Edge Davao 7 Issue 213

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

INDIAN FRACAS PROBE DEEPENS CREATIVE SHADE. A man covers himself with balloons to ward off the heat of the afternoon sun while walking along Palma Gil Street in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will come up with the result of its investigation on the allegations made by a group of Indian medical students of the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF) against an Indian businessman some time today.

A CIDG official who re-

quested anonymity said the unit was still preparing the results of the probe, which is being conducted upon orders of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

The official said CIDG will come up with result probably today.

Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 11 regional director Raul Al-

varez Jr., for his part, refrained from commenting on the issue because it is out of his jurisdiction.

“It is private business.

My jurisdiction is only within the school campus,” he said.

The management of DMSF and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), on the other hand, are still finaliz-

ing their respective official statements.

An official of the India-based Transworld Education Academy Pvt. Ltd. supported the statements of Davao Medical Education Management Services (DMEMS) chief operating officer Dr. Ashin Mohan denying the allegations made

FINDIAN, 10

INSIDE EDGE ROCKETS BLAST NETS SPORTS page 14

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

PAPAL STATEMENT. Kilusang Mayo Uno Southern Mindanao Region (KMU SMR) vice president for federation affairs Joel Virador and other leaders read the statement on a poster of Pope Francis during a press briefing yesterday at the KMU SMR office along Rizal Street in Davao City to discuss their scheduled activities in time for the Pope’s visit to the country. Lean Daval Jr.

Avila bats for Older Persons Code IRR D

AVAO City councilor Leonardo Avila III is pushing for the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Older Persons Welfare Code.

In a privilege speech in yesterday’s regular City Council session, Avila said the implementation of the ordinance, which was approved in 2010, “is not yet being done.”

“There is a need for us to implement the Older Persons Welfare Code so that we will have more senior citizens, if not all senior citizens, who will have Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) IDs,” he said.

Avila said the senior citizen IDs given by OSCA will help the elderly in the city avail themselves of mandatory PhilHealth coverage which was approved last year.

Avila said the number of the elderly in the city who are registered in OSCA is only around 39,000, which falls way below the estimated 90,000 senior citizens based on six percent of the city’s 1.5 million population.

“If we are to use the prevailing rate, this roughly means that 45,000 more senior citizens are not registered with the OSCA,” he said.

FAVILA, 10

Dayanghirang wants stop to cutting of Dakudao trees

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang yesterday asked the City Environment Office (CENRO), Task Force Drainage (TFD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to halt the cutting of trees along Dacudao Avenue.

In yesterday’s regular session, Dayanghirang said he will pass a resolution asking CENRO head Engineer Elisa Madrazo, TFD chair Yusop

Jimlani, and officials of the DENR and DPWH to postpone the plan to remove trees while the City Council look into the issue.

He said he believes the City Council should take the issue as a matter of public interest because the cutting of trees is not beneficial to the city.

“It is not good for the environment, not good for the people of Davao (City) because trees produce oxygen. Second, I know for a fact that there are other remedies to prevent

Army and even in the entire AFP,” he said.

Año also hailed the accomplishments of 10th ID maintaining peace and order and in catalyzing developmental projects in the different parts of the region.

“For 2014, 10th ID was able to gain ground in law enforcement operations marked by the neutralization of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New

People’s Army (CPP-NPA), surrenders of former rebels, and the arrests of key NPA leaders,” he said.

“This brand new year is indeed another opportunity for Agila team to sustain if not to surpass its many laudable accomplishments in peace building and advancing development in its area of responsibility,” he said.

He also stressed the

10th ID commander renews commitment to Bayanihan

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

T

HE 10th Infantry Division renewed its commitment to the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) “Bayanihan” in its area of responsibility through the traditional New Year’s Call on Monday morning.

10th ID commander Major General Eduardo Año hosted the gathering which was attended by subordi-

nate unit commanders from the brigades and battalions under the 10th ID. In his message, Año lauded the diligence of the officers, men, and women of 10th ID in shouldering their given tasks in their respective area of operations.

“In the just concluded year, we have re-established our division as one of the most eminent and efficient unit of the Philippine

F10th, 10

flooding,” he said.

Last week, Madrazo confirmed that 15 trees along the drainage in Dacudao Avenue will be cut.

She said based on the tagging and mapping conducted last year, CENRO has observed that some of the trees really need to be removed because they had been damaged by termites.

Madrazo said she has already submitted the recommendation to the DENR for the issuance of a permit to cut

the trees.

“It is up to the project proponent (Task Force Drainage) to follow up with the DENR,” she said.

Madrazo said based on the assessment of the forester, 15 of the 200 trees planted in the stretch of Dacudao Avenue need to be removed.

She said if the rehabilitation on the drainage pushes through, her office is going to give a recommendation on appropriate trees that will fit the area.

All set for Regatta 2015 in Pagadian

A

LL is set for the holding today (Wednesday) of the Regatta 2015, which is part of the Pasalamat Festival 2015, in this city.

The highlights of the festival is the feast day of Señor Sto. Niño, the patron saint of this city, on January 18.

Initially, the Pasalamat Festival 2015 Steering Committee announced that more than 60 vintas with beautiful sail are

expected to participate in the Regatta.

Some of the participants are from the nearby provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte.

City Councilor Cesar Dacal Jr., steering committee chairman, said they decided to move the holding of the Regatta to an earlier date for security reasons.

FALL, 10

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3 Good governance makes EU increase aid to Phl

T

CHAT TIME. Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte chats with councilors Bonifacio Militar and Louie John Bonguyan before the start of yesterday’s regular session – the first for the year – at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall. Lean Daval Jr.

HE drive towards good governance of the Aquino administration has influenced the European Union (EU) to increase its development assistance to the Philippines, Head of EU Delegation to the Philippines Ambassador Guy Ledoux said on Tuesday.

“The fact that governance had improved in the current administration, in that sense, we feel that EU aid to the Philippines will help more impact in the context of the administration that had the policy of improving governance,” Ledoux said during the signing of Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) with National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Deputy Director General Roland G. Tungpalan held at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel.

Under the MIP, the EU is providing 325 million euros or Php17 billion worth of assistance to fund cooperation activities in the Philippines for 2014-2020.

The EU grant assistance to the country increased by more than double or by 143 percent from 130 million euros or Php7 billion in 2007 to 2013.

Ledoux mentioned that the fund will be allocated to two focus areas -- the rule of law and energy sector -which will further support the development of the country’s economy.

HE chairman of the 2015 Papal Visit Committee said that the lunch between Pope Francis and the survivors of natural calamities in Palo, Leyte on Saturday, Jan. 17 will be private as no members of the media are allowed to cover.

According to Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the pontiff’s meeting with the victims of the Bohol earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Samar has been prepared solely for those who have suffered from the calamities.

“The lunch with the victims of typhoon and earthquake is exclusively for them... no media not even the papal party will join because the pope wants it to be an intimate encounter with the victims of the typhoon and earthquake,” he said.

The Lingayen-Dagupan prelate noted that they expect that the lunch will be a spiritual encounter.

“It must be a spiritual encounter between a pope who condoles and the victims who

needs sympathy,” Villegas said.

The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that they will issue press statements regarding the encounter on January 17 to be held at the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo.

“We will just issue a press statement about it but we don’t like it spoiled with too many cameras because these are people who have suffered so much and the pope is very sensitive of their sufferings and we don’t like to reduce the event to another media event,” Villegas added.

Aside from the lunch meeting, the other events for that day include: the Papal Mass at the Tacloban International Airport; the blessing of the Pope Francis Centre for the Poor and the meeting with the priests, religious women and men, seminarians and families of survivors at the Cathedral in Palo.

The Holy Father will visit the country from January 15 to 19. (PNA)

Papal lunch with calamity survivors will be private

BOC probes ‘disappearance’ of 42.2 tons of smuggled sugar T T

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is conducting an investigation on the “disappearance” of 844 sacks or 42.2 tons of confiscated smuggled sugar in the custody of the BoC-Zamboanga District Office.

The investigation is spearheaded by BOC Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Jessie Dellosa, who arrived here Tuesday together with a team of investigators.

Dellosa said in a press conference at City Hall the investigation is focused to find out “who are involved and who are responsible” in the disappearance of the 844 sacks of 50 kilos each of smuggled sugar.

The press conference was preceded by a closed-

door meeting initiated by Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar with officials coming from different agencies involved in the confiscation of the smuggled sugar.

The 844 sacks were part of the 1,170 sacks or 58.5 tons of smuggled sugar that were intercepted last Tuesday by combined police, military and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel near a beach in Barangay Bolong, 32.60 kilometers east of this city.

The confiscated shipment of smuggled sugar is estimated to be worth P2.5 million based on the prevailing market price of sugar of P43 a kilo.

Dellosa said initial finding showed that most of the smuggled sugar disap-

Palace: PHL will conform to budget set for Papal visit

M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday gave assurance that the government will conform to the reasonable budget set for Pope Francis’ visit to the country this week.

“Siyempre po kinakailangan po tayong tumalima sa mga itinakda ng Mahal na Santo Papa,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a Palace press briefing.

Coloma said concerned government agencies are collecting data pertaining to the Papal visit budget.

“At tulad ng ating nabanggit noong nakaraan, hindi naman ito lalayo sa makatwiran at resonableng antas ng paggugol na sinusunod sa tuwing may dadalaw na katulad ng Mahal na Santo Papa,” he said.

The PCOO chief also assured transparency in the budget for the Papal visit.

“Wala po tayong sasayanging pagkakataon na ibunyag ito kapag nakuha na ang datos na kailangan sapagkat transparent naman po ang ating pamahalaan,” he added.

(PNA)

peared while being transported from M/L Ylaiza Maye V to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) warehouse at the local wharf.

Dellosa disclosed that there were eight cargo trucks “commissioned” to transport the confiscated sugar but only three trucks arrived at the warehouse.

“I was informed that it was the customs (district) collector who commissioned the trucks but unfortunately the trucks are owned by the owner of the confiscated sugar,” Dellosa added.

BOC-Zamboanga District Collector Miguel Pio Saquisami cannot explain why the other five truck loads of confiscated sugar disappeared although the distance where M/L Ylaiza

Maye V was moored is just around 120 meters from the PPA warehouse, except in saying “many were blind.”

Saquisami even refused to identify the owner of the confiscated smuggled sugar during the press conference.

Dellosa said that appropriate actions will be undertaken against all those involved in the disappearance of the 42.2 tons of confiscated smuggled sugar.

“We are just waiting for the result of the investigation,” Dellosa said.

The BOC initiated the investigation following calls from Salazar, who discovered that 844 of the 1,170 sacks of confiscated smuggled sugar are unaccounted for. (PNA)

FGOOD, 10

BEACH BREAK. Three high school students spend some down time at the beach front at Sta. Ana wharf in between classes. Lean Daval Jr.

