Edge Davao 6 Issue 187

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

JUST A TEXT AWAY. Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Vicente Danao Jr. affixes a sticker of “Isumbong Kang CD” on the rear window of a taxi cab yesterday along San Pedro Street in Davao City. Danao launched “Isumbong Kang CD” yesterday which encourages the public to directly report to him through text message petty crimes including complaints against “kotong cops” and abusive policemen. Lean Daval Jr.

P14.6-B REHAB BILL Sid measure adds to 2013 Calamity Fund

By ANTONIO M. AJERO ama@edgedavao.net

D

AVAO CITY Rep. Isidro T. Ungab yesterday sought the approval by the House of Representatives of a P14.6-billion supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2013 intended for the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” and other disasters in the country.

Ungab, who is chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, filed House Bill No. 3423 proposing to appropriate P14,600,000,000 “to be used for relief and rehabilitation services, and repaid, rehabilitation and reconstruction of permanent structures including other capital expenditures for disaster operations and reha-

bilitation activities in areas affected by the calamities and disasters.”

Ungab’s bill was certified urgent by President Aquino who likewise waived the three-day waiting period between two voting sessions—on second reading, and third and final reading in one plenary session of the House yesterday.

Ungab’s bill is one of related measures prompted by the devastation of typhoon “Yolanda” in western Visayas, filed by House Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr., Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora and Ungab.

In his three-page sponsorship speech copy of which was emailed to

Davao media yesterday, the lawmaker from Davao City said that the proposed supplemental budget will augment the Calamity Fund as stipulated in the current (2013) annual budget.

Ungab came out with the bill after his committee conducted hearings on the devastations of Yolanda and other calamities.

He also met with his counterpart, Senator Francis Escudero to discuss the House and Senate versions of the supplemental appropriations.

Congressmen many of whom became emotional during the committee hearings on the needs of their individual districts want the measure to be approved by next week at the latest.

FP14.6-B, 10

‘This barangay hall is mine’

By EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR

A

epc@edgedavao.net

DEFEATED reelectionist barangay captain in Davao City refuses to vacate the barangay hall in favor of the new captain and other newly-elected barangay leaders.

The vanquished village politico, former Brgy. Captain Darrell K. Birondo of Barangay 11-A, claimed he has spent plenty of his personal money in the repair of the barangay hall. He is still waiting for the findings of the Commission on Audit as to who owns the barangay hall.

The Department of Interior and Local Gov-

ernment in Davao City will ask the assistance of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte should the barangay captain of 11-A still refuses to vacate the barangay hall today.

Birondo had padlocked the barangay hall on November 30 and directed his staff to deliver documents and other properties to a house next to that of Martinafe Acenas Arabiana, 46, the newly elected barangay captain.

DILG Davao City director Mirilo Limbaro said that Birondo alleged that he owns the barangay hall.

Kap, di man na imong balay!

”Ipabulldoze na sa city kung iyaha gyud na,” he said in jest.

Limbaro said that the barangay hall is located inside the covered court, blocking a portion of the government road.

He said that they have no authority over Birondo since he is no longer a pub-

FBARANGAY, 10

2

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

‘Pasko Fiesta’opens Friday

O

FFICIALS of Davao City will formally open the annual “Pasko Fiesta” with the formal switching on of lights within City Hall and Sangguniang Panlungsod on Friday.

Oscar Casaysay, Pasko Fiesta coordinator, told reporters yesterday in the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao that Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte and other local officials will lead the lighting ceremony dubbed as ‘Dan-ag sa Pasko’ at the Rizal Park.

The Pasko Fiesta will be celebrated this year under austere measures as the city government decided to cut down on lavish spending as a gesture of sympathy to the victims of typhoon Yolanda in Eastern

Visayas.

Casaysay explained that the annual Christmas festival will be working in a meager P3 Million budget for all the activities of the event. He said that the city trimmed down the budget as Mayor Duterte had earlier announced that the city will streamline the cost of the celebration in sympathy with the people of Tacloban and other Yolanda-hit areas.

“Apan, maski gamay pa man ang budget ginapangkamutan jud sa syudad sa Davao, ni Mayor Duterte nga mas malipayon ug mas mahinungadanon ang atong celebration sa pasko,” he said.

Casaysay likewise said that the participation of the private sector is limited only to special events un-

cash-for-work and food-for-work project put up by an international group to the four provinces hit by typhoon Pablo last year is about to end this month.

Cynthia Guerra, project manager of Plan International, told reporters in yesterday’s ‘Kapehan sa Dabaw’ at the Annex of SM City Davao that both programs, patterned after the program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be formally concluded in the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. Guerra said that they implemented the said program for four months

reaching 25,000 beneficiaries in 100 barangays in the covered provinces.

The project is worth $2.5 Million from the World Food Program.

She said that the project enabled women and children to participate in restoring their respective communities.

Guerra suggested that the government will now focus on livelihood projects for the communities as the next phase for their sustainable living.

Meanwhile, Guerra said that Plan International has another ongoing project for disaster preparedness with the help of Office of the Civil Defense which ends on June of next year.

[ABF]

F’PASKO FIESTA’, 10

Cash for Work for ‘Pablo’hit areas ends A

BUDGET CUT. Pasko Fiesta coordinator Oca Casaysay reveals during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao that the city government of Davao will allocate only P3 million as budget for all the activities after Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered that the city needed show sympathy to the victims of typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban. Lean Daval Jr.

Women lawyers lead fight vs marital abuse

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. abf@edgedavao.net

A

group of women lawyers have urged the government to support women who are victims of marital violence.

Ms Mercedita Barrios –Talaver, vice president of Davao Lady Lawyers Association (DALLAS), told reporters in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao that the government needs to provide

these women an additional support system so that they would be able to sustain their separation and legal battles against abusive husbands.

“The reason why they cannot pursue because they could not sustain living without the assistance of the husband,” she said.

Talaver said that the three family courts in the city have handled several

cases of Violence against Women and Children (VAWC), unfortunately, most of the cases were dismissed after complainants failed to pursue the cases. Most VAWC cases are about physical violence suffered by women.

“When they were already hungry they had no choice but to go back to their partners or sometimes look for an-

other partner that would unfortunately also subject them to the same violence that they left,” Talaver said.

More than 90 % of women are suffering from this form of violence, according to the DALLAS leader .

“Tinitiis na lang nila ang physical abuse, sometimes the psychological abuse para lang mabuhay,” Talavera said.

Maximizing the PPP

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T ANTI-PORK ADVOCATES. Lawyer Fatima Adin (center) of Pagbabago Movement for Change (PMC), lawyer Mercedita Barrios-Talaver (left), vice president of Dallas (Davao Lady Lawyers Association), and PMC’s Leonides Ilagan talk about their newly-formed nationwide group and their advocacy to continue to fight pork barrel system and support its abolition during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

O maximize the utilization of public-private partnership (P2P) as a tool for inclusive and sustainable development, an official urges each local government unit in the region to formalute a PPP subsector in their Local Development Committee (LDC) which will provide assistance in aligning all PPP projects and related procedures through memorandum circular (MC) 2011-16 of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“This supplemental MC will provide clarification to specify the specific role of the committee and the LEIPOS. In 2011 some

LGU that implemented it created their sub committees and proceeded with their PPPs,” Eleazar E. Recote, capacity Building and KM Service director in Public-Private Partnership Center, said during the Capacity Building Seminar on Project Packaging and Investment Marketing cum Personality Enhancement for Local Enterprise and Investment Planning Officer (Leipos) in Davao Region at The Marco Polo Davao yesterday.

Each LGU will have a PPP committee which will handle all procedures from proposal stage to planning of documents,

FMAXIMIZING,10

NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

3

‘ISUMBONG KANG CD!’

Danao urges public to use his text line

By EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR epc@edgedavao.net

T

HE Davao City Police director encourages the public not to hesitate reporting about security and law enforcement matters, especially complaints against “kotong cops” and abusive policemen.

Police director Sr. Supt.

Vicente Danao Jr. said that he would take immediate action on valid reports on his text line number 09258233276.

“Kung masugpo natin

itong mga kotong cops, asahan ninyu this will help to deter crime,” Danao said yesterday during the launching of his text hot line dubbed “Isumbong Kang CD”.

He said that they had already resolved four cases involving illegal drugs in the past two weeks based on messages he received on his textline number.

He cited the report on I.5 kilos of marijuana con-

FDANAO,10

These two construction workers struggle to move a huge roll of high-tension wire in front of their co-workers who appear to have no intention of helping them at the SM City Davao carpark yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Unlucky Sunday Explore gas resources: BOI for 2 rob victims

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

businessman and a 23-year-old man were victimized by robbers in separate incidents on Sunday.

Supt. Ruben Ramos, commander of the Buhangin police station said that Ervin Dela Victoria, a resident of South Villa 2, Catalunan Grande, was robbed after the security guard had fallen asleep and when a robber took his belongings inside his house.

Ramos said that Pablito Inodio-an,35, a security guard and res-

ident of R. Castillo St., Agdao reported that the robber gained entry over the concrete wall of the house of the victim and carted away a power spray worth P20,000, a grinder worth P4,500, an electric drill valued at P4,500 and a buffer worth P5,000.

Police said that based on the closed circuit television camera installed in the guardhouse, at about 3:50 a.m. the robber used a ladder to exit the main gate.

FUNLUCKY,10

A

crc@edgedavao.net

N official of the Board of InvestmentDavao urged local enterprise and investment planning officers in the region to promote untapped oil and gas resources for possible major investments through strengthening their investment and promotion centers.

BOI officer-in-charge engineer Gil M. Dureza that the region’s focus area for oil and gas resources is the Agusan-Davao Basin. The 33,000 square kilometer potential source has an

PLAN International’s Cynthia Guerra gives updates of the projects that the organization has already achieved and completed for typhoon devastated areas in Compostela Valley Province and Davao Oriental during Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

estimated total of 196 million barrels which remains undiscovered.

He said that there were unrecorded backyard drillings in Panabo City but there were still more to be developed in the region.

There were also investment opportunities in geothermal energy.

Dureza said that projects and development in Davao del Sur are still ongoing through the initiative of Governer Claude Bautista. Three sites in Kidapawan are also being developed for

oil and gas investments.

