Edge Davao 6 Issue 72

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

FOLLOW THE LEADER. Moto racers competing in the 2013 National Motorcycle Race of Champions (MotoROC) Mindanao leg jockey for position during the early stages of the final race over the weekend at the Victoria Plaza grounds. Lean Daval Jr.

Sara’s advice to cops:

Role playing o true to life?

‘Think like a criminal’

By CHE PALICTE cdp@edgedavao.net

M

AYOR Sara Duterte-Carpio advised Davao City police officers to “think like a criminal” to better solve rising incidents of crime in the city.

Presiding over her last City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting at the Grand Men Seng Hotel yesterday, the outgoing mayor challenged the police to come up with more innovative interventions in addressing criminality.

She told reporters later, “I told them to continue their good performance in the next administration and for them to strengthen their force in solving crime in the city,” Duterte-Carpio said.

She thanked members of CPOC for the support they extended during her three-year term as mayor.

F’THINK LIKE A CRIMINAL’, 10

FESTIVAL. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante Delima and Governor Rodolfo del Rosario led the opening of the Davao del Norte Kadagayaan Festival 2013, a grand

INSIDE:

celebration for the bountiful harvest, as well as, an auspicious event to revisit the unique and rich cultural heritage of the province. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO

NPA to release 2 soldiers to Rody Missing PAF plane’s 4 cargo bay door found Serena to Maria: 15 I’m sorry

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

NPA to release soldiers to Rody

By CHE PALICTE cdp@edgedavao.net

M

AYOR Sara Duterte-Carpio told media yesterday that the New People’s Army’s (NPA) under its commander, Leoncio Pitao, alias ‘Ka Parago’ may release the five soldiers they ab-

ducted last week upon the return of former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to city hall.

“Siguro dili pa nila marelease karon kay wala pa si Mayor Rody,” Mayor Sara said.

The former mayor is

set to re-assume office on July 1.

Mayor Sara confirmed that she requested a barangay official who has access to Parago to intercede for the released of the five soldiers.

“Di na gyud unta ko manghilabot ana pero last week wala nako kaantos ug nagsugo ko ug isa ka barangay official para maistorya si Parago ug ingon akong gisugo na nagstorya na daw si Mayor Rody ug

Parago bahin ana,” she explained.

The five soldiers from the 60th Infantry Battalion under the10th Infantry Division were abducted by the NPA last Monday afternoon in Lubas sub-village in

Paquibato proper at about 4:30 in the afternoon.

The soldiers are, Cpl. Emmanuel Quezon, Pfc. Ronald Gura, Pfc. Bernie Padilla, Pfc. Donato Estandia and Pvt. Marteniano Pasiagas.

Barangay elections has hotspots too-Comelec List-up for barangay polls set July 22-31

By EJ DOMINIC FERNANDEZ ejf@edgedavao.net

T

HE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS (Comelec) also expects the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this October to have hotspots or areas of concern in the Davao Region just like the

recently concluded May 13 regular elections.

This was bared by Comelec assistant regional director Marlon Casquejo yesterday at the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw at the SM Annex.

Casquejo said that

Comelec is preparing for the October 28 barangay elections whose registration is set from July 22 to 31.

However, the Comelec official failed to specify the hotspots beyond

eas between conflicting zones like commercial and residential zones or industrial and agricultural zones. A minimum width of 10 meters of buffer zone planted with trees is mandated in this amended CLUP. “In behalf of civil society, which actively provided inputs in the drafting of the revisions to the CLUP, we would like to thank the coun-

cilors for approving the ordinance after so many deliberations,” said IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes.

Despite some last minute fears of an intense lobby by subdivision developers against the proposed zoning of Shrine Hills into an Urban Ecological Enhancement Sub-zone, the ordinance was quickly ap-

FBARANGAY, 10

Council passes CLUP A

AWARDEE. P/Insp. Pedro I. Caigas embraces his proud grandson after receiving a Certificate of Honorable Service for rendering his valuable services for 32 years

with the Philippine National Police in a ceremony yesterday at the Davao City Police Office. Lean Daval Jr.

ROUND 100 environment advocates broke into cheers after the Davao City Council yesterday approved the amended Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) during the 16th Council’s last session.

The euphoria was caused by the designation of conservation zones and the establishment of buffer ar-

FCOUNCIL PASSES, 10

Five Dabawenyos may earn millions for innovating app

D

abawenyo software engineers could earn millions from their innovative mobile application after winning a slot to represent the country at the AngelHack competition in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, California this September.

Pagesnapp is an application that enables Facebook page owners to create their own mobile app using the contents of their Facebook Page.

“Our goal is to help local business create and launch their own mobile app just by using their

FFIVE DABAWENYOS, 10

APP INVENTORS. Bert Barriga, Information and Communications Technology Davao president (ext. left), introduces the members of Pagesnapp, an application that enables Facebook page owners to create their own mobile app using the contents of their Facebook page, who will

represent the country in the upcoming Angel Hack competition in Silicon Valley slated in September, during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

3 SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

DCWD welcomes new scholars for SY 2013-14

D

AVAO City Water District welcomes three new additions to its scholarship programs for tribal and non-tribal university students for the 2013 – 2014 school year.

New addition to the “Tulong sa Lumad” tribal scholarship program is Kevin Itdang who is a first year community development student of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) Mintal campus. He has joined the three other scholars, Maljun Lambac third year in business administration, Veronica M. Binulang third year in community development and Rhesa Ingay second year in public administration, who are also enrolled in USEP Mintal.

DAVAO CITY

For the “Tulong Niyo, Diploma Ko” non-tribal scholarship program, new scholars are incoming first year civil engineering students Xena Gancino and Krizzia Heizel Rosales of USEP Obrero campus. Other scholars Daniel Mediante third year in mechanical engineering and Emy Mhar P. Concon second year in computer technology are also studying in USEP Obrero.

Through DCWD’s scholarship programs, the scholars avail of free tuition and school fees and allowances for textbook, uniform, housing, meals and transportation.

The scholars who were chosen based on scholarly merit and financial capabilities expressed their heart-

Davao City Water District scholars with acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado (seated) and community relations officer Ellanena J. Gabuya (standing, extreme L). They are (from R) Kevin Itdang, Rhesa Ingay, Veronica

Binulang, Daniel Mediante, Emy Mhar Concon, Xena Gancino, Krizzia Heizel Rosales and Maljun Lambac.

felt gratitude to DCWD and promised to excel academically in order to make the most of the chance given to them.

For two decades

ileged but deserving students with its academic and non-academic (vocational) programs. After ten years, DCWD created the tribal scholarship

now, DCWD has been helping the youth of Davao City to earn degrees in their fields of interest. It was in 1993 that DCWD started supporting unpriv-

Mindanawons in Congress: 67 in the House, two in the Senate B

AYAN Muna’s Carlos Isagani Zarate, a journalist before he became a lawyer in 1995 is one of at least 67 Mindanawons in the House of Representatives.

In the 24-member Senate, the number of Mindanawons remains at two -- Teofisto Guingona III and Aquilino Pimentel III. The 46-year Zarate, who took his oath of office before Judge Virginia Hofilena-Europa on Friday afternoon at the Garden Oases Convention Center, joins seven other party-list representatives who are Mindanawons and 59 others who are representing their congressional districts.

“Bayan Muna shall stand astride with the people, inside and outside the (House of Representatives) to push for decent living wages across the board, for gainful employment and social security, for human rughts and social equity, and for genuine national development thru land reform and national industrialization,” Zarate said.

He also said he would “take seriously my role as a voice for the people of Mindanao.”

Zarate assured that Bayan Muna “will push for the rationalization of resource allocation that shall benefit Mindanao given our share in national development and based

on the fact that we have the poorest towns, provinces and regions” and for “decisive protection for ancestral domains and indigenous people’s rights as well as push for equity and genuine pro-people mechanisms to promote the right to self determination of the Bangsamoro people.”

59 district reps; 8 party-list reps In the 16th Congress that will open on July 22, Mindanao will have 59 congressional district representatives (with the addition of two more since the 15th Congress: the fourth district of Bukidnon and the third district of North Cotabato) and eight party-list representatives: Mariano Piamonte of Padada, Davao del Sur who represents A Teacher (Advocacy For Teacher Empowerment Through Action Cooperation And Harmony Towards Educational Reforms); Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. of Cagayan de Oro City who represents Abante Mindanao, Inc. (Abamin); Sitti Djalia A. Turabin-Hataman of Basilan, representing Anak Mindanao (AMin); Carlos Isagani T. Zarate of General Santos City but has been based in Davao City since the late 1980s, representing Bayan Muna, Luz Ilagan of Davao City who has been representing Gabriela Women’s Party since 2007; Cresente Paez of Sindangan,

Zamboanga del Norte, who has been representing the Cooperative-National Confederation of Cooperatives (COOP-NATCO) since 2007; former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III of the party-list 1-BAP (1 Banat and Ahapo Party-List Coalition); and Edgardo Masongsong of 1CARE (1st Consumers Alliance For Rural Energy, Inc); Piamonte founded the St. Michael’s College in Padada, Davao del Sur and was former executive director of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines.

Rodriguez, according to the Abamin website, is president of Abamin.

He worked previously at the National Police Commission, Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Customs and before becoming party-list representative, worked at the Congressional Office of his brother Rufus,who was elected to a third term as representative of the second district of Cagayan de Oro City.

Sitti Djalia A. Turabin-Hataman founded Pinay Kilos (PinK), an organization based in Zamboanga City that focuses on peace, health, and women’s rights in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi and Zamboanga Sibugay. She is the wife of OIC ARMM Governor, now Governor-elect, Mu-

jiv Hataman.

Luz Ilagan of Davao City, a former professor at the Ateneo de Davao University, has been representing Gabriela Women’s Party since 2007.

She will be representing Gabriela again for a third term in the 16th Congress.

