Edge Davao 7 Issue 120

VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

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MINDANAO:NEXT COFFEE CAPITAL Page 2

INSIDE EDGE

Don’t look now, but Mindanao is fast emerging as the next coffee capital of the Philippines as coffee growers set their CIVIT COFFEE: sights on the island. With vast tracts of land – especially FROM EWWW TO those in high altitudes – that can still be tapped for coffee AHHH COVER STORY Page2 plantations, Mindanao may well be on its way to being DRAY ON THE SPOT the country’s top coffee producer.

SPORTS page 15

2 COVER STORY MINDANAO:NEXT COFFEE CAPITAL EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

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ON’T look now, but Mindanao is fast emerging as the next coffee capital of the Philippines as coffee growers set their sights on the island. With vast tracts of land – especially those in high altitudes – that can still be tapped for coffee plantations, Mindanao may well surpass the traditional areas in Luzon like Cavite in the production of the second most traded commodity in the world (next only to petroleum).

“It’s high time for Mindanao to be explored and also featured,” Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) chair Nicholas Matti said.

“They are the biggest area for coffee production and they hold much promise to take us internationally.”

As an opening salvo of sorts, Mindanao will take center stage in the

By JON JOAQUIN Cover photo courtesy of Mt. Apo Coffee upcoming 7th National Coffee Summit to be held in Davao City on October 15 at Seda Abreeza Hotel.

Held here for the first time, stakeholders from all over the country are expected to come and participate in the drawing up of a game plan for the industry. The summit also allows PCBI to feel the pulse of the farmers, producers, cooperatives, non-government organizations, and coffee buyers, all for the betterment of the industry.

A free coffee sampling event, dubbed Coffee Origins, will also be held on October 13 to 17 at the nearby Abreeza Mall to feature the places from which the various coffees come.

These activities are traditionally held in Metro Manila, but because of the potential Mindanao offers, the organizers decided to

CIVET COFFEE

FROM EWWW TO AHHH!

move them here this year.

PCBI itself said Mindanao “can truly boast of many high altitude coffees such as Mt. Apo, Mt. Matutum, and Mt. Kitanglad.”

“And with coffees from Mt. Apo getting two awards at a recent Roasters show in Thailand, Davao truly deserves to be highlighted in the next show,” PCBI added.

The two awards were won by the Mt. Apo Coffee brand of Davao City businessman Philip Dizon, whose Catimor coffee – a hybrid of Caturra (a type of Arabica) and Timor (a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta) – won awards in the espresso and siphon coffee preparations categories in the recently held THAIFEX Food Exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand by the Asean Coffee Federation (ACF).

Dizon believes the

By JON JOAQUIN

T

HERE was a time when civet coffee was an unreachable dream for many coffee lovers. Touted as the most expensive coffee in the world, a cup would sell for as much as $80.

Imagine blowing almost P3,500 on a cup of joe!

As its name suggests, civet coffee is made from the beans of coffee berries that have been eaten by the Asian palm civet (and other related civets). The beans stay intact through the digestion process and are passed on to the animals’ droppings.

Farmers gather the beans from the droppings, wash them thoroughly, sundry them, and then roast them. Some sort of magic must happen inside the civets’ bowels, because

coffee he grows is of very high quality because of his farm’s rich volcanic soil, the best selection of berries, and the way the farmers take care of the crop.

His farm is in Kapatagan, Digos, Davao del Sur, which is a valley immediately in the foothills of Mt. Apo with an elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level.

He is optimistic about the future of the coffee industry in Mindanao. “Catimor is considered a second-class coffee because it is a hybrid,” he told this writer in an interview. “If we can win awards with hybrid, how much more if we enter non-hybrid coffees like Arabica?”

Mt. Apo Coffee currently produces two varieties: Mt. Apo Civet Coffee and Altura Coffee. The farmers provide him with handpicked berries which are then fed to civets that rethe resulting beans yield a coffee like no other.

Civet coffee used to be the exclusive product of Indonesia and Malaysia, but not anymore. Since palm civets are also endemic to the Philippines (we call them alamid), it stood to reason that civet coffee could be found in places where coffee grew.

When entrepreneurs found them, they began producing the coffee, resulting in lower prices. In Davao City, Dizon Farms sells civet coffee for P700 per 100 grams of whole roasted beans. Still on the high end of the price scale, but nowhere near the roughly $300 (or about P13,000) per kilo it sells elsewhere.

How does it taste? I’ve had it a few times and to

side in his farm; in their stomachs, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids.

The beans pass on to the animals’ droppings, which are collected, cleaned, processed, and roasted to become civet coffee – the most expensive coffee in the world (Mt. Apo Civet sells for P1,000 per 100 grams).

The civets, however, do not eat all the berries given to them. What doesn’t get eaten is processed and roasted to become Altura Coffee. “It doesn’t mean the berries are inferior,” Dizon explained. “It’s just that the civets don’t eat them for some reason.” To this writer, Altura coffee tastes similar to civet coffee, only a little stronger and sharper as opposed to civet coffee’s smoother and more subtle flavor. my palate it has a fruity and nutty flavor. I’d read several times that it was supposed to be chocolatey, but I personally couldn’t taste it. It’s very different from arabica (often served in coffee shops); to my tongue it’s closer to liberica (baraco), but it’s still a lot different. Let’s just say it’s in a class all its own.

Brewed properly, you can understand why people would pay top dollar for it.

Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find a place in Davao City that brews civet coffee properly. The first time I had it was at a small restaurant along Torres Street where the owner brewed it to perfection. But in other places I haven’t been as lucky.

As an artisanal brand, Mt. Apo Coffee produces only a small amount of coffee: about 20 kilos of civet coffee and about 100 kilos of Altura every week.

Dizon of course wants to expand his production, but ultimately his vision is not just for himself but for Mindanao as well. He wants to plant denuded areas in Mt. Apo with coffee, hitting two birds with one stone in the process: regreening the mountain and pushing Mindanao to the forefront of the coffee industry.

The payoff can be big: the global coffee industry is worth more than $100 billion, and worldwide people drink over 500 billions cups of it every year.

If Mindanao can capture even a small slice of that pie, then the lives of many farmers can be vastly improved.

One barista made a cup for me from pre-ground coffee stored in a plastic container that had probably been sitting there for weeks.

Which is why my wife and I just buy the bottle of beans and make our own coffee at home using our cappuccino maker.

Civet coffee makes for a different kind of cappuccino, and I also like it espresso or Americano.

If you want a taste of something as exotic as civet coffee, now’s a good time to do it. It’s expensive but not prohibitively so, and you really do get what you pay for. If you make it properly, you get a cup like no other.

Just close your eyes and don’t think about where it came from.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

THE BIG NEWS

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PAQUIBATO INITIATIVE. A Paquibato barangay official expresses his concern during the open forum of the Paquibato Initiatives Forum on oil palm industry last Friday at the Grand Oases Convention Center. NJB

Duterte: No squabble with VM, City Council T

The promise of palm oil

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

M

AYOR Rodrigo Duterte yesterday dismissed the perception that he was in a squabble with his son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and the City Council over their positions on comedian Ramon Bautista, who was declared persona non grata by the City Council but whom Duterte said was welcome in Davao City.

