blast and I can see that Abbygale’s energy and words really sank through to all the participants who gladly took on the challenge of being unforgettable.

Follow me on twitter @kennethkingong for more urban tales, travel adventures, and foodie finds.

Learning how to properly shake another person’s hand.

Volunteers tried to find a Hedgren bag that matches their outfit.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

How Twitter broke the news on Dolphy’s death Was it ‘Rufa’ or ‘Ruffa’ who tweeted first?

THE news of Dolphy’s death on the evening of July 10 first broke on Twitter.

Actress Rufa Mae Quinto claimed she was the first to tweet about the death of the Comedy King. @imrufamaequinto Yes ako naunang nag tweet about our comedy king , family ko na din ang Quizon kaya sad ako,sad na sad @imrufamaequinto It doesn’t matter sino nauna But it was actress Ruffa Gutierrez’s post that spread like wildfire in the microblogging site.

Gutierrez and Quinto were together in Bataan for the shooting of their upcoming TV fantaserye Enchanted Garden directed by Eric Quizon, one of Dolphy’s sons and the designated spokesperson of the family.

Mau Herrera, a member of the production staff of Enchanted Garden, told Rappler that Quizon headed back to Manila about 30 minutes before the news spread on Twitter. Herrera said she heard Quizon say, “The doctor has stopped his father’s medication,” before he left the set.

Jimmy Aguilera, another staff member who was with Gutierrez and Quinto, told Rappler it was Boy2 Quizon who informed Quinto about the death of Dolphy. Quinto is the rumored girlfriend of Boy-2,

one of Dolphy’s grandsons.

Both Gutierrez and Quinto deleted their initial tweets. Based on the time stamps of the tweets reacting to and retweets of Quinto’s post, the actress broke the news at around 8:25 pm.

Gutierrez tweeted she heard the sad news at about 8:27 pm and tweeted about the Comedy King’s death at 8:35 pm.

Journalists, including ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila, retweeted Gutierrez’s tweet at 8:48 pm, even before her network confirmed the news. @Karen_DaviLa RT @ iloveruffag: R.I.P Ninong Dolphy. Thank you for making us laugh throughout the years....

At the time, various news organizations also posted disclaimers on their respective Twitter accounts, saying they were still verifying Dolphy’s death. @ANCALERTS No official word yet on Dolphy’s condition. ANC still verifying. @gmanews We are still verifying reports on Twitter that Comedy King Dolphy has passed away. Please watch @STATEOFDNATION on GMA News TV for updates. @rapplerdotcom We’re trying to confirm news spreading on social media.

Meanwhile, Yahoo! Philippines, News5Aksyon and some netizens tweeted Dolphy was still alive: @piaguanio Easy on the updates!RT @YahooPH: Nene Riego, Dolphy’s publicist, says the comedy king is still alive. Please watch out for our updates #omg Twitter user @mykapalaran posted that he got a text message from a friend who was with Eric Quizon that Dolphy was still alive. @News5Aksyon retweeted his post: @News5AKSYON RT @ mykapalaran: Direk Eric Quizon (son of Dolphy) ay nasa taping ng #EnchantedGarden ngayon. Pinabulaanan ang balitang patay na si Pidol. @IC_Mendoza Dolphy is still alive guys! Let’s keep praying for him. Thank you.

Confusion ensued on Twitter as news organizations and netizens tried to verify the news. @tonyocruz If her tweet turns out unconfirmed, RIP would now mean “Ruffa In Peace” @DivinemLee Are u sure? Gosh. Ang gulo ng twitter. RT @mykapalaran: DOLPHY IS STILL ALIVE! @il0veruffag I don’t tweet rumors. I verify the

facts first. Now may I cry and be sad now?? Thank you.

At 9:06, ABS-CBN reported ZsaZsa Padilla confirmed that Dolphy indeed

passed away.

Dolphy has passed away.

@ABSCBNNews [BREAKING] Zsa Zsa Padilla confirms to ABSCBN that Comedy King

The online exhilaration turned into viral mourning: #RIPDolphy -- Rappler.com

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

15

K

Coach & his

Olympic dilemma o

nE center? too many point guards?

Will the U.s. olympic men’s basketball team have enough depth?

Coach Mike krzyzewski has a lot on his table, but enough experience from which to draw to make the right decisions. still, there are challenges ahead with 12 of the greatest athletes in the country playing with one ball and one game at a time.

Tyson Chandler and the Dilemma of Having One Center on Team USA a lot has been made of the Usa men’s basketball team taking only one center to London. so, what’s up with that Coach k? “first of all, tyson is the best teammate. He understands who he is. He doesn’t

try to be anybody else,” krzyzewski said in a press conference. “so, he is our center, he rebounds, he plays defense on the five, he runs the court, he is going to set a lot of screens, and he loves doing all of those things.”

Chandler will use the skills that made him the nBa’s Defensive Player of the Year. the challenge?

Coach k will have to know exactly when to use Chandler, whether to stop a scoring rally, keep the opposition from easy baskets in the paint, or when the team needs a lift.

He needs defense and the things that don’t show up in a box score out of Chandler, who averages nearly nine rebounds a game over the course of his career.

