Edge Davao 07 Issue 04

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

THE DAVAO PARK DISTRICT. Megaworld’s First Vice President Jericho Go (right) and Strategic Marketing and Communications Director Harold Geronimo show the map where the property giant’s first township development project in Mindanao, the Davao Park District, will be located. The announcement was jointly made by the two Megaworld executives during a press briefing yesterday at the classy Presidential Suite at Marco Polo Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

COUNCIL STAND RUED IDIS: There’s no such thing as clean coal

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

ENVIRONMENT advocacy group Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS) is not happy with the approval by the Davao City Council on second reading of the proposed expansion of the Therma South Marine coal-fired plant, an Aboitiz power project in progress, last Wednesday.

EARTHQUAKE DRILL. Students of Sta. Ana Elementary School along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City participate in yesterday’s national simultaneous earthquake drill initiated by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) led by Regional Director Loreto Rirao of Office of Civil Defense. Lean Daval Jr.

The approval in effect “endorses the request of TSI” to expand its generating capacity in Barangay Binugao from 300-MW to 645- MW. “[We are] really sad,” IDIS executive director Mary Anne

Fuertes told Edge Davao in a text message yesterday.

“Kung kelan inaayawan na ang coal [fired powerplants] sa ibang bansa that have been dependent on it

ROPERTY development giant Megaworld Corporation announced yesterday it is building an 11-hectare township, its 10th in the country, which will employ some 20,000 Dabawenyos in five years.

The P15-billion devel-

opment mix use project will be called “Davao Park District” located in a property along the S.P. Dakudao Loop in Lanang, part of which used to be the Lanang Golf and Country Club.

Jericho P. Go, first vice president of Megaworld

FCOUNCIL, 10

Megaworld’s township to generate 20,000 jobs P

FMEGAWORLD’S, 10

2

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

PNP releases simple manual for cops P

HILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief director general Alan Purisima on Wednesday released the new PNP Operational Procedures (POP) manual made simple for policemen to better understand protocols in conducting operations. ”We simplified everything for our policemen to understand yung police operational procedures and the difference dun sa luma yung wordings na ginagamit hin-

dimasyadong maintindihan ng ating kapulisan. Ngayon we are simplifying everything para hindi maconfuse ang ating mga kapulisan,” Purisma explained after the presentation of the revised POP manual at PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame.

The PNP chief, also ordered officers of operations in all regions to start implementing the changes in their respective areas.

Purisima said that part

FPNP, 10

BOC seizes P24-M worth of smuggled steel shipment

T

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized 26 container vans filled with specialized alloy-coated steel coils worth P24 million at the Port of Manila on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno of the BOC’s Enforcement Group said the shipment was consigned to Copperfield Marketing, with address at Room 228-B, 2/F Champ Building, Anda Circle, Bgy. 650, Zone 068, Port Area 1, Manila and was apprehended for misdeclaration.

Based on the import documents, the trading firm declared that the 26 20-foot container vans with an actual weight of 587,800 kilograms contained “Hot Rolled Steel

Sheet in Coils,” with Tariff Heading 72.08.3900, which carries a zero percent (0 percent) rate of duty.

But upon inspection, the shipment actually contained “Prime Hot-Dipped 55 percent Al-Zinc Alloy Coated Steel in Coils”, which carries a 10 percent tariff rate and commands a greater valuation of US$ 434,972, based on its actual weight, as against the declared value of US$ 326,293.

“This is a clear case of misdeclaring and misclassifying imported products to avoid paying higher duties and taxes. The mere act of misdeclaring a shipment is fraud. We are going to hold the importer, Copper-

FBOC, 10

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 GLOOMY DAY. Davao City experiences cloudy skies and rains after the low pressure area enters the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

NGCP rebuts Lao

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) says that it cannot put up its own generating plant that would suffice the buffer it needs, an official said.

This is their response to the proposal of Mindanao Business Council chair Vicente T. Lao said that NGCP should have its own generating plant to avail of buffer power that would prevent power outage from happening the way it happened last

LPA IN MINDANAO

February 27.

“Hindi po pinahihintulutan ng umiiral batas (RA 9136 or Energy Power Industry Reform Act) na mag may-ari ng power plant ang transmission service provider (like NGCP),” lawyer Cynthia P. Albanza spokesperson of the company, said.

“Ibinatay po yun sa cross-ownership provision ng EPIRA sa batas ng ibang bansa,” Albanza said, adding that prohibiting NGCP from owning a generating plant

will inhibit the occurrence of “conflict of interest” and “sweetheart deals”.

“Sa ibang bansa, bawal magmay-ari ang powe plant ng transmission at distribution [utility]. Bawal ang transmission [sector] magmay-ari ng power plant at distribution. Bawal ang distribution na magmay-ari ng transmission at power plant,” she explained.

However, the NGCP spokesperson said that this restriction is only applied to

the transmission sector.

“Pinapayagan po ng batas na magmay-ari ng powerplant ng distribution at vice versa,” she told Edge Davao a text message yesterday.

Department of Energy undersecretary Raul Aguilos said that “NGCP is not allowed to operate and own a power generating plant,” adding that “their [NGCP] mandate is to manage and operate the transmission

FNGCP, 10

Slim chance to intensify into tropical depression

T

HE low pressure area hovering in Mindanao has slim chance to intensify into tropical depression in the next 24 hours, according to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

However, PAGASA weather forecaster Alvin Pura said on Wednesday that due to wind convergence and the LPA, Eastern and Central Visayas including Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms in the next 24 hours.

Pura said that as of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, the LPA

was spotted some 550 km east of Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur. .

In case it intensifies into a tropical depression, the LPA will be named “Caloy,” the third cyclone to affect the country this year, Pura said in an interview.

The rest of the country including Metro Manila, he noted will continue to have sunny to partly cloudy skies with possible isolated light rains in the afternoon or evening due to localized convection.

Pura said Metro Manila experienced its hottest temperature yet this year, when temperature sizzled to 33.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon.

He said Wednesday’s maximum temperature was recorded at 3:00 p.m. in PAGASA’s Science Garden in Diliman, Quezon City.

He noted that the latest reading surpassed the previous high of 33.7 degrees Celsius recorded on Tuesday.

Pura said the current hot weather is due to the weakening of the cold northeast monsoon and the strengthening of the easterlies or warm winds from the east.

Pura said that other parts of Luzon including Metro Manila may experience hotter days due to the northeasterly surface wind flow which is expected to

bring warm winds to the eastern part of the country, resulting in more humid weather.

He said PAGASA has yet to declare the start of summer in the country as the “weak” northeast monsoon still prevails over Luzon.

He noted that termination of the northeast monsoon and with the easterlies replacing it as the dominant weather system in the country, will signal the start of the dry or summer season in the country.

In its advisory, PAGASA said that moderate to strong winds from the east to northeast will prevail over Luzon and com-

FLPA, 10

NEWS 3

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

SABAH-DAVAO-MALAYSIA CHAMBERS ACCORD. Pillars of three chambers –Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) and Malaysia International Chamber of Commerce –forge a memorandum of cooperation among them. During the historic MOC signing, the parties also made presentations on the forthcoming Sabah International Expo (SIE) 2014 on Sept. 18-21 at the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu and the 2nd BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT Trade Fair and Business Leaders’ Conference on October 23-24 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier in Davao City. From left: Executive Vice President Daniel T. Lim, Honorary Life Chair Sebastian L. Angliongto and President Antonio dela Cruz of the DCCCII, President Datuk Seri Panglima Wong Khen Thau of FSI, Richard Lim, director D&K, VP SIE 2014 organizing committee and Consul General of Malaysia Abdullah Zawawa Tahir. Lean Daval Jr.

MISSING MALAYSIA AIRLINES

Files were deleted from flight simulator I

NVESTIGATORS are trying to restore files deleted last month from the home flight simulator of the pilot aboard the missing Malaysian plane to see if they shed any light on the disappearance, Malaysia’s defense minister said Wednesday.

Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference that the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, is considered innocent until proven guilty of any wrongdoing, and that members of his family are cooperating in the investigation. Files containing records of simulations carried out on the program were deleted Feb. 3, Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu said.

Deleting files would not

AS PHL RE-SETS TARGET

necessarily represent anything unusual, especially if it were to free up memory space, but investigators would want to check the files for any signs of unusual flight paths that could help explain where the missing plane went.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people aboard disappeared March 8 on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanations, but have said the evidence so far suggests the flight was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca. They are unsure what happened next.

FMISSING, 10

Millions to remain in poverty

T

HE Philippines will have to downgrade its target to reduce poverty, a move which would leave an additional four million people virtually destitute in 2016.

Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that although economic growth had remained strong, it had failed to lift as many people out of poverty as expected.

The Philippines had originally projected that 16.6 percent of its 100 million people would still be living in poverty by 2016.

But Balisacan said the poverty rate was now forecast to be 18-20 percent by 2016, when President Benigno Aquino’s term ends.

“This new target takes into consideration the slow response of poverty to economic growth beginning 2006 and the setback in 2013 due to the wide-scale destruction resulting from natural and man-made disasters,” he said.

A super-typhoon which hit central provinces last November triggered unprecedented destruction that left four million without homes.

The official poverty rate measures how many people can barely afford food and other essentials.

Despite remarkable economic growth under Aquino, the poverty rate has stayed around 25 percent since 2003.

Economists and business leaders have warned that growth has been largely limited to only a few sectors like exports and business outsourcing, leaving sizable segments of the population such as farmers untouched.

“Some cities or provinces have been experiencing economic growth, but the poorest families are being left behind,” Balisacan told a business forum.

He said the Philippines must train poor families to get better jobs while linking small farms to the larger

FMILLIONS, 10

IP’s want rights included in drafting of the BBLaw

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

RIBAL leaders of areas found at the core territory of the so- called Bangsamoro Political Identity have appealed for the inclusion of their rights in the drafting of the Bangsamoro

Basic Law (BBL).

This includes tribal leaders of the Tenduay, Lambangian, and Dulangan Manobo who are members of the Erumanen ne Menuvu-un Islamized Indigenous People living

in Central Mindanao.

Timuay Alim Bandar, tribal leader of Tenduay said that the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) should assure that the rights of indigenous people are in-

cluded in the BBL, adding that if neglected, insurgencies would not be resolved.

“These rights are based on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 which

Fr. Suarez visits Davao

FIPS, 10

By VIDA MIA VALVERDE

E

MBATTLED healing mahihirapnaitowalanamang- issue. The crowd laughs it off. not want to take people away priest Fr. Fernando sasakyan,akohindinaman- Fr. Suarez speaks with such from what is present.

It is no secret that Fr. SuSuarez finds warm marunongmagdrive. And I’m candor and humor but even welcome in Davao City as he in mission. I need people who so, he reiterates, “My agenda arez has healed the likes of stops over for a brief stay on are graced with resources, is to proclaim God, and to let former First Gentleman Mike his way to celebrate a healing with ways of helping the poor God be God.” When asked Arroyo and San Miguel Cormass at Pantukan, Composte- in bringing me over there… about the issue that he was poration CEO Ramon Ang. I’m reaching out and going banking on mass hysteria for “Yung mganahiheal, maymga la Valley.

