Edge Davao 6 Issue 238

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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Serving a seamless society

ANGER MANAGEMENT. Councilor Diosdado Mahipus fumes as he accuses councilor Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta of disrespecting him as they engage each other in a heated argument during yesterday’s regular session atthe Sangguniang Panlungsod. Acosta reacted after hearing Mahipus call her a “spoiled brat.” Lean Daval Jr.

OUTBURSTS IN SESSION

Councilors lock horns over vetoed CLUP EDGEDAVAO Sports Pacquiao starts sparring for T Bradley fight

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

EMPERS flared in yesterday’s regular session of the Davao City Council after three councilors engaged in heated altercation.

Councilors Bernard Al-ag, Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta and Diosdado Mahipus were at loggerheads over the amendment of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and yesterday’s tension-filled session blew out of proportions.

The altercation started when Al-ag rebutted councilor Acosta while the latter

was delivering her privilege speech. Acosta was reading a statement during the privilege hour, which she released last week as her response to an earlier statement of Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte on the same issue.

After Acosta read her statement, Al-ag asked if he can make some questions to which Acosta obliged.

Al-ag asked Acosta why she keeps on inviting environmental groups to the plenary even if the discussion of

the amendment of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) was already approved in the third and final reading.

“We know the measure was already approved in the third reading and whoever will speak here regardless of who they are, it will not change the decision of the city council.

I think you are aware of that,” he said.

Al-ag said he and Vice Mayor Duterte suggested that instead of bringing the groups in the city council she can refer

them to the city mayor to ask for a veto. For the record, the CLUP amendment was eventually vetoed by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

“I think you know that is the proper thing to do,” he told Acosta.

Acosta agreed with Alag’s statement saying that the groups which included Ateneo de Davao University president Fr. Joel Tabora are aware of what is required to be done.

“They already know that

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PAL Seniors Interclub opens P16

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COOL DOWN. Councilor Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta drinks water to cool down her temper while her colleagues try to calm her down during yesterday’s regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Acosta was defending herself in a privilege speech against Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte and other city councilors on the issue of the amendment to the City Land Use Plan (CLUP) which removes 10 percent green space provision for subdivision development projects. Lean Daval Jr.

Cayetano pushes for“people’s bank” to give capital to small entrepreneurs

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ICE presidential aspirant and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano today went to Dagupan, Pangasinan and spoke with bangus farmers to push for a “people’s bank” to facilitate capital lending.

This is part of the “Ronda-Serye” listening tour with his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, where the tandem personally listens to ordinary Filipinos and presents their solutions to the country’s disorder.

The senator lamented the current situation of the bangus industry in the area.

According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Pangasinan remains the country’s largest producer of the fish, with yearly harvests averaging 150 million kilos. However, local hatcheries could only produce about a third of the fingerling requirements of

fish ponds, pens and cages.

As a result, of the annual demand of 600 million, about 100 million is sourced from Cagayan, another 100 million from Ilocos region, 150 million from Sarangani, while the rest come from Indonesia.

“One of the fishermen’s main problems is the lack of capital to put up more facilities in order to respond to this demand,” Cayetano noted. Cayetano said that he plans to make access to capital easier, and payment of loans more flexible. He plans to do this by establishing a public bank to provide loans specifically for small entrepreneurs.

“Sobra na ang hirap at gulo sa bansa. Ang kailangan ay tunay na pagbabago. Magagawa lang ito kung may tapang at tibay ng loob ang mga susunod na lider. Ito ang inaalok ko at ni Mayor Duterte,” Cayetano concluded.

15-minute power interruptions on Feb. 24, 25, 29 and March 1

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AVAO Light and Power Co. will implement two sets of 15-minute switching power interruptions affecting customers connected to its Puan, Dumoy, Toril and ERA Substations.

These service disruptions will be necessary to facilitate the replacement of 138 kV poles along diversion road.

To avoid longer duration of power interruptions, load from Puan, Dumoy and Toril substations will be temporarily

transferred to nearby lines on February 24 and normalization will be on March 1, both from 4:00 a.m. to 4:15 a.m..

Customers affected by these power interruptions are those from crossing Ulas going to Dumoy up to Toril Proper which includes Eden, Lubogan and other nearby areas.

Meanwhile, the transfer of load from the ERA Substation will be conducted on February 25 for 15 minutes only anytime

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SP: No plans yet to override veto

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City council is not keen on overriding the veto of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on the amendment of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) removing the additional 10 percent area for green spaces in any subdivision development.

In an interview yesterday, City Council’s chairman of the committee on rules and privileges, laws and ordinances councilor Bernard Al-ag said his committee has no definite action yet on the rejection of the amendment.

“We will determine it within this week and we will present it next Tuesday,” he said.

In his privilege speech in yesterday’s City Council’s regular session, he said council can accept or override the veto by two-thirds vote.

“The city council will study the veto message of the Mayor,” he said.

He said he felt relieved when the Mayor did not question the move of the council to incorporate the required additional 10 percent green space

within the 30 percent allotted open space, set back area and sidewalk as mandated in Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1216 defining “open space” in residential subdivisions and amending section 31 of PD. 957 requiring subdivision owners to provide roads, alleys, sidewalks, and reserve open space for parks or recreational use. .He said the main reason for Duterte’s action to veto the ordinance is the last provision of the ordinances which states “shall eventually be turned

over to the homeowners association for proper maintenance.”

“The mayor finds the provision ultra vires (beyond its powers) due to the existing national law (PD 1216) which states that “only parks and playgrounds of the entire open space May be donated to the homeowners associations,” he said.

Al-ag said the word “may” from PD 1296 made the turnover of the open spaces optional to the homeowners

in Cagayan de Oro City, Roxas blasted Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“May droga sa Davao ngayon,” according to Roxas.

“Ngayon lang, gusto mo samahan kita e, makakabili tayo ng droga sa Davao e.”

Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign is anchored on effective intelligence network and diligent police work that make the City a hard market to penetrate for drug operators.

Over the weekend, a Lanao del Sur couple attempted to enter Davao City with almost P500,000 worth of

shabu.

They were arrested at the Task Force Davao checkpoint in Toril, a special unit of the military funded by the city government to curb terrorism and other criminal activities.

Planted, stage-managed or not, Duterte has consistently warned those who wish to bring illegal drugs in Davao of extreme consequences.

Duterte’s spokesperson, Peter Laviña, said as someone who once headed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Mar’s knowledge and

inaction of Davao illegal drugs makes him an accomplice and a protector of drug lords and their drug pushers.

“Mar is showing he is not fit to be the leader of our country,” said Laviña. “He did not only exhibit irresponsible citizenship by not reporting to authorities where drugs are being peddled, he has, in fact, become an accomplice in protecting drug lords and drug pushers.”

Roxas said Davao’s crime incidents is 4th highest in the Philippines. The Davao City

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Rody: 20 years and Mar won’t still make it P

RESIDENTIAL aspirant and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte called administration bet Mar Roxas a failed politician.

In a post-debate interview, the PDP-Laban frontrunner reacted to the criticisms made by Roxas on Duterte’s anti-drug campaign in Davao City as mayor.

Duterte’s statement was crusty.

“He can never do it,” said Duterte. “Give him 20 years and still won’t be able to hack it.”

After the Sunday debate

F RODY, 10

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PAMPANGA SORTIE. Vice presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano sits with lantern and handicraft workers in the city to listen to the workers’ daily woes as well as to present to them his and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s vision of creating real change in

Filipinos’ lives. The tandem plans to do this through effecting bold solutions and swift action to address the lack of opportunities and government assistance being given to small businesses in the country.

2016BrightLeafaward for journalists kicks off

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HE 10th year of Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is kicking off in its search for the best agriculture stories for 2016.

Launched in 2007, Bright Leaf invites journalists from all over the Philippines to submit their stories and photos for a chance to bring home the prize for the following categories: • Agriculture Story of the Year • Agriculture Photo of the Year • Tobacco Story of the Year • Tobacco Photo of the Year • Best Television Program or Segment • Best Radio Program or Segment • Best Agriculture News Story National • Best Agriculture News Story Regional • Best Agriculture Feature Story National • Best Agriculture Feature Story Regional, and • The Oriental Leaf Award. This special award is given to those who have won five Bright Leaf Awards in any category. The Oriental Leaf Awardees become part of the Bright Leaf Hall of Fame, an elite group of journalists.

For 2016, Bright Leaf will be going around the country in style. To celebrate its 10th year of honoring the best and brightest in agricultural journalism and to bring the contest to a wider audience, the new Bright Leaf caravans will visit 15 cities -- the highest number of places that Bright Leaf has ever visited in a year. And aside from meet-and-greet sessions with local media practitioners, there will also be more activities for participants, including:

• Roundtable discussions on pressing agricultural issues with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, local government units, and community leaders; • Workshops on feature writing and photojournalism in selected areas; and • Beneficial community-related activities in selected areas.

To honor the most important, ground-breaking, and outstanding agricultural news stories is the highlight of the Bright Leaf Awards. These stories should have been published in print media or aired on radio and television. The awards also celebrate the best photojournalists in the industry – those who are able to capture the spirit of an aspect of Philippine agriculture in one frame.

There is no entry fee required to enter. Journalists and photographers may submit several entries for consideration. However, an entry may not be entered in more than one category. Entries should be published, aired, or broadcast between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016. The deadline for submission of entries is September 1, 2016.

Entries may be in English or any of the Philippine languages. For entries that are not in English, participants will need to submit an English translation.

Winners will be receiving cash prizes, premium items, and an all-expensepaid trip in an Asian country. For more information, you may contact the Bright Leaf Secretariat at (0915) 550-8301 or (0918) 4130797, (02)5456425 email secretariat@thebrightleafawards.com or visit the Bright Leaf website at www. thebrightleafawards.com.

