Edge Davao 6 Issue 9

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

Ceasefire usa sa politika

HERE COMES SUMMER. Young boys from a nearby residential area take a splash on a hot summer afternoon in the waters near Sta. Wharf along R. Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City yesterday.

Lean Daval Jr.

Science/ Page A1 Environment Page 7

Deepen your faith BISHOP ENCOURAGES DABAWENYOS

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

Week.

Former Davao City Archbishop Fernando Capalla told this reporter, “the essential message of Page 15 Holy Week, not fully understood by many, is God’s love manifested

Green living Sports

D

ABAWENYO Catholics must deepen their faith and relationship with God on Holy

Back at no. 1

Respect for Holy Week

but hidden in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

He said that Lent and Holy Week can be celebrated in various traditional ways, what we call popular Filipino religious culture which are practices not observed

by Catholics in other countries.

FDEEPEN YOUR FAITH, 11

Hugpong opens campaign on the first week of April

N

O campaign yet for Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod on March 30.

Davao City Councilor Melchor Quitain, secretary general of Hugpong, told this reporter yesterday that their party has scheduled a ten-

tative date to start campaigning in the first week of April despite the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) slated start of the local campaign period on March 30.

FRESPECT FOR HOLY WEEK, 11

FOOD ON WHEELS. A man pedals his bike with his daughter in tow to sell street food along E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

2 THE BIG NEWS

‘Visit Samal 2013’ enhances tourism

I

N an effort to increase tourist arrivals during summer time, Visit Samal 2013 aims to position the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) as the tourism destination of choice in the Philippines and, eventually, Asia and the rest of the world, especially during the summer months of March to May which are known as tourism’s summer months.

Department of Tourism director in region 11 Art Boncato said during a press conference last Saturday in Punta del Sol, Peñapla-

ta, IGACOS that Visit Samal 2013 expects an increase in arrivals since this is the peak season for visitors to the island.

“We are just happy that for the past two years since we started Visit Samal, arrivals have increased every year, according to ferryboat operators and city officials,” Boncato said, adding that Visit Samal is a continuation of their effort in the yearly promotion of Samal Island.

Araceli Ayuste, provincial tourism council chairperson in Davao

FVISIT SAMAL 2013, 11

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

WAY OF THE CROSS. Catholic faithful in Davao City begin observance of Lent by praying the traditional station of the cross at San Pedro Cathedral on San Pedro Street, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

City secured on Holy Week

By Che Palicte

A

BOUT a thousand elements from Task Force Davao, 10th Infantry Division and Davao City Police Office have been deployed since last week to keep the public safe during the entire observance of Holy Week.

Lt. Col. Roberto Rivas, deputy com-

mander of Task Force Davao said during the weekly TROPA forum at the Macheka restaurant in Bajada that they have deployed their personnel to 15 Catholic churches, two public transport terminals and sea ports to look after the public’s security.

“We will be augmented by troops from the 10th ID to be detailed to the northern part and the 39th Infantry Battalion in the southern part along with a reserve force to be deployed if necessary,” Rivas said.

He added that they are inspecting baggage at the Davao City

Overland Transport Terminal in Ecoland and three checkpoints in Sirawan, Lacson and Lasang to make sure that passengers are safe during their travel.

“The public should bear with us this inconvenience because this is for our own safety,” he added.

J

metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu hidden in a hamburger on Monday afternoon.

Felicito Gumapac, acting jail warden, said Tuesday the illegal drug was discovered by a jail guard at around 4:15

p.m. while inspecting a plastic bag containing some hamburgers that was brought by a 13 year-old boy for one of their inmates.

The official said jail guard Alexies Barmido noticed the stashed

shabu sachet during a routine search on the boy and his belongings as mandated for all visitors of the facility.

He said the boy was supposedly visiting a relative identified as Jonas Garfin, who is one

Minor’s attempt to sneak in ‘shabu’ prompts authorities to shut down South Cotabato jail

AIL authorities have temporarily shut down the South Cotabato Detention and Rehabilitation Center to visitors following a supposed attempt by a visiting minor to sneak in a sachet of suspected

EDGEDAVAO

FMINOR’S ATTEMPT, 11

Relic of St Therese to revisit Davao

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

F

ORMER city administrator Cesar Ledesma is inviting Catholics to witness and welcome the relic of St Therese of the Child Jesus which will visit Davao City for the second time.

The relic of St Therese will stay in the San Pedro Cathedral on April 2, in St Paul Parish, Juna Subd. on April 3, and in the Sacred Heart Parish, Obrero on April 5.

At the Kapehan sa Dabaw, SM Annex, Ecoland Monday, Ledesma said, “after the first visit, there was a huge clamor to bring the relic back to the city, that is why either the left or the right leg of the Saint will be brought back here.”

Envi, agri dev’t highlight NorCot governor’s SOPA

I SOPA. North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza outlines her administration’s accomplishments during her State of the Province Address at the North Cotabato Provincial Capitol in AMAS, Kidapawan City yesterday, March 26, 2013. Lean Daval Jr.

The relic will also visit the inmates of the Davao City jail, according to Ledesma, who explained that there are three different kinds of relics. First is the body part of the Saint, second is an item which touched the Saint, and third is an item that has touched one of the relics of the Saint.

Ledesma said Dabawenyo Catholics should deepen their faith as there are many devotees who believe that just by touching or wiping the relic with a cloth, a miracle will transpire right away.

“The miracle is an intersession from St Therese, who is one of the favorite saints of Jesus,” he said.

N her state of the province address (SOPA) yesterday in Amas, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza highlighted accomplishments in animal dispersal and freshwater fish production programs during her three-year term.

In the presence of some 8,000 of her constituents, including barangay, municipal and provincial officials, Mendoza bared the accomplishments of her administration under the “Serbisyong Totoo” program that she has been advocating.

Under her administration, more than P34

million worth of farm animals were distributed to farmers while a total of P4.69 million was allocated to freshwater fish production.

“Capital for agricultural development and the expansion of rubber, palm oil and cavendish banana plantations were poured into the province by big businesses that have given employment opportunities to thousands of North Cotabato residents,” the governor added.

Moreover, 24 solar driers were constructed in some municipalities at a cost of P10 million while

FENVI, AGRI, 11

3

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

VM Rody to name allies expelled from Hugpong for backing foes

by Cherry Mae D. Palicte

A

FEW DAYS from now, when the campaign for candidates for local elective positions officially starts, Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte is expected to announce the names of recalcitrant politicians who would be expelled from “Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod,” a local political party accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), for disloyalty.

The expulsion was announced by Vice Mayor Rody, who heads Hugpong, during his popular Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa television program over ABS-CBN. The program is replayed by four other networks and cable TV stations in the region.

On invitation of Duter-

te, Rep. Mylene Garcia appeared in his TV program to explain her program of government and answer criticisms of political foes.

The vice mayor, who’s running for mayor unopposed, was referring to a few Hugpong members and barangay captains who are reportedly campaigning for the rivals of Hugpong candidates in violation of party rules and in defiance to VM’s repeated calls for unity for a number of weeks now.

He started his discussion by declaring that the candidates of Hugpong for congressman for the first legislative district is former vice mayor Luis C. Bonguyan and for the second district reelectionist

Mylene Garcia. (Re-electionist Rep. Isidro T. Ungab is running unopposed in the third legislative district).

After discussing the qualifications of his candidates, the vice mayor berated recalcitrant Hugpong members who are reportedly supporting rivals, instead of the party’s official candidates.

“This is a democratic country, if you want to be a leader get yourself elected. If you do not like Bonguyan or Garcia, fine, you’re free to do support other candidates, but we have to part ways as Hugpong members,” Duterte said.

“If you want money, go ahead join the other group which is well-

oiled,” he said, adding Hugpong has no money for them.

He reminded the defiant members that the candidates of Hugpong were chosen the democratic way, in a consensus agreement of party members, who are bound to support the decision of the majority.

“There was no single entity who chose them.

I did not choose them.

It was a convention, and so it was our covenant to support our chosen candidates,” he said.

Duterte said as a result of the expulsion, the affected members will lose the privileges and benefits enjoyed by Hugpong members under his administration and that

of Mayor Inday (daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio).

“I will no longer recognize you,” he said. “Sorry to say but I will not allow (your disloyalty and betrayal), and we have to part ways,” the vice mayor said.

Although unnamed, observers thought the vice mayor was referring to at least two former city councilors, Hugpong members, who are reportedly supporting businesswoman Joji Ilagan-Bian, who lost twice for congresswoman against Vincent Garcia in 2007 and his sister, Mylene Garcia in 2010. The two former councilors who also lost to the Garcias in the past are reportedly campaigning for Bian.

ORE than a month of the national electoral campaign has passed—and the words that come to mind are: boring, pretentious, and, surprising, clean. Except for some TV ads and the usual sorties, nothing much was heard or seen of the campaigns. Unsurprisingly, what became the stuff of news were the feeble attempts at issue positioning and debates, mudslinging, the fluctuating surveys, and the intramurals within and among senatorial and party-list candidates.

The more surprising development is the huge

decline in posters and tarpaulins in public places outside of designated areas by the Commission on Elections. Related to this is the rising consciousness of the voting public on issues of electoral reform such as political dynasties, automation of the electoral system, illegal pre-campaigning, campaign finance.

