Edge Davao 7 Issue 217

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

WARM WELCOME. Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center warden Jose Mervin Coquilla (left) is warmly welcomed by his son upon his arrival at the Provincial Capitol in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley yesterday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Davao City Information Office

NPA FREES WARDEN Cites Pope’s message of compassion and mercy

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE New People’s Army (NPA) yesterday released Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center warden Jose Mervin Coquilla after 27 days in captivity.

The NPA turned over Coquilla to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at around 1:30 p.m. in Barangay Casoon, Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province.

Duterte and Coquilla then flew to the Provin-

cial Capitol in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley by private chopper, arriving there at 2:48 p.m. The Provincial Capitol employees who were waiting outside shouted for joy when they saw the jail warden coming down from the chopper.

Duterte then turned over Coquilla to Compostela Valley Vice Governor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora. The jail warden was also reunited with his

family.

The release was done earlier than the 72 hours given by the mayor for the rebels to release Coquilla.

On Saturday afternoon, Duterte demanded that the NPA release Coquilla, who was celebrating his birthday that day (January 18).

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Region (NDFP-SMR) said Coquilla was released as “a

unilateral exercise of political authority, humanitarianism, and to help propel for the immediate resumption of the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-NDFP peace negotiations.”

Coquilla was taken from his carwash business near his house in barangay Sto. Niño in Panabo City at around 7:45 a.m. on December 23, just two days before Christmas.

It was reported that

FNPA, 14

INSIDE EDGE

IVANOVIC OUSTED AT AUSSIE OPEN

SPORTS page 15

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

FAST WORK. Construction of the bridge that will hold the 1,000-millimeter water pipe of the Davao City Water District (DCWD) proceeds rapidly as the deadline for the project’s completion, set on the last week of March, is fast approaching.

Lean Daval Jr.

Panabo notches 550 VAWC cases

T

HE Panabo City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) recorded 550 cases of violence against women and children (VAWC) in 2014.

Social welfare officials, however, said the figure is not alarming but is a positive indicator that the women in the city are being empowered after years of implementation of Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004.

CSWDO officer-in-charge Jeannette Lamoste said the higher number of VAWC cases indicated that “the women are going out from their closets.”

She said last year’s VAW statistics are mostly cases of

physical and emotional violence inflicted mostly by the legal or common-law husbands of the women victims.

The cases were reported to the CSWDO, the police, or to the barangays.

Lamost said her office has lined up more trainings on VAWC for men and women as well as barangay women desk officers.

She said P350,000 was set aside by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under its Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Project for the family strengthening strategy seminars for the beneficiaries of the 4 Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) in the city. Cha Monforte, Correspondent

Pope asked to endorse peace talks resumption E

CUMENICAL leaders have appealed to Pope Francis to “add his voice” in calling the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front to return to the negotiating table.

In a statement dated January 18, Rev. Ephraim S. Fajutagana, chair of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), said “injustices and social inequality are the roots of the armed conflict that the people wish to be resolved” through the peace talks.”

He appealed to the Pope to “add his voice in calling both parties to return to the negotiating table and honor previous agreements in attaining a just and lasting peace in our

country.”

“We are a country of a few rich and many poor and those who seek to defend the human rights of the vulnerable are now defending themselves from various forms of abuses and perpetrators remain at large with impunity” Fajutagana said.

The statement cited the “unprecedented gathering of religious leaders in the Philippines” with Pope Francis at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Sunday, January 18, before the Pope’s encounter with the youth, as a “significant milestone in the ecumenical movement that aims, among others, to foster inter-religious cooperation and unity committed to the Gospel

ed. There were some that had shortfall in collecting the RPT. They were able to collect last year but there are still receivables),” Dayanghirang said.

He said CTO was not able to collect the entire P3 billion RPT in 2014 and this should be explained by the CTO itself before it recommends any tax increase.

“Sa laki ng Davao (City) nakikita ko we can collect more (For a city as big as Davao, I believe we can collect more), ” he added.

Dayanghirang also said

the CTO should first check the performance of its district collectors before it recommends a tax increase because the smaller sectors of society will be affected, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He said the district collector in Toril, Buhangin, Poblacion, and Calinan, among others, “should know their target collectibles, whether they met the target or not” in the past year.

Dayanghirang said his

of Jesus Christ and the Gospel call to faithfulness and justice” The meeting of religious leaders “paves the way for more opportunities of dialogue and cooperation in the various concerns afflicting the poor and an inspiration to make a pulsating reality the Church of and for the Poor,” the statement said.

The meeting with religious leaders, however, was brief – around ten to 15 minutes only.

Fajutanga also praised Pope Francis “for his generous heart and immeasurable compassion despite the odds of traveling under a bad weather in Leyte last January 17.”

The statement said the NCCP “has also found a co-ser-

vant in rebuilding the lives, shelter and livelihood of those affected by Typhoon Yolanda majority of whom are the poorest.”

“With a country extremely vulnerable to natural disasters exacerbated by government neglect and intrusion of political and vested interests into the relief and rehabilitation response, the cycle of violence and victimization continue unabated,” the statement read.

The statement also said Fajutagana and Obispo Maximo XII of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente appreciate the Pope’s “public emphasis to the importance of the least ones and the Gospel imperative to seek justice and peace in the world.” (MindaNews)

Improve tax collection, Dayanghirang tells CTO Brgy councilor nabbed

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

I

crc@edgedavao.net

NSTEAD of increasing the city’s tax rate and burdening Dabawenyos, councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) should improve its performance in tax collection this year.

“We have to collect more and review our performance,” Dayanghirang, chair of the City Council’s committee on finance, ways, means and appropriations, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Annex yesterday.

Dayanghirang made the

remark despite the CTO registering an increase of P700 million in tax collection last year.

The CTO, however, had said it believes there is a need to amend the local tax code and increase the tax rate imposed on businesses, real properties, and private individuals, among others.

“There are accounts na wala nakolekta. Meron pa na ibang nashortfall sila RPT (real property tax). Last year may nakolekta pero meron pang receivables (There are still accounts that were not collect-

FIMPROVE, 14

for bomb components

A

BARANGAY official was arrested Sunday for illegal possession of bomb-making components in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

Arrested was Barangay Councilor Bassal Turabin, 50, of Barangay Lagundi, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.