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

CHILD FRIENDLY. Children play outside People’s Park a few days before the opening of classes. Fifteen local government units in Region 11 were given the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) recently. Lean Daval Jr.

15 LGUs in Davao Region receive Child-Friendly Seal A

CDO mayor nixes Council’s approval of 2015 budget

F

OLLOWING the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), 15 local government units in Region 11 were conferred the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC).

According to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional firector Priscilla N. Razon, recipient LGUs are the cities of Davao, Mati, Panabo, Tagum, and Samal and the municipalities of Maco, Maragusan, Laak, Boston, San Isidro –Davao Oriental, Lupon, Hagonoy, Kiblawan, Malalag and Sulop.

Conducted by the Child-Friendly Local Governance Interagency Monitoring Team which is composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), DSWD, and Department of Education, the CFLGA is a man-

datory audit and recognition system on LGUs in producing positive results for children’s well-being based on verifiable and quantifiable criteria and indicators.

It aims to ensure child-friendly local governance for effective care and protection of children through functional Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC) at all levels.

Launched in 2013 by CWC in support to the realization of the Philippine commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the CFLG is a pre-requisite for a municipality or city to qualify for the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities.

“At the regional level, it is the Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC) that endorses eligible LGUs to CWC for the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Gover-

Assessment of LGUs were based on: 1) Percentage reduction in the deaths among children below five years old or under-five mortality rate; 2) Percentage reduction in the number of children under-six with below normal weights; 3) Percentage increase in the number of 3-4 year-old children attending center-based day care services; 4) Completion rate for elementary schooling; 5) Absence of child labor or percentage reduction in child labor cases; 6)

Percentage reduction in the number of children victims of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation (all forms, including physical violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, and trafficking in persons); 7) Safety measures for children in the community and schools; 8) Extent of mainstreaming of children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation in the core development agenda of LGUs; 9) An ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Desks; 10) 2013 PhilHealth Accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; 11) A Local School Board (LSB) Plan for CY 2013 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP); and 12) Completed at least 70 percent of its LSB Plan for 2013.

DSWD

N embattled City Mayor Oscar Moreno on Tuesday said he would not recognize the City Council’s approved P2.08-billion budget for 2015.

The majority bloc members of the City Council here on Monday approved the city government’s 2015 budget amounting to P2.08 billion after the body decided to override Moreno’s veto of the proposed budget.

A peeved Moreno announced over the radio that he would seek legal remedies with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to reject the approved 2015 budget here.

Earlier, the City Executive submitted a proposed P3.8-billion budget for 2015.

Moreno said the proposed budget would cover the various projects of the city government this year.

The City Council, however, found Moreno’s proposed P3.8-billion budget unattainable and scaled it down to

P2.08 billion, down by about P1.7 billion.

Moreno vetoed and returned the P2.08 billion when the City Council endorsed it for approval by the City Executive.

During the regular session on Monday, the City Council, however, overrode Moreno’s veto and approved an ordinance for the implementation of the P2.08-billion budget for 2015.

City Councilor Prexy Elipe, chair of the city council’s committee on finance, ways and means, said that the local august body approved the 2015 based on the income and expenditures of the city government in 2014.

He said that Moreno has proposed a “lump sum” budget of more than P 1.2 billion in 2015 - in addition to the P2.3 billion budget in 2014 - without an accompanying program of works on what, where, and how the money would be spent.

ENSAN will soon have its first pedestrian overpass.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, and other local government officials spearheaded the ground-breaking ceremony of the footbridge in Barangay Calumpang last Friday, January 9.

The overpass will be constructed at the corner of Cahilsot and the National Highway and will have an estimated length of 30 feet. It will also follow the standard vertical clearance of 5.6 feet

so that big trucks can pass underneath it.

It was strategically positioned in the area as many students from nearby schools such as General Santos City National High School (GSCNHS) are daily exposed to road hazards as they cross the highway.

Vehicular accidents are also common in the area prompting the necessity of a footbridge.

Rivera expressed his delight over the construction of the overpass.

“Now, we can have a peace of mind knowing that

our children are safe while they cross the streets,” he said.

He also pointed out that the construction of the footbridges is another way to ease traffic in the city.

It will take 142 days before the footbridge is finished, starting January 12.

Rivera said the city government has talks with the DPWH for the construction of two other footbridges.

“One will be at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University area and the other one will be placed adjacent to St. Elizabeth Hospital,” he said.

DPWH Gensan head Engineer Pio Lumungsod said the total allocated budget for the project is P12.2 million, but winning bidder Reydan Builders had it lowered to only P11.9 million.

“The budget was taken from the Motor Vehicle User Charge (MVUC) which is managed by the Road Board of the DPWH,” Lumungsod said.

“I am really glad that the local government of Gensan is really working hand-inhand with us in our projects, especially on the road con-

nance as well as for the prestigious Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Cities and Municipalities. We are very pleased that in 2014, 15 LGUs in the region were conferred the Seal. This is an affirmation of our select LGUs’ effective and efficient implementation of programs for the children sector in their respective areas,” Razon said.

FCDO, 10

Region 12 crimes Gensan breaks ground for first city overpass drop 23% in 2014 G C RIME incidents in Region 12 have dropped by about 23 percent last year as the peace and order situation in most parts of the region continued to improve.

Chief Superintendent Lester Camba, Region 12 police director, said the intensified law enforcement and security operations of local police units helped deter the occurrence crime-related incidents, which reached a total of

31,668 in 2014.

He said the figure was 9,660 lower than the recorded crime volume of 41,328 in 2013 in the entire region.

Also known as Soccsksargen, Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

FREGION, 10

FGENSAN, 10

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Positive growth in insurance seen

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

crc@edgedavao.net

POSITIVE growth in the number of Dabawenyos availing insurance is expected this year amid the 2015 Asean Integration, an official said.

“I think it will still be very good this year because people have better income and better spending, and they can invest and they want to protect their family and investments,” said Paul V. Borromeo, wealth management consultant of Borromeo Insurance Agency,Inc. of the Pru Life U.K. Speaking in Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex, Borromeo said the insurance industry continued to register growth in the past 15 years. He, however, said that insurance industry in the country is not as strong as it is in the United States.

“In the past fifteen years, we have seen a very, very mark rise in the number of people we are able to become aware of insurance, savings and investments,” Borromeo added.

He said their main office in Juna Subdivision in Matina served a total of 60,700 customers and recorded over P9 billion in insurance and investments for the past 16 years since the company started its operation in 2000 in the area.

Education and awareness of the public on the importance of savings, insurance and investment, Borromeo said, helped the insurance industry in Davao City to grow.

“Fifteen years ago, people consider insurance as taboo, but through education, many of the Davao population started to appreciate the necessity to become prepared all the time,” Borromeo said.

Family members at present are now becoming more mindful of the other family members as well as the maintenance of their businesses and other investments, according to Borromeo.

He said that at present, most people already consider life insurance as a fallback position. “ It is “just in case” product because right now it is no longer dying but it’s all about giving more, taking care of ourselves when we get older and being able to take care ourselves in case of, illness or accident,” Borromeo added.

Aside from education and awareness, the growing and stable economy of the city also contributed in the positive growth, he said.

The Davao populations’ increasing income and increasing spending expenditure enable them to invest again and again in the insurance industry making it more lively and active in more years to come, Borromeo explained.

However, he noted that despite the growth in the industry there’s still a lot more percentage of the population that should be tapped.

“On the last record, it registered that only 14 percent of the country’s total population is tapped. A huge percentage or 86 percent of the market is still an untapped market,” Borromeo said.

Every person capable of earning P1.50 is a market because it is the lowest premium for accident insurance while a personon with P50 earning can avail the investment insurance product, he added.

Borromero said that the operation of different life insurance companies in the city only proves the growing market here.

This could mean a tighter competition among insurance industry players, but Borromeo does not want to think it that way.

“Insurance is not about the company. It’s about the relation that you have with the people you trust. It’s about being able to talk on what you want to so I don’t

POSITIVE GROWTH. Borromeo Insurance Agency,Inc. of the Pru Life U.K. wealth management consultant Paul V. Borromeo (right), together with area manager Kristin Veronica L. Borromeo, says during Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM

City Davao on Monday that it will still be very good for the insurance industry this year because people have better income and better spending, and they can invest and they want to protect their family and investments. Lean Daval Jr.

see that as a problem,” he said, adding that insurance companies have already evolved their insurance products that fit to the needs of every sector of the society.

agents.

For this year,Kristin said their agency is targeting to hire 100 more agents to add to their existing 350 financial advisors.

Area manager Kristin Veronica Borromeo, meanwhile, said that the Borromeo Insurance Agency, Inc. will be marking its 15th anniversary eyeing more

Aside from adding employment, he also said that his agency is also targeting to add an additional of P80 millions of premium income by the end of the year.

6 THE ECONOMY Time to construct multi-billion span T

HE aspiration to build a bridge between Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) is gaining ground with the support from the Davao del Norte Tourism Council.

Araceli Ayuste, chair of the Davao del Norte Tourism Council said it is high time to construct a bridge between Igacos amd the mainland given the influx of people to its resorts during the holidays.

She observed that the long cue of vehicles during the holidays made Igacos hard to reach on time.

“Motorists have to take a long cue for three hours before they could take the two ferry services in the area,” Ayuste said.

She said the bridge will hasten the access of people and goods.

Ayuste said that ten years ago, she opposed the proposal to construct of a bridge between IGACOS and Davao City

to preserve the identity of Igacos as an island.

“There is really a need to put up a bridge, because either peak or non-peak season, people have to sacrifice in going to the island because of the long wait and cue of vehicles,” she said.

Ayuste said the two ferry services in the area could hardly take the volume of vehicles.

She revealed that the Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson already visited the area and a feasibility study was already conducted for a construction of a bridge there.

“We want to offer to an investor who will build the bridge through build-operate and transfer scheme,” Ayuste said.

She said three investors are waiting for the feasibility study to see the financial viability of the project. (PIA 11Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

A street vendor displays penguin-shaped balloons he is selling in front of San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

3 foreign firms eyeing Online CHSP implemented to build Samal bridge C

ITY of Koronadal--The Department Of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region XII is now set to implement another paperless transaction through its Online Construction Safety and Health Program (CHSP).

DOLE XII regional director Ofelia B. Domingo said the newest online system aims to fast track the processing of approval of CHSP and application of Registry of establishments under DOLE Rule 1020.

“We have now directed all our field offices to use the Online Labor Market which is accessible at www. onlinelabormarket.org.ph, this system is expected to cut paper utilization on our part and will be less time consuming.

