Edge Davao 7 Issue 20

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

aBouT DaVao ciTY. Tourists doing a documentary movie on Davao City take footages of Rizal Park and the historical City Hall building along San Pedro Street yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

2Taskcocaine pushers fall Force buy-bust operations net P4.7M worth of ‘coke’

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

wO drug suspects were arrested by joint elements of Task Group Davao Cocaine in two buy-bust operations that netted a total of 779.7 grams of cocaine estimated at P4.678 million last wednesday afternoon in Km. 23, Bunawan, Davao City.

The suspects were identified as Guillermo D. Badilla alias Gile, 44, married and a resident of Brgy. San Jose, Peña Plata, Island Garden City of Samal, and Roldan D. Badilla alias Roldan, 28, married and a resident of Km. 25, Bunawan, Davao City.

As this developed, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday revealed that authorities are still on the lookout of more suspects believed to be in hiding and in possession of the illegal drugs.

“We are looking at it, pero naa nami natumbok,” Duterte told media at the Mini Forest Covered Court.

“Naa nami source pero bungkag ni kay gibahin bahin siguro,” Duterte added. “Sama sa

akng giingon, init na, so wala ta’y mahay diha ha.”

The mayor, incensed by the discovery of 64 cocaine bricks in a container yard in Tibungco last month, has laid down a shoot-tokill order to suspects. Some seven cocaine bricks are still unaccounted for as of presstime.

Duterte has offered P100,000 to anyone who can give information and recovery of the said cocaine bricks.

Based on the PDEA report, the elder Badilla was arrested at 4:30 p.m. after selling 37.2 grams of suspected cocaine to operatives who acted as poseur-buyer. Another 41.6 grams of suspected cocaine and

F2 cocaine, 10

financial assisTance. Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte distributes financial assistance in Brgy. 23-C Mini-forest, Davao City yesterday afternoon to the victims of last Friday night’s fire that gutted three barangays. Lean Daval Jr.

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

A total of 548 homeowners who lost their shanties in last Friday night’s fire receive financial assistance and relief goods from the city government of Davao yesterday in Brgy. 23-C Mini-forest, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

rody hints at pot session as cause of fire, offers reward PSCC to beef In FIRe-HIT AReAS

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

F

OR the first time, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte hinted on the possibility that the April 4 fire in three barangays could be caused by a pot session when he offered a P10,000 reward to fire victims who can give information on any illegal drugs activities in the area.

Duterte made the offer yesterday to the fire victims of Isla Verde, Barangay 23-C after he learned of the report made by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) that fire could possibly be due to a lighted candle thrown by

four drug suspects in a trash bin after their ‘shabu’ session.

The DCPO report, which differs from the findings released earlier by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) attributing the fire to an “unattended candle,” postulates that there was a pot session in the thickly-populated area which could have been the cause of the P155.4-million fire.

“You protect your community. Na ang sinasabi ko sa inyo noon pa na ang droga dito sa Boulevard malakas.

Ngayon ang sabi ng inyong

Barangay Captain (Alimodin Usman) pati yung mga tao dito yun yung nag ‘shabu’ nag pot session… alam mo ang taong lango na wala naming isip yan kung maiwan niyang masunog kayo, mamatay kayong lahat diyan,” Duterte ranted at the residents yesterday at the Mini-Forest covered court.

Duterte said that they should not allow unlawful elements to infiltrate their place and create chaos on their area. he said that anyone can go direct to him and tell him the people behind the illegal

on Saturday, 12 April 2014 (Malaysia time/GMT+8).

During this maintenance period, flight booking through AirAsia Zest and AirAsia sales offices, counters and call centre will also be unavailable.

During the downtime, guests will not be able to perform self-check in via self-check in kiosks, as well as the “manage my booking” feature online.

Guests may still book

hotel accommodation, tour packages or car rentals at www.airasiago.com, which is not affected by the system upgrade and maintenance.

All affected guests will be informed via email and SMS about the online service disruption. Guests may also refer to AirAsia Zest’s Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsiaPh) and Facebook (facebook.com/ AirAsiaPhilippines) for updates.

AirAsia Zest system upgrade scheduled on April 11, 12

A

S part of AirAsia Zest’s continuous effort to provide enhanced online experience for guests, the airline will be carrying out a system upgrade and maintenance of its website (www.airasia. com) on April 11 and 12.

Online flight booking services via website and mobile will be temporarily unavailable from 10pm on Friday, 11 April 2014 (Malaysia time/GMT+8) to 4am

activity in the area.

“Basta yung information ay maganda meron kayong P10,000 automatic hindi ako magtanong ng pangalan mo,” said Duterte. he said that if anyone who can give him five per-

FroDY, 10

Fire victims receive aid

T

hE Davao City government began yesterday the distribution of cash assistance to the victims of huge fire in Isla Verde last, Barangay 23-C last Friday.

City Social Service and Development Office (CSSDO) assistant head Liwayway Caligdong told reporters at the during the distribution at Mini-Forest covered court that they will first release the assistance to the 548 household owners of Isla Verde, one of three barangays hit by the April 4 fire.

Caligdong said that the owners of the 537 totally damaged houses received P10, 000 each while owners of the 11

Ffire, 10

up security

By ChENEEN R. CAPON

P

crc@edgedavao.net

UBLIC Safety and Security Command Center (PSCC) chief Retired General Francisco Villaroman has requested for security augmentation in the fire-razed areas in addition to the police force deployed in the area.

Most of the police deployed were from Sta. Ana Police Station which has jurisdiction in the area “Our second priority is

the security of the victims and the area aside from providing the basic needs of the fire victims,” Villaroman said during the Ispeak media forum yesterday. “This is to avoid chaos from happening.”

The additional police force will secure the area from intruders who will reconstruct their houses in the area.

“Aside from intrusion,

Fpscc, 10

DOTC to proceed with mass transport study

T

hE Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has agreed to proceed with the next phase of study for the proposed mass transportation system of the city government.

The next phase will focus on the feasibility and social impact of the proposal according to Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III, chairman of the committee on transportation and communication.

“This time it’s more detailed,” said Avila.

“Ang sinasabi sa amin, maybe on the third quarter of this year, baka matuloy na ang next phase ng study,” Avila told reporters in yesterday’s ‘I-Speak Media Forum’ at Sangguniang Panlungsod.

The next round of study will also determine the necessary infrastructure requirements that the city can provide as well as the most viable transportation system that will address the needs of the city.

“Ang lumabas na system

FDoTc, 10

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

3

4 NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

coTTaGe inDusTrY. A worker of a store selling pottery products walk by piles of flower pots made of clay in Brgy. Matti, Digos City where pottery making is the leading cottage industry. Lean Daval Jr.

Say goodbye to Training center hanging cables

for Bpo pushed S

By ChENEEN R. CAPON

B

crc@edgedavao.net

RANDED as country’s next wave city, Davao City’s growing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is pushing for the establishment of an integrated training center for call center agents by this month.

ICT-Davao executive vice president Bet Barriga told Edge Davao that the training facility will be used to provide quality agents to the growing economy of business process outsourcing (BPO) companies here. Barriga said they will send their proposal to Mayor

Rodrigo Duterte for support.

“The center will provide specific training discipline that will equip people before they enter the BPO industry,” Barriga said.

According to him, most of the BPO applicants do not have proper training before entering the service-oriented industry.

According to Barriga, the center will produce trainees who are considered as employable and will be serve as pool of trained individuals who will provide solutions to

the growing demand of human labor in the BPO sector.

At present among the private institutions that gives training to incoming employees of BPO sector is the Jobs Academy.

Bariga said that BPO companies are continuing to enter the city thus requiring more skilled workers.

Ivan C. Cortez, officer-in-charge for Davao City Investments and Promotion Center said that opportunities in the outsourcing business are not only limited to the

voice-market but also in other growth areas such as in applications and software development, analytics, big data, and mobile.

At present, some of the major BPO companies in Davao City are Convergys, Concentrix, Ibex Global, Sutherland Global Services, Teleperformance, SSI Inc., iCORE, Next BPO, Sycore and VXI Global Solutions employing about 21,000 personnel, 85 percent of which are most likely employed in regular positions.

scheme especially the cost that the public will be shouldering in the process.

“It’s a very wise, outof-the-box scheme. But the ground rules must be made very clear especially because the public will be the one shouldering the cost. We will be the ones paying for this.

In effect, we will be subsidizing the power needs of these malls and large power consumers just to be able to ensure there will be no brownouts,” Nograles said.

Nograles said that for one, the DOE should be made to explain how it would measure the consumption of these large

power consumers who would be using back-up generators and how much would be passed on to the ordinary consumers.

“Remember, the cost of this scheme will be passed on to the public. So the question is, how will this be computed? It’s not like the backup generator sets of malls have built-in electric meters. Who will measure the cost? DOE? The owner of the genset? We cannot possibly just base it on an honesty system, can we?” Nograles asked.

Nograles added that the DOE should also have a specific list and a complete in-

ventory of those who would be covered by the scheme.

“Who can join this scheme? Only the mall operators? Or can any ordinary owner of a generator set join?

Because as far as I know, one should have a license to generate or even sell power to the grid. Are we now waiving this license requirement?”

Nograles further queried.