The “anti-epal” campaign stands out as a breakthrough, discouraging many of the candidates from putting their faces and names on billboards and project signage. It also led to adoption by some government agencies and local governments and to

more public recognition for a principal campaigner, Juana Change.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued Resolution No. 9615 to strictly enforce the elections laws on allowable poster sizes, type of campaign materials and places to post campaign posters.

Several senatorial candidates and party-list groups had already been cited for violations and some of them are already undergoing legal investigation by the Comelec. There is considerable public support for the election body on this.

Of course, it remains

to be seen if the Comelec, with the help of concerned agencies and civil society organizations, can maintain this stance into the local election campaigns due to start next month. These local campaigns are expected to produce the largest number of violations of the campaign poster regulations; these will tax to the limit the political will shown so far by the election body.

The changes in the national campaign behavior, both of candidates and the voting public, reflect the increasing changes in the voter behavior. That is, from one of relying on the tried and tested norms of traditional politics of money, popularity, and political alliances to one that is more open to electoral and political reforms, issues and positions, and platforms and programs.

However, these changes are still in transition and a large part, if not still the majority, are still vulnerable to the siren song of traditional campaigning. However, change is already written on the wall. Ramon Casiple

N official of the National Youth Commission (NYC) cited the need to strengthen the voters’ education among the youth for them to choose good leaders will deliver good governance to the country after the midterm elections.

NYC Assistant Secretary Earl Saavedra said the participation of the youth in the elections is crucial since they comprise the majority of the country’s population.

He said the youth must shun away from choosing candidates because of name recall out of their popularity.

“We want them to have the right discernment in choosing the leaders. It means, the youth ought to be proactive especially in the social transformation, where choosing good leaders is very important,” Saavedra said.

He said that the NYC as a government-youth-coordinating agency links with their contact youth-leaders in the government offices, to

Cleaning up an election M

Q

Duterte said that the Garcia family has served Dabawenyos for several decades since the time of Leon Aquino Garcia Sr. as mayor of Davao City.

A historical book “Davao Pioneers and Public Servants,” written by Dr. Dennis J. Garcia, a physician belonging to the family’s fifth generation, indicated that the public service rendered by the family actually had started with Pablo Ferrando Suazo, and Tomas Dequito Monteverde as early as the 1800s.

Duterte also lamented the use of black propaganda by the political rivals of Mylene, saying that the Garcias are known for their decent style of campaigning.

Crucial role of youth in 2013 elections cited

A

uips

help increase the awareness of young people especially in their role in exercising the right to vote.

Saavedra said they also tag along with non-government organizations in conducting provincial sorties to campaign for honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

He said the NYC also uses the social media to reach out to a larger number of audiences who might also spread the word about the call to participate in the May 2013 elections especially to the duty to protect the sanctity of the ballot.

“We course our advocacy to the platforms like the social media, radio and television in order to reach out to them,” Saavedra said.

Records from the National Statistics survey as of 2010 showed that the youth comprised 60 percent out of the total 92,337,852 Filipinos nationwide and even to the projected population at 97,496,493 as of March 26, 2013. [RGA/JSD/PIA 11]

‘AND so I was never a contributor and prob-

ably this is the reason why the kitchen sink, the toilet bowl and anything else you can think of is now being thrown at me.’

ELECTION WASTES. Workers discard election banners and posters at a depot in Manila on May 11, 2010.

Roberto S. Ongpin

--FORMER MARTIAL LAW MINISTER OF TRADE PDI, MARCH 23,2013

4

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY Banana still Davao Region’s top export VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

By Greg G. Deligero

D

ESPITE the huge damage suffered from Typhoon Pablo, banana remains as Davao Region’s top export during the first two months of 2013, records obtained from the Philippine Ports Authority showed.

Of the P237.06 million total exports in January to February, fresh banana and banana chips cornered 53.33 percent, almost the same performance posted during the entire period last year. In 2012, the region’s total exports reached P1.58 billion, with banana as the top product cornering 54.24 percent.

However, there is a marked decrease in volume in banana production and that is mainly due to the effects of Pablo.

In 2012, the average volume of fresh banana

shipped out from the region reached 222.39 million kilograms per month while during the first two months this year averaged only 189 million kilograms.

The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) earlier reported that the damage sustained by the banana industry in the aftermath of Typhoon Pablo amounted to over P11 billion.

The estimate covers 14,175 hectares of plantation in Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Bukidnon – home to Cavendish-exporting companies. The organization estimated the rehabilitation costs at P7.07 billion.

The devastation came about while the industry was still reeling from the effects of the stringent measures

that the Chinese government has imposed since March on the product. The Chinese government implemented strict regulations after claiming that there were bacteria found on a shipment.

Although big banana companies did not suffer much due to the strict regulations, small banana growers sustained heavy losses as the China market was the number one buyer of their produce.

The impact of the regulations tolled heavily on the small banana growers as big companies were already implementing these mechanisms after catering to stricter markets like Japan.

This year, the top export destinations of banana products are Bahrain, China, Hong

TOP 10 EXPORTS (January - February 2013)

Volume (Kgs.) Total

Product

1

Banana, fresh

3

Pineapple, fresh

Coconut oil/ crude oil/

2

Rubber, natural/cuplump/spr

4

Banana chips

5

Gold with silver

8

Copra cake/meal/pellets

9

Raw Sugar

10

Kong, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, coconut oil and crude oil prod-

115,831,134

43,606,209

14,682,127

43,199,945 6,030,650 6,825,259 5,546,830

Coconut, desiccated

7

378,006,614

5,578,503

Carbon, activated

6

1,189

30,133,700 5,900,140

33,937,020 11,766,435 10,605,659 10,310,863 9,056,408 8,789,380 5,713,526 3,250,668

ucts ranked as second top export product this year valued at P33.93 million or 14.31 percent followed by fresh pineapple with P14.68

million of 6.19 percent.

Other top export products are rubber, carbon, copra, gold, raw sugar, tiles and granite and fresh papaya.

ergy producers na P17.95 per kWh rate ay pantay lang din o mas mababa pa ito sa suggestion ni Sec. Petilla,” he said.

Last year, the Energy Regulatory Commission approved the FIT rate of P9.68 per kWh for solar, P8.53 per kWh for wind, P6.63 per kWh for biomass, and P5.90 per kWh for hydropower projects. On the other hand, the original petition was P17.95 per kWh for solar, P10.37 per kWh for wind, P7 per kWh for biomass, and P6.15 per kWh for hydro resources.

Casiño reasoned that if the administration had followed the proposal of the Mindanao Power Summit last year, the power crisis could have been resolved.

“The use of renewable energy is among the proposals raised during the Summit. Other options include retained ownership and management of power

plants and barges.

“It really is disappointing that the President would rather campaign for his party instead of focus on the problems faced by the ordinary Filipino.

It seems like every time I visit Mindanao they are experiencing a black out. Paano na lang ang mga tao sa Mindanao? Paano ang mga trabaho at negosyo doon?” he said.

In response to the Palace’s statement that the President can handle multiple priorities, Casiño said, “Actions speak louder than words. The proposals are all there. We’re not belittling the President’s capability to balance multiple priorities but the Palace should not belittle the expectations of the Filipino people. The presidency is a full-time job. Hindi pwedeng part-time campaign manager siya ng Liberal Party.”

Instead of P18 per kwh ‘solution’

Renewable energy pushed

M

AKABAYAN senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño yesterday raised the possibility of using renewable energy in Mindanao instead of Energy Secretary Carlos Petilla’s proposal to raise electricity rates to a considerable P18 per kilowatt per hour or construct bunker or diesel fuel power plants.

“The Energy Secretary is proposing a solution which will result in a P18 per kWh rate to address the Mindanao crisis. If that is the case, then we could instead look into renewable energy which is cleaner, more sustainable and cheaper in the long term,” Casiño said.

Casiño pointed out that the approved feed in tariff (FIT) rate of renewable energy sources are below P10 per kwh.

“Kahit sundin pa natin yung request ng solar en-

Q

uips

‘IT is not just a name change, but an

AFFORDABLE. A fish vendor deals a freshly caught “barilison” to passersby outside Sta. Ana Wharf along R. Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City yesterday. Fish buyers who wanted to buy affordable fish regularly visit the area because this is where the fishermen unload and sell their day’s catch. Lean Daval Jr.

Value (US$) Total

alignment of two standards into one. With this rebranding, PAL and PAL Express passengers can also earn miles through their membership in the Mabuhay Miles (Club).’

--Ramon S. Ang, PAL president BUSINESSMIRROR, MARCH 15-16, 2013

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

5

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch 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

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Canning firm sees jobs, profits increase L

ISTED Alliance Select Foods International, Inc. (ASFI) expects to create more jobs in Southern Mindanao after recording profits this year.

It will pour in additional investments in its canned tuna processing plants located in General Santos City, ASFI said without divulging the amount.

The firm’s facilities, which are the largest in terms of sales among Alliance’s various components, benefit from fiscal and non-fiscal incentives provided to locators in the Foodport Processing Zone (FPZ).

FPZ is the sole export processing zone in the country that houses canned tuna and smoked salmon facilities.