Establishments can now also easily follow up through our online system if their CHSP application are approved,”

Domingo said.

In the Online CHSP system, DOLE XII field offices will now encode CHSP applications online for faster approval. It can be remembered that DOLEXII also created the Online Labor Market system to ensure that the labor sector is fully monitored, job seekers and employers are provided avenue to collaborate and informed about the job opportunities that are available from industries, establishments and local government units in the region.

On-line SPES was likewise developed last year and its full implementation will be carried out for the 2015 SPES. Online RWA has been operational last year and it has drawn positive feedbacks from the clients. All these systems are to reduce process cycle time (PCT) at least 50% to comply with ARTA.

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

crc@edgedavao.net

T least three foreign companies have expressed interest in constructing the proposed P10-billion bridge linking Davao City and the Island Gaden City of Samal (Igacos).

Davao del Norte provincial tourism council president Araceli L. Ayuste, speaking in the weekly edition of Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex last Monday, said the investors are from China, Japan and Australia.

However, Ayuste did not identify the names of the firms that wanted to develop the big ticket project identified by the Regional Development Council 11 last year.

Ayuste said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 11 has allocated some P20-million for the feasibility study that is expected to finish this year. Construction of the

1.2 kilometer is expected to commence on 2016 under a public-private partnership (PPP).

NEDA 11 tapped the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 11 to fully conduct the feasibility study for the megaproject.

The feasibility study will be in accordance to the recommendation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) that conducted a pre-feasibility study in 2002within the framework of the Davao Integrated Development Program (DIDP) Master Plan.

Based on an earlier report, Jica recommended that the full feasibility study should be conducted this year when Igacos has become more progressive, Ayuste said there a need to build a bridge to accommodate the growing number

Davao City to Samal will also double or triple the number of investments on tourism-related establishments.

“We can accommodate the influx of tourists because of easy accessibility,” Ayuste said.

The bridge, which will provide better accessibility to the island from the mainland, is expected to bring down the cost of constructing structures and other infrastructures in Samal island.

Davao del Norte Gov. and RDC 11 chairman Rodolfo del Rosario, a strong advocate of the construction of the megaproject prioritized for this year, emphasized in an earlier report that the “bridge will provide tremendous trade returns and tourism prospects to the island, which is included in the country’s master plan for tourism development.”

through the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and National Rice Program.

farmers and without prompt and proper intervention from the government. Never before has the Philippines had this increment in rice,” Alcala said.

DA is also banking on its current partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in support of the government’s food security blueprint called the Food Staples Sufficiency Program.

Under the agreement, DA and IRRI work together to produce and distribute high-quality and improved rice seeds that are adaptable to climate change. In addition, best agricultural practices and other support tools will be disseminated, including skills-training for extension and field workers.

DA to expand rice R&D efforts to boost output

T

A shoe repairman is all business doing his job while a lady passes by along San Pedro St. Rizal Park yesterday morning.

(Lean Daval Jr.)

of domestic and foreign tourists visiting Samal island.

“Actually, 12 years or 10 years ago, I am not into the bridge (project) because I want the island to be separated [from] the mainland,” Ayuesye said. “But now we can see that there is really a need to put up the bridge as it is difficult to go to the island during peak season.”

The project will provide a solution to the long queues at the Sasa wharf, especially during summer and holidays where there is a huge influx in the number of tourists,” according to Ayueste.

“Last December, the queuing time was three hours,” Ayuste said.

She said the bridge will not only have a positive effect on the tourism industry but can also bring more investments to the island.

The bridge connecting

HE Department of Agriculture said today that it plans to expand its research and development efforts on rice to help further improve the production of the crop.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the DA also intends to intensify the commercialization of diversified and integrated rice-based farming systems such as Palayamanan to enable farmers increase their productivity and incomes.

In Palayamanan, for instance, farmers are taught to combine rice growing with the cultivation of vegetables and other high value crops, as well as fish and livestock raising.

DA promotes the technology

Rice production in the Philippines has been on the uptrend for the past three years. Between 2010 and 2013, milled rice production grew by an average of 4.04 percent according to PhilRice. In 2014, palay harvest is projected to reach 18.88 million MT, 2.4% bigger than the 2013 record output of 18.44 million MT. The DA chief said the entire country owes this to the farmers who tirelessly worked to lead the country towards greater rice sufficiency and increased food security.

“We could not have reached these milestones without the

7 HEALTH

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 Vitamins (from the net)

Health supplements: To take or not to take

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“

NUTRITION in a pill” -that is how the Mayo Clinic describes health supplements. Although they aren’t for everyone, there are those who may need them to get nutrients they might otherwise be lacking.

“Supplements aren’t intended to be a food substitute because they can’t replicate all of the nutrients and benefits of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables,” the Mayo Clinic explains. “So depending on your situation and your eating habits, dietary supplements may not be worth the expense.”

If you compare whole foods over dietary supplements, the former has more benefits. Consider the following, according to the Mayo Clinic: Greater nutrition: “Whole foods are complex, containing a variety of the micronutrients your body needs — not just one.” For instance, an orange provides vitamin C plus some beta carotene, calcium, and other nutrients. A vitamin C supplement lacks these other micronutrients.

Essential fiber: Whole foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, provide dietary fiber.

“Most high-fiber foods are also packed with other essential nutrients,” the Mayo Clinic

points out, adding that fiber, as part of a healthy diet, can help prevent certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and it can also help manage constipation.

Protective substances: Whole foods contain other substances important for good health. Fruits and vegetables, for example, contain naturally occurring substances called phytochemicals, which may help protect you against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Many are also good sources of antioxidants — substances that slow down oxidation, a natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage.

As stated earlier, supplements are not for everyone.

People who are generally healthy and eat a wide variety of foods (including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and fish) don’t need supplements.

However, supplements — or fortified foods — are recommended in the following situations: Women who may become pregnant should get 400 micrograms a day of folic acid from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to eating foods that naturally contain folate. In addition, women

Are supplements really safe? (from the net)

who are pregnant should take a prenatal vitamin that includes iron or a separate iron supplement.

The Mayo Clinic says adults who are 50 years old or even older should eat foods fortified with vitamin B-12, such as fortified cereals, or take a multivitamin that contains B-12 or a separate B-12 supplement.

Dietary supplements also may be appropriate if a person doesn’t eat well or consumes less than 1,600 calories a day or if he or she is a vegetarian who eats a limited variety of foods. Supplements are also recommended to women who experience heavy bleeding during their menstrual period.

Other people who need dietary supplements are those who have a medical condition that affects how their body absorbs or uses nutrients, such as chronic diarrhea, food allergies, food intolerance or a disease of the liver, gallbladder, intestines or pancreas. Those who have had surgery on their digestive tract and are not able to digest and absorb nutrients properly must also take supplements.

“Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about which supplements and what doses might be appropriate for you,” the Mayo Clinic advises. “Be sure

Health supplements (from the net) to ask about possible side effects and interactions with any medications you take.”

In 2002, The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article claiming how nutrient deficiencies encourage disease.

In the said article, the authors pronounced it prudent for all adults to take vitamins to stave off chronic diseases. It listed the following: • Deficiency of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 heightens risk for colon and breast cancer, along with cardiovascular disease.

• When vitamin D is at a low level a high risk for osteopenia and bone fractures exists.

• Compromised levels of vitamins A, C and E potentially increase risks of various chronic diseases.

According to the nutritional-supplements-health-guide. com, fewer people would be hospitalized by taking a calcium supplement. Calcium has been touted as one of the “disappearing minerals” in vegetables due to soil erosion, which is now a big problem in the uplands.

This brings us to the subject of multivitamins. Are these necessary really? A study done by the Harvard School of Medicine concluded that every adult should take a multivitamin daily as a safe and inexpensive way to optimize health.

“Another study found that taking a multivitamin reduced the risk of first-time heart attack in a group of Swedish men and women aged 45 to 70,” webmd.com reports.

The webmd.com suggested that when picking a multivitamin, people should pay particular attention to the following to maximize benefit and minimize risk: Vitamin A: Choose a supplement with beta-carotene and mixed carotenoids, the raw material your body converts to vitamin A on an as-needed basis. Excessive vitamin A as retinol is detrimental to bone and liver health.

Iron: Men and post-menopausal women should take an iron-free multivitamin preparation unless their diet is very low in iron-rich foods, including meat and fortified grains. Iron may accumulate in the body and cause organ damage.

Folic Acid: Women in their childbearing years need 400 micrograms of folic acid every day to help prevent neural tube defects in the first month of pregnancy.

Vitamin D: Most multivitamins supply 400 International Units (IU) for vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption and may play a role in cancer prevention.

Vitamin E: Recently, some studies have shown safety concerns with “high doses” of vitamin E, or doses over 600800 IU daily.

Health experts remind that nutritional supplements will not replace a healthy diet - they supplement and help to balance an unhealthy diet.

“If you tend to skip meals, eat junk between meals or don’t choose organic foods, quality nutritional supplements are non-negotiable to promote a healthier mind, body and spirit,” the nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com reminds.

Or as Dr. Robert A. Rakowski, who serves as Clinic Director of Natural Medical Center in Houston, puts it: “Taking supplements in the absence of a good diet is still a poor diet with supplements.”

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

L

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Great advocacies

AST Sunday, this paper featured a lifetime advocacy of a Davao family worth emulating. We are referring to the Garcia family, a branch of the big Monteverde clan, whose intrepid patriarch was a pioneering business and community leader from the western Visayas. The family of the late former congressman Manuel M. Garcia was deeply involved and continues to be so in the formidable program to save the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) from extinction, an advocacy that had its beginnings close to half a century ago. The conservation program is a followup of the drive initiated Jesus Alvarez and Domingo Rabor of the Parks and Wildlife Office which got a tremendous boost with the entry of the famous American aviator, Capt. Charles Lindbergh. It was Lindbergh who contacted the Garcias, particularly Arthur, who donated his pet eagle Diola, to the movement. Arthur still has the one-page letter from Lindbergh thanking him for his contribution to the cam-

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

paign. The rest is history.

Indeed, so much of the strides of the save-the-eagle campaign may be credited to the Garcias, especially congressman Nonoy Garcia who carried the advocacy to the halls of Congress and served in the Philippine Eagle Conservation Foundation (PEF) all his life.

Enlightened families whose members have the means like the Garcias should involve themselves in worthwhile advocacies that would benefit the community if not the entire country.

Another example is shown by the Puentespinas, the family of Bert and Charita, whose efforts in the propagation of orchids and cacao and the development of dairy products are well known far and wide. These committed people still have fire in their stomachs and continue to pursue their dreams and passion for the benefit of all, many of them despite their advancing age. May their tribe increase!