Palace vows to check fears of cheating in May 9 polls M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday promised to address the apprehension that cheating and manipulation might occur in the upcoming May 9 polls.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Sec. Sonny Coloma made this assurance following a Pulse Asia survey which said 39 percent of Filipinos are expecting cheating in the elections. ”We are one with the Commission on Elections in its objective to assure an orderly, peaceful and clean election in May. We have to address the fears regarding the allegation that there might be cheating in the elections,” Coloma told Malacañang media.

In 2010, Coloma said the government changed the election system from manual to automated to make sure that all the votes will be counted. ”The people are expecting that the system will be improve to eliminate the actual or alleged ways to cheat the election,” he said.

Coloma said there is also a need to strengthen the education campaign for the public particularly the voters to get inform and understand fully the automated voting system and to eventually wipe away doubts on the integrity of the system.

On the request by senatorial aspirant Richard Gordon to the Supreme Court

FIGHTING BOREDOM. People queueing for their occupational or community tax certificate at the Sangguniang Panlungsod building play video games or check their Facebook accounts on their mobile phones while waiting for their turn. Lean Daval Jr.

to require Comelec to print ballot receipts, Coloma said the Comelec had previously explained that the printing of such receipts “present more disadvantages than advantages, in terms of possible vote-buying and actual lengthening of voting hours.” ”As an independent constitutional body, the Comelec is tasked with ensuring the integrity and credibility of elections.

Now, it is up to the Supreme Court to act as final arbiter in disputes of this nature,” Coloma said.

Coloma, meanwhile, said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continued to monitor the election

hotspots following series of attacks by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on the government forces. ”The government will not be shaken by any threat that armed groups might sow,” Coloma said.

Based on the Pulse Asia survey held two weeks before the election campaign started last Feb. 10, four of 10 Filipinos believed that cheating might possibly happen.

The survey also found out that 48 percent of Filipinos believe that the May 9 polls “will be clean and the results credible because the counting of votes is automated,” while 34 percent were undecided.

(PNA)

ENDORS who will continue the sale of liquid petroleum products in unsafe containers can be held liable under the law, warned Provincial Director Diosdado Cadena Jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Cadena confirmed that the sale of liquid petroleum products in soda bottles, plastic containers, jugs and other similar portable containers is considered illegal under Department of Energy (DOE) Department Circular No. 2003-11-010.

Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. asked Cadena to shed light on the issue after some gasoline station owners sought his help earlier this month complaining that their sales and operations were already affected.

“Their business is threatened since drivers will prefer those in soda bottles because these are much cheaper com-

pared to theirs,” Defensor said suspecting that the supply of liquid petroleum products sold by erring vendors came from illegal activities like fuel pilferage or smuggling.

Under the circular, Cadena explained that illegal retail of liquid petroleum products must not be patronized because it can expose the consuming public to fire, security, health and environmental risks.

It also denies the public the proper quality and quantity of the liquid petroleum they purchase, and deprive legitimate retail outlets of additional sales volume.

The government will likewise be denied of revenue derived from licensing fees, local business taxes and pump calibration charges, among others if the malpractice continues.

(PNA)

Selling of fuel in retail form illegal, DTI says V

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HSBC under probe over hiring people linked to Asian gov’ts

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UROPE’S biggest bank HSBC said in a report on Monday that it was under investigation by US authorities for hiring people linked to Asian governments.

The London-based bank is “one of multiple financial institutions” probed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its Asian hiring practices, according to HSBC’s annual report.

“Based on the facts currently known, it is not practicable at this time for HSBC to

predict the resolution of this matter,” the HSBC’s statement reads.

The SEC is reportedly investigating into investment banks’ bribery law violations amid the banks hiring relatives of well-connected officials.

The probe comes as HSBC announced a USD 1.3-billion loss for the final quarter of 2015, compared with a USD 511 million profit in the same period in 2014. (PNA/Sputnik)

Foreign investments surge 46% in Q4 2015

STREET TREAT. A street food vendor cooks some takoyaki at his makeshift stall along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

BSP chief: Upcoming elections not a risk to financial market T

HE central bank considers the May 2016 elections as “business as usual” for the Philippine’s financial market and discounts it as a big risk on the economy given that reforms have been institutionalized.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., during the panel discussion after his talk at The Manila Times 3rd Business Forum in Manila Tues-

day, said the elections is not a big concern vis-a-vis its impact on the economy.

“The way we see it in terms of policy is concerned it is business as usual. Most of the reforms that are in place now have been institutionalized,” he said.

Economic managers have said that election-related spending is seen to partly boost domestic economic growth this year.

One of the concerns with this year’s elections is the programs that the new administration will put in place.

Tetangco, however, said that with reforms already in place for a few years now the financial sector can heave a sigh of relief.

Among these reforms are the amendment in the Sin Tax Law, which help increase government revenues, and the liberalization

of the country’s banking system.

Tetangco also said they continue to support mergers and acquisition of banks, thus, the move to further improve the degree of competition among industry players.

“We want a good competition among strong and solid financial institutions,” he said stressing that better competition benefits the public. (PNA)

force “to determine if the benefits of using the online SPES outweigh the costs incurred in the acquisition and development of the system.”

The official said the task force recommended the continued use of the system as cited in its cost-benefit analysis report.

“The total benefits, represented by the total savings generated, is 82 percent higher than the total costs incurred to acquire, develop and operate the system,” Domingo said.

Aside from the generated savings, the report said the agency “enjoyed qualitative benefits in the shift from manual to the online SPES.” “Paper utilization has significantly decreased. The total savings generated for paper utilization amounted to P16.10 per SPES beneficiary if computed based on the 2015 annual target beneficiary of 17,500, expenses for paper utilization could have reached

as much as P281,750,” it said.

The report noted that the total process cycle time for SPES-related transactions have dropped by about 84 percent, calculation errors were reduced and records were kept efficiently and required less storage space.

It said the online SPES generated reports instantly and information could be viewed by the public anytime, anywhere and on any gadget or devices.

“The system also helped minimize incidence of corruption by eliminating payroll frauds such as creation of ghost beneficiaries, falsified service hours rendered and salary and commission schemes particularly on discounting of beneficiaries’ checks,” it added.

In terms of the release of the beneficiaries’ salaries, DOLE-12’s partnership with financial services provider M. Lhuiller has significantly fast

tracked the process.

DOLE-12 had forged a memorandum of agreement with M. Lhuiller to make it a conduit in the payment of the beneficiaries’ salaries through their money transfer facility.

“Its (M. Lhuiller) money transfer facility has provided beneficiaries easier access to salaries as it has branches in all but two of the region’s 50 municipalities and cities,” the report said.

It said the system’s rollout provided opportunities for the beneficiaries to improve and enhance their technological awareness since the process is done online — from inquiry of vacancies, registration and submission of application up to payment of salaries.

“SPES beneficiaries were empowered to immediately express their concerns, comments and suggestions through the online SPES feedback mechanism,” it added.

(PNA)

Improvements pushed for online SPES system T

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 12 is pushing for further improvements this year on its innovative online system for the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

Ofelia Domingo, DOLE Region 12 director, said Tuesday they are currently reviewing the rollout of its online processing system for SPES in a bid to make its services more efficient and effective.

DOLE-12 adopted the system in 2014, the first-ever regional office in the country to do so, to help streamline and enhance the processes in the registration of the SPES beneficiaries and the payment of their salaries.

Citing their studies, Domingo said the adoption of the system in the last two years has been cost-effective for the agency.

She said they earlier created a cost-benefit analysis task

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OREIGN investments approved by seven major investment promotion agencies (IPAs) of the country surged by 45.6 percent in fourth quarter of 2015, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Foreign investment pledges in Q4 2015 reached P138.62 billion from the same period in 2014 at P95.19 billion.

For the last quarter of 2015, Japanese investors had the largest investment in the Philippines amounting to P39.44 billion, accounting for 29 percent of the total approved foreign investments.

This is followed by Dutch firms with investments worth of P37 billion or 27 percent of the granted investment pledges in Q4 2015 while companies from United States and South Korea registered P16.58 billion and P12.7 billion worth of investments, respectively.

About 69 percent of the total foreign investment pledges in Q4 2015 were invested in manufacturing sector amounting to PHP95.8 billion.

Investment pledges in electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply reached to P18.1 billion while approved investments in administrative and support service activities valued at P14.3 billion.

IPAs under the Department of Trade and Industry approved bulk of the total reg-

istered foreign investments.

Some P116.7 billion investment approvals came from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) in Q4 2015 which improved by 66 percent from P70.2 billion in Q4 2014.

In a previous interview with PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima, she mentioned that the latter part of 2015, Netherland-based firms had significant investments in PEZA. Among these pledges involve two Dutch electronics manufacturers with investments of P25 billion and P15.72 billion.

On the other hand, the Board of Investments approved P17.71 billion worth of foreign investments in Q4 2015.

Foreign investment approvals in Q4 2015 in Clark Development Corporation reached P2.1 billion; Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority with P2 billion; Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan with P161 million; and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority with P70 million.

The BOI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao did not have foreign investment approvals in the last quarter of 2015.

Meanwhile, total foreign investment pledges for the full year of 2015 grew by 31.2 percent to P245.2 billion from P187 billion in 2014. (PNA)

DTI-DavSur intensifies drive vs invest scams

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HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)Davao del Sur has already intensified its consumer education campaign that it is set to form a Task Force next month that will run after companies selling unregistered investment products after reports that pyramiding and investment scams have infiltrated the province.

During Monday’s orientation on Pyramiding and Investment Scam at the Apo View Hotel Davao, DTI-Davao del Sur provincial director Delia Ayano said that they are bringing their efforts a notch higher to deter the pyramiding and investment scams, also known as Ponzi investment, that might victimize

uninformed investors in the province.

The component agency of the task force will include DTI, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), local government unit, and Security and Exchange Commission.

She said that they will include in their consumer education seminar topics such ways how the people can spot an investment scam so that they will know how to protect themselves.