Bello’s rise to national prominence began in Davao City during the fight against the Marcos dictatorship, after the assassination of President Aquino’s father, Ninoy in 1983. After the Marcoses were ousted in February 1986, he was named Justice Undersecretary and later as Justice Secretary.

He also served as peace panel chair in the negotiations with the National Democratic Front.

Masongsong was former manager of the Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative.

Previous party-list reps. It is Zarate’s first term as Bayan Muna Representative but it is the second time a Mindanawon is representing Bayan Muna. Joel Virador of Kidapawan and Davao cities served as Bayan Muna Rep. in the 12th and 13th Congress – from 2003 to 2004 and 2004 to 2007.

Joel Maglungsod is another Mindanawon party-list member who represented Anakpawis party-list in the 14h Congress, from 2009 to 2010.

program for the tribal youth as part of its environmental protection efforts in the watershed areas. (Jovana T. Duhaylungsod)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Troops capture moro base in Sultan Kudarat G

OVERNMENT troops overran on Sunday a base of breakaway Moro rebel group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) located at the boundary of President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat and Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun town in Maguindanao following a series of offensives in the area.

Col. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, said Monday they captured the BIFF stronghold after its estimated 150 to 200 armed members were forced to abandon the area as a result of the intensified military operations since Saturday.

He said the offensives were triggered by separate attacks staged by suspected BIFF elements in Barangay Bagumbayan of President Quirino town last Friday that killed a civilian and a member of the Citizen’s Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU).

On Saturday morning, he said troops under the Army 33rd Infantry Battalion launched ground and artillery attacks using 105mm howitzer cannons against the armed group.

“But the situation in the area has started to normalize and no more gunfire was heard since last night after we captured the stronghold of the armed lawless group,”

Pangilinan said in radio interview.

As of Monday morning, he said the clearing operations in the area are still ongoing against the armed group, which is reportedly led by alleged local BIFF leader Sukarno Sapal.

Pangilinan said Sapal is a known follower of BIFF founder Ameril Umra Kato, who previously headed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) 105th base command in Maguindanao.

He said Sapal’s group had figured in the August 2012 clashes between government troops and the BIFF in Shariff Aguak town.

Prior to the BIFF attacks last Friday, Pangilinan said some farmers and residents of Barangay Bagumbayan reported that they were harassed by the group in several occasions. “(The harassments) were actually connected to a long-standing land conflict in the area between local residents and a group of (Moro) claimants,” he said.

The official said the land conflict in the area started to heat up in 2007 and 2008 but the local government of President Quirino was able to resolve the situation after holding dialogues with the contending parties.

“But the harassment continued and eventually turned violent with Friday’s attacks,” he said.

(PNA)

4 NATION/WORLD EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

MANILA

Missing PAF plane’s cargo bay door found P

HILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol on Monday said that Navy and Coast Guard search teams have found debris, including the cargo bay door, of the missing OV-10 “Bronco” light attack plane.

With this development, Okol said that the aircraft earlier reported missing is now officially down.

The debris were found 9 a.m.

“What we can confirm (is that the OV-10) went down already. That is something we know for sure,” Okol said.

He said the debris appeared to have drifted northward, “but we were able to recover it.”

MANILA

The plane parts were recovered five nautical miles away from the Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The PAF spokesperson also urged the public to refrain from making speculations on what happened, adding search operations are still ongoing for the two pilots.

“We would advise we not speculate. Rest assured we will investigate the matter,” he said.

Okol also said the pilots’ relatives had been notified, but added the PAF still cannot make the pilots’ names public at this time.

Earlier, Okol said two OV-10 planes were on night proficiency flying Sunday, but only of them was able to land. (PNA)

This is an OV-10 Bronco, the same PAF aircraft which reportedly crashed.

MANILA

PH govt optimistic of July talks with Muslim rebels DFA: Sack embassy

T

HE Philippine government is hoping that contentious issues on the three remaining annexes of the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) could finally be resolved in the formal peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) set early next month, a senior government official said Sunday.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said that the Aquino administration is optimistic about the upcoming peace negotiation.

“We hope that there will be a good resolu-

tion to the talks that are scheduled in July,” she said in an interview over a state-run radio station.

The last formal talks were held in April but ended without the signing of any of the three remaining annexes -- power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization. The annex on transitional arrangements and modalities was inked in February.

The government and the MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group in the country, have to complete first all the annexes of the FAB before they could forge a

comprehensive agreement.

While the government is fully committed in the peace process with the MILF, Valte said, the Aquino administration wants to ensure that the three annexes and the comprehensive compact will “pass legal muster.”

That was why the government thoroughly evaluated and studied the draft annexes, which are now with the MILF, she said.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer has announced that she and her counterpart with

the MILF, Mohagher Iqbal, agreed at the sidelines of a forum in Norway to resume the formal talks early next month to discuss the three remaining annexes.

The MILF has been fighting government troops for decades to establish a self-rule Muslim state in southern Philippines.

The Aquino government and the MILF formally signed on Oct. 15 of 2012 the framework agreement, a road map for final political settlement to end the decades-old armed struggle in southern Philippines.(PNA/Xinhua)

personnel ‘sex-for-fly’ T HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has recommended the termination and recall of embassy personnel who will be found guilty of committing sex abuses against distressed Filipino workers.

As allegations surfaced that “sex-for-fly” schemes and other sexual abuses are being perpetrated by some government personnel posted in Jordan, Kuwait, Syria and Saudi Arabia, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario held consultations with 13 envoys based in the Middle East and North Africa from June 22 to 23.

Del Rosario called the

meeting in Manila amid publicized reports that female Filipino workers under the embassy’s custody are allegedly being offered immediate repatriation by Philippine labor officers and diplomats assigned in the three embassies in exchange for sex.

The DFA said the meeting’s goal was to gather more information on the alleged inappropriate and criminal behavior of certain personnel to validate the accusation and identify preventive and corrective measures. If found guilty those involved will face punitive measures, the DFA said. (PNA)

TRADITIONAL BATH. Residents of San Juan celebrate their annual water festival in honor of their patron saint, St. John the Baptist, by dousing water on drivers and commuters including along the busy N. Domingo St. on Monday (June 24, 2013). (PNA photo by Luisito L. Iglesias)

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

R12 farmers urged to plant organic rice for foreign markets F

YOUNG PET LOVERS. This pet shop establishment in Davao City attracts young pet lovers who browse trough the store’s line of pet animals on sale over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

armers in Region 12 were encouraged to plant more organic rice for markets abroad as the area shipped anew another volume to a foreign country, the third time in less than two months.

The Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DBMPC), with the help of the Department of Agriculture, recently exported again 3.3 metric tons of organic colored rice to Hong Kong.

The shipment on June 16 comprises 1.3 MT of black rice, 1.16 MT of red rice and .89 MT of brown rice, said Romano Laurilla, DBMPC general manager.

“Global demand for organic rice is growing as more people are becoming health conscious,” he said.

It was the second time that the cooperative shipped organic rice to Hong Kong. The first was sent to the United

Arab Emirates.

Organic farming does not utilize chemical pesticides and fertilizers during cultivation; hence aside from being healthy, it also lessens farm production costs.

Laurilla urged farmers to shift to organic rice farming because this variety would also give them higher income.

He noted that the cooperative buys organic rice varieties at P20 per kilo, P3 higher than the buying price of non-organic rice varieties in the commercial market.

The regional Agriculture department and the cooperative have been working for the expansion of organic rice planting areas in the provinces of North Cotabato and South Cotabato.

Amalia Datukan, DA12 director, said the agency is keen on helping rice farmers penetrate foreign markets.

(PNA)

6 THE ECONOMY

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

UCPB records P106M Q1 net income U

CPB Savings Bank welcomed the end of 2013’s first quarter with P106 million in net income, or 58 percent higher than the P67 million earnings in the same period of last year.

Both interest and non-interest income bolstered this growth with 30 percent and 73 percent increase respectively. Income from loans was a primary growth driver, reaching the P246 million level, or 36 percent better than the P181 million posted on the same period of 2012. At the same time, the bank was able to keep its operating expense increase to a minimal 18 percent.

In terms of assets, the bank expanded its base to P8.8 billion from P7.0, or 25 percent better, yearon-year. This was an-

chored on the bank’s loan portfolio growth of 42 percent, from P5.3 billion to P7.5 billion.

Total deposits rose 25 percent to P5.7 billion from P4.7 billion, with 53 percent of deposits in the form of low-cost funds.

Return on equity, likewise, rose to 17.8 percent from 13.1 percent.

Past Initiatives “The notable first quarter performance was built on our 2012 initiatives focusing on expanding our network and increasing our loan base,” said Joseph C. Justiniano, UCPB Savings Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2012, the bank added 3 branches and 14 ATM’s to its network, in time with its 50thanniversary in October.

From its humble be-

ginnings as Savings Bank of Manila in 1962, UCPB Savings Bank has grown to its present form with a merger of 4 thrift banks in 1989 and the acquisition of UCPB Rural Bank in 2005.

As the thrift-banking arm of UCPB (United Coconut Planters Bank), UCPB Savings has focused on providing banking services in rural areas. It has catered to the credit needs of Local Government Units (LGU’s), Other Government Agencies (OGA’s), and public and private school teachers through its various lending offices.