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

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

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

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

RICHARD C. EBONA AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation Marketing Supervisor

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

Tel: (088) 852-4894

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

EDGEDAVAO

D

URING his time, Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist Lucius Annaeus Seneca said: “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”

Seneca’s thought came to mind when I read about Cebuana Lhuillier’s unique search for the happiest Pinoy. “We want to recognize outstanding Filipinos who are able to both rise above life’s challenges and positively impact the lives of other people with their positive outlook in life,” said Michael Sena, head of the micro financial company’s integrated marketing communications group, in a press statement.

The grand prize winner will receive a whoping P1 million while 9 runners-up will bring home P50,000 each. There is also special prize given to the happiest student and happiest overseas Filipino worker. “(The recognition) is our way of celebrating the values of optimism, resilience, and hope among Filipinos,” Sena said.

The search is now on its third year. In 2010, Winston Maxino, a corporate executive who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative and incurable bone disease, became the first winner. Rommel Arellano, a guidance counselor who was afflicted with polio with he was one, followed in 2012.

Just what is happiness? It’s too hard to determine what happiness is as each person has a different perspective in life. But Martha Washington gives us this beautiful gauge: “I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”

A

S the festivities of Christmas and holiday season are finally over, business establishments are now preoccupied with the processing of permits and licenses.

The onset of January is always marked with a long queue of people transacting for new business permit and renewal applications in one-stop shops purposely set up in the Sangguniang Panlungsod and in a mall to expedite the transactions.

A peculiar change this year, however, is the start of implementation of the new Amended Zoning Ordinance of Davao City (2013-2022), the legal instrument used as basis in granting locational clearances and development permits for any development undertaking in the city.

A “notice to the public” displayed in conspicuous places of City Hall announced that the new zoning ordinance has took effect after its approval of the city council and subsequent publication in a newspaper of general circulation as provided for in the Local Government Code.

The “notice” provides that all applications must conform to the new land classifications best illustrated in the accompanying zoning map.

A cursory look at the map showed that dark and light green remain the dominant colors, representing the forest and agricultural zones particularly located in the up-

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Don’t worry; be happy This re- THINK ON THESE! minds me of a story of three elderly men – who former classmates when they were still young – who had a recent reunion after several years of not seeing each other. Henrylito D. Tacio The three were relaxing in the henrytacio@gmail.com shade of a mango tree and philosophizing. One was a wellknown politician, another was a university professor, and the third was a simple farmer.

All three were dreaming about what they would love to have the following day. The politician said all he would like were two things: a new car that will bring him to a white-sand beach. The professor said he wanted a cup of hot coffee and spend the day reading a nice book at the library.

The farmer said he did not want anything special for tomorrow, but just the regular things that happened every day: the sunrise, crops growing well, and birds nesting and singing in his fruit trees.

That night, a strong earthquake rocked the province. It smashed the politician’s new car. As for the professor, his dream was also shattered: all the cups were broken and the library full of books burnt down.

But the farmer’s wishes were not in the least affected by the tremor. The sun rose as usual, the crops were growing well, and the birds nested and sang in the branches of his fruit trees.

“Happy is the man who does not dream great things for the future but takes each day as a present from the hand of God,” so goes a Chinese saying. “All presents are good.”

Happiness, at best, is an illusory goal.

“Happiness is not a destination; it is a man-

ner of traveling,” said Haim Ginott, a child psychologist and psychotherapist. “It is not an end in itself. It is a by-product of working, playing, loving, and living.”

Who are happy? Jane Canfield answered it well: “The happiest people are rarely the richest, or the most beautiful, or even the most talented. Happy people do not depend on excitement and ‘fun’ supplied by externals. They enjoy the fundamental, often very simple, things of life. They waste no time thinking other pastures are greener; they do not yearn for yesterday or tomorrow. They savor the moment, glad to be alive, enjoying their work, their families, and the good things around them. They are adaptable they can bend with the wind, adjust to the changes in their times, enjoy the contests of life, and feel themselves in harmony with the world.”

Despite this, people are searching for the elusive happiness. Where is it? You can’t find it in pleasure. English poet Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: “The worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone.”

Happiness can’t be found in wealth. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.” Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of position and fame. But both didn’t make him happy. “Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret,” he wrote.

You won’t even find real happiness in military glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept, because, he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.”

A sick man asked a philosopher to write some inspirational thought that could be treasured from generation to generation. So the wise man wrote: “Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”

The sick man, who was also very rich, was upset at the words and complained, “Is that what you call a happy message for my

family?”

The philosopher replied, “If your grandson would die before you and your son, you would be broken-hearted. If your family dies in the order I have written down, isn’t that prosperity and happiness?”

Happiness comes not from having much to live on but having much for live for. Once upon a time, there was a man who had grown weary of life. So, one day, he decided to leave his own hometown to search for the perfect Magical City where all would be different, new, full, and rewarding. So he left without saying goodbye to anyone.

On his journey, he found himself in a forest. As he settled down for the night, he was careful to take off his shoes and point them in the new direction toward which he was going. However, unknown to him, while he was sleeping, an animal happened to turn his shoes around. When the man awoke the next morning, he carefully stepped into his shoes and continued his journey to the Magical City.

After the few days, he finally came to the city he was looking for. Not quite as large as he had imagined it would be, however. In fact, it looked somewhat familiar. He found a familiar street, knocked at a familiar door, met a familiar family he found there – and lived happily ever after.

The search for happiness, someone once said, is one of the chief sources of unhappiness. Just think how happy you’d be if you lost everything you have right now – family, job, position, friends, home, etc. – and then got them back again.

Someone once wrote that the recipe for happiness is as follows: Take equal parts of faith and courage, mix well with a sense of humor, sprinkle with a few tears, and add a helping of kindness for others. Bake in a good-natured oven and dust with laughter.

Scrape away any self-indulgence that is apparent and serve with generous blessings.

Happiness is oftentimes overlooked simply because it doesn’t cost anything.

land areas. As compared to the preceding map, which was adopted since 1994, the new zoning map is more colorful.

It presents pink, representing areas for flood mitigation; dark yellow, representing areas for landslide mitigation; and other wide array of colors representing areas for environmental management, green zone, urban ecological enhancement, marine protection and mangrove rehabilitation.

The colorful presentation of the zoning map is not a product of an artistic creativity.

It reflects the physical and other environmental conditions that have been taking place in Davao City. It is a by-product of tabular statistics, thematic and derivative maps, terrain analysis, aerial satellite photos and actual field verifications and observations made by the team which formulated the focal Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), wherein the new

amended zoning ordinance is anchored.

Over the past decades, Davao City has to confront with new realities including the continuing pollution of coastal waters and denudation of forests, the presence of highly hazardous and pollutive industries, the encroachment of human settlements in foreshores and waterways and the city’s increasing vulnerability to rising sea level, flood, landslide and other natural and man-induced hazards.

Against the backdrop of these realities, the new ordinance embodies salient provisions which include the delineation of flood-prone and landslide prone areas where human settlement is prohibited, the water resource zone where water drilling and application of fertilizers and pesticides are prohibited, the rural settlement zone where industries are not allowed to operate and the fish sanctuary area where scuba diving, fishing activities or even the passage of all types of boats are prohibited.

Perhaps the most contentious provision is the identification of the urban ecological subzone which covers the Matina Shrine Hills where allowable uses are limited to ecological enhancement, biodiversity and other activities similarly permitted in the forest zone. Its controversy arose from the fact that there are property developers who were already granted with preliminary approval and locational clearance and development permit before the passage of the new zoning ordinance.

The ordinance provides that the city council may revoke or recall the issued clearances and permits. It also mandates the City Planning and Development Office and the City Engineer’s Office to jointly come up with implementing rules and regulations with respect to the enforcement of the new law on the utilization of vacant lots inside the approved subdivisions.

While not a perfect regulatory document, the provisions of the ordinance are clear and explicit in guiding us to track the path of sustainable development envisioned in the land use plan and other local policy documents.

However, public vigilance remains crucial as it also contains gray areas that may provide avenues for local policy and decision makers to circumvent the true spirit of the ordinance.

It particularly embodies a clause providing for “innovative modes for development” which declares that the uses enumerated in general zone and sub-zones are neither exhaustive nor all-inclusive. Under this provision, the city council, by a three-fourth majority, may allow other uses or projects it deemed are “socio-economic and environmental significance and/ or of national interest.”

Significance and interest are wide-ranging terms that maybe taken advantage to advance the personal gains of those who are in the position to alter the real intention of the law.

This reality, though, is nothing new.

New realities

10

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

All... FFROM 2

The Regatta was earlier scheduled to be held from January 17-18.

Dacal said they changed the schedule of the Regatta to an earlier date to enable policemen to focus security efforts to a particular activity.

Dacal said January 17 is reserved for the fluvial parade at 6:30 a.m. around Yllana Bay. It will be followed by the procession of Sto. Niño from the wharf to the Cathedral.

January 18 is the culmination of the festival, which is the feast day of Sto. Niño, the patron saint of this city.

Senior Supt. Sofronio Ecaldre, provincial police director, said they augmented the policemen tasked to provide security during the festival here.

The augmentation force came from the police offices of this province’ 26 municipalities. (PNA)

“We made a significant mark in terms of lowering our crime volume in 2014 and we will intensify further our fight against criminalities this year,” Camba said during the traditional New Year’s Call of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 on Monday.

The New Year’s Call an annual activity wherein members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) pay a courtesy call on their commanders or key officials in their respective areas of responsibility.

Aside from the reduced crime volume, the official said the ability of local police units to investigate and resolve crimes also improved last year.

He said such situation could be seen with the increase in the overall crime solution efficiency of the region to 38.33 percent last year from the previous 36.12 percent.

In terms of the operations against illegal drugs, Camba said they were able to launch a total of 517 raids and buy-busts from January to December 2014.

He said these operations led to the arrest of 700 suspected illegal drug pushers and couriers, majority of whom were already charged in local courts and

prosecution offices.

The anti-illegal drug operations resulted in the recovery of 1.8 kilograms of metamphetamine hydrocholoride or shabu and 8.8 kilograms of dried marijuana that were valued at P24 million, he said.

For this year, Camba said they have set various strategies to further improve the peace and order and security situation in the entire region.

He said they are specifically looking into various security setbacks, among them the deadly bomb attacks in North Cotabato and other parts of Region 12 last year.

“Setbacks that we are not proud of and have affected our morale. But these should not be a hindrance to our desire for excellence in the delivery of services,” he added.

During the New Year’s Call, the PRO-12 gave out citations and recognized local police offices, stations and units that recorded major accomplishments last year.