In a statement issued Saturday, Duterte said his difference of opinion with Paolo, who is the presiding officer of the City Council, and other officials of the city does not mean they are fighting.

He said it was “a healthy exchange of ideas which is but part of a healthy democracy.”

“People should not expect the City Council and the Office of the City Mayor to agree on all matters all the time. I respect the City Council’s resolution to declare Ramon Bautista a persona non grata, but remember early on I said the apology would suffice, because to declare the actor as an outcast was too severe,” the mayor said.

“Our different postures are part of day’s work, nothing more,” he added.

The perceived row started when the mayor talked to Bautista over the phone and made peace with him on Tuesday night, facilitated by Rock Ed founder Gang Badoy.

Duterte also wrote a note for Bautista, saying, “Tor Ramon: Mabuhay

MX3 gets therapeutic drug certification from Malaysia

Ka! Mayor Rody Duterte.”

Bautista posted photos of the note and of Duterte writing it.

Duterte later said: “When a man humbles himself and apologizes for uttering a slur, that itself erases the wrong.

To nurture residual hate against the guy is a human frailty.”

A few hours after, the vice mayor released a statement saying the mayor “should respect the decision of the City Council because the body represents the people of Davao City who voted for him for decades.”

“The mayor of Davao City can always welcome anybody he wants on a personal level. But as long as Davao City is con-

cerned, Mr. Ramon Bautista is unwelcome here in our city because of the persona non grata resolution,” the young Duterte said.

The mayor, in turn, issued a statement saying, “Let me remind the honorable vice mayor and the majority that their decision to declare Ramon Bautista persona non grata is a City Council resolution and not an ordinance. It does not bind me and everyone else who disagree with it. The essence of a democracy is the right to dissent. As Voltaire would put it, ‘I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.’ For your education.” Jon Joaquin

crc@edgedavao.net

HOUSANDS of feet above Paquibato District, Ata tribal leader Datu Dario Balinan is riding a helicopter for the first time.

He is the first from his tribe to do so.

Up there, he is drawing an imaginary line in what seems to be thousands of hectares. If all goes well, that area will be planted with 143 oil palm trees per hectare.

What the government can do.

A “plant now, pay later” program is being proposed to the city government of Davao for the benefit of small farmers in Paquibato District who are interested in venturing into the multi-billion

dollar palm oil industry.

Manny Piñol, who implemented the same project during his term as governor of Cotabato, said during a forum at the Ritz Oasis Hotel last Friday that the program intends to provide an easy access to financing for farmers.

Instead of going to banks and cooperatives, small farmers may go directly to the city government to loan money without interest.

Requirements for loan application may be much more simple compared to documents required by banks and cooperatives which usually require business registration, marketing agreement, Se-

FTHE, 10

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao Citygrown pharmaceutical product MX3 received a therapeutic certification from a drug control agency in Malaysia last year.

The National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau of Malaysia approved MX3 Natural Garcinia Mangostana Exocarp 500mg Capsule on November 28, 2013.

With the approval, the

product, which is already being distributed in some parts of Malaysia, now bears the tag information as Traditional Medicine in its packaging.

Dr. Edwin Bien, medical consultant of DMI Medical Supply Co., Inc. which own the MX3 brand, said the certification given by the Malaysian government is important especially since

FMX3, 10

STAKEHOLDERS. City Administrator Melchor Quitain (fourth from right), representing Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, is shown with program facilitator Manny Piñol, former North Cotabato governor (5th from right), councilor Danny

Dayanghirang (4th from left) during the Paquibato Initiatives Forum on oil palm industry last Friday at the Grand Oases Convention Center. NJB

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NEWS

Abu Sayyaf frees kidnapped mechanic S

USPECTED Abu Sayyaf bandits released late Wednesday a mechanic after holding him captive for 11 days in the mountains of Sulu.

Ronald Pelegrin, 38, said he was released in Barangay Danag, Patikul.

From there, he proceeded to the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) in downtown Patikul where he works as chief mechanic.

The PEO contacted the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the police upon his arrival at the office.

Pelegrin, escorted by AKG personnel, arrived early Thursday in this city aboard a commercial ferry.

His family met them at the port.

He was then taken to

Camp Batalla where he underwent medical check-up.

Pelegrin and his family went home around 11 a.m.

Thursday in Baranghay Salaan this city.

He said he did not know whether or not ransom was paid for his release.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits had earlier demanded P15 million for his freedom.

Pelegrin said he will no longer return to his work at the PEO in Sulu.

The bandits seized Pelegrin and his cousin and assistant, Dante Avilla, 29, from their sleeping quarters at the PEO compound on the night of August 16.

But the bandits killed Avilla for refusing to go with them. (MindaNews)

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

PLAY TIME. Two boys play with a baggage cart as they wait for a relative to arrive at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport. Lean Daval Jr.

More traffic woes seen as delays hound bridge rehab

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

E

XPECT more traffic congestion in Davao City as the rehabilitation work on the Governor Generoso 2 Bridge in Bankerohan gets delayed due to several factors.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 11 regional director Mariano Alquiza told reporters in a press briefing that the rehabilitation of the bridge, which

had been scheduled for completion in October, will probably end before the year ends.

Alquiza said when he inspected the area, he saw that the heavy equipment being used are having a hard time digging under the river because of the old pile of the bridge which has been buried there.

He said this means

the workers cannot easily bury the new pile of the bridge.

The project had already faced delays before it could start because of the presence of informal settlers living under the bridge who refused to vacate the area. It took the DPWH several months before they could relocate the informal settlers.

There was also a need

AVAO City Water District (DCWD) announced that it has scheduled four separate sets of water interruption to give way to completion of different service improvement projects.

First set is a fourhour water cut on September 2 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM affecting the entire NHA Ma-a, Maharlika Village and immediate environs. The Pipelines and Appurtenances Maintenance Department (PAMD) crew will install the step test valves for the District Metered Area Project at NHA Ma-a.

Second set is on Sep-

tember 3 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Areas with no water are the entire Santos Marketing Subd., Central Park Subd., NHA Sectoral Compound, Concepcion Compound and NHA Kadayawan Homes Phase I-A, Phase I-B, Phase II-A, Phase IIB, Phase III-A and Phase III-B. This water cut is needed for the tapping of the newly replaced 50mm diameter unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC) mainline at Santos Marketing Subd. in Bangkal by the PAMD crew.

Third set is on September 4 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM affecting the entire Northcrest Subd.

in Cabantian. This seven-hour interruption is needed for the tapping of the 4-inch diameter Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipeline to the existing 4-inch diameter and 6-inch diameter PVC pipelines for the water distribution system of Phase 3, Blocks 1-13 of Northcrest Subd.

Approximately 180 new service connections can be accommodated once said project is completed.

Last set is on September 5 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The entire Mitsuibusan Village in Bajada will be affected by this four-hour wa-

Water service interruptions in some city parts Sept 2, 3, 4, 5 D

FWATER, 10

to transfer the communication and power lines that ran along the bridge.

Another factor that has been delaying the project is the frequent breakdown of the heavy equipment being used.

Alquiza said the rehabilitation, which costs P63 million, is now 69 percent complete. He said the contractor has already installed three

board piles in the bridge.