On Tuesday, Director General Lilia de Lima of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and director Efren Madlangsakay of Alliance MHI Properties, Inc. (AMHI) signed an agreement for the registration of the latter’s 82,000-square-meter

land as a developer/operator of an agro industrial economic zone. ASFI owns a 40-percent stake in AMHI. In a disclosure, ASFI said the incentives provided by the government will allow Alliance to continue investing in its processing facilities and further cement its position as a preferred supplier to leading supermarket chains abroad.

It said profitability will also result in increased employment opportunities for the region.

Moreover, the compound at FPZ has unused land which can be leased out to potential locators since the fiscal incentives make the zone an attractive location to put up processing facilities.

“This will give AMHI an additional revenue stream, the benefits of which will also accrue to Alliance,” it added.

Alliance processing plants located in General Santos City will be applying shortly to the PEZA as locators. [PNA]

DAVAO BY THE NUMBERS Applications for business permits this year reached

29,500 or an increase of 4.07 percent from

28,344

recorded in 2012.

SOURCE: BUSINESS BUREAU

Imports decline as purchases of oil, raw materials drop

L

OWER volume and international prices for oil coupled with the drop in purchases of semi-processed raw materials resulted in a decline in imports in January 2013, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“These caused the lower payments for mineral fuels and lubricants and raw materials and intermediate goods that reduced total import bill in January 2013,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

Merchandise imports went

down by 8.0 percent to US$4.7 billion in January 2013 from the US$5.1 billion recorded during the same month last year.

Petroleum crude payments declined by 45.3 percent during the period on account of lower import volume and international price of Dubai crude, which fell by 45.5 percent and 2.0 percent year-onyear, respectively. These made the value of overseas purchases of mineral fuels and lubricants drop by 30.0 percent (US$924.9 million) for the period from US$1.3 billion in January 2012.

Likewise, semi-processed raw inputs decreased by 10.3 percent that pushed down imports of raw materials and intermediate goods by 7.8 percent to US$1.8 billion in January 2013 from US$1.9 billion in the same period last year.

These inputs include materials/accessories for the manufacture of electrical equipment, which declined by 29.8 percent in January 2013.

“The drop in overseas purchases of materials/accessories for the manufacture of electrical equipment seems to indicate a possible sluggish ex-

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

EDGEDAVAO

APPRECIATION. Abet Villarosa, president and chief executive officer of Security Bank Corp., expresses his appreciation to the members of local media in his speech during the company’s Davao Media Appreciation Dinner at the Marco Polo Davao recently. Lean Daval Jr.

It figures

91 %

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

7%

THE Philippines’ economy may grow by 7 percent in the first quarter of 2013, faster than the 6.4 percent registered last year due to strong government and election spending, and booming construction, according to local think thank First Metro Investment Corp. and University of Asia and the Pacific’s Capital Market Research. BusinessMirror, March 21,2013

port performance of electronic products in the first quarter of 2013,” said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General.

With the imports performance, the trade-in goods deficit narrowed to US$713.9 million from US$1.0 billion in January 2012.

“However, higher imports of consumer goods and capital goods partially moderated the drop in imports during the period,” the Cabinet official said.

Imports for consumer goods grew by 19.5 percent year-on-year to US$622.4 million while capital goods reached US$1.4 billion (3.0%) in January 2013.

Higher inward shipments of passenger cars and motorized cycle (21.1%), home appliances (99.6%) and miscellaneous manufactures (7.8%) supported the growth in payments for durable consumer goods (22.3%).

Also, increased inward shipments of beverages and tobacco manufactures (115.9%), articles of apparel (40.0%), fruits and vegetables (18.7%) and, fish and fish preparations (29.8%), increased the payments for imported non-durable consumer products (16.8%).

“The higher spending for imported consumer products partly reflects the generally optimistic expectations of consumers, on the back of macroeconomic improvements recorded in the previous year,” said Balisacan.

7.5 % CHINESE Premier Li Keqiang said the nation must maintain economic growth averaging 7.5 percent a year through 2020, as the government seeks to double per-capita income this decade.

Bloomberg News, March 18, 2013

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

by Gel Ferrer

I

AM GREEN-MINDED and I’m not ashamed to say it. Not the dirty kind of green, but the eco-kind of green.

Having come face-toface with nature’s fury during the Davao flashflood two years ago, GO ORGANIC Toxic wastes are reduced when we buy organic and chemical-free products. For food, it’s also a healthier choice,

Green living

I came to realize that really, we are but stewards of the earth. And as karma puts it, what we sow, we reap. We now pay the price for the sins of the past – indiscriminately disposing of our waste, all the chemicals knowing that what we take in was not sprayed with pesticides or fertilizers of any kind.

Rice, our staple food, has organic variants in

we used and flushed down the drain, abusively using our seemingly unlimited resources. As we see and feel the effects of climate change, we are called to take responsibility for the environment towards a different colors – red, brown, black, even pink! We can find fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs grown through natural farming meth-

sustainable future.

One of my resolutions for 2013 is to take the greener choice, in everything that I do.

Planting 100 trees and joining the coastal cleanup is still in my list, but I thought I can push this ods around. Check labels for processed food that has no preservatives and the freshness seal.

Organic rice from BIOS DYNAMIS and fresh herbs from ALOHA ORGANIC GARDEN

advocacy further. Taking my lifestyle in check, I ask myself, is this the green choice? I became more conscious of the products I buy and the services I take. Aside from price and quality, being “eco-friendly” is

7

now a major factor to my everyday choices.

It’s really not that hard anymore, I realized, with all the options around.

If you want to join the green bandwagon, here are a few simple ways to start with:

BUY LOCAL Patronizing locally produced goods and services takes the trouble (and the cost) for our local growers and businesses to move their products elsewhere, thus reducing fuel consumption and ultimately, the carbon footprint. No need to look far, we have a lot of high-quality products with that are proudly Davao-made. Even as we think of places to spend our summer vacation or just a weekend of rest and recreation, why not consider the eco-tourism sites just around the corner?

Go snorkeling, white-water rafting, trekking or bird-watching for a unique nature trip.

Locally-grown and processed food from FOOD PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION OF DAVAO and coconut sugar from COCO SWEET.

RECYCLE, REDUCE, RE-USE By now, waste segregation should come naturally, with all the facilities and ordinances in place. Aside from recycling at home, consider buying products made of recycled materials that are not only functional, but are beautifully handcrafted. Handmade paper crafts and home décor from TADECO LIVELIHOOD and the SAMAL ECO CRAFTERS ASSOCIATION are produced as community-based livelihood projects, so not only would you be helping the environment, you can also contribute to community building, as well.

Beautifully handcrafted items from recycled materials from TADECO LIVELIHOOD AND SAMAL ECO CRAFTERS ASSOCIATION.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Zombies in our precincts THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA

I

EDITORIAL

Requiem to a pro-poor bill

T

HE Philippines must be so poor it cannot seem to afford a pro-poor law that will provide homes, food, jobs, education and health care for the 25 million poor Filipinos.

President Aquino had to, regrettably, veto a bill that would have bailed the poor out of the bondage of poverty and earned for him “pogi” points.

The Magna Carta for the Poor is a measure that would have immediately built five million socialized housing units, provide food, medicine and jobs, and send indigent kids to school. The cost of this legislation would be an astounding P3.04 trillion. That’s P1.038 trillion more than our national budget of P2.006 trillion.

The President’s line of argument for vetoing the bill is because the government simply cannot afford the budget. The cost is simply too high and at P3.033 trillion, there is no way the Philippines can afford such an enormous amount.

But, why a wholesale veto?

The President’s sweeping veto virtually delivered a death knell to the law whose wisdom is to guarantee that the downtrodden and the impoverished will have

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a taste of a better life—an age-old cliché that goes with the real meaning of social justice.

The Magna Carta for the Poor has all the trappings of a landmark legislation. It endured two Congresses before reaching the Chief Executive’s table, only to meet such a sad end.

The framers of the bill say, Mr Aquino could have vetoed the items he thought were unaffordable instead of rejecting them wholesale. Other provisions could have still breathed fresh hopes for the poor. The veto, in effect, threw the bill into the wastebasket and in order to revive the measure, a new bill has to be filed and the whole process starts all over again.

The death of this pro-poor legislation came on the heels of the inaugural message of Pope Francis on helping the poor and the weak.

We could have been the first nation to respond to the Pope’s call with that breakthrough legislation. The President would have been hailed to high heavens by the 25 million poor Pinoys.

In the end, it was Mr. Aquino’s judgment call.

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

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(Conclusion)

T is scandalous to the civilized mind that our elections serve up an anomalous array of presumptuous, pretentious politicos with a feudal mindset. There is no convention or rational process of selection that can attest to their credentials or suitability for the public service.

Propelled mainly by money, dynasty, or vanity, they inflict themselves on society, unilaterally! And we let them get away with it, actually allowing them to confine our choices to the dismal personalities they peddle, making zombies of us all as well!

We are all, collectively, making a mockery of democracy and nationhood and liberty. We let selfish interests and the aggrandizing attitude define our political life. We let wrong values trump statesmanship and social justice. We abandon sense of community or concern for the common good—the virtues that impel individuals to rise above family or personal interests.

Absent these values, one can’t really expect respect for human rights or the freedoms necessary to the fulfillment of selfhood, neighborhood, or nationhood.

In allowing dysfunctional citizens and corrupt leaders to dominate our society, there is no way we can expect a level playing field anytime soon. The ruling clique will always see to it that elections are skewed in their favor. They will always view election dominance and public office to be their birthright. They will always look upon privilege and impunity to be theirs to enjoy and wallow in. It would never occur to them that this is unbecoming, unfair, or unjust.

