Edge Davao 6 Issue 8

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

WHIle It’s DarK. Dabawenyos flock to SM Lanang Premier’s Fountain Court to witness the celebration of Earth Hour and to take photographs of the colorful dancing fountain on Saturday night. SM Lanang Premier was among the major establishments in the city which observed a the 60-minute Earth Hour celebration. Lean Daval Jr.

Mag-reflect usa ta...

NDF to release cop

e-Season

Page PageA1 4

By Che Palicte

Is he adopted

by UNA? Sports

Page 16

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he National Democratic Front (NDF) Southern Mindanao Region (NDF-SMR) has ordered the release of Police Officer 3 Ruben Magno Nojapa, Jr. who was captured by the New People’s Army (NPA) last March 18, in Barangay Mainit, Nabunturan Compostela Valley Province.

Rubi del Mundo, NDF-SMR spokesperson, said the decision was based on purely humanitarian grounds after the appeal from Nojapa’s family and peace advocates who expressed support for a negotiated settlement within the bounds of international humanitarian law.

The 10th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in Compostela Valley ceased military operations to facilitate a safe and orderly release of PO3 Nojapa.

The rebel group assured that Nojapa’s blood pressure had been regularly monitored and anti-hypertensive drugs were administered by their medics.

FNDF to release cop, 11

It’s raining goals

a cHIlD’s WelcoMe. Team PNoy senatorial bet Cynthia Villar extends her hand to a child to make mano before delivering her speech during the Agdao Multi-purpose Cooperative General Assembly at the University of Southeastern Philippines on Sunday. Villar is an awardee of Go Negosyo along with Davawenya Charito Puentespina. Lean Daval Jr.

Cynthia and Charita

SPECIAL REPORT

a tale of 2 women

By Antonio M. Ajero

W

hAT do Charita and Cynthia have in common?

Charita Puentespina and Cynthia Villar, I mean.

A lot.

Both are known to thousands of people in their respective spheres of influence.

Students Both were outstanding students in their own time.

Cynthia finished business administration at the University of the Philippines and got her BA Masters from the New York University.

Charita completed her course in commerce cum laude at the Ateneo de Davao University.

Fa tale oF 2 WoMeN, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Igacos downplays resort closure

By Che Palicte

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he local government of Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) downplayed the recent closure of a beach resort in the island even as it formally launched its anchortourism program “Visit Samal 2013.”

IGACOS Mayor Aniano Antalan said last Saturday in a press conference at Punta del Sol, that the closure of Bluejaz Resort and Waterpark was closed due to tax problem and its impact is not a big deal on local tourism.

“What happened to Bluejaz is because of the financial statements that were not attended due to the frequent change of managers,” Mayor Antalan said.

Bluejaz was closed last week as part of the Bureau of Internal Rev-

enue’s “Oplan Kandado” program.

Antalan praised the agency’s “Oplan Kandado” as he considers the measure to ensure timely tax collection not only from resort owners but also from other businesses.

Meanwhile, Araceli Ayuste, provincial tourism council chairperson in Davao del Norte and resort owner of Punta del Sol said the closure was a matter between the BIR and the owners of Bluejaz.

“There was a little discrepancy of their records but it has nothing to do with the operations,” Ayuste said Last Saturday, the resort reopened after paying their tax deficiencies with BIR.

hRee second hand vehicles smuggled from the United States into the Davao port last February 9 inside a 40-footer container van have been forfeited in favor of the government and are set for auction to the public.

Customs Bureau Davao district collector Martiniano Bangcoy, said the three vehicles are a Range Rover, a Mini Cooper and a Nissan 350-Z which were consigned to Anthony F. Soriano, owner of RANThS General Merchandise based in the city.

“The order of forfeiture may be handed down early next month, and we are keen on processing it the soonest possible time,” Bangcoy said in an interview Monday morning. he also confirmed that Soriano is facing a smuggling charge before the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed last Thursday by the

BOC’s Run After The Smugglers (RATS) team.

Much earlier, Customs Commissioner Rozanno Rufino Biazon inspected the seized vehicles at the Terminal Facilities and Services Corporation (TeFASCO) port in Tibungco, Davao City.

“The Supreme Court ruling affirming the validity of executive Order No. 156 banning the importation of used vehicles still prevails. hence, the BOC will stand by the SC ruling and stop any attempt to smuggle used cars into the country,” Biazon said, adding that they are simply implementing the law, not only to protect the local car manufacturing industry, but also to ensure the safety of Filipino motorists.

“We hope that the filing of the case against Soriano will send a strong message to importers to be compliant with the law and government rules,” he said.

eartH HoUr perForMaNce. A fire dancer performs different fire dance routines during the celebration of Earth Hour at the Fountain Court of SM Lanang Premier in Lanang, Davao City Saturday night. Lean Daval Jr.

Three ‘hot’ cars to be forfeited T

Deputized watershed guards cannot apprehend offenders

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

steM cell tHerapY. Dra. Luz Acosta explains the benefits of stem cell therapy, a medical breakthrough for cancer cure and anti-aging, during during Kapehan

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sa Dabaw at SM City Davao yesterday. Stem cell therapy, which used to be available only in the United States and recently in Manila, is now in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

he good news is that Davao City now has “bantay bukid” (forest guards) volunteers, who have been deputized by Davao City’s Watershed Management Council (WMC), headed

by Mayor Sara Duterte- Carpio, to guard the city’s some 10 watershed areas starting with Mt. Tipolog within the Panigan-Tamugan watershed.

The bad news is that the initial 42 upland farmers deputized by the WMC still lack the power to arrest violators unless the Department of environment and Natural Resources (DeNR) deputize them as officers.

FWatersHeD, 11

Two Davao innovators vying for P5-M budget

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WO Dabawenyo innovative projects are vying for a P5 million-budget from the Idea Space Pitching Competition in Manila this coming April 5.

At the Kapehan sa Dabaw SM Annex, ecoland yesterday, Information Communication Technology (ICT) Davao head Bert Barriga, presented the two groups with their respective projects dubbed “Find My Doc,” a web application that helps patients look for the right doctor for their condition, and “Dates Cola,” a beverage

that comes from the date palm tree abundant in the Middle east.

Should the two projects make it to the top 10, they will automatically be enrolled in a six-month incubation period with a P500,000 budget.

According to Barriga, if they pass and graduate from the incubation period, each team will get a P5-million peso budget from the Idea Space Foundation to start a business out of their innovative projects.

“Idea Space is another round of pitching compe-

FtWo DaVao, 11

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 •TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

3

t’boli miner to expand processing plant A

Canadian company backing a gold mining project in T’boli, South Cotabato is seeking to raise around C$5 million or nearly P200 million for the expansion of its processing plant, an executive said.

Robert Butchart, chief executive officer of Cadan Resources Corp., said that plans are up to increase the processing plant’s capacity to 200-250 tons per day (TPD).

“We anticipate the ramp up to this production rate to take about four months from closing of current fundraising,” he said in an email to MindaNews.

Last January 16, Cadan announced that it has completed the sale of an additional C$2 million of convertible debentures as previously announced on January 4, 2013. The convertible debentures and warrants are subject to a fourmonth hold period expiring May 15, 2013.

When combined with the previous closing, the company will have accepted $4,460,700 in gross proceeds for the convertible notes, it added.

A debenture can be converted into stock at

the option and/or er at date in

of the holder the issua specified the future.

Currently, the T’boli project’s mineral processing plant has a capacity of 40 TPD, a company statement two weeks ago said.

Throughout 2013, the company is expecting to generate 100 to 200 TPD of ore from the mine site through tunnel mining method, it added.

Cadan is the foreign partner of Tribal Mining Corp., holder of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) 090-97-XI that covers an area of 85 hectares (ha) and Application for Mineral Production Sharing Agreement 51-XI involving 2,908.24 ha.

The Canadian firm holds a 40-percent direct interest in Tribal Mining, with the former having an exclusive right to process the ore pursuant to an earlier mineral processing option agreement.

Two months ago, Cadan disclosed that the T’boli project holds bigger deposits at 3.8 million tons, containing 1.1 million ounces (Moz) of gold and 3.3 (Moz) of silver.

palM sUNDaY. A priest blesses the palm fronds of the parishioners after the Palm Sunday mass at the Saint Joseph Cathedral church in Butuan City on March 24. [MindaNews/Erwin Mascarinas] Previously, the company placed the deposits for the T’boli project at 2.4 million tons, containing 420,000 ounces of gold and 1.6 million ounces of silver.

Constancio Paye Jr., Mines and Geosciences Bureau director for Region 12, said that Tribal Mining was granted last October an interim Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility that

allowed the company to go into commercial production.

Butchart said the initial commercial production at the company’s carbon-in-leach processing plant in T’Boli hauled 316oz of gold and 497oz of silver, for a combined sale value of $547,032, or roughly P21.7 million.

The average prices for the metal sold late last year were C$1,680/oz

for gold and C$32.50/oz for silver, he noted.

Deposits at the T’boli project are being mined using the tunneling method. The South Cotabato provincial government has banned open-pit mining method across the province.

Citing the environmental compliance certificate issued to Tribal Mining, Paye earlier said the company is allowed to mine and mill only

up to 70,000 metric tons of ore from the project area annually.

Tribal Mining’s MPSA 090-97-XI straddles the 21-ha “minahang bayan” (people’s mining site) declared as such by the provincial government in 1994, under then governor hilario de Pedro III. Tribal Mining and the small-scale miners have yet to fully resolve the issue. [Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews]

he King-king Copper-Gold Project (KCGP) has donated P400,000 to assist Governor Arturo T. Uy in his efforts to rebuild Compostela Valley schools following the devastating Typhoon Pablo. KCGP handed over the check at the 6th Bulawan Festival at Capitol Ground of Nabunturan. As one of the festival participants, KCGP showed its long-running and consistent support to the provincial government.

Governor Uy is utilizing the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Inc. as Compostela Valley’s project to help end poverty. The majority of the program focuses on rebuilding classrooms, Daycare Centers and other School Facilities for those displaced by Typhoon Pablo.