DPWH project coordinator engineer Alvin Cabueñas had earlier explained that the bridge needs repairs due to its “critical condition.”

He said the foundation of the pier penetrates only a third of the foundation and that 11 meters of the foundation was already exposed with scouring.

“We cannot wait for

another flood to occur because it might cause the bridge to collapse. That is why we need to repair the bridge immediately,” he said.

Cabueñas said the project is being implemented under Disaster Related Rehabilitation Project of DPWH and being managed by Cebu-based Oscar Sarmiento Construction.

Holy Cross gets gold in Kumbira

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

D

AVAO City participated in the 18th edition of Kumbira held in Cagayan de Oro City last month – and emerged one of the winners.

Kumbira, organized by the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant (Cohoara), is a professional and student culinary show, touted to be the largest culinary event in Mindanao if not the country as it lasts for three days.

And yes, the competition is live, which makes

it more fascinating.

This year, the theme was: “Throwback at 18: Looking back… cooking forward.”

Cohara president Nelia Lee said during the opening program: “We hope to develop and improve more the craft of our participants. Hopefully, this will bring in more investors since we have homegrown culinary talents in the city.”

Security was very tight during the threeday event.

After all, there were 31 schools,

18 establishments, and six elementary and high schools which joined the competition.

Aside from Davao City, other participants were from Medina, Misamis Oriental, Iligan City, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Dipolog City, Butuan City, Pagadian City, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Surigao City, and Marawi City.

Davao City was represented by Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc.

FHOLY, 10

THE ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

Phoenix opens port facility in Batangas D

AVAO City-based Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc (PPPI) has recently opened a new L-shaped port facility in Calaca, Batangas, helping businesses move their shipments away from the Manila port.

Based on a disclosure from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Friday, PPPI said that through full subsidiary, Phoenix Petroterminals and Industrial Park Corp (PPIPC), the new port port facility, will enable locators to accept more shipments for their business.

The disclosure also noted that the facility’s pier deck size is 120 meters x 18 meters, with a 9-meter width support.

Focused primarily on water transport, the area is also advantageous for businesses’ manufacturing plants, warehouses,

storage tanks and other facilities.

It was also blessed during the construction of the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) power plant.

It will also have a material receiving facility, to be filled with hoppers, conveyor systems, and sprinklers that can release coal shipments to the pier deck to the coal yards for more efficient and earth-friendly operations.

PPPI is involved in trading petroleum products and lubricants, operation of oil depots along with storage facilities and shipping services.

Meanwhile, PPPI’s other subsidiaries are PFL Petroleum Management Inc (PMI), Subic Petroleum Trading and Transport Phils Inc (SPTT) and Chelsea Shipping Corporation. (PNA)

Alleged steel smugglers sued T

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed charges before the Department of Justice against the owners and customs brokers of two firms for allegedly illegally importing steel products into the country.

S m u g g l i n g - re l a t e d cases were filed against Tessie Ligon, owner and proprietor of Archer Blaze Marketing, with offices located at U-9 E.B. Santos Commercial Building, National Road cor. P. Navarro, Paltao, Pulilan, Bulacan; and the firm’s customs broker, Aloha Pamintuan, with address at Rm. 326-330 Regina Building, 410 Escolta, Manila; Renato Supan Miranda, owner and proprietor of Echo Titan Marketing Resources, with offices at B12 L12 St. Jude Street, Marvi Hills Subdivision, Brgy. Gulod Malaya, San Mateo, Rizal; and Echo Titan’s customs broker, Junnil Andujar Rollon, with address at Sitio Tarcom, Upper Laguerta, Busay, Cebu City.

Ligon, Pamintuan, Miranda, and Rollon face charges of violating the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines for alleged unlawful importation and the fraudulent

filing of import documents under Sections 3601 and 3602 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

They are also facing charges for alleged violation of the Bureau of Product Standards Law for the attempt of a non-holder of an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) to import steel products without proper certification, and the Revised Penal Code for falsification of documents.

In addition, Miranda and Rollon are also facing additional charges for alleged misdeclaration of the weight and value of their shipments in violation of Section 2503 of the Tariff and Customs Code.

“The country imports a significant amount of steel products and there is a strong demand for these. But we cannot be lax and allow uncertified steel products to enter the local market. Part of our mandate is to protect our people from cheap but unsafe products that could pose a risk to life and limb,” said Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla.

Based on the complaint affidavit submitted by the BOC’s Intelligence

FALLEGED, 10

ORGANIC PARTY. Rizal Park turns into an organic produce market every Friday, attracting hordes of consumers who appreciate goods that are

grown naturally – with neither pesticides nor artificial fertilizers. Lean Daval Jr.

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EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

EDITORIAL

F

Freedom of expression

INALLY, a city official got to the essential issue at the very foundation of the now-notorious hipon issue that has been hogging the headlines and trending in social media for two weeks now. And not just any official: it was Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself who pointed out why the issue, while seemingly trivial, is of fundamental importance to all of us in Davao City.

In responding to his son Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte’s reminder to him to respect the City Council’s resolution declaring comedian and UP professor Ramon Bautista persona non grata, the mayor said: “The essence of a democracy is the right to dissent. As Voltaire would put it, ‘I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.’”

The mayor was referring to his own disagreement with the City Council’s resolution, but he may as well have been saying it of Bautista. The

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comedian had made a joke – arguably a bad one – and had been castigated for it. His response was to apologize not once but twice, and very publicly at that. At this point, the mayor said, the Council should have forgiven him. He acknowledged that asking for forgiveness is a difficult thing for a man to do, but Bautista did it anyway. Besides, what he said may have been a bad joke, but it was still his right to say it. If anyone had a beef against that, then there are avenues for them to air their complaint.

The protection of freedom of expression is vital for our democracy to flourish. Without it we are in danger of falling back into dark times. Duterte’s quote was actually incomplete. The statement attributed to Voltaire pushes the defense of freedom of expression to the ultimate sacrifice: “I disagree with what you say, but I will fight to the death your right to say it.”

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

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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 JOCELYNRICHARD S. PANES C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO SOLANI D. MARATAS OLIVIA D. VELASCO SOLANI D. MARATAS MARKETING OFFICE | Marketing Manager of Sales SpecialistFinance General Manager General Manager DirectorAdvertising FinanceLEIZEL A. DELOSOLEIZEL A. DELOSO | MarketingFLORENCE ManagerS. VILLARIN

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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

Tel: (088) 852-4894

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A

few days before he left for Manila to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, I had the pleasure of talking with Randy Halasan. He is the lone Filipino recipient of the prestigious recognition which is touted as the Nobel Prize of Asia.

Halasan is given the award for “his purposeful dedication in nurturing his Matigsalug students and their community to transform their lives through quality education and sustainable livelihoods, doing so in ways that respect their uniqueness and preserve their integrity as indigenous peoples in a modernizing Philippines.”

Halasan is the first Dabawenyo to receive the award, the second Filipino in Mindanao to do such a feat, and the fourth winner from Mindanao. In 2004, Benjamin Abadiano was cited for “his steadfast commitment to indigenous Filipinos and their hopes for peace and better lives consonant with their hallowed ways of life.” Both are cited for Emergent Leadership.