Fr. Suarez graced a places so that all those other his healings, he refutes this personality, bakit? The way I thanksgiving and birthday people in the local areas can and says that he never uses look at it, silaangpinakamaemotion when he prays with hirapmaniwalakasi may aclunch hosted by Allan and have access to me.”

Upon arrival and without people. He is subtle and does cesssilasascience,may access Jocelyn Uy at a restaurant in Bajada, Davao City. Apparent- ceremony, Fr. Suarez imme- not try to raise and excite the silasa resources, nakapagsily, the lives of the hosts were diately leads the group in a emotions of the people as lanagsalita mas may credibilirrevocably touched by the short prayer.As he walks to seen with many TV evange- ity.” About his detractors, Fr. controversial priest’s minis- his table, he amusedly com- lists. “Emotionalism leads to Suarez does not seem to be try and they were only too ments, “Front pagenanaman- hysteria,” says Fr. Suarez. He fazed. He has expressed that happy to share their bless- palaako,” referring to the Phil- goes on to say that he is very he has this peace within him ings. Deadly brain tumors of ippine Daily Inquirer current realistic by nature and does FFR. SUAREZ, 10 Allan Uy that have left him debilitated and with just days to live vanishedupon Fr. Suarez’s healing touch. Various stories of healing and recovery were shared at that lunch table. The gathering was a small sampling of Mindanao’s well-heeled. Businesspeople such as banana exporters, contractors, and hotel owners were present. Asked about the reputation that it is the well-off who have access to him, Fr. Suarez replies, “That’s not true .Kasiangmga well-off angmgasumasamasa akin to reach out to the poor.

Upon experiencing healing, itongmgataongito, na may sasakyan, …we will go to Pantukan, so angnakikitanila, Fr. Suarez having lunch in Davao City. From left to right: Allan Uy whose brain tumors Fr. Suarez healed, Fr. Suarez, sinomagdadalasa akin, itong- Nieves Puyod.

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

TAGUM CITY

Construction of new slaughterhouse starts A

N improved meat inspection system in the City of Tagum is being targeted with the kick-off of the construction of the city’s Double-A slaughterhouse located in Barangay Magdum built with the partnership of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the local government.

Mayor Allan L. Rellon led during the ground breaking ceremony of the said facility last March 18, 2014 which signaled the start of the construction of the said facility in the five-hectare lot owned by the local government.

Under the double A classification by the National Meat Inspection Service, the equipment, facilities and operational procedures are capable to slaughter livestock and fowls intended for market in the entire Philippines.

The construction of the said facility is made possible through the 10 million pesos grant by DA

but the total amount in its construction is pegged at 52 million pesos, according to City Veterinarian Jesus Edullantes, with the additional amount being funded by the local government.

He added that an additional bulk of the budget will be used for the concreting of roads and landscaping and acquisition of equipment. Its construction will be spearheaded by administration, thereby opening doors of employment opportunities.

It will also be a venue for the LGU-spearheaded training of butchers under its skills training program, the city veterinarian added.

On top of this development, Mayor Rellon said he is determined to persuade the agriculture department in putting up the triple A slaughterhouse in the same compound which is expected to boost the economy of the city, a proposal that initially got the nod of the regional leadership of NMIS. “We have a great po-

COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE

GROUNDBREAKING. Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon, assisted by OIC Regional Director Myrna Habacon of the National Meat Inspection Service, city officials and department heads lower the time capsule during the groundbreaking of the newest double A slaughterhouse of Tagum located in Barangay Magdum, Tagum City last March 18, 2014. [Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum] tential to export our meat globally through the triple A slaughterhouse because

we are not affected by the bird flu virus compared to other ASEAN countries,”

‘Singing Boholano Priests’invades ComVal J

EDUTHUN- The Singing Boholano Priests came to the province and staged a religious concert dubbed as ”With Love and Faith” at the ACN Gym, Nabunturan on March 16, 2014.

The Diocese of Talibon in coordination with the Nabunturan Central Elementary School Sped Center Parents Teachers Association sponsored the concert.

The following day, March 17, the group lead

SARANGANI

by Msgr. Alberto Sy Uy of St. Michael Parish, Jagna, Bohol joined the employees’ convocation at the Capitol and rendered some songs to the delight of everyone.

The pool of talented singer-Priests will roam around Mindanao for a benefit concert. Not only showcasing Bohol talents but according to Msgr. Uy, as they sing, they are also telling about the Province of Bohol, what they’ve gone through, and what the place needs right now.

Greatly affected by a 7.2 earthquake, Bohol is still on its rebuilding efforts to recover.

Composing Jeduthan or the Singing Boholano Priests are: Rev. Fr. Dioszalde A. Cutas of Sta. Cruz, Quasi-Parish in Payao, Duero; Rev. Fr. Irvin Garsuta of Sta. Cruz Parish in Dao, Tagbilaran City; Rev. Fr. Adolfo Dagohoy, Jr. of San Agustin Parish in San Agustin, Talibon; Rev. Fr. Mario Ombao of St. Joseph Parish in Bugsoc, Sierra-Bollones;

Rev. Fr. Nazario Tiempo, Jr. of St. Isidore Parish in La Hacienda, Alicia and; Rev. Fr. Gerson Justiniani of St. Isidore Academy in Trinidad, Bohol.

The group will also hold a concert in Pantukan on March 18 to be sponsored by Governor Arturo T. Uy. Jeduthun in the Holy Bible refers to one of the three primary singers and musical director appointed

by David. [Grace Almedilla, Ids-Comval]

sustainable system of inclusive growth, from a multi-sectoral perspective, which will be measured primarily in terms of economic output and poverty reduction as the secondary indicator.

In the words of Governor Solon himself, “Sulong Sarangani, in essence, is a convergence of all resources, which

will be used towards evidence-based actions, to bring about God-centered prosperity.”

For the long term, the Sulong Sarangani program seeks to create a system of sustainable development which can be retuned and adjusted yearly, regardless of future provincial leadership.

“Sustainable develop-

ment is a crucial aspect of the program in reducing multi-dimensional poverty which, unlike income poverty, also considers a number of social living factors like health, education, access to water and sanitation, environment, food security and even the interests of indigenous and marginalized people” Gov. Solon further explains.

LGU launches province-wide development program

I

N what could be described as a declaration of war against poverty, Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon recently launched Sulong Sarangani, a major province-wide development program specifically designed to address the socio-economic challenges of the province of Sarangani.

Sulong Sarangani is designed to establish a

said NMIS OIC-Regional Director Myrna Habacon, referring to the exporting

capability under the triple A standards. [Louie Lapat/ CIO Tagum]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

RDC 12 okays P129.5-B budget for regional agencies, other offices

T

HE Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12 has endorsed a proposed budget of around P129.591 billion for the operations next year of the 43 regional line agencies, state colleges and universities and other government offices based in the region.

Arturo Valero, RDC-12 acting chairperson, said Wednesday they issued the endorsement following a series of region-wide review and consultations on the budget proposals of the regional offices operating in the area.

He said the proposed budget specifically covered 31 regional agencies, seven government-owned and controlled corporations and five state colleges and universities.

Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato as well as the cities

of General Santos, Cotabato, Koronadal, Kidapawan and Tacurong.

“The proposed budget will mainly fund the identified programs, projects and activities of the regional offices for 2015,” said Valero, who is also the regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority in Region 12.

The official said the council’s endorsement was based on a recommendation earlier made by its executive committee, which initiated the budget review and consultations.

He said the RDC review of the budget proposals was based on its mandate as provided for in Executive Order No. 325, series of 1995, and in compliance with National Budget Memorandum No. 120 dated January issued by the Department of Budget and Management that set the budget call for fiscal year 2015. [MindaNews]

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

DTI beefs up programs to boost industries T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) beefs up its effort to strengthen the manufacturing sector in the country as it lined up activities that will boost various industries.

Since DTI launched the Industry Development Plan (IDP) in January 2012 which aims to revive the manufacturing sector, the department will further implement plans under the IDP this 2014.

For this year, DTI targets to make through six activities in IDP which include: continued implementation and monitoring of the completed roadmaps; completion of remaining industry roadmaps; information dissemination on the industry roadmaps’ contents; revival of the Industry Development Council (IDC); preparation of feasibility studies and capacity-building sessions for key stakeholders; and advocacy programs to undertake policy and industry-level reform.

“The revival of the manufacturing sector is key to inclusive economic growth because it will generate much-needed employment and help the country tap regional production networks.

This will require industrial transformation under a comprehensive national industry strategy,” DTI Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal

Jr. said.

Under the IDP is the crafting of roadmaps which is led by the private sector.

“The roadmaps envision a growth trajectory for the next 15 years, as well as plot policy and industry-level support measures to help achieve industry goals,” Cristobal explained.

More than 30 industries have expressed their interest to craft their own roadmaps.

Industries which already submitted roadmaps to DTI are manufacturing, automotive, automotive parts, biodiesel, cement, ceramic tiles, chemicals, copper and copper products, electric vehicles, electronics, furniture, iron and steel, IT-BPM, mass housing, metal casting, motorcycle, petrochemicals, plastics, pulp and paper, rubber products, tool and die and natural health products.

Roadmaps of aerospace, bamboo, coco coir, and creative industries are expected to be finalized this year.

The department also sees roadmaps of medical travel, mineral processing, processed foods, processed meat and marine products, shipbuilding, garments, printing, and home appliance to be completed also this year.

Further, the revival of the IDC will be the government’s official body for policy-mak-

ing for the manufacturing sector.

On feasibility studies and advocacy programs, DTI has technical working groups (TWGs) composed of representatives from government, business community, and academe.

For instance, the TWG for chemical industry has established research and innovation program with University of the Philippines Engineering Research and Development for Technology to improve the synergy between the chemical industry and academe. ”Another initiative is the pre-feasibility study on establishing a copper wire facility in the Leyte Industrial Development Estate by the copper and copper products TWG. The project is expected to effectively plug important supply chain gaps in the copper products sector,” DTI further cited.

Meanwhile, in strengthening various industries in the country, DTI targets to increase share of the sector to 30 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) from its current share of 23 percent to the total GDP. Both public and private sector consider the manufacturing sector as a key to inclusive growth as this sector generated larger number of quality and decent jobs.

[PNA]

NEW PLAYER. The JTC Tower, a 300-room hotel which will open its doors sometime in September, dominates the skyline along Lanang, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch Indicator

Latest

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

7.1 1st Qtr 2013 6.8

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

7.8 1st Qtr 2013 7.5

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/ 3. Exports

4. Imports 1/ 4. Imports

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

7.6.Broad Money Liabilities Balance of Payments

2nd Qtr 2013

2nd Qtr 2013

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

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

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

10.Revenues National government outstanding debt outstanding debt

P 5,609 P 41.14 Aprbillion 2013

11.Stocks Peso per US $ 12.

Composite

Index 6/

6,847.5 P 43.83 Mar Sep2013 2013

12. Stocks Composite

6,191.8 132.8 Sep 2013 Apr 2013

13. Consumer Price Index

135.2 Oct2.62013

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

2006=100 14.

Headline Inflation Rate 14. 2006=100 Headline Inflation

Apr 2013

2.9 Oct3.12013

Rate 15.

Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

2006=100

Apr 2013

2006=100 16.

Visitor Arrivals

418,108 Oct 2013 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate

2.5

382,022 Aug 2013 20.9%

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment 7/ 17. Rate Underemploymen

Jan 2013 19.2%

18.