With all these complications which could only create confusion and even result to public outrage, Nograles said that it would be better if the DOE would fine tune this power saving scheme first before rolling it out for implementation.

AY goodbye to messy, hanging cables at least within the City hall area.

The City Government of Davao is planning to upgrade its multimedia services by implementing a single line diagram for telecommunication and electrical wires in the City hall this year and eventually, in the city’s major road networks and landmarks.

Councilor Leonardo Avilla III, chair of committee on transportation and communication said yesterday that this is to reduce the presence of overhead messy cable wires in the periphery of City hall.

Initially, there will be rewir-

D

FsaY, 10

City needs air assets to combat fire unreachable by fire trucks

Karlo questions DOe power-saving scheme T AVAO City Congressman Karlo Alexei Nograles said the Department of Energy should put in detail the ground rules on its recommendation for large power consumers such as shopping malls to support its interruptible load program by disconnecting from the power grid and using their own back-up generators during the summer season.

Nograles said that while this power-saving concept of the DOE could really help in ensuring that ordinary consumers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted power supply, it should be able to explain the nitty-gritty of the

ing of all existing telecommunication lines.

“Idadiagram na natin ang buoung City hall para malaman natin kung saan dadaan ang cables and wires para magpaplug-in na lang,” Avila said during yesterday’s ISpeak media forum.

All telecommunication and electrical lines will have a single entrance proceeding to a room that will house the equipment for connection distribution.

“Ang nangyayari kasi ngayon pag may nasira kelangan pang maghanapan kung san linya ang nasira kasi magkaiba ang linya ng voice at internet,”he

hE Bureau of Fire Protection in Davao City needs air assets to fight fires in areas that cannot be reached by the city’s firetrucks.

Insp. Nestor Jimenez, of the local BFP office, said that the Air Force augmented choppers that are used for firefighting cannot operate at night in the absence of night vision equipment.

Jimenez said the air assets would have helped put out the fire that damaged around 1,000 houses and left 3,112 families without homes in a fire that spread out in Barangays 22 and 23 last Friday.

The official said the city’s existing firetrucks encountered several problems in responding to the fire.

The narrow roads, he said, made it impossible for some of the firetrucks to approach some areas. “We were not able

to reach the source of the fire immediately since our trucks could not pass through the shortest route to the area,” Jimenez said.

Even with the long route through Isla Verde via the other side of the barangay, the fire had already spread out to nearby houses. Some panicked residents also interfered with the operation and damaged a fire team’s hose.

Jimenez added that small firetrucks called Penetrator units were able to reach the area but were overwhelmed with the severity of the fire.

The fire inspector said that ideally, the BFP would have access to air assets such as firefighting aircraft capable of releasing foam from the air. he said this could be accomplished from fixed wing aircraft or through choppers.

[MindaNews]

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

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6 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

Stat Watch Indicator

Latest

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

7.1 1st Qtr 2013 6.8

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

7.8 1st Qtr 2013 7.5

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/ 3. Exports

4. Imports 1/ 4. Imports

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

7.6.Broad Money Liabilities Balance of Payments

2nd Qtr 2013

2nd Qtr 2013

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

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

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

10.Revenues National government outstanding debt outstanding debt

P 5,609 P 41.14 Aprbillion 2013

11.Stocks Peso per US $ 12.

Composite

Index 6/

6,847.5 P 43.83 Mar Sep2013 2013

12. Stocks Composite

6,191.8 132.8 Sep 2013 Apr 2013

13. Consumer Price Index

135.2 Oct2.62013

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

Sep 2013

13. Consumer Index Price Index 2006=100

2006=100 14.

Headline Inflation Rate 14. 2006=100 Headline Inflation

Apr 2013

2.9 Oct3.12013

Rate 15.

Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

2006=100

Apr 2013

2006=100 16.

Visitor Arrivals

418,108 Oct 2013 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate

2.5

382,022 Aug 2013 20.9%

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment 7/ 17. Rate Underemploymen

Jan 2013 19.2%

18.

18.Unemployment UnemploymentRate Rate7/

7.1% Jan 2013 7.3%

Rate

Jul 2013

Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

Therma south builds coal dome; first of its kind in the philippines D

AVAO has a new landmark. More than just its imposing look, it serves a much bigger purpose -- ensuring Mindanao has reliable power to bring it out of its power crisis.

AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South announced the erection of its “coal dome,” the first of its kind in the Philippines, built as part of the company’s commitment to the environment and the community.

Although the facility will not be officially completed until the end of April yet, with more equipment still to be installed inside, its towering presence and large aluminium roof has been getting attention by surrounding communities.

Towering at close to 80 meters and with a diameter of more than 120 meters, it is bigger than any sports arena in the country, and its aluminium roof makes it visible from a significant distance around Davao Gulf, from the diversion road, even from the air when planes approach the Davao International Airport.

The coal dome will safely store more than 200,000 cubic meters of fuel for the 300-MW baseload power scheduled for commercial

2013

2012

2011

43.83 43.86 43.35 42.91 41.30 41.14 40.71 40.67 40.73

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

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

Therma South’s coal dome is the first in the Philippines operations in the first half of 2015.

Last March, a 650-tonne crane, the largest in Mindanao, raised the roof from to the top of the concrete structure. The dome now sits dominantly beside the 150-meter chimney of Therma South, which is also the highest in Mindanao.

“These facilities under-

line Therma South’s commitment to use the latest technology to ensure the power plant will meet the standards set by government,” Therma South President and COO Benjamin A. Cariaso Jr. said.

“We remain true to our commitment to build a world-class power plant that will make our neighbors, the people of Davao

and the people of Mindanao proud.” hundreds of local community construction workers and Chinese workers took part in building the facility for months as part of a major development to complete the power plant complex on time.

More than 20 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities have signed

up to receive power from Therma South. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will review the contracts and approve the final rate for the power supply.

In March, Therma South received endorsement from the Davao City Council to build additional capacity by 2017 and 2018 in response to Mindanao’s growing energy needs.

style malls surged to a record P6.04-billion in 2013, 21 percent higher than P4.99-billion in 2012.

Megaworld is set to further solidify its position as the leader in office development in terms of total office space inventory by completing another 112,000 square meters of office spaces this year. By the end of 2014, the company will have around 712,000 square meters of office spaces in its portfolio with the completion of new state-of-the-art office towers in Uptown Bonifacio, The Mactan Newtown in Cebu, and Iloilo Business Park.

On the retail side, Megaworld is also set to complete another 70,000 sqm in additional commercial and retail spaces with the completion of the Venice Grand Canal Mall

in McKinley hill, and some commercial strips at The Mactan Newtown, bringing its commercial and retail space portfolio to 240,000 square meters by the end of 2014.

“Along with our sustained growth in the residential segment, we are committed to further expand our recurring income portfolio especially in our office and retail businesses. Year after year, we will be completing more office towers, malls, and commercial spaces. By 2017, we expect our rental income to reach P10-billion, double that of 2012,” adds Tan. Megaworld has pioneered the “LIVE-WORK-PLAYLEARN” lifestyle concept for mixed-use communities in the Philippines, which are popularly known as “townships.”

Megaworld’s profit up by 22% to P9.03B in 2013 Strong residential sales, high rental income boost company’s profit

Jul 2013

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2011-September 2013)

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

M

EGAWORLD Corporation, the Philippines’ leading property developer and the no. 1 office developer and landlord, posted a net income of P9.03-billion (inclusive of P760-M non-recurring gain) in 2013, 22 percent higher than in 2012 due to strong residential sales from its various townships, particularly in Newport City, Uptown Bonifacio, McKinley hill and Eastwood City; and higher leasing income from its office and retail portfolio. In 2012, the company posted P7.41-billion net income that was also attributed to strong sales from its residential segment.

“The country’s strong and stable economy as well as the continuous growth of the BPO sector have propelled our growth in 2013. Last year was

another banner year for Megaworld,” says Dr. Andrew L. Tan, chairman and CEO, Megaworld.

Total revenues of Megaworld, together with its subsidiaries Empire East Land holdings and Suntrust Properties, amounted to P36.24-billion in 2013, up 18 percent from P30.6 billion in 2012.

The Megaworld Group posted a record P68.2-billion in reservation sales in 2013 from the 18 projects launched.

Last year’s launched projects include 10 for Megaworld: One Eastwood Avenue Tower 2 in Eastwood City; Uptown Parksuites in Uptown Bonifacio; The Florence Tower 1 in McKinley hill; Manhattan Plaza Tower 1 in Araneta Center, Quezon City; Bayshore Residential Resort Phase 2 in Pas-

ay City; One Manchester Place Tower 1 in The Mactan Newtown, Cebu; and One Madison Place Tower 1, 2, and 3 as well as commercial lots in the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Meanwhile, Empire East has launched five towers: San Lorenzo Place Tower 3 in Makati City; Kasara Urban Residences Tower 3 and The Rochester Tower 6 in Pasig City; and Cambridge Village Clusters 32 and 33 in the border of Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal.

Suntrust Properties, likewise, has launched three residential projects: Suntrust Kirana in Pasig City, Suntrust Rivabella and Suntrust Ecotown in Cavite.