Dureza also noted the hydropower opportunities undeveloped in the region. He cited the mini hydro potential sites in Davao del Norte which can produce 1,510 kilowatt(kW); 25,726kW in Compostela Valley; 5,254 kW in Davao Oriental; and 14,885 kW in Davao del Sur. Identified sites in Davao del Norte are in Tagum City, Asuncion and Kapalong. Compostella, Monkayo, New Bataan and San Mariano are the identified sites

for Compostella Valley while for Davao Oriental, Baganga, Mati and Cateel.

For Davao del Sur, the areas identified are in Padada, Matanao, Sta. Cruz, Digos, Bansalan, Hagonoy, Malita. There are also sites in Samal City. Tamugan and areas in Talomo are identidied for mini- hydro sites for Davao City.

He said that to utilize all Department of Energy identified sites, each province and LGU should strengthen their respec-

AMELLA will light up its communities on December 7 to usher in the Christmas season, with Northpoint leading the lighting ceremonies at its grand entrance.

“The decors and lighting have become an annual tradition with Camella, designed also to provide the public another destination to enjoy the season’s ambiance,” said Fritzie Joy Gepolio of Camella’s Marketing Unit.

For the past three years, Camella’s communities were among those with the best Christmas decorations in the city, visited by countless people who came with their friends and loved ones to admire the decors and have their photos taken there.

This year, the decors will be grander than usual, and there will be more activities lined up starting with a motorcade on December 6, followed by the

opening of the Christmas Bazaar at 11 a.m. A live band will entertain shoppers of the bazaar that will be open until December 7.

Festivities will continue on Saturday with a flash mob ‘Dance Revolution’, free face painting, and a Santa’s House where young ones and the young at heart can have a ‘meet and greet’ with Santa Claus. At four in the afternoon, children will be singing Christmas carols door-to-door at Northpoint, then invite unit owners to come down to join the countdown towards the lighting ceremony.

All these activities will lead towards the lighting ceremony that will be open to the public at six in the evening this Saturday, to be hosted by the Mutya ng Dabaw 2013, Guia Hidalgo.

“The public is welcome to witness our lighting and take pictures of

our décor that will look like a Christmas Village,” added Gepolio. Special performances from Makabayan Dancers and Star Power will also regale guests and visitors, and participants to the choir competition will be introduced.

Those who wish to join the choir competition and the Christmas Bazaar can call Camella office, Delgar Bldg., JP Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City, telephone number (082) 295-3973.

“It will be a fun and eventful day at Northpoint on December 7, with games and prizes for guests and visitors, and special packages for homebuyers,” said Gepolio.

She added that they will be giving away Christmas treats for their homebuyers this Saturday, such as big discounts, appliance showcase, and other freebies.

FEXPLORE,10

Camella opens Christmas Village C

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

DepEd 12 exec declares all schools as ‘zones of peace’ I

N a bid to protect pupils and students in Region 12 from potential conflicts and various forms of violence, the Department of Education (DepEd) has declared all schools in the area as zones of peace.

Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 acting director, said Monday he issued the declaration to establish all local private and public schools as neutral grounds in case armed conflicts would occur in any locality within the region’s four provinces and five cities.

Farnazo said such declaration was mainly an offshoot of a memorandum earlier issued by the DepEd central office that enjoined schools “in areas with armed conflict and/or peace and order problems” the posting of banners identifying them as peace zones.

The banners are printed with the message: “This school is a zone of peace, huwag po kaming idamay sa mga kaguluhan (please spare us from conflicts).”

The officials said they have so far completed the posting of such banner in all public pre-schools, elementary and highs schools in the region.

He said they also distrib-

uted the banners to private schools and DepEd school district offices.

DepEd records showed that the region has a total of 1,707 pre-schools, 1,692 public elementary and 402 secondary or high schools.

The total enrollment for school year 2013-2014 in public elementary and high schools in the region is listed at 724,795.

“These banners are meant to remind local stakeholders of the sanctity of our schools, that they should remain as neutral grounds and free from any form of violence,” Farnazo said in a radio interview.

He said children are among the most vulnerable sectors in local communities so they should be properly protected or secured.

“We should make sure that local schools, as well as pupils and students, are safe and well-secure at all times,” he said.

The memorandum, which was issued by Education Undersecretary Mario Deriquito, noted the cases of hostilities and violence that affected a number of schools in the country in the past several years due to conflicts between and among groups around the schools.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

MARKET DAY. The public market in New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province comes alive every Wednesday as people flock here for market day. Wednesday is the “tabo” (market day) for this town. [MindaNews Photo by Ruby Thursday More] In several instances, it said some schools were used as hiding places and even as battlefields, placing in the crossfire some DepEd personnel, teachers, students and pupils.

“We have had cases of students and children taken

hostage, resulting in injury or even death, emotional and psychological trauma,” the memorandum said.

It specifically cited the three-week siege in Zamboanga City last September by members of a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fac-

tion under its founding chair Nur Misuari and the attacks staged by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

But Farnazo said the declaration of the region’s schools as peace zones was not only due to the recent

TAGUM CITY

conflicts but their resolve as well to fully implement the government’s child protection policy.

“This covers all laws pertaining to child welfare and protection, including the bullying law,” he added. [MindaNews]

LGU to donate P6.5M to Guiuan, Borongan Tagum grabs twin T

HE General Santos City local government has chosen the municipality of Guiuan and the city of Borongan in Eastern Samar as beneficiaries of its P6.5-million relief grant for areas affected by super typhoon “Yolanda.”

Luzvimi Entila Jr., acting head of the City Public Information Office, said the local government is currently working on the release of the financial assistance to the local government units (LGUs) of Guiuan and Borongan, which were among the areas that were badly devastated by the onslaught of the typhoon last November 8.

He said the adoption of the two LGUs as beneficiaries of the cash donation was based on a endorsement from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).

The CDRRMC’s recom-

mendation was already submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approval, he said.

“Based on documents from the national government, the two areas are considered as among the least attended and unaided,” Entila said in a statement.

He noted that the local government of Borongan reported that a total of 74,770 residents in the area were directly affected by the typhoon while Guiuan municipal officials listed around 54,000 residents.

Entila said most of the affected residents were said to be living “without roof due to the devastation from the super typhoon.”

Guiuan, which is located at the southernmost tip of Samar Island, has a number of isolated island barangays that are difficult to reach for agencies distributing relief goods, he noted.

Owing to this, he said the CDRRMC members unanimously agreed to send P3 million in cash donation to Borongan and the remaining P3.5 million to Guiuan.

Entila said P169,000 more donated by local residents will be sent to Borongan.

The official, who is also a member of the CDRRMC, said the cash donations will be turned over directly to the two LGUs to augment their continuing relief initiatives.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera initially delivered over the weekend some P3.5 million in cash assistance to the local governments of Ormoc and Tacloban cities.

Lawyer Arnel Zapatos, city administrator, said they opted to instead deliver cash assistance to the affected areas instead of sending relief packs due to time constraints.

The CDRRMC passed a

resolution last November 13 allocating some P10 million from the city’s disaster quick response funds as relief assistance for the victims of typhoon “Yolanda.”

Of the appropriation, P6.5 million was set aside as financial assistance while the remaining P3.5 million would be utilized for the delivery of 10,000 relief packs.

The resolution was unanimously endorsed by the city council in a special session held on November 15.

On top of the cash assistance, the city government earlier sent family food packs and non-food relief items donated by local residents.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office, which spearheaded the relief campaign, had sent the donated relief goods in batches through the Philippine Navy. [MindaNews]

victory in NAMCYA T

HE City of Tagum cemented its claim as the premier Music Capital of the South and the training-ground of future musicians with the twin victory of two Tagum-based school rondalla groups in the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila last November 22.

The Tagum City National High School Rondalla bested 12 other rondalla groups across the country with its historic clinch of the championship prize in NAMCYA’s rondalla category. The 20-member group is trained by two-time NAMCYA-qualifying Marlon Saga.

The Tagum City National Comprehensive High

School trained by veteran Lorna Mendoza was declared first honorable mention in the said category.

Mayor Allan L. Rellon led local government leaders in paying tribute to the team who gave pride and honor not only to Tagum City but for the entire Davao Region.

Cash incentives were given to the two groups during the LGU’s monthly convocation program last December 2, 2013.

Saga, in an interview with the City Information Office, extended their group’s appreciation to the local government for all its support, which he acknowledged as one of the ingredients of their success. [Louie Lapat of CIO Tagum]

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

NCC: Disaster preparedness key to competitiveness A

N official of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), has emphasized on the relevance of disaster preparedness for competitiveness.

In an interview during the NCC Roadshow here on November 27, Guillermo M. Luz, NCC Private Sector CoChair, said that in order to boost competitiveness, factors that may affect readiness during disasters must be looked into carefully.

With climate change affecting every corner of the world, Luz said that “we must be prepared”.

“Today, you don’t know anymore where the typhoon could hit so we have to plan. We have to study our risk assessment data based on weather forecasts because storms can hit us anytime,” he said.

Luz said Davao City has high risk in terms of climate change impact, thus, it really has to make an analysis of the risk as-

sessment report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

In a study conducted by WWF among the cities of Baguio, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo in 2011, it was stated that “it is likely that Davao City will have to deal with climate impacts such as sea level rise, increased sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, and inter-annual variability of rainfall”.

The study added that “for Davao City, high population growth and in-migration underscores that strategic development decisions must be made now. More than that, a multi-stakeholder formula for continuity must be set in place if this city is to sustain and re-engineer its agricultural strengths, and avoid the disorganized congestion that characterizes many other cities, emerging as a new center for liveability and competitiveness in a climate-defined world”.

Given the said situation, Luz said, planning is crucial.

HIGHWAY BUSINESS. Assorted dried freshwater fish from Agusan Marsh are sold along the national highway in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. Prices range from P50 to P100 per bunch, depending on the variety. [MindaNews Photo by Keith Bacongco] “Davao should look at these data closely,” he said.

Luz said the experiences during Typhoons Ondoy in 2009, Sendong in 2010, Pablo in 2012,

and Yolanda this year must serve as a great lesson for everyone.

He pointed out that if a city or a certain area is not prepared for disasters and doesn’t have any

mitigating measures on climate, it will be difficult to entice investors.

“No businessman can afford to be down by two weeks, even just for two days. No electricity, no

communication, that’s bad for business,” he said.

Luz said that having no downtime, even during disasters, must be the dream of every city.