Insp. Dahlan Samuddin, Police Regional Office-9 information officer, said Turabin was arrested around 10 a.m. Sunday in Baran-

gay A.L. Micubo, Jr., Siocon town.

Samuddin said the policemen were conducting checkpoint when they arrested Turabin for possession of 10 detonating cords and 30 pieces blasting caps.

He said police found the bomb-making components hidden inside the utility box of Turabin’s motorcycle.

Turabin was detained while awaiting the filing of charges. (MindaNews)

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Mujiv tells ARMM govs to help in BBL passage

A

S the House of Representatives Ad Hoc committee resumes the hearing on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman on Monday called on local government officials to support the crafting and passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law by providing helpful inputs during the congressional hearing scheduled Tuesday, January 20.

“Let us help our lawmakers pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is truly responsive and reflective of the needs and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people,” Hataman said.

Earlier in Davao City, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) panel chair, Mohagher Iqbal appealed for the endorsement from the local chief

executives.

“I really hope for the resounding endorsement. I hope for the best,” Iqbal told the members of the media.

In a press statement, Hataman said the conduct of the public hearing on Tuesday is timely, coming at the heels of Pope Francis’ blessing to the Mindanao peace process.

The Ad Hoc Committee on BBL, headed by Cagayan de Oro second district Representative Rufus Rodriguez, had earlier announced it would conduct hearing with local government officials. This will be followed by another hearing involving other armed groups to include the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the BIFF. “I also join our Bangsamoro people’s renewed enthusiasm and hope for peace and

HE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday said two people died during the onslaught of tropical storm Amang.

NDRRMC identified the fatalities as Kristel Mae Padasas, 26, native of Bicol Region, and was a volunteer worker of Catholic Relief Services stationed in Eastern Samar; and Domingo Tablate, 19 Antipolo del Norte, Virac, Catanduanes.

Padasas died of head injury after a soundbox (speaker) fell on her from a scaffolding that collapsed due to strong winds brought by TS Amang; while Tablate died due to drowning.

The NDRRMC said that “Amang” has affected 4,922 families or 21,867 people in Regions 5, 7 and 8.

Of these, some 4,967 fam-

ilies or 21,185 people were staying in 61 evacuation centers.

The tropical storm also damaged a total of 152 houses (4 totally/148 partially) in Viga, Catanduanes and Daet, Camarines Norte.

A total of 19 municipalities in Regions 5 and 8 were flooded.

Power interruption was reported in Region 8 (Northern and Western Samar).

As of Monday, power restored in areas of Quezon, Daraga, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Eastern samar, Northern Samar and Western Samar.

To date, there are 15 roads, three bridges and two spillways impassable while two roads reported passable to all types of vehicles in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Northern Samar and Samar. (PNA)

FMUJIV, 14

NDRRMC: 2 dead due to ‘Amang’ T

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

3

BRAVING THE HEAT. Students applying for part-time jobs brave the searing heat while waiting for their turn to be interviewed at an establishment along Bolton Street in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

BFP recommends closure of 27 fire hazards in region

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Davao Region recommended the closure of 27 establishments in Region 11 for being fire hazards.

Speaking to reporters in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Annex, Senior Fire Inspector Nestor Jimenez said all 27 establishments are from the Municipality of Mabini in Compostela Valley Province.

“Most of these establishments were found be-

side the road. They were recommended for closure because they are already fire hazard to nearby communities,” Jimenez said.

BFP 11 inspected a total of 31,762 business establishments in the region.

Jimenez said no business establishment in Davao City was recommended for closure but admitted that the fire station located along Francisco Bangoy (Ponciano) Street is a fire hazard and has been so for many

years.

Jimenez said the BFP cannot start the rehabilitation of the fire station because the lot is still owned by the city government of Davao.

Meanwhile, Jimenez said there was an increase in the number of inspected business establishments that the bureau sent a notice to comply and recommendation for closure this year.

“We were able to inspect 20,903 business establishments in 2013 and

Women have much to tell us today: Pope

P

SHORTAGE. Bureau of Fire Protection-Davao intelligence and investigation branch chief Fire Inspector Nestor Jimenez says the agency is currently experiencing a staff shortage and lack of equipment which should be urgently addressed. Jimenez was a guest in the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

we recorded no fire hazard facilities,” he said.

However, despite the increase in the coverage of businesses inspected, many were still left unchecked by the bureau.

For Davao City alone, Jimenez said less than 50 percent of almost 36,000 businesses registered by the Business Bureau were inspected because of lack of manpower.

He said the city has only 200 personnel to check all establishments in Davao City last year.

OPE Francis verbalized what women viewers immediately noticed in his encounter with the youth at the University of Santo Tomas Sunday morning: that of three presentors, there was only one female, a former street child who broke down in tears at the latter part of her speech.

“There’s only a very small representation of girls among you. Too little. Women have much to tell us in today’s society,” the Pope said, to the applause and cheers of the crowd at UST and television viewers, particularly women, worldwide.

The Pope said men are sometimes too macho and don’t allow enough space for women. “But women can see things from a different angle (from) us, with a different eye.

Women are able to pose questions we men are unable to un-

derstand,” he said.

“Look out for this fact: she is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer. She couldn’t put it into words but expressed it with tears. So when the next Pope comes to Manila, please let there be more girls,” the Pope said n Spanish, as translated by his interpreter, Fr. Mark.

Former street child Glyzelle Iris Palomar, 12, was reading from her prepared text when she broke down while asking in Filipino why God allows the children to take to the street and go into drugs and prostitution when it is not the children’s fault. She also asked why only a few were helping street children.

To another former street child, the Pope said: “Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come

FWOMEN, 14

4 BIGGER PICTURE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Pope’s message on peace process a clarion call: Deles P

ope Francis’ message on the Bangsamoro peace process is “a clarion call” to everyone to work even harder, “collectively harnessing the power of hope and perseverance, to overcome all obstacles and push national consensus towards a just and peaceful settlement of the armed conflict that has divided our people for too long,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said.

Deles said the Bangsamoro peace process is “again newly-blessed” with the words of Pope Francis. She declined to answer MindaNews’ query why President Aquino said nothing about the peace process at the reception for Pope Francis in Malacanang on Friday morning.

Pope Francis, on the other hand, ended his speech by saying, “I express my trust that the progress made in bringing peace to the south of the country will result in just solutions in accord with the nation’s founding principles and respectful of the inalienable rights of all, including the indigenous peoples and religious minorities.”