18.Unemployment UnemploymentRate Rate7/

7.1% Jan 2013 7.3%

Rate

Jul 2013 Jul 2013

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

Auto roadmap eyes PHL as full auto manufacturing hub T

HE government is still studying the automotive industry roadmap as the master plan targets Philippines to be a full automotive manufacturing hub, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Industry Development and Trade Policy (IDTP) Assistant Secretary Rafaelita Aldaba told reporters Wednesday.

Aldaba said the automotive roadmap will be a comprehensive blueprint

Sep 2013

13. Consumer Index Price Index 2006=100

2013

2012

2011

43.83 43.86 43.35 42.91 41.30 41.14 40.71 40.67 40.73

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

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

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

C

for the auto industry, thus the government is focusing on the fundamentals of the program. ”We’re continuously working on it; refining the program such that we can really achieve our goal for the Philippines to become a hub in the future,” mentioned Aldaba. ”For automotive, remember, we are already (a) production hub for manual transmission.

We’re production hub for rubber tires. So we are

trying to craft a program such that automakers would be attracted to expand their facilities, invest, put in new investments, to make the Philippines (their) future hub for a certain model,” she added. ”We want to go into full automotive manufacturing,” the DTI official stressed.

She noted that the auto industry is capital intensive and has spill over effects as it also cov-

ers other industries.

Aldaba cited that manufacturing of vehicles has more than 30,000 components encompassing sectors of chemicals, metal, electronics, rubber, and textile.

Further, Aldaba said the program for the automotive industry will include incentive grants; however, not in the form of income tax holiday.

She told that giving incentives to this indus-

try is necessary in order to compete with neighboring countries which also provide perks for investors in auto industry. ”We are looking at the Thailand program. We’re also looking Indonesia.

We’re looking at what Malaysia is doing. We are trying to ensure it’s in the same level. Whatever program we will come up with would be comparable (to) what our neighbors have in place,” Aldaba noted. [PNA]

ready won these awards in 2012, and remain the only Filipino nominees to win in the said categories.

In 2013, the year covered by the awards program, Smart went beyond providing traditional voice, SMS, and data services. It launched the Spinnr website and mobile application which allow its subscribers to stream and download up to 3 million songs, and pay for their transactions via prepaid load or postpaid credits.

Smart also launched

in 2013 the beta version of PowerApp, an app that offers mobile data packages that suit different lifestyles (email, social networking packages, etc.) for as low as P5.

Meanwhile, the mobile money services that Smart provided for the global fundraising campaign “Help.ph” is in the running for Best Community Telecom Project.

Smart has won in this category for two straight years – in 2012 for its digital health program called SHINE (Secured Health Information and Network Exchange)

and in 2013 for Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) Mobile.

Smart and its subsidiary Smart e-Money, Inc. provided the mobile money solution BayadLoad to the Help.ph campaign of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation PDRF to allow mobile phone users from all over the world to send donations via SMS in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Winners of this year’s Telecom Asia Awards will be named in a ceremony on May 7 in

Jakarta, Indonesia.

Just three months into 2014, Smart has already received three international and 10 local awards for its various programs. These include the “Best Use of Mobile in Emergency or Humanitarian Situations” recognition from the GSMA Global Mobile Awards for Smart’s speedy deployment of mobile satellite services, portable mobile networks, free local and international SMS bundles, and mobile money services in the aftermath of Yolanda.

Smart CEO, Yolanda donation efforts shortlisted at Telecom Asia Awards

OMING from a two-year winning streak, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is again in the running for top recognition at the Telecom Asia Awards, one of the region’s most prestigious industry awards programs.

Smart, the country’s leader in mobile, was nominated for Best Emerging Markets Carrier, while its president and chief executive officer Napoleon L. Nazareno was shortlisted for Telecom CEO of the Year.

Smart and Nazareno al-

DTI-DCFO conducts free training, March 20 T

HE Department of Trade and Industry-Davao City Field Office (DTI-DCFO) will be conducting a free seminar on entrepreneurship on March 20.

The free training tagged as “Roadmap to

First Time Entrepreneurs” will be conducted from 1:00 – 5:00 pm at the DTI Conference Room, 2/F Mintrade Building, Monteverde-Sales Streets, Davao City.

The seminar is open

to residents of Davao City who are interested to start a business and start-ups or those who are new in the business world. It aims to help the participants make a self-assessment, understand the different

aspects of the business that they need to know before taking the plunge.

It will also provide them with the necessary tools to stay in course and succeed.

Only 30 slots are available.

Interested

participants are encouraged to make early reservations through any of the contact information: Telephone Nos. 2240511 local 201 or 208 (Attention: Ivy or Lilia) , email address: r11.davaocity@dti.gov.ph.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

16:45

EDGEDAVAO

PROPERTY

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

CIUDADES: Kite Flying Contest 2014

By FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT-AMBOLODTO

B

ASKING under the summer heat is an event each of us looks forward to. No, it is not about the sunscreen or the SPF printed on the bottle, it is that sensation of feeling the mighty sun embracing you with all its glory – and Ciudades surely knows how to make it happen!

One February weekend (22 February 2014), Ciudades, premier community builder, invited communities, specifically schools, to participate in their first ever Kite Flying Festival over at Mandug. Participated by parents, kids, students and enthusiasts of ages, the core of the event was to showcase the vast wonder of landscape and nature playground available for all to enjoy. Aside from them, a group of bike enthusiast also made their rounds on the ramp to the delight of the spectators.

In the morning, a kite workshop, headed by Davao’s Kite Guild, were enjoyed by kids and parents alike. From scratch, kites were revealed and flown in the air like lanterns in the morning sky warranted a resounding accolade from everyone. Seeing kids with their kites up is tru-

KITE MAKING CLINIC.

ly a sight to see.

In the afternoon, students from different schools in Davao registered their kites for the much-anticipated event. From the biggest kites to the smallest, it was a colorful parade of both original and best flying kites of shapes and colors. You can verily see the buildup of anticipation from the participants’ eyes as the contest nears.

At the sound of the whistle, the afternoon was filled with cheers, laughter and applause from everyone. It was surely an event worth remembering as the kites were released up in the air. With the wind blowing like there was no tomorrow, it took others a bit of time to keep their kites steady up in the air. Despite such, everyone enjoyed an afternoon that briefly painted the sky with the colors of life!

As the day ended, winners of the events were named and bragging rights went to those who have showed ingenuity and sportsmanship all throughout the event. For other exciting details, visit their website at www.ciudades. com.ph.

CHAMPION, BEST ORIGINAL KITE

BIKE CLINIC

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EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

EDITORIAL

T

A continuing campaign

HE drive to rid the streets of Davao City of illegal structures and stalls of so-called sidewalk vendors continues without let-up.

The lead man in the campaign is a veteran military man in the person of Col. (Ret.) Yusof Jimlani.

The job, as Jimlani must have realized by now , is not an easy one. It is public knowledge that erring vendors are stubborn and wily. They are not about to give up their illegal occupancy and their off-and-on vending activities in prohibited portions of the city. The cat-and-mouse skirmishes between vendors and enforcers, particularly members of Jimlani’s demolition squad, have somewhat dissipated of late given the moral and legal ascendancy of the latter.

The demolition squad’s attention is now focused on Toril, where the illegal vendors have reportedly returned to the streets with a vengeance.

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This, despite the vendors’ widely publicized vow that they would voluntarily demolish their illegal structures. Jimlani now feels that he has been had in what appears to be a ruse.

The establishment of an experimental night market along a portion of Roxas Boulevard seems to be working, though.

Another positive development in the drive is that no influential person is interceding for apprehended erring vendors unlike before.

At this juncture, after being impressed with Jimlani’s show of determination and political will, the public expects him and his plucky men to succeed in their mission.

One thing is certain though – and this is something good going for Jimlani, is that his group has the all-out backing of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, whose obsession for law and order is well known has become the trademark of his style of governance.

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR./ CHENEEN R. CAPON Reporters

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

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

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

AQUILES Z. ZONIO Correspondent

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

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

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EDGEDAVAO

A

It’s ironic and a great pity

PRINCIPAL REASON THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT SUCCEEDS – Many may not share Senator Serge Osmena III’s observation and his description of President Benigno Aquino III and some Cabinet members as “awful managers,” but they certainly seem to share the senator’s main premise that sacking undesirable and non-performers may be part of the solution. It’s the best option people have seen to solve the country’s lingering difficulties. Does the President think the same way, too?

Perhaps he should. This is not to say that the noteworthy performance of other appointed officials should be ignored; some have been doing things right. It is perhaps a testimony to the prevailing neglected priority concerns that the irate and disgusted public would often raise howl of protests.

There is no denying that people are sick and tired of the promises made by government. All, not just the present dispensation and the masses of our people are truly disappointed for their failure to get things done. That brings them to the startling thing in governance, which is the number of unqualified officials who were appointed to head crucial government posts.

Just like Senator Osmena some noted political analysts observed these officials are presumed to be closely associated with the President, which justifies their coveted appointments. The presumption that they are potential assets to the government may be true, but the people’s presumption that they are potential liabilities is even truer.

It may seem unavoidable, but would be too often ironic and a great pity that

H

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

choosing and appointing people for loyalty, friendship or political accommodation lead to political disorder and the country pays for it dearly. The public becomes judgmental and despairing when heads of the national agencies failed them in their expectations.

The President has what he need to do to have effective and efficient governance: choose people with experience, competence and expertise for the job.

It pays off well, as in the case of the appointment of some department heads that resulted with the never-seen-before improvements being reap by their respective offices.

Of course, there are exceptions; some of them do rise to the occasion and are performing well while most are not. That can be proven because there are readily available records through the social media. The records will tell people pretty clearly who are performing and who are not. The fact that it is being discussed either intelligently or idle chit-chat shows how seriously people are taking the need to have deserving and performing appointed officials.

But let’s think about it for a moment. We do not hear the President saying that some of his appointees need a “forced vacation” for their perceived failure to stem the tide of inefficiency in their turfs and especially for failing

to address posthaste what the people urgently need during emergency situations. The President instead take pains to explain their actions, and oftentimes heaped high praises for all what he believe they’ve done to improve public service.

Unfortunately, the disenchanted public is not prepared to swallow the President’s explanations hook, line and sinker. The people’s premise is that the presidential appointees in question are loyal and close associates and largely part of the ruling political party. This is the primary reason why these officials continued to enjoy the trust and confidence of the appointing authority despite their lackluster performance.

Uncanny as it is, people have come to accept the run-through as part of the political reality: that in a Philippine setting favored “political pets” must be part of the core group who enjoyed familiarity and trust of the President. Senator Osmena and some keen observers may be critical of the President not on personal grounds but on grounds of principle – not on decrees but rather in policies. Swelling observers likewise shared their views in this respect.

Political analysts say the President, again, has what he need to do a job properly and orderly: appoint someone to a senior position with the requisite experience, expertise, and competence.

It’s a principal reason the business of government succeeds. Instead of making effort to conceal the incompetence and dismal performance of some of his trusted adjutants, the President would do well to emulate the leadership style of successful and revered leaders of progressive and prosperous nations.

dictionary says awful means extremely bad; terrible.

Me thinks P-Noy is simply unfit to be chief executive, period.