“I cannot believe the support and assistance the province has received, not only from people in Philippines and from around the world,” said Governor Uy. “We still need to raise funds to sustain and rebuild the province. The outpouring of support is overwhelming.”

Clyde Gillespie – SAGCL/KCGP Director for environmental Permitting

and Country Manager handed over the check to the governor himself during the festival.

The KGCP donation is in addition to the initial P100,000 the company pledged to the provincial government in response to Gov. Uy’s call for assistance at a “Dinner-for-acause” on February 20th 2013 in Davao City.

In addition to these recent donations, KCGP has distributed relief goods and provided medical services to typhoon victims.

This is part of the company’s effort to help the government rehabilitate the province.

Seen in the photo are Gov. Arturo T. Uy of Compostela Valley, Clyde Gillespie – SAGCL/KCGP Director for environmental Permitting and Country Manager along with Jonathan Bañez – KCGP Community Relations Manager providing the check to the Governor.

KCGP is conducting extensive environmental research, community consultations, engineering design and other related studies in Compostela Valley. This work is part of U.S. based St. Augustine Gold & Copper Ltd effort to develop the mining project.

1 killed, another hurt in shootout inside videoke bar in Maguindanao T

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OLICe authorities in Maguindanao are filing murder and frustrated murder and violation of election gun ban against two groups of men who figured in a shootout inside a videoke bar in Parang, Maguindanao Sunday night.

Senior Inspector harry Guban, Parang PNP police chief, said Parih Sidun, driver of Mayor Nasser Imam of

Matanog town in Maguindanao’s first district, was killed when his group and another group of men figured in a shootout inside the videoke bar at about 10 p.m. Sunday.

Gubat said Sidun and his companions were in a drinking spree inside a videoke outlet in Barangay Sarmiento when they figured in a brawl with the group of Abdullah

hashim which led to a shootout.

Sidun was killed while hashim was wounded. Another civilian was also hit by stray bullets.

“We are still investigating who fired the first shot and whether those involved have gun ban exemptions issued by the Comelec,” Senior Inspector Gubat said.

“Initially, we learned

that the firearms used were unlicensed,” he said, adding that the police are preparing for filing of appropriate charges against those involved.

According to Gubat, they have information that hashim is a police officer assigned with the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the PNP in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. [PNA]

OVeRNMeNT troopers recovered the body of an unidentified rebel of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) left by comrades after a firefight in the hinterlands of Bukidnon Sunday noon, the military on Monday said.

Lt. Col. eugenio Julio Osias IV, spokesperson of the army Fourth Infantry Divi-

sion based in Cagayan de Oro City, said that government troopers recovered the body of the rebel along with his M14 rifle during a clearing operation in the hinterlands of Dalwangan in Malaybalay where the firefight occurred.

Colonel Francisco Pabayo, commander of the army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, or-

dered his men to turn over the body to local officials in Dalwangan, Malaybalay, Bukidnon for proper disposition and to possibly identify the victim for relatives to claim, Osias said.

Osias said that the Fourth Infantry Division was sad the incident took place at a time when the Christian world was ob-

serving “holy Week.” he said the military also condemned the NPA rebels for leaving their comrades to die like rotten animals in the wilderness.

“We have no idea if the rebel-victim was still alive when left by his comrades. If ever, there it would have been possible saving the victim from dying,” Osias added. [PNA]

NPA rebel killed in Bukidnon encounter

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KCGP partners with ComVal execs to rebuild schools

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Is Villanueva adopted by UNa?

By Che Palicte

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eNATORIAL candidate Bro. eddie Villanueva on Saturday stood on stage beside the senatorial bets of the United Alliance (UNA) in General Santos City.

Villanueva looked very at ease with his fellow candidates who belong to UNA during a rally organized by People’s champ and Sarangani represen-

tative Manny Paquiao.

Crowds and political spectators are curious if the Bangon Pilipinas bet was being adopted by UNA as a guest candidate.

Pacquiao raised Villanueva’s hand as other UNA candidates looked on while he endorses the Jesus is Lord (JIL) leader to thousands of people who attended the ral-

ly.

Present during the rally are: Richard Gordon; Miguel Zubiri; Gringo honasan; ernesto Maceda; Tingting Cojuangco; Jack enrile; Nancy Binay and Mitos Magsaysay. early this week, Villanueva was endorsed by Pacquiao because the peoples’ champ believes on the

advocacy of the JIL leader which focuses on the sagigilid-centered platform.

This is the first time that Villanueva has been seen in UNA rally and as an independent candidate; he was eyed to become part of the party when it dropped senators Loren Legarda; Chiz escudero; and Grace Poe.

DeNIeD. Independent senatorial candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva answers questions from media during his recent visit in Davao City last Sat-

urday. He has denied accepting an invitation from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to be the party’s guest candidate. Lean Daval Jr.

AKe peace with the Ongpaucos.

This is the advice that fellow candidates from administration slate Team PNoy gave Senator Francis “Chiz” escudero, who has been under scrutiny over his feud with his girlfriend heart evangelista’s family.

Former censors chief Grace Poe is confident escudero, who has been placing second in senatorial surveys, has the charms to patch things up with Rey and Cecille Ongpauco.

“I have not known him to be disrespectful especially to parents. Chiz is very kind and thoughtful when it comes to his mother,” Poe told reporters.

“I knew him to be a very

good friend and reliable in times of need. When my dad passed away, he became a brother to me even though we are of the same age,” she added. escudero, the god son of the Poe’s father Fernando Poe Jr., is also close to actress Susan Roces.

The re-electionist senator has been helping Poe improve her performance in senatorial surveys by bringing her along in his individual campaign sorties.

Former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar also encouraged escudero to make peace with evangelista’s parents as she describes the incumbent senator to be family-oriented. [Yahoo!]

season,” said the Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.

Legarda said that the environmental Studies Institute of the Miriam College has given a simpler explanation of this way of life. Low-carbon lifestyle is the conscious effort by individuals and communities to change their daily routine and practices to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to create carbon dioxide sinks. The aggregate of these individual and community efforts will considerably mitigate climate change.

“Learning how to manage our local resources will eventually lead to the sustainability of our country. Ultimately, the objective is to help the world manage its ecological assets more judiciously so that humanity can live within the earth’s limitations,” the senator stressed.

Legarda outlined several ways to “carbon

fast” —(1) opt for food that is local, plant-based, and in-season because food from distant places utilizes more energy for transportation and preservation, resulting to greater carbon emission; (2) venture into modes of transportation that are energy-efficient, such as walking, biking, taking public transport, and carpooling whenever possible; (3) economize on energy consumption and shift to indigenous and renewable energy sources, use low-wattage appliances, unplug electronics when not in use, and other similar practices; (4) practice solid waste management by segregating at the source, composting biodegradable wastes and recycling; (5) consume water wisely like gathering and storing rainwater for daily chores; and, (6) plant trees, create forest parks, protect natural forests and undertake reforestation.

Clean, honest polls also voters’ responsibility, Comelec says M W

hILe assuring Filipinos of speedy results, the poll body reminded voters of their responsibility in ensuring clean and honest elections.

Commission on elections spokesperson James Jimenez urged young Pinoy voters to exercise their right to suffrage in the midterm polls.

“Don’t forget to vote,” Jimenez said in Yahoo!

Philippines’ Purple Thumb election Forum in the University of the Philippines Diliman Mar. 21.

“The bad officials in government are put there by people who refuse to

vote,” he added, noting that Pinoys should support for candidates they deem deserving. ensuring the success of the elections, Jimenez said, is a duty shared by the poll body, the voters and the politicians.

“This is partly your responsibility since voters are the ones who sell their votes,” Jimenez said in the event which guested independent Senate aspirants.

Politicians meanwhile have a responsibility on their own to take a stand against cheating, the Comelec official added.

The poll body, for its part, he said, is tasked to

ensure that there will be no opportunity for cheating during the country’s second automated polls.

“Fast reporting of election results reduces the possibility of dagdag-bawas,” Jimenez said, referring to electoral fraud in the local polls.

The poll official also touted the impact of the Internet and social media in facilitating the elections.

“Netizens are feeling empowered and are therefore braver to come out with complaints,” Jimenez said. he added that technology has improved interactivity between

indigent patients ng POC kung magmamahal ang serbisyo?” Casino said.

“Instead of spending taxpayers money to push for privatization and to benefit private companies in the guise of modernization, government should directly fund and develop our hospitals to benefit poor patients. The almost P1 billion fund is more than double the P413.65M allotment for POC for 2013 and other government hospitals whose needs have long been ignored by the national government,” said Casiño. “Ang laki ng ibubuhos na pera sa facilities ng POC para maging kaakit-akit sa investors pero yung mga indigents hindi mabigyan ng 100% discount.”

Casiño proposed that funding for the government hospitals be doubled. For 2013, the Aquino administration only allotted P9.825 billion for the 66 Department of health (DOh)-retained hospitals.

This is only half of the P19.234 billion requested by the hospitals.

“Our public hospitals are in dire need of additional funds. Poor Filipino patients are already burdened by the increasing costs of health services in public hospitals. POC in particular hiked its rates for x-ray and laboratory procedures of up to 100200% in 2011. The health workers could barely get the mandated benefits due them. That’s why, for the interest of the ordinary Filipinos, the government should instead double the fund for public hospitals rather than privatizing public health services,” said Casiño.

During the congressional hearing on the DOh budget, Casiño recommended that the P12.6B allotment for Philhealth subsidy to the poorest 5.3 million households be transferred instead as additional allotment to the public hospitals.

Comelec and the public, so that monitoring of violations is no longer the poll body’s sole responsibility.

But while Comelec appreciates support from netizens, Jimenez said young voters should increasingly focus on helping the candidates they want to vote for.

“If you decide to support a candidate, do so with all your might,” Jimenez said.

This could be done by explaining to their peers why they are voting for a candidate or not, especially through social media, he said. [Yahoo!]

Feud with Ongpaucos derailing Chiz Escudero’s 2016 campaign?

Casiño wants full funding for public hospitals Legarda encourages envi-friendly fasting

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ITh the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s recent release of P978.4M as part of the modernization program of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño called for government’s full funding of public hospitals instead of privatization of public health services.