On the other hand, Megaworld’s rental income from office developments and life-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

16:45

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

rising sea level to displace

millions of filipinos

By GERRy T. EsTRERA

B

Y 2050, at least 13.6 million Filipinos are at risk of being displaced. Not by war or floods but by sea level rise.

That’s according to Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific.

The report, published

by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and launched in Bangkok, considered the Philippines as “one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.” It ranked the country fifth in terms of number of individuals affected by sea level rise.

In a statement, Bindu Lohani said: “The environment is becoming a significant driver of migration in Asia and the Pacific as the population grows in vulnerable areas, such as low-lying coastal zones and eroding riverbanks.

“Governments should not wait to act. By taking steps now, they can reduce vulnerability, strengthen resiliency, and use migration as an adaptation tool rather than let it become an act of desperation,” the ADB vice president for knowledge management and sustainable development added.

There is no way the world can stop sea level rise. “The crux of the sea level issue is that it starts very slowly but once it gets going it is practically unstoppable,’’ said Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf, a widely recognized sea level expert from Germany. “There is no way I can see to stop this rise, even if we have gone to zero emissions.’’

The scientist at Germany’s Potsdam Institute said the best outcome was that after temperatures stabilized, sea levels would only rise at a steady rate “for centuries to come,” and not accelerate.

Most scientists who attended the climate conference at Oxford University last year believed that a rise of at least two meters in the world’s sea levels is

now certain. The culprit: global warming. Last century, the world warmed 0.7-0.8 degrees.

Speakers in Oxford used history to back up their arguments on rising seas. Three million years ago the planet was 2-3 degrees warmer and the sea 25-35 meters higher, and 122,000 years ago 2 degrees warmer and 10 meters higher, they said.

If the world limited warming to 1.5 degrees then it would still see two meters sea level rise over centuries, according to Dr. Rahmstorf. Even then, the world will still see some island nations disappear.

“A continuing rise in average global sea level would inundate parts of many heavily populated river deltas and the cities on them, making them uninhabitable, and would destroy many beaches around the world,” said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of 2,000 scientists which advises the United Nations.

“The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of climate change,” the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said. With a coastline of 18,000 kilometers, the Philippines is very vulnerable to sea level rise.

Even if the sea level rises only by one meter, the result would still be devastating to the country. An analysis made by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Climate Change Program listed 10 provinces that would be inundated.

In Cagayan, one of the country’s biggest provinces, 13,134 hectares of seashore lands in 16 towns will go under water. Palawan and Iloilo ranked second and third; 9,146 hectares in 17 towns and 8,647 hectares in 16 towns, respectively, are most likely to submerge following a one-meter sea level rise.

The other provinces in

the list include Zamboanga Sibugay (8,330 hectares in 12 towns), Camarines Sur (8,139 hectares in 27 towns), Negros Occidental (7,870 hectares in 25 towns), Capiz (7.094 hectares in seven towns), Bohol (5,985 hectares in 24 towns), Tawi-Tawi (5,987 hectares in eight towns), and Sulu (5,728 hectares in 19 towns).

Davao City is not included in the vulnerable list. Should the sea level rises by six meters, several coastal areas in the Davao Gulf are likely to be under water. In a seminar on climate change, then councilor Leonardo Avila said that Agdao district, Panacan, Sta. Ana wharf, part of the Lanang, Bajada and Matina areas, the whole of downtown area, including the City hall, will be completely submerged. These areas will virtually be part of the Davao Gulf, he said.

As a result, 40 percent of the city’s total population will be forced to evacuate to higher areas like the districts of Buhangin, Catalunan Grande, Calinan, Mintal and Paquibato.

Since the downtown area is already inundated, businesses have also to be relocated to higher areas.

But Davao City is not alone. Coastal village from Carmen, Davao del Norte to Panabo City and Digos City will also be greatly inundated.

According to Avila, the critical year for the sea level rise would be by 2050.

As such, he urged that the present generation should do something now to mitigate the impending danger. he also suggested that all government projects and programs should be constructed above the 12-meter safety margin.

“Not only will great numbers of our people be displaced, entire communities including their source of livelihood, their cultures and traditions will likewise be changed and dislocated forever,” deplored

Heherson T. Alvarez, the convening chairman of the Asia-Pacific Leaders’ Conference on Climate Change held in Manila in 1995.

Increasing sea level rise would endanger the drinking water quality and agricultural productivity, weather specialist Rosa Perez said. This is due to possible salt intrusion in coastal soils and fresh water aquifers.

Using simulation in climate change, a team from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services has found that the water supply from both Angat Dam in Luzon and Lake Lanao in Mindanao would be at a serious deficit by 2050.

Angat Dam supplies most of the water requirements of Metro Manila and irrigates 28,000 hectares of farms. Lake Lanao account for 90 percent of the total hydropower of Mindanao and serves domestic and irrigation water needs as well.

“Climate change has caused many nations to suffer stronger typhoons, sea level rise, more flashfloods, and more devastating droughts,” commented Senator Loren Legarda during the National Climate Change Conscious-

ness Week last year. “If proof is what we need to substantiate these claims, we already have more than enough.”

According to Legarda, the Philippines has consistently gone up in global rankings on climate vulnerability. In 2009, the country was the number 12 most at risk from cyclones, floods, earthquakes and landslides based on the Mortality Risk Index by the United Nations International Strategy on Disaster Reduction.

In 2010, the Philippines was the sixth most climate-vulnerable nation according to the Climate ChangeVulnerability Index. Last year, the country made it to the third most vulnerable by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and human Security.

Climate change could still be curtailed if greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide could be limited.

Carbon dioxide occurs naturally and is vital to life, but excessive quantities of it are released by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).

Other greenhouse gases are almost exclusively produce by human activity such as chlorofluoro-

carbons (CFCs), which are used as refrigerants. Still other greenhouse gases include methane, nitrogen compounds, and ozone.

Experts claim about 80 percent of global warming is due to increases in all these gases.

Deforestation is believed to account for the other 20 percent. Science tells us that plants incorporate carbon dioxide into their bodies during photosynthesis. Fewer trees caused by deforestation mean less intake of carbon dioxide. In addition, burning this wood (along with fossil fuels) sends the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere at an accelerated rate.

“The consequence of global climate change are so pressing that it doesn’t matter who was responsible for the past; what matters is who is responsible for the future – and that means all of us,” declared actor Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was still the governor of California.

“The rich nations and the poor nations have different responsibilities. But one responsibility we all have, and that is action… action, action, action!” said The Last Action hero star.

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EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

EDITORIAL

A food terminal, at last?

T

hE Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City approved last Tuesday an ordinance authorizing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city government and the National Development Corporation, a government owned and controlled corporation attached to the Department of Trade Industry, for the use of its five-hectare property in Daliao, a barangay in Toril District.

The MOU will pave the way for the establishment of a food terminal officially to be called “Department of Agriculture Agri-Pinoy Trading Center” in the NDC-owned property. The center which will be built with the money of the DA to the tune of P193 million will be equipped with cold storage facilities and other amenities capable of maintaining the freshness of vegetables and other food products brought to the terminal from the farms. The terminal will receive vegetables and other farm produce not only from Davao City, but also from neighboring areas including those from North Cotabato and other fertile lands of Region 12.

The Davao City government will take charge of the onsite

EDGEDAVAO

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and offsite development of the area, but the DA will operate the terminal. The terminal will be very advantageous to the farmers and the traders. The presence of a food terminal will no doubt hasten the development of that part of the city which has been classified as agri-industrial zone.

The food terminal will dovetail with the function and use of the two-decade old Davao Fishport in the same barangay.

Truth to tell, the conversion of the NDC property which had become dormant when the Davao Ramie Textile closed down, into a food terminal complex, had been talked about by everybody and his uncle in Davao City for the last more than four decades. Generations of local and national officials, city mayors, councilors and congressmen, a lot of them already six feet under, have spoken about it in the usual rosy terms, but the project never materialized.

We don’t remember now who to accuse of procrastination, or the villains behind the plan’s miscarriage. however, with the current gung-ho attitude of our leaders, we have to admit there is now a bigger chance for the project to push through. hallelujah!

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

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

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

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

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EDGEDAVAO

Desperate effort

P

ROPAGANDA WAR AND BATTLE OF WITS – In every conflict there comes a point when it produces the kind of people willing to engage in misleading strategies. And right now, there is a method to all this madness. The propaganda arm of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) is tirelessly releasing press releases accusing the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) of alleged “militarization” of the different hinterland areas in the region.

The communist rebels and their allied militant groups complained that the presence of military personnel in remote barangays instilled fear and anxiety among the residents in the poor farming communities.

That claim was partially based on the baseless allegations about the abuses committed by some military men. And how about the abuses committed by the rebels against the civilian populace?

But AFP officials in the region maintain that they have found no concrete evidence or cases of abuses directly involving some of their men in the field. Military top brass describe the devious effort a plan to foment conflict between the government and the civilian populace especially the marginalized sector – a last-ditch approach by the desperate rebel movement.

The communist rebels have got to realize that the government is dead serious this time to protect the lives and properties of the rural folks and from being harassed or intimidated by the insurgents. The poor people just like the businessmen are the most potential victims of excessive “revolutionary tax” forcibly imposed by the atrocious dissenters. Resisting kowtowing to their demands would mean browbeating, or worse, even death.