The first two winners from Mindanao were Americans and both were recognized in international understanding (peace was added later into this category). In 1974, Rev. Fr. William Francis Masterson was recognized for “his multinational education and inspiration of rural leaders prompting their return to and love of the land.” Eleven years later, Rev. Harold Watson was given the same recognition for “encouraging international utilization of the Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) created by him and his co-workers to help the poorest of small tropical farmers.”

During my talk with Halasan, one of the most memorable statements he said was this: “Rich or poor, there’s no bound-

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

VANTAGE POINTS

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Bring on the light! ary or limita- THINK ON THESE! tions in helping our fellowmen, especially the poor. Nobody gets rich from the teaching profession, but a teacher like me gets rich from sharing knowledge, values, and positive Henrylito D. Tacio attitudes to the community.”

Halasan is a teacher by profession who helped change not only the lives of the children in sitio Pegalongan, Barangay Malamba of Marilog District but also their parents and the community. Pegalongan is a farflung place: as the local joke goes, all you need is P50 as fare to reach heaven.

“It is really a remote sitio and very difficult to reach the place on foot and we need to cross two rivers,” Halasan has said.

Here’s what the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) said in its citation: “It is a truism that it takes a village to raise a child. But it seems equally true that it takes just one person to launch this collective process of education. In the Philippines, where a public school system has been in place for over a century, many communities remain either unserved or underserved.”

“Where physical access is difficult and dangerous, government’s presence weak and facilities are meager, and people are too poor to even claim an education, the work of public school teachers is nothing less

than heroic, and yet largely goes unheralded,” the RMAF further said in its press release.

During our exclusive interview, he bared some facets of his life. On why he accepted a teaching job in Pegalongan, he replied, “I had no choice. I had to use my profession or I could be stuck working in other fields to which I am not fit.” After graduating from college in 2003, he worked as assistant section head of a mall in Davao City.

“I was not able to take the teacher’s board exam because there was a problem with my birth certificate,” Halasan said. After fixing the problem, he took the board exam and passed it with flying colors.

“I was totally shocked.” That was his reaction when he first came to Pegalongan Elementary School. After all, there was no electricity, no mobile phone signal, and worst, no television where he could watch national news. It was so dark at night that by 7 PM, he was already sleeping in his bed. Since he had nothing to do, he had to wake up at 5 AM. The first thought that came into his mind after the first night was that he would seek a reassignment out of the place the first chance he could get.

What Halasan thought was only for a short time became seven years – and he is thinking of staying for more years. In honoring Halasan, the RMAF stated: “Moved by compassion for the children who have to walk miles and cross rivers just to get to school, and who often fall asleep in class from hunger and fatigue, and driven by a sense of duty to help the impoverished and defenseless forest tribals against the

encroachments of powerful outsiders, Halasan has embraced the Matigsalug community as his own. He has turned down offers for reassignment, and his family often does not see him for many weeks on end.”

Just recently, an annex of Gerardo Astilla Senior Cultural Minority High School in Malamba was built at Pegalongan through his initiative. It opened in 2012 with 50 students; he became the teacher of those who enrolled in Grades 7 and 8. Today, two teachers are assigned in high school, so what he is doing right now is supervising the school. The first batch of class to graduate will be in 2017.

Halasan, however, has done more than just teaching the children. He even helps the people living in Matigsalug to address food security. “If I only focus on education, nothing will happen; the children will continue to go hungry,” he was quoted as saying.

To fellow teachers, he said that it is important to be creative and to have the initiative in finding ways to deliver education needs. “To all teachers, particularly those who are assigned in far flung areas: Be happy and get inspired. We still have so many things to do and help, especially the tribal groups. Be creative and make some initiatives. Find some linkages; let’s not solely depend on our government since it has problems that also need our attention.”

According to oral tradition, the word Pegalongan means “the place from which the light shines.” Because of what Randy Halasan has done, the place has become truly what its name suggests.

Note that the punong barangay chairs all three branches, so he’s very powerful, with no built-in checks and balances to assure transparency or accountability.

But the law established the Barangay Assembly which can temper the chairman’s powers, keeping him accountable and subject to the scrutiny of his peers. It’s an all-inclusive Assembly serving as the parliament of the community with power to hear and pass upon its operations and finances.

From these basic concepts flow a myriad of decisions and acts that no official, agency, or institution has bothered to point out or explain—causing unchecked aberrations and abuses. **** One issue concerns a seemingly simple question of terminology: Is the barangay head a chairman or a captain?

There’s a world of difference between these two terms and using either one has vital implications.

“Kapitan” is a military term referring to a commander who orders people around, people who are his subordinates. But a chairman merely presides, not commands. The constituents are not his troops; they are his peers, and he presides over them only as “first among equals” and is accountable to them.

A “Kapitan” is answerable to his superiors—all the way to the commander-in-chief, not to his subordinates or troops. His word is law to his troops; he doesn’t even have to entertain their questions or ascertain their wishes, much less obey them.

On the other hand, unlike a captain, a chairman is bound to listen to his con-

stituents, to obey them, and to accommodate their wishes. Presiding and implementing group decisions is his essential function. If the captain/commander) can be said to be the master, the chairman as presider and implementer of resolutions and policies is a public servant. **** Finally, where the barrio kapitan of yesteryears could be deemed as a “little president”—answerable to the commander-in-chief/president, today’s barangay chairman is a “little prime minister” answerable to his peers who consist of the local constituency that elects him and can recall or remove him on a question of confidence.

Some years back, when the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo attended a summit of civil society and church groups, this issue was brought up and explained to him. Whereupon he promised he would rectify the rampant use of “kapitan” by issuing a memorandum circular to point out its inappropriateness and enjoin everyone to refrain from using it.

Unfortunately, he never got around to issuing the circular and the promise perished with him when his plane crashed.

So to this day, this terminological impropriety continues to distort the nature, function, and power of the heads of barangay governments, disempowering their constituents, demoting them to the status of subordinate soldiers and orderlies.

It would be so good if DILG Secretary Mar Roxas could empower the people of our primary governments with a simple terminological fix and put the officials in their proper place—as public servants!

Mar Roxas, DILG, and the info gap they should fill

NTERIOR and local government Secretary Mar Roxas has been in his post for some time now but he has yet to make his mark. He did better when he was trade and industry secretary where he studiedly cultivated a public persona as “Mr. Palengke.”

One wonders how come no comparable persona has evolved for his current cabinet position. He’s obviously trying to reinvent himself, build stature, and be a major contender for 2016; but unsuccessful so far.

Given his previous success and his knowledge of visioning a mission, defining its objectives, as he must have learned in management school long ago, it’s perplexing that he isn’t doing so well. It’s not as if he has no resources; he even enjoys an advantage as presidential friend and crony.

Actually all Mar needs to do is think out and sharpen the immediate and medium-term mission of his department, which is to consolidate or secure the interior space of the republic and assure good local governance by seeing to the correct implementation of the Local Government Code. ***** It’s a worthy challenge—and greatly rewarding if he marshals his resources and makes an impressive showing. One thing he can do is bridge some knowledge gaps that keep people from being empowered and officials from conducting the business of government properly, so that good governance will be institutionalized.

For example, no official, agency, or department has pointed out or explained how the creation of the barangay into a full-fledged government, a public corpo-

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA ration, and an economy in its own right (under R.A. 7160) introduced changes and new processes into the political system.