These are on top of the current topics that tackle only basic consumer rights and consumer responsibilities, Ayano said. Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews

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THE ECONOMY 7 DBM releases P11 billion for school infra projects

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RUBBER PATCH. Patches of green, composed of rubber trees, cover barren lands in South Upi, Maguindanao in this photo taken recently. The local government of South Upi is promoting rubber as a means to reforest the area. MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano

HE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P11.2 billion to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the provision and maintenance of basic education facilities, including elementary and secondary schools, technical-vocational laboratories, and water and sanitation facilities.

The amount, sourced from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Basic Education Facilities Fund in the 2016 General Appropriations Act (GAA), was released to DPWH in accordance with their role as the official construction arm of the government.

“In 2014, we closed the classroom gap we inherited and we’ve built over 86,000 classrooms since 2010. This latest release is the next step towards ensuring that Filipino

students have ample room to learn, given the implementation of the K-12 program and the growing population of students,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

The breakdown for the release, broken down into four batches, saw P10.43 billion allotted towards school buildings and P365 million for technical-vocational laboratories.

While the infrastructure will be constructed by DPWH, DepEd will identify and prescribe the standards and specifications of these buildings.

“DPWH and DepEd will work together to design plans for these infrastructure projects. We want to ensure that any public works resulting from this release must be environmentally friendly and built at an efficient cost,” Secretary Abad added. (DBM)

ment Project issued a No Objection Letter (NOL) or notice to proceed for the FMR projects located at Nasipit and Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, Sison, and Malimono, Surigao del Norte.

Alcala urged the youth to take agri-related courses in line with the government’s efforts to produce new breed of farmers.

“And so I request the regional office to evaluate and screen students who are interested to take agri courses,” he said adding that the DA will provide scholarship grants. “We will be more than happy to shoulder not only the tuition fees of these deserving students but also their other school expenses.”

(DA)

DA’s Alcala urges youth to venture into farming “W

HEN I became the agri secretary in 2010, the average farmer age was 57 years old. But with the various interventions provided by the government—more specifically farm mechanization—there are more young farmers now,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala during two recent farmers’

forums in CARAGA region.

“The youth are encouraged to venture into farming with the realization that it’s now fun to farm,” he added.

During the events, Alcala, turned over agricutlure implements amounting to P144 million to the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte.

In both occasions, the

Agri chief turned over a mini 4WD tractor, rice reaper, floating tillers, pump and engine sets, hand tractors, and composting facilities to more than 10 farmers and irrigators’ associations.

Alcala also turned over certificates of funds for the construction of farm-to-market roads in Kitcharao, Tubay and RTR, in Agusan del Norte.

“We will continue to deliver to you high-impact projects that will benefit you for a long time,” he continued, stressing that the present administration will continue to implement projects that would provide maximum benefits to the Filipino farmers.

Also during the event, the Philippine Rural Develop-

OPEC seeks more dialogue with US

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PEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem el-Badri said that the organization wants to engage in more active dialogue with the United States in the same way the cartel communicates with Europe, Russia and China.

The Organization for the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) wants to engage in more active dialogue with the United States in the same way the cartel communicates with Europe, Russia and China, OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem el-Badri said.

“I talk to the EU, I talk to the Russians, I talk to the Chinese, I talk almost to everybody except the United States — what I want is a dialogue,” el-Badri stated on Monday at the IHS Energy CERAWeek conference.

The secretary general explained that the United States has an antitrust deal, which impedes the dialogue.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien said at the IHS Energy CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas that the global oil market will level out itself the current situation of historically low oil prices.

Global oil prices dropped from USD 115 to less than USD 30 per barrel between June 2014 and January 2016, hitting their lowest levels since 2003, largely because of prolonged global oversupply and weak demand.

“What is going to correct the situation first and foremost is going to be the market itself,” Lien stated on

Monday. “I trust the market to fix this.”

Asked about the negotiated freeze of oil production

by Russia, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members and other countries, Tord said that Norway is conducting many talks with both producing and consuming countries, but declined to comment on any details.

On February 16, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela held talks on the current oil market situation in the Qatari capital of Doha and agreed to proceed with an output freezing initiative if other countries followed suit. The proposal was later backed by Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria and Oman. (PNA/ Sputnik)

and companies abusing the system of international taxation.

“We need a tax system in which ordinary citizens are convinced that multinational companies and wealthy individuals are contributing a fair share to the public purse, to the common good,” Lagarde stated at a conference in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

Wealthy individuals try to avoid taxes, Lagarde explained, and move assets to offshore locations. She argued that the automatic

exchange of taxpayer information among governments could make it harder for businesses to follow the scheme.

The IMF chief noted that higher revenues stemming from closed loopholes will create more fiscal room, particularly for oil-exporting countries that have been hit by falling commodity prices.

“The size and likely persistence of this external shock means that all oil exporters will have to adjust by reducing spending and increasing revenue,” Lagarde concluded. (PNA/Sputnik)

IMF chief calls for new int’l taxation system

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OVERNMENTS globally should take steps to adjust taxation systems to close loopholes allowing multinational corporations to avoid paying taxes in countries of their origin, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Monday.

The IMF chief said taxation allows governments to mobilize their revenues. She noted, however, that the process can be undermined by “overly aggressive tax competition” among countries,

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Bad start

N truth, no one ever really said Davao City is absolutely, 100-percent free of illegal drugs. One need only scan the newspapers to see that drug pushers regularly get arrested — and yes, sometimes killed — during drug buy-bust operations mounted by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and other concerned agencies. Like any other urban area, Davao has its problems, and the presence of drugs is one of them. It is an indictment on the human condition that some of us still indulge in the practice of inhaling, ingesting, injecting, and otherwise exposing ourselves to toxic substances for the thrill of getting a “high” — even though it is that “high” that often gets the users in trouble. And since there is always a demand for drugs, there will always be a supply — and suppliers. That is why pushers are present even in Davao City where their lives are literally in danger. The money involved is so good that sellers think it is worth risking their lives for it.

Drugs are not as big a concern as in Metro Manila and other urban areas, but they are a problem nonetheless and the DCPO is always on its toes to make sure it doesn’t grow into the monster that it is in other places. That explains precisely why anti-drug operations are still mounted quite frequently in the city: it is an acknowledged fact that drugs are present and that vigilant police work is necessary to keep it in check.

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Presidential candidate Mar Roxas, therefore, was correct when he said drugs can still be bought in Davao City. “May droga sa Davao ngayon,” he told reporters a day after the Presidential debate, and no one will contest that. It was what he said after that has gotten him in some trouble: “Ngayon lang, gusto mo samahan kita e, makakabili tayo ng droga sa Davao e.” He may have said it in jest, but the message he was making was that he has personal knowledge of where drugs are being sold and can even accompany reporters to score some. The question therefore arises: if he knows where the drugs are, why didn’t he do anything about it when he was still Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and had the Philippine National Police (PNP) under his direct control?

This statement probably will go down as just another “Mar-ism,” misstated words that worked the opposite of what he had intended.

Roxas, who has been trailing in the surveys, probably thinks he can get ahead by pulling the leaders down, but he has not succeeded so far because of his poor choice of words. He really has to put an end to this tactic because it puts other people — and other cities — in an undeserved bad light. He must remember that if he wins — and that is a great big IF — he would still have to count Dabawenyos as his constituents. The way he’s handling things, his would-be administration is going off to a bad start.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

9

When health is wealth

A

DAY before the Valentine’s Day, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had this headline: “DUTERTE ADMITS HE HAS 4 AILMENTS.” Below it was the sub-heading: “But he won’t release medical records.”

The four ailments, according to the news report, were slipped disc (due to a motorcycle accident), Barrett’s esophagus (a condition in which tissue that is similar to the lining of your intestine replaces the tissue lining of the esophagus), Buerger’s disease (a rare ailment of the arteries and veins in the arms and legs), and acute bronchitis.

“I have no cancer, I have four illnesses but they are not fatal,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte was quoted as saying. He made the headline because he is currently running for president of the Philippines and the PDP-Laban standard bearer.

“Medicine is the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its existence,” says James Bryce, a British academic, jurist and historian. “There are no such things as incurables,” argues Bernard M. Baruch, an American financier and philanthropist. “There are only things for which man has not found a cure.”

“It should be the function of medicine to have people die young as late as possible,” surmises Dr. Ernest L. Wynder, an American epidemiology and public health researcher.

And Voltaire contends, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”

Hippocrates is touted to be “the Father of Medicine.” In fact, medical doctors take the oath he wrote some 2,500 years ago. In the fifth century, most people thought illness was a result of evil spirits. Unlike other healers of

P

VANTAGE POINTS

his time, he treat- THINK ON THESE! ed patients based on scientific evidence.

Some of his beliefs and discoveries include the following: the importance of moderation in all things (working, Henrylito D. Tacio eating, drinking, henrytacio@gmail.com exercising, sleeping) to prevent disease; the use of fasts and diets to cleanse the body; warm baths and massage to maintain health; and the importance of fresh air and a good diet; the danger of being too overweight. “Let medicine be thy food, and food be thy medicine,” Hippocrates once said.

Some of his innovations were: putting his ear to his patients’ chests to check their lungs; aligning fractures; popping dislocations back in; and draining pus from infections. These sound pretty obvious to modern science but they were all incredibly groundbreaking in 400 B.C. or thereabouts. Hippocrates took the holistic approach to healing way before it got to be trendy.

If Hippocrates is “the father of medicine,” who should be credited for making nursing a popular job these days? Did I hear you say, Florence Nightingale? But mind you, she didn’t invent nursing but made a safe and respectable profession for women. In the past, female nurses in British hospitals were mostly Roman Catholic nuns or prostitutes.

It’s true that her father opposed her desire to be a nurse but she persevered. Among her

innovations were hot water piped to all floors, the installation of dumbwaiters to bring patients’ food, and bells for the patients to call nurses. The small booklet she wrote, Notes on Nursing, published in 1861, was a multi-million-copy bestseller.