Deles said the Pope’s words of encouragement and blessing, which came just a few days after 14 of 18 surviving members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) that drafted the 1987 Constitution issued a statement of support for the Bangsamoro, came “at a critical time as Congress enters the final, difficult stages of deliberation of the proposed Bangsamoro basic law.”

The framers of the Constitution declared in a statement dated January 9 but released on January 12 that “Bangsamoro is about the development of people, not about the constitutionality of words,” and that “reason tells us that a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region can close the centuries- old gap between law and justice and that we are on the cusp of a historic opportunity to make it happen.”

“We ask for continuing papal prayer, blessing, and hope as we continue to strengthen dialogue and forge partnerships towards a peace where no one will be left behind,” Deles said.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said the Pope’s message on the peace process “would be long remembered by the MILF in particular and the Bangsamoro people in general.”

For MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, the Pope’s visit “is a journey with many good meanings.”

“We Muslims also greet him with all sincerity and hope that his blessing of the peace process reverberates in the hears and minds of everyone, paving the way for the resolution of the Moro Question in Mindanao,” Iqbal said.

Patricia Sarenas, chair of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (Mincode) and the nationwide Coalition of Development NGOs (CODENGOs) said of the Pope’s message: “We should see Pope Francis’ words as a challenge to stand up unafraid to speak for truth, justice and peace, to raise our voices and demand

POPE IN TACLOBAN. Pope Francis waves to the crowd along Real Street in Tacloban City on his way to the Archbishop’s residence in Palo, Leyte on January 17, 2015. The Pope’s visit was shortened due to Typhoon Amang. He was supposed to leave at 5 p.m. for Manila but had to leave by 1 p.m. MindaNews photo

by TOTO LOZANO an end to all the conflicts in Mindanao that have resulted in senseless loss of lives and properties and have created a world of anger and violence for us and our children. This is a challenge for every one concerned to fast track the work for the establishment of the Bangsamoro. And as well, for us to do something about the many issues that confront us today – pernicious and dehumanizing poverty, rampant corruption, weak and irresponsive and irresponsible governance, degraded environment, violence of all forms.”

Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr., OMI former President of the Notre Dame University and head of

the Independent Fact-Finding Mission in the early days of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations until the Estrada administration’s “all-out war” against the MILF in 2000, said of the Pope’s message; “I fully agree.. and we really work for just solutions that include ALL .. particularly the IPs (Indigenous Peoples) and religious minorities…..!”

Lawyer Benedicto Bacani, founding director of the Cotabato City-based Institute for Autonomy and Governance said the Pope’s message is a “big boost to the Mindanoa peace process but we must note that the Pope envisions a peace process that is inclusive and with due regard to the

by Pope Francis in some of his homilies during his five-day State and Pastoral visit to the country from January 15 to 19.

“That’s what we are

doing since day one,” he told reporters during an ambush interview after the send-off ceremony for the Ponfiff at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City Mon-

day.

The President said even the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has been directed to address cor-

inalienable rights of IPs and the Christian minority (in the Bangsamoro area).

Mary Ann Arnado of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus is disappointed with the President’s silence on the peace process.

“It’s disappointing that PNoy did not mention anything on peace and the Bagnsamoro in his speech. That could have been the opportunity for government to rally the support of the highly influential Catholic Church,” she said, adding she is grateful Pope Francis talked about the peace process.

Aveen Acuna-Gulo of the IPDev, a group that works with indigenous peoples in

the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the core territory of the future Bangsamoro, said she is “happy to hear (Pope Francis) mention IPs in the context of the peace process.”

Sister Maria Arnold Noel, SPPS of the Mindanao Solidarity Network in Manila, said she was happy that at least the Pope mentioned Peace in Mindanao.”

“Let’s listen to the interfaith on January 18,” she said.

The Pope is scheduled to meet with leaders from other faiths on January 18 at the University of Sto. Tomas, prior to the Pope’s meeting with the youth. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Aquino: Gov’t addressing corruption, poverty Tagle hopes for return

P

resident Benigno Aquino yesterday assured Filipinos that his administration is doing its best to address corruption – a point raised

WAITING FOR POPE FRANCIS. Aside from the ubiquitous yellow plastic raincoats, residents and pilgrims in Tacloban also used banana leaves to protect them from the rain while waiting for Pope Francis to pass by Real Street

FAQUINO, 14

in Tacloban City on his way to Palo, Leyte on Saturday, January 17. The Pope spent four hours in Leyte and had to leave four hours ahead of schedule (1 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.) due to Typhoon Amang. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

of Pope to Phl next year

M

inutes after Pope Francis’ flight to Rome left Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, a top official of the Catholic Church expressed hopes that the pontiff will be back in the country soon.

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said the Catholic church wished that the Holy Father would consider attending the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu City in January 2016.

“The Philippines will host on January next year the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu. Will the Pope come again? For that? We hope,” the cardinal said.

Tagle said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) had already invited the Pope.

“We will see. But there’s already an invitation for the Pope to come to the Eucharistic Congress,” he said.

Prior to the just concluded five-day Papal Visit, the Holy Father had been invited to grace the international gathering in Cebu next year, which was originally scheduled in May 2016.

The IEC is an international gathering of people aimed at promoting an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church event was moved to January 2016

FTAGLE, 14

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Business Bureau targets to process 30K biz permits

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

BEATING THE DEADLINE. Hundreds of business owners in Davao City troop to the City Business Bureau office at Sangguniang Panlungsod building yesterday to beat the business permit renewal deadline. The deadline ends today January 20. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Business Bureau is targeting to process at least 30,000 applications for business permit renewal at the end of its 18-day period for renewal today at the NCCC Mall of Davao.

The figure is lower compared to the 35,000 business establishments expected b y the Business Bureau to renew their permits this year.

Atty. Lawrence Bantiding, Business Bureau officer-in-charge, on Monday said as of Saturday their office was able to process a total of 29,015 applications for business permit renewal.

During last year’s renewal period, the Business Bureau was able to register a total of 29,777 applications for business permit renewal from January 2 to 20, 2014.

Bantiding said they have extended their scheduled operation today from 8 a.m. up to 12 midnight at the Sangguniang Panlunsod (SP) building and 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. at the Kadayawan Hall of the NCCC Mall of Davao.