[DTI 11/JenMendoza]

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch Indicator

Latest

1. Gross National Income 1. GrossRate National Income Growth Growth Rate2000 Prices) (At Constant

7.1 1st Qtr 2013 6.8

2.2.Gross GrossDomestic DomesticProduct Growth Rate Product (AtGrowth Constant 2000 Prices) Rate

7.8 1st Qtr 2013 7.5

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/ 3. Exports

4. Imports 1/ 4. Imports

5. Trade Balance Trade Balance 6.5.Balance of Payments 2/

7.6.Broad Money Liabilities Balance of Payments

2nd Qtr 2013

2nd Qtr 2013

USD 3,741 million 5,045 FebUSD 2013 million USD 4,708 Sep 2013 million FebUSD 2013 5,711 USD -967 million million Sep 2013 Feb 2013 USD -665 USD -640 million million Sep 2013 Dec 2012 P 4,964,560 USD 692 million million Feb Jun2013 2013 P2.45,980,938 % million Mar 2013 Aug 2013

8. Interest Rates 4/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

P113,609 2.0 % million Sep2013 2013 Mar P P5,281 127,336 billion million Mar Sep2013 2013

9. National Government 8. Revenues Interest Rate 9. National Government

10.Revenues National government outstanding debt outstanding debt

P 5,609 P 41.14 billion Apr 2013

11.Stocks Peso per US $ 12.

Composite

Index 6/

6,847.5 P 43.83 Mar Sep2013 2013

12. Stocks Composite

6,191.8 132.8 Sep2013 2013 Apr

13. Consumer Price Index

135.2 Oct2.62013

10.Peso National government 11. per US $ 5/

Sep 2013

13. Consumer Index Price Index 2006=100

2006=100 14.

Headline Inflation Rate 14. 2006=100 Headline Inflation

Apr 2013

2.9 Oct3.12013

Rate 15.

Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

Apr 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100 16.

Visitor Arrivals

2.5 418,108 Oct 2013

2006=100

Feb 2013

382,022 Aug 2013 20.9%

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment 7/ 17. Rate Underemploymen

Jan 2013 19.2%

18.

18.Unemployment UnemploymentRate Rate7/

7.1% Jan 2013 7.3%

Rate

Jul 2013 Jul 2013

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2011-September 2013) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2013

2012

2011

43.83 43.86 43.35 42.91 41.30 41.14 40.71 40.67 40.73

42.23 41.01 41.12 41.45 41.75 42.04 41.91 42.78 42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

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

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

De Ocampo joins board of Global Reporting Initiative I

N T E R NAT I O NA L non-profit organization Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) recently appointed Roberto de Ocampo, OBE, to its Board of Directors, adding to the existing balance, diversity and expertise at GRI, and further increasing the presence of experts from diverse regions and disciplines in its multi-stakeholder governance structure.

As the new board member, De Ocampo will serve terms to December 2016, and take a leading role in GRI’s strategic approach to promoting change towards a sustainable global economy, and increasing corporate transparency and accountability.

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen as one of the board members of this highly-esteemed

non-profit organization in the business of information. I look forward to working with GRI in maintaining and reinforcing an organizational approach based on bridge-building,” De Ocampo said.

Aside from recently assuming chairmanship in Philippine Veterans Bank, de Ocampo is also the Founding Partner of Centennial Group International and Chairman of Centennial Asia Advisors.

Formerly the president of the Asian Institute of Management, De Ocampo served as Secretary of Finance of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, and was chairman and CEO of the Development Bank of the Philippines from 1989 to 1993. De Ocampo was named ‘Finance Minister of the Year’ and subsequently ‘Asian Finance Minister of the

Year’ by Euromoney and Asiamoney magazines, and conferred the Legion of Honor by the Republic of the Philippines in 1998 for his outstanding contributions to the country. Dr. de Ocampo also holds the rank of Chevalier of the Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur, Republic of France, and is the first recipient of the Man of the Year title awarded by the Association of Development Financial Institutions in Asia-Pacific.

De Ocampo joins the GRI board of directors consisting of other industry leaders and thought-movers including Herman Mulder, Eric Hespenheide, Alexandra Watson, Pavan Sukhdev, Manfred Warda, and Roberto Waack.

GRI is a leading organi- De Ocampo zation in the sustainability as a way for organizations field. GRI promotes the use to become more sustainof sustainability reporting

able and contribute to sustainable development.

PHL, South Korea top up dev’t cooperation fund South Korea offers $500 million credit line for 2014-2017

T

HE Philippines has renewed development cooperation with South Korea, expanding financing assistance for priority sectors in the country, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando G. Tungpalan said the government of South Korea is making available a $500-million credit line to the Philippines under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for 2014-2017.

“The topped up EDCF provides additional funding option for items outlined in our Public Investment Program (PIP). This should allow us to ensure execution of priority programs and projects in the next few years,” Tungpalan said.

For the period 20112013, four infrastructure projects with loan requirements totaling about $335.78 million were committed for funding under the EDCF. These projects are the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project, Stage II, the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project, the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Mea-

FOR OFWs. SM City Davao mall manager Maria Lynette Lopez (right) and Global Pinoy supervisor Frolein Maclang announce during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex the upcoming “Pamaskong Handog ng Global Pinoy,” an event dedicated for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families set on December 7 at Global Pinoy SM City Davao branch. Lean Daval Jr. sures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay, and the Baler-Casiguran Road Improvement Project.

“South Korea is interested in infrastructure projects especially in agriculture, energy and transportation.

Their expertise in these areas could be beneficial to the country as we address infrastructure backlogs to accelerate development and recovery from recent calamities,” Tungpalan noted.

The South Korean gov-

ernment, he said, has also expressed interest to fund disaster prevention and rehabilitation projects in light of damages brought by typhoon Yolanda.

He added that the sectors in which South Korea

has expressed interest on are aligned with the priorities of the updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and are opportunities for further deepening Philippines-South Korea collaboration.

as of May 2013 Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Thu

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

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

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

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

Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Silk Air Mon/Sat MI588 / MI588 13:35 Silk Air Wed/Sun MI566 / MI566 15:20 Silk Air Thurs MI551 / MI551 12:05 Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50 Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05

Manila-Davao-Manila Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu

14:05 18:55 18:55 15:45 15:30

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

16:45

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

DENR sets aside P347 million for coastal forest rehabilitation in Eastern Visayas

E

NVIRONMENT Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje has announced that the government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will earmark some P347 million for the restoration of mangrove and natural beach forests in coastal areas battered by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Paje said this massive coastal rehabilitation program shall cover worst-hit areas in the Eastern Visayas region, particularly the province of Leyte and its capital Tacloban City.

“Tacloban is a major concern given its being a major population center, but the undertaking will cover practically the entire eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas,” Paje said.

He said the main objective is to restore the region’s degraded coastal forests to make its coastlines less vulnerable to extreme weather events.

“It is clear in the law that we cannot allow people to build houses in areas for mangroves and beach forest,” said Paje, referring to Presidential Decreee No. 1067, also known as the Philippine Water Code.

Article 51 of said water code states that “banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricul-

tural areas and 40 meters in forest areas, along their margins are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage.”

Paje said the situation in Leyte and in Eastern Visayas “necessitates a display of political will from their local government officials to restore their mangrove areas and beach forests,” said Paje, noting that the affected coastlines were once mangroves and beach forest areas but were converted mostly into settlement areas by informal settlers or for development activities.

“Had the mangroves in Leyte and Eastern Samar not been decimated, the storm surge in those areas would have been dissipated by 70 to 80 percent of its strength,” explained Paje, citing a study by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which indicates that the “strength of an eight- meter storm surge is concentrated within the lower six meters with the upper two meters as only having tidal currents.”

“The surge can only destroy the leaves, but it cannot uproot the mangroves because they are so deeprooted and strong that they will regrow in time,” said Paje. He also stressed that mangroves are natural barriers against tsunamis, storm surge and other

wave action, and therefore, should not be destroyed.

Under the plan, some 19 million seedlings and propagules from mangrove trees and beach forest species like Talisay will be planted over 1,900 hectares of coastline under the National Greening Program.

According to Paje, about 80 percent of the allocation will be used for the government’s cashfor-work program for

typhoon survivors, who will take part in seedling production, planting site preparation, actual planting and maintenance of mangrove and beach forest areas.

“Restoring the coastal forests in Eastern Visayas will set the foundation for the reconstruction and recovery of both coastal communities and urban areas in the province,” Paje explained. “We will design it properly and

have it approved by concerned local government units.”

The environment chief said that the establishment of “coastal green belts” will be done in clusters to allow fisher folk access to the shorelines, as well as other sustainable activities like ecotourism and coastal management.

He said the budget proposal is awaiting approval by the National Economic Development

Authority (NEDA).

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III directed Paje to devise a comprehensive environment protection program to minimize the impact of storm surges, flooding and calamities following Yolanda’s devastation.

Other areas covered by the coastal rehabilitation plan are Dulag town in Leyte; municipalities of Guiuan, Llorente and Balangiga in Eastern Samar.

N Italian architect with interest in green energy and sustainable architecture is offering to help do the master plans to rebuild Leyte and other parts of Eastern Visayas that were hardest hit by super typhoon Yolanda.

Architect Romolo V. Nati, Executive Chairman and CEO of ITALPINAS Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ITPI), said he is willing to work with local engineers in affected areas to build storm-resistant urban centers.

“I feel very sad for the Filipinos in Tacloban and Leyte who have to deal with the death and destruction brought by Yolanda, and I would like to help them get back on their feet,” said Nati, who has made the Philippines his adoptive home for four years now.

The Italian head of ITPI has partnered with Constellation Energy Corp. (CEC), which has expanded its busi-

ness from green energy to the design and development of sustainable buildings. CEC has contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE) for several geothermal, wind and hydroelectric projects.

“Even as we grieve, we can move forward,” said Nati.

“Now we have a chance to develop the master plans of the new cities and towns—sustainable plans that take into account the need to survive typhoons and build sustainable habitats.”

“It is possible to create master plans of cities and towns that have a much better chance of withstanding super storms and other extreme weather conditions that the world expects as a consequence of climate change,” the Italian architect said.

“Some features of sustainable habitats include proper zoning or concentrating living spaces in higher areas, in places 50 to 100 meters above sea level,” he said.