Despite being famous, she was uninterested in her celebrity status. She refused photographs and interviews, and never appeared at public functions, even those given in her honor. Many people, in fact, thought she was dead long before the actual time of her passing.

The word “pasteurized” on your milk carton doesn’t mean that the cows grazed in a pasture. Far from it. Actually, the word was coined in honor of Louis Pasteur, who invented the process. Heat kills bacteria, and by experimentation, Pasteur found that heating milk or other food to 161.6 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds and then cooling it quickly killed the bacteria. That way, disease-causing bacteria can’t be passed from any milk-producing animals (cows, carabaos or goats) to the human being who drinks the milk.

Pasteur was also the man behind immunization. A large number of diseases are caused by an invasion of bad bugs. If the body’s own army of antibodies can’t get rid of them, you’re in trouble. “Why not send in reinforcements?” reasoned Pasteur. “Strengthen resistance by making the antibodies multiply. Theoretically, that would prevent diseases from developing.”

And that is exactly what immunization does.

Pasteur worked on rabies, too. Human beings get it by being bitten – or even licked – by infected animals, mostly dogs, which drool and look mad – not angry, but crazy. The bad news is that no one has ever been known to recover from rabies.

The good news is that Pasteur developed a rabies vaccine, and was so sure it would work that he was ready to deliberately inoculate himself with rabies to demonstrate his discovery. At just about that moment, a nineyear-old boy named Joseph Meister arrived in Pasteur’s laboratory. Fortunately for Pasteur, little Joseph had been bitten two days earlier by a rabid dog. So Pasteur had a guinea pig other than himself. The treatment involved a ten-day course of injections. Joseph survived.

So did Pasteur’s reputation. And medical history took a flying leap forward.

“There is wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic,” Francis Bacon once said. “A man’s own observation, what he finds good of and what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health.”

But when it comes to bills, doctors have bad reputation. American journalist Earl Wilson observed, “You may not be able to read a doctor’s handwriting and prescription, but you’ll notice his bills are neatly typewritten.”

To which Bob Orben, who once worked as speechwriter of American president Gerald Ford, added, “If you consider what doctors charge, the most precious stones are not diamonds and emeralds – they’re gall and kidney.”

To end this piece, allow me to share an anecdote written by John Williams: A young man pumped the doctor’s hand enthusiastically. “Doctor, I just dropped by to tell you how much I benefited from your treatment.”

The puzzled doctor said, “I don’t seem to remember you. You’re not one of my patients, are you?”

The young man replied, “No, I’m not. But my uncle was, and I’m his heir.”

the other MY MILLENNIAL MIND hand, are personal and affects Pacquiao alone. Vice is a representative of the LGBT— her silence will be a Vanessa Kate Madrazo form of hypocrisy to other gays, and complicity to how people like Pacquiao treats that community. She cannot be asked to keep silent on that issue just because she has previously offended him.

But thirdly, and most importantly, the context under which they said their insult matters. A LOT. Because for one thing, Vice Ganda’s insults to the Pacquiao family were told through jokes in a context of satire and comedy—a setting that is not taken seriously. Pacquiao’s insult were said seriously, from the perspective of a policy-maker, a senatorial aspirant who wants to influence the crafting of laws for the Filipinos, which, (surprise) affect the LGBT too.

I am not trying to defend Vice’s insults to Pacquiao because for all I know, it has hurt his family as well. But the way in which some people compare the freedom of expression of both people is unjust, and the way in which we give weight to what both of them has said is ignorant of the bigger social issue that underpinned Pacquiao’s insult.

But why is this so important? Hasn’t this issue blown out of proportions? Wasn’t Vice Ganda and all other people just overreacting to this issue?

This matters a lot! The right to marry is not just allowing LGBT couples to walk in an aisle and put rings on each other’s fingers in front of the altar. It’s very far from that. That’s a wedding, not a marriage. You see, when conservatives throw arguments against gay marriage because they say it is against God’s will, they are only opposing marriage that is granted by their Church. But this is not about their Church’s validation. Those religions are not required to marry gay couples if it’s against their belief.

What the LGBT is advocating is a marriage that is recognized and protected by the State, a secular institution. Why does this matter? Because there are certain priv-

ileges that only married couples have. This includes tax exemption, parenting rights, and intervention in domestic violence. Furthermore, only married partners are entitled to visit their partner in a hospital or prison, and are entitled to make decisions in emergency medical situations or file wrongful death claims in behalf of their spouse. Marriage, therefore, is a very important right for couples to act on their love especially in the most important situations.

For that right to be expressedly opposed by an aspiring Senator is a really big thing, which is why this insult was good for the discussion because we see other politicians voicing out their stance on same-sex marriage now. It guides who we’re going to vote for because odds are, we have family and friends who are LGBT, and we care about their rights as well and what politicians have to say about their identity.

This is not an issue we can simply dismiss. The outrage against Pacquiao’s statements were anything but an overreaction because if it were your right that were put into question, if it were your right that is continually deprived, and if it were your identity that were degraded, you’d just be as outraged.

Free speech, religion, and marriage

ACQUIAO’S insult to the LGBT may have hurt the community, but on the other hand, it benefits the discourse on the rights that they have. It has compelled other senatorial candidates to talk about the issue on gay marriage and their stance. Many celebrities and citizens, however, are quick to defend Manny’s entitlement to his own opinion just as Vice Ganda is entitled to hers — many even point out to how Vice has continually insulted Pacquiao and his family.

Let’s be clear on a couple of fronts. First of all, Vice Ganda’s response to Pacquiao is just as equally protected by the freedom of expression as Pacquiao’s insult. In no way does this right protect an individual from the criticisms that arise because of his public statements especially if they are bigoted and offensive. Pacquiao had the liberty to respond to Vice’s insult, in fact that is highly encouraged in a liberal democracy. But he chose not to. That doesn’t mean that Vice is indebted to him that he should not voice out his objections to Pacquiao’s insult.

Secondly, Pacquiao’s insult affects an entire community, and speaks of the rights that that community can or cannot have. Vice belongs to that community. Her insults, on

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

OUTBURSTS... FROM 1

your honor. I do not even have to tell them,” she replied.

Acosta denied that she invited the environmentalist groups and Fr. Tabora. She insisted that the lobbying groups asked to air their side on the amendment.

Al-ag stressed that it was Acosta who made the request for the audience with the lobbying groups.

At this point, Al-ag questioned Acosta on who is telling the truth. “The office of Fr. Tabora or you? That is why this council has doubt on your purpose of inviting these people because you keep on telling that you did not invite them,” he said.

Al-ag said that there was even a letter from the office of Acosta inviting to Tabora to speak during the privilege hour.

Acosta, for her part, explained that it was her office who received a letter from the environmental group Ecoteneo asking if the city council can entertain Fr. Tabora to speak in the plenary.

In the midst of the discussion, councilor Bonifacio Militar came in asking councilor Tomas Monteverde IV, who was the temporary presiding officer yesterday, if Acosta was placed under cross examination.

Monteverde replied that Acosta agreed to be asked with some questions by Al-ag but he could not say if she was being cross-examined.

Militar said that asking questions during the privilege hour is not proper because he could not remember in his 23 years as city councilor that any member could be subjected to be asked while on his or her privilege speech.

He said that the issue is moot and academic after Mayor Duterte’s veto was announced last Monday.

“The issue now is whether to accept the veto or override that is the simple issue here,” he said.

Militar said the councilors should end on the discussion because nothing will happen if they still discuss it. The discussion was halted after Monteverde moved for a recess.

However, during the recess, Acosta raised her voice on Al-ag asking why she was accused of not telling the truth?

A heated discussion then ensued on the plenary as Acosta continued her outburst.

The situation turned to worse after Councilor Mahipus called Acosta a ‘spoiled brat.’

Cooler heads later intervened and the session resumed with Al-ag asking that Acosta should be given time to answer his questions.

“It would be fair if she would be given time to answer and after which we must put an end to this issue. I agree with the statement of councilor Bonifacio Militar that this is water under the bridge and we need to discuss of the development of this item, wherein there is a veto from the mayor,” he said.

between 12:01 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.. Normalization or return of loads back to its normal set-up will be on February 29, which is anytime between 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. also for 15 minutes.

These service disruptions will affect customers from the Ateneo High School in Matina going to the city’s downtown area up to Sasa. This includes the areas of Bajada, Agdao, La-

nang, Buhangin, Cabantian and Mandug.

Davao Light apologizes for the inconvenience of these scheduled power interruptions.

But it will exert all efforts to restore electric service as scheduled or earlier. However, there may be instances where restoration may extend beyond the schedule due to unavoidable circumstances.

Bullying Acosta’s answer was interrupted after Mahipus askied for privilege motion saying that every councilors can disagree without being disagreeable. Mahipus said that it was the first time there are some members of city council seems like bullying someone.

While Mahipus was talking, Acosta was heard saying “Ako ang bully? Oh lord.”

Monteverde was forced to call another recess to break the Mahipus-Acosta exchange.

It took several minutes before the city council went back to session proper.

The councilors tried to put order on the situation and the members agreed to go back on session.

Monteverde ordered to return to session proper.

Later, Acosta resumed her explanation where she insisted that it was the Ecotoneo who sent her a letter asking if Tabora could be given time to speak. She said a week after the amended ordinance was approved, she read the letter of Tabora during the regular session last February 2.

“They want to be heard the next day,” she said. Acosta said she explained to the groups that the discussion of the amendment was already done but still the group followed up their request.

“Since every councilor has a privilege hour, I stand on the privilege hour and ask for recess so that Fr. Tabora could speak. However, during that day, he was not able to attend the session,” he said.

She said after her speech that day, she asked if Tabora could speak in the next session since he was not able attend and she said none of her co-councilors opposed on it.

Acosta said after a week, the groups still asked for an update of their request to give Tabora time to say his stand on the removal of 10 percent green space.