The Office of the President is too much for an inexperience man and a mediocre mind like Noynoy’s. ooOoo STOP THOSE SENATE INVESTIGATIONS! Senator Miriam Santiago and two other senators – Pogi Boy Bong Revilla and Sexy Jinggoy Estrada, want a stop to Senate investigations of scams and other forms of irregularities in government offices.

Yes to that. The truth is that the public is tired of congressional investigations which do not benefit the country at all. The hearings only provide free media exposure to opportunistic lawmakers.

I’ll go even further and propose that we discard all investigations so that our lawmakers can devote full time to mak-

ing laws, not making noise on the floor before the TV cameras. ooOoo What kind of a political animal is the Bangsamoro Political Entity?

It’s a Trojan Horse, a weapon of war disguised as a gift of peace.

If you are familiar with the Trojan War between Greeks and inhabitants of City of Troy, then you know what the Trojan Hors eis all about.

Legend has it that the Trojan War was caused by the abduction of Helen, the daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus, by Paris, son of the King of Troy.

The Greeks assembled 100,000 men and invaded Troy to rescue or reclaim Helen. The war lasted for 10 years. On the tenth year, they built a wooden horse and sent it to the city as a gift. Inside the horse were selected Greek fighters, who bolted out of the horse in the middle of the night and burned and sacked the city.

Of course, we don’t want the same thing to happen to us here in Mindanao.

The MILF does not reflect the sentiment of the entire Muslim population.

It is but a fraction of the MNLF. Gloria Arroyo made the mistake of talking to them. Aquino made the same mistake.

The MILF does not want peace in Mindanao. They want a piece of Mindanao thru the BPE.

Beware of a Trojan Horse

OW good a manager is Pres. Benigno Aquino III, aka P-Noy? Let’s listen to what two senators – a political ally and an oppositionist, have to say.

Serge Osmeña III of Cebu – Mr. Aquino is a “good and honest man, but an awful manager. Matigas ang ulo” (hardheaded).

Now, that’s not very flattering, or politically nice, to say the least considering that they are allies.

Miriam F. Santiago of Iloilo: “What characterizes him is his independence of mind. He has to live with himself. He has no political future, and that entitles him to some degree of prudence when he is making important decisions.”

So, there you are, two opposing views on Mr. Aquino as chief executive or prime manager of the country.

Osmeña’s opinion becomes valid when we consider Aquino’s absolute lack of experience as a manager or executive or CEO. In a sense, he is not a hands-on executive, or more to the point, an action man who puts himself to where the action is. In short, he simply doesn’t possess the necessary managerial skills which explains the indecisive nature of his character.

I like Osmeña’s use of the word awful in describing Aquino as a manager. The

9

Our parliament in waiting WORM’S EYEVIEW:

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA

I

Part 1 of 2

N her glory days, Pres. GMA referred to our country as a ”Strong Republic.” Perched atop its totem pole, I guess it was flattering for her to characterize it as such. So cavalier of her, though, as if saying so made it so; as if corrupting it or allowing it to be corrupted wouldn’t weaken it.

In truth, ours has been a weak republic, enfeebled by shameless trapos, exploited by opportunistic dynasties, abused all around with impunity. So we have a big job to do.

We need to restore its integrity, make it truly strong as only a mighty citizenry can make of a nation.

We can do it by making sure every component of the republic, every barangay, is people-powered, assertive, and bound together by a political will that no one can unbundle so readily.

Barangay, our Small Republic Let’s keep in mind that barangays are small republics—each with its own territory, populace, government, and (though limited) sovereignty. The big Philippine republic draws its strength from these small republics.

All Filipinos live in them—distributed throughout 42,000+ barangays, our unique communities, the home of sovereign citizens, the base of citizen power from whom all government authority emanates.

The key to national strengthening lies in these small republics. Even a little effort by enlightened citizens in them can change reality, much as retouching the tiny details of a photograph can change the picture.

Retouching If you want change, no need to look elsewhere, no need to look beyond. Simply tend to your own barangay and ask others to do the same in theirs.

To beautify the country and make it more attractive, simply beautify and clean up your own little barangay. To improve the nation’s health, simply ensure that health care is accessible in your barangay.

To raise national productivity and expand the GNP, simply create jobs, upgrade local productivity, and increase your local economy’s Gross Barangay Product.

For a more civilized, crime-free country, simply enforce the laws and ordinances and stop criminality in your barangay.

And to improve politics, ban or remove the anomalous practices that pervert the political process in your barangay. It is where trapos blithely pervert elections and democracy.

All these you can do or work on, along with your neighbors, by simply being active and involved in the barangay’s governing processes—which you are bound to do as a bona fide citizen.

These are the small things in the barangay that make up the big things in the nation. Filipinos who belittle these chores in the community, or who refuse to take action, are the great barriers to social reform, political maturity, and economic progress.

Be Assertive Very soon, our village officials will announce the convening of the Barangay Assembly, synchronized nationwide, to take place Saturday, March 29.

Will they issue a written notice indicating its agenda, including items of particular significance to you and your neighbors? Will they furnish the notice to every household? Important questions these, with implications about the law, the role of the people in local governance, and about how serious the national government is about autonomy or self-governance.

If there’s no written notice, it violates the law which requires that such notice be issued and distributed at least one week in advance.

If the officials dictate the agenda and not even bother to ask people what should be included or taken up, it discourages the spirit of autonomy or self-governance and belittles the role of the people. Let’s raise these issues!

Be Empowered Enfranchise and empower yourself along with everyone by preparing well for the Assembly. Then actively participate and see that it performs its role as the community’s legislative governing body, its parliament and supreme governing body.

10

NEWS

Council...FFROM 1

for a long time like Germany and the United States, saka naman natin gagamitin,” Fuertes said.

“If there’s really no such thing as clean coal, those countries would not have looked for alternatives and but simply improved their coal technology, right?”

Fuertes said, adding that “precautionary principle (PP) should have provided wisdom’’ to policy-makers who were responsible for the approval of the resolution which was originally proposed by Manuel M. Orig, first vice president of Aboitiz Power.

“We all know that the expected adverse environmental and health impacts will not happen or be observed immediately, but once it happens, it would be very costly if not irreversible and we cannot afford it,” Fuertes claimed.

“The PP has denoted a duty to prevent harm and is really more about common sense, evidence of harm should be enough basis to be on the side of caution rather than on risk,” she said.

IDIS is now studying moves on this issue together with other “No-to-Coal” Groups in the city.

In tune with the advocacy group, City Councilors Leah A. Librado-Yap and Antoinette G. Principe-Castrodes voted against the proposal.

Yap said that from the start of the discussion she strongly opposed its passage, adding that the operation of the power plant would affect the environment.

An earlier report said that Castrodes voted “no” on the ground of “intergenerational responsibility.” According to her, “the stories of environmental rights are not only stipulated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution but even before that rhere were already laws protecting the environment.”

TSI, earlier had expected to go on stream by the first half of 2015. It is part of the P250-billion plan of Aboitiz Power Company to help solve the Mindanao power crisis.

The power plant started its site preparation work in late 2011 after it received approval from the Davao City Council after which full construction begins in 2012.

Once fully commissioned, it would become the largest baseload coal-fed power plant in Mindanao.

Corp., told reporters in a press briefing yesterday at the Presidential Suite of The Marco Polo Davao that the expected job generation will become a reality in five to seven years period.

Go said that that from five to 10 international BPO (business process outsourcing) companies in Manila have signified to locate here once the offices are available.

“They know the wealth of labor in Davao City,” he said, adding that a single firm can occupy a whole building for its operations and employ about 3,000 to 5,000 just like in the Megaworld properties in Cebu and Iloilo.

This projected employment may go higher as tenants of commercial spaces employ their own people, Go said.

First to rise in the Megaworld’s 10th township in the Philippines are office towers suited for BPO companies and other corporate offices.

The property giant announced that each office tower will probably have 3,000 to 5,000 square meters depending on style.

The project’s masterplan is yet to be finalized.

In a press statement, it said that the Davao Park District is “envisioned to be Davao City’s central business district (CBD) and a major center for informational technology and business outsourcing (IT- BPO) in Mindanao.”

“Davao City is the economic center of Mindanao.

This is the best place to build our very first township on Southern Philippines, which we envision to be Mindanao’s new central

business district,” Dr. Andrew L. Tan, chairman and chief executive for Megaworld said.

“In Davao Park District, the people of Mindanao can finally experience Megaworld’s pioneering LIVE-WORK-PLAY-LEARN township concept,” Tan added.

“It’s like bringing Eastwood City here in Davao City,” Go said, adding that it will be a self-sustaining community.

Aside from office towers, the Davao Park District will also feature themed residential condominiums that will be built by Suntrust, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Megaworld.

The township will also create a livable community by installing a lifestyle mall, commercial and retail strips and a school.

“We are excited to revitalize the landscape of Davao City with our LIVE –WORK-PLAY-LEARN concept for this mixed use development,” Go said.

“This is like bringing Eastwood City to Mindanao,” he said.

Megaworls’s first township was established in the 17-hectare Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City, which became the country’s first cyberpark that hosted the birth of the BPO industry in the Philippines.

Other successful townships developed include the 50-hectare McKinley Hill, 5-hectare Forbes Town, 34.5-hectare McKinley West, 15.4-hectare Uptown Bonifacio, 25-hectare Newport City, 12.3-hectare Woodside City, 28.8-hectare The Mactan Newtown and 72- hectare Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo. [CRC]

Megeworld’s...FFROM 1

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PNP...FFROM 2

of the simplification of PNP’s official handbook is its eventual translation in the vernacular and in native dialects.“Nagmemeeting na ang mga operations officer natin dahil sila ang magdedesiminate na pababa.kaya nga ang bilin natin

sa kanila simplify everything kumbaga sa ano kung pwede lang tagalugin, bisayain kung bisaya, we are considering those things ngayon na we translate those things into the native dialect,” he added.

In the previous versions

of POP, Purisima said there were terminologies and words in the manual that some policemen misinterpret or fail to understand.

“We have detailed the operational procedures step by step that actually, it’s more like an idiot’s

guide (to police operations),” he said.

Asked what other notable revisions PNP made in the manual, the PNP chief said guidelines in preserving the crime scene was made stricter in the latest POP edition. [PNA]

field Marketing, liable for these violations,” he said.

With this, Nepomuceno noted the firm’s officers and Customs brokers could also be held liable for violating Section 2530 of the Tariff and Customs Code

of the Philippines because of providing wrong commodity description of their shipment accompanied by intentional misclassification of the same for a zero rate duty in order to evade the collection of the right-

ful duty due.

“Copperfield Marketing will be subjected to further investigation. We have to check if the steel they imported was tested and certified by the Bureau of Product Standards,” he

said.

The said company was one of the 70 importers suspended by the bureau last March 5 for repeatedly violating Customs policies and procedures in filing import documents. [PNA]

ing from the northeast to north over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough.

The state weather bureau also issued gale warning as strong to gale force winds associated with the surge of northeasterly sur-

face wind flow, which will affect the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon, of Visayas and of Mindanao.

“Fishing boats and

other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned. [PNA]

system.”

“Power generation is separate and distinct from power transmission,” Aguilos told Edge Davao yesterday.

