Edge Davao 7 Issue 174

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

LIGHTING UP. Davao City’s General Services Office (GSO) employee attaches LED lights on the metal frame of a Christmas decoration yesterday in preparation for the upcoming “Pasko Fiesta sa Dabaw” celebration which will kick off on December 5. Lean Daval Jr.

DUTERTE COOL TO PIÑOL SURVEY 73% of Facebook respondents for Rody

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte is cool to former North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol’s Facebook-based presidential survey.

In an interview Wednesday night, Duterte said he was not interested in the survey

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which apparently showed him leading other would-be candidates for President.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, Piñol’s survey showed 73 percent or 2,308 people choosing Duterte. A distant second was Santiago with 10 percent or 309 votes.

Our partner stores in SM Lanang Premier:

Binay was dead last with 2 percent or 75 votes.

The mayor reiterated his earlier statements that he is not planning to run for President in 2016.

At the same time, Duterte said he did not agree with Piñol’s plan to ask the Senate

to regulate the conduct of surveys and even penalize those who fabricate such polls.

“I do not think that it would be good to punish people for coming up with fabricated surveys because we elect presidents here not

FDUTERTE, 10

INSIDE EDGE PACMAN ALREADY AT 100%

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Terms and conditions apply.

Promo validity and redemption of discount are from November 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015. Per DTI-DCFO Permit No. 403, Series of 2014.

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

RESPECT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte is greeted by 35 senior military officials whom he met during a city government-sponsored dinner at the Grand Men Seng Hotel Wednesday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

Slain student leader to be buried today

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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crc@edgedavao.net

HE body of slain student leader Rendell Ryan “Perper” Cagula was brought to the University of the Philippines-Mindanao yesterday to allow students to pay their last respects before he is buried today.

The decision was made

by UP Min Chancellor Dr.

Sylvia Concepcion a day after receiving a letter from Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP) national chair Eduardo D. Gambal and student regent Neil John Macuha who said the students “wish to pay homage to a comrade, a hero, a warrior, and a friend

through a memorial service.”

Perper’s body arrived at 6 p.m. at the UP Min Administration Building atrium. He will be buried this morning at Forest Lake Memorial Park in Maa, Davao City.

Perper was among three alleged members of

New People’s Army (NPA) killed in an encounter in Sarangani Province last November 4. He was 23.

He had been absent for 11 months and was only six units short of finishing his Anthropology course.

He suffered four bullet wounds on the right side

FSLAIN, 10

AFP officers laud Rody’s leadership

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

The course director of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College (AFPCGSC) lauded Davao Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte for his leadership in the city.

Colonel Benjamin Hao, who brought 35 other senior officers undergoing the course to Davao City, told reporters on Wednesday night during a courtesy dinner with Duterte at Grand Men Seng Hotel that the leader-

ship skill of the mayor is “really exceptional.”

“He (Duterte) taught us many things about leadership and we were happy because of his one-of-a-kind leadership skills,” Hao said.

He said he and the students – officers who are undergoing higher education – were amazed when they visited the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) because of its state-

website.

The flood models generated from elevation data will be also used in an integrated flood early warning system that should give people and communities at least six hours notice to prepare for impending floods and others disasters.

LiDAR was first used to map out Typhoon Pablo-affected areas in Compostela Valley in 2012.

“We have already finished the phase 1 of the projects which involved the mapping of the 18 critical river basin and we are targeting to complete the mapping out of the whole of the country two to three

years from now,” Montejo said.

He said in the second phase, DOST is targeting 3D maps of 285 other river basins in the country.

Under the program, DOST partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) and 17 other more state universities and colleges (SUCs).

FAFP, 10

Charges filed vs suspect 3D mapping of country’ s rivers eyed in Bukidnon bus bombing

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OLICE have filed charges against a suspect in the bombing of a passenger bus last week in Maramag town in Bukidnon.

Four passengers were injured when an improvised explosive device went off inside bus number 204 of Rural Transit in Mindanao Inc. on Nov. 6 in Barangay Dologon, Maramag.

In an interview on dxDB-Malaybalay Thursday, Inspector Jiselle Longakit, spokesperson of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office identified the suspect as Dawting Dindang.

Longakit said Dindang is an active member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

She said a description by a witness fitted Dindang’s facial features.

She added police have posted the suspect’s photos in public places, although the warrant for his arrest was yet to be issued.

Longakit said the explosive was fashioned out of a 60mm mortar rocket with a cellular phone as triggering device.

She said police have assigned marshals to buses plying the route from Maramg to Damulog, the southernmost town of Bukidnon bordering Carmen town in North Cotabato.

The ill-fated bus had come from Tacurong City bound for Cagayan de Oro City. (MindaNews)

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HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is planning to add one more single-engine plane that will be used for the 3-dimensional (3D) mapping of differents areas in the country for disaster risk management.

At a press conference yesterday at the SMX Convention Center, DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said the department has four planes that were used to map 18 critical river basins in the country.

Among these were Davao River, Tagum-Libuganon River, Buayan-Malungun River, Agusan River,

and Mindanao River.

At present, the DOST is using four Cessna 206 airplanes loaded with special equipment called Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology for the 3D mapping project called Disaster Risk Assessment, Exposure and Mitigation-Light Ranging and Detection Technology (DREAM-LiDAR).

LiDAR produces upto-date, detailed and high resolution national elevation maps and data sets of different critical areas in the country which will be used for the Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards)

DREAM-LiDAR won the prestigious Geospatial World Excellence in Policy Implementation Award for 2014. Montejo and DREAM program leader Dr. Enrico Paringit received the award on May 8 in Geneva, Switzerland. CRC

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

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NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

SMEs in food business to get boost from DOST

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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RECORD BREAKING. Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Art Boncato (right) says Davao region is on track to breaking its tourism sales record this year during yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Boncato was

joined by councilor Al Ryan Alejandre (center) and City Tourism Office chief Lisette Marques who both announced the activities lined up for this year’s “Pasko Fiesta sa Dabaw” celebration. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

MALL- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the food business now have more opportunity to move their products up the value chain as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will add 10 additional equipment in the Food Processing Innovation Center (FPIC) located at the Philippine Women’s College (PWC) of Davao.

The DOST said it will add a hammer mill, aseptic packaging equipment, granulator, single bowl centrifuge, extruder, drying equipment controller, blending machine, microwave vacuum dryer, and form fill and seal machine.

The ten machineries that were originally benchmarked in Thailand will be added to the existing processing machineries like

immersion freezer, vacuum-packaging machine, water retort, vacuum-fryer, spray dryer, vacuum evaporator, and freeze dryer.

“These are state-of-theart equipment that will help SMEs improve their products and increase their productivity,” DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said at a press conference for the opening of the three-day Mindanao DOST Cluster Science and Technology Fair at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier yesterday.

Montejo said the DOST is targeting to make the technology available to SMEs and processed food manufacturers. Each piece of equipment will costs P2 million to P3 million.

“We already have talks and partnership with the

CSSDO: Don’t give money to street mendicants DOST to put up early

flood warning devices

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

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HE Davao City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) urged the public not to give money to mendicants especially those on major roads so as not to endanger their lives.

Speaking at I-Speak Media Forum yesterday at City Hall, CSSDO assistant head

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Liwayway Caligdong told reporters that not giving money to the mendicants will discourage them from begging in the streets.

She said the reason mendicants continue to beg even though their lives are in danger is that they know there are people who will give them money.

Caligdong also said mendicancy in the streets does not only endanger the lives of the beggars but also creates traffic congestion and breeds crime.

She said the CSSDO used to mount more frequent rescue operations for mendicants but the latter have learned to hide whenever

operatives are out on the streets.

Caligdong urged barangay officials to help rescue the mendicants.

The city’s streets normally get filled with mendicants during the holidays, with the city government even providing shelter for them during the night.

tumes parade which was absent last year in respect to the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

He said it would be the fourth year of the “Lamdag Parada” and will be one of the highlights of the celebration.

He said the parade, which will light some streets of the downtown area, will be done on the night of December 20.

He said winner of the parade will receive P300,000 while the second placer will get P200,000. Third prize is P100,000 and there will be two consolation prizes of P50,000 each.

Alejandre said Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte wants the Christmas celebration in the city to be truly enjoyable for the people.

He said Duterte also wants to illuminate City Hall and Sangguniang Panlungsod building for the sounds and light show on December 18.

Aljeandre said they proposed P1.5 million worth of Christmas decorations which will be composed of LED lights to illuminate the major parts of the city.

“He (Duterte) wants to have many activities and big

prizes because we do not have a fireworks display. The mayor wants to give the money to the people of Davao because if we spend it on fireworks it is just like we burn our money without benefiting from it,” he said.

Alejandre said Duterte told the committee to remove the sound and light activity last year because he wanted the private sector to donate the money to the typhoon victims.

ABF

Pasko Fiesta budget tripled

HE executive committee for the “Pasko Fiesta sa Dabaw 2014” is proposing a P9.6 million budget for this year’s activities and prizes, more than three times the budget for last year’s celebration.

Executive committee spokesperson councilor Al Ryan S. Alejandre told reporters in yesterday’s I-Speak Media Forum at the City Hall Conference room that they are proposing a bigger budget than last year’s P3 million because they have additional activities for the Christmas event.