The government’s structure before consisted of only two layers: local and national. After 1991, it became three layers—primary (barangay governments), intermediate (municipal, provincial, regional), and national (top level). Rising from a base of 42,000+ barangay governments to a midsection of close to 2,000 towns, provinces, and regions, the structure tapers to the top, assuming a pyramidal symmetry today. ***** Before, the structure was monolithic, unitary under the presidential system, with a chain of command cascading from top to bottom, its operations typified by “trickle-down” policies and procedures— top-to-bottom planning, implementation, operation, evaluation.

After 1991, it was no longer monolithic or unitary but dual—parliamentary at the primary level (grassroots), presidential above (intermediate to national levels).

The barangay’s parliamentary character (no separation of powers) relocated political power from the top (command structure flowing from the president/ commander-in-chief downwards) to the base from which rises the sovereignty of the state and the authority of the government. People Power exemplified.

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curity and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration if it’s an association, corporation, partnership or single proprietorship, or Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) registration if it’s a farmer’s cooperative, among others.

“I am envisioning that as long as the farmer can present a certification of land ownership issued barangay captain, he may avail himself of the program,” Piñol said Wilfredo A. Tajantajan, head of the SME Southeastern Mindanao Center of the Develop-

ment Bank of the Philippines, said this project will be more accessible and doable to farmers in far flung areas , especially those who are not member of any association or cooperative.

Paquibato District and its potential Paquibato District covers 66, 242. 52 hectares or 27 percent of the city’s total land area, according to the Comprehensive Land Use Program (CLUP) of the city.

Comprosed of 13 barangays, Paquibato District is considered to be one of the poorest areas

in the city because of lack of government services and road networks.

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said Paquibato District remains underdeveloped because of insurgency problem.

Most farmers are planting root crops like cassava and ube, among others. “We eat and sell the same root crops and we are tired of it,” Balinan said. He will take any opportunity to uplift his family from poverty, he added.

The income Balinan is earning from root crop may increase twice or

thrice because he will be able to harvest every 10 days compared to the four months with corn and rice.

Only a portion or 15,000 hectares of Paquibato District will be planted with oil palm.

Robertino Pizarro, president of the Philippine Palm Oil Development Council, said even if 10,000 hectares will be planted, farmers can still benefit because economic and social development will be immense.

There are still vast areas in Paquibato District that are only planted

with cogon. There is no need to cut down trees or even burn them to the ground, as is practiced in Malaysia and Indonesia.

By next year, if at least 4,000 hectares will be planted with oil palm trees, investors will start to come in and put up small oil mills.

Where will the industry go?

It will not be only the idle lands in Paquibato District that will be soon converted in oil palm plantations but also the other areas in the country, mostly in Mindanao.

Pizarro said the coun-

cil together with Philippine Coconut Authority is already crafting the roadmap for the palm oil industry.

According to him, the roadmap seeks to develop 56,641.71 hectares of land with bearing and non-bearing oil palms and about one million hectares of land suitable for oil palm plantation expansion by 2023.

Through the roadmap, the Philippines will be able to attain self-sufficiency in the supply of palm oil at the same time be able to export in the future. CRC

here in the Philippines the product is only classified as a food supplement.

Bien said the company is working hard to get recognition in the Philippines that its product is functional and can pro-

mote good health among Filipinos.

He said MX3 is not a replacement but works with the other medications of patients. “Kailangan inumin pa rin ng mga pasyente ang kanilang mga gamot (The patients

still need to take their prescribed medicines),” Bien said.

“The good thing is that since our products are all natural, we do not see any over dosage of it, or any complication or side effects,” Bien said.

(HCDC), which brought an amazing set of competitive and creative students backed up by highly-skilled coaches who are actually instructors of the school’s Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management program.

As expected, HCDC brought home honors to Davao City. It took the Gold prize in the Cake Decorating competition, according to Seth Liao, who was one of the participants. Nestea House Blend Concoction won Silver prize while the Table Setting for Two got the Bronze prize.

The HCDC group also

clinched several Diplomas (based on hospitality standard). These were for Waiter’s Relay/ Table Napkin Folding, Entremetier, Fruit Carving, Filipino Dessert, and Flair Bartending Tandem.

“With their innate inventiveness, our students have shown what potentials could have become of them in the future,” said Armando A. Mortejo, one of the coaches who accompanied the contingent.

The overall winners for the student division were as follows: Tagoloan Community College, champion; Father Sat-

urnino Urios University, first runner-up; and University of Southern Mindanao-Kidapawan City Campus, second runner-up.

In the professional division, the Monster Kitchen Academy was declared the all time-winner.

“Even though we didn’t win in the overall category, the experience we had will give us more inspiration to do better next year,” said Mortejo.

Art Boncato, assistant secretary of the Department of Tourism, said the Kumbira will soon be upgraded into a national competition.

ter cut needed for the tapping of the newly replaced 50mm diameter uPVC and 100mm diameter uPVC mainline at said area.

The projects involved in the first, second, and fourth sets of water interruptions will help reduce non-revenue water.

Acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado asks for the understanding and cooperation of would-be

affected customers and advises them to store enough water prior to the scheduled water interruption. Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

The general public may visit DCWD website (www.davao-water.gov. ph) and official Facebook page (www.facebook. com/davaowater) or call

the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 297DCWD (3293) and press “1” on their phone dial to listen to latest daily water updates. They may also call / text 09277988966, 0925-5113293 and 0908-4410653 for other updates, complaints, queries and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Jamae R. Garcia)

Group, investigators found that Archer Blaze submitted fake documents, including fake Conditional Release Permits of the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS), to facilitate the firm’s importation of 47 20-foot containers of angle bars from China with a total value of P38.741-Million.

Attached to the permits was a fake letter supposedly from DTI-BPS addressed to Port of Manila Acting District Collector Mario Mendoza attesting to the authenticity of the Conditional Releases issued. The shipments arrived through the Port of Manila in four batches last June 10 and 14, 2014.

In the second case, Echo Titan allegedly misdeclared the product they imported as ‘steel round bars’ from China. However, upon inspection, customs examiners discovered that the shipment contained various steel products of various sizes including stainless steel flat bars, stainless steel angle bars, and stainless steel round bars.

Import documents also allegedly showed grossly misdeclaration of the weight and value of the goods inside one 40-foot and one 20-foot container vans in order to evade payment of the correct duties and taxes.

The quantity of the products imported by Echo Titan was also al-

legedly misdeclared by as much as 33 percent.

The import documents declared a quantity of 35,010 for the two containers, with Dutiable Value declared at P1.235-Million with total Duties and Taxes of P248,122.92.

Upon inspection, it was found out that the actual weight of the shipment was 52,100 kgs or a discrepancy of 17,090 kgs.

With the discovery, Dutiable Value was adjusted and is now at P5.577-Million with the total Duties and Taxes now amounting to P1.113-Million.

The alleged smuggling attempt was foiled on the basis of Alert Orders issued by the BOC’s Intelligence Group, the Bureau of Customs said.

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11 HEALTH

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TOO MUCH SWEET CAN KILL YOU!