Among the major achievements in 2014 was the awarding of the PRO12 website by the PNP central office as the “Most Outstanding PNP website.”

(PNA)

structions and street-lighting,” he added.

Aside from the footbridges, the DPWH is also in partnership with the city government for the street-lighting of the dark city routes such as in Katangawan and Apopong.

For the past year alone, 617 LED street lights were already installed by the DPWH, City Engineers’ Of-

fice (CEO), and SOCOTECO II in the main routes in the city: 180 in the DARBCI-Hadano Park junction; 247 in the Lagao to Katangawan stretch; and 190 in the Lagao to Katangawan road.

The sum of P47 million was allocated by Mayor Rivera with the help of the Sangguniang Panglunsod for the street lighting. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

Elipe said that the city council has invited concerned department heads during the budget hearing in November to defend the proposed budget of their departments, but they did not come because they traveled abroad with the City Mayor.

“We, at the City Council, cannot simply approve a budget without a corresponding program of work. We are sim-

ply protecting the interest of the people,” Elipe said.

Councilor Ramon Tabor said that the Executive Department could go anywhere, but we are in a democratic country where the majority rules.

“Even Presidenr Barack Obama of the United States cannot reverse or prevent the laws approved by the majority of the US Congress,” Tabor said. (PNA)

Region... FFROM 4 NO HELMET. A motorcycle rider and his wife cruise along Quirino Avenue in Davao City with their helmet-less young child, a violation of Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009. Lean Daval Jr.

Indian... FFROM 1 by about 200 Indian medical students of the DMSF. In a meeting with Edge Davao on Monday night at The Marco Polo, Davao, Transworld president and chief executive officer Dr. David K. Pillai said the allegations of extortion, illegal detention, and implementation of unjust rules, fines, and penalties against Mohan were all untrue.

“We are willing to let you visit our dormitories for inspection and see it for yourselves,” he said.

Transworld is a pre-recruitment and recruitment firm based in Maharastra, India. It is the principal education associate of DMSF for student-applicants to its MD Program in India.

DMEMS, on the other hand, is a partner firm of Transworld that provides various services to the DMSF students recruited from India.

“These students just cannot find any issue against Mohan, that’s why they’re making up all these stories. Mohan doesn’t (even) drink nor smoke,” he added.

Among the complaints was overcharging the students, but Mohan, who was also in the meeting, showed a photo of the document on the violations and corresponding fines and penalties.

The document had the letterhead of DMSF and was signed by DMSF chief operating officer Oliver G. Victoriano and DMSF international student unit director Fitzgerald C. Arancel.

For his part, Transworld legal advisor lawyer Mel S. Sumatra said he heard that DMSF is already revising the list of fines and penalties.

Last week, a number of Indian students filed a blotter report at the San Pedro Police Precinct before meeting with city administrator Melchor Quitain on Thursday to discuss

their complaints.

In an earlier interview with Edge Davao, Mohan said three Indian nationals, along with a few collaborators, were behind a plot to cause a disturbance at the school so that the Indian students would be transferred to schools in Manila.

He said the three, whom he identified as Sateesh babu Garikapati, Sreenivasa babu velagapudi, and Ariyamuthu Gunasekharan, want to transfer the students to the Perpetual Help College of Manila and Lyceum College.

“Sateesh is trying to do maximum damage,” Mohan said. “Nothing to worry, I’m still fine but worried for the college.

Anyway I will not let them go through with their plan against the college. I will safeguard the college at any cost since it involves a lot of lives and the future of the students in this institution,” he added.

Mohan said he had already spoken with Quitain and showed documentary proof refuting the allegations of the students.

One of the complaints of the students was that Mohan was charging them P10,000 in rent per month instead of P6,000 which they had agreed upon before they arrived in Davao City.

Mohan said the P10,000 being collected from the students covers the following: buffet Indian food at three meals a day, accommodation, air conditioning, unlimited internet through wifi connection, study rooms, electricity (unlimited), water (unlimited), fully furnished rooms, transportation buses, 24 hour a day security, CCTV, and maintenance.

“All the other support services we offer for free like visa assistance, field trips, enrollment, medical assistance, etc,” he said.

Avila... FFROM 2

Avila said the number of registered senior citizens is divided into 421 chapters, with Toril district having the most number of chapters and members.

He said majority of the elderly registered are females at 58 percent.

“We must launch an information drive across our 182 barangays, encouraging senior citizens who are not currently employed and have no current coverage under the national health insurance program,” Avila said.

He said with the proposed IRR, the city must update the master list of the senior citizens which would be submitted to PhilHealth.

Avila said the ordinance mandates the expansion of OSCA that is supposed to cater to the 90,000 senior citizens.

He said it also mandates every district to have an OSCA. The City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) must go to the barangays to render services to them.

[ABF]

strengthening stakeholders partnership, expressing optimism in expanding developmental programs and delivery of basic services to the geographically-isolated and depressed priority ar-

eas under 10th ID. Año said the 10th Infantry Division will remain steadfast in its mandate as the people’s reliable partner in peace and development in this part of the country.

For the first focus, the EU will be working closely with the Supreme Court to ensure implementation of comprehensive justice reforms in the future.

The projects for energy, on the other hand, aim for rural electrification wherein more than 500,000 Filipinos will gain access to sustainable electricity which will include renewable energy.

The EU envoy also noted that a big portion of the EU assistance will be allotted to Mindanao to create livelihood, promote public health, and peace building in the region.

Meanwhile, NEDA’s Tungpalan said the increased assistance of EU to the Philippines reflects the strong partnership of the country and the European bloc in pursuing to create better lives for Filipinos.

“The increase in EU assistance to the Philippines to 325 million euros from 130 million euros for the next six years is also highly reflective of EU’s continued commitment to support the Philip-

pine government’s efforts to significantly reduce poverty mainly through massive generation of quality employment; sustain the gains from governance reform; and to lay the groundwork for a more significant reduction of poverty,” Tungpalan said.

He noted that the Php17-billion EU assistance will go through investment coordination process in which NEDA will certify specific projects where the aid will be distributed.

In EU’s previous assistance, its aid supported activities in of health, Trade-Related Technical Assistance (TRTA), good governance, and supporting to the peace process in Mindanao.

“The use of ODA (official development assistance) now is more on building capacity; very selective technical assistance as well as dwelling into transformational areas like rule of law and accessible energy and the likes. While the total ODA is shrinking, the use of ODA must be more strategic,” the NEDA official noted.

(PNA)

10th... FFROM 2

Good... FFROM 3

Gensan... FFROM 4

CDO... FFROM 4

BIGGER PICTURE 11

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

SP commends Dabawenyo president of NY university

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

T

HE Davao City Council has passed a resolution commending a Davaoeño who is now the president of a university in New York.

In a resolution filed by councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, the City Council acknowledged the exemplary works of Dr. Conrado Gempesaw as the first Filipino president of St. John University in Queens, New York.

“He being a Dabawenyo has indeed brought honor and pride to the people of Davao City,” the resolution said.

Gempesaw obtained his degrees in Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the Ateneo de Davao University, Master of Science in Agricultural Economics at West Virginia University, and his Doctors of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics in Pennsylvania State University.

Gempesaw assumed of-

fice as the 17th president of St. John University on July 14, 2014.

He had served as Dean of the University of Delaware (UD), Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, Vice-Provost for Academic and International Programs, Interim Dean of UD’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Chairperson of the Department of Food and Resource Economics.

He is an accomplished scholar and administrator who went to St. John for almost three decades of academic and administrative experience, transforming the lives of the students through the education they received.

“Teachers play an important role in any society because they are the people who educate youth of society who in turn become the leaders of next generation of people,” the City Council resolution said.

S a public service to millions of Filipinos who want to share their Papal Visit experience online, Twitter and Smart Communications, Inc. have teamed up to offer unlimited access to the popular social networking app on mobile phones for free from January 15 to 19, 2015.

Under the service, all 69 million prepaid and postpaid subscribers of Smart, Sun Cellular, and Talk ‘N Text may take to Twitter without worrying about mobile data charges, allowing more Filipinos to follow the Pope’s Twitter account (@Pontifex), send wishes and prayers to the Pope using #DearPopeFrancis hashtag, and get real-time updates on the much anticipated apostolic and state visit of Pope Francis in the Philip-

pines.

More details of the Pope’s visit, including #DearPopeFrancis Tweets, videos, stories and the Pope’s itinerary, can be found at dearpopefrancis.ph.

“With this collaboration, Smart and Twitter aim to allow more Filipinos to get involved and immerse in this historic experience with Pope Francis, who our Catholic nation hold very dear to our heart,” said Napoleon L. Nazareno, president and CEO, PLDT and Smart.

Starting January 15, Smart, Sun Cellular and Talk ‘N Text subscribers nationwide may start their one-time registration for the free Twitter service by simply texting DEARPOPE to 9999.

Once registered, subscribers may tweet their

Gempesaw

Smart gives free Twitter access during Pope’s visit GenSan church puts up Pope standee for ‘selfies’ A

Pope Francis

aspirations and messages to the beloved Pope using #DearPopeFrancis. Subscribers may also post real-time updates, upload photos, and even reach out to him through his official Twitter account @ Pontifex on their mobile devices at no extra cost.

The Pope is the second most followed world leader on Twitter today with over 17 million followers across his nine accounts in different languages. His Tweets are among the most popular on Twitter and are consistently retweeted several thousand times.

Twitter India and Southeast Asia Director for Business Development Arvinder Gujral said Twitter is “excited to partner with Smart to enable all Filipinos to get closer to the Pope and connect with the local community for

this historic occasion – from expressing their hopes and prayers using Tweets with #DearPopeFrancis hashtag as well as getting real-time updates, photos and conversations in their Twitter timeline on Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the Philippines.”

Upon successful registration, subscribers may either use the Twitter mobile app or access m.twitter.com on their mobile browser for the whole duration of the Papal visit.

Subscribers have to maintain at least P1 load balance every day or be subscribed to any plan, promo or bundle to enjoy the free service.

Mobile users who are registered to the ongoing Smart Free Internet promo may enjoy the Free Twitter service on top of their 30 MB allocation.

T

HE Catholic faithful here may now get a glimpse and even pose for a “selfie” with Pope Francis.

This as the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (OLPGV) parish church here has put up a life-size standee of Pope Francis to allow parishioners who will not have a chance to personally witness his upcoming visit to the country to still “feel his presence.”

Fr. Willy Estraza, OLPGV parish priest, said they came up with the standee to celebrate the visit of the Pope, who is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Thursday.

He said they will place the standee in front of the parish church’s main entrance along Roxas Avenue here starting Thursday.

The OLPGV church is located near the city hall complex and is considered as the city’s main parish.