He said last year’s celebration was toned down in order to enable people to send help to survivors of typhoon Yolanda.

Among the additional activities are the tugtogan or battle of the band, yugyugan sa pasko or the EDM (electronic dance music) light show, and the Pasko Fiesta sa empleyado or the Christmas activity for the city government employees.

Alejandre said they will also revive the “Lamdag Parada” or the lighted float and cos-

FSMES, 10

ONE BILLION RISING. GABRIELA Women’s Partylist representative Luz Ilagan (right) confers with veteran theater and film actor Monique Wilson during yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall. The two women

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will put up additional early warning devices in 285 river systems all over the country within the next two years.

DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo said the department plans to cover the whole country with such devices in two years, adding to the current number of only 18.

“Tatapusin natin yung another 285 in another two years and that will cover the whole Philippines,” Montejo said.

He said DOST has prioritized some identified areas because of the major calamities that hit them.

“Because of what happened in Ondoy and Sendong

in Cagayan de Oro where there were many fatalities along the rivers, we are prioritizing these area. After that we will do the urban areas,” he said.

Montejo said the agency will now focus on the urbanized areas in the entire country where floods do not cause many casualties but can paralyze the areas.

The early warning systems that will be put up in the river system aim to alarm the public at least six hours before a flood hits.

Montejo said the devices can mitigate the casualties that calamities can cause.

He said traffic jams can also be mitigated because the public will know which areas to avoid.

promoted the third One Billion Rising, a global campaign to end violence against women, rise for justice and promote gender equality, which happened yesterday afternoon at People’s Park. Lean Daval Jr.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

Smuggling charges filed against rice trader, 9 licensed brokers T

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed smuggling-related complaints against the owner of Medaglia De Oro Trading and nine Licensed Customs Brokers for importing rice without the required import permit from the National Food Authority (NFA).

In a statement, the BOC said the move is part of the agency’s drive to thwart the illegal entry of imported rice into the country.

Four separate complaints were filed against Emmanuel Santos, owner and proprietor of Medaglia De Oro, along with the firm’s customs brokers Denise Kathryn Rosaroso, Raquel Sildora Cabasag, Emilio Chio, Myrene Noynay Sollano, Gemma Garcia, Melvin Isagan, John Kevin Cisneros, Eduardo Borje III, and Kenneth Quial.

The complaints were filed separately by BOC Acting District Collectors Mario Mendoza of the Port of Manila, Roberto Almadin of the Port of Cebu, Ricardo Butalid Jr. of the Port of Davao, and and Datu Samson Pacasum of the Mindanao Container Terminal in Misamis Oriental The BOC said a fifth case

against Medaglia De Oro will be filed by BOC Acting District Collector Elmir Dela Cruz of the Manila International Container Port On Friday (November 14) against Santos and customs brokers Rosemarie Sangalang Arciaga And Baltazar Ramirez.

The BOC said the charges stem from rice importations of Medaglia De Oro totaling over 16.039 metric tons from Thailand and Singapore in July and August 2013 through Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Misamis Oriental.

The firm’s rice imports have a total dutiable value of more than P205 million and an estimated market value of over P641 million.

The 12 face multiple counts of violating Section 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and Section 29 of Presidential Decree (PD) Number 4, as amended by P.D. No. 1485.

Each count of violating Section 3601 of the TCCP carries a maximum punishment of ten years imprisonment and a fine of P50,000, while violation of P.D. No. 4 is levied a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment and a fine of P8,000.00 per count.

Atlas Mining revenues up 15% to P12.6 billion

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TLAS Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (Atlas Mining) reported a 15-percent increase in revenues in the first nine months of the year as production of copper, gold, and nickel continued to improve with expanded processing capacity.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Atlas Mining said its revenues reached P12.6 billion in January to September from P10.9 billion during the same period last year.

“Revenues increased despite lower realized copper and gold prices as sales volume remained resilient with copper, gold and nickel output accelerating by 12 percent, 18 percent and 41 percent, respectively,” it said.

Atlas Mining’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Carmen Copper Corp., sustained its production ramp-up after the commissioning of the expanded processing plant in March this year.

The company’s three-quarter performance got a boost from its nickel subsidiary Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC) which grew its

net income 16 fold to P471 million.

BNC’s production volume spiked, growing almost double to 1.1 million wet metric tons, while shipments surged 74 percent resulting in a significant increase in revenues to P2 billion.

Atlas Mining said its net income narrowed to P841 million in the first nine months due to higher depreciation and financing charges and higher income tax provision this year on account of the expiration of the income tax holiday incentive of Carmer Copper in October 2013.

It said financing charges increased this year as a portion of the financing costs was capitalized during the construction phase of the expansion last year.

“We are confident that we have positioned the company for a solid performance in 2015 and the coming years with the completion and commissioning of Carmen Copper’s processing plant and the transition to the higher-grade ore body,” said Atlas Mining Executive Vice President Adrian Ramos. (PNA)

Collector Datu Samson Pacasum from Bureau of Customs (BOC)Mindanao Container Terminal swears by his complaint-affidavit against rice trader Medaglia de Oro Trading for the illegal importation of rice. Looking on are (from left) Collector Ricardo Butalid, Jr, BOC-Port of Davao; Deputy Commissioner Maria Edita Tan; Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla; Collector Roberto Almadin, BOC-Port of Cebu; and Collector Mario Mendoza, BOCPort of Manila.

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THE ECONOMY

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

confident of achieving 95% UN calls for ASEAN support ASEAN of measures under AEC blueprint on post-2015 development A

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N Secretary General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday expressed his support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and called on them to back a post-2015 development agenda to follow on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set out decades ago.

“2015 will be a crucial year for the international community to usher in a new era of sustainable development as we reach agreement on a post-MDG agenda and its financing,” he told the 6th ASEAN-UN summit in the

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Myanmar capital.

Recapping the challenges faced by humanity around the world, the UN chief insisted that countries have to come together even stronger to address manmade and natural disasters, as well as push through a tough treaty on climate change.

“We are looking for a strong agreement on climate change, a 2-degree increase in global temperature poses a significant threat to many countries including coastal towns in this region.”

Taking a slightly tougher tone, Ban also noted that

human rights abuses and intolerance, especially discrimination of minorities and violence against women, were on the increase in the region and called on ASEAN to strengthen frameworks to deal with these challenges.

“The UN stands ready to walk with ASEAN and its member states to strengthen national capacity to protect human rights, provide justice and promote accountability,” he added.

The UN chief also urged ASEAN governments to empower civil society organizations and allow them to

function competently to contribute to sustainable development.

Ban praised reforms in Myanmar, noting that the presidential elections expected to be held next year would leave the country facing “critical benchmarks” on international standards of democracy.

“The government and people of Myanmar can count on the support of the United Nations as they continue the process of democratization, development and national reconciliation,” he said. (PNA/Xinhua)

Apple OKs storybook app in English, Filipino, Cebuano

ECHNOLOGY and mobile content leader Apple has approved the storybook app myStorya v2 – the first and only storybook app that has both written text and audio narration in English, Filipino, and Cebuano.

Produced by Silicon Valley-based EggCrate Ideas, myStorya v2 features two books written for pre- and young readers ages 4 to 8 years old. It also includes a word-matching game where readers can match the correct word in Filipino and Cebuano to its English equivalent. Two new touch puzzles are also part of the

new version. myStorya is envisioned to be a learning tool which children of Filipino descent can have access to, wherever they may be.

OFWs, immigrants, or transplanted families find it difficult to find children’s storybooks written in Filipino in their local libraries or bookstores, but with myStorya v2 readily available in Apple app stores, they now have access to storybooks that have English, Filipino, and Cebuano versions quickly and conveniently, right from their mobile devices.

This eliminates the

need to scour for them online or have them sent from the Philippines and pay high shipping costs.

EggCrate Ideas founder and general manager Mark Gatela said the new version of myStorya has more interactivity. “We made improvements on the second version based on the feedback we got from the children and parents of our beta test group when we initially launched the app in September 2013,” he said.

The audio narration is another feature that sets myStorya v2 apart from the others that are available out there, according to Gatela.

“The ability to expose readers to the sound and cadence of the languages gives this app an advantage over text-only printed and digital storybooks,” he said.

“In August this year, our team showed a preview of myStorya v2 at a live Story Time session with around 20 children in Northern California, and it was very well-received. The participating children responded positively to the stories, and our team observed kids as young as four years old pick up words in Filipino and/or Cebuano very quickly just from reading or hearing the stories,” Gatela said.

SEAN member states are confident that by end-2015, at least 95 percent of the measures under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint will be implemented.

A slight shortfall is expected and measures not achieved within the target year will be continued and incorporated into the Post 2015 Economic Vision that is now being developed, according to Malaysia’s Minister of International and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Briefing Malaysian reporters on the progress here this morning, he said

the overall average ASEAN implementation rate of measures under the AEC Blueprint was a credible 82.1 percent, and slightly higher for Malaysia at 83.9 percent.

He said the progress has been encouraging despite challenges faced by countries in aligning domestic economic policies to the regional commitment.