“Then, there’s the civil works component, such as building dikes and storm walls, as well as drainage channels to facilitate the flow of storm waters into the sea,” he added.

“For buildings, we can also adopt what I call the ‘Aikido strategy,’ that includes adopting features that minimize the opposition of strong winds and storm waters,” Nati said. Aikido is a Japanese martial art in which practitioners don’t oppose their attackers head on but instead flow with the motion of the attacker to redirect the force of the attack.

Among these features are perforated facades and inner courtyards, both of which minimize the opposition of buildings to storm surges and strong winds brought by typhoons.

“Buildings can also be designed to withstand extreme conditions by adopting hydrodynamic and aerodynamic shapes,” he said. [PNA]

ROM November 22 to 24, the German cultural institution Goethe-Institut held the Science Film Festival 2013 at SM Lanang Premier Cinema 5 to provide audiences a deeper understanding and greater awareness of climate change.

‘Chasing Ice,’ the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Winner of Excellence in Cinematography, was featured during the 3-day film fest.

Directed by Jeff Orlowski, ‘Chasing Ice’is a documentary film about the efforts of photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey to uncover the effects of climate change and provide a visual evidence of the said phenomenon.

Released in the Unit-

ed States on November 16, 2012, ‘Chasing Ice’includesastonishing scenes from a glacier calving event that took place at Ilulissat Glacier, also known as the Jakobshavn Glacier, in Greenland, lasting 75 minutes, the longest that such an event was ever captured on film.

The Science Film Festival is an annual event of the Goethe-Institut, an association affiliated with the German Embassy in the Philippines, in partnership with SM Supermalls. It promotes science literacy and awareness of contemporary scientific, technological and environmental issues through the medium of film and television content.

Focused on renewable energy and climate

change, the Science Film Festivalprovided free screenings of ‘Chasing Ice’ to students from various educational institutionsand the general public. It gave viewers an opportunity to learn more on global warming as manifested by the melting of glaciers in the world’s colder regions.

Students and teachers from Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School, Davao Central High School, Ateneo de Davao University, San Pedro College, and Holy Cross of Davao and members of Davao Dynamic Youth turned up to watch ‘Chasing Ice.’ Don’t miss film festivals at SM Lanang Premier! For event updates, visit SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

BEFORE YOLANDA. Giant bats fly over lush mangrove trees in Tabuk Island off Palompon, Leyte in this photo taken March 2012. Over a hundred thousand bats used to roost in Tabuk Island, but most of them flew elsewhere. [Photo courtesy of Raoul Bacalla / MENRO-Palompon]

Eco-friendly developer offers help ‘Chasing Ice’at SM Lanang Premier to rebuild Yolanda-affected villages raises awareness on climate change A F

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

EDITORIAL

N

Waste of precious time?

ETIZENS, a description given to people who are in the habit of using the Internet to read or express their ideas, opinions and reactions to anything that interests them, lambasted Senator Juan Ponce Enrile for taking the floor of the Senate days ago to attack fellow Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago who had earlier accused him of being the mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Also collectively called social media, the netizens were quick to criticize Enrile’s speech, albeit brief, as a waste of the people’s time and resources.

Mr. Enrile delved on the personality of Ms Santiago instead of discussing his alleged role in the PDAF scam, thereby failing to come up to the expectations of people who wanted to hear what he had to say, after a long silence.

The senior lawmaker spoke at length about the downside of Maid Miriam’s personality – her passing the bar examinations with an unimpressive grade of 76 percent, her having consulted a psychiatric clinic at one time in her life, his (Enrile’s) efforts to persuade the Commission on Appointments to reject Santiago as secretary of the De-

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

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

partment of Agrarian Reform, and some other matters, mostly personal between the two of them. In sum, what Enrile tackled in his most-awaited privilege speech were old hat, a mere rehash of the long running tiff between the lady and gentleman lawmakers.

As a “privilege speech” it actually amounted to nothing worthwhile for posterity’s sake.

Was JPE’s speech really a waste of time and resources?

Maybe so. However, it was perfectly his right to avail himself of the privilege to speak out on any subject under the sun if only to prove that in this country freedom of speech remains one of the pillars of our democracy, no matter if sometimes certain perorations are simply just a lot of “sound and fury signifying nothing.”

Whether Enrile wasted precious time when he delivered that speech, we leave it to media practitioners who are experts in legitimizing all kinds of speeches and human activity no matter how inane and inconsequential they may be by generously giving them space and time.

JPE’s statement is not the end of this episode. Watch out for what Ms Santiago has to say.

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR / CHENEEN R. CAPON Reporters

Columnists: CARLOS MUNDA • MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NICASIO AGUSTIN • VIDA A. MIA VALVERDE • Economic ENRICO“ADDIE” “GICO” G. Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER ANGELO C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA Analysts: • BERNADETTE B. DAYANGIRANG M.QUISIDO PEREZ • Lifestyle Columnists: BAISR., FAUZIAH SINSUAT •AMBOLODTO • MEGHANN STA. INES BORBON • MARY• JONALLIER ANN “ADI” C. • LEANDRO B. DAVAL • NIKKIFATIMA GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY •ZEN NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

GENERAL OFFICE SANTOS CITY CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OLIVIA D. VELASCO OLIVIA D. VELASCO RICHARDRICHARD C. EBONAC. EBONA SOLANI D. MARATAS SOLANI D. MARATAS MARKETING OFFICE | Marketing Manager General Manager General ManagerMarketingAdvertising Supervisor SpecialistFinance FinanceLEIZEL A. DELOSOLEIZEL A. DELOSO | MarketingFLORENCE ManagerS. VILLARIN

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

AQUILES Z. ZONIO Correspondent

KRISTINE D. BORJA AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Marketing Specialist Circulation

Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Marketing Specialist Cagayan de Oro City c/o PZ Villarin Marketing Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

Tel: (088) 852-4894

Salvani St., Oringo Brgy. City Heights Tel: (083) 303-2215

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

EDGEDAVAO

S

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Diverted to Clark Airport

OME THINGS funny and bizarre happened in my way to Manila on November 20. Our Cebu Pacific flight was diverted to Clark International Airport after hovering over the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and finding no space to land for almost an hour.

The stewardess on the plane’s loud speaker said “Ladies and gentlemen, we wish to announce that we are proceeding to Clark International Airport as we might run out of fuel if we keep on circling around Naia.. “ or words to that effect.

It was a first in my experience as a plane passenger, a reason I felt butterflies in my stomach when I heard the startling announcement. I was even worried some more when the lady beside me said we’ve been trying to land in Naia for more than 40 minutes. I didn’t notice it because I was glued to the lady’s stories about the industry she was involved in.

My new acquaintance was a professor in a prestigious business school until she retired to take over management of the family’s long time venture—selling caskets! What kept me engrossed were her juicy inside stories on how lucrative the business is and regaled me with behind-the-scene tales of greed and sexual dalliances of successful funeral parlor owners.

I

I couldn’t help asking the stewardess who made the announcement if there was enough aviation fuel in the plane that could last us to Clark Airport. “Yes, of course, sir. We are only 15 minutes away from Clark,” she said in a voice loud enough to be heard by many passengers in the first 10 rows where I was seated.

While the diverted aircraft was taxiing on the runway, the stewardess was asked if it was okay to disembark for passengers whose final destination was near Angeles City, Pampanga where Clark is located.

The question came from the lady casket dealer who said she was actually scheduled to make a visit of their casket factory in Minalin, Pampanga the following day.

After checking with the pilot, the stewardess came back with the information that passengers could go down in Clark, provided

those with their suitcases still in the aircraft, may later retrieve their cargo from Naia Terminal 3 in Manila.

I liked the idea of taking the tourist bus to enjoy the scenery along the highway to Manila, so I joined the five others who opted to go down in Clark. Besides, there was no assurance the plane would not circle the Naia for a much longer time once the CebPac aircraft took off after refueling. Aside from the lady casket supplier, the group included a mining engineer from Baguio City who said he works with the drilling company of former Philsaga Mining co-owner Sammy Afgal and two other young men.

When I got out of the Clark terminal, the Philtranco bus had left 10 minutes earlier. The next trip was scheduled the following day.

A sexy girl in a nice car rental company uniform, one of the four I saw inside the terminal, asked me if I liked the idea of taking a limousine car ride to Manila for only P3,500.

The amount was only P1,000 short of my pocket money to Macau where I was to witness Manny Pacquiao fight Brandon Rios the following Sunday.

After I refused the offer, chuckling, the girl said, “okay sir, how about a Rolls Royce ride from here to the Dau bus terminal for only

are the swing vote during the discussions on wage adjustment between the three labor and three management members. What’s more is that whoever is in power could have instructed the DOLE to take side of labor in the deliberations.

But sadly, of course, that has not been the case. Nonetheless, when recovery and rehabilitation effort for the earthquakestricken and typhoon-ravaged provinces in the Visayas operate full swing, perhaps President PNoy could now concentrate more on employment and salary standardization, shelter, health care, food security and stamped out unabated corruption which is the trust of his leadership.

Together with peace and order and criminality, these will be the deciding issues in the 2016 presidential elections – a great challenge for the dominant political party.

LOOSE CHANGE – Trade union activists in the Davao Region decried the government’s delayed action in acting on their petition for minimum wage rate adjustment before the RTWPB. One can just hear the howl of protest raised by the different workers’ groups nationwide the past days. Over-zealous leaders of various labor groups claim what they want is the implementation of the P125 legislated wage hike instead of just “small change” agreed by the wage body.

The current minimum wage rates under Wage Order No. RB XI-17 in Davao Region was considered a trifle and the workers’ groups probably feel that the prevailing wage rate was too unreasonable citing the basic wage in the non-agricultural sector where a laborer has to be content

of a take home pay of P301 representing P 286 basic wage and P15 cost of living allowance (COLA).

Why would anyone think that the workers had to always stage protest-rallies every time a new wage order takes effect? It’s precisely because it doesn’t meet the workers’ and in particular, their leaders’ expectations. You see, workers in the agricultural sector just received a meager P291 under the new wage order representing P276 basic wage and P15 COLA. Imagine?

Well, it is not just the workers in the non-agricultural and agricultural sectors who have difficulties in dealing with the prevailing wage rates but the retail services as well. A worker of a retail company employing more than 10 only received P301 representing P286 basic wage and P15 COLA while a similar retail servicing outlet employing less than 10 accord a laborer P270 representing P255 basic wage and P15 COLA. Goodness gracious!