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

A

LTHOUGH his doctor told him that he was most likely to have diabetes, Jerry never changed his habits and didn’t heed the doctor’s advice of losing 20 kilograms. To think that his only sister had died of the said disease.

“I didn’t have that sense of urgency,” he said then. But nine months later, his condition worsened. The doctors diagnosed him of having Type 2 diabetes.

“I should have followed what the doctors told me,” he says now. “I really never thought it would happen to me too soon.”

All over the world, the incidence of diabetes is growing; it is now among the top ten leading causes of death. The country’s most recent survey showed that one out of every five Filipinos has diabetes. “That means that around 20 percent of the population have diabetes,” points out the Philippine Diabetes Association (PDA), an umbrella organization of all associations involved in the care of the diabetic patients.

Over 7 million Filipinos will have diabetes by 2030. But what is alarming is that Filipinos diagnosed with diabetes are getting younger. “Children as young as 5 years old have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” PDA reports. “With this trend, the Philippines is expected to belong on the top 10 countries with the most people with diabetes 15 years from now.”

Considered as a “disease of affluence,” diabetes is now taking its place as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. “Diabetes is going to be the biggest epidemic in human history,” warns Dr. Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia.

“Diabetes has no cure,” says Dr. Ricardo E. Fernando, founder and president of the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation in the Philippines. “What doctors can do is just minimize the complications or push its onset a little later because the disease is more manageable among older people.”

Diabetes is a disease not caused by bacteria, viruses, or other microbes but by too much sugar in the body. Sugar is the basic fuel that provides energy for all body functions, from the beat of the heart to the thought processes of the brain.

Insulin, a hormone re-

leased from the pancreas, is the primary substance responsible for maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels. Insulin allows glucose to be transported into cells so that they can produce energy or store the glucose until it’s needed.

“But with diabetes, something goes awry,” says Dr. Willie T. Ong, an internist-cardiologist who serves as a consultant in cardiology at Makati Medical Center. “The pancreas becomes irresponsible. It either stops producing the hormone completely or else produces too much, which leads to insulin resistance. Either way, concentration of sugar in the blood shoots sky-high.”

Of course, the body tries to eliminate the sugar. “The best to do that is via the urine,” says Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, author of The Best Treatment.

“But since the kidneys can’t excrete sugar in lump form, the body must provide enough water to dilute or dissolve the sugar in order to flush it out.”

The net result of all this is that the person will spend more and more time in the bathroom to void the sugar and at the water tap to drink the much needed extra water.

This is the basis why the cardinal signs of untreated diabetes are frequent urination and great thirst. In women, the urine rich in sugar provides a good medium for fungus to grow in the vagina, hence the vaginal itching.

There are two types of diabetes: juvenile and adult-onset. Both types

are characterized by high levels of blood sugar. Both also share the same crippling or fatal long-term complications caused by excess sugar spilling over into sensitive tissues. But the similarities end there.

Elizabeth Hiser, a journalist who writes for The New York Times, knows what Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes is because she suffers from it. “The pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that allows the glucose in the blood to be moved into cells where it can be used as energy,” she writes. “Not surprisingly, the symptoms are severe, and without regular injections to make up for the lack of insulin, the afflicted patient risks coma and death.”

Singer and actor Gary Valenciano has also this type of diabetes. His wife, Angeli, has saved the life of her husband several times already. “She has revived me a number of times, preventing me from falling into a diabetic coma,” he reveals.

On the other hand, someone with Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes starts out with abnormally high levels of insulin and can go for years – even decades – without knowing he has the disease, because no immediate, life-altering symptoms occur.

“The predisposition for developing Type 2 diabetes is inherited,” writes Hiser, “and there are three factors that cause the disease to surface: being overweight, inactivity, and advancing age.”

Having too much body fat (and too little mus-

cle mass) decreases the body’s ability to use insulin, a condition called insulin resistance because cells literally become resistant to insulin’s effects.

Health experts say that carbohydrates, after a meal, are broken down to glucose, or single sugar units, which are absorbed and cause blood sugar levels to rise. Normally, over the next two or three hours, insulin efficiently clears blood sugar back to fasting levels.

When insulin does a poor job, blood sugar stays high between meals, even when insulin levels are abnormally high. As time passes, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas become dysfunctional.

At this point, insulin injections are needed.

“If you look at the spread of the scourge around the world, Type 2 diabetes occurs as a country advances technologically, when people come out of the fields to sit behind desks,” notes Dr. Irwin Brodsky, director of the Diabetes Treatment Program at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Type 2 is the strain most people have to fear.

This is the real epidemic, accounting for 85-90 percent of diabetes cases in the country. “Getting diagnosed early is important because most of its serious complications are preventable,” assures Dr. Marie Yvette Rosales-Amante, who had her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at the University of Massachusetts.

People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin in-

jections. Those with type 2 diabetes usually don’t need insulin injections.

But 25 percent of them take drugs to improve sugar metabolism. “Treating Type 2 diabetes with drugs does reduce blood sugar, that’s true,” says Dr. Ong. But in many cases, doctors are electing to treat Type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. They find that this lifestyle approach does more than just reduce blood sugar.

“It does a lot more,” says Dr. James Barnard, professor of physiological science at the University of California. “The same regimen that puts diabetes on hold has a favorable impact on high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity.” Those three, along with high blood sugar, are what doctors call the deadly quarter.

However, before doing anything, be sure to talk with your doctor. “We have been saying that diabetes is not a disease to be toyed with,” says Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua, president of the Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation. “It should be viewed with concern because if left untreated then there may be serious consequences.

The glimmer of hope here is that if you treat a diabetic really well, he will as long as a person without diabetes, and probably with a better quality of life because he takes care of himself better than one without diabetes who lives recklessly.”

PDA experts attribute the increase of diabetic incidence in the Philippines to the lifestyle and culture

of Filipinos. “For one, Filipinos love to eat,” PDA says.

“Rice is the Filipinos’ staple food.”

Some studies have shown that the starchrich staple can potentially release high amounts of sugar into the blood when digested. A 2007 study of Chinese women in Shanghai found that middle-aged women who ate large amounts of rice and other refined carbohydrates were at increased risk for diabetes compared to their peers who ate less.

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

For another, Filipinos are fond of holding celebrations from fiestas, birthdays, weddings, and different holidays in which food indulgence is inherent and a crucial part of the celebrations.

“Filipinos have the best fatty, risky exotic foods,” PDA surmises. To name a few: batsoy, bulalo, liver and other organ meat, sisig, street foods (isaw, pork and chicken barbecue, adidas), and lechon.

Their condiments are among the world’s best: bagoong and patis. Filipinos also have the best and sweetest native delicacies and cakes, which are mostly prepared from rice: puto, palitaw, biko, and bibingka, among many others.

With these kinds of foods, less exercise, and too much stress, it is no wonder there will be more diabetics in the Philippines in the years to come.

12 CLASSIFIED

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Billiard Supplies

Cell Nos.

Phone Nos.

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Pieces of a haven Photos by Mizelle Tan of Mimathology

THERE is no better feeling in the world than watching our loved ones sleeping fitfully. This is especially true for our precious little ones and this was what Lyn Buyco-Tan had in mind when she sought to create a bed linens collection which is the most sensible in home finery.