“Anyone can have their picture taken with the Pope’s standee but they should be in proper attire,” Estraza said.

Based on the guidelines, pictures, whether selfies or groupies, must be taken with utmost respect and indecent poses. Revealing dresses and anything that is disrespectful are all prohibited.

It said making fun of the

Pope standee will not be allowed at any time.

Pope Francis, who is now in Sri Lanka for the first leg of his mission in Asia, will arrive in Manila on Thursday and will stay in the country for five days.

His itinerary includes a visit to Leyte province to meet with survivors of typhoon Yolanda and other calamities that had hit the area.

He will also meet with government and Catholic Church leaders and lead a mass in in Manila on Sunday.

On Tuesday, diocesan and Passionist priests of the Diocese of Marbel, covers this city and the province of South Cotabato and Sarangani, gathered at the OLPGV church here for a joint recollection.

The recollection was led

by Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez.

The passes for priests from the diocese who were chosen to join the Papal mass in Manila will be released during the activity.

Meanwhile, Catholic churches in the city have scheduled special masses to coincide with the Papal mass.

The SM mall here will hold a public streaming of the scheduled Papal mass from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

(PNA)

12

CLASSIFIED

There’sa betterway toget attention.

Advertise

EDGEDAVAO

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

with

Billiard Supplies

EDGEDAVAO CLASSIFIEDS

Phone Nos.

Cell Nos.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

INdulge!

WOMEN MOTHERHOOD has its way of changing one woman’s life altogether. It opens one’s mind to greater possibilities, leading the path to self discovery.

In the case of budding entrepreneur Natalie Te Hao, it became a turning point where she decided to take a detour from her career plans and rekindle and realize an old dream.

“I spent a lot of time exploring what I really wanted to do in life. I even went abroad just to study Science and Accounting, and eventually worked in an investment company.

Despite the fact that I had all the support I needed from my family, I still felt there was something else I wanted to fulfill. I guess nothing is greater than my first love which is crafting,” shares Natalie.

After spending 5 years in Canada, she decided to get married and settle down in Davao. In her humble nest she was able to start life anew and make a family of her own.

With the birth of her daughter, Leuvane Louis or “Leuvy”, Natalie realized she wanted to dedicate her time and attention to the baby and all matters in and around her house.

Her husband, Sam, is a businessman and she also helps out in their business in any way she could even from home.

“I’ve always wanted a little girl and I’ve been granted this wish. I get excited at the thought of dressing up my daughter in tutus I made myself.

I went back to making DIY projects, like I was a kid once again, making headbands and clips out of

scrap fabric and ribbons. I get giddy and my imagination runs wild whenever I see leather, strips of cloth, buttons, strings, glitters, glue, bold prints and bright colors. Knowing how much I love crafting, my husband put up a little nook for me in our bedroom, where I could work on crafts while my daughter’s asleep. I would post my little projects on social media to show my friends my latest creation for Leuvy. Little did I know that their own friends and relatives started to take notice of my work. Then I began receiving inquiries and orders for handmade accessories for special occasions and photo shoots.”

Baby pictorials are so hot with parents and photographers nowadays and it helped Natalie create a niche market of her own.

She got referrals from one parent to another and her accessories began selling like hotcakes. Little Leuvy, as she dubbed her line of handmade creations, grew into a collection of fabric blooms from clips, hair bows and head bands, plus some wedding accessories

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

Crowning

glory

such as bouquets and boutonnières.

“It was overwhelming at first because I didn’t expect that I could make a business out of what I am doing. It all started as a hobby. Now, I find myself basking and sharing in the joy and excitement of other mothers, seeing them dote on their child the same way I do.

It’s gratifying in the sense that I get to part of their family memories. This brand is very personal for me because it’s inspired by my love for family,” beams Natalie.

For orders, send a message to the Little Leuvy account on Facebook and Instagram. You may also contact Natalie at 09235276451.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Yolanda memorial sites serve as beacon of hope TWO mass burial sites in Yolanda-ravaged Leyte province—the first, a section of the San Joaquin Parish grounds in Palo, and the second, a junction island in Brgy. Calogcog in Tanauan, have been transformed into dignified memorial sites in commemoration of lives lost when the super typhoon and storm surge struck the area.

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), with the support of the Palo Archdiocese under Archbishop John F. Du, and Tanauan Mayor Pelagio Tecson, tapped Mindanao-based artist Rey Mudjahid “Kublai” P. Millan to build the monuments in the affected communities to also serve as beacons of hope, a reminder to never to give up even when faced by devastation and challenges as severe as the ones posed by Yolanda.

“My work not only speaks of the tragedy Yolanda brought to the people, but of the surge of benevolence that poured in from all over the world, as well as the renewed Christian faith the survivors manifested as they picked up the pieces of their lives,” said Millan.

“These memorials will remind us not only of the lives lost to Yolanda but also of those who helped so survivors can get on with their lives and bounce back from the devastation. Smart, along with other companies under the leadership of businessman Manny V. Pangilinan, has committed to assist in the longterm rehabilitation of the communities affected by Yolanda,” said Ramon R. Isberto, head of

Public Affairs, at Smart.

The two memorial monuments, which are nearing completion, are located next to mass graves.

On the grounds of San Joaquin Parish, where more than 400 were buried right after the storm, now stands a chapel, the centerpiece of which is the altar backdrop.

Parish priest Fr. Kelvin Apurillo said while the parish had among the highest number of deaths on record, those who survived are moving on with renewed faith.

“I want to dwell on the posi-

tive, so that while there is a reminder about the typhoon, you can see how the image rises up to depict the people’s strong spirituality,” Millan.

Outside the chapel are figures of smiling people, in memory of those who perished.

A former lamppost was also converted as centerpiece—the “Eternal Flame”, a sculpture of a candle, with tallows to symbolize tears, but with praying hands as its flames. “Here lies love, here lights love,” the granite marker nailed on the sculpture reads.

Meanwhile, along the Tanauan highway in Brgy Calogdog is

“Surge of Hope.”

The main structures are two spiral curves measuring 14 feet, the estimated height of the typhoon surge, but made in a way that the more observant will see an infant curled up securely within the curves.

On the left are abstracts of aid workers and volunteers while on the right are similar figures, but this time depicting the survivors. In the middle stood a mass of figures that are building and holding each other up, releasing a flock of birds to the sky, topped with a rainbow and more birds.

Both monuments are a tes-

timony to the survivors’ deep faith, based on the stories gathered by the artist from the people during his visits there.

Later this year, Millan will also be putting up a station of the cross at the Gonzagahaus, the Archbishop’s residence in Palo, in memory of Yolanda as well.

The Calvary of Jesus in these stations will be juxtaposed with the Calvary of the people.

Companies under the Mr. Pangilinan’s leadership have also set up a memorial for the survivors of Typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental as part of efforts to help rebuild affected communities.

Boyce Avenue to perform live in Davao on Feb. 15 CATCH Spotify’s most streamed international artist in the Philippines, Boyce Avenue, live this February 15, 2015 at the SMX Davao Convention Center.

Composed of three brothers namely Alejandro Luis Manzano, Fabian Rafael Manzano and Daniel Enrique Manzano. Boyce Avenue has headlined six tours in Great Britain and Ireland, six tours in continental Europe, four tours in the USA, three tours in Cana-

da, a tour in Australia, and have played several shows in Southeast Asia. In August 2010, Boyce Avenue also performed with the Goo Goo Dolls and Switchfoot.

To date the band’s YouTube channel has amassed over 1,000,000,000 views and over 5,500,000 subscribers making them the biggest band on the network!

Boyce Avenue: Live in Davao is brought to you by Ovation Productions. Call 09326376185 or 09162867088 for tickets.

SCORE AWESOME SALE ITEMS FROM VARIOUS ABREEZA MALL STORES. Sports and fitness fans drop by AbreezaMall’s RED BAZAAR from January 7 to 21. Get great deals from Abreeza Mall merchants such as Furn One, Dunlopillo, Blims, Soul Lifestyle, Isis, Robinsons Department Store, Femme, Alveo, Watsons, Zen Zest, Trevise, and Toby’s

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Pope Francis’ visit live and in HD coverage on SKYcable FREE VIEW WITH the whole Catholic faithful anticipating the first Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines, SKYcable FREE VIEW brings every Filipino family the opportunity to witness each moment of this inspiring event.

The focus of Pope Francis’ very first trip to the Philippines is to provide comfort to those devastated by Typhoon Haiyan and the Bohol Earthquake that struck the Visayas region in 2013. The Pope’s stay stretches from January 15 to 19, 2015, ensuring that the healing message of Christ reaches those in need. The Apostolic Visit’s highlight is a luncheon with typhoon survivors at the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo, Leyte on January 17.

On January 16, the Pope’s itinerary includes a Holy Mass with the Catholic Bishops and

Priests at the Manila Cathedral, followed by a Meeting with the Families at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. His return to Manila on January 18 concludes with a Holy Mass in Rizal Park, Manila.

The faithful can watch the entire Papal Visit live, uninterrupted, and in high definition (HD) through SKYcable FREE VIEW. SKYcable FREE VIEW is exclusive to all digital subscribers of SKYcable nationwide.

SKYcable subscribers in Metro Manila, Rizal,

Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan (San Jose del Monte) can view the live feed through CH 195 (HD) and CH 99 in Standard Definition (SD), while those in Baguio, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Davao, and Gen. Santos can tune in to CH 702 (HD) and CH 22 (SD). And before the Pope’s arrival, subscribers can also enjoy special documentaries about His Holiness on the same channels (SD) listed above from January 13 to 14.

Aside from SKYcable

FREE VIEW, subscribers may also log in to iWant TV and watch the latest updates on the Papal visit and specials on the Pope on the PopeTYSM channel until January 25, 2015. iWant TV will also livestream the coverage of ABS-CBN, ANC, and DZMM Teleradyo during the entire length of the Papal Visit.

SKYcable continues to offer subscribers the widest selection of premium entertainment. Plus, discover more ways of enjoying your digital cable TV with SKYcable’s over 190 channels, flexible subscription options via SELECT, iRECORD feature that records, pauses and rewinds live TV, and real-time exclusive coverage of TV specials, live concerts, and sporting events via PAY-PERVIEW and FREE VIEW. To know more about FREE VIEW and SKYcable’s digital cable TV plans, log on to www. mysky.com.ph, or call the 24-hour customer

service hotlines at 02 381-0000 for Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, and Rizal; 046-484-4701 for Cavite; 049-534-2814 for Calamba and Binan, Laguna; 02-520-8560 for San Pedro, Laguna; 044693-5877 for Bulacan;

032-421-1818 for Cebu; 082-305-5456 for Davao; 074-442-4841 for Baguio; 034-432-0051 for Bacolod; 033-300-1210 for Iloilo; 035-225-1010 for Dumaguete; and 083301-3134 for Gen. Santos City.