If you want to examine closely the rates under the current wage order, it would be evident that workers in the Davao Region will just receive “peanuts” compared to the workers in Metro Manila and its adjacent areas. But despite the strong workers’ clamor for government to act posthaste for the immediate passage of the P125 across-the-board salary hike, the latter still has stiff warning against violators of the current wage directive.

Violators shall be punished by a fine of not less than P25,000.00 nor more than P100,000.00 or imprisonment of not less than 2 years nor more than 4 years, or both such fine and imprisonment. Persons convicted shall not be entitled to the benefits provided for under the probation law. Violators shall also pay an amount equivalent to double the unpaid benefits due to the employees (R.A. 6727, as amended by R.A. 8188 or the double indemnity pay).

FFUNNY AND BIZARRE, 10

Workers’ wage hike demand

NCREASING PUBLIC DISSATISFACTION – Some political analysts and socio-economic experts say the large number of people mostly from the labor, transport and urban poor sectors that used to braved the scorching heat, crowdpressed and joined a series of simultaneous nationwide protests action and street rallies are clear indications that have probably persuaded recent surveys showing an increased public disaffection with the Aquino administration.

While President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is noted to be hardworking and straightforward, it is perceived that he has not squarely faced the root causes of the country’s interlocking problems - unemployment, poverty, and the suffering of the masses which is low income and skyrocketing of prices of basic commodities. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) admits that roughly 2.5% of the population or about 3 million Filipinos are unemployed or underemployed, but skeptics say it’s a dubious estimate.

Likewise for some, notably President PNoy’s political adversaries and rabid critics from the transport sector, he did not exert maximum effort to hold the line on diesel fuel and gasoline prices which he could have easily done by the simple expedient of ordering government-controlled Petron not to go along with big oil players Shell and Caltex, and even the minor competitors in the price race.

Then again, the main issue being raised all over again by the labor sector is the wage adjustment approved by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) six months ago during Labor Day celebration. Labor leaders described the P8 to P10 wage increase as pittance when compared to the P125/day across-the-board salary hike demanded by the labor sector. An increase of P30 to P60 or much higher probably might have been acceptable. The three government representatives to the RTWPB supposedly

VANTAGE POINTS

9

The youth unemployment crisis may not be a crisis COMMENTARY

BY ZACHARY KARABELL

M

(Conclusion)

OST economists believe that not having a job in your twenties has systemic repercussions for years to come. A study from the Center for American Progress claimed that, “the nearly 1 million young Americans who experienced long-term unemployment during the worst of the recession will lose more than $20 billion in earnings over the next 10 years. This equates to about $22,000 per person.”

Yet we should be wary of these statistics. The BLS has only been collecting data on age, unemployment and subsequent incomes for a few decades.

That is not enough time to make conclusions. Even if accurate, the $22,000 figure doesn’t factor in how much was recouped in unemployment and other benefits, which likely would lower that figure considerably.

The larger point is that many college-educated young people are choosing not to take low-paying service-level jobs if they don’t absolutely have to.

Because they can live with their parents (and as many as 45 percent of recent grads do) and because they rarely have much in the way of fixed costs such as homes and children, they can hold out for a job that matches their ambitions.

They can also retool their skills as they discover that their college degree in marketing and communications may not leave them in the best position to get the type of job that they want.

This type of unemployment is one of choice — rational, legitimate choice — not of systemic failure. It is a challenge to find a meaningful job, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying. A youth cohort determined to create meaningful work should not be seen as lazy, lost or in dire straits. Instead it could be exactly the type who might actually lead the transition of our economy away from the making-stuff economy of the 20th century to an ideas economy of the 21st.

The employment picture for young people without a college degree is different. They’re being left further behind.

According to the BLS, more than 30 percent of recent high school graduates who aren’t in college are unemployed, and the number is worse for those who dropped out of high school. African-Americans without a college degree, especially under the age of 20, have an unemployment rate that approaches 40 percent.

African-Americans also have higher incarceration rates, especially males, and most states and companies enact punitive regulations that make employment for those with a prison record extremely challenging.

The Hispanic population faces similar, albeit slightly less acute, stats. But these are not indications of a breakdown of labor markets. They’re proof that social policies and a shift in labor markets towards rewarding different and newer skills sets are hitting these populations, especially young men without college degrees, extremely hard.

In the United States, youth unemployment is not quite what it seems. It is not a simple sign of how bad the economy is. Youth unemployment is actually a sign of ambition and expectation. Young people aren’t part of a generation of despair, but rather a generation determined not to settle. That may not always be realistic, but it is a vital fuel to propel our society forward.

10

NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

P14.6-B...FFROM 1 In his sponsorship speech, Ungab said the supplemental budget “will not only enable our government to effectively tackle the challenges of relief, re-

habilitation and reconstruction but will also allow our people, particularly those who need them the most, to directly benefit from Filipino people’s money.”

lic official and it is the call of Arabiana to file a complaint against Birondo for “trespassing”.

He advised the newly-elected lady captain to assume her duties even if she is not inside the barangay hall.

Birondo said he will vacate the place in a ceremony reportedly to be witnessed by representatives of the Commission on Audit and of the DILG. Burt, “hulaton sa nako ang inventory sa COA kung

kinsa nakapangalan ang barangay hall,” Birondo said in a television interview yesterday afternoon.

He said that the previous barangay hall had been destroyed and he had spent a big amount of money to pout a new one.

Supt. Joel Consulta, commander of the San Pedro Police Station, said that Birondo did not heed his pleas to vacate the barangay hall and insisted that he is the owner of the barangay hall.

Barangay...FFROM 1

‘Pasko fiesta’...FFROM 2 like in during Pasko Fiesta celebrations wherein the city government extended sponsorships to prvate sector-run accredited events.

“Ang private sector man gud affected pud of what’s going on. Unya ang priority pud nila if they would give dako na sponsorship, they prefer to give it to the Yolanda victims, ” he said.

Casaysay revealed this year’s activities which will include ‘parolan’ competition as part of the ‘danag’ in which every barangay of the city will show their creativity in making Christmas lanterns to be displayed in the city government complex; ‘Kasadya sa pasko’ which will showcase local talents in

every district of the city; ‘kadasig sa pasko’ or the street events which include the cheer dance competition, band competition, vocal solo and the hundred voice choir contests.

Other major highlights will be the ‘hudyaka sa pasko’ or nightly event along Palma Gil Street which will start on December 7 until January 1; the ‘Himaya sa Pasko’ or the nine dawn masses which will start on December 16 and end on December 24; and the selling of ‘kakanin’ such as ‘puto bumbong’and ‘bibingka’ at the parking area at the parking area of Sanguniang Panglunsod along Bolton Street. [ABF]

feasibility studies, requirements, and procurement phases, but all of this must be supported with a resolution formulated by the local government council.

He said that the MC, since not yet implemented, should not be constrictive but rather

flexible. The partnership between the government and the private sector also accelerates development in infrastructure, thus providing quality services to its people.

The partnership includes a contractual but longterm agreements between the two parties

fiscated by the Bunawan police station.

He assured that prank reports will be monitored and sensitive complaints will be confidential.

Danao said the text line is also a part of crime prevention as this will preempt unlikely incidents if reported to him immediately. He also opened a Facebook account of Isumbong Kang CD and twitter as one way to report complaints.

Through this, the public becomes vigilant and helps police to monitor crime, especially those in far areas of the city.

Danao explained that complaints will be printed

everyday by the police incharge to make sure that it will be cater to as soon as it is received.

Danao, together with some police officials, flagged down some public jeepney vehicles to put on them stickers of Isumbong Kang CD. Meanwhile, some policemen fear that the City Director might receive complaints just to destroy the reputation of the police.

P/Sr.Inspector Jesus Castaneda, deputy chief of the Operations Branch, said that reports should be validated first before taking action and consider the motive of the complainants.

Maximizing...FFROM 2

Danao... FFROM 3

DISASTER-PROOF? Retired BGen. Loreto Rirao of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 11 believes that Davao City needs to construct evacuation centers that can withstand strong typhoons and earthquakes during this week’s edition of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Belmonte confirms fake SARO came from House employee

M

ANILA, Dec. 2 (PNA) -- Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday admitted that the fake special allotment release order (SARO) received by the office of an incumbent Cagayan lawmaker apparently came from a staff of the House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations.

In a chance interview, Belmonte said the SARO was sourced from a House employee, who is a good friend

of Cagayan 2nd District Rep. Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso’s chief of staff, Enrico Arao.

Mr. Arao was the former chief of staff of a former congressman.

“Apparently the guy from Appropriations (Committee) is a good friend of her COS (chief of staff). Magkakilala sila so they talk to each other,” Belmonte told House reporters.

When asked who was he referring to, the Speaker said he does not have the

name of the committee staff at the moment but if somebody can recall, he can confirm if he is the one.

Alfonso’s office reportedly submitted a SARO amounting to P161 million for farm-to-market road projects to the Department of Agriculture Region II office.

The said SARO was part of the P879-million worth of fake SAROs uncovered by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in October.

Belmonte said that Alfonso denied the allegations and that she does not know anything about the scheme until it came out in the news.

“The guy who actually brought the paper to the region was one of her staff… but they did not know that it was fake,” he said.

Alfonso’s staff already gave his written statement to the NBI last week, according to Belmonte.

[PNA]

P400?” I agreed, thinking Dau was very far.

While walking to where the Rolls Royce was parked I saw two limousines, one of which was colored black and looking exactly like the funeral hearse that Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor uses to convey the dead in style and whose relatives are willing to pay the special service .

So for the first time in my life, I rode in an authentic Rolls Royce car (circa 1990s) from Clark airport to the Dau bus terminal. I was the lone passenger. I learned lat-

er from the driver, a former bodyguard of former Tarlac congressman Jessie Lapuz, brother of former Land Bank president and DepEd secretary Jesli Lapuz, that the limousine and Rolls Royce cars belong to an Australian now residing in Angeles City. The Australian established the unique rental service company eight months ago, perhaps deriving inspiration from a similar company in New York which has converted expensive cars into taxicabs.

From Dau, I took a Victory Liner to Malibay in EDSA

where a cab took me to Naia 3 to get my suitcase. Nothing more eventful happened that day. When I finally settled in a Caloocan City residence, it was already past 8 p.m., indicating a four-hour delay in my Davao-Manila trip.