It is more likely, peace and security experts believe, that the “battlefront is in the

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remote areas” where the existence of the rebels is felt.

Assigning government forces in rebel-infested areas was at least as important as one could think because it would deter the dreadful groups from committing abuses and collecting of unwarranted taxes.

But to hastily say that in order to maintain a relatively peaceful environment in the remote communities, government soldiers must leave the places posthaste probably a scheme that would allow the insurgents to roam freely, is outright nonsense. By the way, who are these thick-faced people that have the audacity to coerce the government from accommodating their senseless demand? Shades of hypocrisy!

Well, I have always maintained that the rebel movement and militant and left-leaning groups have perfected the art of deception after years of struggle for their selfish-interest and twisted belief. They have no right whatsoever to improperly demand the government and the AFP of what to do. Not everyone is convinced that the rebel movement is protecting the rights of the marginal sector from government neglect and indifference.

The deceptive move of the rebel movement expresses frustration about the presence of government soldiers in their operational turfs and their despicable activities has not been more successful as well as concern that it will fail soon. But, as a final strategy to upset the government effort to

destabilize the rebel organization, the move suggests provoking discontent and distrust of the poorer sector toward the government.

For the victims of the rebels’ atrocities and their families, the scales and details of the rebel operations are actually a nightmare. The downside of the rebel movement is that it could not offer evidence to back up their long-standing argument, now losing ground in public’s view, that their problems are simply a subset of an ideologue-based conspiracy.

Apart from this, the AFP command acknowledged that the NPA has turned the table against the military establishment aimed at disparaging the Aquino administration. Nonetheless, the AFP remained steadfast in their stance that it won’t leave all the posts in the hinterland areas in the region no matter how many complaints are raised by the insurgents and their left-leaning militant allies.

From the people’s sense of knowing the “right thing to believe,” the rebel movement is motivated largely by selfish-interest and lust for dominance. In the advent of information technology (IT), the rebel organization and other left-leaning groups have been in the habit of setting out their strategies on the mainstream and social media.

Their operations are increasingly being fought through media propaganda wars and battle of wits.

Moreover, experts argue that the insurgents’ activities have only a limited time and space in which to act – until the government would again intensify its campaign against their lawlessness. If government is successful which would be the case and takes control of the situation, I’m sure the rebels will just have to pack-up, go on the run and go somewhere else.

on the rh law decision: What win-win?

ALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/10 April) – Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines, said the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive health Act of 2012 has been “truly watered down” even if the Supreme Court declared that it is not unconstitutional.

Was it an honest assessment or simply an attempt to belittle the implications of the SC’s ruling on whatever influence the Church may still have on policymaking, and perhaps more importantly, on its flock?

Except for eight items which were struck down, the Court unanimously held that the Rh Law has not violated the constitution.

The items that were declared unconstitutional mainly revolve around issues of religious conscience, rights of parents over [their] minor children, and the right given to a wife or husband to undergo reproductive health procedures without the consent of his or her spouse.

But “truly watered down” the law has not been. The central objective of the Rh Law – allowing each and every Filipino access to reproductive health tools and education – has remained untouched. This may still be carried out even without the eight provisions that the SC deemed unconstitutional.

The ruling does not prevent the State from,

SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS

By H. MarcoS c. Mordeno among others, providing free reproductive health services and supplies, age-appropriate reproductive health education in schools, and distributing contraceptives to those who may wish to use them.

In short, the net effect of the Court’s decision is that the Church may not impose its own moral judgment and doctrine as the infallible yardstick of secular matters. The Church has all the freedom to air its views on matters of State policies, but it should acknowledge that it is only one among the many voices that compete in influencing legislation.

If it refuses to concede, then we better pack Congress with priests and nuns. (Interestingly, even the Church itself is divided on the Rh Law. But that’s not the point.)

The Catholic groups that filed those anti-Rh Law petitions only have themselves to blame for their fiasco. had they been more attentive, they would have noticed that the Justices were bound to junk the petitions from the start. First, the petitions dealt with questions that, as one Justice put it, simply reenacted the debates in Congress and which have been addressed in the final version of the law. Second, they asked the Court to decide on

a political act vis-à-vis Church doctrines on procreation and related issues.

Now pray how the Court may act on theological questions that are raised before it. Yet the petitioners seemingly paid no heed when at least one Justice said they were not in a position to judge on such mystical questions as when does life begin.

And, as a double whammy for the Church, a survey made last month by the Social Weather Stations found that 72 percent of Filipinos are in favor of the Rh Law, and 77 percent agree that “the Rh Law follows what the Constitution should stand for, so it is only proper for the Supreme Court to allow it.”

The same survey, the results of which were released a few days before the Court’s decision, says 68 percent are aware of the Rh Law and 84 percent agree that “the government should provide free supply or service to the poor who wish to use any family planning method”.

Isn’t it ironic that a vast majority of this predominantly Catholic country doesn’t listen to the bishops when it comes to reproductive issues? For the Church, to borrow a term from fellow MindaNews columnist Patricio Diaz, that would be a “loss-loss” situation.

[MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com.]

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Build Defenses of peace!

WORM’S EYEVIEW

By Manny ValdeHueSa

T

(Conclusion)

hE grassroots were actually drawn in for their inputs on possible approaches or solutions to perceived problems. It was an innovative engagement for People Power, an activity appropriate for its role in the community.

It was also the first time the Barangay Assembly, with its all-inclusive membership in every community, drew universal attention and response to its agenda. Unfortunately, it is unclear what they did with the results of that activity.

But it can done readily again, even if only at regional level. It can convene like what happened just last week (Saturday, March 29) and do a SWOT workshop or at least a Force-Field Analysis of the community’s driving and restraining forces.

The law encourages such activity and provides the venue and the means for it to take place; but no administration even attempts to do it. As a result, we are missing out on what a people-based problem-solving approach can do for our society and democracy in general.

Forge Consensus It is doubtful whether any barangay or community today can claim to have consensus on any issue. It needs an in-gathering of the neighborhoods and open exchange of ideas to reach consensus. But it doesn’t take place, not even at the behest of mandated authorities like DILG or the Local Government Academy.

Absence of consensus prevents a community from forming a common stand or political will. It also militates against the formation of a sense of community.

Sense of community underpins one’s pride of place or lack of it. Its absence undermines a citizen’s loyalty and devotion, weakening commitment to democracy, rule of law, or the social order.

It is lack of loyalty to community (patriotic zeal) that drives unhappy citizens to run to the hills, take up arms, and try to bring down a duly-constituted order that makes him unhappy. More on this later on.

[Manny among others is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asian Publishers Association; director, development academy of Philippines; member, Permanent Mission to the United Nations; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Government’s Peace and Development Panel, and PPI-UNICEF outstanding columnist awardee. valdehuesa@gmail.com ]

10 NEWS 2 cocaine...FfroM 1 marked money bills were also seized from his possession.

After an hour after the elder Badilla’s arrest, the other suspect also fell to authorities after another operations which netted 37.4 grams of suspected cocaine. The operatives also recovered from Roldan’s possession another 18 large sachets of suspected cocaine with a total weight of 663.5 grams worth along with the marked money bills.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) – 11 chief Emerson Rosales who is also the chairperson of the task force, earlier said that cocaine has a market value of P6,000 per gram or P6 million a kilo.

The suspects are now detained at Bunawan Police Precinct and will be sued for violation of Section 5 (selling) and Section 11 (possession) of illegal drugs under Republic Act 9165 or “the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.” are being prepared against the suspects.

The seized suspected illegal drugs were submitted to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 11 for laboratory examination.

Rosales, who is also the chairman of the task force, thanked the community for their active participation for the

apprehension of the suspected cocaine pushers.

“They will not be put to justice, if it is not for the people’s continued vigilance and cooperation. If not for them, those accomplishments mentioned above would not be possible,” the official PDEA statement read.

“These serves as a warning to those people keeping cocaine hydrochloride that the Task Group Cocaine is exerting more efforts to recover the remaining missing bricks of cocaine here in Davao Region” according to the statement.

Under the Executive Order 17 issued by Davao City government, the task force is composed of Davao City Police Office, Investigation and Detection Management Branch, Eastern Mindanao Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service of Bureau of Customs, Naval Intelligence Service Group of Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Mindanao, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency – 11 and PNP Maritime Unit -11.

Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac Jr., PDEA Director General, commended the inter-agency operability that transpired during this operation.

sons who are involved in the illegal drug activities, they will receive P50,000.

Earlier, DCPO director Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr. urged the residents to report any drug activities which, he said, may have contributed in igniting the fire disaster.

“Kung hindi niyo sana pinabayan maging ganyan ang lugar ninyo di sana nasunog yan,” he said.

Danao said that police operatives are now looking for the four identified drug suspects alleged to have indiscriminately threw a lighted candle after their drug

“session” in a house in Isla Verde. he dismissed the possibility of filing charges of arson against the suspects since the four “did not intend to burn the houses,” but added that the latter could still be held liable even if it appears to be an accident.

Danao said that one of the four was a notorious drug suspect and among those who were earlier warned by former DCPO director Ronald Dela Rosa at the height of the implementation of ‘Oplan Tokhang’ last year.

partially damaged houses received P5, 000 each.