Never would it strike them that their mindset perpetuates injustice, of which they are the major cause.

Today, patronage and oligarchic politics mesmerize the grassroots.

This spell is so pervasive that it eviscerates decency and morality in otherwise honorable people. It is so compelling that it robs the poor and poorly educated of volition and autonomy. It renders them highly susceptible to manipulation and corruption, a condition readily exploited by trapos—economic opportunists and political predators with no moral compunctions or social conscience.

So what does one do about a situation where citizens are reduced to virtual automatons, without strength or will to resist. Capitalizing on their poverty, powerlessness, and political immaturity, the trapos bastardize democracy and bend the system to their will, turning people into political zombies—voting as importuned or programmed by patronage and the Pork Barrel.

What keeps the grassroots spellbound must be confronted. The power of patronage must be curbed, especially Pork Barrel profligacy. People must be made aware and immunized to its insidious effect upon the community. To awaken it requires a conscious sense of responsibility.

To uphold it requires an assertive brand of sovereignty among the pace-setters and role models in the barangay, the middle and upper classes. And to banish it, democracy must be institutionalized along with the rule of law…especially in Mindanao where the Force of Law yields too often to the Law of Force.

[MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Manny Valdehuesa writes from Cagayan de Oro and is the president and national convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc. (valdehuesa@gmail.com

EDGEDAVAO VOL.6 ISSUE 9 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

VANTAGE POINTS

P3-trillion Face off: The Magna Carta for the Poor

“

In other words, I could have played cute.

I could have signed this into law, and earned brownie points, but I know the government wouldn’t be able to meet this.

”

-- PRES. AQUINO

“

I believe a President who comes from an elite landed family would be unable to see the merits of a propoor legislation. We have the saying that ‘those who have less in life will have more in law.’ With the veto, the poor will not be able to seek succor even in law.

”

--REP. LUZVIMINDA ILAGAN, Gabriela

T

Spiritual pilgrimage

HE number of stations varied between seven and 30; seven being common.

These were usually placed, often in small buildings, along the approach to a church, as in a set of 1490 by Adam Kraft, leading to the Johanneskirche in Nuremberg.

In the Philippines, which received the Cross in 1521, the Catholic faithful follow the standard set from the 17th to 20th centuries which has consisted of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes: 1. Jesus is condemned to death; 2. Jesus carries His cross; 3. Jesus falls the first time; 4. Jesus meets His mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross; 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; 7. Jesus falls the second time; 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; 9. Jesus falls the third time; 10. Jesus is stripped of his garments;

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(1st of two parts) 11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12. Jesus dies on the cross; 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation); 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

While not traditionally part of the Stations, some Catholic Church sources say the Resurrection of Jesus is at times included as a 15th station.

Some have asked what spiritual significance is there that one must go through the Way of the Cross.

Sources say the object of the Stations is to help the faithful “make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings

and death. “ Catholic priests say this has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion.

In his encyclical letter, Miserentissimus Redemptor, on reparations, Pope Pius XI called Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as “some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury” with respect to the sufferings of Jesus.

Pope John Paul II referred to Acts of Reparation as the “unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified”.

In the Philippines, the temperature during Lent rising to what some describe as “oppressively hot and humid,” the lines making the spiritual pilgrimage are lengthening despite. [PNA]

9

Online campaign scheme

B

A S I C P O L I TI C A L INFO LACED WITH EXAGG E R AT I O N – On the campaign front, information technology-laced efforts had been established to form part of a political candidate’s barnstorming. One glaring example is the May 2013 midterm elections where senatorial contenders have made the Internet an integral factor of their political campaign. Actually cyberspace campaigning has been introduced during the May 1998 presidential elections and the concept has been resuscitated just in time to serve as online campaign sites for senate bets during the midterm polls.

Some candidates notably those vying senate posts maintained at least two or three websites paving the way for the voters of being treated to a distinctive essence of Philippine elections with the introduction of cyberspace campaigning.

Candidates, as their wont, are touted in their web page as pro-poor or any other claim purportedly aimed at helping uplift the miserable plight of the marginal sector. Much had been said about who the senate bets are, or what their platform of government is all about. Furthermore, voters can find the webpage service of each senatorial aspirant that contains basic information – educational attainment, personal data, public service record and notable accomplishments, which are of course, laced with hokum and hyperbole.

At the advent of IT, candidates joined the cyberspace bandwagon as prerequisite for their political aspirations. Their webpage service offers a fact-based outline tracing their roots, their educational background, lives as businessmen, local leader and outstanding public servant in an apparent attempt to boost their candidacies. It also lists their other achievements both in the private and government sectors as if to echo their party’s campaign platform anchored on “straight path or reform now!”(tuwid na daan o’pagbabago ngayo na!”) Most of their websites do not stop at the mere obligatory litany of the candidates’ selfworth. They also provide daily updates in the form of press “praise releases” about their activities in the campaign trail.

There are also some “unofficial” sites for reluctant and frustrated would-be voters looking for bits of candidate information in cyberspace. The handful of homepages managed either by individuals or groups are quite helpful in providing general information about the May 2013 midterm elections and the candidates. The different sites likewise offer an assemblage of select news, special features, analysis and other prognostications about the midterm polls. Some sections on the websites also help map out to online readers the configuration of parties, political allies, leaders and wards, legions of supporters and bailiwicks around each senatorial candidate.

Yet another extremely interesting websites are those maintained by independent groups. However, voters should be wary about what information they stumble upon in electronic discussion groups. These websites are crafted to gauge a candidate’s popularity and the image they project and they are also known as survey outfits that thrive on subscription fees. Their job is to identify the issues important to the people as well as to assess the undecided voters.

Aside from identifying supporters and followers, candidates are able to pinpoint areas where they are weakest and strongest based on the data the firm able to gather. The election lists and survey results deal with almost the same crucial issues. Voters therefore should weigh down carefully and depend heavily on the online campaign sites.

10 NATION/WORLD

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

‘Combat-ready’ N. Korea threatens Hawaii, Guam, US mainland, SoKor N

ORTH Korea’s military put its “strategic” rocket units on a war footing Tuesday, with a fresh threat to strike targets on the US mainland, Hawaii and Guam, as well as South Korea.

“All artillery troops including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units are to be placed under class-A combat readiness,” the Korean People’s Army supreme command said in a statement.

The units should be prepared to attack “all US military bases in the Asia-Pacific region, including the US mainland, Hawaii and Guam” and South Korea, said the statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

Despite a successful long-range rocket launch in December, most experts believe North Korea is years from developing a genuine inter-continental ballistic missile that could strike the mainland United States.

Hawaii and Guam would also be outside the range of its medium-range missiles, which would be capable, however, of striking US military bases in South

Korea and Japan.

The supreme command announcement came days after the South Korean and US militaries signed a new pact, providing for a joint military response to even low-level provocative action by North Korea.

While existing agreements provide for US engagement in the event of a full-scale conflict, the new protocol addresses the response to a limited provocation such as an isolated incident of cross-border shelling.

It guarantees US support for any South Korean retaliation and allows Seoul to request any additional US military force it deems necessary.

Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have been at an elevated level for months, following December’s rocket test and the North’s third nuclear test which it carried out last month.

Both events triggered UN sanctions that infuriated the North, which has spent the past month issuing increasingly threatening statements about unleashing an “allout war” backed by nuclear weapons.

Some have included similar warnings of

COMBAT READY. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects an army unit at an undisclosed location, March 23, 2013. North Korea put its military on combat ready status Tuesday, with “strategic” rocket units ordered to prepare

for possible strikes against the US mainland, Hawaii and Guam, state media reported.[AFP]

looming strikes on US bases in the Pacific region, including Guam.

North Korea was particularly incensed that nuclear-capable US B-52 bombers flying out of Andersen Air base on Guam took part in recent joint South Korea-US military exercises.

“We will demonstrate the firm resolution of

niversary of the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel by what Seoul insists was a North Korean submarine. Pyongyang has always denied any involvement.

Addressing a memorial ceremony for the 46 sailors who died in the incident, South Korean President Park GeunHye warned North Korea

that its only “path to survival” lay in abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes.

Sabre-rattling and displays of brinkmanship are nothing new in the region, but there are concerns that the current situation is so volatile that one accidental step could escalate into serious conflict. [AFP]

Mar. 15, days after filing for leave of absence.

“I would not surmise, much less judge, the realities which drove this promising, young lady to take her own life. I am sure things are more complex than we know,” Pangilinan said.

He nonetheless added: “But of this we are certain--education should be a right for all, not a privilege for the few.”

Tejada’s death has sparked a heated debate on state education in the Philippines, with groups blaming strict tuition policies for worsening the student’s financial woes.

Protests have mean-

while forced UP officials to lift its “no late payment” policy and vow for reforms in the state-run school’s Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP).

But militants instead demanded a total repeal of the STFAP and an across-the-board tution rollback, along with the resignation of officials involved in Tejada’s case.

For his part, Pangilinan said Tejada’s suicide “devastated all of us-you as students, and us, your elders--because we all know that we continue to disappoint millions of young Filipinos who deserve their education.”

[Yahoo!]