An earlier report said that based on the Philippine Grid Code, NGCP is “mandated only to produce four percent of the capacity of the grid.”

This means that of the 1,300MW maximum power

capacity of Mindanao grid, NGCP is only required to produce 60MW as buffer.

The report also bared that Alabanza said that the “reserve power would have to be drawn from the hydroelectric power plant of Agus 1 of the National Power Corp.”

Meanwhile, Lao announced that he would be proposing to the Mindanao Power Monitoring Commit-

tee in a meeting on March 21 that would allow NGCP to have its own power plant.

On the other hand, the NGCP spokesperson defended itself against Lao’s criticism that the grid operator is “not doing its job” and “not qualified to manage the grid.”

“We are confident of the capability of our people to run and maintain the grid, as they have been doing for the

past several decades. While NGCP is only five years old, the people behind NGCP are the same people from Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) and NAPOCOR.” “We hired their [TRANSCO and NAPOCOR] transmission experts. Plus, they have the added benefit of having a strong technical partner introducing advances in equipment and processes,” she added.

Investigators have identified two giant arcs of territory spanning the possible positions of the plane about 7½ hours after takeoff, based on its last faint signal to a satellite. The arcs stretch up as far as Kazakhstan in central Asia and down deep into the southern Indian Ocean.

Police are considering the possibility of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or

issues related to the mental health of the pilots or anyone else on board, and have asked for background checks from abroad on all foreign passengers.

Hishammuddin said such checks have been received for all the foreigners except those from Ukraine and Russia — which account for three passengers — and that nothing suspicious has

turned up so far.

Relatives of passengers on the missing airliner have grown increasingly frustrated over the lack of progress in the search, in its 12th day on Wednesday. Planes sweeping across vast expanses of the Indian Ocean and satellites peering on Central Asia have turned up no new clues in the hunt.

“It’s really too much. I

don’t know why it is taking so long for so many people to find the plane. It’s 12 days,” Subaramaniam Gurusamy, 60, said in an interview from his home on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. His 34-yearold son, Pushpanathan Subramaniam, was on the flight heading to Beijing for a work trip.

“He’s the one son I have,” Subaramaniam said. [AP]

economy to provide them with greater opportunities.

Aquino took office in 2010, vowing to help the

poor and fight the massive corruption that has long weighed down the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Budget Secretary Flor-

encio Abad said the government had made significant achievements, citing the 7.2 percent economic growth rate last year.

But he added: “We know that much has to be done. We have lost a decade to meaningfully bring down poverty.” [AFP]

and he is not scandalized at all.

He commented that those who want to criticize will always criticize. But about the clergy who are saying negative things about him, he is saddened because they are supposed to work as a team. He just puts it down to, “Kahinaanngtao.

Kahinaanngparinataosila at nagkakamalingjudgement. I prefer to be envied than pitied. Kinaiinggitanakokasimagandaangginagawako. Hindi

akokinakaawandahilwalaakongginagawa.”

After the lunch, Fr. Fernando Suarez is brought by his supporters to Pantukan, Compostela Valley, approximately a two-hour drive from Davao City. Pantukan is celebrating the feast of St. Joseph and their Bishop Willy Manlapaz opened their parish doors to the healing priest. The San Jose Parish was packed to the rafters with approximately two thousand

people in attendance. Though not everybody touched by Fr. Suarez was physically healed, it is said that healing still occurs at some level because one is already brought closer to God. Just as blind people were ecstatic and could finally see light; there were also those who still could not get up from their wheelchairs. Just as tumors melted from a few; there were also those who left feeling nothing different. Appar-

ently, the journey of faith and healing is different for different people.

“I will be highly misunderstood talaga with this kind of life ministry because it is so powerful, and droves of people…, nacoconvertmgatao.

Yung mgataonghindimoakalaingmagbabago,maniniwala, pilosopo, hindisimbahangtao, ngayonsilanamagsasalitatungkolsayo,” Fr. Fernando Suarez states with quiet conviction.

promotes the rights of IPS,” Bandar said during the Kapehan sa PIA at the PIA 11 regional office yesterday.

The rights they would like to be put into the record and/or law (BBL) that tribes included in the core territory have the inherent right to exercise indigenous governance, retain their identity based on the tribe’s description and likewise,

possess, manage, and delineate the ancestral domain/ land through the issuance of a territorial instrument or Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).

Bandar said that even with the IFRA, they haven’t enjoyed their rights.

He said that this was not discussed in the plenary of BTC in the past.

“We sent a letter ad-

dressed to Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of BTC in the past few weeks,” he said.

He added that they also will appeal for the clarification of wealth-sharing between the people of Bangsamoro and IPs. “This is like creating an ancestral domain within an ancestral domain,” Bandar said, adding that IPs have their own distinct culture

and identity that should be protected, especially now that the BBL is being drafted.

However, the tribal leaders expressed their deep support to BBL because, according to them, Lumads or IPs, were among the people who were most affected by the war between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

BOC... FFROM 2

LPA...FFROM 2

NGCP...FFROM 2

Missing...FFROM 3

Millions...FFROM 3

Fr. Suarez...FFROM 3

IPS...FFROM 3

EDGEDAVAO

BIGGER PICTURE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

11

Ms Nang Thammavong sits in front of her baskets of salts, while taking her lunch break on a Sunday afternoon.

Baskets of salt for a living A woman earns for daily sustenance by making table salt in the middle of landlocked Laos.

TEXT and PHOTOS By LORIE ANN CASCARO

V

IENTIANE, Laos– Away from the sea, Laos produces salt by mining in Vientiane basin that shares potash deposits of Sakon Nakhon basin of Khorat Plateau in Thailand.

Named after its abundance of salt deposits, Boukeua (keua means salt) village has the 35-year-old salt factory in the country, the Khoksaath Iodized Salt Factory, which is 21 kilometers from Vientiane Capital.

The compound was silent as a cemetery on a Sunday. Over a hundred of rectangular man-made ponds for drying brine (water saturated with salt water) in the sun, spread in the entire fenced area. They seemed like shallow swimming pools with sea water. Hardened salt on the ground looked like cemented snow, crystal white yet salty.

In a sultry midday, a pale, slender woman was sitting under a shade of a long-stretched open hut that shelters tens of steaming salt kilns in the middle of the compound. With water vapor oozing out from the salty ponds, Ms Nang Thammavong, 25, spent her lunch break like in a sauna.

But her job is not as relaxing as having a sauna bath. She had to work and bear the torrid atmosphere everyday. She might have gotten used to it as she couldn’t remember doing any other chores since she was a kid. Her parents had worked in the salt factory since her childhood.

With a total of 142 employees, the factory was built by a Lao national, Mr Khanchanh Sihalath, from

1978 to 1979, according to the company’s information officer, Ms Somchai Soulisack. It provided the equipment for workers to create salt out of the brine that comes out of the ground.

In exchange, the company exclusively buys their products.

Perhaps fate has bonded Ms Nang’s entire lifetime to salt. As a little girl, her parents assigned her to handle a 2x3-meter pond filled with brine cooked above a kiln, which was fed by wood. She was managing the same kind of salt pond when I saw her that day. She said there are over 70 families working in the factory with four to five members who are all assigned to at least a couple of tracts of salt.

The younger Nang was tasked to man one of the ponds exposed to the sun as well. Such way of making rock salt takes a week, while the one over a kiln can produce every two days. She can make eight baskets of salt per day or about 760 kilos of salt every two days with a single pond.

Now that she has two kids (aged 1 and 3) and her parents retired, she has to do it by herself. Meanwhile, her husband changed his fate by leaving the factory to work in Vientiane capital for a bigger income.

Every two days, she sells 16 baskets of salt for a total of 320,000 kip (US$40) for a square she owns. However, she had to deduct the amount for the costs of wood, fuel and other materials. Her net income for filling in the baskets in two

or sometimes three days is only about 50,000 kip (US$6). Fortunately, she also tends a pond outside which yields a thousand kilo once a week. From this, she earns 180,000 kip (US$22) without any deduction.

Unknowingly, this salt woman is taking part in a vital industry in her country.

Laos annually produced 35,000 metric tons of salt from 2006 to 2010. The Khoksaath Salt Factory shares eight metric tons of the production every day.

The company exports iodized salt to Vietnam, China and Thailand, among others, and supplies for domestic market.

In 2006, 83.8 percent of total households in Laos use edible salt fortified with iodine, the United Nations reported.

Scientifically referred as sodium chloride, salt preserves food, which was a crucial element for the survival of ancient societies during long period of winters and droughts. It had been used as an old style of dying cloth. And, the ample intake of salt maintains the balance among human bodily systems.

Ms Nang might not be aware of these facts while having to deal with her salty daily routine.

But she is a living witness that salt proves to be essential to humans in any sense. [Lorie Ann Cascaro of Mindanews is a fellow of FK Norway exchange program. She’s currently in Laos and hosted by Vientiane Times.]

A woman worker of Khoksaath Salt Factory stirs the brine cooked over a kiln to create rock salt.

A worker delivers wood to feed the kilns for making salt, while a container vehicle of the Khoksaath Salt Factory for collecting rock salt passes by.

12 CLASSIFIED EDGEDavao Davao Partners

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

Street food at the mall

DURIANBURG’S food scene has indeed evolved by leaps and bounds these past few years with the citizens discovering new and exciting places to eat and unwind.

Last weekend, Davao saw the third iteration of the Davao Gourmet Collective, this time at the fabulous Fountain Court of SM Lanang Premier.

Inspired by street food from the world over, the collective showcased their own take on fast grilled cuisine and popular quick eats from the Ilocos to Bulacan, and Bangkok to Tokyo.

King of the grill From the sinfully fatty Rib-eye and Pork Belly Satay of Carmina del Rosario’s Bangkok Wok to the smoky Chicken Yakitori from Kushiya and the tender Pork Barbecue from Ineng’s, the grill was definitely the king of the event. In fact, nobody seemed to mind the “fragrant” smoke rising up from the many grills within the area.

Its a wrap Davao’s Queen of Cheese, Olive Puentespina introduced her Cabrito for the food event. The Cabrito is a smoky goat sausage that is served with an herbed ricotta cheese spread and served in a pita wrap. Bistro Selera also served their own wraps, choosing to stuff their wraps with the more sinful Crispy Fried Pork Knuckles instead.

Selera’s Crispy Pata Wrap Bangkok Wok’s Rib-eye Satay

Fried goodness Knowing that is is a celebration of street food, there has to be something fried right? I especially loved the crispy Bagnet and Ilocos Empanada that was offered. Another familiar foodie treat was the juicy Angus Steak Empanada of Cellar de Boca.

Just desserts And what is a meal without desserts?

Sweet Spot offered their myriad of ice creams including their famous Crocodile and Ostrich Ice Creams which were an exotic twist to what would have been a simple everyday dessert.

I especially loved the ice cream sandwiches offered

by Jonathan Ramirez which were just sweet enough to be dessert but not overwhelmingly sweet as to kill your tastebuds. I would have wanted to try

Bagnet anyone?

Monica Floirendo’s Kesong Puti Slider.

Olive Puentespina’s Cabricho

Cellar’s Steak Empanada his cream puffs which unfortunately ran out before I arrived.

If you missed the Gourmet Food Collective last weekend, don’t fret as it will be back this Friday to Sunday for another weekend of good eats.