Rebounding will be no problem with kevin Love and his 12.0 average, or Blake griffin and his 11.5 career aver-

US Olympic basketball coach Mike Krzyzweski will have to make do with a line-up that has only one legit center and a heap of point guards in London. Lower photos, the US team will have NBA stars Chris Paul, Kobe Bry-

age.

Love can also provide defensive help. Chandler will need to be used wisely.

Are There Too Many Point Guards on Team USA for Coach K to Handle?

Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams. Who plays the point? a good challenge for Coach k, who can also use Carmelo anthony and James Harden.

Who’s the best answer? all of the above.

Coach k can use the preliminary round to figure out if he needs a point guard who scores, or who is satisfied with directing the offense and pressuring the opposition’s point of attack.

Westbrook may be the wild card here. He was criticized, whether unfairly or not, of being selfish. Can Coach k mold him into a team player?

Perhaps that will be answered best by his teammates, all great in their own right. Coach k has handled egos and personalities in the past with grand aplomb. it should be no different here.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant: Who Will Lead Team USA in Scoring? in reality, there are at least nine players for whom Coach k can depend upon for the bulk of the scoring. But between kobe Bryant, LeBron James and kevin Durant, you’re talking something special.

Coach k’s challenge is to give each of these splendid, world-renowned players the chance to get into rhythm during any given game and take it over.

Let’s face it, James can dominate any game he plays.

He does so many things well,

ant, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Lebron James. The others are Russel Westbrook, Andre Igoudala, Kevin Love, Deron Williams and Blake Griffin.

that perhaps Coach k can challenge him to show off different aspects of his game to let Durant, among others, get their chance to score. there’s likely to be five or six players who will end up averaging double figures for team Usa at the 2012 London olympics games. the best here is Bryant, James or Durant will top that list.

James averages 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game over the course of his career. He can do it all, and perhaps sharing will be his biggest attribute.

Look for Durant, Carmelo anthony and some of the others to score big numbers early. Bryant and James will take over in the championship round.

Are There Enough Challenges in the Early Rounds to Keep US Players Interested?

superstars like kobe Bryant and LeBron James may get bored with building 3025 point leads against lesser competition. the challenge for Coach k is dividing up the minutes among all 12 players in the preliminaries to keep everybody interested in the journey. that’s what Deron Williams, James Harden and andre iguodala will be prominent players early. they will be needed as key backups in the medal round and why not give them some experience early?

Coach k can ask Blake griffin and other big-time scorers to take over a game any time. it’s such a sure bet that the americans reach the medal round, that any combination with suffice early. for Coach k, the challenge is to make sure the team doesn’t get too cozy.

16

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

Azkals in Group of Death VOL.5 ISSUE 94 • JULY 13 - 14, 2012

t

The Philippine Azkals, shown here in their last friendly against Malaysia, will be bunched in the Group of Death in the 2012 Suzuki Cup.

...join tournament in india a

s part of its preparations for the upcoming 2012 asEan football federation suzuki Cup, the Philippine azkals will have a taste of the other side of asia. the azkals participate in the 2012 nehru Cup in new Delhi, india from aug. 23 to sept. 2, in which they will collide against kenya, india,

Jordan and Maldives.

Palami said they accepted the invitation to join the tournament because they want to expose the nationals to as many matches as possible to get a greater chance of winning the suzuki Cup title.

“We aim to get the championship, but it is easier said than done,” Palami said. “if

we can have more camps together, that will be the key to our success.” the azkals had originally scheduled a training camp in the United states that conflicted with the india tilt.

Palami said they moved the camp to an earlier date – aug. 3 until aug. 17 – where they are set to play friendly matches against Major

League soccer club Chicago fire and the Us Virgin islands national team. after competing in india, the azkals will return to the country in september to continue their training camp before plunging back into action for the Long teng Cup, possibly in Bacolod City, which is aimed to take place from oct. 12 to oct. 16.

HE Philippine men’s football team has found itself in the same group as the teams it had hoped to avoid, but the azkals remain undaunted ahead of their asean football federation suzuki Cup campaign this november. team manager Dan Palami is trying to look at the bright side after the 152ndranked azkals were bracketed in group a with Vietnam (120) and thailand (135) -the top two teams in the region -- as well as the winner of the qualifying stage.

“What is important is the top teams in southeast asia based on rankings will be in one group,” he said after the draw from Bangkok that was shown live at the azkals sports Bar at the fort, taguig.

Malaysia, indonesia and singapore, squads that the azkals had hoped to be grouped with, comprise group B, along with the runner-up of the qualifying stage. the qualifying stage of the premier tournament among southeast asian nations is set from october 5 to 13 and will feature Myna-

mar, Laos, Cambodia, timor Leste and Brunei, while the main stage begins november 24 and ends on December 1.

Palami said the azkals would still be in for a tough time even if they were grouped with Malaysia and indonesia, the two finalists of this event two years ago. “i would’ve wanted to be in a different group but there is no weak group here,” Palami said. “if we want to win, we have to beat the strongest teams. that’s the only way to go about it.” the tournament will use the same format, with teams in one group taking part in a single-round robin and the top teams advancing to the semifinals. in 2010, the filipino booters barely made the group stage after finishing second to Laos in the qualification stage. against Vietnam, singapore, and Myanmar, the azkals finished second with 1-2-0 win-drawloss card. the azkals will be disappointed if they fail to to duplicate their first-ever semifinal finish two years ago. “this is our World Cup,” Palami said.