“Through the socalled “modernization” and corporatization, price of health services will further increase at the expense of the poor patients, like what we are now experiencing with Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) hospitals. The “modernized” POC under the private entity will charge patients at “market rates”, walang ipinag-iba sa private hospitals. Kahit pa sabihing “subsidized” under Philhealth ang indigents, paano kakayanin ng kasalukuyang mahigit 500

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N time for the holy Week, Senator Loren Legarda encouraged Filipinos to «carbon fast»—a kind of fasting that is environmentfriendly.

“Filipinos are encouraged to do fasting in many other ways. Aside from fasting from food, we are asked to fast from vices and activities that we can do without, as we focus and usher in a period of reflection and spiritual growth. One best way is to carbon fast,” said Legarda.

“No less than Pope Francis said that we are the stewards of God’s creation and we must protect all things he created including our environment. To carbon fast is to reduce our individual carbon emissions, which is a concrete action on climate change and will ultimately help in saving our ailing ecosystems. It would be best if we practice a low-carbon lifestyle, even beyond the Lenten

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY e

VOL.6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

5

85% of additional power supply for Mindanao by 2016 is coal-based

ight-five percent or 500 of the 588 megawatt additional power generation in Mindanao by 2016 is coal-based, Department of energy planning chief Michael Sinocruz said.

Sinocruz told the Regional Media Workshop on Power Industry and Renewable energy Development in Mindanao last Friday that from 2013 to 2016, eight power generation projects have been committed, with only 58 megawatts of the expected 588 coming from renewable sources, 30 megawatts from diesel and the rest, coal.

The renewable energy projects are the 50-MW Mt. Apo 3 Geothermal project and the eight-MW Cabulig hydro project of the Mindanao energy Systems Inc. in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, he said.

Thirty megawatts will be coming from diesel power plants: 15-MW from the Mapalad energy Generating Corporation project in Iligan City and another 15-MW from the eeI Power Corporation’s peaking plant in Tagum City.

The 500 megawatts are all coal-based: the 150MW Therma South Inc.’s Phase 1 project in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur

due for completion in 2013; the 150-MW Therma South Phase 2 by 2015; the 100-MW Sarangani energy Corporation’s project Phase 1 in Maasim, Saranggani by 2015 and another 100-MW for its Phase 2 by 2016.

In his presentation, Romeo Montenegro, investment promotions and public affairs director of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) reiterated that Mindanao is facing a “serious power deficit” and will require at least 500-megawatts of new capacity by 2016, another 500 megawatts by 2020, and 1,600 megawatts by 2030 based on a projection using 4.7 percent annual growth of power demand. he said the outlook for cheap hydro electric power from the Agus and Pulangi power complexes is “compromised by siltation of river systems and dams, hence the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix is rising.

Montenegro said there is a need to fully tap “clean, renewable and indigenous power sources” to minimize foreign exchange and environmental costs and to address electricity consumption growth and substantial system loss-

es.

The power deficit, he said, can be addressed “immediately” with additional capacities through a quick rehabilitation of the Agus and Pulangi power complexes but this will augment supply by only 50 to 100 megawatts.

Government, he noted, has considered tapping embedded generators or enhance the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to augment capacity by 200 megawatts. he also cited the pending reopening of the Iligan Diesel Power Plant, which is expected to increase power capacity by 100 megawatts “So, that’s 300 to 400 megawatts of power to bail us out of trouble; but it ain’t easy fix,” he said.

Potentials for renewable energy in Mindanao are huge but still largely untapped because renewable energy projects require bigger initial capital expenditure and need substantial investments to be viable, Montenegro added.

As of 2013, Mindanao’s energy mix is 52 percent hydro, 31 percent oil based, 10 percent coalbased, 5 percent geothermal, and 1 percent bio-mass, he said. [Walter I. Balane/MindaNews]

6 THE ECONOMY

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Stat Watch camella to undertake new 1. Gross National Income Growth Rate (At Constant 2000 Prices)

5.4 4th Qtr 2012

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

6.8 4th Qtr 2012

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

USD 3,969.51 million Dec 2012 USD 5,135.46 million Nov 2012 USD -1,585 million Nov 2012 USD -209 million Mar 2012 P 5,171,689 million Dec 2012

8. Interest Rates 4/

3.6 % Jan 2013 P155,308 million Nov 2012 P 5,381 billion Nov 2012

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

P 40.67 Feb 2013

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

6,242.7 Jan 2013

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

132.4 Feb 2013

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.8 Feb 2013

16. Visitor Arrivals

352,438 Nov 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

20.9% Jan 2013

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.1% Jan 2013

development in north Davao

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AMeLLA is looking north to open another exciting project, a self-contained masterplanned horizontal development over a 27-hectare property in Communal Buhangin, Davao City.

North is where Davao’s fast and consistent growth is currently taking place, and Camella expands presence there with this newest subdivision project that will offer its most diverse package yet, featuring enclaves from affordable to high-end homes.

“As Vista Land’s subsidiary catering to the mid-market segment, Camella will make this community easily available to a wide spectrum of homebuyers who want to acquire their own Camella home,” said Marlon B. escalicas, GM of Camella SouthMin Area.

The community will have a Caribbean theme bearing a mix of european and Western influences in its look and design with an attractive interplay of colors.

As a Caribbean community, it will be verdant with blooms, foliage and trees, and will have a balmy, breezy feel to it. It will take advantage of the wide open vistas over a relatively rolling terrain of prime property.

It will offer full amenities such as swimming pool, entrance plaza, basketball court, kiddie playground, community facilities, parks, pathways, pocket gardens, recreational areas, wide open spaces, and a lovely clubhouse.

The whole property will be secured by a perimeter fence, brightly lit streets and avenues, and 24/7 security system. homes will be equipped with cable and internet-ready facilities.

“This project is more than just residential. It is envisioned to have a village center replete with coffee shops, grocery or supermarket, retail shops, clinics and possibly a school, church, maybe even a shuttle terminal,” revealed escalicas.

All these will be located a few steps away from the Philippine-Japan Friendship highway, also called Diversion Road, in front of the Davao International Airport--a strategic location that makes it easily accessible through private or public transportation.

Between two to eight kilometres or a 3 to 15-minute drive are Redemptorist Church, Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Scripture Baptist Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, and Carmelite Sisters.

Less than 15 minutes’ drive away are SM Lanang, Damosa Gateway, Robinson’s Cybergate, Abreeza Ayala Mall, Victoria Plaza, and Gaisano Mall, as well as hospitals like DMSF, DMC, MDRMC. Schools and universities that are less than 15 minutes away are Colegio de San Ignacio, Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai, Stella Maris Academy (Loyola), University of Immaculate Conception, Ateneo de Davao University, and University of Southeastern Philippines.

Davao by the Numbers The Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Company topped as No. 1among the companies based in Davao City in terms of gross sales with

P8.72 billion and in terms of tax payment with

P71.54 million paid to the city government in 2012.

Source: BuSineSS Bureau

This latest addition to an impressive roster of Camella communities in Davao will offer another ideal home base for urbanites, new couples, young families, working professionals, empty-nesters, out-of-towners, and even those who simply seek an escape from the pollution, crowd, and inner city hustle and bustle.

Like its mother company, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Camella understands it is the ultimate dream of every Filipino to have a home of their own, thus making it their vision to build a home for every Filipino.

Vista Land topped the Philip-

NEDA boss cites PHL performance in HDI

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MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2012-February 2013) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2013

2012

2011

40.67 40.73

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

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

pine residential real estate development in a 2011 study of Colliers International Research.

As the largest homebuilder in the country, it built a total of 18,422 houses, houses and lots and sold out condominiums in that year alone.

For more details on Camella’s newest development, visit their offices at Delgar Bldg. (in front of Camella Northpoint) or call 2220963. For more Camella information, news, events and announcements, check out http://www.camella.com.ph/, like “Camella Official” on Facebook and follow “@CamellaOfficial” on Twitter.

HoUsING tecHNoloGY. Hany Constantin, business director of Constantin and Trauffer Enterprises Corp., makes a presentation of their company’s services which applies effective management techniques to planning, design, and construction during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

It figures

91 percent NINe of every 10 senior business executives belonging to the Makati Business Club (MBC) favor Charter Change or ChaCha, particularly economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, sometime before the end of the term of President Aquino in 2016.BusinessMirror, March 21,2013

6

The Department of Justice has ordered the Bureau of Immigration to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (iLBO) against the president and five borrowers of the padlocked LBC Development Bank, the Philippine Deposit insurance Corp. (PDiC) announced last week. the five, earlier charged with committing P229.5-million syndicated estafa case, are president Ma. eliza G. Brenguer and borrowers Benito Ramon V. Araneta, Ma.LourdesSenn, ernest G. Barrios, Charito S. Zambales and Francisco A. Climent.

he Philippines continues to rank relatively higher in human development than other ASeAN member countries and is also making progress in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to the National economic and Development Authority (NeDA).

The 2013 human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme ranked the Philippines 114 among 187 countries, with a medium human Development Index (hDI) at 0.654 as of 2012.

“Within the ASeAN region, the Philippines’ hDI is higher than Indonesia (0.629), Vietnam (0.617), Cambodia (0.543), Lao PDR (0.543), and Myanmar (0.498), though lower than Thailand (0.690) and Malaysia (0.769) ” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

$300 million The World Bank has approved a $300-million loan for the Philippines to support the government’s reforms aimed at “accelerating inclusive growth” or growth that creates more jobs and reduce poverty.BusinessMirror, March 21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 •TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

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8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Zombies in our precincts THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

By Manny ValdehueSa

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EDITORIAL

DPWH 11’s flawed rule on ‘right to information’

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heRe is a rule imposed by the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWh) regional office here that they will entertain the media only on Wednesdays.

The “Wednesday Only” rule leaves the media waiting for the mid-week before getting access to this government agency.