“We’ve set this schedule so that all applicants will be catered,” Bantinding told Edge Davao.

Only services on business permit renewal , he said, will be offered at the NCCC Mall of Davao. Business permit renewal and other services will be available at the SP building where the Business Bureau is located.

Both venues have a onestop-shop for the processing of renewals.

Among the requirements needed for renewals are previous business permit; notarized list of all employees; authority to transact the renewal of business permit with the Business Bureau;special power of attorney for sole proprietorship; secretary’s certificate for corporations and partnership resolution for partnerships; clear copy of valid ID of all signatories and the transacting person; original copy of barangay clearance; certified copy of Proof of Exemption, if any;; and available financial statement of the previous year.

Renewal of the permit started last January 3.

Bantiding said fines and penalties will be imposed upon those business establishments owners who will renew their permits beyond January 20.

6 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Rehab of city’s boat landing facility to start in 1st quarter

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE restoration and rehabilitation of Davao City’s old boat landing facility along Km. 11 in Barangay Sasa will start in the first quarter of the year, the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) announced.CTOO officer-in-charge Lisette Marques said theTourism Infrastructure and Enterprize Zone Authority (TIEZA) has granted the City government of Davao a P25 million grant for the enhancement of the KM 11 Sasa boat landing fa-

cility“We are hopeful that the project will start by the first quarte this year, or atleast the awarding ot the contractor,” Marques told Edge Davao in an interview at the Seda Hotel Friday.Marques said officers of TIEZA are just waiting for the specifications on the materials that will be used in the project as well as the proposed plan design.She said that the Program of Works crafted by the City Engineer’s Office *CEO) and endorsed by the City Administrator was al-

Sta. Cruz receives more funding for Salintubig

S

TA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur-The Municipality of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur has been granted an additional fund worth P2 million from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), for the town’s Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat (SALINTUBIG) project.

Sta. Cruz initially accessed P7.8 million for its Level 3 Water System project in Barangay Inawayan, and after its effective project implementation, the DILG added a supplementary budget of another 2 million pesos for further expansion of the water system to more sitios in the project area and neighbor barangay of Darong.

Part of the implementing mechanisms is for the recipi-

ent local government to allocate counterpart funds for the project, as well as to provide manpower support component to manage and monitor the project.

SALINTUBIG Program aims to contribute to the attainment of the goal of achieving universal access to potable water supply and the targets defined in the Philippine Development Plan 2O11-2016, Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and the Philippine Water Supply Sector Roadmap and the Philippine.

It also aspires to reduce by 50% the world’s population without access to safe and potable water as reflected in the MDG number 7. (CDIOSta. Cruz/Julius R. Paner)

ready delivered to TIEZA last year.The P25 million grant, Marques said, was awarded a few years ago, although it will be only this year that this will be utilized for rehabilitation.

However, Marques said the first P25 million is not enough to rehabilatate the old landing boat facility. She said that the contruction of the terminal will need another funding to be granted by TIEZA. She said the P25 million is just for the enhancements

of the road between the market and the facility, passenger terminal, and the coco lumber which has been there since the 90s.

The present docking facility is made from coco lumber and urgently needs upgrading as this connects travellers to the Island Garden City of Samal.

This project was welcomed and even endorsed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), according to Marques.

MAYOR RODY WITH BUSINESSMEN. Officers of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) headed by President Antonio dela Cruz paid a courtesy call on Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte at the lobby lounge of the Marco Polo Hotel last Friday evening. The businessmen discussed with the

DavNor town engages in organic rice farming

R

ICE farmers here strengthened the goal for rice elf-sufficiency in the Davao Region by converting into organic rice farming.

In 2013, the town was granted a P2 million worth of special project dubbed Organic Rice Production Enhancement Program (ORPEP) by the Department of Agriculture (DA)

11 under the GPBP. The ORPEP was being facilitated by an income generating project of the local government unit (LGU) named Agri Business Enterprise Farmers Assistance Program (ABEFAP) where they identified 140 farmers from the 11 barangays of Asuncion as farmer-beneficiaries.

ON TRACK FOR RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. The ABE FAP is one of the beneficiaries during the mass distribution and turnover of the P64 million worth of farm machineries and project grants from the Department of Agriculture Region 11. In photo are Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala (third

The selected farmer-beneficiarieswho hardly support their farm inputs availed themselves of the loan worth P 18,000 good for one hectarefrom ABE-FAP. The project aims to gradually convert conventional rice farmers to organic farmers within a period of three years where they will be prohibited

from left) and Regional Director Remelyn Recoter (extreme right) with (from left) Davao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Antonio G. Del Rosario, Asuncion Mayor Joseph Nilo Fareñas and ABE FAP Project Manager Cipriano Balove. (Photo by Che Palicte/DA 11)

to use insecticide.

DaniloBulahan, an ORPEP beneficiary who owns a two hectare farmlandsaid that he found himself in a huge debt when they had to borrow money for the cost of synthetic methodslike inorganic fertilizers.

“When I was still using synthetic fertilizers, it would cost me P 20, 000- P25, 000 per hectare and it lowers down toP 10,000-P 11,000 when I engaged in organic farming,” Bulahan said.

From his growing income, he already acquired five carabaos, two turtle type tractors, kuliglig farm tractors and thresher.

“Because of the success of using organic rice farming, I am now constructing our new house worth P1 million,” Bulahan added.

Meanwhile, Mayor Joseph Nilo Fareñas said that a 100 percent increase in yieldwas noted in their office in terms of the farming status in their town.

“The project brought eco-

FDAVNOR, 14

Since only P25 million was approved, she said that the project will be implemented phase by phase.

For the first phase, the P25 million will be used to improve the pathway going to the terminal, improvement of the docking area which is expected to cater eight boats at a time and construction of a comfort room.

Marques said that first district Rep. Mylene Garcia-Albano pledged to donate funding for the construction

of the comfort rooms.

As of now, the city government has yet to make the plan for the second phase of the project because additiona funding is still being sought from TIEZA thru a grant, according to Marques.

“TIEZA needs to see first the output of the first P25 million before it can grant the rest,” she said.