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

Jonathan’s Ice Cream Sandwich.

Cacao de Davao’s Roasted Cacao Nibs.

EDGEDAVAO

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UP AND ABOUT

Smart to exclusively carry the Sony Xperia Z2 in the Philippines NEW and potential Smart Postpaid subscribers will soon experience the unrivaled power and maximum protection offered by the Sony Xperia Z2, touted as the world’s best camera and videocam in a waterproof smartphone, coupled with the ultrafast LTE connectivity offered only by Smart.

“We are delighted to welcome another high-end smartphone from Sony into Smart Postpaid’s lineup of high-end smartphones, which will provide the best and unrivaled mobile experience to our subscribers,” said Kathryn Carag, Postpaid Marketing Head at Smart. “Paired with the widest LTE service from Smart, the Xperia Z2 will surely be a reliable companion to people on the go—whether they take it to the office, out on the streets, or even beneath the waters of the b eautiful beaches around the country.”

Individuals interested in getting the Xperia Z2 should watch out for Smart’s exciting limited-time introductory offer to be announced in the next few weeks, Carag added.

Unveiled during the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the Sony Xperia Z2 features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM for maximum mobile performance on such a compact form factor.

Featuring a 20.7-megapixel rear camera equipped with a 1/2.3-type Exmor RS CMOS sensor, the Sony Xperia Z2 captures memories in stunning detail whether the scene is above ground, up in the air, or under the water.

Designed to provide the highest level of waterproofing on an 8.2-millimeter profile, the Xperia Z2 comes with a dust-resistant and waterproof (IP55 & IP58) powerhouse chassis that blends beautiful design with powerful functions.

Widest LTE coverage With more than 10,000 4G-capable sites (HSPA+, LTE/LTE-A) nationwide, Smart is best-equipped to meet the data needs of its most demanding mobile subscribers wherever they are in the country, including future owners of the much-anticipated Sony Xperia Z2.

This is backed by 78,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables running across the country, providing enough capacity and backhaul to handle all kinds of high-bandwidth multimedia content running through Smart’s mobile networks.

For updates about the Sony Xperia Z2 and Smart’s postpaid plan offers, interested individuals may visit smart.com.ph/postpaid or follow @SMARTCares and like Smart Communications on Facebook.

GET A FREE CHICKEN BIBIMBAP AT BULGOGI BROTHERS. The Big Davao Fun Sale is still on as Bulgogi Brothers Korean BBQ Restaurant Davao gives out FREE bowls of their famous Chicken Bibimbap valued at Php265 with every Php750 minimum purchase from March 15 until April 30, 2014. Visit Bulgogi Brothers at the 2nd Floor Fountain Court at SM Lanang Premier.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

FOOD

A St. Patrick’s Day feast at Cafe el Gato

By Kenneth Irving Ong

KNOWN for its take on international cuisine and eclectic menu, Cafe el Gato at the Palos Ranchos Verde clubhouse recently introduced its St. Patrick’s Day dishes last March 17 that coincides with Ireland’s most famous holiday.

When asked why celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Cafe el Gato’s owner Kat Marfori beamed “We have always offered unique and exciting dishes and experiences for our guests such as celebrating the Fourth of July as well as the recently held Dining in the Dark last Valentine’s Day. This time we decided to bring in holidays that are not normally known by Filipinos to offer a new flavour profile that we know they will also like.”

The menu was a meatlover’s dream as the dishes are hearty and based on potato and meat such as the Irish version of Shepard’s Pie which is dish made of ground beef, peas, and carrots topped with rich and creamy mashed potato.

Another traditional

Irish favourite is the Corned Beef which is different from the corned beef that we normally would find canned. Instead of the almost textureless goo we get from a can, Cafe el Gato’s Irish Corned Beef was cut in slabs like a steak but was tender and juicy to the bite.

Beer lovers will love the Glazed Pork Loin with Spicy Ale Slaw which pairs well with a pint of Guinness. While those who crave for comfort food will love to have a

bowl of piping hot Irish Beef Stew.

For dessert, Cafe el Gato offers Shamrock Shakes (a bright green vanilla ice cream dessert with a hint of mint) Shamrock Velvet Cake, Guinness Cupcake (a rich cupcake containing Guinness beer), and St. Patrick’s Cupcake.

The St. Patrick’s Day festival will last until March 23, 2014.

For inquiries or reservations you may contact Cafe el Gato at the Riverfront Corporate City at 09178354286 or 0822861193. Cafe el Gato also has function rooms for events.

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Star Wars 7 production to kick off in May THE future is upon is.

Disney and Lucasfilm announced today that principal photography is set to begin Star Wars: Episode VII in May—just in time to get the hugely anticipated next installment in the storied franchise ready for its Dec. 18, 2015, release date!

The filmmakers also revealed that the new movie, the first of three planned sequels, will pick up 30 years after Return of the Jedi (aka Episode VI) left off.

Director J.J. Abrams is famous for the tight lid he keeps on all of his productions, be them for the big or small screen—but at least

now there’s something to start building a new hope off of, right?

And now that Episode VII production has a start date, all it needs are some stars.

So far it has one person in talks, Adam Driver, and reported commitments from Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. Could probably use a few more actors, though.

“Rumor has it that almost every actor in the world has been cast in this movie, but so far, the official cast member that we’ve confirmed, the only one, is R2D2. Played

by R2D2,” cracked Disney

chief exec Bob Iger at a shareholders meeting today in Oregon, per Variety.

He did say that “the team is well into preproduction...and from the concept art that I’ve seen so far, Star Wars: Episode VII really looks amazing. For now, that’s it. I’ll get in trouble if I say more.”

As if to confirm R2D2’s involvement at the time, Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, posted a pic to Instagram of the director chillin’ with the robot at “the workshop” in November Meanwhile, production has been plagued by all

sorts of rumors, such as that Abrams was jumping ship (denied) and that everyone from Jonathan Rhys Meyers to Zac Efron was in line to star. (Time will tell. All Disney and Lucasfilm would promise is that Episode VII “will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces.”

The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi scribe Lawrence Kasdan joined Abrams on script duty in October after Oscar winner Michael Arndt exited the project, and it appears that things have slowly but surely been underway ever since.

Julia and Enrique share the beauty of true love in ABS-CBN’s ‘Mira Bella’ KAPAMILYA stars Julia Barretto and Enrique Gil are set to share the beauty of true love as ABS-CBN’s official summer teleserye “Mira Bella” premieres on Monday (March 24).

Mira Bella’s” story will revolve around Mira (Julia), a young girl who inherited the curse of having a wood-like skin.

Despite being mocked and ridiculed all throughout her childhood, Mira still grows up believing in the goodness of people because of the love she got from her foster parents, Osang (Pokwang) and Paeng (John ‘Sweet’ Lapus).

How will Mira show everyone that one’s inner beauty is more important than physical appearance? Will she finally get the love and

acceptance she has been longing for when Jeremy (Enrique) comes into her life?

Also joining Julia, Enrique, Sweet, and Pokwang in

“Mira Bella” are Sam Concepcion, Mylene Dizon, James Blanco, Liza Diño, DJ Durano, Mika dela Cruz, Arlene Muhlach, Alora Sasam, and

Gloria Diaz, with the special participation of Dimples Romana.

“Mira Bella” is under the direction of Erick Salud, Jojo Saguin, and Jerome Pobocan. It is the newest masterpiece of Dreamscape Entertainment Television, the group that created the phenomenal drama series “Walang Hanggan,” toprating superhero teleserye “Juan dela Cruz,” and the recently concluded timely series “Honesto.”

Don’t miss the beginning of a beautiful love story in “Mira Bella” on Monday on ABS-CBN Primetime Bida.

For more information about “Mira Bella,” visit the show’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/ MiraBellaOnline and Twitter. com/MiraBellaOnline.

and the Arts (NCCA) for his internationally acclaimed performance in the movie

“Alagwa.”

Meanwhile, primetime TV will now fire up as “The Legal Wife” characters Adrian (Jericho) and Nicole (Maja Salvador) take their ‘friendship’ to the next level.

How far will Adrian and Nicole go with their forbidden affair? How will Monica (Angel) deal with her husband and best friend’s secret relationship?

Don’t miss the top-rating family drama series, “The Legal Wife,” weeknights after “Ikaw Lamang” on ABSCBN Primetime Bida.

Angel and Jericho earn recognitions from award-giving bodies

“THE Legal Wife” lead stars Angel Locsin and Jericho Rosales continue to receive recognitions from various award-giving bodies for their respective achievements in movie and TV. After winning the Best Supporting Actress trophy from Gawad Pasado Awards 2014 last February, Angel was recently named Best Female TV Personality at the 1st UmalohokJuan Awards of the Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila.

On the other hand, Jericho received the Ani ng

Dangal (Harvest of Honors) Award from the National Commission for Culture

NEED FOR SPEED 2D Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper PG 13

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

MAKE YOUR MOVE 2D BoA Kwon, Derek Hough PG 13

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

DEVIL'S DUE 2D Allison Miller, Zach Gilford R 13

12:25 | 2:20 | 4:15 | 6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

R-16 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE 2D Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green R 16

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

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

FOOD

Indulge under one roof

FROM the outside, it looks like a pricey restaurant. With its interiors beautifully designed and exteriors perfectly landscaped, you will surely mistake the place for a bit on the high end dining experience. Well, to say the least, you will be treated like royalty – minus the pricey bill at the end of your meal.

Yes, Café Tavera exceeds beyond the definition of quaint – and I am only referring to the place itself. The food is a different story! At Café Tavera, you will have everything that you need under one roof. Their menu is an extensive array of Filipino dishes cooked according to how we want our food to be – full of flavors but not nakaka-umay.

Strategically located at the heart of the metro, it is an easy find for foodie and hungry souls alike. Their specialty?

Everything!

From their selection of fresh seafood cooked right under your nose (not literally though!) and cakes of shapes, sizes and flavors on display for you to crave for, this place is a portal itself – a portal of indulgence in a plate!

Appetizer Dive into heavenly slices of binurong mangga fermented to perfection.

With every slice comes a price – falling in love with the sweet, sour and sharp flavors of our beloved fruit.

Shrimp paste on the side?

No need! Already a perfection on its own, you would soon see the relevance of the juice that came with it!

This is a definite must-try!

Soup Order anything on their menu, but I say, feast on the many fresh seafood choices found on the right corner of the restaurant.

From humongous but packed crabs to shrimps, tuna and shells, you will most definitely enjoy the endless choices laid before you. Try their creamy mandaragat soup. Its velvety and rich texture gives the pieces of seafood another level of juiciness like no other. At this stage, you need to forget about your diet! Remember, savor the

richness while its hot!

Rice Rice here is a dish on its own! They have an array of choices that you can choose from – bagoong, garlic, plain and bulad! Tonight was bulad rice night.

Again, it was cooked right to the bite. The dried fish (lapu-lapu) was not overpowering thus not too salty. Although the rice was flavored, still it did not lose its starchy palette quenching taste. For those with allergies (like me), have your meds ready!

Crab Cooked Singapoeran style (minus the chili; could request for a chilly one), it was an explosion of flavors as you suck on the shells and pick the meat out. The sauce greatly compliments the meaty taste of the meat and thus allowing you an array of different flavors with every bite. The crab was not dry thus it still retained its juiciness that makes this dish ever so succulent and finger lickin’ good! Go ahead, use your hands with this one!