In case the DPWh is not aware of it, here is a lesson on Governance 101. Article 3, Section 7 of the Constitution states: “The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”

Certainly, the media will not ask about any matter outside the province of “matters of public concern” which is defined by the Supreme Court in the case of Narvasa v. Gonzales as a term which “embrace[s] a broad spectrum of subjects which the public may want to know, either because these directly affect their lives, or simply because such matters naturally arouse the interest of an ordinary citizen. It is for the courts to determine in a case by case basis whether the matter at issue is of interest or importance, as it relates to or affects the public.”

In determining whether or not particular information is of public concern, there is no rigid test which can be applied. It is a term that eludes exact definition.

Right to information is not absolute, it is lim-

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ited to matters of public concern and interest, and is further subject to limitations as may be imposed by law. Definitely, the limits imposed by law do not include media interviews and access on days outside Wednesdays.

So, what is the wisdom behind the DPWh restriction to access to media on Wednesdays only? What if something comes up on some other days of the week like last week when questions on overpriced projects needed to be given light. Should we wait for the next Wednesday?

It saddens the media industry more that a government agency like the DPWh should impose such absurd and unreasonable restrictions. This development also comes at a time when we are pushing for the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

Talking about the FOI, what could be worse than learning that the bill—which seeks to make government transactions and data accessible to the public—was effectively “killed” in the house of Representatives before the 2013 election break.

That makes it a double whammy against transparency.

Nevertheless, we believe that patience is a virtue, and that laws, to be refined, need time to polish. We can wait for the FOI, but we cannot wait for next Wednesday to hear from the DPWh. At government projects and vehicles, we used to read this sign: “Government Project Do Not Delay.” how’s that for matters of public concern?

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

EJ DOMINIC FERNANDEZ • CHE D. PALICTE Reporters

AQUILES Z. ZONIO Staff Writer

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

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(1st of two parts)

zombie is a person who seems to have no mind or no will of his own. In horror films, a zombie is portrayed as a mummy or a creature that its controller or master can manipulate at will.

There’s a zombie-like behavior among certain sectors of our society, one that is pronounced in Mindanao and the poorest parts of the country. It is found predominantly among the masses, especially on election Day. At the importuning of moneyed candidates and traditional politicos, or trapos, they troop to the precincts and vote as instructed. They allow themselves and their families to be herded, to do what their controller or handler tells them to do. They readily board buses, trucks, jeepneys, or boats to be ferried to polling places. Then without pangs of conscience or self-consciousness, they accept and gratefully acknowledge what snack, allowance, or pabaon is handed to them--secretly wishing for more in exchange for similar behavior in future.

Voting for specified candidates—candidates dictated by their handlers—doing so without exercising their judgment, deciding to do so at the expense of their freedom to choose, doesn’t seem to take a toll on their sense of self-respect. Zombies!

This behavior explains why our elections are a farce. What’s really bad is that it is importuned and initiated by putative leaders and representatives of the people.

Should we merely charge this as collateral damage in a society of poorly educated voters and candidates? One wonders how long Pinoy society can claim to have national pride amidst these conditions. If the democratic process holds no meaning except as something to manipulate and exploit for personal gain, what hope is there for national stability?

Is there hope for real, genuine democracy? hope in the face of a society that consists mostly of nominal Christians and nominal Muslims with nominal sovereignty?

Sovereignty is the inherent power we possess by virtue of our humanity and citizenship. But it is power we misuse, abuse, and waste at the urging of unscrupulous leaders. I guess society, as with individuals, also needs a certain level of maturity in order to develop sound, honest judgment. Judgment that arises out of the conviction that one is an autonomous human being, independent and supreme in respect of his rights.

Our society clearly needs to grow up. Our educational system, the main driver of cultural development, clearly needs to shape up. And our political system clearly needs to be re-engineered. Why are our leaders unscrupulous? It’s the way we pick them; no, it’s the way we let them pick themselves! We let any person with money, bravado, or presumptuous attitude declare himself a leader. We don’t even require his claim to be validated. We don’t require the bunch of co-conspirators that run as a team to prove that they really constitute a party—a party with real, dues-paying members, a party with an honest-to-goodness convention, with an authentic criteria for selection or nomination, a party with a real platform.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.6 ISSUE 8 •TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

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Voters’ discontentment

hANGING ATTITUDe OF FILIPINO VOTeRS –each election always had an element of surprise, excitement and of something new. Not this time I surmise. For sure, some things and attitude have changed. People have a lot to talk about nowadays, one the voters’ diminishing interest in attending political rallies; the other is the candidates’ lack of charisma and convincing power to titillate the crowd.

Proof that the electorate is no longer as eager and excited as before to see in person their favorite and handpicked candidates is the recent campaign sorties of the Liberal Party’s (LP) Team PNoy and United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) Tatak Binay in Davao City. hopeful senatorial candidates, of course, are gesticulating on the stage at the plaza, but the swelling of the crowds, incessant pressing of the flesh and most importantly the raising of the arms in triumphant pugilist fashion truly lack the power – not enough to convince thoughtful observers that their political gatherings are really successful.

The wearied and disgusted voters apparently showed their displeasure in less subtle ways. From any angle, the curious electorate noticed that many senate bets, be it from Team PNoy, Tatak Binay or independent groups were simply not seen in the same intellectual level as the Cory or Ramos-era senators, they of the quick drollness and self-vaunted considerable

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VANTAGE POINTS

analytical capacity.

It is therefore reasonable to discourse that voters have little sympathy or nothing at all for the present senate contenders. Moreover, they’re poor copycats of their fathers, mothers or brothers and sisters who belong to moneyed, powerful and influential political families in their respective turfs.

But despite the fading popularity of political rallies even with the presence of movie and TV personalities to regale the crowds with songs and dance numbers aimed primarily at gaining political mileage for senate aspirants, most of them were in their usual confident selves, perhaps even more so. They are compliant that they will do well in the polls as long as they have ‘common sense and sense of fairness.’ One political team in particular, in fact, makes it a point that their senatorial hopefuls have integrity, intelligence, functional literacy and most of all managing skills for efficient and effective governance.

Nonetheless, it is precisely the chang-

ing attitude of the Filipino voters toward the present crop of politicians that makes it imperative for them to examine closely the character, moral values and public virtues of every candidate. It is as essential to keep in mind that voters do have reasons whenever they elect public officials.

They’re deadbeat and sickened listening to the senatorial candidates’ lofty promises, empty rhetoric and demagogic oratory.

It’s the same old broken record played over and over again. For practical reasons, people actually hate to be told to pay their taxes promptly or always be a law-abiding and peace-loving citizen. What they urgently need, as a matter of fact, are packs of rice, bags of goodies and brown envelopes during the political season.

Owing largely to the growing voters’ discontentment, it adds that although political strategists and schemers still find it unthinkable that the waning popularity of political caucuses can accurately reflect the views of the country’s voting population, senatorial hopefuls on the other hands are showing greater confidence their day-to-day campaign would ultimately spell success. But the fact that the political rallies of the dominant parties had failed to gather enough people not only in Davao City but elsewhere in the country and the popularity of their senate bets have drastically dipped while critical issues swirled around them, the more distrustful the electorate should be.

SPECIAl FEATURE By honor Blanco caBie

lem.

According to them, a desire to reproduce the holy places in other lands seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date.

At the monastery of Santo Stefano at Bologna, a group of connected chapels was constructed as early as the 5th century by St. Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, intended to represent the more important shrines of Jerusalem.

This monastery became known as “hierusalem,” according to some religious documents.

Some theologians believe these may perhaps be regarded as the germ from which the Stations afterwards developed, though it is tolerably certain that nothing that we have before about the 15th century can strictly be called a Way of the Cross in the modern sense.

According to Catholic Church sources, the earliest use of the word “stations,” as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra in Jerusalem, is in the narrative of english pilgrim William Wey, who visited the holy Land in the mid-15th century, and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to the cross.

In 1521, a book called Geystlich Strass was printed with illustrations of the stations in the holy Land, according to sources.

According to some religious documents, during the 15th and 16th centuries the Franciscans began to build outdoor shrines in europe to duplicate their counterparts in the holy Land.

Spiritual pilgrimage

ANY of the nearly 90 per cent Catholic Filipinos have started making a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer through the Way of the Cross, culminating next March 28 on Maundy Thursday.

At the Sacred heart of Parish in Cainta, Rizal, 20 kilometers east of here, Maria Rosa and her family have begun a series of solemn meditations in front of 14 sculptures on the sides of the church.

In Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Ceferina and her cousins have also started the Lenten ritual in front of the Stations of the Cross at the UN heritage-listed St. Augustine Church; the same solemnity displayed by Rosemarie in Sagay City in Negros Occidental.

At the Our Lady of the Assumption in coastal Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Margie, although she works in Manila, has returned for the annual Via Crucis at the hilltop church overlooking the usually calm Luzon Bay. Sixteen-year-old Christle, who just finished high school, and her close family friends do the Lenten ritual themselves at the Saint James Cathedral in the capital town of Bangued, nestled by the meandering Abra River.

Rico, in his 30s, has a different experience in his coastal hometown of Macalelon in Quezon, where many of the barangays construct “kubol” or small makeshift churches which house the 14 Stations of the Cross along the town’s streets.

Rico, who works in Quezon City as a computer administrator, talks of indigenous materials like bamboo, nipa, coco-

(1st of two parts) nut, talahib grass, log, wood, among others which make the “kubols” where devotees gather all day and into the small hours of the night to recite the traditional “Pabasa ng Pasyon” or the Passion of Christ.

Religion sources say the Stations of the Cross – also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way -- is a series of artistic representations which are often sculptural, depicting Christ Carrying the Cross to his crucifixion before he died.

The sources say majority of Roman Catholic churches now contain such a series, typically placed at intervals along the side walls of the nave.