For the city to receive another grant, Marques said that it needs to apply again for TIEZA’s approval.

mayor a variety of topics including a proposal to amend the City Tax Ordinance and got a commitment from the city’s chief executive to be the keynote speaker and inducting officer during the January 28 induction of the newlyelected and re-elected members of the DCCCII board of officers. Daniel T.Lim

Drilon wants NLEX, SCTEX integration done immediately

S

ENATE President Franklin M. Drilon imposed a deadline on the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) to approve and implement the integration of the North Luzon and Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressways, a scheme that will prevent travel dilemmas and inconvenience experienced by commuters from happening again, especially during peak seasons.

Drilon met with the officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication, BCDA, MPTC, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), and Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) last week to iron out issues concerning the implementation of the integration plan for NLEX and SCTEX, which has been pending for years.

Among the officials he met with are Undersecretary Jose Lotilla of DOTC, Ramoncito Fernandez of MPTC, Ro-

drigo Franco of MNTC, Arnel Casanova of BCDA, and Robert Suansing of TRB. Drilon said he directed the officials to fast-track the implementation of the integration plan, starting with the signing of the integration agreement scheduled on February 12 of this year in the Office of the Senate President.

“To expedite the process, the TRB will simultaneously monitor and review the toll collection systems integration agreement to make sure it will be in conformity with the policy of the government,” Drilon said.

He said the integration will simplify toll collection system and lessen the number of toll collection plazas.

“The integration of the NLEX and SCTEX toll systems will benefit commuters, especially in saving travel time and fuel and increasing convenience for those driving through the tollways,” he said.

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

MANGROVES:

Going, going, gone?

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

P

EOPLE may consider mangroves as eerie.

After all, they are oftentimes featured in horror films.

In some instances, mangroves are areas where murders are done since they are secluded.

People living in the coastal areas, however, see mangroves in a different manner.

They turn to mangroves for cures for various ailments, including premature falling hair, boils, snake bites, smallpox ulcerations, tumors, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, hemorrhoids, skin eruptions, burns, diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding.

Prof. K. Kathiresan, author of The Importance of Mangrove Ecosystem, says a lush mangrove ecosystem offers more than the commonplace prospects for health and medicine. They play a hefty part in indigenous medicine.

“For one, its extracts can be used to reduce blood pressure, even treat leprosy and rheumatic disorders,” writes Prof. Kathiresan. “The bark of

Mangrove tree

some species possesses astringent qualities while others are capable of treating diarrhea when extracts from leaves are prepared as beverage.”

Mangrove forest, also known as the “rainforest of the sea,” grows well in tropical countries, including the Philippines. “Mangroves are an important part of the coastal and marine ecosystem that includes the seagrasses and the coral reefs,” reports the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Actually, mangroves are communities of trees in the tidal flats in coastal waters, extending inland along rivers where the water is tidal, saline, or brackish. “There are 25 to 30 species of true mangrove trees and an equal number of associated species,” says Dr. Miguel Fortes, a professor of Marine Science Institute at the College of Science of University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the Biodiversity

Mangrove reforestation Management Bureau, says its agency has identified 42 species of mangroves in the country. None of them are facing extinction yet. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is considering of putting 11 out of 70 mangrove species assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

“Mangroves form one of the most important tropical habitats that support many species, and their loss can affect marine and terrestrial biodiversity much more widely,” pointed out Beth Polidoro, who led the first-ever global assessment on the conservation status of mangroves.

“Despite legislation and programs to protect mangroves, the country has lost 75 percent of its mangroves due largely to fishpond development, charcoal production, industrial conversion, reclamation, and pollution,” said Dr. Fortes.

The current rate of mangrove deforestation ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 hectares per year. That’s according to Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, a national scientist and former head of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.

Recent satellite images analyses indicated that Mind-

Mangrove forest

anao has the most mangrove areas in the country (29 percent of the country’s total) while Luzon and Mindoro had the least. Old-growth mangrove forests are mainly found in Mindanao (4,582 hectares) and Palawan (5,317 hectares).

Mangrove forests grow where saltwater meets the shore in tropical and subtropical regions, thus serving as an interface between terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems. These forests provide at least US$1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services.

“The loss of mangroves will have devastating economic and environmental consequences,” says Greg Stone, Senior Vice President of Marine Programs at the Washington-based Conservation International. “These ecosystems are not only a vital component in efforts to fight climate change, but they also protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people from extreme weather and provide them with a source of food and income.”

Mangroves are very important to marine life, Dr. Guerrero says. They serve as sanctuaries and feeding grounds for fish that nibble on detritus (fallen and decaying leaves) trapped in the vegetation, and on the bark and leaves of living

trees. “(Mangroves) are important feeding sites for many commercially important fish species (mullet, tilapia, eel, and especially milkfish), shrimps, prawns, mollusks, crabs, and sea cucumbers,” a World Bank report on environment adds.

“Fry that gather in mangrove areas are very important for aquaculture.”

Mangroves also provide protection from storm surges and high winds associated with tropical typhoons. “This is very important in a country that is hit by an average of 20 typhoons a year,” says Dr. Fortes.

“With the threats of climate change in the Philippines particularly storm surges, tsunamis and strong typhoons,” says Dr. Elmer Mercado, a former undersecretary of the DENR, “mangrove is the most appropriate, least expensive climate change adaptation protection for our coastal-based communities.”

Instead of building seawalls, he suggests planting mangroves in areas susceptible to storm surges. By doing so, the government will save money as it is cheaper than building 100-meter of protected seawalls.

Mangrove forests also serve as protection against

soil erosion. Other important benefits from mangroves include: land builder through soil accretion; coastal pollutants trapper; and wildlife sanctuary. They also offer aesthetic and educational and scientific values.

Despite the economic and ecological benefits they provide, mangroves are on the verge of disappearance. One environmentalist observes: “All over the country, whatever coastal province you visit, you see the same plight – desolate stretches of shoreline completely stripped of mangrove cover and now totally exposed to the pounding of the ocean’s waves.”

Though mangroves are faced with natural dangers like typhoons, pests and diseases, and rising sea levels due to global warming, “their biggest threats are man-made,” the environment department claims.

Among the human treats cited include: conversion of mangroves to fishponds and salt beds; reclamation of mangrove areas for developments such as piers, airports, and housing; pollution and siltation from upland communities; and human disturbances, overexploitation and utilization, such as overcutting for firewood purposes.

To prevent further losses of mangroves, lawmakers enacted Republic Act 8550 otherwise known as Philippine Fisheries Code of 1988 whose section 94 stated that the conversion of mangroves into fishponds or any other purpose is prohibited.