The 10 Asean countries have a combined population of 617 million people and Gross Domestic Product of US$ 2.5 trillion and growing at an average 5.3 percent for the period 2006-2013.

(PNA/BERNAMA)

DTI summons bottled water supplier over high prices at NAIA, terminals

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HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has summoned a supplier of bottled water to explain the higher than suggested-retail-price (SRP) cost of bottled water in an airport and bus terminals in Metro Manila.

DTI Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said that during the market monitoring of its attached agency Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB), it found out that Nature’s Spring Drinking Water was sold P3.10 to P20.10 higher than its SRP particularly in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 and in different bus terminals in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“We summoned the Nature Spring supplier and asked them to discipline their retailers,” Dimagiba said in a text message.

The supplier, Philippine Spring Water Resources, Inc. told DTI that the company is not informed that its bottled water products are being sold above SRP. Aside from the said brand, the department also noted that “Absolute,” “Sum-

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mit,” and “Viva” bottled waters are overpriced by P2.00 to P13.00 in NAIA-3 and various transport terminals in the metropolis.

Under the revised Price Act, bottled water products have SRPs as the commodity is considered as basic necessity.

“The DTI issued the SRPs for bottled water in February of this year which already includes the mark up of distributors and retailers.

As such, there is no reason for them to sell bottled water at very high prices,” said Dimagiba.

“The responsibility of manufacturers does not stop with the production and distribution of goods in the market. They must also ensure that their retailers are complying with the SRPs that they themselves have determined,” he added.

Under the law, any illegal price manipulation which include profiteering will be penalized with imprisonment of five to 15 years and an administrative fine of P5,000 to P1 million.

The DTI has published the SRPs for bottled water brands in its website dti.gov. ph. (PNA)

Japan business delegation to arrive in Phl early 2015

HE Philippines is set to receive a business delegation from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) – Japan’s central organization of regional chambers of commerce – in early 2015, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

DTI Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. said JCCI International Division Head Takashi Akagi announced during their recent meeting in Tokyo, Japan that JCCI will conduct a business mission in the country to further boost economic relation of the two countries

as well as to support the globalization of Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Japanese business delegation is set to visit Manila from February 4 to 7, 2015.

DTI noted that the economic mission of JCCI here will be a high-level delegation coming from Japan’s top companies and SMEs coming from sectors of metal manufacturing, trading, telecommunications, travel and tourism, banking, general construction, automotive and auto parts, food, electric power, air transport, and chemicals. (PNA)

COMPETITIVE EDGE 7

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

Camella Tagum breaks ground for clubhouse

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N its continuing development of amenities for its Italian-Mediterranean subdivision in Tagum City, Camella Tagum will hold a groundbreaking for their deluxe clubhouse onSaturday, November 15.

“We’re pleased to announce that we shall be starting construction of the clubhouse, and that we have larger units now available for our buyers,” said Sheilamae Lara, Camella Tagum Marketing Head.

The clubhouse will be the latest addition to Camella Tagum’s world-

class facilities and amenities that will further elevate the lifestyle of its homeowners and provide them more opportunities to bond as families and neighbors. Last August, Camella Tagum also completed construction of its basketball court at Phase 3.

With the clubhouse, homeowners will get to enjoy the multi-purpose function hall where they can hang out and hold special events and social gatherings. The clubhouse will be another venue for the homeowners to strengthen cama-

raderie within their community.

“This is part of our commitment to provide our homeowners a quality home with amenities that will make them proud and happy to live in Camella Tagum, and with the re-offering of the Camella House Series, homebuyers will have more options to choose from our stylish and functional homes,” said Lara.

The Camella House Series in Phase 2 offers two-storey housing units with three, four, or five bedrooms and provisions for a balcony and a

carport. This is ideal for those with a growing family or those who want a bigger home.

“With more bedrooms and more space, the Camella House Series is an attractive home option as well as a wise property investment. Camella Tagum’s yearly appreciation of 5 to 10 percent is already a big draw for wise investors,” said Lara.

With limited available home units, Lara urges homebuyers and investors to get in touch with them at the Camella office at Unit 12 Gaisano Grand

Arcade, Lapu Lapu extension Apokon Road, Tagum City with telephone numbers 0917-5639617 and 0999-8864150.

Camella has made acquiring a home in the Camella House Series easier by extending their down payment terms up to 15 months, and making it available through inhouse, bank, and Pag-ibig financing.

Homebuyers and investors are invited to witness the clubhouse groundbreaking at Camella Tagum Phase 2 on Saturday at 3 p.m. where exciting freebies also

await them.

Located at the Barangay Visayan Village, National Highway in Tagum City, Camella Tagum is a landmark development that sets the standard for prime subdivision living in this part of the province.

This masterplanned subdivision is part of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vistaland, which has 38 years of experience and solid track record in building communities across the country.

graduate programs at the Damosa Complex in Davao City by next year.

The MOU signing is slated for November 20, 2014 at the Davao Trade Expo (DATE) event at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier.

ANFLOCOR is the management and investment company of the Anflo Group of Companies,a conglomerate which ventures into agriculture, industrial services, real estate, and resort development. Its flagship company isTagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO), which is one of the highest yielding banana plantations in the world.

NDIVIDUALS with Down Syndrome are invited to a Free Medical and Dental Clinic on November 15, 2014, Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Madayaw Hall of Microtel by Wyndham in Mamay Road Damosa, Lanang, Davao City.

This opportunity to avail of the free medical and paramedical services is a project of the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Inc. (DSAPI) Davao Branch.

“The medical mission is DSAPI’s way of maximizing the potentials of persons with Down Syndrome,” said Lanie Veragara of the DSAPI Davao Branch office.

“We’ve been provid-

ing the annual free clinic since 1998. This year, we’re expecting a lot of members from Davao City alone to avail of the free services,” she added.

Every family who has a member diagnosed with Down Syndrome can take advantage of the chance to be seen by experts in the field of developmental pediatrics, cardiology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, endocrinology, dermatology, rehabilitation medicine, and dentistry.

Medicine sponsored by the Don Antonio O. Floirendo Foundation, Inc. will also be offered to the parents and the children who will be present in the medical and dental activity.

Established in 1992 by a group of committed parents and physicians, DSAPI aims to foster greater understanding on persons born with Down Syndrome. This non-stock, non-profit organization holds regular programs such as seminars, free clinics, and informal group discussions where members can discuss their experiences in caring for a child with Down Syndrome.

The DSAPI Davao Branch office is located at the 2nd floor of Market Basket in Damosa Complex Lanang Commercial Center, Davao City. For queries, you may contact their office at (082) 305-7192.

DSAPI to conduct medical mission ANFLOCOR, UP to ink MOU for agricultural school in Panabo for individuals with Down Syndrome I A

NFLO Management and Investment Corporation (ANFLOCOR) and the University of the Philippines are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a plan to establish a UP campus in Panabo City.

To clarify the related story published in Edge Davao yesterday, November 13, 2014, ANFLOCOR is partnering with UP for a plan to create an extension campus of UP Los Baños that will offer programs in agriculture.

ANFLOCOR, a pioneer in agribusiness in the Philippines, has been supporting the industry in promoting world class agriculture

and in elevating the Davao Region as the major hub for agribusiness.

Likewise, the company looks to bring world class agricultural education and offer a center for excellence in the field of research and developmentin the region through its partnership with UP, the country’s premier university especially in the areas of economics and agriculture.

Both parties eye the forth-coming development of Damosa Land, a subsidiary of ANFLOCOR, in Panabo City to be the location of the new UP campus.

To kick off the partnership, UPLB intends to offer

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

EDITORIAL

W

Ultimate sacrifice

hat would drive a young man with a promising future to leave his family behind, forsake all comforts of modern life, and join an armed struggle to bring down the government?

For a student leader like Rendell Ryan “Perper” Cagula, the answers are perhaps all too obvious. Having been involved in campus activism, he had seen for himself the strong disparity between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the oppressor and the oppressed.

By all accounts, he had worked most of his college life for various causes to stir up not just his fellow students but the “real world” around him, until finally deciding, in the words of the Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP), “to take up arms and join the struggle in the countryside.”

“During his years of service to the alliance, he was at the forefront of the various campaigns promoting students’ rights and welfare, including the historic UP Strikes Back (against budget cuts) last 2011. Living the legacy of service

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to sectors outside the University, he continued spearheading campaigns for the Southern Mindanao Region with regard to plethora of issues which are of national concerns,” the alliance said.

It is difficult for many to understand why a young man would cross over from “legitimate” advocacy to armed struggle, but Perper was in fact not the first -- or the last -to do so. Indeed, countless such young people -- educated, intelligent, passionate -- have joined the rebel movement despite the military’s branding it as nothing more than a group of bandits out to create chaos in an otherwise peaceful society. What these young people have seen is anything but peaceful and just, and even the most optimistic of us will concede that our country has a lot of work to do to solve the inequality that pulls us down. Society will frown upon Perper’s decision to take up arms, believing as it does that violence is no answer to the ills of society. But no one can begrudge him his desire to serve the people, and ultimately sacrifice his own life for the honor of doing so.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. CHENEEN R. CAPON BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO Reporters MEGHANN STA. INES AQUILES Z. ZONIO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle Photography CHA MONFORTE JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA Correspondents ARLENE D. PASAJE Contributing Photographer Cartoons MUNDA • HENRYLITO TACIO • MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO AURELIO A. PEÑA • MARY Columnists: CARLOS MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. ANN “ADI”• C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • VIDA MIA VALVERDE • Economic Analysts:• ENRICO BORBON MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN EMILY “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER PEREZENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA EconomicM. Analyst:

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Setting norms, firming up our Republic

T

HE base of the pyramid that is our Republic needs fixing. We the people – its foundation – need to be aligned and attuned, to perk up and wake to the call of our society for heroic service.