“We also embarked on the renovation of selected branches in collaboration with the rebranding efforts of our parent bank, which we started in 2009. However, we

TODAY’S FOREX RATE Buying

Currencies

(in Philippine Peso)

Selling (in Philippine Peso)

US Dollar

43.3800

44.1700

Euro

54.3500

58.9300

British Pound

64.1300

68.9500

Australian Dollar

37.4700

41.8300

Japanese Yen

0.4266

0.4619

Canadian Dollar

38.8700

43.2100

Swiss Franc

43.6800

48.2500

Hongkong Dollar

5.5400

6.1000

Singapore Dollar

33.8300

35.2100

Brunei Dollar

33.7400

35.3000

Thailand Baht

1.3700

1.6000

Indonesian Rupiah

0.0039

0.0060

Saudi Riyal

11.4100

12.1400

Malaysian Ringgit

13.0700

14.2000

New Zealand Dollar

33.3900

34.9400

Bahrain Dinar

113.5900

118.3100

SURIGAO CITY

Nickel firm starts operations in Surigao Norte

A

S a prelude to their commercial operations which will begin in September, the Taganito High-Pressured Acid Leach Plant (TPHAL) Nickel Corporation has started commissioning its hydrometallurgical processing plant in Barangay Taganito in Claver town, Surigao del Norte.

Engr. Arturo Manto, Vice President for Environment and External Affairs of THPAL Nickel Corporation told the crowd during the 18th Caraga Business Conference on June 13 that their company was all set to start operations this year and is spending two billion pe-

sos per year as part of the operations cost of all the pollution control facilities.

“The company will spend that much per year to mitigate the environmental impact,” he said.

He said this includes the maintenance and operation of their tailings storage and scrubber facilities.

Manto said the Taganito project is the biggest mining investment in the country so far at 1.5 billion dollars.

He said at least 2,350 workers will be employed once the company starts commercial production in September.

He said, skilled work-

ers from Coral Bay Nickel Corporation, a sister company of THPAL based in Palawan are conducting the training of locally-sourced workers for them learn the skill needed once the company will start its full operation.

Manto said the lifespan of THPAL is 30 years.

He added that the company will produce at least 30,000 metric tons of nickel sulfide and 2600 metric tons of cobalt sulfide from 4.8 million weight metric tons of waste ore per year.

Manto said these nickel and cobalt sulfides will be sent to Japan for another refinery process. (Roel Catoto/MindaNews)

plan to extend our 2012 efforts into 2103 and beyond,” Justiniano added.

Future Plans Three additional branches are slated for opening in 2013 – Caramoan, Borongan, and Dipolog. Caramoan branch already began operations in March this year.

Borongan and Dipolog branches are likewise expected to be ready for opening soon. The bank also has firm plans to add five (5) more branches in 2014 and install ATM’s in all of its branches.

To improve loan-processing capabilities and extend reach, plans to open seven (7) more lending offices nationwide are already underway.

“We want to keep our momentum going. After celebrating our 50th year,

we are excited to usher in 50 more years of growth.

As of M a y 2013, we are ahead of our projections on Deposit, Loans, and Income

Growth. Although we are aggressively pushing our loans, our past due ratio of 2.7% remains above the industry standard of 5.7%. We are keen on staying true to our vision to become the preferred thrift bank in the communities we s e r ve ,” Justiniano said.

JUSTINIANO

Industry experts in 1 Phil iCon I

NDUSTRY leaders and experts will be sharing their expertise with the more than 600 industry clusters stakeholders of the country during the 1st Philippine Investment Conference (Phil iCon) slated on June 25-26 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City.

The conference gives focus on the industry clusters identified in the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (NICCEP), a three-year technical cooperation funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The NICCEP strives to enhance the capacity of selected industry clusters throughout the country to plan, implement, facilitate service delivery, evaluate projects, and improve industry competitiveness and business environment.

The priority industry clusters are: milkfish, dairy, coffee, bamboo, tourism, information and communications technology (ICT), health and wellness, and wearables and homestyles for Luzon; gifts, decors, and housewares (GDH), tourism, ICT, and health and wellness for Visayas; and, banana, mango, coconut, seaweeds, wood, mining, tourism, ICT,

st

rubber, poultry, tuna, and palm oil for Mindanao.

DTI-Davao Regional Director and Conference Regional Cooperators’ Committee chair Marizon S. Loreto said that having the experts during the two-day conference will definitely beef up the capability of the industry cluster stakeholders.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel A. Roxas III will speak about the “Role of Local Government for Dynamic Industry Clusters and Inclusive Growth”; DTI’s Trade and Investments Promotions Group Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. on the “Philippine Initiatives to Improve Investments and Export Promotion in the Countryside”; DTI’s Regional Operations and Development Group Undersecretary Merly M. Cruz on “Industry Clustering: Philippine Model”; NICCEP Team Leader and Industry Cluster expert from JICA Tetsuo Inooka on “Industry Clustering: Japan Model”; Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Takashi Ishigami on “Philippine Investment Experience”; The Alsons Group of Companies president and chief

executive officer Tomas I. Alcantara on “Philippine-Japan Partnership Experience”; Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) general manager Veredigno P. Atienza on “Philippine Retirement Investment Area”; Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (iBAP) senior executive director Gillian Joyce G. Virata on “ICT: SMEs in a Digital Economy”; Air 21 Express chair Alberto Lina on “Understanding the Business of Logistics”; and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) project development officer Edgardo C. de Guzman on “Land Bank Financing Program for SMEs”.

Apart from this line up of speakers, the other guests are DTI Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, Senator-elect Cynthia A. Villar, and JICA chief representative Takahiro Sasaki.

The Phil iCon is spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry-Regional Operations and Development Group (DTI-RODG) in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

7

MELBOURNE

Global climate change like atom bomb -- scientists T

he planet has been building up temperatures at the rate of four Hiroshima bombs of heat every second, and it’s all our fault, say climate scientists.

Hurricane Katrina and superstorm Sandy are just two examples of how extreme weather will intensify, Australia’s Climate Action Summit has heard.

Humans are emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other time in history, the Australian Associated Press reports John Cook, from the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, as saying.

“All these heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere mean ... our planet has been building up heat at the rate of about four Hiroshima bombs every second -- consider that going continuously for several decades.”

In a speech on extreme weather in Sydney, Cook said about 90 percent of global warming was going into the

oceans, which act like a natural thermometer along with changes in land, ice, and animal species.

Distributions of trees are shifting towards cooler areas such as the poles or mountains, and animal species are responding to global warming by mating earlier in the year.

“This isn’t because animals are getting randier, it’s because the seasons themselves are shifting,” Cook is reported as saying.

A total of 120 climate records were broken in Australia this January, including the hottest month and the hottest day.

New colors had to be added to temperature maps to denote highs of over 50 and 54 degrees celsius.

Warmer air holds more water, so Australia will experience heavier rainfall in wetter areas, while dry regions are becoming drier.

There will be more category four and five tropical cyclones, and a

“catastrophic” rating has already been added to fire gauges.

Cook said studies have tried to put a num-

ber on how much of global warming is caused by humans, “and the rough answer is, all of it”.

He said for the past

loilo Congressman Jerry Trenas today raised the urgency of crafting a law which would set a long-term masterplan on how to resolve the country’s perennial flooding problem and at the same time, penalize the building of infrastructures along vital waterways not only in Metro Manila but in other urban areas as well.

According to Trenas, along with the plan of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson to gradually relocate all informal settlers living along Metro Manila river and sewerage systems should be a law that would now stop them from resettling back to these waterways.

Trenas said this would not only allow a successful clean-up of the country’s urban waterways but also remove them from these socalled “high risk areas.”

“Flooding is not the

only problem with the presence of informal settlers on our waterways.

We also worry about their safety especially during the rainy season, Trenas said the floods that recently engulfed many parts of the country, especially in Metro Manila and parts of Mindanao and the Visayas only highlighted the urgency of the situation as he noted that the weather condition have become very unpredictable due to climate change.

“I think that it is about time that we take a tougher position against squatting and against disposing garbage on our waterways. The only way to stop this flooding problem is to make sure that all of our water tributaries are free from obstruction,” Trenas noted.

The lawmaker also noted the grim reality that many commercial establishments and manufacturing plants

are also part of the problem because some have built their facilities along Metro Manila’s river and sewage system for easy disposal of wastes and easier shipment of their cargoes.

“In Pasig River for example, there are still so many manufacturing plants that are located beside the river because their cargoes are shipped through river barges. These too have to go if we really want to clean the river once and for all,” he said.

Trenas said that the 16th Congress can possibly resurrect the P600-B flood control master plan proposed by the late Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado as contained in his House Bill 6469 but it should also include penal provisions against people who tamper with the natural flow of the country’s waterways.

The lawmaker emphasized the need for

the national government and local government units to synchronize its laws and regulations on the preservation and protection of the country’s waterways, especially on the regulation on the building of infrastructures like buildings, manufacturing plants and other business enterprises.

“We have to protect the waterways by not allowing waste materials to freely flow into our rivers and esteros and into the seas,” he said, stressing that the huge amount of funds needed to implement this ambitious program is small compared to the gains future generations will benefit.

Aumentado’s bill mandates the DPWH to craft a long-term flood-control plan that will cover Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Calabarzon region to be implemented on a multiyear basis until 2040.

CLIMATE CHANGE. An infographic on the signs of climate change. two decades, 97 percent of scientists have been in agreement human activity is causing warmer temperatures.

But he said this is not filtering down to the public, who think scientists are about 50/50 on the issue.(PNA/Bernama)

s the Philippines braces for the rainy season, Malacanang is reiterating its call for Filipinos to review their respective families’ disaster preparedness plans in order to prevent any mishap or casualty befalling them.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte made the call in a press briefing aired over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday.

“We encourage everybody since nasa rainy season na po tayo, to review your family’s own disaster preparedness,” Valte said.

She said Filipino families should heed the call of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to stock up on essential goods and regularly conduct family disaster drills in order to prepare and protect ourselves for any eventuality that may happen. (PNA)

Solon pushes for tougher law Malacanang: Review against waterways tampering disaster preparedness A I B R I E F S

Obama to unveil full climate plan WASHINGTON-- US president Barack Obama will unveil a comprehensive plan to deal with climate change that would include new measures to reduce carbon pollution and lead global efforts to fight global warming.