Shrimp Salted egg has been a

breakfast staple, yes? Indeed, slices of it in the morning is a sure wake up booster that we all love. Imagine salted eggs and shrimps in one dish – just plain awesome! The saltiness of the egg marries perfectly with the succulent tempura like shrimp pieces. The shrimp retains its sweetness and thus blends well with the salti-

ness of the egg. Dipped in their special vinegar, you will never go wrong with this. Caution though, you might want to loosen your belt buckle.

Meat They have a wide selection of meat dishes that you can choose from. Tonight was baby back ribs and as I am on a no-pork diet,

my friend told me that the meat was tender and emits a certain flavor of sweetness because of the marinade. From the looks of it, it looked tender and quite sweet. As he chewed on pieces of the meat, he cannot help but be truly satisfied with it. So, I’ll take his reaction as one of a must try dish when dining here.

So, if you are in search of something new but right on the budget or just want to enjoy an al fresco dining experience at the heart of the city then head on to Café Tavera at Pardo de Tavera corner Avancena Street, Davao city. They are open from 10 am until 10pm. Visit their website at www.cafetavera.com for more details!

Be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit! Send me your recipes, questions, suggestions and comments and be featured. Email me at leebay457@yahoo.com (subject:RoyalChef) or tag me on instagram (herroyalheiress) for your delicious pics!

13 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

‘The Many Faces of the Teacher’ nomination opens T

HE Bato Balani Foundation Inc (BBFI) in cooperation with Diwa

Learning Systems Inc. once again opens its search for educators who not only excel

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late LEONARDO A. TE has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT executed by his heirs per Doc. No.172; Page No. 35; Book No. I; Series of 2014 of the NOTARY PUBLIC WILMER Q. DONASCO 3/6,13,20

NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 84759 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 611999-4 issued to MINDA GUTANG was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

3/20/27/4/3

inside the classroom, but also uses their influence to bring about positive change for students, fellow teachers, or the local community.

Now on its 11th year, The Many Faces of the Teacher (TMFT) is an advocacy campaign aimed to extol the virtues ofteaching by providing role models who inspire excellence.

Last year, it honored Teodora D. Balangcod Ph.D. of Baguio City, Randy H. Halasan of Davao City, Jesus C. Insilada Ed.D., and Julieta Santillana-Serrano of Iloilo.

Dr. Balangcod not only has spent decades imparting knowledge on plant life and the environment but also applied these for the good of the community. Mr. Halasan has accomplished so much for the community where he teaches, and which he reaches via seven hours of travel, with four hours on foot. Dr. Insilada, a teacher and prolific author, makes preserving the local language his bigger responsibility. Ms. Serrano is a staunch advocate of special education and has given special attention to students with special needs.

The search is open to teachers of all ages, who are actively teaching in private or public primary, elementary or secondary schools, colleges, and universities. He or she must demonstrate exceptional performance in teaching; has employed creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness

in teaching; and importantly, lives out his esteemed values inteaching, family, and personal life. The nominees should also have a deep sense of nationalism and are committed toteaching for the benefit of the country and its people. He or she must be respected in school and community and is a role model for students, colleagues, and

family. In addition, he or she must be an active member of the community and has engaged in socio-civic activities.

Partner organizations, school associations, religious organisations, the Department of Education, and the school heads, students, and teachers can nominate.

The organizers will use the following criteria

for evaluation: person of integrity and morality; in good relations with students, colleagues, community members, and family; commitment and dedication to the teaching vocation; strength of values/principles applied in teaching and personal life and involvement in school and community activities.

GLOBE HOSTS ASIAN CLOUD COMPUTING CONFAB: Globe Telecom recently welcomed top executives of the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA), an industry association composed of companies from the cloud computing ecosystem in Asia, as it held its Quarterly Members’ Meeting and Quarterly Board Meeting at The Globe Tower in Taguig City, Philippines. According to its Cloud Readiness Index, the Philippines scaled up two spots in the rankings in terms of cloud adoption in Asia last year – from No. 12 to No. 10 – ahead of Vietnam, India, Indonesia and China. Established in 2010, the ACCA’s primary mission is to accelerate the growth of the cloud market in Asia, providing a neutral platform for members to discuss implementation and growth strategies, share ideas, and establish policies and best practices relating to the cloud computing ecosystem. With its membership in the ACCA, Globe keeps abreast with the latest developments in cloud technology and a primary enabler of cloud solutions for local businesses. In the photo are (from left) Consultant Stacy Baird, Cisco’s Bernie Trudel, Asia Policy Partners’ Michael Mudd, Technology Research Project Corporate’s Sohni Kaur, PLDT’s Joey Limjap, ACCA’s Lim May-Ann, TRPC’s Peter Lovelock, Globe IT-Enabled Services Group (IG)’s Michael Sy, Dimension Data’s Andy Cocks, 1CloudStar’s Eric Meyers, and Globe IG’s Chris Cheng.

14 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

Tiger Woods a doubt for the U.S. Masters?

T

IGER Woods has raised fears he may be forced to miss the U.S. Masters at Augusta after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Woods announced Tuesday that he will not play at the event because of a persistent back problem which has troubled him since last year.

The 14-time major winner has struggled over the past month and failed to finish the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens where he quit after 13 holes of his final round.

Woods, 38, tweaked his back at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami a week later and is facing a race against time to be ready for the U.S. Masters, which starts on April 10.

“It’s too early to know about the Masters, and I will continue to be evaluated and work closely with my doctors,” said Woods, who has won at Augusta on four occasions.

“I feel badly that I won’t be able to play in this great tournament this week.”

Woods has won the Arnold Palmer invitational eight times, including the past two tournaments.

TIGER WOODS In a statement on his website, Woods revealed he telephoned Palmer directly to tell him he would

AD Masters Golf C’ship ready for staging April 28

T

HE most awaited 9th Ad Masters golf tournament of the advertising and marketing communications industry will tee off on April 28 at the greens of the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City.

The Advertising Foundation of the Philippines (Ad Foundation), a non-profit, non-stock social development body of the local advertising and marketing communications industry, has been holding the golf tournament since 2002.

Ad Foundation executive director Linda Gamboa said,“We’re excited to invite more of our colleagues and friends in our ninth year of holding the golf fest which is actually a show of friendly competition and pure fun.”

Like in the previous years, the whole- day tournament will be staged in partnership with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP).

This year’s tournament will also be held in commemoration of KBP’s 43rd founding anniversary.

Butch Canoy, concur-

rent chairman of the KBP and the Ad Standards Council (ASC) as well as the overall organizing chairman of the 9th Ad Masters Golf Championship, said “The significance of this partnership is that the founding of the KBP marks the first milestone on the start of the advertising industry’s self-regulation.”

Individual players from the industry will compete for the Morales Championship Cup donated by Louie Morales, the founding chairman of the Ad Foundation and an avid golfer himself.

Teams will vie for the tournament’s Meckoy Quiogue Cup in honor of the late Meckoy Quiogue, who made an indelible mark for his unmatched contributions to the industry and has been an inspiration to many of his colleagues and peers.

Big prizes to be announced soon await winning teams.

Interested parties may get in touch with the Ad Foundation secretariat at telephone number (02) 812-6702 or 812-6231.

[PNA]

be unable to defend his title in Orlando.

“I personally called Arnold today to tell him

that, sadly, I won’t be able to play in his tournament this year,” Woods said.

“I would like to express

my regrets to the Orlando fans, the volunteers, the tournament staff and the sponsors for having to

miss the event.

“Unfortunately, my back spasms and the pain haven’t subsided.”

this Sunday at The San Juan Arena.

“It’s anybody’s game.

Actually, there is no favorite team now,” said Moying Martelino, chairman of the organizing Sports Vision, which came in full force during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate, along with Shakey’s EVP and COO Vic Gregorio.

The current format of allowing each team to tap at least two guest players, including one foreign

participant, levels up the playing field in the tournament which has National University as the defending champion.

“Foreign and guest players mean a lot to the teams,” added Martelino, who was also joined in the session presented by Accel, Shakey’s, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation by Sports Vision president Ricky Palou and commissioner Tony Boy Liao.

So far, Adamson is the only team parading a for-

eign guest player in Pacharee Sangmuang of Thailand, making the Lady Falcons a strong contender too, for the championship.

Adamson is currently bracketed in Group A along with Arellano, College of St. Benilde, Southwestern University, newcomer St. Louis University, and Ateneo, which is coming fresh from its stirring victory over old rival De La Salle to win its first-ever UAAP women’s volleyball title over the weekend.

[PNA]

for this year are Milo Little Olympics, Milo BEST Center, and the numerous Milo summer sports clinics.

“It’s an entire year of highlights,” said De Vera.

As their prize for ruling the 2013 Milo Marathon, men’s and women’s champions Eduardo Buenavista and Mary Joy Tabal will vie in the coveted Paris Marathon next month.

“They’ve been training hard for the past three weeks now,” said De Vera.

The Milo executive said

they have just launched the Milo FIBA “Fly to Spain” promo for loyal Milo drinkers.

They will offer a trip for two to the FIBA World Championships in Spain from Aug. 30 to Sept. 14 for a chance to watch Gilas Pilipinas in action.

“It’s our form of support to the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) and our national team,” added De Vera, noting that three members of Gilas Pilipinas – LA Tenorio, Larry Fonacier, and Jeff Chan – are products

of the Milo BEST (Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training) Center.

John Montalvan, national Milo events coordinator, said the summer clinics will cover sports like badminton, basketball, bowling, gymnastics, volleyball, karatedo, ice-skating, tennis, taekwondo, table tennis, chess, football, and swimming.

“Milo continues to build champions and its commitment to grassroots development,” said Montalvan.

[PNA]

Shakey’s V-League remains wide-open race among 12 participating teams A

TENEO may be looking solid in its bid to regain the Shakey’s V-League title, but the coming First Conference of Season 11 remains to be a wide-open race among the 12-team field.

Officials of the pioneering commercial volleyball league for ladies in the country believed the Lady Eagles and the rest of the participating teams are all capable of ruling the tournament that formally comes off the wraps

Milo lines up list of activities for its 50th year celebration

E

XPECT an upgraded Milo Marathon and other sports events under the supervision of Milo Nestle Philippines as it celebrates 50th anniversary this year.

“We are very excited this year because it’s Milo’s 50th year celebration,” said Milo Sports executive Robbie de Vera in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Aside from the Milo Marathon, big activities lined up

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

James fires 43 in Cleveland C

LEVELAND (AP) -- As shot after shot dropped through the net, it became clear LeBron James was going to have one of those special nights.

The kind he has every so often.

The kind he has when Dwyane Wade sits.

James scored 43 points - 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display - and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

With Wade out resting his sore knees, James took it upon himself to carry the Heat. The same thing happened on March 3 and James responded by scoring a career-high 61 against Charlotte. ‘’I don’t know, it’s one of those zones,’’ James said, trying to explain how he made 10 of 11 shot and five 3-pointers in the dizzying opening quarter. ‘’When I started the game off, I felt like I could have gone for 50 or 60.’’

James added two crucial blocks and dropped six free throws in the final two minutes, and Bosh had a key rejection to lead the Heat to just their third win in eight games.