Acosta said Tabora wants to appear in the city council because he do not want to be misconstrued that he is imposing his presence in the city She said out of courtesy her staff also sent Tabora an invitation that will serve as a proof that Tabora is allowed to speak.

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TOWERING PRESENCE. A gigantic billboard of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte towers over Matina Aplaya, mounted by the mayor’s friends who have pledged full support to his presidential candidacy. Lean Daval Jr.

SP... FROM 2

while the word “shall” in our proposed ordinance made the turnover mandatory.

He said his committee will try to correct the legal issues of the amended ordinance if majority of the councilors will agree on it.

“The issues stated in the veto message are legal issues.

So, we will correct the legal issues,” he said.

Al-ag said there are other plans to be executed but he will reveal it on the right time.

The committee of Al-ag has conducted a meeting with other councilors to discuss the matter yesterday afternoon. As of this writing , there is no development yet on the meeting.

In a three-page veto message dated February 19, 2016 but released by the City Mayor’s Office last Monday (February 22, 2016), Duterte said he was vetoing the amendment because it is “vague and ambiguous, prejudicial to public interest, and an exercise of

legislative power in ultra vires (beyond its powers).”

He said while the City Council may review and amend its own enacted ordinances when the general welfare of the public is at stake, he was “particularly disturbed with the legal issues (and) dilemma resulting from the amendment.”

Duterte said the amended ordinance is vague and ambiguous because it is “not clear whether, in the development of the green spaces, this shall be done within the allotted open space of the proponent, set back areas of home lots sidewalk strips… or whether these set back areas of home lots or sidewalk strips… are all located within the proponent’s allotted open space.”

He also pointed to the provision in the amended ordinance that the green spaces that homeowners create in their own homes “shall by eventually turned over to the

homeowners’ association for proper maintenance.”

The mayor said this is prejudicial to public interest and is an exercise of legislative power in ultra vires (beyond the Council’s power) as manifested “by the use of modal verb ‘shall,’ connoting a mandatory requirement for the turnover of these green spaces to the homeowners’ association for proper maintenance.”

Duterte also said there is now the unwarranted burden of maintaining of the green space passed on to the homeowners association which exceeds the requirement of Presidential Decree No. 1216 defining “open space” in residential subdivisions and amending section 31 of Presidential Decree no. 957 requiring subdivision owners to provide roads, alleys, sidewalks, and reserve open space for parks or recreational use.

“Under PD 1216, only parks and playgrounds of the

entire open space may be donated to the homeowners associations,” he said.

Duterte said questions may arise on who should shoulder the damages, if there are any, which may result from the negligence in the maintenance of green spaces. “Definitely, the homeowners’ association cannot be compelled to assume the obligation to pay for the very simple reason that it is only acting as caretakers of these green spaces, ” he said.

Duterte said the amended measure unnecessarily makes the city government liable for the damages that may arise from the negligence of homeowners associations or their representatives.

“In such an event, the city will be forced to disburse public funds to cover the indemnity for damages resulting from acts of the homeowners associations or its representatives to which it has no control over,” he said.

Police Office has already said the high volume of crimes recorded in the city last year was because the local police was successful in doing its job.

Laviña said Roxas was trying to assail the reputation of Duterte and Davao City to

make himself appear good.

“He is painting others black so he will look white,” he said.

If indeed true, Laviña said Roxas should not strip himself of the responsibility to curb illegal drugs or stop

criminality as the former secretary DILG. “What has he done as Secretary of DILG and as chairman of the National Police Commission to fight drug abuse?” Laviña asked.

For having the knowledge

but not acting on it, Laviña said Roxas deserves to “go to jail, not to Malacanang.”

Duterte has earlier noted that Roxas, when he was secretary of DILG, had the administrative power over the police.

Rody... FROM 2

Rice:

EDGEDAVAO

11 HEALTH

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

An ally against human diseases

Planting rice

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

F

OR thousands of years, rice has been part of the human diet. Historical evidence suggests that rice may have been produced and consumed up to 10,000 years ago. “This, alongside its current global status as the world’s most important human food, makes rice production responsible for feeding more people over a longer period than any other crop,” said the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

In the Philippines, rice is the leading staple food. As the late food epicure Doreen Fernandez wrote: “If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino.”

Indeed, rice is the leading source of sustenance for all Filipinos. In 2009, the country had an average annual rice consumption of 123 kilograms per person – among the highest in the world.

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Filipinos spend more on rice than any other food. A survey conducted by the line agency of the Department of Agriculture showed that Filipinos, especially those from low-income households, are depending solely on rice more than ever for their daily dietary energy supply and dietary protein because it remains the most affordable food in the country.

But what you get in a rice? Nutritionists claim rice contains carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Most of the white rice available in the supermarket is enriched, which means it is supplemented with iron, niacin, and thiamine. But most of these added nutrients are lost if rice is washed before cooking or drained afterward.

Brown rice, with its healthful bran layers, contains all these nutrients naturally, plus fiber, oil and vitamin E. It is also low in sodium and fat, with no cholesterol.

“One more rice, please.”

That call, which rings at dining time in almost all restaurants and kitchenettes all over the country, sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up. Since most people can’t fill up with ulam (viand), they fill up with rice.

Rice does not only help solve hunger but also “hidden hunger,” the colloquial term for micronutrient deficiency.

It happens when people get

enough macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat), but not enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for optimum health.

The 2013 State of Food and Agriculture report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that two billion people suffer from one or more micronutrient deficiencies. “The impact of hidden hunger on people’s health is very real,” IRRI said in a statement. “It can result in more frequent and severe illness and complications during pregnancy, childbirth, infancy, and childhood.”

In rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, lack of iron, zinc, and vitamin A are prevalent micronutrient deficiencies. “The cost of these deficiencies in terms of lives and quality of life lost is enormous, and women and children are most at risk,” FAO points out.

The FAO report considered the vitamin A status in the Philippines as “severe subclinical deficiency” which affected children 6 months - 5 years (8.2%) and pregnant women (7.1%). Iron deficiency anemia is the most alarming of the micronutrient deficiencies affecting a considerable proportion of infants (56.6%), pregnant women (50.7%), lactating women (45.7%) and male older persons (49.1%).

“While reports indicate that there are enough food to feed the country, many Filipinos continue to go hungry and become malnourished due to inadequate intake of food and nutrients,” FAO noticed in its report.

Golden rice In its fight against hidden hunger, IRRI and its national counterpart, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), are collaborating to conduct more studies on golden rice, which has a potential way to reduce vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency is the number one cause of preventable blindness among children in developing countries, with as many as 350,000 going blind every year. And it is most prevalent among young children and pregnant and nursing women as they have increased nutrient requirements.

Aside from blindness, the Geneva-based World Health Organization says that vitamin A deficiency also depresses the immune system, raising overall mortality among children from other causes such as

diarrhea, measles, and pneumonia. For these diseases the additional toll is estimated at 1 million preventable deaths a year, or around 2,700 per day, mostly among children younger than 5.

Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods, including liver of chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Most of them, however, can be found in root crops (carrot and sweet potato) vegetables (broccoli and tomato), and milk products (cheese and butter), and fruits (papaya, mango, melon).

Most of these sources are beyond the reach of poor people, particularly those living in shanty places, upland areas, and rural communities. So, some scientists came up of an unthinkable idea: that of putting vitamin A in rice, as 89% of Filipinos consume rice on a daily basis.

Golden rice is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A when eaten. Rigorous research has shown that just one cup of golden rice a day could be enough to provide an adult with half their daily needs of vitamin A. “Golden rice field trials are part of our work to see if golden rice can be a safe and effective way to reduce vitamin A deficiency in the country – to reduce malnutrition,” said Dr. Bruce Tolentino, deputy director general of communications and partnerships at IRRI. “Vitamin A deficiency is horrible and unnecessary, and we want to do our part to help to reduce it.”

Field trials of this kind of rice in the country have been permitted by the agriculture department, the national regulatory authority for crop biotechnology research and development after “establishing that the trials will pose no significant risks to human health and environment.”

Unfortunately, one of its field sites in Pili, Camarines Sur, was vandalized. It was reported that nearly all plants have been uprooted and left on site. “We all want to answer questions about golden rice,” Dr. Tolentino said in a statement. “Therefore, we need to test golden rice and test it according to the best and most rigorous research standards.”

Dr. Tolentino added that IRRI remains “dedicated to improving nutrition for everyone in the Philippines and in other rice-eating countries.” He said, “We’re here for the long term,

and Golden Rice and other healthier rice are part of our efforts to help reduce malnutrition among rice-consumers.”

Rice for diabetics Almost always, diabetics are advised to eat less rice.

The reason: the starch-rich staple can potentially release high amounts of sugar into the blood when digested.

A 2007 study of Chinese women in Shanghai found that middle-aged women who ate large amounts of rice and other refined carbohydrates were at increased risk for diabetes compared to their peers who ate less.

In the United States, Americans who eat white rice on a regular basis — five or more times a week — are almost 20 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who eat it less than once a month.

But diabetics may now worry less. Researchers at the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have already identified the key gene that determines the glycemic index (GI) of rice.

The findings of the research, which analyzed 235 types of rice from around the world, is good news because it not only means rice can be part of a healthy diet for the average consumer. It also means people with diabetes, or at risk of diabetes, can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet.

“It is an important achievement that offers rice breeders the opportunity to develop varieties with different GI levels to meet consumer needs,” IRRI said in a statement. “Future development of low-GI rice would also enable food manufacturers to develop new, low-GI food products based on rice.”

GI is a measure of the rate at which carbohydrates as glucose enter the blood stream.

“The GI also indicates the rate at which carbohydrates break down during digestion in the small intestine into the simple sugars glucose, fructose and, sometimes, galactose,” explains Dr. Virgilio M. Ofiana in his weekly column for a national daily.