“I’ll lay out my vision for where I believe we need to go -- a national plan to reduce carbon pollution, prepare our country for the impacts of climate change, and lead global efforts to fight it,” Obama said. (PNA/PTI)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDITORIAL

The FOI, one more try

T

HE freedom of information law which will allow access by the public and the media to information and data related to government projects will attempt to take a different route to becoming a law. Unconventional and untested but most significantly, constitutional.

That is the next move FOI advocates are taking in the 16th Congress.

No, they are not relying this time on the FOI champions who will be back in Congress for another three-year term by July 1. The advocates this time are taking legislation practically “in their own hands.”

What does this mean?

Not everyone knows there’s another way of passing laws and this is by way of Section 11 of Republic Act 6735 or “The Initiative and Referendum Act.” The FOI has been pursued for decades without success.

In the 15th Congress, at least 117 out of the 284 lawmakers in the House expressed support for the measure but it fared more miserably than it did in the 14th Congress.

The Freedom of Information Act was only one step away from becoming a law in the 14th Congress under the administration of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The bill met an unlikely death when House members failed to ratify the bicameral conference report on the bill due to a lack of quorum.

Now, is there hope with the indirect initiative?

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This mode of passing laws is a mechanism that allows any “duly accredited people’s organization” to file a petition in Congress for a specific measure they want passed. Section 11 of The Initiative and Referendum Act states that an indirect initiative shall be treated like any other bill filed by lawmakers with one vital feature -- it shall have precedence over other pending bills in the committee.

Although the law states that indirect initiatives shall be prioritized at the committee level, petitioners will have no control over the House agenda when the bill reaches the plenary.

It may be speaking too early how the FOI will fare in the next Congress but the fact that there is a legitimate alternative to passing it provides a new ray of hope for advocates of the FOI. The 15th Congress was able to pass a historic measure such as the RH Law and some controversial tax measures but not the FOI. This is a clear indication that laws are passed with the support of the Palace. Without such support, expect bills to go by the wayside.

On the other hand, when Malacanang wants it so bad like the RH Law, Malacanang gets it by hook or by crook. Otherwise stated, what Malacanang wants, Malacanang gets.

It is that simple principle expressed best in our language: “Kapag gusto maraming paraan, kapag ayaw maraming dahilan.”

Yes, this is the Filipino version of the American idiomatic expression “If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

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

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 •TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

Oil price shock

N

O POTENTIAL MINIMUM FARE ADJUSTMENT – Mindful that all the uncertainties raise the possibility of an unexpected minimum fare increase after a series of oil price adjustments, leaders of different transport groups have requested the government that the minimum fare should be adjusted for two reasons: first, they explained there’s a possibility that prices of gasoline, diesel fuel and other refined petroleum products would increase unpredictably to undetermined levels, and second, prices of spare parts and lubricants continue to increase despite the assurance of manufacturers and suppliers not to raise prices of their products.

But earlier reports swirl around about the potential increase of the minimum fare once the prices of diesel fuel goes up to P43 per liter from the previous P41 and gasoline at P 54-55 level from the previous P51-52 or according to variants. An over-assuming official of a transport group admitted that he and fellow leaders of different groups may not support the idea of maintaining the minimum fare’s status quo while the prices of fuel products remained in a volatile situation. However, leaders of various consumers and commuters groups say they noticed the cockiness of some transport leaders: “now they’re panicking by trying to find ways and the right patsies to file a petition seeking a minimum fare adjustment.” They’re now singing a different tune contrary to their earlier statements that the minimum fare should remained at P8 or maybe even a bit lower when the prices of gasoline and crude oil slide down below the P40 a liter level. Shades of deception!

There was even a time that a consumers’ advocate group filed a petition before the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) seeking the

A

VANTAGE POINTS

reduction of the minimum fare to P7 as a result of the series of oil price roll back. Prices of diesel fuel then is peg at P37 while gasoline at P49-50 a liter.

Nonetheless, it is widely believed that over-bearing leaders of the different transport groups are protecting their respective turfs and jockeying for a minimum fare status quo.

If nothing else, the oil price issue has focused the minds of transports leaders on their own economic problems while disregarding the rights of the consumers and the commuting public in particular. Such sentiment reverberates loudly considering that the commuting public has been too concerned to add what it’s going to cost them more in their daily necessities – notably increased in transport fare. In fact, it was the perception of the commuters and consumers that some of the enterprising transport leaders’ previous move is politically-motivated and their assurance to reduce the minimum fare when there’s a price rollback is nothing but mere lip service.

Until recently there are no changes in their position sparking a certain amount of confusion and public resentment has been building against them. The big question is: how fast will the government move and take necessary actions on the plight of the exploited commuters and how long will it take to produce results? Moreover, the oil price shock concern intensifies uncertainty surrounding the price increase scheme and the conforming minimum fare adjustment.

But one thing is certain though, none of the previous assurances of transport leaders had helped their standing in maintaining their credibility, which suddenly seems more like an uncontrolled adolescent rather than responsible figures of society.

In the weeks ahead, if prices of fuel products continue to escalate and transport leaders remain determined to file a petition seeking a minimum fare adjustment according to their desired level, chances are, a groundswell of petitioners for a fare status quo could also make themselves heard. Nevertheless, if there are oil price movements that would indicate it’s going up, the transport sector, as their wont, is again in a position to exploit it to their advantage. Unfortunately, the same is true with the commuting public – in reverse. The poor commuters surely will be dismayed by another turn of disadvantageous event.

WITH THE ELECTION FEVER OVER, the closer to the people government is, the more responsive it becomes to their needs and wants. Unfortunately, our local government units (LGU) – the one closest to the people have very limited powers. Sadly of course, the bulk of power is concentrated in the sectoral and line agencies, which are run by non-elective but highly-paid Manila-based executives with little empathy or none at all with ordinary Filipinos particularly the squatters and slum dwellers, and destitute rural communities.

It is high time that the fulcrum of political power shifted away from Imperial Manila to our LGUs. The present administration must peel away the layers of bureaucracy and learn to trust its area managers. If we give them power to lead, they will, by sheer necessity try to measure up to the people’s expectations.

Now comes the season of pork

s the new term for senators, congressmen, and local officials begin next month, so will a new round of profligacy kick-in. Under the guise of the innocent-sounding “Priority Development Assistance Fund” (PDAF), the pork barrel will begin its rounds dispensing funds and projects for favored constituencies. The Priority of course is what vanity requires; the Development, what the blossoming of their political career needs; the Assistance, what’s needed to buttress their standing; and the Fund, why, to fill one’s pockets with, of course!

Calculated to win or maintain public support and keep them loyal till the next elections, this patronage system constitutes de facto plunder of our treasury. But it is blithely legalized by agreement between Congress and Malacanang.

Referring to it as PDAF does not mitigate its flagrant use and abuse for politicking and for extorting as much money as possible from the national treasury. Does a congress-

WORM’S EYEVIEW

MANNY VALDEHUESA

(1st of two parts) man or senator have the right to be re-elected at taxpayers’ expense?

This question has attained urgency now that a new term is about to begin. Shall we continue to tolerate this scam that our elected representatives have institutionalized in defiance of the universal clamor for good governance, transparency and accountability?

Handling and dispensing Pork Barrel funds has become so profitable it is bringing out the entrepreneurial spirit and the greedy instinct in people searching for get-richquick schemes. Why do you think more and more people invest in congressional campaigns, either by running or by supporting candidates with lots of Pork Barrel-funded proj-

ects or contracts to farm out.

To be a senator is to enjoy P 200 million in yearly pork allocations— funds that require them (contrary to the principle of subsidiarity and good governance) to adhere to minimal transparency, accountability or even sense of responsibility. It is spent entirely at his or her discretion. And there is no limit to the kickbacks or commissions he or she can collect from contractors and suppliers.

Consider how the Cayetano and Ejercito siblings in the Senate must be wallowing in pork, with the yearly amount of P 400 million each pair gets to draw from! That’s P 2.4 billion by the time their terms end!

That’s like winning a Super-Mega-Lotto-Powerball Draw EVERY year for six years! It’s the same story in the Lower House, only a bit less in absolute amounts. There we have certified plunderers and opportunists raking in millions, living it up at taxpayer expense.

9

Market crash : best time to buy stocks

D

O N ’ T C R Y when the stock market crashes.

We’ve seen several stock market crashes in the past--even as far back as 1970’s-- to learn how the market behaves.

It’s basically the same pattern: first it keeps going up, up, up and many investors think prices will keep going up and tell all their friends about the stocks they bought and how they’re making money.

Until suddenly, one day, stock market prices collapse and carry the whole market with it. Investors who didn’t sell when prices were still rising, end up losing millions. After a long “consolidation” of many months, the market will then recover and start to climb back up.

It’s unfortunate, we don’t have the right amount of business capital to make stock trading a full-time business. Like most “small investors” who were mere company employees in the 1980’s, all we had then was a salary of P10,000 and sometimes a bonus of P5,000 to buy stocks (which ended up as our household budget--- pay rent, buy groceries, pay tuition) This could already buy stocks, of course, because that’s the minimum amount to get into the market. But it’s NOT enough to make really SERIOUS money like P10-million or P20M, which is real wealth because then, you can now afford to buy a new house on a 1000 square meter lot and the latest 2012 Mitsubishi car--- or even buy an entire condo building.

If you know how the stock market “behaves” and you have a business capital of say, P300,000 for your “stock trading business” it would have been easy for you to make P10-million in less than 3 years, simply by buying and selling stocks in the market, using this simple trading rule: take profits at 20% to 25% and cut losses at 7%. ( William J. O”Neil book,”How To Make Money in Stocks”) The key word here is “business”—you have to make the buying and selling of stocks (or stock trading) a FULL-TIME BUSINESS with a registered business, capital (cash), an office (or home office), a staff of two employees---one to take care of accounting and the other to handle research.

You need to get in touch with a stock brokerage firm in your city to deposit your capital and get to know the trading clerk in the brokerage who will take your “buy” and “sell” orders which are transmitted directly via computer terminal to the Philippine Stock Exchange. Or if you prefer to do it online with your laptop, you can sign up with online stock brokers like Philstock.com.