But despite this, mangroves areas in the country are still in peril. “Getting worse,” replies one expert who doesn’t want to be named when asked about the current status of the country’s mangroves. “(The mangroves) remain as the most disturbed among the coastal ecosystems in most places in the country.”

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EDITORIAL Honor the Pope with action

P

OPE Francis’ visit to the Philippines will certainly go down in history as one of the biggest and most important events the country has ever seen and experienced. From the huge crowds that met him when he arrived to the millions that heard mass at the Luneta on Sunday, the pope has shown that faith is still alive and well in the Philippines. More than the record-breaking crowds and the festive atmosphere, however, the pope’s five days in the country gave us reason to strengthen our faith, forget our own trivial pursuits, and focus on serving God and our fellowman.

In this sense, one of the most moving messages during Pope Francis’ visit was the one delivered not by the pope himself but the Philippines’ own Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. In his message of thanks to the Roman Pontiff at the conclusion of the mass the latter celebrated at the Luneta, Tagle

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

told him that every Filipino wanted to go with him. While this initially elicited laughter from the mammoth crowd since Francis was set to leave for Rome the next day, Tagle soon made his message clear: “Every Filipino wants to go with you – not to Rome – but to the peripheries, to the shanties, to prison cells, to hospitals, to the world of politics, finance, arts, sciences, culture, education, and social communications. We will go to these worlds to bring the light of Jesus, Jesus who is the center of your pastoral visit and the cornerstone of the Church. We will go where the Light of Jesus is needed.”

True, we are all overwhelmed at the blessings of his presence here, but ultimately it is what we do with this revival that really matters. If we are to honor Pope Francis’ visit, it should be with action.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. KENNETH IRVING K. ONG 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 ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents 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

“

IF the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” – Charles Darwin *** “Civilization is the encouragement of differences. Civilization thus becomes a synonym of democracy. Force, violence, pressure, or compulsion with a view to conformity, is both uncivilized and undemocratic.”

Do you know who said these words?

Let me give you some clues: He studied law in London and went to South Africa, where he lived until 1914.

He is credited for developing the principle of satyagraha, or non-violent civil disobedience. A Hindu fanatic who disapproved of his tolerance of Muslims assassinated him.

Give up? Well, the man where referring to here is Mohandas Karamchand “Mahatma” Gandhi. Of course, you know him, right? But not too many people knew that at one time he was afflicted with the disease called tuberculosis (TB). He was one of the 25 famous people who had TB listed by The Book of Lists, which described him as “political and religious leader of India.”

Alexander Graham Bell, the Scottish-born American scientist and educator who invented the telephone and devised the wax-cylinder phonograph and various aids for teaching the deaf, was also in the list. Ditto for Marie Curie, the Polish-born French physicist who discovered the radioactive elements polonium and radium.

At least two American presidents were afflicted with the TB. The first one was Andrew Jackson, the man who

F

OR those who are familiar with the islets that comprise the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS), one of the atolls carries the popular name Ligid which, in Visayan, depending on the accent, can mean either ‘to roll’ or ‘the tire (of a vehicle).’

But that’s not the case. The name Ligid, as a matter of fact, comes from the ‘distorted ‘ name of an American lieutenant-general who was Davao’s first military governor.

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Lt. Gen. Hunter Liggett (Mar. 21, 1857– Dec. 30, 1935) was part of the 31st Infantry, U.S. Volunteers, assigned here after Spain ceded the Philippines to the Americans in 1898. An 1879 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he was second lieutenant of the 5th Infantry for five years, fighting mainly in the American mainland during the Indian campaigns. After promotion, he fought in the Spanish-American War and, later, in the Philippine-American War. He was a major in the Army when he led the first American troops, a contingent of two companies of sol-

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Famous TB victims established the role of the THINK ON THESE! president as a popular leader. Another one was Ulysses Simpson Grant, the 18th president who led an administration infil- Henrylito D. Tacio trated by corhenrytacio@gmail.com ruption.

German dictator Adolf Hitler and French emperor Napoleon I had one in thing in common. Both also contracted the disease at one time in their lives.

Actors and singers are not spared from the disease. Consider this list: Paul Anka, Judy Colins, Noel Coward, W.C. Fields, Al Jolson, Vivien Leigh (who won an Oscar for her electrifying performance in 1939’s Gone With the Wind), Anthony Perkins, and Walter Pidgeon.

The rest of the list include baseball executive Charles Finley, artist Paul Gauguin, Olympic’s Jean-Claude Killy, authors William Somerset Maugham, George Orwell, Robert Louis Stevenson, and H.G. Wells, TV talk-show host Jack Paar, syndicated columnist Louella Parson, author Robert Louis Stevenson, naturalist Henry David Thoreau.

Although not included in the list, there were famous Asians who succumbed to the disease. These include Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, Filipino nationalist Marcelo H. del Pilar, Filipino actor Rene Reques-

tas, legendary Japanese samurai Okita Soji, Japanese haiku poet Masaoka Shiki, Japanese writer Miyazwa Kenji, modern Chinese writer Lu Xun, and Korean poet Yi Sang.

History records show that it was Greek physician Hippocrates who first gave TB the descriptive name phthisis, meaning “to waste away.” Due to the variety of its symptoms, TB was not identified as a single disease until the 1820s. It was not named “tuberculosis” until 1839, by J. L. Schönlein.

The bacillus causing tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was identified and described on 24 March 1882

by Robert Koch. He received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1905 for this discovery. Koch did not believe the bovine (cattle) and human tuberculosis diseases were similar, which delayed the recognition of infected milk as a source of infection. Later, the risk of transmission from this source was dramatically reduced by the invention of the pasteurization process.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the sanitarium formed the basis of TB treatment. Patients “taking the cure” were required to eat large meals and get plenty of rest and fresh air. All demanding activity was strictly forbidden to the sanitarium “patient.”

A stay in the sanitarium could last from a few months to several years, depending on the individual’s progress.

When people with active pulmonary TB cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or spit, they expel infectious aerosol droplets. A single sneeze can release up to 40,000 droplets. Each one of these droplets may transmit the dis-

ease, since the infectious dose of tuberculosis is very small (the inhalation of fewer than 10 bacteria may cause an infection).