Lyn is a true multi-hyphenate who dabbles in interior design in addition to teaching classical music appreciation in her kids’ school and being a child-rearing advocate. Her store, The Oak & Acorn, which carries one-of-a-kind products for both parents and children alike, is a brickand-mortar testament to her most important passions. She stays involved in the design aspect of her husband Arch. Patrick Tan’s line of work and it is here where she gets to encounter suppliers whose wares get her excited with brimming possibilities. Such was the case when she came across a company which delivers top-quality linens to select department stores in the country and international retail brands. The firm was willing to specially produce items for Lyn even on a smaller scale and this was all the prompting she needed to see Oak & Acorn’s linens collection to fruition.

The first line of Lyn’s

linens collection is sham-type pillow covers.

Calling to mind pristinely made-up beds and immaculately designed nurseries, these encasements which are made from 600-threadcount Egyptian cotton are exactly the kind that make you want to stare at or sink into. They come in clean lines and scalloped details in subtly cool pastel colors which Lyn intended so that they will be treated as classic mainstays in your bedrooms that invoke feelings of sheltered nesting and delicious rest.

Running your palms over the silky surfaces will all but convince you that they are truly a

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That is why shouldn’t come as a surprise that they command a slightly higher price for its premium features.

Lyn happily concedes that buying the linens is really a splurge but in the right direction. Just like the other items developed by Oak & Acorn and proudly line their shelves, the underlying intentions are always towards the nurturing of children and building that feeling that they are loved.

The bed linens are but one direction she is taking strides at and hopes that they will one day come to include full bed sheet sets and other complementary items. There is definitely a line of stuffed toys in the works set to

be launched next year, which further bolsters Lyn’s purpose to build children a home environment that is a blissful place filled with objects that will help them create meaningful memories.

Just as how Lyn hopes that bedtime stories and lullabies will be part of tucking children into bed in childcentric households across the city, she hopes that these pieces designed and created lovingly will be part of your own private havens. Because propping your loved ones’ heads in only the best there is never goes out of style.

Visit The Oak & Acorn at the 2nd level of Abreeza Mall, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City.

Contact no. 285-8659

Call: 224-0733 • Tionko St., Davao City

VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

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BOC nets P4M from sale of seized garlic T

HE Bureau of Customs grossed P4.7 million in proceeds from the auction of an estimated 676,350 kilograms of smuggled garlic seized by the agency in June 2014.

A total of six bidders participated in the auction on Friday (August 29) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) which was held through sealed bidding.

The auction was originally set for last Tuesday (August 26) but was cancelled following a issuance of import permits by the Bureau of Plant Industry that allowed the entry of several shipments of garlic on the same day,

which dampened bidder interest for the seized products and prompted MICP District Collector Elmir Dela Cruz to direct a re-appraisal of the bid price for lots to be auctioned.

From the original price of about P50 per kilo or a total minimum floor price of P33 million, the total floor price was adjusted to P16.69 million or about P24.50 per kilo.

There were no takers for the first lot or shipment, 17 units of 40foot shipping containers with about 486,870 kilos of garlic consigned to MC Jayson International Trading as bidders said the shipment

NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. ThatCERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 3127 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s)412011-9 issued to AURELIA O. VILLEGAS was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

9/1,8,15

had started to rot.

The shipment had a minimum asking price of P12-Million. The sale of this lot was deferred, pending further examination of the garlic.

The second lot, four units of 40-foot shipping containers imported by Sofrich Trading with 104,670 kilos of garlic, sold for P2.592 million, or about P24.76 per kilo, to KKRL Trading.

The third lot, composed of two units of 40foot shipping containers with 55,850 kilos of garlic consigned to Yan Hu Food Manufacturing, was won by bidder Kaunlaran for P1.386 million, or P24.82 per

kilo.

The last lot sold, a 40-foot shipping container with 28,960 kilos consigned to CMA CGM Philippines, was sold to a certain Nilo PeĂąaflor for P728,000 or P25.14 per kilo.

The winning bidders paid 50 percent of their respective bid prices, with the balance to be paid on the next business day. The winners then have two days to move their garlic out of MICP. The winning bidders are also required to have the garlic fumigated by a service provider duly accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry.

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. ThatCERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 1004409 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 32256-1 issued to SOCORRO D. ANGSINCO was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

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14 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

SHOCK WAVES

Roger Federer attacks a backhand during a second-round match against Sam Groth. Corey Silvia/usopen.org

Venus, Halep, Kerber booted out S

HOCK waves hit the U.S. Open on Friday as veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni spearheaded a series of stunning third-round surprises that claimed two of the top women’s seeds and seven-times grand slam winner Venus Williams.

Lucic-Baroni ousted second seed Simona Halep, Italy’s Sara Errani posted her first career win over Williams and Swiss teen Belinda Bencic ousted sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber on a sunny day that opened up the women’s draw.

Croatian Lucic-Baroni, a 32-year-old qualifier ranked 121st in the world, dismissed Romania’s Halep 7-6 (6) 6-2 to reach the fourth round for her best grand slam result since a 1999 run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

With nothing to lose, Lucic-Baroni cut loose and rifled in 31 winners against Halep, who was

on the defensive throughout the 94-minute match.

“It’s amazing. I finally been able to play the tennis that I love to play.

You know, being really aggressive and consistent at the same time,” said Lucic-Baroni. “Today was against one of the best players in the world.

“Best day of my life.”

Bencic, 17, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon junior champion, defeated Kerber 6-1 7-5 to reach the round of 16 in her U.S. Open debut.

The Swiss, who made it to the third round at Wimbledon, vowed not to be satisfied with her Flushing Meadows success.

“I want more,” said Bencic.

Lucic-Baroni’s next opponent will be 13th seed Errani, whose passage into the round of 16 was not as startling as the Croat’s dismantling of a world number two 10 years her junior, but a surprise

nonetheless.

Errani, loser of all three previous singles matches against Williams in straight sets, outdueled the seven-times grand slam winner in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker to win their roller-coaster clash 6-0 0-6 7-6 (5).

Two other veterans also advanced.

Ninth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, 29, crushed Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-0, and 28-year-old Peng Shuai of China registered another upset.

The 39th-ranked Peng, who upset fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round, eliminated 28th seed Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4 6-3.

Also advancing was 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a 6-3 6-2 winner against 18th seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany.

CLIMACTIC TIEBREAKER

improving to 24-1 for his career in night matches held in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer is also 54-1 in second-round Grand Slam matches; the only loss came at Wimbledon last year.

He limited the big-serving Groth to eight aces and broke him five times.

In the second set’s final game, Federer closed a 17-stroke exchange by sliding to his backhand side, stretching and flicking a high-arching lob that landed in. Federer raised his right hand and made a “No. 1” gesture with his index finger.

Federer next faces 42nd-ranked Marcel Granollers.

Sabine Lisicki prepares to return a serve on Arthur Ashe Stadium. - Corey Silvia/usopen.org

Executives overcome Federer advances to third round rough play, takes Game 1 R

OGER Federer produced one particularly brilliant backhand lob that he celebrated by wagging a finger overhead during a straight-set second-round victory at the U.S. Open.