She said that the city government has allocated about P5.5 million for the first which came from the P45 million quick response funds.

“By batch man ta, partial lang muna kasi mahina ang kalaban… so try nato pag makaya na try nato another batch na pud siguro

by Saturday,” said Caligdong Caligdong said that of the P45 million, P28 million has been set aside for cash assistance and the remaining amount of about P17 million will be for food packs, beddings, and kitchen utensils.

The CSSDO has recorded a P155.4 million estimated damage from the fire last April 4. Based on their monitoring report as of last Monday, the CSSDO already listed 3,547 affected families in seven shelter areas.

Of the total, 2,279 were classified as owners, 883 are renters, 228 are boarders, 145 are sharers while 12 are caretakers. The report further disclosed that there were 2,235 totally damaged houses while 44 were partially destroyed.

The CSSDO has already extended assistance to the victims such as food packs, hot meals partial beddings and kitchen utensils.

The revalidation process of CSSDO is still ongoing to determine more the number of victims of the incident.

Earlier, the CSSDO admitted that they had a hard time finding data due to some duplication in the list of fire victims interviewed.

They also lamented the difficulty in determining the houses of the victims because there are stilt structures in the coastal portion of the affected barangays.

[ABF]

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EDGEDAVAO

is kailangan meron na tayong high capacity vehicles like buses bwasan yung low capacity vehicles and ilalagay sila sa interior parts of the city na walang services,” Avila said pertaining to the initial findings of the previous study.

The councilor said that study will also look on the cost on the road widening projects and the proposed functional waiting shed on the loading and unloading areas. he said that if this waiting shed will be materialized there is an assurance of vehicle accessibility in the city.

“For example if you are going to use buses then alam mong every 10 minutes meron talagang bus na darating.

So hindi ka ma stranded,” said Avila.

Avila explained that if the study will find that there is an increase of population by seven to eight percent per year, a mass transport system should be most viable under the circumstances.

“So, right now we have 800,000 passengers every day that use public transportation. In five years it will be added around 200,000 people. Five years six years maybe 300,000 (additional) people who will be riding public transportation” he said.

Avila said that the study will also look on the sentiment of the transportation sector but they will give more focus on the commuter sector.

“Ang public transportation kasi as the word itself said – public. That is why it is a public service. So kung titingnan mo public transportation is a public service so uunahin mo kung sino yung sini- serve mo,” said Avila.

But, Avila disclaimed that these proposal is not yet conclusive since it is still need to undergo a deeper more detailed study.

Last February 4, the council approved the resolu-

tion to request DOTC and the Asian Development Bank to continue their study and look into the financial and social impact viability of the recommended reforms of the study including the most appropriate mass transit system for the city.

Based on the report of the Committee on Transportation and Communication of the 17th city council, the city has a population growth of about seven to eight percent every year and in 2007, it has an estimated population of about 1.36 million.

“By 2010, the population had grown by 8 percent to 1.47 million, which further increased to 1.58 million by 2013, registering an increase of 7 percent” stated the report, adding that the city’s population is expected to grow to 1.69 million by 2016 and by 2019; it is projected to further increase to 1.82 million with the estimate above.

There is also inadequate network coverage in the city as. 20 barangays have no service ‘at all’ while 31 barangays have poor service.

“All in all, these 51 barangays represent 412,000 residents or one-third (1/3) of the total population of planned urbanized area” stated the report adding that there are also too many small public transport vehicles in other areas.

The large number of vehicles makes it difficult to regulate and manage, and itself is often the case of traffic congestion. It is stated that there are 13,985 public transport vehicles; 22 percent of these are tricycles which are regulated by the city government while the remaining 78 percent such as Jeepney/Filcab and taxis are by regulated by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

“It is aggravated by the inappropriate and ineffi-

cient use of vehicles to carry passengers” the report says.

It is stated in the report that the study noted that in Libby Road (near Toril), there were 400 passengers during a peak hour going towards the same direction on board 130 motorizsed tricycles (approx. 1 every 30 seconds). Then, at the Bankerohan Bridge, there wereb7,850 passengers/ peak hour/direction on board 690 Jeepneys and Filcabs (approx. 1 every 5 seconds).

The city has 7,278 Jeepney/Filcab units covering 6,724 franchises plying 131 routes. There are 51 routes with less than 15 units; and 21 routes with more than 100 units.

“The Sasa -JP Laurel has the highest units at 431” the report stated.

The halcrow team noted on their study, the lack of a cooperative working, leading to unreliable service; competition for passengers on the street; and the mentality of the drivers/operators that public transport is their source of their “livelihood” and not on public service.

The study pointed out on the committee report that planning on transport is seen only as a national responsibility and the responsibility is spread across several agencies thus resulting to a lack of coordination.

“The planning on transport, while seen as a government responsibility, is inappropriate and relevant agencies are not resourced to undertake the work. Similarly, at the city level, no single office is responsible” stated on the committee report.

The enforcement is also more on traffic management rather than public transport operations.

The study stated on the report that to address this

problem the city should adopt a sustainable Transport strategy that allows more flexible strategies rather than fixed plans.

“Such strategy shall have operating characteristics that include route network, network coverage, service level, vehicle types, and supporting infrastructure” the report said.

The report said that leadership and involvement must also be proactive in all aspects, from policy to network planning and management to operations.

A highly-prioritized bus system shall also be explored including other transport systems such as conventional bus.

“But given the city’s existing road profile/situation and the indicative cost, the highly-prioritized bus system is the best option for Davao City.”

But before the city will proceed on this system, the report said is should address the social impacts on transport users such as attending to the special considerations on the transport requirements of vulnerable members of society ( women and children, senior citizens, persons with disability, access modes, infrastructure design and design of public transport vehicles).

Then the impact on the transport providers (drivers and operators) must also be looked into such as the redeployment to other parts of the city’s transport sector; associated training and re-training; assistance to find jobs in other sectors; business support advice programs for those whose businesses are affected, but will still continue to operate.

“As a last resort, financial compensation packages to those whose livelihood or businesses cannot be sustained by other means” the report stated. [ABF]

iniiwasan rin natin and nakawan, ransack, at drug related crimes”, he said. “hindi porque biktima sila, pwede na silang gumawa ng krimen”.

Police officers who will be assigned in the area will also prohibit the entering of construction materials.

As of yesterday, the victims are still not allowed to go back to their areas despite of the announcement of the City Mayor that they can rebuild their houses.

“We still need to plan kasi we are planning to put roads and drainage system para

makapasok ang fire trucks kung magkasunod ulit,” he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the region (DENR 11) and City Engineer Office are conducting survey on the 7 hectare land area.

The survey will identify who will be the legitimate owners of the lots.

“Kung hindi natin gagawin yan baka may mga professional squatters na bigla-bigla na lang magtayo ng bahay.

We need to priotize those people who are really residents of the area even before

the fire happened,”Villaroman said.

The City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) is now working on the masterplan for the affected areas.

“We need to assess kung anong structure and pwedeng itayo sa area kasi as of now maputik ang area. Kelangan pang tambakan ng bato ,”he added.

The government is eyeing to relocate the victims on two or three storey buildings so that the area will be maximize.

“We assume na pag nabigyan na ng titulo liliit ang

available area para sa ibang victims,” he said, “but we are still looking on the possibility to relocate them if they want to”.

Currently, fire victims are occupying identified evacuation centers in the city.

“We cannot just relocate them kasi they have their livelihoods here but for now we are planning to build temporary shelters for victims.”

Areas where the temporary shelters will be placed are still being identified by the CPDO.

bared, adding that it causes delay in delivering quality services.

The City Government will be partnering with Philippine Long Distance Telecommunication (PLTD) for this project of improving and upgrading the cabling system in the city hall “We are just waiting the City Administrator Office through Atty. Melchor Quitain to identify a room where PLDT can put their equipment,” Avila said.

Avila said that PLDT will be installing a P500,000 worth equipment in an air-conditioned room which will be maintained by the technical working group of City Information and Technology Center (CITC) “Ngayon kasi minsan mabagal na ang internet kasi maraming gumagamiot pero kung fiber optics na ang gagamitin mabilis at mas marami ang makakagamit,” he added.

This will be beneficial to

the operation of government offices in the building especially when there is movement in government offices.

If this will be successful, the city is planning to replicate in other areas in Davao City like the Sta. Ana District and the business district of Davao City.

“We need to pioneer on this para ma-convince natin ang business sector kasi kung hindi tayo magiging model they will not have any basis,” the councilor said.

he said that the city is planning to eliminate overhead wire two or three years from now.

“Since PLDT is already using the underground cabling, ang big challenge nito ay sa Davao Light Power Company (DLPC) kasi they need to invest on this,” Avila added.

Earlier, DLPC executive vice president Arturo Milan said that they are planning to present their proposal to the mayor as part of their support to the government’s plan. [CRC]

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

CHILL JILL

Athena Jillian Bravo

ICT HUB

cut the rope 2

S

TILL looking for good games that will kick that boredom this summer? Well, there’s a lot in store for you on app store.

Remember “Cut the Rope” that was developed in 2011? The game’s proponents have just loaunched the game’s new version which they (quite understandably) named “Cut the Rope 2.”