In the past, TB was considered the world’s deadliest disease. Then, in 1944, 21-year-old “Patricia” with progressive, far-advanced pulmonary TB received the first injection of streptomycin. She improved dramatically during the ensuing five months and was discharged in 1947. She was evaluated in 1954 and found to be healthy and the happy mother of three children.

“This injection began the age of modern anti-TB treatment and led – until recently – to dramatic reductions in TB in industrialized countries,” says the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations health agency based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Although the incidence of TB in the Philippines had declined in the last 21 years, many patients still died daily due to failure to seek medical treatment, according to the Department of Health.

Of the 712 Filipinos afflicted with TB every day, only 632 seek treatment (of which only 577 are able to complete the entire six-month treatment).

It’s no wonder the WHO lists the Philippines as among the four countries that account for 93 percent of the tuberculosis cases and deaths in the Western Pacific region.

“The Philippines, Cambodia, China and Vietnam account for 93 percent of the estimated regional TB burden of 1.6 million cases and 110,000 deaths each year. These four countries are among the 22 high-burden countries worldwide,” said the WHO in a statement.

Who is Ligid Island?

FAST BACKWARD

BY THE ARCHIVIST diers belonging to the 31st Infantry of the U.S. Volunteers that landed in Davao on Dec. 20, 1899 on board the vessel Brutus. Well-received by local officials, Liggett stationed Company “I” in Davao but brought Company ‘L’ to Mati where they were welcomed

by Francisco Rojas, the local chief executive, and Manuel Garcia y Nelia, a Spanish army man married to a native woman and chief of police of the area.

Two days later, he proceeded to Baganga to deploy troops there. In all his stops, Liggett raised the American flag, a sign of takeover and his assumption as the first military-governor of Davao.

He served the post until Sept. 30, 1901.

On his return to the U.S., Liggett assumed the post of battalion commander of the 13th Infantry Regiment at Fort Leavenworth, in Kansas. Years later he moved to the Army War College in Pennsylvania to study. After schooling he joined the faculty and eventually became its president. In 1914 he accepted an assignment to go to the Philippines.

He is credited for setting up the Study Ride, a military plan identifying Lingayen Gulf as a strategic entry point for an external invasion.

In 1917, when World War I broke out, Liggett commanded the 41st Infantry Division in France, and also led the I Corps, which participated in the 2nd Battle of the Maine and the operations of the Saint-Mihiel Salient. A year later, he became the chief of the US First Army, American Expeditionary Forces that directed the final assault on the Meuse-Argonne against the

German forces. He was also chosen as head of the U.S. Third Army. In 1921, he retired from the military service after 42 years with the rank of lieutenant general, a position belatedly bestowed on him by the US Congress in 1930.

His military record earned him a Distinguished Service Medal (U.S.), a Legion of Honor (France), the Order of Leopold (Belgium), and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy).

In his honor, the U.S. Army named after him Fort Hunter Liggett, a base on California’s central coast, the Hunter Liggett Army Airfield at Fort Stewart, Georgia, the Liggett Hall on Governors Island in New York Harbor, and the USS Hunter Liggett, a passenger ship transferred to the Army in February 1939. He died on December 30, 1935 in San Francisco, California, USA. ***** Trivia: The word ‘Garden’ in Samal’s romantic name was suggested by Lovely Tecson, a Davao socialite who is the wife of former Sen. Alberto Romulo, mother of Rep. Roman Romulo, and mother-in-law of Shalani Soledad-Romulo.

10 ICT HUB EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Cyber attacks hit France news sites N

UMEROUS French media websites have gone down a day after warnings of a wave of Islamist cyber attacks.

The BBC said in a report that the sites of Le Parisien, Marianne, and 20 Minutes were among those affected, although most were soon restored.

The French government said some 20,000 sites had been targeted after terror attacks in Paris left 17 dead.

The media sites’ web host said that it was investigating whether it was one of them but it has ruled out an external distributed denial of service attack.

The BBC said that on Thursday, the head of cyber security for the French military, Vice Admiral Arnaud Coustilliere, said that “structured” groups and “well known Islamist hackers” were behind the attacks against the 20,000 sites, but did not elaborate.

The outage among the media websites began

the following day. It is not yet known if the two are linked.

The web host Oxalide said no line of enquiry was being dismissed, but that its initial investigations had ruled out the possibility of an external distributed denial of service attack.

Such an attack involves flooding servers with requests to render the target site, thereby causing it to fail to load.

The company said it was still in the process of determining who was behind the attack.

It said it would release a report in the early afternoon on Friday. None was forthcoming at the time of publication.

That came after the vice admiral said he believed the first wave of attacks was a retaliation against Sunday’s solidarity march in Paris, itself held in response to the Paris terror attacks.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), he said “people who do not adhere to a certain num-

A

family name Hsieh, was found slumped in his chair in the cafe in Kaohsiung city.

Other patrons initially thought he was sleeping, but when an employee realized he was not breathing he was rushed to hospital, where he

UNDER ATTACK. “Le Parisien: An unexpected error has occurred. Please try again later (Our team has been informed),” says the error message on the Le Parisien website. ber of values” expressed on that march were to blame.

Vice admiral Coustilliere added that some of the first wave of cyber attacks involved French army regiments and that the defence ministry “has decided to boost its security vigilance”.

Besides the three named above, AFP reported that Friday’s outage

affected the websites of L’Express, Mediapart and France Info.

Those for France Inter, Slate and ZDNet were also among those affected from around 8am GMT on Friday.

The BBC said it checked the sites over the next five hours and most were quickly restored. Le Parisien and 20 Minutes remained down for a lon-

ger period but were available again by around 1pm.

The news came as it was announced that Charlie Hebdo, the magazine whose headquarters were attacked with the loss of 12 lives, has released its latest edition as a smartphone app to meet demand.

The magazine’s front cover featured a weeping Muhammad and the message “all is forgiven.” Mil-

lions of copies were printed – many times more than its usual circulation of around 60,000.

The print magazine went on sale in the UK on Friday. Many French outlets sold out within minutes and queues began forming in Britain early in the morning.

The app was available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

was pronounced dead.

Doctors confirmed he had suffered cardiac failure, ruling it a “sudden death” from prolonged computer gaming, the report said.

“Hsieh was a regular customer here and always played for consecu-

tive days. When tired, he would sleep face-down on the table or doze off slumped in his chair.

That is why we were not aware of his condition in the beginning,” the employee was quoted as saying.