In most churches these are small plaques with reliefs or paintings, like those at the Santuario del Santo Cristo in San Juan City in Metro Manila, or those at the Our Lady of Loreto Church in Sampaloc and the Our Lady of Montserrat, both in Manila.<p even some Aglipayans in Ilocos Norte and Tarlac, notably in Pinili in the former and Moncada in the latter, go through the Via Crucis ritual, including chanting the Passion of Christ from sunrise to way past sunset, the fever pitch reaching during the last two weeks before Good Friday.</p Church sources say the Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusa-

9

Insults to the aFp and lGUs OPINION

By Menardo WenceSlao

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here is a fresh symptom of New Peoples Army aggressive operations against the military and police forces and the most disturbing of all is the resurgence of harassments against private companies and individuals. They have tested the strength and decisiveness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the weakness and vulnerability of firms as well as of individuals.

The NPAs obviously have come to a notion that using the desperate victims of calamities and poverty they can muster and exploit the peasants to confront the military and police and even ransack DSWD warehouses. having done the tests they mounted assaults on Dole and Del Monte corporate farms in Bukidnon with nary a counter-attack from the military. They have kidnapped helpless soldiers and policemen. The most recent show of force and might was the burning of construction equipment this time right in the heartland of Davao City. how these series of events could happen reveals the breakdown of police and military intelligence and the inchoate ferociousness of the communist armed forces. The Davao City incident is quite foreboding. Business men are wary about the series of events that have now encroached into the premises of the city. even as the torching of the construction equipment stemmed from extortion in the guise of peoples taxation, the incident conveys a message that the NPAs are attempting to regain foothold in the urban center. Of course the return of the heydays of communist rebels will never resurrect anew the grim days of Agdao when it was dubbed Nicaragdao or when the slum areas of the city were totally under the control of the NPAs. however, the extortion activities and campaign fees demanded by the communist armed partisans will surely be here to stay and will continue to impact on the image and burgeoning economy of Davao City.

What have been happening is denigrating to the military and other law enforcers. In Davao City as elsewhere, these are challenges to be hurdled by local government authorities. Obviously the panel that had been negotiating peace with the CPP/NPA through its legal fronts is a dismal failure. It looks like it succeeded only in projecting the weakness of the government because what we are experiencing today is the intensification of aggression from a force which we were made to believe was spent.

It appears now that the AFP social outreach program succeeded only in some areas. In most parts, the commies are toying with peace by carrying out assaults, kidnappings, extortion, taxation and threats to the chagrin of the military and humiliation of local government officials. Some businessmen are now saying: enough with the carrot, it’s about time to carry the big stick.

10 NATION/WORlD

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Malaysia to move residents out from infiltration zone

ALAYSIA’S prime minister said authorities would relocate residents of areas deemed vulnerable to foreign infiltration as they continued to try to root out Filipino Islamic invaders.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement appeared to indicate a recognition that an armed invasion by more than 200 armed fighters had exposed deep-seated security problems in the eastern state of Sabah near the southern Philippines.

“The primary cause of the invasion of terrorists ... is the existence of settlements considered easily exposed to the danger of infiltration by illegal immigrants and stateless persons,” Najib said. he added relocations would affect areas near the invasion site but could be expanded to the entire state, which for centuries has had a porous sea border with the southern Philippines.

Armed followers of a self-styled Philippine sultan landed in Sabah six weeks ago to claim the state for their leader.

The incursion and a Malaysian counter-assault

have left more than 70 dead -- mostly invaders -- according to authorities, and put rare stress on relations with Manila.

Najib gave no further details on the relocation plan. however, the move could add to scrutiny of the Malaysian government’s policies in the state and whether they had facilitated immigration by large numbers of foreigners with questionable national loyalties.

There are an estimated 800,000 Filipinos living in Sabah, whose total population is just over three million.

Sabah natives have long grumbled over an influx of Filipino Muslims in recent decades. Critics accuse the government of encouraging the flow to shore up electoral support for the Muslim-dominated central government.

The government denies the allegation.

Malaysian forces launched an assault three weeks ago to crush the insurgents and claim to have killed more than 60. Ten security personnel also have died.

But the government

IN a Battle. Malaysian soldiers battle gunmen in Sabah on March 12, 2013. Malaysia’s prime minister said authorities would relocate residents of areas deemed vulnerable to foreign infiltration as they continued to try to root out Filipino Islamic invaders. [AFP] has released only sketchy details on the operation and indicated they were struggling to stamp the invaders out amid fears

militants may have melted away into area populations with the support of locals.

Last week, a Malaysian court charged eight

Philippine nationals with terrorism-related offences, which is punishable by death.

They were among

more than 100 arrested -- apparently Malaysian residents -- on suspicion of complicity in the incursion. [AFP]

maids seeking permanent residency. hong Kong’s foreign maids receive a minimum wage of hK$3,920 (US$505) a month and benefits such as one guaranteed day off a week, but rights groups say they face discrimination and a lack of legal protection from abusive employers.

The Vallejos case threw new light on hong Kong’s often uneasy relationship with authorities in mainland China and the full extent of the territory’s autonomy under its mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law. While there have been repeated outcries from the hong Kong public against perceived mainland interference, the southern city’s own government stands accused of undermining its autonomy by seeking Beijing’s adjudication.

That was the case regarding a long-running legal question about children of hong Kong permanent residents from mainland China, which like the foreign maids case had created anxiety over the potential strain on the city.

[AFP]

YRIAN rebels fired dozens of mortar bombs into central Damascus on Monday, hitting a high-security area within a kilometre (less than a mile) of President Bashar al-Assad’s residence, residents and a security source said.

The military retaliated with artillery fire from Mount Qasioun, overlooking the Syrian capital. “I’ve heard dozens of regime shells so far, pounding rebels,” one resident said.

It was some of the heaviest fighting in the heart of the city since an uprising against Assad erupted two years ago.

The security source, who asked not to be identified, said mortar rounds had landed in Ummayad Square, a major intersection where military headquarters and state television are located.

On Sunday, mortar bombs hit the car park of the state television building, residents said.

One resident said the latest rebel bombardment began at 6:30 a.m.

(0430 GMT) and was still continuing. “I don’t know what is going on exactly other than that the city

is under attack,” she said, adding that she could hear sirens from the streets.

State television reported dozens of casualties at the Opera house, across the street from the headquarters of Assad’s Baath party the Air Force Intelligence building.

The mortar bombs appeared to be coming from rebels who had pushed into the Kfar Souseh district, a few hundred metres (yards) from Ummayad Square, but there were no immediate reports of the insurgents trying to advance further.

Assad’s forces have retained control of central Damascus and most other Syrian cities, while losing swathes of territory elsewhere, especially in the north and east.

The conflict, in which the United Nations says at least 70,000 people have been killed, has already forced more than a million Syrians to flee the country. Sustained fighting in Damascus could send thousands more refugees into neighbouring states, especially Lebanon, which already hosts 370,000 of them. [Reuters]

rebels bombard central H.K. top court rejects landmark Syrian Damascus, army hits back residency bid by foreign maids S

h

ONG Kong’s top court threw out a landmark case that would have given hundreds of thousands of foreign maids the right to seek permanent residency, ending a legal battle that split the city.

In rejecting the bid to give maids the same residency rights as other foreigners, the Court of Final Appeal ruled that there was no need to refer the case to Beijing for a final say, which would have sparked new controversy.

Officials in semi-autonomous hong Kong had suggested enlisting the advice of the Chinese central government on the immigration question, sparking warnings that they were jeopardising the territory’s cherished judicial independence.

But the top court drew a line under the matter by rejecting the two-year legal challenge first brought by Filipina maid evangeline Banao Vallejos, a mother of five who has lived in hong Kong since 1986.

“With the court’s ruling today, it gave its judicial seal to unfair treatment and the social exclusion of foreign domestic workers

in hong Kong,” said eman Villanueva, spokesman for labour rights group Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body. he was joined by other members of his group outside court chanting “No to discrimination” and “We are not slaves”.

Vallejos won a high Court ruling in 2011 granting her the right to request permanent residency status, which most foreigners can seek after seven years’ stay but which is denied to the city’s 300,000 foreign domestic helpers.

Activists had hailed the ruling as a big step for equal rights for maids, who are a backbone of society in richer Asian economies and a financial lifeline to their home nations, notably the Philippines and Indonesia.

But the Court of Final Appeal unanimously sided with arguments from the hong Kong government, which warned that the ruling would swamp the cramped city’s population of seven million.

“The FDh (foreign domestic helper) is obliged to return to the country of origin at the end of the contract, and is told from

the outset that admission is not for the purposes of settlement and that dependents cannot be brought to reside in hong Kong,” the top court said in a 49-page judgement.

Another Filipino domestic helper Daniel Domingo, whose bid for residency was similarly rejected after living in hong Kong for 28 years was the case’s joint appellant.

The ruling means maids will continue to be specifically excluded from eligibility to settle in hong Kong, which would give them access to voting rights and the right to live in the former British colony without a work visa.

Lawyer Mark Daly, who represents the helpers, said Vallejos was “speechless” but respected the decision. Vallejos and Domingo were not in court Monday.

“It’s regrettable that the opportunity has been lost on this occasion to strike a blow for equality and non-discrimination,” Daly said.

The government said it was “carefully” studying the verdict. There are about 1,000 pending applications from foreign

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

SPECIAL REPORT

a tale of 2 women...

FFroM 1

FFroM 1

Teachers Both had brief stints in teaching. Cynthia taught finance at the Far eastern University, while Charita was also a finance instructor at the holy Cross of Davao College. however, both decided to make the whole world as their classroom, starting with their countrymen, teaching millions the soaring values that really matter in life.

Entrepreneurs Both are outstanding entrepreneurs on their own right. Ms Villar’s success in green social enterprises is known in many places far and wide. For the record, her projects have provided livelihood to more than 500 families in Las Pinas and these projects, through the Villar Foundation, have been taught to other families in the country, including those in the Davao region. She avidly supports entrepreneurial endeavors in the countryside as shown by her active participation in the crafting, as congresswoman for three terms, of relevant laws such as Republic Act 9178 or the Barangy Micro Business enterprises (BMBes) Act of 2002.

MisisHanepBuhay The foundation’s livelihood enterprises. such as water hyacinth basket weaving, coconet weaving, plastic pulverizing, organic composting, handloom blanket weaving, and citronella oil making have been duplicated na-

tionwide, in 11 municipalities which host pilot centers.