If you miss feeding Om Nom some candies then you got to try this one because it’s got a lot of fresher features out to amaze you.

Cut the Rope 2 brings fresh challenges and unanticipated obstacles to the candy crushing mania, so much that you’ll love this game doubly this time around.

Check this out. The game now has new characters that will help Om Nom reach for his candies. There are five of them and they’re called the Nommies. These Nommies

help you pass through each obstacle--Roto can carry Om Nom to the best candy locations; Lick can make small bridges with his tongue to lead him towards his goal; Blue can lift Om Nom to new levels of cany hunting

fun; Toss can throw objects which of course includes candies that you’ll surely love to have. And lastly, Boo who can scare him to jump to new heights.

With the help of these new characters, you’ll sure-

ways to go beyond simply storing files in the Internet cloud to “bringing it to life” by making it easy to share or collaborate, particularly using smartphones.

Along with launching Dropbox for Business; Carousel photo and video sharing service, and a version of email organizing application Mailbox for Android-powered devices, the company announced that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has joined its board of directors.

“We’re honored to be adding someone as brilliant and accomplished as Dr. Rice to our team,” houston said in a

blog post.

Carousel was billed as a place for “precious memories” captured as pictures or video with Apple or Android-powered smartphones.

Tools built into Carousel allow for instant sharing of batches of images, which are stored on Dropbox servers and can also be accessed from desktop computers.

Dropbox for Business takes aim at companies with ways to safely store files in the cloud while making it simple for co-workers to collaborate on Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or PowerPoint presentations. [AFP]

Dropbox out to be a home in the Internet ‘cloud’

D

ROPBOX is out to be the hip home in the cloud for photos, documents, video and other digital possessions amassed by Internet-age lifestyles.

Dropbox on Wednesday ramped up services for sharing and collaborating on virtual belongings ranging from Excel spreadsheets to family photos.

“This is a little glimpse into our new home; a home for life,” Dropbox co-founder and chief executive Drew houston said during an unveiling for press at a gallery in San Francisco. he billed the improvements and new features as

GloBe ThroWs supporT To GoVernMenT aGainsT cYBercriMe. Globe Telecom rallies behind the government’s drive to combat cybercrime during the 1st national Summit on Cybercrime as the official telco partner of the summit. Globe IT-enabled Services Group (IG) Head of IT Infrastructure Apol Salud (in photo, center) showcases the telco’s numerous initiatives to help prevent crimes committed using computer networks and the internet to Philippine national Police (PnP) Chief P/Dir. General Alan Purisima (right). According to Salud, Globe intends to work closely with the PnP, the Department of Justice and the national Bureau of Investigation by launching a suite of IT security solutions that will address cybercrime concerns. For more information on Globe IG and its offerings that can help protect your organization against cybercrime, e-mail ig.marketing@globe.com.ph.

ly enjoy playing Cut the Rope 2 this summertime.

Complete tricky missions to earn medals, advance in the game and access special levels. That’s how fun this

game can be!

LACKBERRY Ltd would consider exiting its handset business if it remains unprofitable, its chief executive officer said on Wednesday, as the technology company looks to expand its corporate reach with investments, acquisitions and partnerships.

“If I cannot make money on handsets, I will not be in the handset business,” John Chen said in an interview, adding that the time frame for such a decision was short. he would not be more specific, but said it should be possible to make money off shipments of as few as 10 million a year.

At its peak, BlackBerry shipped 52.3 million devices in fiscal 2011, while it recorded revenue on less than 2 million last quarter.

Chen, who took the helm of the struggling company in November, said BlackBerry was also looking to invest in or team up with other companies in regulated industries such as healthcare, and financial and legal services, all of which require highly secure communications.

The chief executive said small acquisitions to strengthen BlackBerry’s network security offerings were also possible.

“We are building an engineering team on the service side that is focused on security.

We are building an engineering team on the device side that is focused on security. We will do some partnerships and

we will probably, potentially do an M&A on security.” he said security had become more important to businesses and government since the revelations about U.S. surveillance made by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

In a wide ranging interview in New York, Chen acknowledged past management mistakes and said he had a long-term strategy to compliment the short-term goals of staying afloat and stemming customer defections.

“You have to live short term. Maybe the prior management had the luxury to bet the world would come to it. I don’t have the luxury at all.

I’m losing money and burning cash.”

In March, the embattled smartphone maker reported a quarterly net loss of $423 million and a 64 percent drop in its revenues, underscoring the magnitude of the challenge Chen faces in turning around the company.

Chen said BlackBerry remained on track to be cashflow positive by the end of the current fiscal year, which runs to the end of February 2015, and to return to profit some time in the fiscal year after that.

Chen said his long-term plans for BlackBerry included competing in the burgeoning business of connecting all manner of devices, from kitchen appliances to automotive

11

Gather your friends and play Cut the Rope 2 together and see who gets the highest score.

You will not just have fun with them but you’ll also learn some of their tricks on how to get outstanding points each level.

Remember, if you’re not having fun this summer than you must be a dud. Cheerioh.

BlackBerry may consider exiting handsets, eyes investments--CeO B

consoles to smartphones.

Chen said he was not sure how long it would take for the “machine-to-machine” or “M2M” world to become a mainstream business, but he said he was sure that was coming.

“We are not only interested in managing BlackBerry devices. We are interested in managing all devices that you would like to speak to each other,” he said. “To achieve our dream of being a major player in M2M requires more partnerships with others,” including telecom companies eager to participate.

FOCUS ON ENTERPRISE BUSINESS Chen, viewed by tech industry insiders as a turnaround artist, wants BlackBerry to zero in on its core base of corporate and government clients, and on its services arm, which secures mobile devices on the internal networks of big clients.

Chen was credited with turning around Sybase Inc in the late 1990s. Sybase, an enterprise software company, was eventually acquired by SAP AG in 2010.

Canada’s BlackBerry, which has lost most of the smartphone market to Apple Inc’s iPhone and gadgets powered by Google Inc’s Android operating system, has laid off about 9,500 employees, or more than half its work force over the last three years, as it has rushed to cut costs in the face of mounting losses. [AFP]

12 CLASSIFIED

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EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

An afternoon with the impeccable Kate Torralba

Fashion and music does mix and Kate Torralba is the true embodiment of this as i found out last sunday at the atrium of sM Lanang Premier where she played tunes from her first album ‘Long overdue’ on the mall’s grand piano. although largely known for her colourful and vibrant designs, Kate has always had a passion for music, being brought up in a music-loving family. she began singing at the age of 2 and play the piano at the age of 4 in her homeland Cebu. By age 9, Kate was already performing in Los angeles in a concert that featured young Filipino prodigies. she later picked up the electric guitar and formed her own band, hard Candy, with alternative rock influences.

Kate then started making her own band costumes in Cebu and clothing business for extra income. in 2002, she caught the attention of Tim Yap and Tessa Prieto Valdes because of the dress she was wearing, and the demand for her designs has risen from that

Kate gave out CDs of her album to participating members of the audience.

time on, including being asked to design for hello Kitty by Gift Gate. in 2010, after successful years of creating designs for Fashion Week shows and regular clients, Kate decided to return to music, her first love. since then, she has performed in various gigs in the United states, at Fête de la Musique both in Paris and in Manila and in various parts of Europe such as Berlin, London and Birmingham. it was a treat as Kate, dressed in a piano key-inspired dress she designed for herself, engaging the crowd with her wit and charm when she finally got on the piano that she finally weaved her magic.

The songs from ‘Long overdue’ are quirky and relaxing that are penned

by Kate herself. These

Kate performs on SM Lanang Premier’s grand piano. were inspired by stories from her previous relationships, which make her music very personal and from the heart. i could just imagine the tunes playing in my head as i sip coffee or when i try to get some design inspirations at work.

‘Long overdue’ is distributed by MCa Universal and i would highly recommend my readers to buy a copy at your nearest record bar.

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

The energetic singer does a duet with a member of the audience.

Designer and songwriter Kate Torralba takes the hot seat answering questions about her album and inspiration behind the songs.

A2 INdulge!

UP aND aBoUT

Everything’s at SM City Davao for a Happy Easter!

SM CiTy DaVao brings to life the wonderland in celebration of Easter from april 11 to 20.

Prep up your bunny ears and hop your way to the Center of Easter and take a photo with the quirky giant eggs at the colorful garden of wonder at the annex Event Center.

Easter Egg Hunters celebrate as SM Davao mounts this season’s grandest Easter Parade on april 20. Catch the colorful characters at the Mascot March around the mall and experience magic at the parade performance pit stops.

Exciting prizes await winners of the Easter Get-up Costume Contest. To join, kids ages 3-12 may register with a purchase of the Easter package available at the Easter booth. application form must be filled out and submitted on or before april 20. Participating kids must bring the Easter basket, bunny ears during the event. Gear up and be this season’s cutest, most colorful and wackiest bunny! all registrants are also qualified to join the Egg Hunting from 11aM onwards. a purchase of at least Php500 entitles the participant 1 egg from participating tenants.

Celebrate Easter at SM City Davao and create family moments over meals. Enjoy an Easter Feast with discounts, special packages and freebies from your favorite restaurants.