Death toll in Myanmar unrest hits 40

T

HE death toll from recent communal violence in central Myanmar has risen to 40 after eight more bodies were pulled from the wreckage of a riot-hit town, state media reported on Tuesday.

The clashes were a stark reminder of the challenge that Muslim-Buddhist tensions pose to Myanmar’s government as it tries to reform the country after decades of iron-fisted military rule ended two years ago.

In a televised statement late on Monday, Myanmar’s government called for an end to “religious extremism” that it warned could derail the Buddhist-majority country’s reform process.

Police in the main city of Yangon have been instructed to be extra vigilant, a police officer who did not want to be named told AFP. “Police in every township are on alert and ready in case something happens,” he said, adding that some soldiers had also been on patrol in the former capital.

The quasi-civilian government has faced strong international pressure over the unrest, which according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has displaced more than 12,000 people.

The clashes -- apparently triggered by an argument in a gold shop -- began on March 20 in Meiktila, 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Naypyidaw, with mosques burned, houses razed and charred bodies left lying in the streets.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said the eight new bodies were retrieved from the debris during the clean-up operation over the weekend.

Dozens of people have been detained in connection with the violence, which saw armed rioters -- including Buddhist monks -- roam the streets, threatening journalists who visited Meiktila.

It was the worst sectarian strife since violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine last year left at least 180 peo-

ple dead and more than 110,000 displaced.

The bloodshed has raised fears that long-standing religious tensions that were largely suppressed during junta rule could now spread to other parts of the country.

After a state of emergency was declared on Friday and the army was sent into the area, an uneasy calm has returned to Meiktila, where a nighttime curfew has been imposed.

Elsewhere, however, there were signs of fresh trouble over the weekend with violence on Saturday night leaving more than 40 houses and a mosque in ruins in Yamethin township near Naypyidaw, according to a ward official.

Unrest was also reported in several other villages in the area.

The mood has also grown nervous in parts of Yangon, according to residents, where the regional government on Monday ordered restaurants or shops selling alcohol to close by 9:00 pm in a move aimed at stopping the spread of rumours. [AFP]

our people and military to protect our sovereignty and dignity through real military action,” Tuesday’s statement warned.

“There is no greater delusion than the idea that they will have an opportunity for retaliation,” it added.

The statement coincided with the third an-

MVP: Education, not wealth, makes you richer

A

business tycoon has joined calls to ensure broader access to state education, as he noted that both government and private sector “disappoint” young Filipinos who deserve to be in school.

Speaking to graduates of the Philippine Women’s University Saturday, telecommunications magnate Manny Pangilinan said the death of Kristel Tejada should remind Filipinos of the importance of state education.

Pangilinan was referring to the 16-year-old behavioral science freshman at the University of the Philippines Diliman who took her own life

Q

uips

‘I’M just focused on working hard and

taking advantage of all the blessings coming in right now, because I might not get the same opportunities when I leave acting.’

--actor Daniel Padilla

EDGEDAVAO

Deepen your faith...

FFROM 1

Some of the popular Filipino religious traditions during the Holy Week are the Via Crusis or Way of the Cross, processions such as the Santo Enterrio with a wooden image of Christ’s corpse, Sugat or encounter where a little girl dressed as an angel is descended from an elevated platform during the dawn, and more.

“Catholics should also understand that penitence, fasting or abstinence should not simply be done to follow tradition, but to acquire self-control and will power so that, just like Jesus, one can analogically suffer and die for wrongdoing or sin,” Capalla said.

He said that very few take advantage of confession or sacraments of reconcil-

iation due to the disappearing sense of sin because their conscience has become calloused.

“Materialism (lust for the material), consumerism (lust for artificial goods), and hedonism (lust for forbidden sex) stifle faith and numb conscience and this has been shown in the Republic Health (RH) law controversy,” he said.

from Hugpong who are posting in illegal areas, I will personally request that candidate to remove his or her poster,” Quitain said, adding that they have requested Comelec to conduct seminars on the rules and guidelines of the election campaign for all candidates, especially members of Hugpong.

“We (election candidates) must follow the law, because it would be ironic if lawmakers themselves would break the law,” he said.

He also commended the “strict” nature of Comelec chairman

Sixto Brillantes, which he pointed to as one of the reasons there were only few voters attending the recent rallies of Team PNoy and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) held at the Rizal Park here.

“Brillantes is very strict, candidates cannot simply spend money for propagandas and other campaign strategies without following the guidelines of Comelec,” Quitain said.

“This is a good thing, because it is about time to change how we conduct the election campaign,” he added.

tertained by live band concerts, woodstock costume party, fire dance and Mardi Gras competition,” Ayuste bared, adding that they are still finalizing the amount of prizes for the different competitions.

The competitions are open to groups from neighboring prov-

inces of IGACOS. Meanwhile, IGACOS Mayor Aniano Antalan said they would also add various sports activities during the celebration of the Visit Samal 2013, adding that the city government is thankful to the owners or resort for playing a big role in promoting Samal tourism globally.

province through its “no refusal policy” being implemented in the provincial and district hospitals.

In accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MGD) set for North Cotabato, the provincial leadership was able to expand its program on immunization where 94 percent of children since 2011 were vaccinated to reduce child mortality.

Child birthing facilities were also established in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas to improve maternal

health.

She also bared that North Cotabato also recieved the Seal of Good Housekeeping from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and P25 million which was utilized to rehabilitate the Napanlahan-Dallag road in Arakan town.

Mendoza thanked her constituents, particularly the barangay, municipal and provincial officials for their continued support of the programs and projects of the province.

Respect for Holy Week...

FFROM 1

“Holy Week must come first, since it ends on Easter Sunday, which is on March 31, it would be best to start the campaign in April,” he said.

“I don’t want politics to be associated with the Holy Week, because this period must be set aside for God and for the family,” he said.

He also reassured the people of Davao city that their party will follow rules of the Comelec, especially in the posting of campaign materials in designated poster areas.

“If there are verified reports of candidates

Visit Samal 2013...

FFROM 2

del Norte and resort owner of Punta del Sol, said they will be having different events in line with the Visit Samal 2013 program from April 27 to May 4.

“The highlight of this year’s festivity is the week-long ‘Ihaw-ihaw sa Samal’ at the Freedom Park in Peñaplata while you will be en-

Envi, agri...

FFROM 2

a total of P55 million was allocated for the development of an agri-center in the province.

For infrastructure, P27.340 million was allocated for the asphalting of eight road sections in the province, P59.787 million for 27 multi-purpose covered courts, P71.282 million for 128 units of multi-purpose buildings and P21 million for the electrification of 19 barangays.

Governor Mendoza also highlighted the health program of the

11

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Aquino says Mindanao power shortage to be resolved by 2015

P

RESIDENT Benigno Aquino III Tuesday said power shortage being experienced in some parts of Mindanao will be resolved when the diesel-powered plants being put up become operational.

“The Department of Energy (DOE) presented yesterday a plan where we will assist the distribution utilities in purchasing generating sets. By 2015, we expect the problem to largely go away. By then, we will have sufficient surplus of power in Mindanao as it takes three to four years to set up the power plant,” the President said in a chance interview with reporters during his inspection at the Victory

Liner Bus terminal in Pasay City.

“The earliest target date is about 300 megawatts (MW) coalfired power plant by 2015, there will be more power plants to be put up after 2017,” he added.

Currently, the President said, there is 35 megawatts available from diesel-run power plants but he wants to make sure that government actions complies with the law.

The Iligan diesel power plant, which has been recently rehabilitated, is now operational to augment the insufficiency of power supply in Mindanao that is dependent on hydro-electric power.

But, he said, it takes

about five to six months before the 102 MW Iligan power plant to be able to reach its full capacity again.

President Aquino, however, said that the government’s current plans to resolve the power crisis in Mindanao necessitates additional charges to be shouldered by the consumer.

“Electricity rates in Mindanao will definitely increase, that’ inevitable,” he said.

“The choice is whether they pay higher power rate or no power. Majority of those we consulted understood that it is necessary to increase charges to resolve power shortage,” he noted.

(PNA)

HE Philippines has surpassed its 400,000 arrival mark for both January and February with 436,079 arrivals for January alone.

This, according to the Dept. of Tourism, is expected to continue until the summer months.

For the first two months of the year, international visitors closed at another record high of 854,187 or a double-digit growth of 10.5 percent from 772,989 of the same period in 2012.

Tourist arrivals for February 2013 increased by 15.52 percent with 418,108 arrivals, marking the first time that this month achieved more than 400,000 visitors.

Korea had the most number of arrivals reaping 241,116 visitors which were up by 25.6 percent and cornering slightly more than a quarter of the total inbound traffic.

The US came out as the second largest yield with 120,868 or 14.2 percent of the visitor count.

Arrivals from Japan had the third biggest arrivals of 73,621 visitors.

Other top contributing countries include China with 69,610; Taiwan with 37,921; Australia with 34,095; Singapore with 25,800; Canada with 25,338; Hong Kong with 23,097; Malaysia with 18,947; United Kingdom with 18,563; and Germany with 13,774.

Double-digit gains were also experienced in significant source markets such as India (24.99 percent), Russian Federation (23.97 percent), Malaysia (23.42 percent), Hong Kong (18.92 percent), Singapore (14.47 percent), and Australia (11.43 percent) from January to February 2013.