“Flordeliza” puts family first, premieres this January 19 ABS-CBN’s newest drama series “Flordeliza” will remind viewers of the crucial role of the family in molding the hearts and minds of children beginning January 19 (Monday).

Featuring the highly anticipated return of the ‘90s iconic Kapamilya love team of Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin, “Flordeliza” is based on the names of the lead characters, Florida (Jolina) and her daughter Flor (Ashley Sarmiento), and Elizabeth (Desiree del Valle) and her child Liza (Rhed Bustamante). “‘Flordeliza’ is a tale about two families. It focuses on two loving mothers and their daughters, who will be drawn closer by love but

torn apart by one sad truth. It will make viewers realize that the love of our family is what really makes us whole,” said Master Storyteller Wenn V. Deramas, who conceptualized the story and will co-direct the series with Tots Sanchez-Mariscal IV. Also part of the “Flordeliza” cast are Carlo Aquino, Elizabeth Oropesa, Tetchie Agbayani, and Juan Rodrigo.

Don’t miss the beginning of “Flordeliza” on January 19 during ABSCBN’s “Kapamilya Thank You Day.” For more updates, follow the show’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/ FlordelizaPH, Twitter. com/ FlordelizaPH and Instagram.com/ FlordelizaPH.

January 14, 2015

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB / * BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP PG 13 / *R 16

Ben Stiller, Robin Williams/ * Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth 12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 LFS / * 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

TAKEN 3 Liam Neeson PG 13

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

SEVENTH SON Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges PG 13

R-16

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

AMAZING PRAYBEYT BENJAMIN / *EDSA WOOLWORTH Vice Ganda, Richard Yap / * Pokwang PG 13 / *PG 13

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

TRAVEL

LEGOLAND Fun for kids big and small THE summer break may be far away but it does not hurt to plan your travel way in advance to be able to get the best airline deals as well as polish your itinerary so that everyone in the group is happy with their travel experience.

This is harder when you plan for trips that include teens and smaller kids as some attractions may appeal to some but may be a bit too tame for others.

Bringing together the Legoland Theme Park, Water Park, and a 249-room Lego-themed Hotel, Legoland Malaysia Resort appeals to a wide demographic, from small kids to the kids at heart, and is a surefire destination that will make one’s family summer travel a memorable one.

I was able to take a tour of the resort on a quick visit to Johor Baru and from the get-go I would say that I was a child once again. The moment I set foot onto the Legoland Hotel’s lobby, I was greeted by waiting areas filled with Lego bricks where guests and their kids can build whatever they liked to their hearts’ content. I was also given a quick tour of the property and its themed rooms where guests can choose from a Pirate theme, Kingdom theme, or Adventure theme. All the rooms consist of a main room for the parents and a separate room with bunk beds plus a pull-out for the kids. All the rooms are fun and gaily decorated with Lego bricks as well as items made of Lego bricks. There is also a treasure hunting game built into the rooms themselves where kids can search for clues within the room to find a hidden combination to unlock a hidden stash of Lego bricks which they can bring home afterwards.

From the hotel, it is a short walk to the adjacent Legoland Waterpark which is an interactive and fully Lego themed water park. The largest Legoland Water Park in the world, it has more than 20 unique waterbased rides such as the Build-A-

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Legoland Hotel from the Legoland Water Park. At Legoland’s Miniland. A scene in the Lego Star Wars Miniland. Inside the Piratethemed room of the Legoland Hotel.

The lobby of the Legoland Hotel features a massive pirate ship as well as a castle filled with Lego bricks for guests to play.

Raft River, where children can customise their own raft made from soft Lego bricks before floating down the lazy river, and the Joker Soaker, a fun and interactive play structure in the wade pool where children can aim water cannons at one another; as well as over 70 Lego models among its many attractions.

Right besides the water park is the Legoland Theme Park.

The first phase of the Legoland Malaysia Resort, the theme park is a fully interactive park

that provides a full day or activities and fun for the whole family. Divided into seven themed areas, each part of the park contains thrilling rides, Lego workshops, and the park’s centrepiece, Miniland, where Asia’s interesting landscapes, countries, and landmarks are recreated in miniature using more than 30 million Lego bricks.

The more adventurous teens will love the Lego Technic area’s high speed rides such as the Technic Twister and the

Aquazone Wave Racer. There is also a Lego Academy and Lego Mindstorms where workshops encourage budding minds to build robots out of Lego bricks.

But if you ask me, one of my favourite zones of the Legoland Theme Park is the new Lego Star Wars Miniland where scenes from the Star Wars movies come to life in 1.5 million Lego bricks with matching light show and moving parts. My jaw literally dropped when the massive 1.8-meter long and 1.3-meter wide Millennium Falcon

rose up with lights ablaze.

Legoland Resort Malaysia, Aisa’s only Legoland resort, is located at Johor Nusajaya and is accessible from Singapore using their direct bus service with WTS Travel from the Singapore Flyer. For more information or bookings, you can check out Legoland Malaysia Resort’s website at www.legoland.my.

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

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

EDGE DAVAO Serving a seamless society

WANTS YOU!

ZION

ACCUPRINT PUBLISHING, INC.

MACHINE OPERATOR (Printing Press)

Qualifications:

Account Executives (2) - Male / Female, not more than 30 years old - Candidate must posses a Bachelor/ College Degree in any Business field.

- Willing to work under pressure, flexible, persuasive, can speak fluently and computer literate - A team player - With Basic Salary, Transportation, Communication, allowance + Commission For interested applicants, you may send your resume to: HR Department EDGEDavao

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

13

EDGEDAVAO

- At least high school graduate, not more than 30 years old - Physically and mentally fit - Can handle minor repairs of the machine - Has the ability to be cool under pressure of deadlines and complex projects - Experience of at least one year Door 14 Alcrej Building, Quirino Ave., 8000 Davao City, Philippines E-mail: marketing@edgedavao.net zion_publishing@yahoo.com Telefax: (082) 2213601 Website: www.edgedavao.net

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND Or PAG-IBIG FUND, Mortgagee -versus-

EJF-REM CASE NO. 14,959-14

ARNULFO S. LUMANLAN, married to VIRGINIA S. LUMANLAN, Mortgagor/s x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND OR PAG-IBIG FUND against ARNULFO S. LUMANLAN, married to VIRGINIA S. LUMANLAN with postal address at LOT 319-B, BLK.00 55 ROLLS ROYCE ST., DAVAO EXECUTIVE HOMES, MATINA, DAVAO CITY to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness in the total amount of ( P 731,495.84 ) Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest and penalty charges, as of April 28, 2014 plus attorney’s fees equivalent to TEN ( 10%) of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on January 16, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T- 146-2010009723

“A parcel of land (LOT 379-B-2-C-1-D-1-0, PSD -11-020047, XXX) situated in the Barrio of Matina , City of Davao, Island of Mindanao…xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) SQUARE METERS, more or less” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date,it shall be held on FEBRUARY 13, 2015, without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, DECEMBER 02, 2014

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROV’L SHERIFF:

Noted by:

(SGD.) ROBERT M. MEDIALDEA Sheriff IV

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff (1/7,14,21)

14

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Rockets blast Nets D

WIGHT Howard’s face might have been stinging from Kevin Garnett ramming his head into it, and now his ears were ringing as fans directed loud boos toward him.

Howard wasn’t tempted to silence them by demanding the ball at the expense of Houston’s offense. He was after a win, not revenge. ‘’As long as we win the game, that’s all that matters,’’ Howard said. ‘’We’ve got 82 games and the playoffs. I’ll do my damage when it’s time.’’

James Harden scored 30 points, carrying Houston on a night when Howard did little after fighting with Garnett, and the Rockets beat the slumping Brooklyn Nets 113-99 on Monday.

Garnett was ejected in the first quarter after head-butting Howard in the face and throwing the ball at him, while Howard received a technical foul after appearing to punch or slap Garnett in the neck.

Howard finished with eight points and five rebounds, but the Rockets didn’t need much in the middle while dominating from the outside with 16 3-pointers in 40 attempts.

The only time they really were stopped is when referees halted the action to review video of the scuffle. ‘’I think we’ve been locked in these last few games and so a little hesitation wasn’t going to stop us from our goal, and that was to win the game,’’ Harden said.

Mason Plumlee scored a career-high 24 points for the Nets, who lost their sixth straight. ‘’Kevin did a lot for us, got us going,’’ Plumlee said of Garnett, who didn’t speak to reporters. ‘’Those are the kind

Dwight Howard (left) of the Houston Rockets tries to get past Jarrett Jack(right) and Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Pistons knock off Raptors

E

MBARRASSED by Toronto at home last month, the Detroit Pistons got their revenge on Monday night.

Brandon Jennings had 34 points and 10 assists, leading the Pistons to a 114-111 victory over the Raptors.

Greg Monroe had 22 points and 10 rebounds as Detroit won for the ninth time in 10 games. Andre Drummond added 10 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Pistons end a four-game losing streak against Toronto.

It was a much different performance than their first meeting of the season, when Detroit lost 110-100 on Dec. 19. In that game, hundreds of hollering Raptors fans filled the Palace and celebrated wildly when James Johnson threw down a vicious dunk on Drummond. ‘’Guys thought it was a little disappointing and embarrassing,’’ Jennings said. ‘’We wanted to come here and get a

win tonight.’’

Jennings played a key role with 20 points in the second half, including 15 in the game-changing third quarter. ‘’Brandon was unbelievable,’’ Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘’He just put us on his back and carried us.’’

Jodie Meeks scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth, and Jonas Jerebko had eight of his 10 in the final period of Detroit’s sixth straight road win.

Jonas Valanciunas scored a career-best 31 points and had 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Kyle Lowry had 10 points and 12 assists, Greivis Vasquez scored 16 and Lou Williams had 15.

Amir Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, and Terrence Ross scored 12.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey said carelessness was costly for his team, which finished with 19 turnovers.

of games as a team you want to win and we didn’t do that.’’

Houston has won four in a row, all by double digits, and blew away a Nets team that had held its previous eight opponents under 100 points, the longest streak in the NBA this season.

The Nets consistently lost Houston’s shooters on the perimeter, and the Rockets easily surpassed their NBA-best average of 11.8 3-pointers per game.

They already had 17 points before Garnett became angry after he was called for a foul against Howard with 7:53 left in the first quarter. The players lightly shoved each other before Garnett threw the ball into Howard’s back, and as the players went face-to-face, Garnett rammed his head into the area near Howard’s mouth.