The culprit behind the delay, of course, was the reported runway congestion in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). Planes couldn’t take off and land in Naia on time due to runway congestion, which is a current scourge of Naia and

other decrepit airports in the world. Delays caused by runway congestion in Naia has a domino effect – all other planes arrive and depart late in domestic airports.

The PNoy government, now bedeviled by king-sized problems in the aftermath of super typhoons Yolanda and Janet (Napoles), needs to move faster to solve the runway congestion. This problem must be prioritized over airport terminal modernization. The urgent need is better runways, not modern airport terminals.

Ramos said that they had already lifted latent fingerprints of the robber at the crime scene that could lead them to the identity of the thief.

Meanwhile, a 23-yearold man was robbed while he was walking

home along Purok Nic, Buhangin.

Police identified the victim as Jourly Davide, a resident of Palm Drive, Buhangin.

Davide reported that at about 12:00 noon that day someone wearing a

helmet asked him what time it was and suddently pointed at him an undetermined type of handgun and declared a hold-up.

The robber took Davide’s sling bag containing his wallet with P4,000 inside, a pair

of shoes and cellphone worth P18,000.

The victim described the suspect as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with fair complexion and of medium build.

Police are investigating the two cases. [EPC]

tive investment and promotion center to attract more investors just like Davao City’s Investment

and Promotion Center.

Through this, each LGU will be able to sustain development and growth

in their respective units.

Dureza said that BOI Davao and DCIPO are willing to conduct semi-

nars for LGUs interested in strengthening their investment and promotion offices.

Funny and bizarre...FFROM 9

Unlucky...FFROM 3

Explore...FFROM 3

11 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Russian relief goods handed out C

LOSE to 40,000 families in the calamity-stricken areas of Cebu and Leyte provinces have received the relief assistance extended by the government of the Russian Federation in the wake of supertyphoon Yolanda.

The nearly 60 tons of Russian relief goods were entirely released last Wednesday (Nov. 20) to the families affected by the supertyphoon in the Cebu northern towns of Sogod, Medellin, Malapascua, Daanbantayan, Tabogon, San Remigio, Tabuelan, and Borbon, the islands of Camotes and Bantayan, and the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte.

The Russian relief aid arrived in Cebu on Nov. 14 aboard two Ilyushin-76 military freighter aircrafts which took off from the Ramenskoye airport in Moscow.

Including hundreds of boxes of canned goods and sacks of sugar, the relief goods were immediately repackaged for distribution and then transported without delay to the affected towns in Northern Cebu.

Russian Honorary Consul Armi L. Garcia said the relief goods came from the State Reserves of the Russian Federation (Rosrezerv) and were personally delivered by Gen. Vladimir Stepanov, the deputy minister for Civil Defense and Emergencies for Natural Calamities.

The relief aid was duly turned over to Vice Gov-

‘YOLANDA’ VOLUNTEERS. First batch of DSWD XI workers arrive Tuesday night after serving affected families in Tacloban for 15 days. The workers were joyfully welcomed by Director Priscilla N. Razon and other DSWD officials and colleagues. The second batch is expected to arrive Friday afternoon from Ormoc. To date, 45 DSWD workers have been deployed in Tacloban, Ormoc and Cebu to augment DSWD personnel in the two regions affected by Typhoon Yolanda. [DSWD] ernor Agnes Magpale and Atty. Mark Tolentino, on behalf of the Cebu Provincial Government, for the distribution process.

“On behalf of the Russian government, I wish to extend my gratitude to all the school children and volunteers responsible for the efficient repacking of the goods,” Garcia said. “The joint efforts of the volunteers, the Sweet Alert Society and friends, together with the Cebu Chamber

MEMBERS of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines - Cebu Council and students of Ateneo de Cebu lend their hands in the repackaging of relief goods from the Russian Federation.

of Commerce and Industry and the Provincial Government made it possible for us to deliver the goods to the families in the affected areas in such a short time!”

Consul Garcia also expressed total appreciation for the very enthusiastic response of Ateneo de Cebu by instantaneously opening its gymnasium for the temporary storage and repacking of the relief stocks.

THE repacking of Russian relief aid for the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda in Cebu and Leyte yielded thousands of ration bags which are being readied for transport and distribution to the calamity-stricken areas.

Russian Honorary Consul Armi L. Garcia get her hands full in preparing the relief packs for the storm-torn families in Northern Cebu and Leyte.

12 CLASSIFIEDS

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13

Idea Space startups cap six-month incubation program with Demo Day T

EN early-stage startups backed by IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc. (IdeaSpace), the largest tech startup incubator in the Philippines, recently completed their six-month incubation period that culminated in a Venture Capital and Demo Day at the Asian Institute of Management.

During the Demo Day, the ten teams showcased the products of a half year of intensive training, rigorous mentorship, and thorough business development that gave birth to ten innovative technology solutions addressing some of the Philippines’ pressing issues in the areas of transportation, agriculture, energy, healthcare, and innovation, among others.

The IdeaSpace Demo Day was part of the activities for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2013, a week-long celebration aiming to promote entrepreneurship and was observed in more than 150 countries worldwide.

The startups’ presentations were witnessed by a number of global and local

venture capitalists, investors and business leaders, including Derek Wong, a former Digital Health Investor from Burill and Company in San Francisco, USA; Yasu Seo, Regional Manager IMJ Fenox in Indonesia; Joan Yao Investment Manager for Southeast Asia of LGT Venture Philanthropy; and Jojo Flores, Vice President for Operations, Plug and Play Tech Center in California.

The ten pioneering startups that “graduated” from the IdeaSpace incubation program include: • Aqua Powered Solutions – Low-cost Water Purification Machine using nano technology • Arthrologic – KneeJoints focused on the Asian Market • DateCola – natural-enriched beverage out of dates • PortfolioMNL – Job Site for Creative Professionals • PGRS – Power Generating Rumble Strips • PinoyTravel – provincial bus reservation system

• mobKard – Mobile promos on the go using analytics • Tech4Health – Monitoring chronic patients via SMS and Apps • TimeFree – Virtual queuing system for retail and financial services • WeGen – New more efficient windmill design Among these startups, PinoyTravel (www.pinoytravel.com.ph), which aims to revolutionize domestic travel by bus in the Philippines, is one of those which have commercially launched their services to the public.

PinoyTravel enables commuters to check bus trip schedules and seat availability in real time, book and purchase their bus tickets online to avoid physically queuing in the bus stations.

Aurora Soriano, CEO of PinoyTravel said they aim to convince the country’s 130 million bus passengers a year to shift to web or mobile booking and eliminate the need to line up at bus stations just to purchase

The team behind IdeaSpace startup Mob Kard, a mobile tool which focuses on utilizing the phenomenon of Big Data to customize promos on the go, explaining the concept behind their creation to a Demo Day attendee tickets.

Some of these startups have also participated in global technopreneurship tilts and were recognized for their innovative technology solutions. WeGen, for example, emerged as finalist in the recent IBM SmartCamp Asean 2013 in Kuala Lumpur and the Intel APEC Challenge in Tai-

wan. Additionally, several of these startups have already filed patents for their novel creations under the Philippines’ Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

Earl Martin Valencia, president of IdeaSpace and head for corporate development of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), one of the companies sup-

porting the IdeaSpace program, said the criteria for selecting business startups to support is quite simple: “Are they really solving a really big need in the world?”

“Water, energy, healthcare, jobs, inefficiencies in the system,” Valencia said, “these are things that we need and solutions are not yet mature.”

14 SPORTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Davis suffers fractured head

N

GOLD ITF TOURNAMENT. Meinard Miagan (right) of Bagani ITF in action during the 1st ITF Taekwondo Tournament at the Gisano South Mall. Miagan won the gold medal in the Teens Division Novice A. (PR)

Bagani dominates 1st ITF Taekwon-do Cup

T

HE first ever ITF Taekwondo Davao Region Cup was held on Sunday at the Gaisano South Mall with the Bagani ITF Taekwondo Club emerging as overall champion.

Meinrd Miagan led the romp of the Bagani jins winning the gold in the Novice A Division for Teens. The other winners for Bagani ITF are Andres Cordero, Val Mendoza, Ralph Laacno, Ian Natividad, Marianne Laguesma, Hannelore Alojado and Chad Herrera.

The tournament was organized by Reynaldo Cordero Jr., Lyra Cordero, John Alphard Salatandre, Roberto Sapar, Richard Paul Sapar, Margyle Denis Leparto and Junno Hiramis, It was sanctioned by the ITF Philippines through President Jose Antonio Sta Ana. The other participating clubs were Maniklad ITF Tagum City, Kampilan ITF (I-Flex Gym) and K’sag ITF (DCLC, Immanuel School & Prime Movers School).

THE COMPLETE RESULTS: KIDS DIVISION A (BEGINNERS) G - Andres Cordero (Ba-

gani) S- Dale Guerero (K’sag) B- Jio Tangiday (K’sag) KIDS DIVISION B (BEGINNERS) G - Val Mendoza (Bagani) S- Kyle Aviles (K’sag) B- Kel Boc (Kampilan KIDS DIVISION C (BEGINNERS) G- Ralph Lacno (Bagani) S- Shaun Lapido (Bagani) B- Mark Panes (Bagani) KIDS DIVISION D (BEGINNERS) G- Paul Dave Chavez (K’sag) S- Daniel Prado (K’sag) B- Kenzo Abellaneda (Kampilan) KIDS DIVISION E (BEGINNERS) GDarryl Devino (K’sag) S- Paolo Dela Victoria (K’sag) B- Paul Damiles (Bagani) TEENS DIVISION A (BEGINNERS-BOYS) G- Ian Natividad ( Bagani) Silver - Vince Lapido (Bagani) Bronze - Dominic Chavez (K’sag) TEENS DIVISION B (BEGINNERS-BOYS)

U-23 Azkals lose in Singapore match

T

HE Philippine national Under-23 men’s football team yielded a 6-nil result to Singapore in a benefit match for the survivors of super typhoon “Yolanda” on Sunday night at the Hougang Stadium in the city-state.

After leading 1-nil at halftime, the floodgates opened for Singapore in the second half, as they blasted five goals, including two in injury time, to seal the final

score.