The ASEAN market posted an 18.5 percent overall growth by regional grouping with the East Asian region recording a 14.57 percent increase.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., in a statement, said tourism numbers were reaching “unprecedented heights” with a target of 5.5 million this year and 10 million by 2016. (PNA)

Gumapac said they have launched a deeper investigation into the incident and were specifically determining if other inmates are involved in illegal drug activities inside the facility.

He refused to make a conclusion regarding the alleged involvement of one of their trustees, saying it could just be part of a plot to discredit the latter.

“He has made enemies with other inmates because of his activities as our trustee,” Gumapac said without elaborating.

On the foiled smug-

gling of the alleged shabu, he acknowledged that there had been numerous rumors regarding such activity at the facility.

“We’ve been conducting thorough inspections on all our visitors so I don’t think a similar activity had gone unnoticed before.

We’re not sleeping on our jobs and this is a proof to that,” he said.

Gumapac added that they temporarily suspended the visitor’s privileges of all inmates for this week to facilitate their investigation.

(Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

PHL surpasses target of 400,000 tourist arrivals T

Minor’s attempt...

FFROM 2

of the jail’s trustee inmates.

When accosted, Gumapac said the minor pointed to a woman waiting outside the jail as the owner of the packed hamburgers containing the banned drug.

He said the woman, whom he only identified as a former inmate named Cheryl or CheChe, hastily left the area aboard a motorcycle.

The minor was placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development pending further actions on his case.

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

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EDGEDavao Gensan Partners

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

HIRING ABROAD-CAREER OPPORTUNITY

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Back at no. 1...

SPORTS 13

FFROM 15

nificance. He’s back to No. 1. ‘’If I get healthy, I know I can play this game at a high level,’’ Woods said. ‘’I know I can be where I’m contending in every event, contending in major championships and being consistent day in and day out - if I got healthy. That was the first step in the process.

Once I got there, then my game turned.’’

A year ago, he came to Bay Hill without having won in more than 2 1/2 years. He left this year having won six times in his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour.

Next up is the Masters, where Woods will try to end his five-year drought in the majors. ‘’I’m really excited about the rest of this year,’’ Woods said.

Woods fell as low as No. 58 in the world as he coped with the collapse of his marriage, a loss of sponsors and injuries to his left leg. One week after he announced he was dating Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn, Woods returned to the top of golf. ‘’Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!’’

Vonn tweeted moments after his win.

Asked if there was any correlation to his winning right after going public with his relationship, Woods smiled and said, ‘’You’re reading way too much into this.’’

Like so many other vic-

tories, this one was never really close.

Fowler pulled to within two shots with a 25foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, but after he and Woods made bogey on the 15th, Fowler went at the flag on the par-5 16th and came up a few yards short and into the water. Fowler put another ball into the water and made triple bogey. ‘’I was swinging it well.

I made a few putts, and trying to put a little pressure on them, let them know I was there,’’ Fowler said. ‘’Just would like to have that 7-iron back on 16. Just kind of a touch heavy.’’

Woods played it safe on the 18th, and nearly holed a 75-foot par putt that even drew a big smile from the tournament host.

Woods tied the tour record of eight wins in a single tournament. Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times from 1938 to 1965 at two golf courses. Woods tied his record for most wins at a single golf course, having also won eight times at Torrey Pines, including a U.S. Open. ‘’I don’t really see anybody touching it for a long time,’’ Palmer said while Woods made his way up the 18th fairway. ‘’I had the opportunity to win a tournament five times,

and I knew how difficult that was.’’

Rose, who played the first two rounds with Woods, closed with a 70 to finish alone in second.

He pulled to within two shots of Woods with a birdie on the 16th. Woods was in the group behind him in the fairway bunker on the par 5, and hit 8-iron over the water and onto the middle of the green for a two-putt birdie to restore his margin. ‘’He plays every shot like he plays them on Sunday,’’ Rose said. ‘’His intensity is the same on Thursday often as it is on Sunday, and that makes Sunday a lot less different for him. He plays in that kind of atmosphere far more regularly than a lot of guys do, and it’s an adjustment for most of us. It’s a known for him.’’

Fowler had to settle for a 73 and a tie for third with Mark Wilson (71), Keegan Bradley (71) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (72).

Rory McIlroy had been No. 1 since he won the PGA Championship last August. He can reclaim the No. 1 ranking by winning the Houston Open this week. Woods heads home to south Florida for two weeks before the Masters.

Asked the last time he felt this good going to Augusta National, Woods replied, ‘’It’s been a few years.’’

14 SPORTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Medvil FC battles Mintal Inter Rage for top spot L

EAGUE leader Medvil FC tries to clinch the top spot after the elimination round when they collide against no. 2 Mintal Inter Rage in the Medvil Cup football tournament at the Deca Homes Field in Mintal today.

Medvil leads the nine-team tournament with six wins and one loss for 18 points. Mintal Inter Rage is close by in second with a 5-0-2 win-draw-loss record for 15 points. Medvil and Mintal are shoo-in for the semifinals spot and only the seeding will be determined by this match.

Game time is set at 10:00 a.m. today.

In the opener, cellar dweller Holy Child (02-5) will meet Calinan Blue Eagles which is running third with a 4-1-2 slate for 13 points.

A win by the Blue Eagles will formalize their entry into the semifinal round.

Impeesa (4-0-3) will also try cement itself at fourth spot when they take on Oi Rogers (2-2-3). Impeesa must win over Oi Rogers to qualify. Depending on the score, they can still take third place. The two teams meet at 2 pm after the match between

PWC Patriots (1-2-5) and Calinan FC (3-0-4) in another non-bearing match.

The top 4 teams will qualify to the semi finals which will be played in crossover format with the no. 1 team facing no.

4 and no. 2 facing no. 3.

Both no. 1 and 2 teams enjoy twice-to-beat advantage.

If the no. 1 team beats no. 4 in game 1, then the second semis matchup between no.

2 and no. 3 becomes a knock out game as the twice to beat rule is disregarded.

“So far, Medvil is assured of the no. 1

position, as long as they don’t lose to Mintal Inter Rage by 9 goals.

A draw would make Medvil no. 1,” said Match Commissioner Erwin Protacio.

A win over Holy Child will enable Calinan Blue Eagles to place second at 16 points.

Mintal must win to stay at second place (18 points). A draw would tie them with Calinan Blue Eagles (if they beat Holy Child – which is likely). If Mintal loses, the scores of Calinan Blue Eagles and Impeesa will determine their standing.

EDGEDAVAO

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (24) drives against Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday (Tuesday Manila Time), March 25, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo)

Lakers bow to Warriors, Jazz cuts gap for no. 8

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AKLAND, Calif.

(AP) -- Stephen Curry had 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on a sprained right ankle, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 109-103 on Monday night.

David Lee added 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Klay Thompsonscored 22 points to propel the Warriors to a 25-point lead early in the third quarter in a matchup with huge playoff implications.

Golden State (41-31) improved to a game ahead of idle Houston (39-31) and 4 1/2 games in front of the Lakers (36-35) for sixth place in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles’ lead over Utah (35-36) for the final playoff spot is down to one game. The Jazz beat Philadelphia 107-91 in Salt Lake City earlier Monday night.

Kobe Bryant scored 36 points and Steve Nash had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in an otherwise lackluster Lakers effort. Los Ange-

les has lost three straight games, and the latest was never even close.

Questionable to play since spraining his twice surgically repaired ankle in Saturday’s victory over Washington, Curry sat out the morning shootaround and often grimaced during a pregame workout at the arena. Warriors coach Mark Jackson called Curry a ‘’game-time decision,’’ though Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni never doubted Curry would play - or play well.

With the dynamic point guard leading the way, the Warriors received contributions from all over.

Thompson hit three of his six 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Curry made another one. Festus Ezeli added an alley-oop from Jarrett Jack and put back a miss to give Golden State a 28-14 lead.

The reserves kept the momentum going, with Jack outrunning everybody for a coast-to-coast layup and tossing in a floater to start the second quarter. He had 19 points.

Hornets snap Nuggets’ 15-game win streak

N

EW ORLEANS (AP) -- Even Brian Roberts couldn’t believe the performance he delivered to help end Denver’s 15game winning streak.

Starting for only the second time, the rookie doubled his season high with 18 assists, Ryan Anderson scored 23 points and the short-handed New Orleans Hornets beat the Nuggets 110-86 on Monday night.

Anderson was 5 of 11

on 3-pointers, and the Hornets sank 14-of-25 3s overall. Darius Miller, starting in place of injured shooting guard Eric Gordon, was 4 of 5 behind the arc and had 16 points as seven Hornets scored in double figures.

New Orleans won its third in a row and was in control all the way. The Hornets led by nine at the end of the first quarter, by 21 at the half and by 18 entering the fourth.

INdulge!

VOL.6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TRAVEL

Adding color to Davao

They say that Filipinos have got to be some of the most colorful people in the world, be it in the way we converse, the way we share our experiences, the way we make a joke out of everything, even the way we turn a problem into a funny situation. how apt that SM hotels and Conventions Corporation decided to partner with the Carlzon Rezidor hotel Group to open Asia Pacific’s first Park Inn by Radisson in colorful ceremonies last March 22.

Located at Davao’s trendiest shopping and lifestyle district, Park Inn is within the SM Lanang Davao complex and is literally just a few steps from the SM Lanang Premier mall, IMAX cinema and SMX Convention Center.