For inquiries call 297.6998 local 126. Like SM City Davao on Facebook or follow @smcitydavao on Twitter and @smdavao on Instagram for event and promo updates.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

STyLE

Kate Moss’ Topshop collection has arrived

Spotify partners exclusively with Globe Telecom SPoTiFy, the world’s most popular music streaming service, launches today in the Philippines on mobile, tablet and desktop.

Mabuhay!

Download the Spotify app and listen to any song, album or artist, on any device, for free. Shuffle play on mobile or play any song on tablet or desktop. alternatively, upgrade to Spotify Premium for P129 per month and enjoy the ultimate music experience: download and listen to you music offline, fully on demand.

Spotify has also teamed up with Globe Telecom as its exclusive telecommunications partner in the Philippines to offer all 38 million Globe Postpaid, Globe Prepaid and Tattoo-on-the-go Prepaid subscribers free access to Spotify through the telco’s new data plan, GoSURF. GoSURF gives customers mobile internet access together with Spotify for as low as P10 a day. Even better, streaming music on Spotify won’t touch your default data allowance across all GoSurf plans!

Rolling out on april 13, Globe Telecom Prepaid subscribers can register to GoSURF10, which gives access to both 10MB of dataplus Spotify for 24 hours.

Postpaid subscribers can choose from a variety of offerings, from GoSURF 299 with 700MB of data valid for 30 days including Spotify Premium, up to GoSURF 999 with 5GB of data plus Spotify Premium.

“Spotify takes music enjoyment to a whole new level,” says Sunita Kaur, Director for asia at Spotify, adding: “Music fans get instant, unlimited access to 30 million songs including all the best oPM hits all for free across all your devices, plus Spotify looks and sounds fantastic. and best of all, soon Globe Telecom subscribers can enjoy the ultimate music service powered by Spotify with their new data plan, GoSURF.” Globe, the leader in innovative breakthrough offers, in partnering with Spotify strengthens its vision to provide an enriched online experience and access to free online content.

“Globe customers will have music to discover right at their fingertips with Spotify, and sharing music with all their friends is just but a click away,” says Peter Bithos, Chief operating advisor at Globe.

He adds: “With its comprehensive music catalogue and features such as playlist creation, music discovery and offline mode, Spotify gives us a new and exceptional way of listening to music.

Coupled with our GoSURF plan, our customers get to enjoy the best of both worlds; consumable mobile internet to do the things they love plus 30 million songs to listen to and share, all for free.”

Spotify is the biggest music service of its kind globally, with over 24 million active users and over 6 million paying subscribers.

For more information or to start using Spotify, visit www.spotify. com or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ spotify.

ThE look book for Kate Moss ‘new collection for Topshop is finally out—and it appears well worth the wait. Clearly the 40-year-old spent the last four years designing some truly unique rocker chic creations.

Take, for example, her feather-adorned LBD or her favorite fringe leather jacket, which she has actually worn to three Rolling stones concerts. Then there’s her boho side, which can be seen in her chiffon frocks and breezy floral-printed pants.

“Topshop is the only brand i’ve ever collaborated with on a fashion collection,” the British beauty shared with Harper’s Bazaar. “With his collection we had more time, so we could be really selective about the piece that are included. Each one is a statement piece.” and speaking of selective style, that seems to be a quality Kate has passed down to her kids.

“My daughter, Lila, is my style critic. she’ll say, ‘no, Mummy, you can’t wear that.’ she’s very good. i do trust her instinct. it’s a good guess that Lila Grace, 12, has given her stamp of approval on all items in this collection. it’s likely that the mas-

sive price range—from $70 to $1200—will attract a wider audience, which appears to be one of Kate’s goals: “i love seeing

other people wearing the clothes! i remember seeing a gorgeous girl wearing one of the floral tea dress from the first col-

lection-she—she looked great. i was so excited that i called her over and we had a picture taken together.”

EDGEDAVAO

ENTERTaiNMENT

Zambales’ Mango Festival in Biyahe Ni Drew this Friday ULTiMaTE Biyahero Drew arellano is quite determined to discover and savor the unique sweetness of the Zambales mango as he joins the cheerful celebration of the Mango Festival in Zambales in Biyahe ni Drew this Friday, april 11, on GMa News TV. Each year, Zambales celebrates the bountiful harvest of its mangoes. a province just three hours from Manila, it is known for its thriving mango industry, even named the ‘Sweetest Mango Producer in the World” by the Guiness Book of World Records in 1995. its mango product was likewise declared as the sweetest in the world.

Biyahero Drew goes on an unforgettable and merry escapade in Zambales as he signs up in the different festival activities such as the mango-eating contest and

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Hot or not?

It’s possible that we’ve never been as confused by a single outfit as we are by this getup on Alessandra Ambrosio.

The model-turned designer appears to be rocking four looks in one. We count a little girls’ party dress, a large lifeguard’s jacket, a hat made for a trucker and boots that belong on a New York City catwalk!

the Life Guard Challenge.

Will he win against the other challengers?

Because mangoes are at the forefront of the festival, Drew arellano will visit one of the thriving mango orchards in the province – the Rose Farm. Here, tourists can get a first-hand experience in harvesting the sweet fruits and buy them

at a cheaper price. They can choose from the different varieties such as Zambales mango, Golden Queen, and Millenium mango. a trip to Zambales is never complete without dropping by the Casa San Miguel, which is known as one of the best music schools in the country.

Managed by pianist Coke

Bolipata, the casa also has a bed and breakfast, a restaurant, and a museum. also, Biyahe ni Drew will explore Zambales’ famous islands such as Capones, anawangin and Potipot islands.

Take a tour of Zambales with the ultimate Biyahero in Biyahe ni Drew this Friday, april 11, right after Mars on GMa News TV.

Sibling rivalry in Celebrity Bluff this Saturday THiS Saturday in Celebrity Bluff Season 6, good-looking celebrity brothers will surely capture the hearts of the Kapuso viewers as they compete in the highest-rating comedy game show on Philippine TV. The players for this week’s episode are Rocco and Kyle Nacino, Felix and Dominic Roco, and Chicsers’ oliver and owy Posadas who will prove that they are more than just handsome faces in the industry as they will be facing the challenge

of determining if their chosen gangnam’s answer is a fact or a bluff. adding more fun and ex-

citement is the constant humor of the award-winning host/comedienne/actress Eugene Domingo and the

jokes of celebrity bluffers Jose Manalo, isko Salvador, and Boobay.

The viewers will also expect a romantic weekend evening because of the JoGe loveteam’s sweet gestures, which will certainly draw smiles and laughter from the audience.

Who among the goodlooking celebrity siblings will win half a million pesos?

Find out this Saturday in Celebrity Bluff, 9:15 PM right after Magpakailanman on GMa 7.

Empress-Joey Marquez ‘love team’ topbills ‘MMK’ yoUNG actress Empress and seasoned actor Joey Marquez will team up this Saturday (april 12) to portray the roles of lovers, Jhenny and Ernesto in aBSCBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”

Despite her family’s dismay over her May-December love affair with Ernesto, Jhenny takes the risk of continuing her relationship with the middle-aged bus driver, who promises to love her no matter what.

What will Jenny do once she finds out that the man she loves is taking advantage of her for her money? also featured in “MMK” are ynez Veneracion, Snooky Serna, Carla Guevara, Paco Evangelista, Louise Bernardo and Simon ibarra. it is directed by Nuel C. Naval, written by Nikki Bunquin and arah Jell Ba-

RIO 2 2D Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway GP

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

RIO 2 3D Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway GP

12:00 | 2:15 | 4:30 | 6:45 | 9:00 LFS

DIARY NG PANGET 2D / *SON OF GOD 2D

dayos, and researched by “a” Marjorie anne Maño.

“MMK” is led by business unit head Malou Santos, production manager Roda Dela Cerna, and executive

producers Cathy San Pablo and Niña Laureano Daynata.

Don’t miss asia’s longestrunning drama anthology, “MMK” this Saturday after

“Wansapanataym” on aBSCBN. For more updates, log on to MMK.abs-cbn.com, follow @MMKofficial on Twitter, like Facebook.com/ MMKofficial.

R-16

PG 13 / *PG13

James Reid, Nadine Lustre / *Diogo Morgado, Roma Downey 12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 LFS / * 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER 2D Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson PG 13

11:20 | 2:00 | 4:40 | 7:20 | 10:00 LFS

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EDGEDAVAO

13 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

Da to boost cacao industry for women sector D

EPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Bernadette Romulo-Puyat visited the cacao plantation and processing Centers in Davao region recently to observe and replicate technologies on cacao production in other parts of the country.

Known for its global market potential, cacao has been identified as one of the priority commodities that will help not only to boost the agriculture sector but also increase the income of Rural Based Organizations (RBOs) such as Women’s organization.

“Gusto ko lang tingnan dito ang role ng kababaihan at pati din yung mga post-harvest facilities on cacao production na gender sensitive at madali para sa mga babae dahil gusto nating bigyan ng kabuhayan ang ating mga kababaihan”, Puyat said.

Accompanying with her is the Rural Improvement Club

Hedcor joins global environmental events

P BoosTinG cacao inDusTrY. Cacao processing consultant Pedro Cruz dicusses the different stages of growing cacao at Cocoa Philippines center with Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (2nd left). With her are Agriculture Regional Director Remelyn R. Recoter and Agusan del Sur Representative Ma. Valentina Plaza.