There’s a lot of cleaning up to do, corruption to eradicate, laws to enforce, standards to live up to. The trouble is, we don’t hear each other out; we don’t listen to one another; we don’t even compare notes. And our grassroots parliament (Barangay Assembly) is a joke.

Worse, we ourselves make it difficult if not altogether impossible to harmonize and synchronize our aspirations. We’re not coordinated; we’re vulnerable to the divide-and-rule tactics of traditional politicians, trapos.

They sow intrigue and we fall for it too readily. We let them cloud our perceptions. Distracted, we don’t notice how they help themselves to our resources and misuse them for self-serving purposes.

Just look at the antics of senators who cannot distinguish between investigating-in-aid-of-legislation and extracting a pound of flesh from someone no different from the grasping way they climbed to the top. ***** It’s quite a task trying to clean up and install good government. For one, we’re disconnected from our community, inattentive and unfocused.

Instead of mobilizing to assert our sovereignty, we cede everything to officials that know no better play politics.

Thus, what spirals from our level (our barangay, the grassroots) to the upper levels are

T

HE Lord God, the Bible tells us, created man “in his own image.” He had given Adam – the first man – the power to control all His other creations. But God observed that Adam was lonely – he was alone.

Genesis 2:21-23 chronicle how the first woman came to be: “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.’

The first marriage took place after that. In fact, Genesis 2:24 is perhaps the most-often quoted verse during weddings: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

The Bible story came into my mind when I heard of the little girl who was asked during Sunday school if she knew the story of Adam and Eve. “Of course, I do,” she replied. “First God made Adam and then looked at him and said, ‘I think I can do better,’ so He created a woman.”

Here’s another version: A small child came home from Sunday school and told her mother: “The teacher told us how God made the first man and the first woman. He made man first, but the man was very lonely with no one to talk to, so God put the man to sleep, and while he was asleep, God took out his brains and made a woman out of them.”

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA apathy, inefficiency, and corruption.

It doesn’t help that if we do pay attention we’re distracted by the big picture – the national perspective which is the aggregate of local conditions. Naturally, as a mere summary of problems at our level, the picture is unsatisfactory, and we pin the blame on the officials at the top.

But of course blaming doesn’t help. Top-level officials are not directly affected; they’re not concerned with barangay affairs. They’re several levels removed and they don’t deal directly with the community, only with the clusters of communities under the supervision of larger entities like cities and provinces. ***** As a rule, we should be concerned with our community, the grassroots level where the concrete details of social and political problems are.

In other words, the reality, not just its representation or summary.

If it’s an unwanted reality, direct action by us will change or reform it. It’s our community; we’re its constituents; we have authority over its officials, resources, and powers. We have but to take the initiative and act directly – right in our neighborhood.

It won’t do to let the problem-solving be done by upper-level officials. They’re at the abstract level, preoccupied with statistics or generalities, mere summaries of local conditions, or survey figures.

So if problem-solving is called for, the ball is really in our park. Good governance lies with us. We are the people who can institutionalize it and compel its establishment all the way to the top – or throw out the rascals who can’t or won’t comply. ***** It’s we the people, the sovereign citizens, who must set the terms of political engagement and the norms to govern social and political relations.

But in order to do so, we need to learn to stigmatize candidates that buy their way to election success or defy norms of fair play and equal opportunity such as dynastic oligarchs.

We must also learn to keep the unfit and the corrupt from vying for the rewards of democratic or open and free competition.

Enforcing such a regime, however, requires that we be responsible citizens – people who ostracize instead of lionize exploiters and corrupters of the system. And do so heroically and selflessly – meaning, at the expense of family or personal ambition if need be. ***** We can do it if we’re earnest about reforms.

Are we willing and ready to participate in the governing process of our barangay to install good government at grassroots? Will we help plan and implement community programs and projects, even volunteer gratis to demonstrate responsible citizenship?

What do we do about nepotism, favoritism, or graft and corruption in our community? It victimizes the capable and favors the incompe-

tent or inferior. Will we insist that ordinances be observed, no exceptions? It’s the way to promote civilized behavior, social discipline, and peace and order.

Unless we set ethical standards in our community, corruption and bad governance will persist and prevail in the municipality, the city, the province, and the state.

It is in setting ethical norms, then complying and exemplifying them, that we institutionalize a culture of efficiency and excellence in our Republic. ***** The initiative has got to begin in the barangay if it is to animate society-at-large – firming up our Republic’s foundation, solidifying the citizenry’s political will, stabilizing the social order, and gearing the Republic for long-term stability and progress.

Then will our Republic be anchored on a base of 42,000+ barangays propping up the intermediate levels of power (1,700 municipal and provincial governments), and tapering to a narrow crown at the top. A symmetrical structure conjuring up the majesty of Mayon Volcano!

(Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asia Publishers Association; director, development academy of Philippines; member, Philippine Mission to the UN; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Govt’s Peace Panel; awardee, PPI-UNICEF outstanding columnist.

He is president/national convenor, Gising Barangay Movement Inc. valdehuesa@gmail.com)

This story contradicts, however. A foremost anthropologist supports the idea of coed conscription, but draws the line at letting the ladies be battleaxes. Her reason: “I do not believe in using women in combat, because females are too fierce.” Military generals, are you listening?

Here are some words of wisdom about women from noted personalities. Oscar Wilde: “Woman begins by resisting a man’s advances and ends by blocking his retreat.” Aristotle Onassis: “If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

In 1966’s ‘The Second Neurotic’s Notebook,’ Mignon McLaughlin wrote: “Women are never landlocked: they’re always mere minutes away from the briny deep of tears.” In 1933’s ‘Literature in My Time,’ Compton Mackenzie penned: “Women do not find it difficult nowadays to behave like men, but they often find it extremely difficult to behave like gentlemen.”

Are men and women really different? Elissa Melamed noted: “Men look at themselves in mirrors. Women look for themselves.” Oscar Wilde differentiates: “Women are never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes.”

Will Rogers contends: “Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better, but every time a man leaves off something he looks worse.” Elayne Boosler argues: “When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping.

Men invade another country.” Yul Brynner quips: “Women have an unfair advantage over men: if they can’t get what they want by being smart, they can get it by being dumb.”

Here’s another advantage of being a wom-

an. “I’d much rather be a woman than a man,” Gilda Radner remarks. “Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are the first to be rescued off of sinking ships.”

If a man is looking for attention, don’t expect it from a woman. David Garnett reminds: “Women, it is said, do not concentrate. They can attend to the subject in hand, but their attention has not the wholeheartedness of a man’s. If so, it is just possible that since women have been cooking the supper, mending clothes, listening to half a dozen children talking at once, and keeping them good-tempered and amused since before the dawn of history, they have learned to be able to attend to several things at a time. A man, on the other hand, focuses his mind.”

British actor Michael Caine has a different tale: “One of the most important things for a woman, I think, is to respect herself. ‘Cause a woman usually gets from men the same amount of respect she has for herself, almost to the ounce. Men have a second sense about women and when they sense that a woman has no respect for herself, they’re very quick to follow in her footsteps.”

As much as possible, never ask a woman how old she is. You’ll never know: “Women have a passion for mathematics. They divide their age in half, double the price of their clothes, and always add at least five years to the age of their best friend,” Marcel Achard points out. Why is this so? “Age to women is like Kryptonite to Superman,” says Kathy Lette.

At one time, a thirty-something woman applied for a job. The receptionist gave her an application form and one of the queries was about age. The woman wrote: “Nuclear.”

…And god created woman

Then, troubles start. For- THINK ON THESE! mer British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” Joseph Henrylito D. Tacio Conrad conhenrytacio@gmail.com tends: “Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men.”

With women, there are always two choices.

Will Rogers advices: “There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither one works.”

Ihre Freundin said: “There are two kinds of women in the world: those who take a man’s strength and those who give a man strength.”

Now talking about two types of women, a psychoanalyst shares: “My women patients can be divided into two categories: the ones who work and the ones who stay at home. The former suffer from a guilt complex, the latter from frustration.”

Have you ever wondered why there are few women in combat? Elaynse Boosler replies: “We have women in the military, but they don’t put us in the front lines. They don’t know if we can fight, if we can kill. I think we can. All the general has to do is walk over to the women and say, ‘You see the enemy over there? They say you look fat in those uniforms.’”

10

NEWS

SMEs...FFROM 4

EDGEDAVAOVOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

Metalworking Industries Association of the Philippines (MIAP) who will replicate the same technology but on a cheaper and more affordable price for our SMEs,” he said.

Montejo said processing fresh produce will make the SMEs’ products more competitive in the global market.