Colorful, modern, and hip, Park Inn by Radisson Davao is the first “next generation” of Park Inn that provides an outstanding hotel experience to savvy business and leisure travellers. The hotel’s friendly, fresh, vibrant and “Adding Colors to Life” spirit of service resonates with the Gen y crowd and is taken to heart with everything the hotel does, from providing a great night’s sleep, to vibrant modern decor, and complimentary highspeed internet throughout the hotel’s 204 rooms and common areas.

Dining is also more colorful at Park Inn’s hip all-day dining restaurant RBG (Restaurant Bar & Grill), which serves charcoal grilled-meats and fish, locally-inspired specialties and classic dishes in a modern setting. Private dining areas also

make RBG yet another great venue for informal meetings and get-togethers.

Truly, Park Inn by Radisson Davao is changing the way visitors experience Davao by adding more color to travel experience.

Follow me on Twitter or on Instagram @kennethkingong for more happenings, foodie finds, and rondom travel shots from in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL.6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

HEALTH

When it comes to sex:

Use it or lose it

An exhaustive review of studies on sexuality published from the 1960s to 2000, asserted in every sex-drive-related metric, men demonstrated stronger urges than women, according to Discovery’s how Things Work.

Psychologists from a Case Western Reserve University review emphasized the male sex drive doesn’t just represent a moment of time. Rather it spans age groups, marital status and sexuality.

Roy Baumeister, a Florida State University social psychologist, wrote WebMD, found that men reported more spontaneous sexual arousal and had more frequent and varied sexual fantasies.

Masturbation is considered by sex researchers to be one of the purest measures of sex drive, because it isn’t constrained by external factors such pregnancy or disease, said PsychologyToday.com.

Discovery wrote that 94.6 percent of males 25 to 29 masturbate. For women it’s 84.6 percent.

PsychologyToday.com wrote that men initiate sex often and rarely refuse it.

Women initiate it much more rarely and refuse it more often than men.

Women don’t always seem to know what turns them on, reported WebMD.

northwestern University researcher Meredith Chivers and colleagues showed erotic films to gay and straight men and women. Then they asked about the participant’s level of sexual arousal, and measured actual levels of arousal through devices attached to their genitals.

Women exhibited more heightened responses

across the board, regardless of their sexual identification, said Discovery.

Males, on the other hand, were titillated according to their self-identified sexual preferences.

It seems that men have every incentive to have sex passed along in their genes, wrote WebMD. In contrast, women may be hard-wired to carefully choose their partners, because they can get pregnant.

They are also likely to be more attuned to relationship quality because they

Ten (digital) resolutions for children and teens hAve you noticed that more and more people these days tend to walk with their heads bent over a handheld device, or are driving while holding a cell phone to one ear? While these devices have enriched many of our lives, could some of us be at risk of becoming too dependent on them—and of forgetting about interacting face to face with others?

Our children are growing up with these devices as routine parts of their

lives. here are some resolutions you might consider for your children (and

want a partner who will stay around to take care of and support the child.

Age can also play a role in female sex drive. In an issue of Personality and Individual Differences University of Texas psychologist David Buss wrote that women in their 30s and early 40s are significantly more sexual than younger women, wrote Time.com.

Women aged 27 through 45 report having more sexual fantasies and more sex than women aged 18 through 26.

Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice column said that another factor is hormone level changes that women experience at different points in their lives.

For both sexes, testosterone levels drop as they get older. The decrease happens more slowly in women than in men, which may mean an older woman desires sex more than some of her male peers.

Women find it easier than men to go without sex.

PsychologyToday. com wrote that an adult woman who is between relationships can easily long periods of time, hardly thinking about sex and not minding going without sex. That varies on an individual basis.

GT Women’s Month promo still on

IN CELEBRATION of Women’s Month, GT Cosmetics Manufacturing Inc. has launched “Empowering Women,” an online contest in the Facebook page “GT & Me.”

The contest is divided into three categories where participants can post their definition of a woman (“A woman is...”), short article about a remarkable woman in their life, and photo with an empowered woman (or women) on the “GT & Me” page on Facebook.

In the first category, one joins by finishing the phrase “A woman is...” The top three entries with the most number of likes will be declared winners. A panel of jurors, on the other hand, will select the best three written articles and three photo entries by the end of the promo period. All winners will receive gift packs from GT Cosmetics.

The month of March is when the Phillippines celebrate women’s empowerment in the society, and in line with Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s pursuit of “Matuwid na Daan,” this year’s theme is “Kababaihan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan” which promotes women’s participation in governance to enhance gender perspective in upholding good governance.

GT Cosmetics Manufacturing Inc. is holding the contest as a way of observing the Women’s Month celebration and to show how beauty is not skin-deep.

“Beauty is not only about physical appearance,” GT Cosmetics founder and national sales manager Engr.

Leonora B. Salvane said. “Every woman is beautiful because of the vital role she plays in the society. And we are inviting our customers to join us in this cause.”

GT Cosmetics’ “GT & Me” Facebook page will be accepting entries for the contest until March 30. So, hurry and post your entries now.

Meanwhile, winners of GT’s Valentine’s promo have already received their prizes via Airlift Asia – GT Cosmetics’ exclusive freight forwarder nationwide.

Posting the most romantic love story in the Valentine’s contest were Lucinda “Cindy” Dominguez of Las Pinas, Gretzel Gocon of Bacolod City, and Mathealyn Jasmin Pansoy-Lanoy of Davao City.

Nelson Pedro, Judith Albius of Quezon City, and newly-Philippine Merchant Marine Academy graduate Michael John Falucho of San Narciso, Zambales came up with the most-liked pick-up lines, while Valentine date photos of Michelle Garcia Bandada of Mandaluyong, Marlene Rivera Yanga, and Eryk Alvarez, both of Metro Manila, emerged as the best three

• I will not send sexually explicit pictures of myself or of anyone else over my phone or the Internet.

• My family will set up a family charging station.

I will place my cell phone and other devices on this station before bed and will not take these devices to my bedroom with me.

There’s nothing that cannot wait until morning, and I need a good night’s sleep.

• I will not talk or text on my cell phone while driving. Better yet, I will have my parents help me install an app that—without my even having to touch the phone—will automatically send a message to all callers that I am driving and maybe yourself) as we go restaurant, during a movie will call back when I reach forth in 2013. They ad- or a class, or when going my destination. dress the appropriate use through the checkout at a • I will limit my use of of these electronic devices. store (and this list is end- electronic devices and Tv • I will not post mean less) is rude. to two hours or less each things about people on- • I will never give out day, so that I don’t miss out line, or text mean things personal information on what’s going on around about people. about myself or my family me.

• I will not forget my without my parents’ per- • I will choose nonviomanners when using my mission. This includes not lent games and television cell phone. I know that sending photos of myself shows to play and watch talking on the phone in a over the Internet. and will encourage my

friends to do the same.

• I will never end a relationship with a person via text or email. This is a copout. Respecting other people’s feelings is important, and some subjects deserve a real conversation. (Parents would be shocked at the number of teens who handle most of their dating relationships through texts! Are our kids dating actual people or a cell phone?)

• Speaking with another human being is called “having a conversation.”

The art of conversation takes practice. I promise that at least once a day I will look someone in the eye and try to have a conversation. Shoulder shrugs and one- or two-word answers (“huh,” “yeah,” “no,” “no problem,” etc.) do not count as participating in a conversation.

Do not let our electronic devices steal a big part of our civility and our community. We can embrace what technology offers while still treating people with respect.

VOL.6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

ENTERTAINMENT

Kardashian family attorney slams “vile” Ford ad featuring Kim, Kourtney & Khloé tied up

IT’S back to the drawing board— and perhaps their in-house counsel— for Ford.

In response to a mockup ad featuring a drawing of Paris Hilton in the front seat of a yellow Ford Figo with Khloé, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian tied up in the back, an attorney for the Kardashian family tells E! News that the sisters “do not take this lightly and they are exploring all of their legal options” against those responsible.

“The ‘leave your worries behind’ Ford ads are disgusting, vile and offensive to all women,” says the family’s lawyer. “It is

unacceptable that Ford would align itself with an ad agency that would so carelessly release these ads.”

The ad, created by a team at JWT India, was never officially used— and it was for a car that isn’t available in the U.S.— but it ended up on the Internet anyway.

Another ad in the collection featured former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, notorious for getting entangled in multiple sex scandals while in office, in the front of the Figo with three scantily clad bound and gagged women in his trunk.

Ford issued an apology last week: “We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened.

The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners. Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

JTT parent company WPP Group said that they also deeply regretted the release of posters that were “distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism.”

working on Sunday, so it wasn’t him.

However, Wills did become a hero for someone else. Daily Express reporter Richard Palmer tweeted today, “Prince William helped rescue six climbers in two missions in an hour tonight as snow caused havoc in Britain. See tomorrow’s Daily Express.”

This generous act will

be added to Kate Middleton’s hubby already saving Russians shipwrecked at sea, a couple of schoolgirls stranded off the Welsh coast and hikers who were reported missing in the mountains of Snowdonia (just to name a few).

Yeah, suddenly that superhero concept doesn’t seem so silly, now does it?