(RIC) officers from region 12 and Agusan del sur Representative Ma. Valentina Plaza who observed the technologies to

NOTICE OF LOss

Notice is hereby given by LOyOLA PLANs CONsOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAyMENT No.(s) 84759 under LOyOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 611999-4 issued to MINDA GUTING was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

4/4/11/18

be transfered in their area.

“Andito sila ngayon kasi from Gender and Development (GAD) din sila, gusto nila

makita ang best practices dito para pwede din nila ma-implement sa lugar nila,” she added. [Aggie Media Service]

NOTICE OF LOss

Notice is hereby given by LOyOLA PLANs CONsOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAyMENT No.(s) 21014240 under contract No. 192678-0 issued to RENEE ROsE C. LIM 59032 under contract No. 621265-8 issued to JOsEFA L. RECAÑO were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

04/11,18,25

ASSIONATE about sustainable development, hedcor, a renewable power generating company, held multiple environmental initiatives in support of the globally participated World Water Day and the Earth hour.

In participation of the 21st World Water Day, the different bases of hedcor in Benguet, Ilocos Sur and Davao mobilized its manpower to the different rivers in each locality. The Benguet team immersed in a wholeday cleaning of the Elew River in Barangay Tadiangan, Tuba.

Davao team on the other hand took a break from the office to make Baracatan Creek in Sta. Cruz free of wastes.

This year’s theme, ‘Water and Power” highlights the interdependence of the two in all aspect. When the two are balanced it creates a powerful synergy that positively creates opportunities to both the populace and the environment. Water creates power and power is needed at all stages of water extraction, treatment and distribution per se.

Being in the power generation industry for over three decades, hedcor sees the importance of sound environment to renewable power generation. Its 21 run-of-river hydropower plants provides 170MW of energy in the most natural and cleanest way possible.

14 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

Manny vows to crush Bradley T

hE fighting pride of the Philippines Manny Pacquiao is now in Las Vegas before putting on what his millions of fans believe will be a devastating performance that would once again install him among the roster of elite fighters of today and force undefeated pound for pound

king Floyd Mayweather Jr. to finally buckle under public pressure and engage in a mega-fight.

A Mayweather fight may be three years too late but is one fight fans would still like to see, no matter what. however, it all depends on how Pacquiao performs in his ea-

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

gerly-awaited rematch with unbeaten Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley who virtually robbed Pacquiao of his WBO welterweight pound title in June 2012 when judges Cynthia Ross and Duane Ford inexplicably scored the fight 115-113 for Bradley while the third judge, Jerry Roth had Pacquiao winning by a similar margin.

Of course, its not Bradley’s fault that, as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum pointed out, the judges were “three blind mice.”

Bradley initially began to irritate Pacquiao, celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, and fight fans when he kept insisting he won their first fight by eight rounds to four.

Although the fight was perhaps closer than most people who had Pacquiao winning by 10 rounds to 2 thought , it certainly wasn’t what Bradley claimed it to be.

That was bad enough but what really got Pacquiao was when Bradley told Manny straight to his face that he no longer had his vaunted “killer instinct” and that his career was coming to an end.

Pacquiao is determined to prove he hasn’t lost his killer instinct and neither is his career threatened. Indeed, Pacquiao told us he is not done yet and will prove it on fight night.

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SPORTS 15 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 20 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 11-12, 2014

pressure is on pacquiao M

ANILA, Philippines As Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley concluded Wednesday afternoon’s press conference with the standard face-off photo opp, Bradley did something that he hadn’t been known to do in previous fights. he talked.

The scene looked as tense as could be between two of the sport’s ultimate gentlemen but the banter was as innocuous as it was cliche’.

“Are Are you ready?” Bradley asked. Pacquiao, taking in a moment to fight back the urge to smile, replies “Yes.” “OK you better be ready.”

That’s the question that most fans have on their minds heading into their rematch on Saturday, April 12 (Sunday Ph time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. Is Pacquiao ready for the first opponent with a winner’s chance since his back-to-back losses to Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012? Is Manny Pacquiao ready to fight the way he had en route to winning a record eight world titles.

“I have something to prove this Saturday that my journey in boxing will continue,” conceded Pacquiao (53-5-2, 38 knockouts), who offered fewer smiles than at any recent press conference. “(This fight is) very important because I want to win back the belt and become champion. I feel like when I started boxing and I get a chance to fight a championship. I’m so motivated for this fight.”

Pacquiao, a congressman in Sarangani, Philippines, has heard the open challenges from Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs) over whether he, at 35, was willing to risk everything to win a championship. This is, after all, the first time Pacquiao will enter a prize fight as the challenger since the Miguel Cotto fight in 2009. That was also the last time Pacquiao had scored a knockout.

Pacquiao’s rise to international fame came on the strength of his reputation as

the sport’s most cold-blooded finisher. Now he’s fighting to prove that the fire to be great is still burning inside of him.

Bradley, who spent most of the press conference concealed behind headphones and sunglasses, offered none of the trash talk that had preceded the fight, like when he told Pacquiao to his face that his time was done and that he was fighting for money alone.

Instead, Bradley thanked Pacquiao for coming to terms for the rematch, which offers himself an opportunity to save face after being awarded a dubious split-decision victory in their first meeting.

That did little to pacify the stern-faced Pacman, however.

“I’m not predicting for this fight but if he gives me the chance to finish the fight, why not? I will grab that opportunity to finish,” said Pacquiao. “My focus for this fight is to give more action, aggressiveness and the killer instinct that he’s talking about.”

If Pacquiao needed extra fuel, some could be found in the host venue’s seeming dismissal of the fight in favor of Pacquiao’s rival Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s upcoming bout with Marcos Maidana on May 3. The side of the building features a giant image of the current pound-for-pound king with the words “home of the Champion” underneath.

Throughout the casino, Mayweather’s image is ubiquitous, while Pacquiao’s is nearly absent. “You don’t bring guests into your building and disrespect them like that,” Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said.

Change of Fortune Pacquiao credits his reunion with Justin Fortune – the Australian born strength and conditioning coach whom Pacquiao worked with from 2002-2007 – with bringing him back to the best possible physical shape for the rematch. [Ryan Songalia via Philboxing]

faceoff. World eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO title holder Timothy Bradley faced off during the final press conference on Wednesday at the Hollywood Theatre in MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, nevada. Photo by Aquiles Z. Zonio

Pacquiao guaranteed $20M

L

AS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao is taking a pay cut from the first fight he had with Timothy Bradley Jr. two years ago and Bradley is getting a handsome raise.

But Pacquiao, the star of the show, will still be making way more than his rival.

Their official purses for their rematch on Saturday night (hBO PPV) at the MGM Grand are $6 million apiece, according the contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. however, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Pacquiao is guaranteed a minimum of $20

million, much of which will be paid out in the weeks after he collects the $6 million check on fight night.

Both boxers, according to Arum, also will earn upside depending on how well the pay-perview performs, and Arum said he believes it will exceed 1 million buys. he said he is basing that figure on anecdotal information he has received from hBO PPV executives. The first Pacquiao-Bradley fight in June 2012, which Bradley won by extremely controversial decision to claim a welterweight world title, generated 890,000 pay-per-view buys and more than $50 million in revenue.

Team USA in tune up ahead of FIBA worlds L

AS VEGAS – US NBA stars will face Brazil, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Slovenia in tuneup matches before the Basketball World Cup, USA Basketball announced Wednesday.

The Americans, whose lineup could include such NBA stars as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, will be favored to defend their global crown at the worlds on August 30-September 14 in Spain.

“Our training sessions and our exhibition games are vital in our preparations for defending our gold medal,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.

In the run-up to the tournament, the US squad will gather July 28 in Las Vegas for a four-

day training camp culminating in an August 1 inter-squad exhibition.

After a 12-day break, the team will reunite in Chicago for training days August 14-15 ahead of an August 16 exhibition against Brazil at the home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.

The US lineup then relocates to New York for training August 17-22 with exhibition games against the Dominicans on August 20 and Puerto Rico two nights later, both at Madison Square Garden.

From August 24-26, the Americans will train on Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands, ending the camp with an August 26 exhibition against Slovenia.

Pacers win without starters

M oVer The Top. Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) shoots over Miami Heat forward Shane Battier (31).

ILWAUKEE – The Indiana Pacers defeated the lowly Milwaukee Bucks 104-102 despite coach Frank Vogel’s decision to bench all of his starters for the entire National Basketball Association game on Wednesday.

Chris Copeland’s go-ahead basket with one second left gave the win to the struggling Pacers who had lost eight of their last 11 games.

Vogel announced during the Pacers’ morning workout that he would sit his starting crew against the Bucks, who have the worst record in the

league.

All-stars Paul George and Roy hibbert, guards George hill and Lance Stephenson and power forward David West all skipped the game against the Bucks.

Bucks’ Khris Middleton hit three consecutive free throws to tie the game 102-102 with five seconds left in the fourth in front of a crowd of 13,139 at the BMO Center arena.

After a timeout, Copeland got the ball and drove the right side before tossing a floater up that dropped through for the game-winning basket.

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