DOST and its private sector partners envision the FPIC-Davao to be the leading hub for innovations and technical support services for the food industry in Davao region that will “transform concepts into products.”

The FPIC will provide innovative technologies and relevant support services that will contribute to inclusive and sustained development of the food industry in the region.

DOST 11 regional director Dr. Anthony C. Sales said the regional office is target-

ing to develop 200 new food products from the research studies of students, faculty, and SMEs this year.

Montejo, meanwhile, said DOST is planning to establish one FPIC per region.

At present, there are already two finished FPICs in the country: one here in Davao City and the other in Tuguegarao.

DOST Undersecretary Carol M. Yorobe said for this year, the plan is to finish seven more FPICs in different parts of the country.

“But we have only started four out of seven FPICs while the other three have not yet started,” she said.

She said due to time constraint, DOST will be extending the timeline for the completion of the other three more FPICs to the first quarter of next year.

DOST will complete the establishment of 16 FPICs by the end of 2015. CRC

of his chest and some bullet marks grazing the right side of his head.

“Please let the students and their families, his colleagues and friends, offer their sympathies and commemorate the life and struggle of Perper,” the letter said.

The letter said Perper served as executive vice chair of the alliance from 2011 to 2012 concurrent with his term as chair of the University of the Student Council in UP Mindanao.

“During his years of service to the alliance, he (Perper) was at the forefront of the various campaigns promoting students’ rights and welfare, including historic UP Strikes Back (against budget cuts) last 2011. Living

the legacy of service to sectors outside the University, he continued spearheading campaigns for the Southern Mindanao Region with regard to plethora of issues which are of national concerns,” the letter said.

The alliance said Perper “eventually decided to take up arms and join the struggle in the countryside” after “spending some time with lumads from various communities in Mindanao and upon learning and understanding about social ills deeply-rooted in this system.”

The group said Perper’s decision to join the armed struggle was “a selfless sacrifice” that “epitomized what the genuine essence of being an Iskolar ng Bayan was to him.” CRC

Slain... FFROM 2

SALES PITCH. Sales attendants of a mobile phone outlet show Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte the features of a top-of-the-line tablet at SM Lanang Premier on Tuesday. This picture appeared in yesterday’s edition but the caption was inadvertently left out. Our apologizes to readers. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte... FFROM 1 based on surveys,” the mayor said.

Piñol had said last Wednesday during the AFPPNP Press Corps media conference that he will go to the Senate and ask legislators to create a law to regulate surveys.

Piñol said he doubted the accuracy of the opinion polls by such groups such as Pulse Asia, Social Weather Stations (SWS), and a new group called Novo Trends.

He said Novo Trends came up with a survey that showed Vice President Jejomar Binay

still the top pick for the presidency despite the controversies hounding him.

“My concerns are: Who’s funding the surveys? Who’s responding to the surveys?

What’s the coverage of the surveys? And how transparent are the surveys?” he said.

Piñol launched his own Facebook-based survey last Wednesday, saying it is fair because there is no economic classification and no “biased grouping as in Very Rich, Rich, Middle Class, Poor and Dirt Poor.”

Piñol had earlier posted a

survey form in his Facebook page with the question, “Who is your choice for President 2016.”

He said after getting 713 votes, “I was amazed to find out that Duterte, who has consistently said he will not run for President, came out a runaway winner garnering an incredible 81 percent of the votes with Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Bongbong Marcos coming in far second and third.”

But he said that Duterte was only given 3.6 percent by Novo Trends in its survey.

“The most shocking part was Vice President Binay, who Novo Trends said was the frontrunner in its survey, came in dead last with only 1 percent of the votes,” he said.

Piñol asked independent observers and respectable media groups to monitor his simple survey form “because this will reflect the actual sentiment of the Filipino people today.”

He also asked all the followers of this page “with a combined readership of over 1.4 million” to join this survey.

of-the-art equipment and technologies.

“Most of our students are studying it and we are trying to find out why only Davao City has the advanced technology,” he said.

Hao said officers can learn much from the city

because of its experience in emergency and disaster relief operations. He said the city can even handle the insurgency problem.

A total of 35 senior officers of the AFP visited Davao City for exposure to the city’s humanitarian as-

sistance and disaster relief response.

“We coordinated with Davao City because our exercise right now is about humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response,” Hao said.

Hao said the command

and general staff course is the highest professional military education that the AFP provides to its officers.

He said they decided to go to Davao City because they want to give the officers the best training possible.

AFP...

FFROM 2

Aboitiz Foundation exceeds 200 Yolanda classrooms target T

HE Aboitiz Foundation has surpassed its target of repairing and constructing a total of 200 classrooms that were hard-

Together with RAFI, delivers 436 classrooms, benefits over 26,000 students

hit by super typhoon Yolanda in the towns of Bogo and San Remigio in northern Cebu, turning over today a total of 227 classrooms that will ben-

efit 15,000 students.

A total of 157 repaired and 70 newly-constructed classrooms are handed over to 29 school beneficiaries

during the Yolanda Culminating Activity at the Argawanon Integrated School here where the groundbreaking and Memorandum of Agreement signing for this schools rehab project was held last April.

Combined with the efforts made by the Aboitiz family foundation Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), which repaired and constructed a total of 209 classrooms and 20 day care centers in Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Madridejos, and Sta. Fe, the Group will bring approximately 26,300 students back to the comfort and safety of 437 classrooms in northern Cebu.

“Your kindness and tireless efforts have led to the completion of this major rehabilitation project. You have not only helped rebuild physical structures but, more importantly, encouraged our

kababayans here in Bogo and San Remigio to keep the faith and regain control of their lives,” Erramon I. Aboitiz, Aboitiz Foundation chairman, told stakeholders during the turnover ceremony.

“It is true that when we talk about Yolanda, we are reminded of the massive extent of its damage, unprecedented loss of life, and the devastation of entire stretches of land.

But we are convinced that the resilience of the Filipino spirit was and will be the high point of this period in our country’s history,” Aboitiz added.

Of the P264 million raised by the Aboitiz Foundation from its #BangonVisayas campaign, P194 million has been allocated to the schools rehabilitation program. The campaign mobilized 5,000 volunteers for the assembly and distribution of 52,000 re-

lief packs and 14,000 hygiene kits (benefitting 106 barangays) and the restoration of 1,042 electrical posts in Cebu and 167 electrical posts in Leyte (benefitting 150 barangays).

The Foundation announced recently that 25 more classrooms in the towns of Medellin, Daanbantayan, and Borbon are being repaired and constructed.

Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. is the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group. Established in 1988, it addresses the social and economic development needs of marginalized members of society.

It constantly delivers value to its stakeholders including the communities where it has presence. The foundation focuses its corporate social responsibility efforts on education, enterprise development, and environment.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

11 ENVIRONMENT

“MENACING” BATS FACING EXTINCTION Text and Photos By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

B

ATS are always associated with Dracula, the man who sucks blood from human beings.

In movies, they are the pets of evil creatures. That’s why even if they are facing extinction; no one seems to pay attention to them.

Unlike the giant panda or the Philippine eagle, bats are creatures no one would want to hug; in fact, many would want to stomp them.

“Many have done wonderful pieces on what we are doing but I am wondering why it hasn’t generated the wished query from any sector to ask: how can we help?” lamented Norman Monfort, the woman behind the Philippine Bat Conser-

Millions of bats

Fruit bats

vation, Inc. Monfort is also the founder and president of Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation, Inc, which manages the millions of bats residing in a cave at barangay Tambo, Babak District of the Island Garden City of Samal.

“What have we done wrong?” wondered Monfort, who was honored as one of the “2011 Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Conservation Heroes.” The award is bestowed to “extraordinary individuals who are passionate about protecting animals and habitats in areas of critical concern.”

But she’s not alone.

People who have been try-

ing to save bats and other endangered species living in the limestone caves of Hon Chong in southern Vietnam for more than 15 years already have few allies in the government, industry or among local residents.

“The problem is that limestone caves do not (have) any charismatic animals or plants that would melt people’s heart if they died out,” Peter Ng Kee Lin, a biologist at the National University of Singapore, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

There are more than 1,100 bat species in the world. The world’s largest bats – the giant golden-crowned flying fox fruit

bat (Acerodon jubatus) and the world’s smallest bats – the Philippine bamboo bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) – can be found in the Philippines.

The stripe faced fruit bat (Styloctenium mindorensis) is the world’s most recent fruit bat species discovered in Mindoro Island in 2007.

All in all, the Philippines is home to 26 indigenous bat species – more than any other country. Unfortunately, most of these bats are threatened.

“The threat to bats in the Philippines is quite serious considering that very little literatures and researches have been pub-

lished about them,” Monfort says. “In addition, bats are still misunderstood until now. In fact, only very few Filipinos are aware about the importance of bats to the environment and to our economy. Because of this, it is much easier for people to hunt bats down because they feel bats are dispensable.”

The bats that inhabit Monfort’s place are called Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats, known scientifically as Rousettus amplexicaudatus. In 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records declared it as having the world’s biggest colony of fruit bats when it was found out there were about 1.8 million bats residing in the 280-meter long cave.