The second-seeded Federer beat 104thranked Sam Groth of Australia 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Friday,

C

ITY Hall Executives held their ground in the rough plays of Game 1 and eked out an 84 – 78 win over Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) as the 5th Conference kicked off on Friday night at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. The Executive Oldies overcame the rugged and rowdy plays in the opening game of the new

series - marked with an ABC player being rushed to the hospital for checkup after the game – to take a 1 – 0 lead.

Christopher “Bong” Go ignored the on-andoff side skirmishes as the conference scoring leader poured in 27 points, including 17 in the first half.

Michael Peloton banked in 18 points as Joseph Felizarta dropped

14 for the Executives Oldies who extended its winning streak to seven after tasting their only defeat in 18 games.

Glen Escandor was hit in the left eye in the third period where the spot-up shooter scored 8 of his total 12 points. The business-sportsman was clearly distracted by the hit in the eye as he went scoreless in the final period.

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SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

DRAY ON THE SPOT

THE MAN OF THE MOMENT. Andray Blatche of Pilipinas Smart Gilas.

How will Andray Blatche adjust will be key to success or failure W

HEN the FIBA World Cup of Basketball tips off tomorrow, the Philippines will feature one of the most unexpected participants in the whole tournament — Andray Blatche, current NBA free agent and erstwhile host of Lapdance Tuesdays. Although Blatche is fairly reformed from his worst days with the Washington Wizards, he is still not considered to be the picture of dependability and commitment.

Yet the oddity goes much deeper, because the Philippines is a country with a basketball obsession that belies its relatively minor impact on the international game. How, exactly, would a player like Blatche fit in with this culture?

Not surprisingly, the answer is that it’s taking some time. In a new feature for Grantland, Rafe Bartholomew details Blatche’s adjustment to his new team. Yet it’s his teammates’ own adjustment to playing with Blatche that could be the most interest-

ing issue at play: A few days into training camp, point guard Castro had already begun adding wrinkles from Blatche’s game to his own. During a four-on-four shell drill, he caught the ball on the wing and then raised it in an exaggerated, one-handed shot fake before swooping it back down into a jabstep fake, and then drove to the basket. It was a move Blatche had been using all week. The thought of one’s players adopting moves from Blatche, a player who has never been known for his work ethic or offensive efficiency, might cause anxiety attacks in some coaches. For Reyes, however, it was a sign his longtime players and his new pickup were beginning to jell.

It didn’t mean that he’d be coaching a team full of undersize Andray Blatche clones, but that they felt a “combination of respect and awe” for the big man’s game, and that playing with Blatche was giving his players “a lot of optimism [and] a lot of hope” about

their chances to pull off an upset in Spain. [...]

“Coming in, I had my doubts about Andray,” Reyes told me. “I thought he would be always away from us, but he’s actually thrown himself into the process. When people saw that he was a legitimate NBA player who was willing to be just one of the guys … there was a palpable sigh of relief. [...]

That looming uncertainty is what made the Gilas players hesitant about the plan to hire Blatche as a replacement for previous naturalized big man [Marcus] Douthit. “There were mixed reactions because Marcus was still here,” said Alapag, the 36-year-old captain who has been playing for various iterations of the national team since 2002. “After going through those battles and you have success with someone who you consider a brother and not just a teammate, you’re kinda worried when coach comes in and says, ‘Hey, we’re gonna try somebody else.’” [...]

time, with Spain serving as the strongest competition. Even if the general hierarchy of teams hasn’t changed, there is no question that they appear less dominant than we’re accustomed to.

The tournament tips off on Saturday, with Team USA set to take on Finland at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Here are five pressing stories to help you get acquainted with the World Cup before play begins.

1. Team USA looks vulnerable.

When it comes to the best basketball country in the world, such issues as vulnerability are always relative, because their chances of losing remain much lower than those for any other team. Nevertheless, this is not the same Team USA that won the 2008 Olympics, 2010 world championships, and 2012 Olympics with very few hiccups. The team’s world championships/ Cup roster never features the overwhelming star power of the Olympics, but it’s still reasonable to

A close look at the FIBA World Cup

By ERIC FREEMAN

T

HIS week, the best basketball nations in the world are heading to Spain for the FIBA World Cup of Basketball. The tournament — known until recently as the world championships — lacks the overwhelming attention of the Olympics in the United States, but for many other countries it is considered to be nearly as prestigious. As usual, Team USA enters the competition as the favorite, although that position is as precarious as it has been for some

think the group will include one or two perennial All-NBA players. Team USA is used to the best.

The 2014 roster does not immediately look like such an established and dominant group. While USA Basketball expected

the absences of proven international commodities like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, the powers that be weren’t necessarily looking to be without Kevin Love (who bowed out due to his potential and eventual

HCDC, SJP take opener in DACS Women’s hoops

H FAST FRIDAYS. Marco Tamayo of the MMA Davao United Fighting Championships explains the mechanics of the amateur selection and transition to professional MMA during the Fast Fridays media forum at Archipelago 7107 at Barrio Fiesta in SM Lanang Premier. Lean Daval Jr.

trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves), Paul George (who was lost to his now-infamous leg injury during an exhibition game), and Kevin Durant (who withdrew from consideration due to mental and physical exhaustion).

OST Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) and St. John Paul (SJP) II College of Davao made their presence felt by routing their rivals in the opening of the women’s basketball of the DACS Sportsfest 2014 at the HCDC gym.

The HCDC Lady Crusaders exploded with a 25-9 blast in the first quarter and never looked back to demolish the Ateneo de Davao University, 8457 in the first game. The Lady Crusaders enjoyed a 12-point lead after the first half, 43-31 then doubled their advantage by 24 points, 63-39 after the

third canto.

Kathlene Gaudiano topscored HCDC with 16 points and Junamae Dahay added 11. Alyssa Villamor led the Lady Knights’ losing cause with 12 points.

St. John Paul, on the other hand, survived the San Pedro College Lady Stallions, 65-59 despite a huge crowd support coming from the rival school.

Crowd-favorite guard Jessica Gutierrez scored on a jumpshot to tie the game, 37-all. Then SPC center Sofia Rose Sarda made a quick layup to grab the lead, 39-37 with 2:10 left in the third quarter.

(PNA)

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, AUG. 31- SEPT. 01, 2014

RETURN TO THE WATERS. Bong Go (extreme right).

Go shows might in jetski racing

C

HALLENGING curbs.

Scorching heat of the sun. No problem.

Christopher “Bong” Go stamped his mighty class in Day 1 of the Jet Sports Association of Davao (JSAD) Invitational Jetski Racing Competition yesterday at the Sunset Beach Park in Samal.

Go, a veteran jet-skier, topped the first heat of the 300hp class, besting

a field of young and seasoned speedsters.

The executive assistant of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and JSAD standout made the gruelling and complex curbs look easy and sprinted up a wide approach to the finale to top the 300hp class with style.

He raced to the top of his second event after placing third in the pro

4-stroke 260hp.

Another heat is set today before the final round.

Go’s remarkable performance in the first day made him one of the favorites entering the final round.

Go started joining national jet-ski competition in the late 90’s but was out of action for more than a decade(Rico Biliran)

No. 5 Maria Sharapova surged past No. 26 Sabine Lisicki in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to close out a sultry Friday evening at the 2014 US Open. - Andrew Ong/usopen.org