With Wade out, the Heat’s two other megastars picked up the slack.

Jarrett Jack scored 22 and Dion Waiters added 17 and 11 assists for Cleveland, which was also without starting forward Luol Deng (sprained ankle). Irving’s expected to miss two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, an injury that further

damages the Cavs’ fading playoff hopes. Cleveland fell six games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot. ‘’Our guys hung in there and they competed,’’ Cavs coach Mike Brown said.

After one quarter, it was: James 25, Cavs 25.

And like the other 20,000 plus in attendance, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra marveled at James’ accuracy. ‘’That had nothing to do with me,’’ Spoelstra said. ‘’Truth be told, it’s not like I’m absolutely in love with those type of plays, but he had it rolling. So I took a step back for a little bit.’’

The four-time MVP had 31 points at halftime and 37 after three quarters, but the Heat entered the final 12 minutes tied as they were unable to shake off the Cavs, who shot 60 percent from the floor through three and had all five starters in double figures.

With James content to distribute the ball, Bosh scored nine straight points to put Miami ahead 93-88 with 2:24 remaining. Cleveland cut it to three on a basket by Anderson Varejao and had a chance to get closer but James - with an assist from Udonis Haslem - snuffed a dunk attempt

by Spencer Hawes. Just 11 seconds later, Bosh turned away Waiters and James made a pair of free throws to make it 95-90 with 1:06 remaining.

After empty possessions by both teams, James blocked a drive by Waiters and Bosh split a pair of free throws, giving the Heat a 96-90 lead. Jack made two 3-pointers in the final 15.7 seconds, but both times James answered by hitting

two free throws to close it out.

Spoelstra was most pleased with Miami’s defense down the stretch. ‘’Probably my favorite play was the double block,’’ he said. ‘’U.D. and L.J. going for that. It should be a layup.

It should be a dunk. To make that play, those are the things I like to see.’’

James improved to 13-1 against the Cavaliers, the team he left after seven seasons as a free agent in 2010.

James made his first six shots - four of them 3s - and showed most of his offensive repertoire in the first quarter.

He hit fadeaways, runners and a thunderous breakaway dunk. The only shot James missed came on a ‘’heatcheck’’ 3-pointer from way beyond the arc. ‘’That’s what makes LeBron unique in this league,’’ Spoelstra said. ‘’In today’s age, there are players who would be looking for numbers with that type of start to see if you can go for 70. LeBron’s just trying to play the game the right way. It takes great maturity. He’s selfless.’’

It was James’ second visit to Cleveland in 10 days. He had been back on March 8, when former teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas had his jersey retired by the Cavs, who may one day raise the No. 23 James wore to the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.

Much pregame hype focused on the All-Star’s future.

James can opt out of his contract with Miami this summer and become a free agent, and one of his possible destinations could be Cleveland.

Asked directly if he wants to play for his former team again, James was noncommittal.

HE rematch between WBA cruiserweight regular champion Denis Lebedev and Guillermo Jones will take place on April 25, a spokeswoman for the promoter told R-Sport on Tuesday.

The contract for the highly-anticipated bout was finally signed in January after difficult negotia-

tions since October, when the Panamanian was disqualified and the title given to the Russian boxer.

Olga Novitskaya, who represents a company owned by Russian businessman Andrei Ryabinsky, said the fight would likely take place at the Krylatskoe Sports Complex in eastern Moscow, confirm-

ing the date as April 25. It was previously thought the fight would go ahead on April 19.

Jones is set to take home US$ 800,000 from the fight, while Lebedev’s share is unknown.

Last May, Jones stopped Lebedev on a technical knockout in 11th round.

Then, the WBA handed

HOT NIGHT. Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) jumps to the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday (Wednesday PHL Time), March 18, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Lebedev-Jones rematch set for April 25 T

the title back to Lebedev when Jones failed a drug test. Jones was made WBA champion-in-recess on the condition he must fight Lebedev again.

Lebedev has 25 wins and two defeats from 27 fights, including the loss to Jones in May, while the Panamanian is 39-3 with two draws.

One Fighting Championship now truly a worldwide sport

A

SIA’S largest martial arts “One Fighting Championship” with a 90 percent market share is peopled with great world caliber champions which makes extreme sports a blockbuster on TV and live audience worldwide.

One FC, in partnership with the world-renowned SM Mall of Asia (MOA), will stage three of the best martial arts events on May 2, where reigning One FC bantamweight world champ Bibiano Fernandez of Brazil defends his crown against Japanese sensation Masakatsu Ueda.

The other two are the pair of top featherweight sluggers in Asia, Rob Lisita and Japan’s Yusuke Kawanago and local favorite Eugene Toquero and Malaysia’s rising star Gianni Subba in the flyweight event.

Easily the most well-

liked duo on Wednesday’s presentation at the Atrium of MOA in Pasay City is San Miguel Beer shooter James Yap’s smaller lookalike Toquero and the One FC’s baby Subba who vowed to knock each other out inside Round 1.

Quite vain about his wavy, shiny black hair, Cebu native Toquero promptly brought the house down when he deftly parried Singaporean promoter Victor Cui’s intention to ruffle his head.

“Don’t touch my head,” he curtly told Cui while trying to answer what he’s doing in a roughhousing sport when he is narcissistic about his hair.

Toquero is 165 cm and weighs 56 kg with a slate of four wins, one draw and no loss. He trains celebrities like actor Luis Manzano and clients who want to keep in tip-top shape for extra income. [PNA]

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

SWEET REVENGE

VOL. VOL.77ISSUE ISSUE44••THURSDAY, THURSDAY,MARCH MARCH20, 20,2014 2014

TRMH-CMO topples Goldstar, faces MP Pacman in finals

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

T

njb@edgedavao.net

HE Royal Mandaya Hotel-CMO exacted sweet revenge over bitter rival Goldstar Hardware 86-76 on Tuesday night to move just a win away from retaining its championship in the Mayor Rody Duterte-VM Pulong Duterte 77th Araw ng Davao Invitational basketball tournament at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The Hoteliers methodically dismantled the tough Goldstar offense with a suffocating defense that left the Hardwaremen practically bleeding for their shots.

Coach Ronel Leuterio almost succumbed to the mounting pressure of steering his squad to the finals, momentarily losing his top but composed himself just in time to plot the necessary adjustments each time the Hardwaremen come tantalizingly close.

The troika of Eman Calo, Darwin Cordero and Nino Gelig swarmed on Goldstar’s backcourt of Leomer Losentes and Pong Escobal all night long while Devon Sullivan and Eric Rodriguez alternately took

the shackles on the bullstrong Mike Harry in the post.

The pesky Calo fired 14 points to lead the Hoteliers matching the output of slotman John Ferriols.

Sullivan, Gelig, Crodero, and Dennis Daa added 11 apiece in a balanced offensive.

“We will go all out for the win tomorrow. The mission is not accomplished yet,” said Leuterio.

Losentes fired 18 for the Hardwaremen.

The win gave the Hoteliers a sweeping 3-0 card of the eliminations while Goldstar dropped to 1-2 and was booted out of the finals picture when the MP Pacman Warriors of Gen. Santos City pulled off a man-sized upset of Montana Pawnshop in the second game 76-72.

The Warriors battled from 12 points down to take the tightly-contested match, will face the Hoteliers in the finals slated late last night. Goldstar and Montana will battle it out for third place in this tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas Region 11 under Regino “Boy” Cua.

PBA names All Star reserves T

HE PBA has released the names of the seven players who will be coming off the bench for the 2014 All-Star game.

Reigning PBA Most Valuable Player Arwind Santos and Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva banner the list of seven which also includes PJ Simon and Joe Devance of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers, Marcio Lassiter of the San Miguel Beermen, Nino Canaleta of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, and Sonny Thoss of Alaska.

San Mig Super Coffee guard James Yap and Mark Barroca are joined by Ginebra bigs Mac Baracael, Chris Ellis, and Greg Slaughter as the PBA All-Star starters based on votes from the fans.

The PBA All-Star

selection will compete against Gilas Pilipinas which includes Jimmy Alapag, LA Tenorio, Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier, Gary David, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Japeth Aguilar, Marc Pingris, Ranidel De Ocampo, June Mar Fajardo, and Marcus Douthit. The original Gilas 12 will be backed up by Paul Lee, Beau Belga, and Jared Dillinger.

PBA All-Star starter Slaughter and reserve Lassiter were supposed to be included in the Gilas pool but the two have begged off. Thoss, another All-Star reserve, was also supposed to join the Gilas pool but he too begged off citing injury even before the FIBA Asia Championship last year.

Notable omissions from the list Jay Washington of GlobalPort, Sol

Mercado of San Miguel Beer, Mark Caguioa of Ginebra, and Joseph Yeo or Air21.

In the Slam Dunk competitions, Chris Ellis will be defending the title he won last year. Challenging him are Aguilar, Santos, Rey Guevarra, Abueva, Cliff Hodge, and a surprising entrant in Justin Melton.

Chris Tiu will be defending his Three-Point Shootout crown against David, Lassiter, Yap, Fonacier, Baracael, Mac Cardona, JVee Casio, Ronjay Buenafe, and Mark Macapagal.

In the Skills Challenge, the participants are defending champion Jonas Villanueva, Casio, Tenorio, Lee, Barroca, Castro, Willie Miller, Terrence Romeo, John Wilson, and Mercado.

The festivities will

start with a game between the PBA Greats and PBA Stalwarts, which are mash-ups for past and present PBA stars.

The PBA Greats have Atoy Co as the playing coach, Freddie Abuda, Vergel Meneses, Franz Pumaren, and Johnedel Cardel among their oldies. Guevarra, Romeo, Casio, Miller, Hodge, and Villanueva will be their back-ups.

The PBA Stalwarts on the other hand have Bogs Adornado as their playing coach, Dickie Bachmann, Noli Locsin, Jeffrey Cariaso, and Richard del Rosario as their PBA alumni. Melton, Buenafe, Tiu, Mercado, Cardona, and Wilson complete their lineup.

The PBA All-Star Weekend will be held from April 3-6 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

Members of the PBA Selection, from left, James Yap, Beau Belga, JVee Casio, Calvin Abueva and Arwind Santos,perform during the Dance Showdown.

G

Gilas gets ready for All Stars

ILAS Pilipinas is slowly coming together after having a complete roster for the first time in its third practice session last Monday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The 15 players named by coach Chot Reyes, including the 14 PBA players, were present in the once-a-week training in preparation for

this year’s FIBA World Cup in Spain and Asian Games in Inchon, South Korea.

“All the players were present,” said Gilas Pilipinas team manager Aboy Castro.

“It was very short, very crisp. We know some of the players are a little tired, since some of them played last Sunday. But we’re able to do several things like put in the

offense,” added Castro.

When the national team pool had their first training session two weeks ago, Jeff Chan wasn’t able to attend, while Marc Pingris, June Mar Fajardo, and Japeth Aguilar showed up but did not participate due to injuries.

Last week, naturalized player Marcus Douthit and Jared Dillinger were both

nursing injuries.

This time, all the players took part in the practice session.

“We’re coming together.

These once a day practice is really for the camaraderie,” said Castro, who mentioned that the traditional ‘joke time’ of the team had Paul Lee on the spotlight Monday night.