In partnership with Red Cross Singapore, the Football Association of Singapore vowed to donate all proceeds of the match for the relief efforts for Yolanda.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has struck the Philippines, and the FAS would like to help with the relief efforts in whichever way we can,” FAS president Zainudin Nordin said in a statement before the match.

Gold- Christian Blanco (Maniklad) Silver - Scott Soria (Maniklad)

KIDS DIVISION A (BEGINNERS-GIRLS) Gold- Lois Esquerdo (K’sag) Silver - Mia Turbanos (K’sag) KIDS DIVISION B (BEGINNERS-GIRLS) Gold Marriane Laguesma (Bagani) Silver - Abigail Mesiona (K’sag) Bronze - Patricia (Bagani) TEENS DIVISION A (BEGINNERS-GIRLS) Gold - Hannelore Alojado (Bagani) Silver - Nathalie Mamacos (Bagani) Bronze - Chen Mae Inson (Bagani) KIDS DIVISION A (NOVICE-BOYS) Gold - Jerome Pajaron (Bagani) Silver - Rey Robles (K’sag) Bronze- Joshua Legaspi (Bagani) KIDS DIVISION A (ADVANCE-BOYS) Gold - Chad Herrera (Bagani) Silver - Shane Tamayo (Kampilan)

Bronze- BJ Lumakin (K’sag) TEENS DIVISION A (NOVICE-BOYS) Gold - Meinard Miagan (Bagani) Silver - Kirk Arcenas (Bagani) Bronze- Kurt Plariza (Kampilan) KIDS DIVISION A (NOVICE-GIRLS) Gold- Julia Manloza (Maniklad) Silver - Isable Gallego (K’sag) Bronze- Zianne Trono (Maniklad) ADULTS DIVISION A (NOVICE-BOYS) Gold - Noel Maiso (Maniklad) Silver - Kelvin Lumanog (Bagani) Bronze - Jeb Manloza (Maniklad)

ADULTS DIVION A (ADVANCE-BOYS) Gold- Ricardo Manloza Jr (Maniklad) Silver - Kevin Louie Trugillo (Bagani) SPECIAL BOUTS Mich Hong Vs. Eam Laguesma Yqi Uy Vs. Joshua Legaspi OVERALL CHAMPION BAGANI ITF

EW YORK — The New Orleans Pelicans overcame an injury to their star player, power forward Anthony Davis, to get a gritty 10399 win over the New York Knicks before 19,812 at Madison Square Garden.

The Pelicans (8-8) played the last three quarters without Davis, who left the game in the first quarter with a non-displaced fracture of his left hand after hitting it on the rim on a lob.

Davis scored just seven points in 10:27 of action.

How long he will be out was not immediately provided

by Pelicans coach Monty Williams.

“I felt pain, but I didn’t think it would keep me out,” said Davis. “We got the win in a tough place to play.

That’s all that’s important.

“Guys came in and stepped up and played bigtime minutes and made great plays. We need that from our bench.”

Power forward Ryan Anderson replaced Davis off the Pelicans’ bench to

score 31 points.

Forward Carmelo Anthony led five Knicks (3-13) in double-figure scoring with 23 points. He was followed by guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (21) and center Andrea Bargnani (17).

Guards Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith had 12 points apiece.

Bargnani tied his career high with six blocked shots.

New York has lost nine straight, including six at home.

Davis’ injury forced Williams to employ a smaller, but quicker, threeguard lineup. Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon and Jrue Holiday were able to penetrate the Knicks interior, combining for 45 points and 18 assists.

The Knicks were ahead 93-88 with 6:24 remaining in the game, but the Pelicans used a 10-0 burst over the next 3:35 to slip away 98-93. Evans scored five of his 10 fourth-quarter points in the run and forward Al-Farouq Aminu’s block of Hardaway’s layup got the run going.

OS ANGELES — For the surging Indiana Pacers, the five-game road trip they started Sunday offers an intriguing early-season challenge.

The Pacers still have four stops to go, but if their 105100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers is any indication they, are well on their way to acing the test.

The best team in the NBA record-wise stormed into Staples Center and beat one of the top teams in the Western Conference — albeit an injured one — with a balanced offensive attack and a defense just smothering enough to hold off the Clippers over the final two minutes.

Those are the same two components the Pacers used to break out to the best start in franchise history.

Forward Paul George continued his torrid start with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists for Indiana

(16-1). Forward David West added 24 points and 12 rebounds, and center Roy Hibbert had 19 points and eight boards for the Pacers, who improved to 7-1 on the road.

“It’s a great team win,” George said. “We knew coming in it would be a hardfought game and a hardfourth win, but again, we just stuck to our principals.”

The Clippers (12-6) fell to 8-2 at home this season, their downfall a slow shooting afternoon in which they sank just 39 of 89 shots while dealing with a Pacers defense that allowed 100 points or more just twice this season.

“We’re human,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s not like our guys came in and were like, ‘Let’s not win today,’ Indiana came in with a purpose. This was their first game on the West Coast trip, and you could see their seriousness at the beginning of the game.”

Pacers win big in West L

TAEKWONDO WINNERS. Winners of the first ever ITF Taekwondo Tournament at the Gisano South Mall pose after receiving their medals and trophies. (PR)

INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

(L-R) Mr. Antonio “Tony Boy” S. Domingo, president,Ms Nora R. Morada,chaiman Person of the board and Ms Estela B. Aguilos,sales and marketing manager.

Entrance Gate

Ilumina Estate

GRATEFUL. An immensely grateful Communal Barangay Captain Mark Galang (third from right) poses with Santos Land executives (from left) May Ann B. Plana,executive asstant to the president/business development & property leasing manager;Elsie Santos,stockholder;Erlinda A. Santos,stockholder;Nora R. Morada, chairperson of the board;Edna R. Adea,general administration manager;Lourdes Estanislao, corporate treasurer/finance manager; Antonio S. Domingo,president; and Josefina Melocoton,stockholder

launched in unique,fun-filled event

Santos Land donates HE building

By Bai Fauziah Fatima Sinsuat Ambolodto Photos by Dennis Watin THE vast wonders of the universe is a priceless land estate waiting to be explored.

With imagination, the limitation to transform is endless – and so does is to help.

Ilumina Estate did more than the usual ribbon cutting and typical

open house for guests.

Aside from the Thanksgiving Mass that ex-

(L-R)Vic Ian Navales, BDO assistant manager/account officerhome;Marivic Chi-Parian, BDO assistant vice president/provincial business center head-Davao; and Estela B. Aguilos,SLDC sales & marketing manager

pressed their gratitude, the grand launching, held last November 27, 2013, was one turnover celebration worth remembering.

Through the AdoptA-School Program of the Department of Education, Ilumina Estate donated a complete and fully furnished Home Economics Building for the students of Communal Elementary School.

According to Santos Land Development Corporation president Antonio S. Domingo, during his inspirational speech, the donation was made in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) to help students in their learning, growth and development process.

During the unique event was the blessing of Ilumina Estates clubhouse and its model house #2, releasing of balloons in their

immense lush garden and a fun-filled time of merrymaking, singing and food that kept everybody on their feet. More so, some fun and games that urged everyone to participate.

Indeed, the event was a celebration with family, colleagues, investors and friends in the industry that not only believed in Ilumina’s vast wonderful creations but also in their mission to help the community.

Members of the Santos Land Development Corporation board of directors, headed by Ms Nora R. Morada,chairman and Antonio S. Domingo,president,pose with the faculty and non-teaching staff of the Communal Elementary School after the blessing of the school’s new Home Economics building.

(L-R) Nora R. Morada, chairperson of the board; Erlinda A. Santos,stockholder; Elsie Santos,stockholder; and Lourdes Estanislao, corporate treasurer/finance manager

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

EVENTS

Welcome to Gensan, J.Co.

EVERY TIME I fall in line at the checkin counter, from Manila on my way back home to Gensan, there will always be fellow Generals bring back home a box of J.Co donuts, who could blame them? The long wait in line is definitely worth every scrumptious bite.

This 2013, J.Co Donuts & Coffee has been opening up branches here and there in the urban landscapes across the Philippines. As the –ber months are among us, J.Co further brings its goodies to the South, as it opens up a branch in General Santos City’s Veranza Mall.

A solemn store blessing marked the first time J.Co Veranza opened its doors on November 27, 2013 with a queue of eager customers stretching twice as long as the store itself. Generals gathered in the hopes of being the first 100 customers to be

given free boxes of J.Co’s scrumptious, best-selling signature “Glaze morning!” doughnuts.

I appreciate the aesthetic beauty of their innovative range of donuts, with their quirky names, interesting cups of J.Coffee beverages, and cool servings of J.Cool frozen yogurt that will surely satisfy every Generals craving.

A full treatment is given to each GenSan J.Co-er, with the bustling sights and smell of freshly made donuts and hand-crafted beverages surrounding them, each served one after another filling the air with a mix of the upcom-

ing Holidays and the comfort of quality products to keep everyone warm and cozy.

One of J.Co’s signature treats like Alcapone, with its Belgian chocolate and roasted almond slices on top of J.Co’s trademark soft-bite donut, and J.Coccino, J.Co’s own version of the cappuccino, will surely make repeted

appearances on the coffee tables of J.Co Veranza in the upcoming days and months.

I was blown away, after being informed that J.Co started their first branch in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005 by Indonesian entrepreneur Johnny Andrean, I’m at awe on how J.Co has grown, and was able to open up more branches

across the region such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Shanghai, China. By 2012, J.Co reached the Philippines with its local exclusive franchise rights and operations held by Contemporain Foods, Inc., most specially on its plans for more new stores before the end of the year.

J.Co Veranza is located at the Ground Level, Ve-

ranza, J. Catolico Ave., General Santos City Like them on Facebook: J.CoPhils, follow them on Twitter: @JCOPhilippines1 and in Instagram @JCOPhilippines Follow me on Twitter or Instagram, @kyriekoutre for more adventures in and around my wonderland that is Gensan, Tuna Capital of the Philippines.

Park Inn by Radisson Davao welcomes Christmas season

PARK INN by Radisson Davao welcomed the holiday season with a simple but meaningful Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Ms. Elizabeth Sy, President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., graced the ceremony which was witnessed by hotel staff, inhouse guests, and affiliates within the SM group of companies.