ColFinancial.com, (Citisec), Trade2Asia.com, MetroSec, etc Just a friendly warning : if you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t go into this business. It’s so easy for your business capital to get wiped out completely in the stock market--- especially if you’re someone who follow “tips”, broker’s “recommendations” or what analysts are saying on TV or the newpapers.

But if you know what you’re doing and strictly follow the “Trading Rule”, it’s so easy to make a million pesos in just a matter of months. Don’t worry---you’re NOT “gambling” when buying stocks.

All banks and insurance firms buy stocks.

GSIS, SSS all buy stocks. Even the church buy stocks. This is a legitimate business where the BIR deducts taxes from your transactions, whether you’re buying or selling and whether you’re losing or making money.

Now’s the BEST TIME to start preparing for your trading business. The chances of making money from buying and selling stocks are much greater when the stock market is DOWN because you’ll be buying cheaper stocks that are down there.

Start buying when prices are cheap in a market that just drifts around---- months after a stock market crash…

(Comments: Email> tradingpost_ davao@yahoo.com)

10 NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Former DOE USec joins Puno & Puno law firm P

UNO & Puno Law Offices, already a leading firm in the highly sophisticated energy law practice, has further cemented its status as a pioneer in the legal industry with the admission of former Undersecretary of the Department of Energy, Atty. Jose “Jay” M. Layug as Senior Partner effective May 1, 2013.

Atty. Layug brings with him a vast wealth of experience in the areas of Energy, Upstream Petroleum and Coal Exploration, Project Development and Finance, Infrastructure, Dispute Resolution

and Commercial Arbitration, Environmental Law and Securities. Atty. Layug was widely responsible for the revival of various sectors of the Philippine energy industry including renewable energy, upstream oil, natural gas and coal, downstream oil and compressed natural gas, and biofuels.

As DOE Undersecretary, Atty. Layug spearheaded the successful launch of the 4th Philippine Energy Contracting Round for Petroleum and Coal, the National Renewable Energy Program and the Public Transport Assistance Pro-

gram or Pantawid Pasada, all flagship energy programs under the Aquino administration. As a seasoned and highly respected practitioner in other leading law firms and later as a top executive in a multinational company prior to his government stint with the DOE, Atty. Layug re-enters the private law practice to further enhance and expand PPLO’s full service practice.

“We proudly welcome Jay in our fold of topnotch legal experts as we continue to build our legacy in the field of energy”,

founding partner and former Minister of Justice and retired Court of Appeals Justice Ricardo C. Puno, Sr. said.

Atty. Layug graduated in 1996 from the University of the Philippines and obtained his Master of Laws degree from the Cornell Law School in the United States. A member of the Philippine Bar since 1997, Atty.

Layug was also admitted to practice in New York, U.S.A. in 2001. He is also a long-time member of the faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Law.

total of 127 cases of human rights violation in region 11 were noted by the Commission on Human Rights office from 2011 up to the present.

Capt. Severino David deputy commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command told media yesterday at the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw in SM Annex that the cases involved landmines, harassment and abduction by the New People’s Army.

Ritz Lee Santos chair of the board of trustees of Amnesty International Philippines (AIP) called for the end of violence and impunity in Mindanao, adding that AIP acknowledge that both state and non-state actors have a part to play in culture of violence, including the latest abduction of five soldiers by the NPA. “We encourage local governments to ensure protection of human rights defenders at work in their respec-

tive jurisdictions from extra-judicial killings, disappearances and illegal detentions,” she said.

She lamented that victim of human rights violations, including during the martial law regime, from 1972 to 1986 continue to be denied justice and reparations. Last April, the Philippines acceded to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against torture but had not yet established the required mechanism to monitor treatment

of detainees,” she said.

Santos also said that the access to reproductive care remains despite a new reproductive health law having been enacted.

AIP also expressed its concern for the plight of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East exacerbated by the recent crackdown on migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and the reported “Sex for Flight” scheme in Jordan, Kuwait and Syria. CMP

“This was my last council meeting and wala koy masulti sa suporta nila kanako,” she added.

DCPO chief Ronald dela Rosa said that the DCPO would intensify the campaign against criminality in the city.

“We will think like a criminal and act as a cop in order to formulate techniques to counter their wrongdoings,” he added.

He bared that DCPO was alarmed over the

rising incidents of holdups and robberies, and that there is a need for improvement in their department, especially that a new administration will take over.

“Na-anad naman ang kapulisan sa style sa pagdala sa atong umaabot na Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, muhulat lang pud mi kung naa bay mga kabag-ohan sa iyang pagdumala ug additional tasks na iyang ipahimo sa amoa,” he said.

Dela Rosa reported the following successful neutralization (killed during actual apprehension) and apprehension of the socalled “big names” in robbery related cases in the city.

These are the Payat-Taba robbery hold-up group in Toril, Davao City, Pioquinto hold-up group and the recent Philippine-Japan Active Carbon (PJAC) robbery/ extortion group who

were identified as the suspects for the series of hold-up in the different LBC branches in the city.

According to Dela Rosa, there were 247 reported robbery incidences for first quarter (January to March 2013 which gradually decreased to 186 for the second quarter (April to May 2013).

Theft cases in the second quarter decreased to 487 from 643 in the first quarter.

proved unanimously by the councilors present.

It was their first agenda on this last day of their council session.

Fuertes, however, said that while this is a victory for the advocates of the Green Davao vision, a lot of work has still to be done.

“The next challenge is to sustain the engagement of civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the ordinance. We won’t expect it to be

easy, but then as long as we are all united in seeing through our vision of a Green Davao City, the challenges will be surmountable,” she said.

Also included in the amended CLUP is the addition of “water resource areas” as well as the declaration of “marine protected areas” in the city. The ordinance prohibits the development of both areas for agricultural, commercial, industrial and other purposes.

saying that they are the same areas of concern identified by the commission and the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines where political rivalry among candidates.

These included portions of Davao del Sur, where there were recorded violent incidents in the past.

Casquejo said those who intend to run, including for seats in the Sanguniang Kabataan (SK), should register at the Comelec office.

Voters in the SK polls, aged 15 to 17 are required to register on those dates, Casquejo said, adding that the barangay elections count will be done manually and not use the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

It does not mean that the counting of votes cast will be slower, since there are only a maximum of 500 voters per precinct, the canvassing will be per barangay and the final results will be

known the day after the elections.

There will be a ban on hiring, construction, and carrying of gun 30 days before October 28 and 10 days after that.

The Comelec stressed the need for candidates to submit their statement of election contribution and expenditures (SECE) after the election.

Winning candidates will not be allowed to assume office if they do not submit a certificate of compliance for SECE.

Facebook Page in a matter of seconds at very minimal expense through subscription,” according to Rolly Rulete, one of the creators of the application while guesting in the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM Annex, Ecoland yesterday.

Subscription is at P200 per month or P2, 400 a year; with 500 users, it can reach up to P1, 200,000 a year, he said.

Their group is targeting 10 percent of Facebook users all over the

world to subscribe to their mobile app by the end of 2013, that’s millions worth of revenue.

Rulete’s team includes, Marvin Consuegra, Raymund Delfin, Mio Miguel Galang, and Jay Albano.

Rulete’s team plans to launch a beta version of the mobile app by August.

His team will go to Silicon Valley in September to represent Philippines against 32 other countries who will pitch their

ideas to investors.

Their team won the top prize in the Manila AngelHack leg last June 9 which had 51 participants from all over the country.

Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Davao president Bert Barriga called on possible sponsors here to help the team, since the top prize only allows two members of the group to go to Silicon Valley and there are five of them.

CMP

CHR notes 127 alleged cases of HR violations

A

‘Think like a criminal’.. FFROM 1

Barangay.. FFROM 2

ATTY. LAYUG

B R I E F S Mandela’s condition critical JOHANNESBURG -- The ailing 94-year-old former South African president Nelson Mandela’s condition becomes critical, South African presidency said on Sunday. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela at a Pretoria hospital on Sunday, and the medical team informed him that Mandela’s condition had become critical over the past 24 hours, according to Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj.

“The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that he is well looked after and is comfortable,” Zuma said.”He is in good hands,” added Zuma, appealing to the South Africans and the world to pray for Mandela.

Mandela was admitted to hospital in Pretoria with the serious lung infection on June 8. On March 27, he was hospitalized after doctors diagnosed him of having pneumonia. He was also admitted in December for recurring lung infection. Mandela suffered from tuberculosis when he was incarcerated for 27 years before the apartheid ended in 1994. He was the first democratically-elected president in South Africa, having an honor of the state father in the country. (PNA/Xinhua)

Council passes.. FFROM 2

Five Dabawenyos..FFROM 2

11 MOTORING

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

Pitstop is now Bosch Car Service

By NELWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

W

njb@edgedavao.net

HAT used to be Pitstop Bajada car service known for its oil and lubricants services is now a state-of-the-art car diagnostic center Bosch Car Service.

Wilson Bangayan, president of Pitstop Bajada car service, formally announced the change of the automotive after-sales service establishment to the 27th outlet of the leading German automobile parts and services brand in the country.

“We will now be called the Bosch Car Service,” Bangayan officially said during the inauguration of the outlet inside Victoria Plaza compound. It also signified the partnership of Robert Bosch Inc. and Pitstop which has been operating for ten years in Davao City.

“Why Bosch? It’s a natural partnership. The future cars will be both simple and complicated.

It’s simple, easy to drive.

But it’s also complicated when it comes to the requirements in the backroom, the maintenance service, and all that,” Bangayan said.

Pewee Ligot, Senior Officer for Business Development, Workshop

and Concept, awarded the certificate to Bangayan during the opening of the multi-service Bosch outlet.