Prince William helps elderly woman evacuate from heavy snow

HAVE no fear, chances are Prince William’s near— usually, anyway.

Reports claim the young royal and soonto-be father helped bring yet another stranded person to safety, making him that much more lovable and—just hear us out here—quite possibly a superhero.

Wills reportedly took part in the rescue of an elderly woman on the Isle of Man, per local media, though a royals source tell E! News this was not the case.

The report states that a rescue helicopter from the base in Anglesey, Wales, helped the coast guard evacuate the woman from heavy snow in the town of Cronk-yVoddy at 1 p.m., and that the Duke of Cambridge was said to have been on board. But sources tell us that William wasn’t

INdulge! A3

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL.6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

EVENTS

Security Bank opens 6th branch in Davao

By Kenneth Irving Ong SeCURITy Bank is spreading its wings in the Davao Region with the opening of its 6th branch in Region 11, the 4th in Davao City.

Located at the fast-developing Lanang district, Security Banks newest branch aims to cater to the residents and businesses in and around the area.

“We are looking forward to opening more branches in the region” says Security Bank President and CeO Alberto villarosa “with two more branches in the works for the region.”

Security Bank’s top executives were also present in full force for the opening and blazing of the branch as well as their top clients and business partners in the region.

The Philippines’ Bank of the year for 2012 as chosen by The Banker, Security Bank also has branches in Tagum and Panabo that were opened last year as well as their three original branches in Davao City.

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Back at Number 1 HE’S BAAAACK! Tiger Woods (top photo) is back as the world’s number one golfer after winning the Arnold Palmer Classic at Bay Hill. (Below right) Tiger is all smiles as he was greeted by the legendary Arnold Palmer.

O

RLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The moment was vintage Tiger Woods, and so was his reaction.

Seconds after Rickie Fowler made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole to pull within two shots of the lead, Woods posed over his 25-foot birdie putt until he swept the putter upward in his left hand and marched toward the cup as it dropped for a birdie.

Fowler, standing on the edge of the green, turned with a slight smile as if to say, ‘’What else can I do?’’

Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Monday and returned to No. 1 in the world for the first time since Octo-

TIMELINE

ber 2010, the longest spell of his career. After all that time, after so much turmoil with his personal life and his health, Woods looks as good as ever.

Maybe better. ‘’It’s a byproduct of hard work, patience and getting back to winning golf tournaments,’’ Woods said.

He essentially wrapped up his eighth title at Bay Hill with an 8-iron out of a fairway bunker on the par5 16th that easily cleared the water and landed safely on the green for a two-putt birdie. Woods dangled his tongue out of his mouth as the ball was in the air, another sign of his swagger.

Just like his other two wins this year, Woods never let anyone get closer than two shots in the final round. With a conservative bogey he could afford on the final hole, he closed with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot win over Justin Rose.

Woods walked off the 18th green waving his putter over his head - truly a magic wand at Bay Hill - to acknowledge the fans who have seen this act before.

His eighth win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational tied a PGA Tour record that had not been touched in 48 years.

This win had extra sig-

Woods as world No. 1 in the Official World Rankings.

November 28, 2010 — WikiLeaks sends out more than 100,000 American “confidential” cables.

January 10, 2011 — Cam Newton leads Auburn over Oregon in the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz.

January 11, 2011 — Flooding produces mudslides that kill over 900 people in Rio de Janeiro.

February 6, 2011 — The Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers to claim Super Bowl XLV. March 11, 2011 — An earthquake off the coast of Tōhoku in Japan registers at 9.1, producing a tsunami that kills 15,840, forcing four nuclear power plants

to declare themselves in an emergency situation.

April 10, 2011 — Charl Schwatzel becomes the first player ever to birdie the final four holes at Augusta National en route to a green jacket. He holds off Jason Day by two shots for his first major win.

April 29, 2011 —Prince William and Kate Middleton wed at Westminster Abbey.

May 1, 2011 — President Barack Obama addresses the nation on a Sunday evening to announce that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.

June 19, 2011 — Rory McIlroy wins his first major championship in dramatic fashion with an eight shot victory over Jason Day at the Congressional Country Club.

FBACK AT NO. 1, 13

What happened in the world since Tiger Woods was last ranked No. 1?

T

HE last time Tiger Woods found himself ranked No. 1 in the world of golf was October 24, 2010. The week after that, on Halloween, Woods was replaced as the top golfer in the world by Lee Westwood and while a host of others names have become No. 1 in that time (Rory McIlroy is currently the top golfer in the world), Woods has never been there since.

Not anymore. His win this Monday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational gave him enough world ranking points to land him back at No. 1. So how long has it been? We take a look at events in the world since Tiger was at the top.

October 31, 2010 — Lee Westwood overtakes Tiger

August 5, 2011 — NASA announces their Mars rover captured photos of potential liquid water on the surface of Mars.

September 17, 2011 — Occupy Wall Street begins in the United States.

October 20, 2011 — Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is killed in Sirte, Libya.

December 4, 2011 — Tiger Woods win his first event since his personal scandal, at his own event at the Chevron World Challenge.

March 13, 2012 — The Encyclopedia Britannica ends their print edition after 244 years of publication.

March 25, 2012 — Tiger Woods win his first PGA Tour event in over two and a half years at the Ar-

nold Palmer Invitational.

April 8, 2012 — Bubba Watson hits one of the greatest shots in Masters history to take down Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff to snag his first major championship.

June 21, 2012 —LeBron James wins his first ever NBA title as a member of the Miami Heat.

August 12, 2012 — Rory McIlroy snags his second major championship, again by eight shots, at the PGA Championship.

September 30, 2012 — Team Europe ties the largest comeback in the history of the Ryder Cup as they upset the United States 14.5 - 13.5 at Medinah.

October 14, 2012 — Felix Baumgartner steals the

show by becoming the first person to break the sound barrier by falling 24 miles above the Earth’s surface in Roswell, New Mexico.

November 6, 2012 — Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney in the U.S. presidential election.

December 14, 2012 — A 20-year-old killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

February 3, 2013 — The Baltimore Ravens upset the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII. February 28, 2013 — For the first time since 1415, a Pope resigned, as Benedict XVI steps down. Jorge Mario Bergoglio replaces him on March 13.

16

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 6 ISSUE 9 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Boom Boom foe getting tips from Ponce De Leon

By Neil Bravo

F

ILIPINO WBO international featherweight champion Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista is a well-scouted fighter, his next Mexican foe made sure of that.

Jose “Negro” Ramirez has bared in an interview with philboxing.com that he has seen videos of Bautista’s previous fights and asked tips from his countrymen who has fought the hard-punching Filipino champion.

Ramirez, who totes a 24 win, 3-loss record with 15 wins inside the distance, will be fighting Bautista on April 20 at the USEP Gym in Davao for the Filipino’s world title in the “Pinoy Pride XIX” card.

Interviewed by Philboxing contributor Miguel Lopez, Ramirez said he has learned some vital inputs from current WBC featherweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon who knocked out Bautista in the first round on August 11, 2007. The Mexicali native also learned a few things from his stablemate Antonio Meza who lost a unanimous verdict to Bautista on December 2, 2007 at the Araneta Coliseum.

“Sí, he visto videos de Bautista, y también mi compañero estable Antonio Meza ha boxeo contra Bautista en el pasado. También hablé con

Daniel Ponce De León recientemente aquí en Mexicali y ofreció sus consejos sobre cómo golpear a Bautista. Me mostró la debilidad de Bautista y cómo conseguir un knockout (Yes I have seen videos of Bautista, and also my stable mate Antonio Meza who has fought Bautista in the past. I also talked to Daniel Ponce Deleon recently here in Mexicali and he offered his advice on how to beat Bautista. He showed me the weakness of Bautista and how to get a knockout),” Ramirez said in Spanish during the overseas interview.

Ramirez claims he has 17 knockout wins, not 15.

He hopes to place Bautista’s name in that list of knockout victims. His impressive record includes 5 wins coming in the first round and nine going inside four.

Ramirez, who will be planing in on April 15 or five days before the fight, is excited to come to the Philippines in his first fight outside Mexico.

“La verdad, siii estoy motivado! (The truth is, I’m very motivated!),” Ramirez said.

Ramirez bared that he has since trained three months for the fight under the watchful eyes of trainer Francisco Martinez.

“Soy sparring con Mun-

do del Campeones Abner Mares, Hugo Ruiz (hermano de Heriberto Ruiz, antes ganar contra Bautista) y Antonio Meza (opositor pasado de Bautista que perdió por UD Heriberto Ruiz (I have sparred with World Champions Abner Mares, Hugo Ruiz (brother of Heriberto Ruiz who had beaten Bautista in the past) and Antonio Meza (past opponent of Bautista who lost by UD),” he added.

He is wary of the possibility of a hometown decision that is why he is motivated to go for a convincing win. He promised to bring the title when he returns to Mexico.

“Sí, me dijeron que por mucha gente que es difícil obtener una decisión en las Filipinas que me hace más decidido a ganar (Yes, I was told by many people that it is hard to get a decision in the Philippines that makes me more determined to win),” Ramirez said.

Asked if he will go for the knockout, Ramirez said if the opportunity comes, he will go for it.

“He entrenado a ir doce asaltos y si el nocaut llega, entonces sucede (I have trained to go twelve rounds and if the knockout comes, then it happens),” Ramirez said.