“The glucose is the sugar that is rapidly absorbed and has a reference GI of 100 or greater,” Dr. Ofiana writes.

“Both fructose and galactose enter the circulation at a slower rate and need to go to the liv-

Rice ready for eating er for conversion into glucose: both, therefore, have lower GIs.” Dr. Melissa Fitzgerald, who led the research team at the IRRI, found the GI of rice varies a lot from one type of rice to another, ranging from a low of 48 to a high of 92, with an average of 64. “Low-GI foods are those measured 55 and less, medium-GI foods are those measured between 56 and 69, while high-GI foods measure 70 and above,” IRRI explained.

The rice with low GI is, indeed, good news for Filipinos, who are rice-eating people.

The country is home to four million diabetics, with more than three million not knowing they have the disease.

“Many people still do not know that they have diabetes,” said Dr. Tommy Ty Wiling, president of Diabetes Philippines.

The Department of Health listed diabetes as the ninth leading cause of death among Filipinos today. In twenty years, the Philippines is expected to be among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest numbers of people with diabetes. Some 500 Filipinos are being diagnosed with the condition every day.

The development of a rice variety with low GI is a breakthrough waiting to happen.

“This is good news for diabetics and people at risk of diabetes who are trying to control their condition through diet, as it means they can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet,” said Dr. Tony Bird, a researcher of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Food Futures Flagship.

“Low-GI rice will have a particularly important role in the diets of people who derive the bulk of their calories from rice and who cannot afford to eat rice with other foods to help keep the GI of their diet low,” IRRI said. “Low-GI rice could help to keep diabetes at bay in these communities.”

Brown rice In the meantime while IRRI are still trying to find the type of rice that can help those with diabetes, eating brown rice may be the best solution.

A Harvard University study found out that brown rice can lower the risk of developing diabetes. Researchers drew on data from over 200,000 sub-

jects and found that those who ate five or more servings of white rice a week had a 17 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely ate white rice. What’s more, they found that those who ate brown rice regularly were overall less likely to develop diabetes.

“When we refine rice, we strip away the majority of many of the nutrients,” says Dr. Walter Willet, a co-author on the study, “including magnesium, chromium and other minerals and vitamins. You’re left with a form of starch that is rapidly broken down, leads to greater spikes in blood sugar, and increases the demand for insulin. Over time this exhausts the pancreas and leads to diabetes.”

Brown rice can also substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer, as it is a very good source of selenium, a trace mineral that induces DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells and inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells. Selenium is an antioxidant and is essential for thyroid hormone metabolism and immune function.

Healthmad.com explains that “selenium plays a critical role in cancer prevention as a cofactor of glutathione peroxidase, which is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzymes and is used in the liver to detoxify a wide range of potentially harmful molecules.

When levels of glutathione peroxidase are too low, these toxic molecules wreak havoc on any cells with which they come in contact, damaging their cellular DNA and promoting the development of cancer cells.”

Brown rice help protect women from breast cancer.

A cohort study conducted in United Kingdom hosted 35,972 women who were pre-menopausal. These women ate a diet rich in fiber and fruit. The fiber came from brown rice and other whole grains.

The pre-menopausal women that consumed the most fiber reduced their risk of breast cancer by about 52 percent compared to women who consumed a diet with the least fiber. Women who had high-fiber diets supplied mostly by whole grains had the most protection against breast cancer. █

12 CLASSIFIEDS

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT Serving a seamless society

EDGEDAVAO GENSAN PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT Serving a seamless society

Advertise with

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

EDGEDAVAO STYLE

Fun galactica on the clothing line of Jozel Ignes’ Zel.

Meet the NOMADS.

A NOD TO NOMADS

A WEEK INTO THEIR POP-UP STORE’S LAUNCH, I found it fortuitous that a visit to SM Lanang Premier through my sons’ prodding brought me around the bend from Nomads Davao.

Made up of Andi Amora, Jun Artajo, Denise Guirgen, Joey Hambala, Jozel Ignes, Wilson Limon, Ian Manglicmot, Bianca Sabellano, Frances Tendencia, Kethley Uy and Mandy Velasco, these young individuals are the creatives behind the firstof-its-kind concept in Davao City that is showcasing emergent homegrown brands. Young as they may be, this is a remarkable first step they are taking to introduce themselves as burgeoning tastemakers to be reckToo be young is to be equal parts street and boho at Bianca Sabellano’s be.young.ca.

oned with in the city’s style scene.

Very much like curated stores in bigger locales and abroad, stepping

STYLE SCRIBE A4

The polished take on grunge of artajo.

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EVENT

Grand Regal Hotel toasts to love on Valentines Day “LOVE LIKE WINE, GETS BETTER WITH TIME!” On the occasion of St. Valentine’s Day at Grand Regal Hotel, a cascade of wine got the celebration started as couples and even groups were poured one of the best-tasting red wines on their table as the arrived.

The ladies of course, were handed a lovely rose.

Valentine’s Day at Grand Regal Hotel always lived up to the expectations being the most romantic occasion of all time, when people go out of their way to do something special if only to show love to better halves, special someone and even as precious as family.

Couples started to arrive as early as 6:00PM, maybe in anticipation of the frenzied traffic and sure will enjoy the 4-course special dinner buffet, or maybe they were

just getting ahead of a rather long night to celebrate.

While the rest came in, and led to tables recently vacated by the early birds, yet few couples opted to stay a little longer and shared the breath of romance holding hands while listening to those goodold captivating love songs by a splendid trio performing at the Champagne Bar.

One couple was ecstatic to share that their presence and celebrate Valentine’s Dinner in the very place where they met 13 years ago, was far sweeter than any romantic movie scene. They shared further that Champagne Bar brings back memories of how they found love and committed to keep it as they live.

UP AND ABOUT

Davao City commemorates EDSA Revolution with human rights film festival THE PHILIPPINES PREMIER HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL, Active Vista, joins Davao City in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution with a screening of ‘Iisa’ this February 27, 2016, 10 am at the Abreeza Mall cinema 3.

‘Iisa’ is the first feature film by multiawarded film editor and producer Chuck Gutierrez. ‘Iisa’ is about Ross, a member of an armed rebel group, and her struggles to helping her community that’s been ravaged natural disaster, corporate interests, and armed conflict.

The film was selected specifically for Mindanao, as the film mirrors much of the current events and issues Mindanaoans are experiencing. Just some of the events the film reflects are the effects of Typhoon Sendong in ComVal, the BBL and ongoing armed conflict, and the environmental degradation of Mount Diwata.

Jessica Madrazo, Dakila Davao Managing Director, hopes that this film would help bring more awareness to the ongoing struggle of every Mindanaoan for human rights. She explains, “The film IIsa holds more value for Mindanao than most know.

We often forget that environmental

rights is part of our basic human right, and we are constantly suffering from it everyday. We need to commemorate EDSA not just to remember the past, but to remind ourselves that there are still many human rights violation happening, and many of which are not that obvious that we need to bring attention to.”

The opening this February marks the start of the festival, which will travel to different cities nationwide and hold creative workshop labs, film competition, and conferences.

Celebrating the Anniversary of 65 years of Diplomatic Relations and 150 years of Consular Ties of the Netherlands and the Philippines, Active Vista shall also present a Dutch-Filipino Film Festival showcasing the best of Dutch and Filipino films that reflect the strong commitment the two nations share to promote human rights, and that inspire sustainable innovations to address global challenges.

Active Vista utilizes cinema first, as an educational platform to discuss and shed light on the importance of knowing and asserting human rights; and second, as a tool for empowerment and bringing about relevant social change. According to its Festival Director, Leni Velasco, “The power of cinema lies on its ability to

mirror and hammer society, and tap into our consciousness. Sometimes, It is in encountering the imaginary that social truths become amplified—this is “truth X Imagination”. With this year’s Active Vista, we invite the public to surrender to the logic of dreams with hope that the absurdity of imagination and fantasy churns out memories of historical truths and guide the nation towards the path of the real EDSA sans the traffic and pollution.”

The Davao screening of “Iisa” is sponsored by RePubliko and supported by the Ateneo De Davao University, the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Holy Cross of Davao College, Philippine Women’s College, Dakila Davao, and The Commission on Human Rights.

The Active Vista International Human Rights Film festival is co-presented by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the University of the Philippines Film Institute, Movies that Matter, and civil society organizations such as the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, the Ateneo Human Rights Center, the Alternative Law Groups,

Metro Manila Pride and the Filipino Freethinkers.

Active Vista is organized by DAKILA, an organization of artists and advocates building a movement of heroism towards social transformation.

Dakila fosters citizenship by building one’s capacity to make change; organizes communities to be part of the movement for change, and takes on advocacy campaigns to bring about strategic actions that make real change.

It was founded by multi-awarded writer and journalist Lourd de Veyra, musician Noel Cabangon, veteran actor Ronnie Lazaro, Parokya ni Edgar bassist Buwi Meneses and comedian Tado

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ENTERTAINMENT

Parvati ignites your inner light upcoming hit single ‘I Am Light’ RISING TO #1 ON THE CANADIAN ELECTRONICA CHARTS and voted Canada’s best new musical artist, the Canadian musician, yogi, activist and author Parvati is touring Asia and Oceania in April to promote her new single “I Am Light”, debuting on radio March 15 and featuring on “Asia Pop 40” across Asia.

Parvati has performed in stadiums, festivals and clubs throughout North America and Europe and is the first performer to ever sing at the North Pole, where she went for climate change awareness.

“I Am Light” is a sparkling, catchy, beautifully selfproduced feel great pop song. Parvati spearheads a revolutionary new music genre that reaches the pop and New Age markets alike.

Her work has been likened to “New New Age” or CEDM (Conscious Electronic Dance Music). The sonic sunshine of “I Am Light”, radiant with lush electronic sounds and Parvati’s angelic voice, is simultaneously reminiscent of both Madonna and Enya at their best.