The Bosch Car Service boasts of the state-ofthe-art KTS 570 technology which is a diagnostic equipment used in 90 percent of all car brands using ECU (engine control unit).

According to Ligot, KTS technology provides for rapid troubleshooting with reliable results. It is required for all vehicles brought to the workshop today and in the future.

With KTS technology, Bosch service outlets are well equipped to meet the demands placed on workshops today by modern vehicle technology.

“From the 1990 and onwards, most cars manufactured in the market have ECU features. So it’s just practical that we approach this modern technology with modern solutions,” said Bangayan.

Bosch Car Service is the first ever non-single make workshop in Davao today. “We cater to most car makes.”

THE EASIER WAY TO TEST COMPLEX ELECTRONICS KTS 570 features in-

telligent and with a secure future due to internal OBD-exchange adapter; software-controlled

by ESI[tronic], simple connection of the KTS series to vehicles; clear communication via multiplexer and cable adapter recognition: K and L line, SAE and CAN can be connected to all possible terminals on the OBD connector, intelligent

adapter cable guarantees for the future: – Reliable control of the multiplexer – Automatic ECU search function; OBD-exchange adapter integrated in device, for simple replacement later with an updated version; simple fastening and releasing by means of a module mounting bracket; visual and acoustic status identification/monitoring of

the wireless connection; simulation mode can be adjusted individually via DDC/ demonstration possible without vehicle; resistance measurement with enhanced ranges; continuity tester for locating faults; diode measurement for testing in components; voltage measurement with enhanced measurement functions; current mea-

surement with additional adaptation option of FSA current clamps; and universal application for passenger cars and commercial vehicles by means of universal OBD connector, for 14 V and 28 V vehicle electrical systems.

Meantime, BCS offers free diagnosis and tuneup for one month starting last Saturday.

Wave Strip parking lot in Marikina City, Dizon and the MotoROC entourage gave Dabawenyo racing fans their much-deserved serving of high-speed and exciting races at the Victoria Plaza grounds over the weekend.

Organized by the same publishers of MotorCycle, and supported

by Shell Advanced, the MotoROC series focuses on the promotion of road safety on motorcycles and provides an opportunity for grassroots racers to display their skills and talent through racing.

The 2 0 1 3 National MotoROC series features categories such as 115 cc Super Stock Novice, Automatic 160 cc Novice, 125 cc Super Stock

Novice, 115 cc Open Novice and Expert, Automatic 160cc Novice and Expert, and Open Four-stroke Novice and Expert. Modifications are allowed in each class.

According to Dizon, “this the second year of the MotorCycle Race of Champions. We started the event in 2011 together with the late Maico Buncio. We conceptualized the idea and Maico passionately pursued the project because he wanted all racers in the country to have the proper education in riding two wheelers.”

Dizon said, “He [Maico] wanted to train new riders professionally and [for them] to follow in his footsteps, and represent the Philippines in international races. He believed that through this project,

the country would be able to raise new grassroots racers who are qualified to compete abroad.”

Dizon added, “Maico also wanted riders not to race on the streets, but in proper venues where safety measures are the primary concern. We are honored to partner with the Maico Buncio Foundation in continuing to pursue his dream and legacy.”

This year’s series is sponsored by Shell Advance Motorcycle Oils.

“We are excited and overwhelmed by the number of participants on the first-leg race. We are happy that Shell is supporting us in this kind of race advocacy project,” said Dizon.

The top finishers in the MotoROC Davao leg were led by Durainne Dan Carlos (125 Super Stock,

160 Novice, 115 Super Stock Novice), JR Daguio (AT 160 Novice/Expert), Evison Soreno (AT 160 Novice).

Aside from the races, there were also exhibits and safety riding seminars at the event. The third leg will be on August 24 in Cebu. The winners from the different legs will battle it off in Manila for the championship on September 21. The overall champion of MotoROC will have the opportunity to watch and experience the upcoming MotoGP race in Sepang, Malaysia, from October 11 to 14.

MotoROC is supported by Malaysian Tourism, Red Rock Travel, Kawasaki Motors Philippines, Blue Wave Strip Mall, Spyder, Von Dutch, Red Horse Beer and Red Bull Energy Drink. (NJB)

Mindanao riders also deserve the podium S

hawie Dizon, vice president for sales and marketing of Two Wheel Enthusiasts Network, is a Mindanaoan by blood and heart. She declares herself as a Tausug and to this day, relishes the pride of being a Mindanaon.

No doubt, when Dizon and her Two Wheel Enthsiasts Network (TEN) decided to expand their racing event MotoROC (Race of Champions), Mindanao is in her destination as one of the three stops

of this nationwide moto racing conceptualized by the late promising moto racing champion Maico Buncio.

“I always believed in the talents coming from Mindanao. It’s just that opportunity must also be given to them equally,” Dizon told Edge Davao during a break in Saturday’s Mindanao leg of the 2013 National Motorcycle Race of Champions (MotoROC).

Coming off the highly successful first leg held at the Blue

12 CLASSIFIEDS ADS EDGEDavao Davao Partners

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 •TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDavao

Serving a seamless society

Sales Representatives (2) - Male / Female, not more than 30 years old - Candidate must posses a Bachelor/ College Degree in any Business field.

- Willing to work under pressure, flexible, persuasive, can speak fluently and computer literate - A team player - With Basic Salary, Transportation, Communication, allowance + Commission For interested applicants, you may send your resume to: HR Department EDGEDavao Doors 13 & 14 Alcrej B;dg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel. No. (082) 221-3601 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS ADS 13

14 SPORTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Team Amiya wins Dynasty Cup T

EAM Amiya carded an aggregate 57 points to emerge champion in the 5th Dynasty Cup golf tournament on Sunday at the Rancho Palos Verdes.

Amiya had 20 points from the first round in the Best Net Aggregate format then added 17 in the Best Ball Scramble event in the second round.

Amiya formally clinched the crown when they scored 20 points in the third and

5th Dynasty 2013 Champion team Amiya. Nonoy Llamas, Vic Gonzales, Joel Yamyamin, Eugene Chiong, Bobby Wee, Mark Lopez, Kuresh Samanodi, Khalik Samanodi, Noel Yango, Tamio Sakurai.

final round played in a One Ball Twosome format.

Multi-titled Joel Yamyamin led the Amiya swingers with teammates Vic Gonzales, Eugene Chiong, Bobby Wee, Mark Lopez, Kuresh Samanodi, Khalik Samanodi, Tamio Sakurai and Noel Yango.

Green Team finished first runner-up with 48 points (17-20-11) followed by DKGA with 45 points (14-15-16).

(PNA)

Dayot wins in SF Pre-Qualifer

H

EAVYWEIGHT Justin Dayot of Beefit Python’s Pit-Davao landed more punches to beat James Louie Larroza of Tagum Nightmare Mixed Martial Arts in the main event of the Smoker Fight Pre-Qualifier held Saturday at the Maxima Resort and Aqua Fun in Island Garden City of Samal.

Dayot, 20, started slow and allowed the six-footer Larroza to land a flurry of punches in the opening round. But Dayot came back strong in the next two rounds as Larroza slowed down when he got winded out.

Dayot (220 lbs.) dominated the final two rounds as he threw left-right jabs on the face of Larroza whose nose already bled by the third round.

“Nawalan na ako ng gana sa third round kasi lamang na sa puntos kalaban ko,” said Larroza, who absorbed his second straight loss in the standup kickboxing match.

The 248-pound Larroza, however, said that he still wants to fight in the future.

“Depende na po yun kay Dok Vince,” said the 24-year old Larroza referring to Dr. Vince Vicente, who organized the event sponsored by Maxima Resort and Aqua Fun. The smallest fighter among the 14 fighters, however, took the Best Fighter award.

Diminutive Miel Generale of King’s Sword MMA Davao defeated 5-foot4 Jelen Xavier of Tagum Nightmare MMA convincingly in their match also voted as the Best Fight among the seven bouts.

The 5-footer Generale showed his impressive Muay Thai skills. Generale who only weighed 98 pounds, landed a perfect turnaround hook kick on

the face of the 112-pounder Xavier at the end of the third round.

Generale, also a Blackbelt in the American Bushido Karate Association, hit Xavier with solid kicks on the body before he also absorbed a right punch in the first round.

Generale, however, connected a right jab followed by a kick on the body in the next round and completely dominated his much-taller rival.

The first two fights, however, both ended via a referee stoppage.

Adrian Benedict Bautista (130 lbs.) of the Alterado Xtreme Combat (AXC) connected right straight jabs on the face of Hilot Jerby (130 lbs.) of Beefit Python’s Pit in the second round.

Dennis Quinonero (121 lbs.) of Cenojas MMA also scored a second round stoppage against Allan Yasis (121 lbs.) of Davao City, who turned his back after absorbing solid body shots.

The other winners were Ian Duay (128 lbs.) of King’s Sword, Brandon Lascuna (121 lbs.) of Metrolifestyle and Rian Alterado (150 lbs.) of AXC. The 19-year old Duay used his kicks to keep former amateur boxer Allan Tenorio at bay. Duay was almost knocked out when Tenorio still threw a punch when referee Efren Desierto ordered them to stop clinching near the ropes. Tenorio of the Almendras Boxing gym was slapped with a one-point deduction.

Lascuna, 19, used his powerful kicks to stop Muay Thai practitioner Ian Garcia, 35, of Cebu City in the first round only. Lascuna (121 lbs.) first landed a round house kick on the leg followed by left-right jabs on the jaw.

INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDAVAO TRAVEL

Tawi-Tawi: Southernmost precious pearl

By Potpot Pinili They say traveling to Tawi-Tawi is like braving the unknown. The conflicts, the savage seas, the unfamiliar faces, language & even folktales are just some of the luggage of issues that you carry when you go to this unpopular destination. So many stories, so many fears but you wouldn’t really know until you get there. So the journey begins.