Howard responded with his right hand, and even after the players were separated, Garnett tried to get at Howard again before being escorted toward the locker room. ‘’In the good old days that was a play-on, now they throw people out,’’ Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. ‘’I don’t think it was that big of a deal.’’

Howard received only a technical foul, with Nets coach Lionel Hollins saying officials told him it didn’t look like Howard threw a punch. If the NBA decides otherwise after a review, he could be suspended Wednesday when the Rockets return to Orlando, his longtime NBA home. ‘’That’s not up to me,’’ Howard said.

The Rockets broke a tie atop the Southwest Division with the Memphis Grizzlies, whom the Nets host on Wednesday as Hollins faces his former team.

LeBron practices, could return against Suns

L

EBRON James returned to practice with his Cleveland teammates on Monday and said afterward it will be a ‘’game-time decision’’ on whether he will play against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

James has been sidelined for two weeks to rest his injured left knee. ‘’Hopefully my body reacts really well tomorrow,’’ he said. ‘’I’m going to get some treatment. I just got some and I’m going to get some more tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.’’

The Cavaliers have gone 1-7 in the four-time MVP’s absence and have dropped five in a row.

James said his time off was good ‘’for me but not for the team.’’ ‘’We struggled and I hate seeing that and I hate seeing us not play to our ability with me sitting out,’’ he said.

Cleveland’s latest loss

was 103-84 at Sacramento on Sunday. ‘’We just play well at times but we don’t sustain the effort for 48 minutes,’’ he said. ‘’If a team jumps on us in any quarter, we have a tendency to kind of just - I don’t want to say give up - but kind of just let our guard down a little bit.’’

The Cavaliers dropped to 19-19 with their latest loss and are sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, a halfgame behind Milwaukee.

James was asked whether the 44 remaining games are enough to get the team where it needs to be for the playoffs. ‘’Playoffs is something we don’t need to be thinking about right now,’’ he said. ‘’We’re not ready to win a seven-game series. We’re nowhere near ready to even think about the postseason with our struggles of late. We need to get back to our winning ways.’’

LeBron James shoots the ball before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena on Sunday in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

15

Davraa ‘15 moved to Feb. 24-28

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

P

REPARATIONS are now in full swing for the staging of the Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet 2015 in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental.

No less than Mayor Carlo Luis P. Rabat gave assurance of the city’s readiness in playing host to the Davao Region’s biggest sporting event for elementary and secondary athletes.

Officials of the host city, however, announced on Tuesday that the Davraa 2015 has been moved to Feb. 24 to 28 this time from the original schedule of Feb. 22 to 26 in lieu of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

The host city said it cannot accommodate visiting delega-

tions until Feb. 22 since most of the schools eyed for billeting venues will be utilized as polling precincts during the youth political exercise.

The new date was approved during the Davraa board meeting at the Department of Education (Deped) 11office yesterday morning.

The Mati LGU is now eyeing either Chris Tiu of Rain or Shine or actor Dingdong Dantes as keynote speaker during the opening ceremony set on February 24.

There will be 10 billeting venues being prepared for the different delegations, technical and officiating officials and members of the screening committee.

RCHARD Golf and Country Club will defend its first-ever title in the 68th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf team tournament next month in Cebu City.

Orchard romped to an 18-point win over Alabang last year in Bacolod City, but may find its hands full without key player John Kier Abdon who has turned professional.

Looming as a big threat to Orchard’s back-to-back bid is Cebu Country Club which is expected to do well in its home course.

Aside from the CCC, the regular tournament will also be played at the Club Filipino de Cebu on Feb. 25-28.

The top three teams in the Founders division (Negros Occidental, Manila Southwoods and Wack

Wack), Sportswriters (Eagle Ridge, Lumbia and Club Filipino) and Friendship (Fil-Am Hawaii, Victorias Golf and South Cotabato) are also returning to Cebu.

Meanwhile, a three-way title fight looms in the seniors’ event with Luisita defending its crown against rival Canlubang and darkhorse Orchard.

The seniors’ contest will be played at Club Filipino de Cebu and Mactan Island Golf and Country Club on Feb. 1922.

Meanwhile, Luisita won their 15th Seniors crown – the most by any Interclub team over the last 28 years.

The 2015 PAL Interclub is being played in Cebu, venue of the 2013 edition, due to the clamor of participants, particularly those coming from abroad.

Orchard defends PAL Interclub title in Cebu O

W

E all we’re introduced to sports at a young and in my case, I was first introduced to tennis being born to a tennis-crazy family.

I learned to play tennis when tennis balls were still white and my first racquet was wood. Today, gone are these dinosaurs. White tennis balls are just mementoes and wooden racquets are retired in museums.

Today, they make racquets that make you serve like a hurricane and hit groundstrokes like a tornado. Balls have gone hi-viz greens and the courts have evolved rather differently. Australia, for one, is using blue courts.

Speaking of Australia, it’s all tennis all over Down Under where it’s summer at this time of the year. It starts off with the Hopman Cup staged in

January here in Perth in Western Australia.

The Hopman Cup championship is named in honour of Harry Hopman (1906– 1985), an Australian tennis player and coach who guided the country to 15 Davis Cup titles between 1938 and 1969.

The event has been attended each year by Harry Hopman’s widow (his second wife) Lucy since the Hopman Cup was founded in 1989.

Lucy travels to the tournament annually from her home in Florida. This year, Lucy, now 90 years old, didn’t make it to the event but sent her greeting on a video beamed at the giant LED screens of Perth Arena.

Hopman Cup is a sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), but individual player results are not included in the calculation

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the trophy after winning the FIFA Men’s soccer player of the year 2014 prize at the FIFA Ballon d’Or awarding ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday.

Ronaldo wins 2014 Ballon d’Or award C RISTIANO Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the second year running and the third overall on Monday and said he wanted to become “one of the greatest players of all time.”

The Real Madrid forward polled more than double the number of votes as his bitter rival Lionel Messi who only just edged Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into third

place.

Joachim Loew won the Coach of the Year of the award after leading Germany to the World Cup title in Brazil, finishing ahead of Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone in the poll.

Colombia’s James Rodriguez won the Puskas award for the best goal, a spectacular volley on the turn for Colombia in their World Cup match against Uruguay.

Nadine Kessler of VfL Wolfs-

burg and Germany won the women’s Player of the Year award.

Ronaldo was forgiven for a disappointing World Cup, with Portugal going out in the first round.

Instead, the voters - the coaches and captains of the 209 national teams plus one journalist for each country were swayed by his prolific goal-scoring and trophy-laden year with Real Madrid, where he has flourished under Ancelotti.

“I never thought that I would bring this trophy back home on three occasions and I want to win it again. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time,” Ronaldo told the audience after a ceremony which lasted nearly two hours.

Ronaldo, who has made a point of displaying his rippling muscles in his goal celebrations, then bellowed “Sim” (yes) into the microphone, somewhat startling the ceremony presenter.

18-carat white, yellow and rose gold and approximately half an ounce of pink argyle diamonds. According to organizers, the trophies are valued at $26,000 (around P1.04 Million).

Failing to get my media accreditation in time for some reasons, I decided to cough up some Aussie bucks to watch the match between the United States and Canada at the spanking grand Perth Arena. With a bit of luck, the two teams featured players on my sports bucket list—the swashbuckling Serena Williams and Eugenie Bouchard who packs both beauty and power. The bonus is six-footten John Isner and the little-known Vasek Pospisil.

Eugenie, my good friend Mo Billacura’s favourite player being a Canada resident now, did not disappoint the

tennis fan in me. She willed her way to a first ever win over Serena using amazing artillery of groundstrokes despite struggling with her serves.

To my disgust, Serena did not come out her old self. She ‘mysteriously’ wilted late in the match and was a goner in the last three games of the 50-minute match.

For anything, it gave a sportswriter and fan like me the kind of sporting elixir that drives one to hysteria, heavens even.

Now check that one on the personal bucket list.

It’s amazing how Australians are so freaking mad about tennis this time of the year. Simultaneous with the Hopman Cup is the Brisbane International which topnotch players, like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, used as

a warmup to the 2015 Australian Open in Melbourne set to start by the end of the month.

There’s also the Apia Sydney International which followed the two tournaments in Perth and Brisbane and that should be the final test before players begin the 2015 season in the heat of Melbourne’s summer.

When you talk of summer over here, it’s no joke. It could go up as high as 41 and you can just imagine how that will test players.

As a kid growing up, tennis was my sport. It taught me a lot of things.

One, it is better to give (serve) than to receive.

Two, never fall down to love. In tennis, it means nothing.

Three, when you put out a good service in tennis you’ll never get anything in return.

It’s all tennis

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo of the tennis world rankings.

However, the competition is an important lead-up tournament to the Australian Open. This year’s winners from Poland—Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz-- received individual trophies created in the shape of an intricate diamond encrusted tennis racket and ball, using just under an ounce of

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 213 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

“WE ARE READY” Davao del Norte assures readiness in Palaro 2015 hosting

By NOEL BAGUIO

D

AVAO del Norte, January 12, 2015 – Governor Rodolfo del Rosario reaffirmed the readiness of the province to host this year’s Palarong Pambansa slated on May 3-9, 2015, which will be staged mainly at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex.

“If the games are to be held tomorrow, we are ready,” the governor assured, after meeting with stakeholders, local officials and executives and officials from the Department of Education.

He said the province is leaving no stones unturned in its bid to make its first hosting of the Palarong Pambansa the best experience ever in the annals of the country’s largest sporting conclave.

“We intend to make this the best-ever Palarong Pambansa,” del Rosario reiterated.

Cesar Abalon, Deputy Secretary-General of the Palarong Pambansa, is optimistic the province will be able to attain this target.

“I have seen the passion and commitment of Gov. del Rosario and the support of all the sectors in achieving

the most successful Palaro to date,” he said.

On top of gearing up the sports complex and 15 other playing venues in Tagum City, the governor promised a comfortable and memorable stay for over 13,000 athletes, coaches and officials from the 17 regions of the country.

The province has prepared over 20 billeting quarters for the delegations and technical officials, complete with uninterrupted clean water supply and power, and round-the-clock security, among other amenities.

The governor said the provincial government has shelled out about P15 million for the event, which include allocations for the food, hotel accommodation and transportation of DepEd officials.

Local government units, especially those identified as billeting sites have also been directed to prepare their tourist attractions to help the delegates make the most of their stay in the province.

“We will promote our tourist attractions so that the delegates can make most of their time and learn more about our province,” del Rosario said.

Cesar Abalon, left, Deputy Secretary-General of the Palarong Pambansa, reacts as Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario assures Davao del Norte will leave no stones unturned in its preparation as host of the 2015 Palarong

Pambansa on May 3-9, 2015 at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex. Raymund Dino Faciol/davnor pio