Mr. Paul Rene Lee, Director and Owners’ Representative for SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., opened the program with a short speech. “Christmas couldn’t have come at a more important time. It’s a time of giving; A time to give back and be a blessing to others. Christmas reminds us about the significance of Life, and that we are

all here for a purpose and for someone besides ourselves. May the Christmas tree we light be a symbol of hope to all, especially to those affected by Typhoon Yolanda. We are proud to be part of the SM family, which continues to help survivors of the recent typhoon. Let us keep the true spirit of Christmas alive by sharing comfort, love and joy, in whatever we can, to those in need and despair. We wish you all a truly blessed, safe and memorable Christmas.”

Shortly after Ms. Sy pressed the switch, Christmas lights around the hotel turned on and the children from the SongSpell choir began to sing. Their repertoire included Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, Joy to the World, Gloria, and Mary’s Boy Child.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

Barbie Almalbis

Rico Blanco

Smart Bro concert in Davao gathers support for Yolanda survivors

FRIENDS Rachel, Mharyiah, Jonah, Demz and April knew they had to see their ultimate idol Rico Blanco when he went to Davao for a concert last November 23.

But realizing that it was a benefit concert for the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in Central Visayas, the five—who collectively call themselves “Ricolokoys” along with other Rico Blanco fans—banded together and determined which among their personal belongings they can donate to the relief operations.

The “Ricolokoys” then dropped off their donations during the Smart Bro Live and Loud benefit concert at Matina Town Square in Davao City, a musical event cum relief operations where Davaoeños showed their support for their kababayans affected by the recent disaster.

“We really wanted to see Rico, but we knew we also wanted to help,” said Jonah, 16, one of the youngest members of the Davao chapter of the “Ricolokoys.”

“It was for a good cause, so we didn’t think twice about donating.”

Staged by Smart Broadband, Inc. (Smart Bro), a subsidiary of mobile leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), in partnership with TV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation, the benefit concert drew thousands of locals who rocked for a cause with rock icons Rico Blanco and Barbie Almalbis during the Davao leg of the concert series.

The charity auction organized during the concert fetched close to P50,000 from bids of concert-goers, with Barbie’s customized

Fans of Rico Blanco in Davao, who collectively call themselves “Ricolokoys,” prepared a relief package for Yolanda survivors and dropped them off during the Smart Bro Live and Loud Benefit Concert.

D&D guitar going out at the highest bid price of P30,000.

Other items that went up for bids include Rico’s limitededition Fiesto Bandido shirts and Koboi cap; Barbie’s Cool Cat distortion pedal and dress; and Raimund Marasigan’s H&M jacket.

Guests were also able to bid on exclusive Smart Bro items including an LTE Pocket WiFi device, a Samsung Galaxy Tab and a Google Nexus Tab. Barbie’s old and new albums were also sold at heavily discounted rates, the proceeds of which were also donated to the fund drive.

Acting as a drop-off point for donations, the benefit concert also gathered almost a hundred bags of donated food and clothing with the help of Davao Doctors Hospital, a medical facility partially owned by the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).

MedExpress, a large chain of drug stores in Davao, also donated medicines for the Yolanda survivors.

At some point during the lively concert, Barbie asked the concert-goers for a brief moment of silence for the families affected by the super typhoon. Rico,

meanwhile, offered a heartfelt song for the survivors to the tune of his 2009 anthem “Bangon,” a song he then wrote for those who bore the brunt of super typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

All the proceeds from the Smart Bro Live and Loud Benefit Concert will be turned over to Alagang Kapatid Foundation for its continuing relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Visayas and other areas ravaged by typhoon Yolanda.

Volunteer employees form the PLDT and Smart offices in Davao helped in repacking and organizing the items for convenient transportation to affected areas.

The benefit concert is just part of the ongoing relief, rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts being undertaken by Smart and other companies in the First Pacific Group.

Through the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan, the group has already raised more than P10 million in donations online and continues to receive more pledges from around the world through the recently launched global fund drive called HelpPH (www.help. ph).

INdulge! A3

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT EDGEDavao Davao Partners

MAKE IT YOUR DAILY HABIT. EDGE DAVAO

The Memorial to the Founders of Singapore.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 187 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

SPORTS 15

UNDER SIEGE. Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo throws a wild left to Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago in their world minimumweight title fight that ended in a split draw on Saturday night at the Smart Araneta Center. (Right) Filipino world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes extends his reign. Lean Daval Jr.

ALDEGUER:

Sabillo needs polishing A

LA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer knows Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo is a diamond n the rough.

Despite the scrappy defense of his WBO world minimumweight title last Saturday, Sabillo still enjoys the confidence of his boss.

In fact, he will be headlined in the next Pinoy Pride which returns to the posh Solaire Hotel and Casino in February next year.

“Sabillo will be fighting in February. He will be on top of that card in Solaire,” Aldeguer said moments after the Pinoy Pride XXIII at the Smart Araneta Center

last Saturday which ended in the wee hours of the morning.

Pressed why he gives Sabillo all that opportunity, Aldeguer said he believes the former streetfighter from Bacolod is but an unpolished gem that reminds him of a young Manny Pacquiao—relentless and carefree.

“We all know Sabillo does not have an amateur background. He does not have the training, but he does have the talent.

He needs fights like this (against Carlos Buitrago) to improve,” Aldeguer told Edge Davao in an interview.

Sabillo was held to a split draw by the unbeaten Buitrago and kept his title.

Sabillo got the better of Germany’s Jorge Milke’s scorecard 115-113, lost to American judge Levi Martinez 115-113, and got a draw from Japanese judge Takeshi Shimakawa 114114.

“Magaling si Buitrago, very technical siya.

Tinamaan niya ako sa tagiliran parang nawala ang lahat ng hangin ko.

Mabuti na lang nagging aggressive ako,” Sabillo said.

Aldeguer said he could not confirm if Sa-

billo will have a mandatory rematch with Buitrago under the WBO rules but he will have to find out.

If not, Sabillo will have another opponent in February before he will be fighting possibly Buitrago again in Dubai.

Against Buitrago, an effective counter-puncher, Sabillo looked very sluggish and got tagged in the head while rushing in.

“He needs to learn a lot of ways to fight a counterpuncher. He cannot just lunge in anytime. He’s like a young Manny Pacquiao,” said Aldeguer. [NJB]

super typhoon “Yolanda”.

The former eight-title world champion toured the central island of Samar with his own aid caravan after spending the night Satur-

day in a tent city in the town of Guiuan, the first town to be struck by the typhoon, an AFP reporter with the convoy saw.

Pacquiao attended a

prayer meeting in Guiuan early Sunday with survivors, and later handed out Bibles and food packages containing rice, noodles and tinned meat.

No stopping generous Manny

G

UIUAN – Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao handed out Bibles, tinned food and cash Sunday to lift people’s spirits in areas devastated by

EXECUTIVE CHESS. Councilor Leo Avila vs. Lawyer NM Atty. Bob Jones, Champion (seated in blue shirt), Atty. Jong Guevarra, 5th Placer, Mary Joy Escudero, FTC Marketing Head.

Big ticket...FFROM 16 is but a “tune-up” bout for him as he trained his sights further ahead to a rematch with another highly-regarded Mexican Moises Fuentes.

A barrage of combinations brought down the Mexican world no. 14 with 2:24 left from the opening bell but the latter stood up obviously shaken. Another flurry of punches floored Gutierrez five seconds later and a third trip to the canvas could have ended it but he was saved mercifully by the bell.

By the second round and third, Gutierrez tried keep himself into the fight and hit Nietes with some shots to the head. However, Nietes was focused on the kill, and when he finally had a swinging right land on Gutierrez’s chin, it cracked so hard the Big Dome could feel it like a tree felled by a thunderous typhoon.

Gutierrez was done for good and referee Celestino Ruiz waved his hand to end the fight.

Nietes improved his record to 32 wins with 18 knockouts against a lone draw (with Fuentes) and 4 losses.

“Sugod lang ako ng sugod, alam ko kayak o siyang tapusin sa first round. Akala ko din a siya makakatayo pagkatapos ng first round,” said Nietes after the fight.

He now looks forward to a rematch with Fuentes in Singapore sometime in March.

“Yes, we are talking with Top Rank to bring Nietes over to Singapore and fight Fuentes again,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer in an interview with

EDGE Davao.

Nietes is a year short of passing the record of the legendary Gabriel “Flash” Elorde as the longest reigning Filipino world champion.

“Handa na ako na lumaban sa labas, ang promoter ko na ang bahala,” said Nietes, wearing a shirt with the words #bangonpilipinas on his chest. He had dedicated the fight to his countrymen in the Visayas who are victims of typhoon Yolanda.

Aldeguer said he will be bringing Nietes to the United States next year to train for his fights abroad. ALA Promotions has opened ALA Boxing Gym in San Diego, California which will serve as the training hub for Filipino boxers fighting in the US. The Filipinos completed a 4-win 1-draw record in their encounter with the Latinos last Saturday with only Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo denied of a win after surviving a tough battle with Nicaraguan star Carlos Buitrago in their world minimumweight championship that ended in a split draw.

Sabillo retained his title despite the draw.

Milan Melindo was also stretchd to the limit by tough Jose Alfredo Rodriguez to retain his WBO International lightflyweight title while Jason Pagara decisioned Vladimit Baez of the Dominican Republic. AJ Banal had a not so impressive workout winning by decision over Lucian Gonzales while Jimrex Jaca was the fastest worker of the night, scoring a first round TKO win over Wellem Reyk of Indonesia.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. VOL. 6 ISSUE 6 ISSUE 187 187 • TUESDAY, • TUESDAY, DECEMBER DECEMBER 3,3, 2013 2013

BIG TICKET

Nietes ready for the big fights

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

IT’S OVER. Filipino world lughtflyweight champion Donnie Nietes watches Mexican challenger Sammy Gutierrez go down for the final time in the third round as referee Celestino Ruiz moves in to count. Lean Daval Jr.

W

orld lightflyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes is ready for the big ones.

Despite his long reign of more than six years as world champion, Nietes has yet to land the big ticket fights over-

seas where the stakes are high and the chance of getting noticed by the boxing world is what he needs to alter the course

of his career.

Nietes, one of the top attractions of the famed ALA Boxing Gym, fought one of his best fights

last Saturday, scoring an impressive third round knockout win over rugged Mexican Sammy “Guty” Gutierrez at the

SMART Araneta Center.

Nietes made true his pre-fight brag that the championship fight

FBIG TICKET, 15