Mysterious & Isolated Tawi-Tawi is a jagged island-province in the southernmost part of the Philippines. Charting your map, it is even nearer to the Malaysian State of Sabah than to any Philippine city. So don’t be surprised if you hear radio broadcasts in a foreign language! Pre-historic travelers used to call it jaui jaui or far away land.

The best way to reach Tawi-Tawi is to fly from Zamboanga City. Commercial turbo-prop planes fly on low altitude allowing you to catch a clear view of the rosary of islands below.

After more than an hour on air, you will arrive at SangaSanga Airport, the farthest airport down south of the Philippines.

Echoing from a distance is a high-pitched Arabic chant from a mosque that naturally orchestrated with the place’s divine tranquility. It feels like you are suddenly transported to a mysterious world.

Peace-loving & Happy Tawi-Tawi is a fusion of cultures---the Muslim Malay, the Arab & the Hispanized Christians that make up the now known Sama way of living. It is a unique culture shaped by centuries old of trading history with neighboring Asian countries. Most people here speak Sinama and Tausug but very courte-

ous to non-locals with their handy Filipino & English.

They are a peaceful group of Muslims whose culture is woven into their lives at sea. Communities here are closely-knit and literally even houses are closely built on bamboo stilts connected by footbridges. Lifestyle is uncomplicated.

Amazingly Vibrant Celebrations of life and love are something shared with the entire community.

The great influence of Malay art is visible even in their everyday living. Cultural festivals are euphoric for its play of colors, the melodic brass gongs & unique wooden xylophones called kulintang akayo. The Sama people take pride in its well-preserved ancient dance form called Pangalay.

Unspoiled Beauty Owning an island paradise all to yourself while you bask on its turquoise water is something you can do in Tawi-Tawi. It boasts of hundreds of white sandy islands perfect for the beach-hungry. The province is also rich in rare flora and fauna. Folklore has it that the guardian of the island is the famous Bonggao Peak that is naturally shaped like an elephant.

This mysterious mountain is also a sanctuary for white monkeys.

This province has a distinct character, a beauty that has never been discovered by the world.

Old World Business Despite its remoteness, Tawi-Tawi’s seaport is unimaginably a very busy place.

Barter trade business is very much active & bargaining in local shops is not much of a power huddle effort. Surpris-

ingly, even being at the edge of the country, it has managed to make its economy survived through its aquaculture products. Make sure you have extra kilos left for your baggage on the plane because first class dried squid, dried fish & Malaysian products can be so tempting.

Tawi-Tawi is Philippines’ southernmost precious pearl.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

SM City GenSan conducts first joint tactical inspection ON June 22, 2013 SM City General Santos conducted its first annual Joint Tactical Inspection of security and maintenance.

More than 100 security guards and maintenance personnel participated in the inspection held at the Car Park Building of SM City General Santos headed by Engr. Antolin V. Paule, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Engineering and Security Affairs.

The inspection and parade of troops was also graced by Asst. Vice President of Customer Relations Services (CRS) for Shopping Center Management Corporation (SCMC), Mr. Almus Alabe, Senior Assistant Vice President for SM Retail, Inc., Col. Felipe Buena, Regional CRS Manager for SCMC, Mr. Nilo Nogra.

This Joint Tactical Inspection is being done annually to test the security agencies’ compliance to the security and safety standards of SM in order for them to be efficient mall frontliners and to provide world class quality customer service.

14 security guards were also commended for returning lost valuable items. Their deed is a reflective of SM’s corporate value of honesty and integrity that bespeaks well of the attributes of a good member of SM security force.

The task has not been easy for the mall’s security and maintenance personnel, but, rendering a world-class mall shopping experience is the service SM would like to keep – one that which creates lasting marks on the hearts and minds of the mallgoers.

Globe offers widest range of LTE-enabled smartphones Globe Telecom beefs up its device portfolio by offering the widest and latest range of Long Term Evolution (LTE)-enabled smartphones under its suite of fully-customizable and flexible Best-Ever MySuperPlan.

Banking on its strong partnerships with leading global device manufacturers, Globe is carrying nine of the world’s best and top-of-the-line LTE handsets available at different price points, seven (7) of which are exclusive to the telco. All plan offers are bundled with unlimited LTE surfing of up to 42 Mbps and free calls and texts.

Devices available for free at Plan 999 are the Globe-exclusive Huawei Ascend P1 LTE and ZTE T81. Both handsets were part of the telco’s initial line-up of LTE-enabled smartphones offered late last year.

Subscribers can also avail of the latest BlackBerry handsets from the leader in postpaid such as the Globe-exclusive BlackBerry Z10 LTE available at P1,499 monthly under Plan 999 with P500* monthly cashout over a two-year lock-up period. Offered under the same plan package is the QWERTY BlackBerry Q10 LTE, another Globe-exclusive handset until July 7.

Android users are also guaranteed of the best device deals from Globe with its most affordable offer for the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE at 1,599 monthly under Plan 999 with P600 monthly cashout. Globe also sealed an exclusivity deal to be the lone telco carrier of the new HTC One, touted as one of the best Android smartphones in the world, available at P1,699 monthly under Plan 999 with a monthly cashout of P700.

Available at higher plans are the Globe-exclusive HTC One SV and Nokia Lumia 820 offered at Plan 1799 monthly without cashout. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE, another Globe-exclusive device, is available at P2,199 monthly under Plan 1799 with a P400 monthly cashout.

“We are excited to offer the country’s most extensive array of LTE-powered smartphones to our subscribers and give them options to avail of the handset that perfectly fits their needs, budget, and lifestyle.” said Raul Macatangay, Head of Globe Postpaid.

With the Globe 4G LTE network, peak throughput speed will enable users to download and upload files, HD videos and other multimedia content at a much higher bit-rate, faster than HSPA and HSPA+ technology, with LTE peak speeds of up to 60 Mbps for outdoor coverage and 30 Mbps for deployments inside buildings. Boasting better outdoor coverage by using advanced antenna solutions, the speed of LTE is at least 10x faster than existing 2G and 3G networks, giving quicker responses to every user application such as video and mobile gaming.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

MOVIES

World War Z:

6 ways that make it fresh

BRAD Pitt’s epic zombie pic is finally here, promising a scale previously unseen in the undead genre. Gerry (Pitt) must flee his Philadelphia hometown (nice wink to the original Night of the Living Dead setting) and drop his family off on a nearby aircraft carrier so he can scour multiple countries in the hopes of finding a cure. Once officials start using the Z word though, there’s really no going back to DVRs and 9 to 5 workdays.

Though the film is big, director Marc Forester (Quantum of Solace) keeps our focus on Gerry’s tale. There are a few names in the cast, but you’ll have to keep your dead eyes peeled for them, as when Matthew Fox (Lost) shows up. As a fun summer thrill ride WWZ mostly deliverers.

And here are 6 ways this zombie pic serves up a whole new flavor.

Brad Pitt’s Dream: To Be A United Nations Man. Still ruggedly handsome and blessed with a loving family (that includes The Killing’s Mireille Enos) Gerry’s a U.N. investigator travelling the world to find Patient Zero. He knows how to fight, but is more concerned with making

1

nice with North Korea.

Bonus points for saving an orphan child from the zombie horde.

12 Seconds Is All It Takes…Transformation can be extremely fast.

Which is why Gerry has to do things like chop off an infected soldier’s hand.

Speed is of the essence.

Did We Need A $200 Million Dollar Zombie Pic? Yes! A troubled production with multiple reshoots that led to a complete change in the tone has birthed a film that barely resembles the novel by Max Brooks (Mel’s son). The political angle has been hacked

2 3

away. The biggest change, however, was there from day one: the zombies are insanely fast. They toss themselves over buildings, body parts flailing. Like really ticked off army ants.

Most undead movies are claustrophobic with characters trapped in confined spaces. Here, the set pieces are huge, with an attack on Jerusalem completely justifying the big screen ticket price.

PG-13 Means Not As Gory As AMC’s The Walking Dead. We get that this is a big tent-pole release for Paramount, but an R rating would have delivered more rotting flesh and dismem-

4

berments. Audiences are hungry for brainzzz….

No Dumb Fighting Between Humans: We All Are the World, After All. One the biggest drags with many apocalyptic films is the constant bickering between survivors.

Z has no silly moles to uncover, no power-obsessed warlords to battle.

Ya know, because zombies have taken over.

More of an Amazing Skirmish Than All Out War. At two hours, it’s a little disappointing that the “war” in the title is saved for a presumed sequel.

The big finale is bizarrely small scale to say the least.

5 6

Box Office: Monsters University scares away World War Z, lands at No. 1 spot MONSTERS University totally Meanwhile, Man of Steel landed in schooled World War Z. third with $41.2 million, followed by Pixar’s animated flick scared away the rest of its box office competition this weekend, raking in a whopping $82 million.

The numbers it pulled in weren’t exactly a surprise though. The prequel to Pixar’s 2001 Monsters Inc. met industry projections, and gave it the second-highest opening ever for the company.

What did surprise analysts was World War Z’s weekend gross—Brad Pitt’s thriller nabbed $66 million in its debut weekend, when it was expected to open to no more than $55 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This Is the End with $13 million and Now You See Me at $7.9 million.

Here’s a complete look at the weekend’s top movies, per Friday-Sunday studio estimates and stats as compiled per Box Office Mojo: 1. Monsters University, $82 million 2. World War Z, $66 million 3. Man of Steel, $41.2 million 4. This Is the End, $13 million 5. Now You See Me, $7.9 million 6. Fast & Furious 6, $4.7 million 7. The Internship, $3.4 million 8. The Purge, $3.4 million 9. Star Trek Into Darkness, $3 million 10 Iron Man 3, $2.2 million

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Paula Deen’s fans create a “We support Paula” Facebook page THE Food Network may no longer enjoy Paula Deen’s cooking, but her fans are still standing by her side.