“Since the 2006 assessment by Bat Conservation International of Texas, I personally think the bat population has tripled,” Monfort said. “Contrary to what is known in science that bats supposedly give birth only once a year, it is a year-long occurrence at the Monfort cave. You see pregnant and even lactating mothers still being mated by several males.”

Samal has about seventy caves, which used to be inhabited by bats. Unfortunately, most of these caves are now empty. Two of the major threats identified during the cave assessment conducted in 2006 were bat hunting for food and excessive entry to caves for guano mining.

Bats are also killed because of rumors that they are supernatural evil creatures like aswang and manananggal. Others die because of the destruction of bat habitats like forests (for megabats) and caves (for microbats).

“Human disturbance has been the major cause why bats migrate out of the caves,” Monfort surmised.

While bats in other parts of the country are declining like those in Leyte, Negros, and Pampanga, the population of bats at the Monfort cave are exploding.

In a recent guesting at the Kapehan sa Dabaw, Monfort said that the population of fruit bats has

Monfort bat cave

already swelled to 2.5 million. The bats can’t be stopped from reproducing, which resulted to an overload of bats in the 75-meter-long cave.

“I plan to build bat houses patterned after Cambodia and Vietnam so the community can collect guano, sell them and make a profit,” Monfort says.

“Through this initiative, the locals can be helped economically.”

This dream of building a chiropterium -- a combination of the word “chiroptera” (for hand wing bats) and “torium” from auditorium -- started way back in 2011.

One reason why she wants to put up an artificial bat cave is for interactive viewing of both visitors and researchers. As she explains, “This will eradicate the two nagging questions: Can humans transmit diseases to bats with the growing numbers of visitors coming to see the bats?

Would these increasingly horrific numbers of bat population transmit any diseases to humans? So far, there are no researches done on these. But what we know is that since the existence of these bats in the island, there has been no record of diseases or even rabies coming from bats.”

So far, only one chiropterium can be found in the world; it is located in Texas, USA. “I’m already in contact with them and as soon I can raise funds I will start the construction,” Edge Davao reporter Cheneen R. Capon quoted her as saying. “The city of Samal is already thinking how to build it with me.”

Although she lives in Davao City, she comes to her Samal property every now and then. When she’s there, she roams around the property. With a notebook, she writes down the things her staff has to attend to. “It is tough for me because the property is slightly sloping and I get overwhelmed with the size of the land,” she admits.

“But I have to do it. This may be the last bastion of bats in the country in the near future.”

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EDGEDAVAO

STYLE

A look into the Eyes of Horus REVEAL your inner beauty. Awaken the Goddess Within with the newest makeup brand bound to hit Davao by storm, Eye of Horus!

Eye of Horus Goddess Mascara.

Sharpener.

Eye of Horus Define Liner.

A revered magical symbol in Ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus is believed to bring wisdom, protection and prosperity to its wearer. Regardless of gender or status, the Ancient Egyptians lined their eyes into this almond-shaped symbol, using a combination of natural waxes and oils.

With these ancient recipes and ingredients of the Egyptians as basis, the Eye of Horus eye makeup range was born.

Originally from Australia, Eye of Horus Cosmetics was created especially for those with brittle lashes and sensitive eyes. Fortified with Beeswax, Ricebran, Candelilla and Carnauba Wax and Moringa Oil, it lengthens, volumizes and nourishes the eyes and lashes in a budge-proof, long-wearing formula that’s non-irritating.

Quickly rising to fame in their home country, the brand has now been a beauty award favourite among the press, and is now being distributed in countries such as the US, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, New Zealand, Bahamas and in the Philippines.

It’s no surprise that its arrival in Manila produced the same effect. Eye of Horus has proven to be a makeup-essential in each Filipina’s kits, with its ability to withstand our warm, tropical weather. In less than a year after its launch in November 2013, it has already reached cult-fave status among bloggers, magazine editors and makeup artists.

Dabawenyos, it’s now your turn to discover this unique gorgeous makeup line beauty enthusiasts have been raving about. Eye of Horus is now available at the Martish Store and Sunlab Davao.

The Martish Store is located at Door 2-4, Deri Bldg. (beside Villa Margarita Hotel) JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City.

Sunlab Davao located at the 2nd Floor, Gaisano Mall Davao, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City. For inquiries in reselling in Mindanao, you may contact Rochelle of Martish at (082) 295 2669 or email marga.martish. marketing@gmail.com.

Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire eye liner.

A2 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

EVENT

Marco Polo Davao brings back Lobby Lounge Merienda Buffet THE Marco Polo Davao brings back an old favourite.

Take delight in our local and International Merienda Buffet at the Lobby Lounge.

Have an afternoon of delightful sandwiches, pasta, and cakes on Mondays to Saturdays from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM priced at only Php 350 net.

For reservations, call the Marco Polo Davao Lobby Lounge at 082 221 0888 local 7608.

Abreeza Mall to hold back-to-back holiday performances RING IN the holiday season at Abreeza Mall this weekend! Catch singer, actress, TV personality, and timeless beauty Agot Isidro live at the Activity Center on November 14 at 6 p.m.!

C a t c h Abreeza Mall’s Christmas Launch featuring none other than Basil Valdez together with special guests the Ateneo Chamber Singers. Basil’s Abreeza performance is part of his tour to promote his latest album, The First Christmas. Be sure to catch him live at the Activity Center on November 15 at 6 p.m.!

For more information, visit Abreeza Mall’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/ AbreezaMall.

STILL NOT DONE WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST? Then this is just perfect for you! Drop by The SM Store on Nov. 14 to 16 and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones at discounted prices!

The Davao Children’s Choir.

Sweet holidays

By Kenneth Irving Ong

THE holiday season is definitely here as colder winds start blowing and Christmas tunes start doing their rounds on the radio.

Signalling the official start of their Christmas campaign, SM City Davao held a spectacular Magical Candy Christmas launch last November 7 at the mall’s Annex Event Center together with invited guests, media, children from Pegalogan Elementary School, officers of the 84th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and the City Social Service and Development Office.

“Christmas launches are always one of our favourite events to mount because it allows us to bring the community together in one cause bringing happiness to every child or child at heart that steps in our mall,” beams SM CIty Davao mall manager Lynette Lopez.

Fairies showed the way to the Magical Candy Land.

Ballet Manila’s Tiffany Chiang as the Sugarplum Fairy.

Santa made a grand appearance.

A short program followed, featuring the Davao Children’s Choir, LCB Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc. and Ballet Manila’s Tiffany Chiang & Romeo Peralta highlighted the Candy Land theme of the mall’s Christmas Tree centrepiece as well as SM Foundation’s annual gift giving, this year to 150

At the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

kids of the Pegalonan Elementary School. Santa Claus was present for the gift giving ceremony together with the officers of SM City Davao.

The Magical Candy Christmas launch at SM City Davao was also sponsored by Hukad, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, VXI, and Motormall Davao Corporation.

Even the mall tenant mascots joined in on the fun.

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EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Henyo ng Bangketa: the Gerald Tamayo Story’ in Magpakailanman AFTER a startling performance in one of Magpakailanman’s most highly acclaimed episodes about Alzheimer’s disease, veteran actress Gina Pareňo returns to the drama anthology with another challenging and heart-tugging performance -- this time as the grandmother who becomes both mother and father to her grandchildren after losing their

father to illness, and their mother to vices.

She portrays the grandmother of a math wizard who went viral online and was featured on news programs. This math wizard is a street urchin (portrayed by Miggs Cuaderno) who impresses even engineering students with his math skills.

The boy proves that many street children have the potential to be greater

than what they are, if only they are given a chance and a choice.

Mylene Dizon joins Gina Pareňo and Miggs Cuaderno in an equally challenging role as the street kid’s mother who makes the ultimate sacrifice to leave her children so they can be better without her bringing them down. Her powerful performance will make viewers feel for the

character’s personal tragedy.

Completing the cast are Gerard Madrid, Rap Fernandez, and Ina Feleo.

Directed by Neal Del Rosario, the episode entitled “Henyo ng Bangketa: the Gerald Tamayo Story”, airing on November 15, is the first of Magpakailanman’s three special episodes in celebration of the show’s second year anniversary on GMA 7.

radar and away from showbiz. Rumors of her pregnancy loomed over and haunted Richard. She was gone for five months and people speculated.

On June 1 of this year, the pilot episode of E!’s reality series It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez starring Richard Gutierrez and his family aired and a bombshell was dropped. Towards the end of the show, Richard admitted to fathering a son with Sarah. A baby boy uniquely named Zion.

“Chard and I had an agreement, if we had a girl, I would name her.

But if we had a boy, he would be the one. And he picked Zion, from the Bible, which means ‘sacred place’ and ‘safe haven’ and I liked the name Zion.”

Read more about Ruffa, her life as a reality TV royalty, and her search for love as well as the new chapter in Sarah’s life in Metro Magazine’s November issue.

Ruffa and Sarah grace Metro Magazine’s November cover

Despite the struggles of her past, love and marriage continue to figure in Ruffas’ future. “After I got separated, I thought I never ever want to get married again. I’m fine the way I am but after seeing these beautiful weddings take place, I still am very hopeful to walk down the aisle again and hopefully with the right man.

The man that God will choose for me and not who I choose because of my own reasons…” she pensively said.