For championing livelihood projects that have assisted thousands of people, Cynthia has earned the monicker “MisishanepBuhay,” a word play that augurs well in her run for the Senate in the current election season.

Orchid queen On the other hand, Charita, a Datu Bago awardee for her numerous business and social contributions to Davao City, has been involved the propagation of many agri-business ventures among Dabawenyos.

Charita isn’t called “Davao’s Orchid Queen” for nothing. She was the first orchidist to go into hybridization to improve her flowers. Aside from becoming the industry’s advocate for standard of quality, the hybridization (through embryo culture) project of Charita is credited with having saved the rare “Waling-waling orchid (Vanda Sanderiana) from extinction.

Ms Puentespina also figures prominently in the propagation of goats that produce milk for her cheeses that are reputed to be the best in the Philippines today and the making of Malagos dessert wine made out of Bignay tree berries.

Charita is in the limelight once again for her leadership in the great effort to development

NDF to release cop...

11

the cacao industry in Mindanao, starting with the multi-million dollar project with Mars, Inc., the world’s largest confectioner, and ACDI/ VOCA (Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance).

Ms Puentespina’s group is tasked to consolidate the cacao beans from individuals farmers and cooperatives, ferment and dry them in the sun, initially within a 25-kilometer radius of the Puentespina Farm in Malagos. Now, the reach of the effort is all over Mindanao through the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (Cidami).

Go-Negosyo awardees These two women crossed paths when both were honored along with 10 others by Go-Negosyo as “The Women entrepreneur Icons, and Filipina entrepreneurs of 2013” during the 5th entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center last March 1st.

Women of substance Like many Dabawenyos, I feel fortunate to have met, or known, these two women of substance, “who have strong characters, are consistent, have more to them than meets the eye, and have a variety of interests outside and within their home and family,” according to one definition.

Nojapa was investigated by the rebel group and found not guilty of serious crimes committed against the Filipino people. They found no reason to prosecute Nojapa.

“The release order is in compliance with the NDFP’s long-standing policy of lenient treatment of prisoners of war and its Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Provisions of the

1949 Geneva Conventions and Protocol I and the GPh-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for human Rights and International humanitarian Law”, del Mundo said.

volunteers will play six major roles.

The first role is help enforce the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Watershed Code.

Second is to conduct actual monitoring in the conservational areas and submit reports to the barangay watershed management council (BWMC) and the WMC multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) with supporting documents such as photos and affidavits.

They should also act as informants to persons of authority about violations of prohibited acts stipulated in the Watershed Code.

Fourth is to help the MMT report offenses and identify offenders, and confiscate natural resources products, tools, and equipment to in aid of formal preliminary investigation.

Fifth is to act as witnesses in court if necessary for speedy prosecution of criminal complaints against violators of the code.

The sixth task is to attend BWMC meetings.

According to the DeNR Administrative Order No. 2008-22 known as the “revised guidelines on the deputation of environment and natural resources officers (eNRO),” DeNROs can “arrest, even

without warrant, any person who has committed or is committing in his/ her presence any of the offenses provided in environment and natural resources law, rules and regulation.”

“DeNR already gave us a checklist on the requirements needed to make the volunteers DeNROs,” Fuertes said, adding “we will comply and continue the process.”

She said, “even before they were deputized as bantay bukid volunteers, they were already able to report and settle environmental offenses.”

Fuertes pointed out an example saying, “once, the military cut down trees in watershed areas without permit for their detachment, the volunteers were able to report and settle this issue.” environment and Watershed Protection Division chief Anthony Miranda of the Davao City Water District deputation of forest volunteers is a big step in involving and empowering the community in guarding the watershed of the region.

“This is a very big help, because we cannot make it on our own, everyone must be involved in protecting the water of the region, especially in the barangay level because they are the first line of defense,” he said.

he asked his mother (a doctor) about the challenges doctors face these days, and came up with the idea to connect doctors and patients more conveniently through his web app “Find My Doc,” which has a beta version at find.pinoydok. com.

The “Dates Cola” project is an innovative idea of Andrew de Leon, an entrepreneurship graduate of Ateneo de Davao University, with the support of his father, engr.

Andres de Leon Jr. Andrew said he got the idea when their family was still living in Saudi Arabia where he saw an abundant

resource of dates palm trees in the Middle-east but were only sold per crate with no big buyers. he thought about adding value to the date palms by turning them into date beverages and to create a market for it in the Philippines, which may eventually evolve into date palm tree business for them and the Middle-east.

Andrew advised the graduates of this year to observe their surroundings and look for problems that they can solve which can become profitable businesses that will help ease the un-employment problem.

Watershed...

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The 42 are the first batch of volunteers formally deputized by WMC during the Watershed Summit in celebration of the World Water Day at the Grand Men Seng hotel Friday. The trail-blazing summit was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the Foundation for the Philippine environment (FPe).

Ann Fuertes, executive director of summit co-convenor Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), said that DeNR is the right government agency that should deputize the volunteers to turn them into deputized environment and natural resources officer (DeNRO) so that these volunteers can arrest violators of the watershed code.

IDIS allocated a budget of P200,000 for medical assistance, Philhealth benefit until 2014, and equipment for these farmers, without allowance or any forms of pay.

“Bantay Bukid” volunteers will be patrolling Barangay Tawan-Tawan and will be divided among the four sitios of this barangay, namely, Panigan, Sumpital, Gading, and Ubay-nanap.

Forester Christopher Asibal of Davao City’s Community environment and Natural Resources Office (CeNRO) said the

two Davao...

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Go NeGosYo. Davao’s very own Charita Puentespina, woman-entrepreneur awardee of Go Negosyo, with husband Engr. Roberto Puestespina Sr..

tition that will allow incubation, not in Silicon Valley USA, but right here in the Philippines; the facility will offer opportunity for our inventors and programmers to gain support for any idea that they feel very viable in the market and the industry,” Barriga said.

“This is why we need the help of Dabawenyos to support these innovative projects,” he added.

“Find My Doc” is the innovative idea of Arjay Legere, Jed Adrian Valron, and Yvanne espina, who are graduating students of the AMA Computer College.

Arjay Legere said he got the idea when

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SPORTS 13

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Genesis 88 takes opener

By Neil Bravo

T

corporate BasKetBall. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Regional Director Regino “Boy” Cua (middle) presides over the ceremonial jump during the opening of the Escador Group of Companies Basketball Cup at Ecoland.

Also in photo is organizer Glenn Escandor (81), 2nd from right and his son-teammate Ef-Ef (18). Jimmy Javier

Vettel wins by mistake “I

am the black sheep right now...all I can say is apologies to Mark,” the German, seemingly contrite, said after a win that gave Red Bull a one-two finish and him the lead in the championship after two races.

“The pass was deliber-

ate, obviously I wanted to pass him...but I didn’t mean to ignore the strategy or the call. I made a mistake, simply.”

Webber had driven a masterful race to climb into the lead from fifth on the grid and was told by his team to ease off in the clos-

ing stages to protect the car and tyres as he led Vettel and the Mercedes of Lewis hamilton.

Triple world champion Vettel was supposed to do the same but instead attacked and passed his shocked team mate after a ferocious battle with 12

laps remaining to seal a 27th grand prix victory.

The Australian made his feelings evident afterwards, saying only “Multi-21, Seb. Multi-21” - a reference to the team instruction - and giving the German the cold shoulder before they went on to the podium.

he bossman showed up on the court and in a rare dayoff, showed he can still shoot the lights out.

Glenn escandor, the man on top of the escandor conglomerate, took a day off from work but not on the floor as he delivered the goods for Genesis 88 over Premia Packaging Corporation, 93 – 77, in the opener of the 2013 escandor Group of Companies Basketball Tournament over the weekend at the Genesis 88 Gym in ecoland.

Recalling his shooting touch back in college, escandor converted five triples to finish the game with 17 points as Genesis drew first blood in the ten-team tournament. escandor once played for his collegiate division team at the Ateneo de Davao University.

The team owner the recently-crowned Araw ng Dabaw Commercial Basketball champion The Royal Mandaya hotel - Vice Mayor’s Office (TRMh-VMO) hoteliers, drew cheers from the crowd when he buried two successive triples right in the first period before missing his third attempt which barely skimmed around the cylinder.

Genesis got 20 markers from Cyril Torreon while Junie Gegremosa added 17.

The Canners desperately tried to catch up in the third period but its 10-2

splurge fell short. Trailing by 12 points, 59 – 47, late in the third canto, Premia went on a mild run to narrow the gap to 4, 57 – 61.

Genesis was quick to douse cold water into the Premia run while retaliating with five straight points to close out the third quarter with a 9-point margin, 66 – 57.

In the fourth, Genesis poured on the heat with escandor canning a triple from the left wing at the 8:57 mark for his fourth connection from downtown. That opened up a 7 – 0 spurt for a 73 – 59 lead that virtually broke the backs of the Canners.

Louie Aquino scored 20 points for Premia while Persibal Duran added 15 markers.

In another opening day match, White house scored a 87 – 71 victory over The Royal Mandaya hotel to share the day’s honors.

Albert Polangcos poured in 16 points and Gerome escandor, younger brother of Glenn, contributed 13 to lead the charge for the White house squad.

Menardo Rebong paced TRMh with 27 points.

Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) Mindanao Basketball Region B head and Region XI chief Regino “Boy” Cua graced the opening day of the tournament and made the ceremonial toss in the first game of the twinbill.

14 SPORTS

Heat gets 26 M

IAMI (AP) -- LeBron James and company put on quite a show for some of the biggest names in sports on Sunday night.

James finished with 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Chris Bosh added 15 points and the Miami heat won their 26th straight game, cruising to a 109-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

The world’s best were courtside in Miami. Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked men’s tennis player. Wladimir Klitschko, the world heavyweight boxing king.

Rory McIlroy, who sits

atop the golf rankings for at least one more night.

And James responded with another sterling performance, making 11 of 14 shots while helping Miami move within seven wins of matching the 197172 Los Angeles Lakers for the league record of 33 in a row.

Norris Cole scored 15 and Ray Allen added 14 for the heat, who played without Dwyane Wade, held from the lineup because of right knee soreness that the team believes is minor.