After the network known for hosting Deen’s shows like Paula’s Home Cooking and Paula’s Best Dishes dropped the cook amidst the recent N-word controversy, her fans are attempting her rescue. Or at least showing her support.

A “We Support Paula Deen” Facebook page has been created and already has more than 200,000 “likes.”

The Facebook page for Deen was created by a supporter, who wrote: “Recently Food Network personality Paula Deen has issued an apology for statements that she has made in the past.

Let’s support her as she moves forward from this time. Paula is a person just like all of us and we all make mistakes.”

Indeed, many of the com-

JUNE 19, 2013

NOW

SHOWING

11:30 2:40 5:50 9:00

1:00 3:40 6:20 9:00

11:30 2:30 5:30 8:30

MAN OF STEEL

MAN OF STEEL (PG-13)

WORLD WAR Z

(PG-13)

(PG-13)

12:30 3:35

1:00 3:40 6:20 9:00

1:15 3:50 6:25 9:00

MAN OF STEEL (PG-13)

6:40 9:00 DANCE OF THE STEELBARS

(R-13)

ments are in favor of the celebrity chef, with some excusing her admission of using the N-word by referring to Deen’s background growing up in the 1950s in Georgia.

However, the controversy hasn’t died down just yet.

In another video that’s surfaced (a 2012 New York Times interview), Deen references her childhood as

WORLD WAR Z

GAMBIT (PG-13)

12:00 3:00 6:00 9:00

MAN OF STEEL 3D (PG-13)

(PG-13)

well, along with her greatgreat grandfather’s “workers,” aka slaves.

While stating that the abolition of slavery was a “terrific change,” Deen almost seems to defend the practice, saying, “Black folk were such integral part of our lives, they were like our family,” adding, “we didn’t see ourselves as being prejudiced.”

Kanye West did not propose to Kim Kardashian...Yet KIM Kardashian isn’t cradling her baby girl, North West, with a huge rock on that finger.

Despite recent reports claiming that Kanye West got down on one knee and popped the question to the E! star and mother of his child, a friend of Kim’s tells People that it didn’t happen.

Yet. “I can’t imagine them not getting married.

That’s in their future!” the source told the mag.

Meanwhile, the new parents have been spending their time on the wonderful bundle of joy that has recently entered their lives.

“They’re putting work aside right now to focus on the family. They’re in it 100 percent,” the pal added. “Kanye is already an incredibly present father. He’s very relaxed and comfortable.”

Kim touched on the idea of tying the knot with Yeezy during an interview on the Today show in January. “[Marriage is] something that we talk about, but I think it’s just right now [we’re] focusing on the baby,” she said. “What I’ve

learned in life is—I was always such a planner, and...you think your life is going to be a certain way, and the best surprises just happen when you don’t plan.”

MAN OF STEEL 2D Henry Cavill, Amy Adams PG 13

Prince William attends friend’s wedding sans pregnant Kate PRINCE William is flying solo (just for today).

The Duke of Cambridge headed to the wedding of his friends Melissa Percy and Thomas van Straubenzee at Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, England Saturday sans his pregnant wife Kate Middleton, who is on maternity

leave.

His brother Prince Harry was also in attendance for the couple’s lavish nuptials, as was Harry’s girlfriend Cressida Bonas.

And in what could’ve made for an awkward moment, Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was also there,

serving as a bridesmaid in the wedding.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also showed up to the royal affair, along with Middleton’s sister Pippa, who sported a patterned peplum dress and matching hat.

Congrats to the newlyweds!

1:45 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 10:00 LFS

WORLD WAR Z 3D Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos PG 13

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

WORLD WAR Z 2D Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos GP

12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

R-16 MAN OF STEEL 2D Henry Cavill, Amy Adams PG 13

12:30 | 3:15 | 6:00 | | 8:45 LFS

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

TRAVEL

Hand-made finds at the Aldevinco Shopping Center SINCE time immemorial, before the arrival of air-conditioned shopping malls, the Aldevinco Shopping Center has been synonymous to souvenir shopping in Durianburg.

Located at the crossroad of Roxas and Claro M. Recto Avenues, the place is Davao’s shopping institution filled with finds that lurk in its many narrow corridors.

Shopping choices range from small trinkets like keychains, refrigerator magnets and shirts, to bigger items like brassware and even furniture. The more interesting items which I love though

Wood with mother of pearl inlay.

Various trinkets and accessories.

are the hand-made, locally crafted items that can be found in stores dotted around the shopping complex.

Souvenir shirts are nice but to have, but a shirt with a “Made in China” tag de-

spite the made in Davao print is not what you might call a find. (Although these do make nice and affordable pasalubong treats, I would suggest some durian or mangosteen candy instead.)

So what do I consider finds?

I consider locally handcrafted items a find. Taking a look at the many exquisite brass details on antique Mindanao brassware and one instantly gets transported to a time when these items told the story of how the merchants transported the items over land and sea and skill of the craftsmen and how they were able to imbue the item with so much texture.

Other striking finds are hardwood home accessories with inlaid mother of pearl in exquisite designs and complex patterns. Fusing the shell of shellfish into wood takes so much manual labor, time and skill to pull off.

Hand-made brass boxes and implements.

Mindanao crafts at the Aldevinco Shopping Center is not limited to the big bulky items though. One can comb through a cacophony of wearable accessories like small native bells, trinkets and pendants. And given the new fashion trend of ethnic patterns and colours, these unique pieces are sure to be great conversation pieces.

The Aldevinco Shopping Center is a unique shopping experience in itself with its maze of corridors and an endless array of interesting tems to shop, and as with any bazaar or souk adventure, bargaining is of course a must. So try to dust up on

your haggling skills and bargain away for that great handmade find.

Follow me on Instagram

or on Twitter @kennethkingong for more travel finds in, around and beyong Durianburg.

Colorful hand-woven cloth with ethnic patterns.

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 •TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

TRADING VOLLEYS

Sharapova, Williams trade barbs before Wimby begins

L

ONDON (AP) -- As her agent nodded along approvingly from a front-row seat, Serena Williams sounded contrite and composed. Well-rehearsed, too.

Williams even managed to crack herself up with a couple of jokes during her n e w s con-

fere n c e at Wimbledon as the defending champion, where the primary topic was hardly her 31-match winning streak or her bid for a sixth title at the All England Club or her injured sister Venus’ absence from the field.

Instead, more than half the questions at Sunday’s session revolved around themes generating the most buzz on the

of

e v e

tournament: what Williams was quoted as saying in a recent magazine article - and Maria

Sharapova’s surprisingly forceful verbal

tennis’

olde s t a n d most prestigious Grand Slam

swipe in reaction to that story. ‘’It definitely hasn’t been easy,’’ the No. 1-ranked Williams said about the stir created by a Rolling Stone profile posted online Tuesday. ‘’And I feel like I really wanted to say: I apologize for everything that was said in that article.’’

Williams already had issued a statement expressing regret for remarks about the 16-yearold victim in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case.

O n Sunday, Williams said she approached the No. 3-ranked Sharapova to try to smooth things over by extending an apology at a

pre-tournament players’ party Thursday. The backand-forth between two of the sport’s most popular and successful women can be traced to a passage where the story’s author surmised that something critical Williams said during a telephone conversation with her sister referred to Sharapova.

But Thursday’s interaction didn’t end the matter because Sharapova delivered this broadside at her news conference Saturday: ‘’If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids.’’

Given a chance to react directly to that swipe 24 hours later, Williams declined, saying: ‘’I definitely was told of (Sharapova’s) comments. I definitely like to keep my personal life personal. I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it.’’

Serena to Spain blanks Nigeria Maria: Sorry F

L

ONDON (Reuters) - Serena Williams launched a charm offensive on Sunday as she sought to broker a truce with Maria Sharapova and calm the storm surrounding comments she made about a rape victim.

On the eve of Wimbledon, where she is defending champion, the pre-tournament focus has been on an interview she gave to Rolling Stone magazine that touched on a high-profile teenage rape case in Ohio and brought her into conflict with her Russian rival Sharapova.

The piece included an account of a private conversation between Serena and her sister Venus that the reporter interpreted as an attack on Sharapova’s relationship with Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov.

Sharapova, soundly beaten by Serena in the French Open final earlier this month, hit back on Saturday telling the world number one to keep her nose out of other people’s business, adding an edge to the women’s competition at

the grasscourt slam.

“I made it a point to reach out to Maria because she was inadvertently brought into the situation by assumptions made by the reporter,” a smiling Williams told reporters.

“I personally talked to Maria at the player party, incidentally. I said, look, I want to personally apologize to you if you are offended by being brought into my situation. I want to take this moment to just pour myself, be open, say I’m very sorry for this whole situation...

“I’m the first person to reach out to individuals and people if I feel that something may have hurt them or something may have been misconstrued.”

The controversial interview quoted Serena as talking about a “a top-five player who is now in love”.

It added: “She begins every interview with ‘I’m so happy. I’m so lucky’ - it’s so boring. She’s still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it’.”

ORTALEZA, Brazil, June 23 (Reuters) - World champions Spain survived a first-half pounding by Nigeria before securing their place in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup with a 3-0 win over the African champions who were eliminated

from the tournament on Sunday.

A superb individual goal from Jordi Alba, one of eight Barcelona players in the starting lineup, put Spain ahead after only three minutes before Fernando Torres took his tournament tally to five

NEYMAR SCORES. Brazil’s Neymar (10) celebrates after scoring a goal for Brazil in a 4-2 win over Italy.

with a 62nd minute diving header, three minutes after replacing Roberto Soldado.

Spain were given a good examination by a hard-running Nigeria for most of the first half, but poor finishing cost the Super Eagles any chance of a victory. Alba rounded off

Spain’s win with his second goal in the 88th minute.

Spain took almost total control after the restart and will face Italy, who they beat 4-0 in last year’s Euro 2012 final, in Thursday’s semi-final in Fortaleza.

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 72 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013

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