“I Am Light” incorporates the Buddhist mantra “gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi swaha” (Gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond. Oh, what awakening! So be it), said to be the exclamation of

a monk at the moment of their enlightenment.

Parvati says, “The mantra speaks to me about the reality that everything in life is made of light and we are part of this gorgeous interconnected fabric of light. Light is what we really are. It is our true nature.”

The luminous music video, weaving together city street scenes with a concert hall and moments in an enchanted forest, introduces Parvati’s fantastical character Natamba, a goddess from Avalon who manifests as a being of liquid gold light who brings light to Earth, where she is discovered by forest fairies and a child who passes the light to the rest of the world. This joy-

filled video will be released March 15 along with the single.

Adding to the illumination is an upcoming “I Am Light” game app for iOS and Android.

The “I Am Light” EP, demonstrating the breadth of Parvati’s musical mastery and spiritual understanding, will be released in April. It will feature dance, radio and acoustic versions of this song, as well as a guided chakra meditation to ambient electronic music.

Learn more about the song, view the teaser video and more: https:// parvati.tv/i-am-light/. Find out more about the tour: https://parvati.tv/events-iam-light-asia-tour/

SKY brings the best of cable tv entertainment to life in its first biggest experiential family cable fair SKY CABLE CORPORATION is set to culminate its 25th anniversary through a grand cable fair made for Filipino families that will feature a roster of the most popular cable TV characters and programs worldwide coming to life on March 12 and 13.

Touted as SKY’s first and biggest experiential cable fair in the country for families, “SKY Alive!” brings together some of the world’s highly in demand programming networks to showcase an interactive display of content, ranging from wellloved hits to the latest season of top-rating shows.

“Sky has always provided Filipino families with superior content experiences. ’Sky Alive!,’ the first ever cable fair for families, will give everyone a chance to experience the world of their favorite cable TV programs and characters,” said March S. Ventosa, Chief Operating Officer of Sky Cable Corporation.

ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak believes that ‘SKY Alive!’ embodies the shared vision of ABS-CBN and SKY. “’SKY Alive!’ is an innovative way to really bring the world closer to Filipino homes and it echoes SKY and ABS-CBN’s same vision to constantly be in the service of the Filipino people.”

The line-up of ‘SKY Alive!’ will include a slew of the best entertainment coming from ABS-CBN HD, ABS-CBN Cable Channels, HBO, FOX, AXN, Discovery Channel, History

world-class, accessible entertainment to every Filipino home in the future.

Channel, Cartoon Network, and RTL CBS Entertainment among others.

The theme park-inspired cable fair will be divided into several zones composed of the different participating channels, reflecting SKY’s complete and rich channel line-up suited for every family member. The zones will showcase interactive games and surprises from genres spanning from entertainment, sports and action, lifestyle, and all the way to learning and news.

Families also have the chance to meet and greet their favorite celebrities, join kid-friendly art sessions, take selfies with mascots and cosplayers, take part in interactive games, sit on the “Game of Thrones’” iconic iron throne, and a whole lot more.

In partnership with HBO, provincial subscribers of SKYcable can also become part of the country’s biggest experiential cable fair.

One family per region (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) can win a trip for four (4) to Manila to enjoy “SKY Alive!” and bond at Kidzania, an indoor play city where kids can have fun exploring the adult world.

To join the “FUNtastic Family

Getaway to Manila” promo, existing SKYcable postpaid subscribers just need to add HBO (1 raffle entry) or HBO Pak (2 raffle entries) to their basic plan to qualify. Meanwhile for new subscribers, an installation of one prepaid cable (2 raffle entries) or an installation of postpaid cable of any plan (3 raffle entries) can entitle them to raffle entries. The promo runs until February 29.

“SKY Alive!” is open to the public on March 12 and 13 at Mall of Asia’s SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The event is free for all SKY subscribers (two free tickets per active subscriber account), while non-SKY subscribers or SKY subscribers who want to purchase more can avail of tickets priced at P200 per person available at the event’s registration booth or online via the ABS-CBN Online Store.

For 25 years, SKY as a cable TV unit of ABS-CBN has established itself as a pioneering leader in digital cable TV, offering unmatched entertainment and constantly innovating to provide the best experience to its valued subscribers.

SKY subscribers should look forward to better and brighter things as SKY continues to bring

For more details on “Sky Alive!” and the promo, visit mysky.com.ph/ skyalive.

February 24 – 28, 2016

ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE Gerald Anderson, Arci Muňoz

PG

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

DEADPOOL / *THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin/ *Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto R16/*R13

11:25 | 1:35 | 3:45 LFS / *6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

ZOOLANDER 2 / *TRIPLE 9 Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell/ *Teresa Palmer, Gal Gadot, Kate Winslet PG/*R16

11:35 | 1:40 | 3:45 LFS / *5:50 | 7:55 | 10:00 LFS

GODS OF EGYPT Gerard Butler, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton PG

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

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STYLE Frances Tendencia‘s Haberdashery features whimsical clothing and accessories.

STYLE SCRIBE A1 into the Nomads’ space already makes you harbor the promise of owning something special.

The design is thoughtful, things are well-placed and everything is beautifully spaced to invite customers to roam, touch and peruse at will. You will find some of the designers on-hand but they do not crowd you. Instead, they leave it to the pieces they have created to make the impressions for them and so far, they seem to be making all the right ones. “The feedback has been very encouraging,”

says Jun Artajo, one of the more senior members of the group. “People who have stopped by say that they like our pieces because they aren’t the ones you find in the big fashion chains and they have a sense of uniqueness and ownership.” Pieces are in limited quantities and are made with the idea in mind that the wearer will think of them as singular or even standout articles of clothing and not just generic things they pick off the racks.

The wealth of talent that now form the Nomads all hail from the Fine Arts programs of

A more breezy take on acidwash denim from The Skip by Ian Manglicmot.

the Philippine Womens’ College with specialties as varied as fashion design and painting to visual communication. Deciding to take the collective risk and venture into the retail scene, their maiden offerings are clearly defined and diverse enough to capture the wide array of tastes they sense in stylish Davaoenos. From the whimsical clothing and accessories line Haberdashery of Frances Tendencia to the uncomplicated classic aesthetics of Andi Amora’s Mure, there are many facets of fresh fashion to explore from this stylish collective. Their roots to Davao’s penchant for the more carefree and Mindanao’s rich culture are given credence with Joey Himbala’s fun tropical Inpart and Wilson Limon’s contemporary ethnic in Ninofranco. Naturally extending their directional sense to their fashion as well, the streetwear and sportswear-inspired lines of Jun Artajo, Ian Manglicmot and Jozel Ignes are all interpretations of how modern man wears his many hats or outfits as he goes about his active life.

I hear that they are on an initial three-month run that could turn into something more enduring depending on the market response. Let us go on this road of discovery with them and encourage them to solidify their presence further locally. After all, there is strength in numbers and there is a positively exciting force radiating from this particular style tribe.

Nomads Davao is located in the 2/F of SM Lanang Premier, Lanang, Davao City.

M a n d y Velasco goal to make her girls at Amanda basically chic in any city.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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Aeon Towers: The future is now

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

N

njb@edgedavao.net

OW moving up further and wrapping up the sixth level construction, Aeon Towers is beginning to look like its promise—a futuristic landmark in contemporary times.

The 33-level skyscraper project of FTC Group of Companies will soon open its office and showroom at the ground level of the stateof-the-art high-rise condominium project, and with construction moving roundthe-clock, expect the turnover by the end of the year right on target.

“It’s beginning to take shape and you will start to appreciate this marvelous structure rising up our skies,” said Ian Cruz, the youthful president and CEO of FTC Group of Companies, whose hands-on management style ensures a meticulous attention to details.

Given the developer’s passion and dedication at work, life at the city’s soonto-be “King of the Skies” is grander than you think.

Cruz revealed the finer details of every unit of the project that is reputed to be the tallest outside Metro Manila and Visayas.

“Every unit is carefully planned and conceptualized.

It’s what will separate Aeon

Towers from the competition,” said Cruz. “You can be assured of the quality of what is inside every unit of Aeon Towers.”

And while it’s a misconception that condominium living is a state of being stagnant and inactive. Aeon Towers offer the usual active lifestyle people are used to in conventional homes.

For starters, Aeon Towers boasts of the most advanced fitness equipment and a jogger’s lane that’s friendly to the feet. Aeon Towers will have state-of-the-art fitness gym equipped with the latest in fitness technology. Add to that is the jogger’s lane at the mezzanine of the tower which provides residents an elevated running strip that loops around the building.

“People with a very busy schedule will find these amenities to their liking,” said Cruz.

Moreover, Aeon Towers is not just all height but will also be “all might.”

The 33-level skyscraper project along J.P. Laurel Avenue boasts of fiber optic capability, wi-fi connectivity in common areas and for some units, the Smart Home technology may be availed of.

The technology allows one to control major functionalities of his home fixtures from hun-

dreds of miles away.

The building will have four (4) spacious, high speed passenger elevators exclusively for condominium use.

Security and protection will also be a main characteristic feature of the building with advance fire protection alarm and sprinkler system and a 24-hour CCTV security camera.

The project uses Green Building Technology – by using UV protected glass for the entire building wall. It will be fitted also with LED lighting system. Inside every unit, provision of meticulously-selected pieces of complete facilities is in place. The entire building will be managed by NYC Property Management Corp.

Cruz said unit merging will be allowed with a fee and specified layouts for combined units. If the buyer or buyers avail of this, TCT’s will be consolidated. Each unit measures a floor to ceiling height of 2.80meters or 9.18 feet.

Aeon Towers is a mixed use real estate project with a land area of 4,574 square meters. The building’s 33 levels will have 473 units with 300 parking slots at the basement.

It will have a commercial space on the ground floor, a Sky Deck on the 33rd floor and a luxury hotel on the 7th to 10th floors.

Aeon Towers has set its projected turnover by the end of the year.