Ruffa is very optimistic that one day her daughters will want their mom to be happy and be with someone who’s worth the wait because she have very open relationship with her kids. She is also looking forward to 2015 and has a big surprise for everyone by working in

fashion together with her kids, Lorin and Venice.

Meanwhile, at the height of Sarah Lahbati’s career and popularity, she disappeared out of

Jolina: Motherhood has prepared me for mature roles

RETURNING Kapamilya Jolina Magdangal-Escueta revealed that motherhood makes her a better actress as she is now able to dig deeper into more mature roles.

“I can now relate and effectively portray a mother in drama scenes.

That is one of the changes that the audience will see,” the first-time mom says.

Jolina’s motherhood has also changed her perspective on her showbiz career.

“Now that I’m a mother, I carefully choose my projects. I became systematic when it comes to time management. My husband and I are hands-on parents. I always think about my time with my son when-

ever I have a new project,” she shares.

Jolina’s original on-screen partner in the ‘90s, Marvin Agustin, meanwhile, also shared that despite his hectic schedule in showbiz and in managing restaurant chains and other businesses, he always finds time for his twin sons.

“I always answer their calls because I worry a lot about them as a father. They’re not with me all the time, and they are the only ones who can get me to excuse myself from a meeting to answer their call,” shares Marvin.

After more than a decade, Jolina and Marvin will be reunited in TV series “Flordeliza,” which will premiere this November.

INTERSTELLAR Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway PG 13

12:00 | 3:20 | 6:40 | 10:00 LFS

RELAKS, IT'S JUST PAG-IBIG Inigo Pascual, Sofia Andres PG 13

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

WHITE BIRD in a BLIZZARD/ * HORNS Shailene Woodley / *Daniel Radcliffe

R-16

R 16 / * R16

12:00 | 1:50 | 3:40 LFS / * 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

BIG HERO 6 T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung PG 13

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

EVENT

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

The wait for J.CO is over

By Kenneth Irving Ong

AFTER a wait of almost two years, J.CO Donuts and Coffee finally opens its door in Davao City last November 6 at the Abreeza Mall.

The queue lines were long as first day freebies and surprise giveaways were given to the first 50 customers of J.CO’s newest store.

What started out as a concept by Indonesian entrepreneur Johnny Andrean with a first branch in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005, J.CO Donuts and Coffee has since opened up branches in Malaysia and Singapore with the first Philippine branch opening last 2012.

“It took a while for us to open a store in Davao City because we were looking for the best location to open our concept store,” says Alvene Ngo, J.CO’s marketing manager “And now that we are open, we can say that our Davao store is performing beyond expectations and can compare to the top five store openings in Metro Manila.”

The 150-square meter store is one of the bigger J.CO stores says Alvene “We started with areas that are around just 80 to 100 square meters but we wound the stores to be too small, that is why most of our new stores are bigger to accommodate more people to enjoy our products.”

Dabawenyos can now enjoy the unique and dynamic J.CO lifestyle concept with an innovative range of donuts with quirky names such as the Alcapone, white Belgian chocolate with sliced roasted Californian almonds; full-bodied and comforting cups of J.COFFEE beverages; and cool fresh servings of J.CO’s very own J.COOL frozen yogurt.

“Our donuts are all made in-store, this is to ensure that our soft-bite donuts are freshly-made everyday,” adds Ms. Ngo. Inside J.CO Abreeza.

Serving tasting portions of J.CO’s J.COFFEE beverages.

J.CO Alcapone donut.

J.CO marketing manager Alvene Ngo (left) together J.CO. Abreeza’s store manager.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

ZION

CLASSIFIED 13

EDGEDAVAO

EDGE

ACCUPRINT PUBLISHING, INC.

Serving a seamless society

DAVAO

WANTS YOU!

Is in need of:

MACHINE OPERATOR (Printing Press)

Qualifications:

- At least high school graduate, not more than 30 years old - Physically and mentally fit - Can handle minor repairs of the machine - Has the ability to be cool under pressure of deadlines and complex projects - Experience of at least one year

Send application letter & resume to: HR Supervisor ZION Accuprint Publishing, Inc. Door 14 Alcrej Building, Quirino Ave., 8000 Davao City, Philippines E-mail: marketing@edgedavao.net zion_publishing@yahoo.com Telefax: (082) 2213601 Website: www.edgedavao.net

ANNOUNCEMENT To serve you better Edge Davao and Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. have added a new telephone line: (082) 224-1413

-

Layout Artists (2)

Male / Female, not more than 30 years old Willing to work under pressure, flexible, persuasive A team player Must have an extensive knowledge (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign and Corel Draw)

Responsibilities: - Design and layout magazine pages, ads, brochures, flyers and marketing collateral for multiple clients - Design logos and brand identification For interested applicants, you may send your resume to: HR Department EDGEDavao

Doors 13 & 14 Alcrej B;dg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel. No. (082) 221-3601 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com

14 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

Pacman already at 100% F

ILIPINO boxer Manny Pacquiao is unlikely to have any problems making the 144-pound catchweight for his upcoming WBO welterweight title defense against unbeaten American Chris Algieri.

Pacquiao revealed Wednesday that he is already well under the 144-pound catchweight with still a little over a week to go before fight night. “’Yung timbang, kailangan ko nga kumain,” Pacquiao told reporters in General Santos City, where he has spent the entirety of his training camp.

“Kalilangan 144 (pounds), eh nasa 140 lang ako. Kain pa tayo,” he said.

Both Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach, said the “Pacman” is already at 100% ahead of his November 23 title defense against Algieri at the Cotai Arena in Macau.

“We’re ready to fight,” said Roach. “We’ve already peaked by now, and we’re maintaining it. We’re going down in rounds, so the sparring is gonna go less and less.”

“We do have two more days of sparring left, and it will be more of just going through the motions and going over the game plan,”

AirAsia named official airline of Team Pacman

A

Manny Pacquiao trains during a media workout in General Santos City. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu he added.

Pacquiao said he only needs to maintain his sharpness and killer instinct, but he is ready for fight night.

The Filipino legend had

such a great training camp that Roach is fully expecting his top fighter to dominate his bout against Algieri.

“This is one of his best camps ever,” said Roach.

“He’s great right now. I love where he’s at right now, he’s a hundred percent ready.”

“Algieri, you’re over your head this time,” he warned.

IRASIA, the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for six straight years by Skytrax World Airline Awards from 2009 to 2014 today announced that it will be the official airline for the People’s Champ and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao.

Representative Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxing’s biggest attraction, is set to take his act on the road again on 23rd November, when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Chris Algieri at the Cotai Arena in the Venetian in Macau, China.

As the official airline of Team Pacquiao, AirAsia has unveiled an exclusive aircraft livery featuring the boxing sensation. The livery design was unveiled today in a press launch in General Santos City, Philippines attended

by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and AirAsia Philippines CEO Joy Cañeba.

Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO said, “It’s a great honor for AirAsia to be chosen as the official airline of team Pacman.

Congressman Manny’s story is an inspiration not only for Filipinos but to all of us who dared to dream the seemingly impossible.

AirAsia’s commitment in the Philippines is anchored on the same dream, to make flying more affordable, more accessible and to provide the best quality service that every Filipino deserves.”

For his part, Representative Manny Pacquiao said, “I am delighted to be part of AirAsia’s mission in promoting the Philippines, our Filipino talents, sports and tourism wonders to the global stage.

Let’s celebrate the Filipino spirit and my team is looking forward to your support in my upcoming match in Macau in November.”

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

SPORTS 15

Rockets blast Wolves

F

EELING better after missing his first game of the season because of a flulike virus, Dwight Howard promised to put on a show for his Mexican fans.

And he delivered.

Howard, who missed Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, had 22 points and 10 rebounds as he fed off the 18,996 fans at Arena Ciudad de Mexico for the first regular-season game played south of the border since 1997. ‘’It’s a big honor to play in Mexico. We had an amazing time even though it was a super short trip. The last time we lost so I wanted to come back with a better effort,’’ Howard said. ‘’I’ve always wanted to come to Mexico. The fans were great. They were standing and cheering from warm-ups until the end...I wish I could play all of our games here in Mexico’’.

James Harden led the Rockets with 23 points and a team-high 10 assists, but was only 8 of 23 from the field.

Trevor Ariza added 19 points and Kostas Papanikolau scored a career-high 14 for the Rockets (7-1), who tied Memphis for the best record in the Western Con-

ference. ‘’We want to be the best at the end of the year,’’ Howard said. ‘’The West is a tough Conference, but if we play hard, we can beat anybody. We want to hold the trophy at the end of the year. That’s what we talk about every day.’’

With Ricky Rubio sidelined indefinitely after spraining his left ankle during Friday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, the Wolves lost their third straight game.

Corey Brewer scored 18 points and rookie Andrew Wiggins added 15 for Minnesota.

The Rockets played without starting point guard Patrick Beverley and couldn’t pull away until the third quarter. ‘’In the first half it was tough. We couldn’t get any stops,’’ Harden said. ‘’In the third quarter we locked down and made a run to seal the game then.’’

The teams played without incident nearly a year after a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Timberwolves was canceled because a short circuit in a generator room sent smoke and fumes inside the Mexico City Arena during warmups.