After overcoming yet another slow start, Miami begins a four-game road

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

th

trip in Orlando on Monday, a swing that will also take the heat to Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio.

Charlotte led by 11 in the early going and was within five in the third quarter, but two huge spurts by the heat were more than enough to put the game away. Miami used a 31-6 run in the first half to erase the deficit, and a 26-5 blitz in the second half finished the job.

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 20 points, and Gerald henderson had 18.

James departed with about 8 minutes left, af-

ter perhaps the highlight of the night. Chris Andersen blocked a layup try

by Walker, doing so with such force that the ball caromed right back into play and basically started a Miami fast break on its own. James capped the sequence with a spectacular dunk, his final points of the night.

Djokovic clapped and smiled. McIlroy - who could lose his No. 1 ranking if Tiger Woods holds on and wins at Bay hill on Monday - turned toward heat owner Micky Arison and grinned. Klitschko’s facial expression

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was one of disbelief.

By then, the only order of business was for some fans to sing ‘’happy Birthday’’ to Bosh, which happened with about 3 minutes left. he turned 29 Sunday.

26TH. Miami star Lebron James and the Miami Heat are 26-0 after another win over Charlotte.

Recari wins Kia Classic

C

ARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Beatriz Recari had three-putted No. 18 in regulation and again on the first hole of a playoff with I.K. Kim as dusk approached Sunday. here she was again,

with a chance to win the Kia Classic.

This one was true enough that Recari began her victory celebration even before her 18-foot birdie putt from the fringe rolled into the cup.

pHoeNIX Jr. NBa. Phoenix Petroleum marketing supervisor Neb Bulaclac shows a poster of the Jr. NBA Regional Camp in Davao slated on

April 1-2 at the USEP Gym. Phoenix is a partner of the nationwide search for the next generation basketball stars of the country. Lean Daval, Jr.

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

The Apo View celebrates a stylish 65th Davao is growing fast as is evident by the number of new buildings and the new faces we see on the streets and in the many spanking new malls. a witness of the many changes throughout the years, the apo view

Hotel has seen the city blossom from a sleepy town into a thriving metropolis throughout the hotels 65 year history.

What started as a small wooden building to a spanking 9-storey structure today, the apo view Hotel is now a virtual landmark for any traveller visiting Davao. Just mention the name of the hotel and it is bound to bring many wonderful memories from tourists to locals alike.

From dining with spectacular views at the Top of the apo during the 90’s,

to disco dancing at one Down during the 80’s, to hearing Freestyle perform their first gigs at Pagasa Bar, Dabawenyos have memories that endeared them to the apo view. and as the apo view Hotel celebrated its 65th year of operations last March 23, Durianburg’s urbanites raised their glasses to congratulate the Pamintuan family for a job well done.

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

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UP AND ABOUT

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

CEB gets ready for Phl summer peak ThE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific Air (PSE:CEB) is primed for summer peak in the Philippines with brand-new aircraft, additional flights and new services.

“We expect to serve over 340,000 passengers during the holy Week period. Traffic to leisure destinations such as Boracay, Coron and Dumaguete is high. Internationally, we expect high loads this holy Week for Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, hong Kong and Macau routes,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

73% of holy Week passengers are traveling to domestic destinations this year, while 27% opt for international destinations, an increase from 24% last year.

CEB earlier announced additional flights to hong Kong, Legazpi, Naga and Puerto Princesa during the holy Week period to accommodate demand.

The airline will also increase the summer frequencies to Tagbilaran (Bohol), Tacloban, Kalibo, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Singapore and Bangkok. CEB has carried more than a million passengers for the months of April and May for the past two years.

“Cebu Pacific will continue to provide travelers with the lowest fares, most flight options and most extensive route network, so they can maximize their summer vacation,” she said.

CEB took delivery of two brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklets last January and March 2013. Those still booking flights and planning their summer itineraries may also sign up to be a CEB Club member through the Cebu Pacific website, for seat sale alerts, easy management of flights and travel funds, and a faster booking process.

Iyog also gave passengers some travel-friendly reminders for the summer peak season: BEFORE THE FLIGHT Check in from your home or office with Cebu Pacific’s web check-in service through www.cebupacificair. com .

Remember that CEB allows only one hand carry bag (maximum weight is 7 kilos).

Purchase your baggage allowance upon booking, with options ranging from 10 to 45 kilos. This lets you save up to 44% as compared to paying excess baggage fees at the airport.

Place easily identifiable markers on your check-in luggage, and hand carry valuable items.

DURING CHECK-IN Check in using CEB’s self check-in kiosks available in all Philippine airports with Airbus flights except Laoag and Tawi-Tawi.

Another option is CEB’s Express Counter for those with no check-in luggage (Lite Fare).

Make time for expected long lines at the security scanners and immigration. We encourage guests to be at the airport 3 hours before the flight. CEB counters will close 45 minutes before the scheduled time of departures so we can be ready to depart on time.

Check in umbrellas and liquids, aerosols and gels more than 100ml.

BEFORE BOARDING Be at the boarding gate 30 minutes before the flight’s published time of departure.

Guests will pass through another security check before getting to the boarding gate, so wear shoes that can be easily removed and avoid wearing belts with metal buckles.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www. cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888. The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Box Office: The Croods rules; Tina Fey’s Admission lacks for, well, admissions THeRe haven’t been too many pleasant surprises at the box office this year, but this weekend had two.

The animated The Croods and the blow-’emup Olympus Has Fallen both debuted bigger than predicted; The Croods’ $44 million estimated domestic take was, in fact, the second-biggest FridaySunday opening of 2013.

Internationally, the film took in a whopping $63.3 million.

Tina Fey’s Admission, costarring Paul Rudd, failed to join the fun, with the romantic comedy off to a $6.4 million start that its own studio termed soft. of the weekend’s three major new releases, the top-grossing The Croods also scored best with armchair critics; the caveman comedy rated an a with opening-weekend audiences polled by CinemaScore.

Olympus Has Fallen took second place in the standings with a muchstronger-than-expected $30.5 million. The gross is the biggest this year for an action movie; it is star Gerard Butler’s best showing, by far, since a string of flops after 2010’s The Bounty Hunter. admission, meanwhile, opened back in fifth place, failing to finish ahead of holdovers Oz the Great and Powerful and Halle Berry’s The Call.

In Fey’s still-short boxoffice career, Admission ranks at the back of the pack. The comedy is her smallest-debuting, liveaction movie yet. elsewhere, the R-rated

Spring Breakers broke wide, and broke well, grossing $6.4 million for a sixth-place finish. after a great wide-release run, Silver Linings Playbook, the last Best Picture contender from the oscar class of 2012 to stick around in the standings, fell to 11th place. after 19 weeks in theaters, the Jennifer Lawrence comedydrama has grossed about $127 million domestically. overall, it was a down weekend for Hollywood, at least when compared to the same weekend last year. as big as The Croods and Olympus Has Fallen were, they weren’t nearly as big as a little old film called The Hunger Games.

Here’s a complete look at the weekend’s top movies, per Friday-Sunday studio estimates and stats as compiled by exhibitor

Relations.

1. The Croods, $44.7 million 2. Olympus Has Fallen, $30.5 million 3. Oz the Great and Powerful, $22 million 4. The Call, $8.7 million 5. Admission, $6.4 million

6. Spring Breakers, $5 million 7. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, $4.3 million 8. Jack the Giant Slayer, $3 million 9. Identity Thief, $2.5 million 10. Snitch, $1.9 million

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

David Beckham takes a tumble in China

DAVID Beckham is finally falling for you, too—well, kinda.

The British soccer star was caught in what just might be one of the most hilarious and epic photos ever, when photographers snapped Beckham in mid-fall after slipping from kicking a ball during a visit to Wuhan Zall Football Club in China yesterday.

Quickly, a couple things come to mind.

First off, David looks very handsome with a strong gust of wind going

through his hair. Second, the grass stains that are about to make their way on to his nice slacks and dress shirt are going to be a pain for wife Victoria Beckham. Third, we hope he doesn’t hurt that arm (or beautiful bum) that’s going to break his fall.

But why is nobody else laughing?

Beckham is on a fiveday visit to China at the invitation of the China Football Association as the Asian nation’s first international ambassador.

“I’m excited by the

prospect of promoting the world’s greatest game to Chinese sports fans, as I’ve seen firsthand the growing interest in football there,” Becks reportedly said about his new position. “This is a wonderful sport that inspires people across the world and brings families together, so I’m relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game.”

That’s a lovely sales pitch, which, unfortunately he’s making directly from the football pitch.

Selena Gomez’s Spring Breakers wins box-office battle of ex-Disney girls over Lindsay Lohan’s InAPPropriate Comedy IT was a tale of twoplus Disney alums at the weekend box office.

On one end of the spectrum was Spring Breakers, the very R-rated comedy starring Selena Gomez and Vanessa hudgens, which crashed the Top 10 in its wide-release debut.

And on the other end—the far, faraway end—was InAPPropriate Comedy, the raunchy R-rated sketch comedy movie featuring Lindsay Lohan, which tanked. hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian called Spring Breakers’ $5 million Friday-Sunday take from some 1,100 theaters (compared to The Croods’ 4,000-plus or Admission’s 2,000-plus) “pretty-darn impressive,” especially for an exploitation film by a cult filmmaker (Gummo’s harmony Korine).

“I think the marketing has been solid for the film,” Dergarabedian said

in an email Sunday. “Effectively working the bikinis and guns imagery has definitely had a positive effect on the box office.”

“Oh, and of course having Vanessa hudgens [and] Selena Gomez in the mix certainly raised awareness among their fanbases, and help[ed] boost the numbers.”

For hudgens, a high School Musical alum, Spring Breakers is a change of box-office fortune after disappointments huge (Sucker Punch) and small (Bandslam).

For Gomez, the former star of Wizards of Waverly Place, the movie’s success could be a careerchanger, given that it’s her first foray outside of kidfriendly flicks like Ramona and Beezus and Monte Carlo.