Men and machines conspire to ensure structural precision of Aeon Towers.

It’s TIME to CHANGE THE GAME. Your ads come to life with vivid, clear, crisp colors.

Get the value for your money and don’t settle for an awful copy on a badly printed space.

FTC Group of Companies president and CEO Ian Cruz is making sure every detail is followed to the letter.

Advertise wisely.

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Workers on site for round-the-clock construction.

As creative as you can get.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 238 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

SPORTS15

PARTNERSHIP. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines recently renewed its partnership with local racing teams Moto X Davao (left photo) and Team V-Man Racing (right photo). Present during the signing ceremony were Phoenix Assistant Vice President for Lubricant Sales and Distribution Joven Jesus Mujar, Phoenix Assistant Brand & Marketing Manager for Mindanao Neb Bulaclac, Moto-X Davao Manager Norben T. Mata, Jr., and V-Man Racing Team Leader Manuel R. Chien.

LSSP attracts 1,259 T HE People’s Park was once again teeming with physical fitness enthusiasts last Saturday as 1,259 joined the weekly Laro’t Saya sa Parke session.

A program of the city government of Davao in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), LSSP continues to pack the weekend crowd, mostly family members, with the eight different sports and fitness disciplines being offered for free.

Last February 20, the number of participants reached 1,000 for zumba, 36 for volleyball, 34 for taekwondo, 33 for sepak takraw, 28 for badminton, 25 for futsal, 23 for rugby

and 22 for arnis. A total of 58 senior citizens also joined the workouts facilitated by accredited coaches from the participating Davao-based National Sports Associations (NSAs).

The LSSP has been staged every weekends since it was launched in October last year.

The aim of the program is to promote health and wellness among citizens in one family-oriented activity.

The program is the centerpiece agreement of the partnership between the City LGU and PSC which was signed by city administrator Atty.

Melchor Quitain and PSC executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr. (NJB)

Phoenix renews partnership with Moto-X Davao, V-Man L

EADING independent oil company Phoenix Petroleum Philippines signed anew Moto-X Davao Inc. and Team V-Man Racing as official Phoenix lubricants endorsers in a signing ceremony on February 17, 2016.

Under the partnership agreement, Moto-X Davao will compete in motocross racing events carrying the name “Phoenix Cyclomax

Moto-X Mindanao.” This includes the 79th Araw ng Dabaw Cyclomax Motocross race on March 13 at Kauswagan, Brgy. Langub, Maa, Davao City. Since 2010, Phoenix Petroleum has partnered with Moto-X Davao in holding motorcycle racing events in Davao City.

Team V-Man, on the other hand, will compete in circuit, road, and motorcycle races in

Visayas and Mindanao carrying the name “Phoenix Cyclomax V-Man Racing.”

Present during the signing ceremony were Phoenix Assistant Vice President for Lubricant Sales and Distribution Joven Jesus Mujar, Phoenix Assistant Brand & Marketing Manager for Mindanao Neb Bulaclac, Moto-X Davao Manager Norben T. Mata, Jr., and V-Man Racing Team

Leader Manuel R. Chien.

Phoenix Petroleum is the number one independent and fastest growing oil company today with an expanding network of operations nationwide. It is engaged in the business of trading refined petroleum products and lubricants, operation of oil depots and storage facilities, shipping/logistics and allied services.

comments against members of the LGBT community.

But Pacquiao’s head of staff Haplas Fernandez said that the Filipino hero wearing Under Armour shoes during a pick-up game doesn’t necessarily mean their boss has already found a new sponsor.

“Hindi, wala pa siyang bagong endorsement (ng sapatos). Sinuot niya lang yun kagabi sa laro niya.

Pero hindi pa sponsored yun “[No, it’s not a (shoe) endorsement yet. He just wore them during his pick up game last night. He’s not yet under contract (with Under Armour)],” said Fernandez, brother of Pacquiao’s assistant trainer Buboy.

Asked where Pacquiao got the red pair of Steph Curry Under Armour Anatomix Spawn shoes, Fernandez responded: “Sa US pa ‘yun nung andun kami (last May for a promotional tour). Nagpabili mga anak niya, kasi idol si Steph Curry, bumili rin siya ng kanya [He got that pair in the US last May, after his kids, who are Steph Curry fans, bought their own pairs. He bought one for himself].”

Fernandez, meanwhile, bared that Pacquiao is still expected to wear his Nike shoes when he spars with Ghislain Madumba on Tuesday afternoon.

“Yun (Nike) pa rin isusuot niya. Kahit sa jogging namin kanina [He still wears (his Nike) shoes, even during our morning jogs],” he said.

At the moment, Vegra-

fria refused to divulge the brands they are currently negotiating with.

“We’re still talking to them, I will tell you as soon as we have closed the deal,” he said.

Is Manny and Under Armour talking?

Pistons trip Cavs

T

HE Pistons canceled a trade and then stopped LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Reggie Jackson scored 23 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 and Detroit withstood Cleveland’s late comeback for a 96-88 win on Monday night (Tuesday, Manila time) to snap a five-game losing streak.

One day after allowing New Orleans center Anthony Davis to score 59 points with 20 rebounds, the Pistons beat the Eastern Conference’s top team for the second time this season and earned their first win since Feb. 4.

“It had been a long time since we got a win — coming up on three weeks — so we definitely needed it,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “You’ve seen it all year: We’re capable of beating anybody and we’re capable of losing to anybody.

The guys felt good about themselves tonight, and I think everyone played well defensively the whole game.”

Andre Drummond added 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who let an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter dwindle to six before putting away the

Cavs and ending their fivegame winning streak.

Kyrie Irving scored 30 and Kevin Love 24 for Cleveland, which had an off night after looking so impressive in a win at Oklahoma City on Sunday. James scored just 12 points — 13 below his average — and went 5 of 18 from the floor, missing all four 3-point tries and committing six turnovers.

“I probably should have had about 12 of them,” said James, who acknowledged lacking energy on the back end of a back-to-back.

Following the game, Irving revealed he didn’t play Sunday against the Thunder after being bitten by bed bugs in his Oklahoma City hotel.

“I was freaked out,” he said.

Tobias Harris, acquired from Orlando in a trade last week, scored 14 in his first start for the Pistons, who before the game rescinded their three-team trade last week with Houston and Philadelphia because not all the players involved were cleared medically.

Then, the Pistons went out and rejected the Cavs.

BATTLE OF THE BIGS. Andre Drummond of Detroit battle Tristan Thompson of Cleveland for the rebound.

P

HOTOS of Manny Pacquiao wearing Under Armour’s basketball shoes popularized by NBA MVP Stephen Curry has stirred excitement online and spurred speculation that the boxing hero has found a new shoe and apparel partner, days after being dropped

by Nike.

But hold your horses.

A member of the Pacquiao camp was quick to deny on Monday that the eight-division world champion has hooked up with Under Armour on a new endorsement deal, although he admitted that they are in the middle of negotiations with different sports apparel brands.

“We haven’t struck a deal with Under Armour, although I can say we are already in the middle of negotiations with different sports apparel brands,” said Pacquiao’s showbiz manager and endorsement agent Arnold Vegafria.

During a pick-up game in a gym located inside his mansion in General Santos City, Pacquiao was pictured wearing for the first time a pair of basketball kicks not produced by Nike, his endorsement partner for over a decade.

That partnership ended last week when Nike cut ties with Pacquiao for what it termed as ‘abhorrent’

FLOATER. Esdevco-Genesis forward Glenn Escandor takes a floater against a PREMIA Packing Corporation defender during the opening game of the 2016 Escandor Group of Companies basketball tournament at the Almendras Gym. Lean Daval Jr.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

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SENIORS INTERCLUB TEES OFF. Philippine Airlines President Jaime J. Bautista leads the ceremonial tee off to open the Seniors division of the 69th PAL Interclub golf tournament at Mimosa Golf & Country Club in Clark, Pampanga, from February 25 to 28, 2016. Others at the tee off are, from left, Eric Gozo, manager - Mimosa Golf & Country Club; Genaro Velasquez, chairman - Interclub Executive Committee; Mr. Bautista; and Gen. Ricardo Banayat, vice president – security services, Clark Development Corp.

Pacquiao starts sparring C

ANADIAN adviser Michael Koncz has picked another Canadian sparring partner for eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao who begins sparring Tuesday at the Pacman Wild Card Gym in his hometown of General Santos City.

Koncz had earlier chosen Dierry Jean, another Canadian fighter to be one of Pacquiao’s

sparring partners when he was training for the “Fight of the Century” against unbeaten, pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2, 2015.

Mayweather has since retired.

The 31 year old Maduma from the Democratic Republic of the Congo by way of Canada has a record of 17-2 with 11 knockouts. He is a super light-

weight standing 5’7” and won the North American Boxing Federation lightweight title with a 3rd round knockout of Mexican veteran John Carlos Aparicio on February 5, 2014 but lost to unbeaten Maurice Hooker in a WBO/NABO title fight by a split decision on October 17 last year with two judges – John McKaie 95-93 and and Kevin Morgan 95-94

giving Hooker the edge although the third judge Tom Schrek had Maduma the winner 95-93.

On May 31, 2014 Maduma gave Britain’s fancied Kevin Mitchell a stiff test on the undercard of the rematch between between Carl Froch and George Groves at Wembley Stadium when Mitchell failed to make the IBF man-

dated same-day weigh in by 1½ pounds in a title eliminator with the winner to face champion Miguel Vazquez and forfeited the opportunity to win and face the champion for the title.

Maduma controlled the fight in the early rounds with his aggressive style and it was only in the championship rounds beginning with

the 9th that Mitchell began to connect with several clean punches which he followed up in rounds 10 and 11 when he staggered Maduma with a flurry of punches and stopped him on his feet at 2:56 of the 11th round.

At the time of the stoppage Maduma was ahead on the scorecards of all three judges 96-94.