OR the last three seasons the Indiana Pacers figured their toughness, defense and rebounding would be enough to ultimately knock off the Miami Heat.

These are not those same Pacers.

The formula still worked wonders.

Chris Copeland scored 17 points and put Indiana ahead to stay on a layup with 43 seconds left, Roy Hibbert added 16 points and 15 rebounds and the undermanned Pacers beat the Heat 81-75 on Wednesday night. ‘’Sometimes that’s what it’s about, let our defense win it for us,’’ Copeland said. ‘’I think we made their shots difficult and sometimes on the road it’s not pretty.’’

Indiana - which saw each of its last three seasons end with playoff losses to Miami - held the Heat to 17 points or less in each of the final three quarters, plus outrebounded Miami 5328. The Heat even struggled when the Pacers struggled on defense; Miami missed 10 of its 18 free throws. ‘’You have to figure out a way to pull a few of these games out throughout the

year,’’ said Miami’s Dwyane Wade, who scored a game-high 20 points. ‘’We didn’t do that tonight, but hopefully next time we’re in this situation we learn from tonight and we figure out a way.’’

Donald Sloan added 15 points for Indiana, which has won two straight after a 1-6 start. ‘’Our guys (were) just competing their tails off,’’ Indiana coach Frank Vogel said.

Ian Mahinmi’s threepoint play with 7 minutes left put Indiana up 72-65, then its largest lead of the night. Miami scored the next seven to tie it, then knotted the game again at 75 before Indiana closed on a 6-0 run.

Shawne Williams scored 15 for Miami. Chris Bosh was held to a season-low nine, on 3 for 13 shooting. ‘’This offense is predicated on ball movement,’’ Bosh said. ‘’And they really flattened us out.’’

The Heat had three late shots at the lead, but a jumper by Luol Deng missed, Hibbert blocked a dunk attempt by Deng and Bosh airballed a 3-pointer.

Pacers outlast Heat F

Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Blazers score 84 in 1st half, rout Nuggets

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little bit tired and drained entering the second night of back-to-back games, thePortland Trail Blazers nevertheless put together a startling offensive flurry.

So startling that Damian Lillard had to take a moment to fully comprehend what his team accomplished - 84 points in the first half. ‘’That’s the points you score in a full game,’’ Lillard said.

It certainly made for an easy rest of the way.

Lillard had 27 points and a season-high nine assists as the Blazers used a big first half to rout the Denver Nuggets 130-113 on Wednesday night.

The 84 points by the Blazers in the opening half was one basket away from matching the team

record for a half (86) set against Golden State on Jan. 5, 1986. It was the most points scored in the first half by a Denver opponent since Phoenix scored an NBA-record 107 points on Nov. 10, 1990, according to Nuggets’ officials.

Even more, the last time a team scored that many in any half was March 25, 2011, when Golden State had 84 in the first half against Toronto, according to STATS ‘’It felt great, because everything that we wanted to do, you’re in the flow of doing it,’’ Lillard said. ‘’You want to get out in transition, play unselfish, you want to make shots.

You want to defend. We did all those things. That’s as well as we’ve done that all season.’’

So, was that as good

as Portland can play? ‘’I don’t want to put a ceiling on that,’’ said Robin Lopez, who scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half. ‘’We were a little fortunate. Shots were falling.

Part of that is kismet. Part of that is moving the ball.

Part of that is us.’’

The Blazers showed no signs of fatigue, despite expending plenty of energy the night before in coming back from a 23-point deficit to hold off Charlotte at the buzzer.

They also beat Denver in Portland on Sunday, in a tighter game (116-100).

This time they expected more energy out of the Nuggets, who dropped their sixth straight game in front of a small crowd on a bitterly cold night. ‘’We were expecting their best shot, expecting them to come out

fired up,’’ Lillard said. ‘’It felt kind of dry, with the crowd and everything. We knew that we would have to create our own energy. ‘’We did that.’’

LaMarcus Aldridge usually gives the Nuggets nightmares, but he was kept in check, finishing with 12 points. He averaged 28.3 points against Denver a season ago, and had a career-high 44 points in a game last January.

This was the first time all year Nuggets coach Brian Shaw had a full squad at his disposal. It didn’t help. Shaw couldn’t find the right combination to slow down the Blazers, who led 84-50 at the break. That’s quite a first-half explosion, especially considering Indiana beat Miami 81-75 earlier in the night.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 174 •FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14-15, 2014

END OF THE ROAD. Chieffy Caligdong announced his retirement from the Philippine national men’s football team on Wednesday night.

Chieffy announces retirement from Azkals P

HILIPPINE national men’s football team hero Chieffy Caligdong on Wednesday night announced his retirement from the Azkals.

The left winger Caligdong made the decision after suffering a couple of injuries which prevented him from suiting up for the national team this year.

“To all my supporters and fans, family and friends,

Philippine Azkals supporters, management a heartfelt THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU,” Caligdong wrote on his Facebook account. “To my teammates, coaching staff and management, THANK YOU FOR THE UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES. It will always be in my heart.

“Even though I will not be playing in the team anymore, my heart, prayers and support are always with the team.

To the present players, future and the next generation of Azkals may you play with all your heart, and wear the flag with honor and pride!”

Caligdong, 32, has been a member of the Azkals for 10 years and scored memorable goals for the national team. He counts his game-winning goal against Vietnam in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in 2012 as his best shot in his colorful international

was trying to reach a cross from Danilo.

Willian steered in the third just before the interval after a Neymar cross was not cleared with the Barcelona star adding his second on the hour mark after a neat one-two with Willian.

“I think I’m in the best form of my career though I can’t be satisfied. I shall keep on working hard to get even better, to keep on helping Barcelona and the Brazilian national side,” Neymar told Globo TV. Carlos Tevez ended his three-year international exile as World Cup runners-up Argentina came from behind to beat a second-string Croatia 2-1 in London.

Tevez last played for Argentina at the 2011 Copa America, having been frozen out by former coach Alejandro Sabella, but he made his comeback at the home of his old club West Ham after being recalled by new coach Gerardo Martino.

OR 15 minutes Novak Djokovic appeared to have a fight on his hands at the ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday, then the Serb dialled up his A game and tore Stanislas Wawrinka to pieces.

Such was the perfection of his tennis for most of a 6-3 6-0 thrashing it is hard to argue against him crowning his year as world number one and with a hat-trick of titles at the ATP’s year-ending showpiece.

The 27-year-old has conceded only five games so far at the cavernous O2 Arena yet the arithmetic of round-robin tennis means the seven-times grand slam champion is still not definitely assured of a semi-final spot.

Even more bizarrely, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, crushed 6-3 6-1 by Czech Tomas Berdych in the day’s earlier Group A match could conceivably scrape through despite

career.

A long-time enlisted member of the Philippine Air Force, Caligdong decided to leave his military duties two years ago as he had planned to migrate to the United States with his family.

“Opportunity ‘yun para sa family ko,” Caligdong, whose wife, a registered nurse, has found employment in Texas, then told InterAksyon.com.

“I’ll grab the opportunity para

sa kanila, para mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan.”

But Caligdong eventually decided on staying put, and transferred to Green Archers United Globe in the United Football League in 2013. He also became the telecommunications giant’s sports ambassador, leading football clinics in his hometown Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo and fund-raising projects nationwide.

In 2012, Caligdong also

became one of the recipients of the prestigious The Outstanding Young Men of 2012 award.

As the Azkals hired a new coach in Thomas Dooley, Caligdong found a difficulty getting a crack at the lineup. To make things worse, the veteran suffered a foot injury last March which eventually ruled him out of the team’s campaign in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last May.

two heavy losses.

Just like his tennis Djokovic, who faces Berdych on Friday, cut straight through a question about whether or not he gets bogged down with

the various scenarios.

“Nobody needs to tell me I need to win,” he said.

“That’s what I try to do.

That’s why I’m here. I try to win every match I play on. That’s the kind of ap-

proach I will have on Friday.”

In actual fact Djokovic would go through to the semi-finals with a threeset defeat against Berdych who at least gave himself

Neymar, Messi shine Unstoppable Djokovic eyeing golden finale

B

ARCELONA teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi were both on target as Brazil and Argentina claimed international friendly wins Wednesday but struggling Netherlands slumped to another defeat.

In Istanbul, Brazil defeated Turkey 4-0 as coach Dunga celebrated a fifth successive win since taking the hotseat following his country’s traumatic World Cup. The match, played out in front of a packed Sukru Saracoglu, also saw Turkey suffer a sixth match without a victory.

Neymar opened the scoring after 19 minutes when he picked up a cross from Fernandinho before dribbling the ball into the area and stabbing it past a static Suleyman Demirel in the Turkish goal.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when defender Suat Kaya put through his own goal under pressure from Luiz Adriano who

F

PINOY PRIDE 28. Boxing promoter Michael Aldeguer (3rd from left), president/CEO of ALA Promotions with some of the main fighters (from left) Milan Melindo, WBO world jr. flyweight champion Donnie Nietes, Mexican challenger Carlos Velarde, Saul Suarez, Raul Hirales and Francisco Rodriguez after yesterday’s press conference at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.