Spring Breakers also stars Oz the Great and Powerful’s James Franco, doing that all-over-theplace thing he does.

InAPPropriate Comedy, meanwhile, boasts Oscarwinner Adrien Brody, Fast & Furious’ Michelle Rodriguez—and Lohan.

Since the onetime Parent Trap star’s box-office career took a sharp turn for the worse, Lohan’s appeared in little-seen movies, but nothing quite as invisible as InAPPropriate Comedy.

Per the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, InAPPropriate Comedy grossed just $531 from each of its 292 theaters for a threeday, grand total debut of $155,000.

If there’s a saving grace for the rehab-bound Lohan, it’s that the movie’s failure is hardly on her.

According to a review of the “brutally unfunny” comedy in the New York Post, Lohan is on screen for “perhaps” 90 seconds.

On the downside, that’s still long enough to add the credit to her currently broken track record.

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EVENTS

A scale model of Abreeza Place Tower One sits in front of a model together with an art installation by Jun Cayas.

A rendor of Abreeza Place Tower One.

A lifestyle revolution at Abreeza Place

By Kenneth Irving Ong

InSPIReD by Davao City’s carefree lifestyle within verdant greens, Zee Lifestyle together with alveo Land Corp. and accendo Commercial Corp., treated guests to a special exhibition featuring art, fashion and lifestyle last march 23 at the abreeza Mall’s activity Center.

The exhibit featured specially commissioned works by Davao’s very own furniture designer, ann Pamintuan, visual artist, Jun Cayas, and clothes by Junnie artajo, Windell Mira and Frida Cabiles. all of the works for the exhibit featured raw canvas with the designers showing their creativity in manipulating the versatile fabric into beautiful artworks that project life in leisure.

Guests were also invited to take a special tour of the abreeza Place model units as they were

A rendering of Abreeza Place’s clubhouse roof deck. escorted by the able sales team led by Ms. Sharleen Chua - Marketing Manager and Mr. Paulo ong - Project Manager at the alveo showroom located at the abreeza Mall.

Strategically located right across abreeza Mall, abreeza Place is envisioned to be a multi-tower development stretching over a 1.4 hectares of prime property. a 26-storey tower with 398 units,

The one bedroom unit’s living and dining room.

The sales team of Abreeza Place.

A model sits in a lounge chair by Ann Pamintuan. abreeza Place Tower 1 indoor amenities, there is will have studio units with the central resort-styled an area of 31 to 33sq.m; clubhouse with a fitness one-bedroom units with gym, function rooms and an area of 44 to 5 sq.m. multimedia rooms for reand two-bedroom units newed and refreshing flow with 79 to 110 sq.m. of activity.

Future residents of all these underscore abreeza Place will also get the ease and ideals of evto enjoy the Leisure Con- eryday leisure condo livdo Living in the heart of ing defined by abreeza Davao’s Premiere Lifestyle Place. The landscaped yet District as this is home to easily accessible areas of the abreeza complex of abreeza Place present its the upscale retail abreeza future residents with a reMall, a cutting edge BPo laxing resort atmosphere, center and Seda, a fash- within close proximity to ionable urban lifestyle ho- the other key institutions tel. Within abreeza Place and establishments of the has the multi-experiential abreeza complex. adult leisure pool for those Abreeza Place is a projwho prefer lazily wading ect of Alveo Land Corp. in the water and a kiddie and Accendo Commercial pool for the children’s wa- Corp. For more informater splashes with a relax- tion, call (632)848.5100 ing pool deck, landscaped (Metro Manila) and (6382) podium gardens and a 321.1725 (Davao) or visit roof deck garden. For www.alveoland.com.ph.

Alveo’s Sharleen Chua (left) with members of the press.

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one more day, tiger •

T

SPORTS 15

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

FIst-pUMpING aGaIN. Tiger Woods and his signature fist-pumping is back. His expected return to no. 1 spot in the world was derailed at Bay Hill after storms and lightning stopped play. Woods leads by four after two holes. Play resumes Tuesday.

With Woods leading, bad weather halts play at Palmer Classic

IGeR Woods’ attempt to return to the world No1 ranking will resume on Monday after the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando was abandoned amid heavy storms and lightning on Sunday.

The 37-year-old will regain the top spot he has held for 623 weeks across his careerfrom Rory McIlroy if he wins the event at Bay hill and a birdie at the 2nd, the last hole he managed before the rain, leaves him three shots ahead of Keegan Bradley, Ken Duke, Rickie Fowler and John huh.

“The golf course is gone, bunkers are gone.

We’re going to need time for the course to drain,” tweeted the PGA official Mike Russell.

Sergio García pulled out of the tournament after a horror round on Sunday, at one point climbing into a tree to play out. Justin Rose dropped a shot on the 2nd hole to fall to eight under par, four behind Woods.

Meanwhile the round of the day belonged to Bubba Watson, as the American moved from one over to four under par with a finishing round of 67.

As if on cue, as Woods and his playing partner,

Rickie Fowler, were walking off the second green at Bay hill Golf Club, the horn sounded, signaling the suspension of play because of approaching bad weather.

Within minutes, the heavens opened and it began raining buckets. The winds picked up, and soon it was also raining tree branches.

A few television cameras were toppled and at the international airport less than 20 miles away, a gust of 86 miles an hour reportedly was recorded.

The area around the course was under a tornado warning, which figures. Already this year, the tour has seen suspensions due to high winds in Maui, fog in San Diego and snow outside Tucson.

The worst of the weather lasted roughly 90 minutes, but there was no way the tournament could finish by nightfall. Play was called for the day after a two-hour suspension. The fourth round will resume Monday morning.

“At least we got a little activity in today, so we’re not completely stagnant,” said Woods, who won in a Monday finish in San Diego. “We had that fog delay in San Diego, and this is part of playing outside.

We’ve got to deal with conditions like this.”

Garcia plays Tarzan shot O

RLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Sergio Garcia might want to change his name to Tarzan.

Garcia provided an amazing highlight Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he climbed some 15 feet into an oak tree and played a shot back out to the fairway. ‘’First, I went up there to identify the ball and then saw that I could make the shot with just one hand,’’ Garcia said on his website. ‘’Luckily, it went well.’’

The rest of the day did not.

Garcia withdrew from the tournament, saying in

a statement on his website that his left shoulder and Achilles tendon were hurt and he did not want to risk doing more damage by finishing six holes on Monday. During the shot, he leaned hard on his left shoulder and tried to balance himself on one foot. eventually, he wrapped his left arm around a limb to swat at the shot back-handed.

The statement said that when Garcia was in the tree, he forced the left shoulder to the point he could barely feel it, and his next shot - a chunked wedge that only went about 30 yards - was a result of his sore left shoul-

der.

The Spaniard already was having a rough time at Bay hill - he made a 9 on the par-5 sixth hole when his tee shot at No. 10 sailed right into the trees. Not only did it get stuck in the tree, it came to rest at the base of two large limbs.

Garcia looked up in the tree, stood on a cart and leapt to pull himself up into the tree. he was playing with William McGirt, who was having a hard time believing what he was seeing. ‘’I knew they were looking around the tree,’’ McGirt said. ‘’I didn’t know they were looking

in the tree. I looked over and Sergio is up in the air, and I’m trying to figure out what in the hell he’s going to go. he called for a club. he’s hugging the tree. And the ball comes flying out. ‘’Are you kidding me?’’

The small crowd cheered when Garcia’s caddie handed him a club.

Maybe it was a tree-iron.

Garcia was so high up in the tree that he had to stoop to grab the head of the club as his caddie reached high holding the end of the club. Garcia studied his options before playing a one-handed, back-handed shot out to the fairway.

16

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 6 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

AZKALS BATTER CAMBODIA 8-0

It’s raining goals

raINMeN. They better be called the “Rainmen” as the Philippine Azkals with Phil Younghusband (top photo) scoring four goals and new recruit Javier Patino (below) scoring two gave the Philippines an 8-0 win over Cambodia.

h

eAVY rains could not stop the Philippines’ downpour of

goals.

The Azkals endured more than an hourlong delay due to bad weather en route in their 8-0 demolition of Cambodia in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers Sunday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Phil Younghusband led the Azkals with four goals, while new recruit Javier Patiño nailed two. Stephan Schrock and Carli de Murga also chipped in one goal apiece for the Azkals.

The Philippines went on the attack early against the park-the-bus defense of Cambodia, leading to several chances at the goal.

Star midfielder Stephan Schrock provided the spark for the Filipinos, putting on a show with his ability to slice through defenders to trigger the host’s offense.

Younghusband finally broke the silence for the Azkals at the 25th minute, flipping in a shot right in front of the goal off a Carli de Murga cross to give the Filipinos a 1-nil lead.

Just minutes after, Younghusband curled a shot from the top of the box after nifty passing by the Filipinos in the midfield.

Younghusband then bagged his hat trick at the 34th minute after burying a header that bounced off the goal line.

New recruit Javier Patiño made his presence felt right before the break, as Schrock and Younghusband conspired in a play

inside the box. That led to an easy goal for the Spanish striker who lifted the Azkals to a 4-0 lead.

A brownout then occurred right before halftime, with the lights from the grandstand going off.

That delayed the match for almost 10 minutes before action finally resumed and the halftime whistle was finally called.

The Azkals continued their dominance after the break, with Schrock slotting in a goal at the 46th minute.

Patiño then scored at the 57th minute to lift his team to a 6-nil lead.

As heavy rain poured, referees were forced to suspend the match again at the 65th minute after deeming the pitch as unplayable. Two 30-minute suspensions were called before action resumed again.

The attack continued for the Azkals as the action resumed, as Younghusband, Patiño and Angel Guirado barely missed their shots.

Paul Mulders was then slapped with a red card at the 85th minute after accidentally hitting a Cambodian player as he cleared the ball.

Despite playing with just 10 men, the Azkals still found their rhythm quickly, as Schrock threw a cross to Younghusband, who nailed an easy goal at the 86th minute.

Carli de Murga then hit the back of the net at the 90th minute to seal the Azkals’ victory.

The Azkals will next face Turkmenistan on Tuesday.

(AKTV)