It was not clear what

Hsieh was playing at the time of his death. The report described it only as “combat computer games”.

The case came after a 38-year-old man was found dead at an internet cafe in New Taipei City on January 1 fol-

lowing five days of video game bingeing.

Police said in both cases other patrons appeared nonchalant about the deaths, continuing playing even when tables were cordoned off for investigators to gather evidence.

Taiwan man dies after 3-day gaming binge

TAIWANESE man has died after a three-day gaming binge at an internet cafe in the island’s south, the second such case this year.

The Taipei Times reported that the 32-yearold, identified by his

DEADLY? A typical internet gaming café in Taiwan.

11 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

PICE Davao inducts new set of officers T

INDUCTION. Engr. Angel T. Torrejon, PICE Davao City Chapter President, delivers his acceptance speech during the PICE’s 40th Induction Ceremony last January 12 at The Marco Polo, Davao. Listening at the presidential table are

(from left) Engr. Erdsan Rene S. Suero, Rep. Karlo B. Nograles, Engr. Aduardo S. Luenberger, Engr. Roderick R. Tecson, Engr. Juliet T. Luy, and immediate past president, Engr. Jose D. Gestoveo Jr. (PICE Photo)

Farmers, fisherfolk get GenSan city gov’t aid C

ITY Mayor Ronnel Rivera together with the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO) distributed seedlings to farmers from Barangay Tinagacan and Barangay Batomelong on January 15.

The farmer-beneficiaries’ crops had been destroyed by strong winds commonly known as ipo-ipo in April 2014.

Sixty-one farmers (53 from Tinagacan and eight from Batomelong) identified

by the City Agriculturist Office will be able to start again after receiving different varieties of seedlings and fertilizers.

The seedlings are mango (630), coconut (500), and banana (3,012). Aside from that, 100 sacks of organic fertilizers and 100 complete fertilizers were also given to these farmers.

Even with a limited budget of P299,000, CAO head Merlinda Donasco said the

Lunhaw Awards extends deadline B

UOYED by last year’s recognition given by ASEAN Ministers to the City Government of Davao for its promotion of environment-friendly initiatives, organizers of the Lunhaw Awards 2015 are optimistic that this year’s batch of awards will highlight a greater number of green initiatives by Dabawenyos.

“We’re extending the deadline to February so that more Dabawenyos can participate by sending in their nominations for the award. Let us help achieve the City Government’s vision of an environmentally sustainable Davao City by recognizing green initiatives and promoting them through the Lunhaw Awards,” Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) executive director Mary Ann Fuertes said.

The annual award, which is co-organized by the Davao Association of Colleges and Schools (DACS), the Davao

City Water District (DCWD), the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO), the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and IDIS, seeks to recognize green and sustainable practices by individuals and groups.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria: Environmental Benefits (25 percent), Economic Benefits (15 percent), Use of Renewable Energy (15 percent), Replicability (15 percent), Sustainability (15 percent), Innovation (15 percent) and Years of Existence/Practice (5 percent).

Entry forms can be downloaded at the Lunhaw Awards Facebook page (https://www. facebook.com/pages/LUNHAW-AWARDS).

Deadline of entry submission is on February 6, 2015, with the awarding ceremonies to be held during the Araw ng Dabaw festivities on March 2015.

city had to maximize its resources in order to help the victims.

“The mayor already asked us to help these affected farmers. For us, enabling them to start again is the best assistance we could give. It is more than money,” Donasco said.

Fishermen from Barangay Bawing and Barangay West also received shallow water fish shelters (locally known as “payao”) with the

help of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Eighty-five fisherfolk (30 from Bawing and 55 from West) became the recipient of the project which has a total cost of around P200,000.

According to Mayor Rivera, the project will ensure rapid restoration of depleted fisheries resources and at the same time provide sustainable livelihood for small fishermen. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

SPORTS GEAR. Residents of Purok Rafael in Barangay Magugpo South are all smiles after receiving various sports equipments from the City Government of Tagum through Mayor Allan L. Rellon and barangay chair Jan Dmitri Sator. Included in the turn-over of sports equipment and gear

HE Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Davao City Chapter installed its 40th set of officers, directors, and working committees last January 12 at The Marco Polo, Davao. The new officers took their oath before Davao City First District Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles.

In his keynote speech, Nograles recognized the role of civil engineers in nation building, saying civil engineers have a crucial part in the realization of the infrastructure and road network projects in the city since the time of his father, former House Speaker Prospero “Boy” Nograles.

The 2015 officers who took their oath were Engr.

Angel T. Torrejon, President; Engr. Juliet T. Luy, 1st Vice President; Engr. Roderick R. Tecson, 2nd Vice President; Engr. Mary Ann R. Oani, Secretary; Engr. Cresilda T. Caballero, Treasurer; Engr. Juan Claudio Y. Tinga, Auditor; Engr.

Anacleto V. Calamba Jr., PIO; Engr. Elmer C. Capili, Business Manager; and Engineers Gary Lee L. Anghag, Gintherese A. Capa, Loreto G. Dalangin VI, Flordeluna J. Juyo, Nelson S. Palermo, Arniel A. Sosa and George Anthony G. Torribio as member of the Board of Directors. Also present to take their oath as chairpersons of the convention and nomination committees were Engr.

Erdsan Rene S. Suero and Engr. Eddie C. Fuentes respectively.

Engr. Torrejon, a businessman and contractor, laid his priority agenda before the Board. As kick off point, Torrejon said he will start his term by providing a re-

fresher’s training enhancing the knowledge of each officer, director, and committee member on classic guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings. He said total harmony is important in getting everyone’s opinion during every meeting.

In addressing the Board, Torrejon also said he want his term packed with action. “I want to bring PICE’s presence in less fortunate communities.

I want to promote continuing professional development trainings and fellowships among PICE and Junior PICE members and non-members alike. To do this, I need your full support and cooperation.

Let’s start the ball rolling by working together the facelifting of PICE building and the immediate construction of the 120 persons capacity PICE training center that will become operational before the end of the second quarter of this year.”

He also vowed to bring another PICE national convention in the city before the year ends. He said these undertakings are necessary for PICE Davao to become liquid.

“We need to generate funds to finance all our projects. Kaya natin ito,” Torrejon added.

Meanwhile, more than a hundred new civil engineers will also take their oath before the PICE and the Professional Regulatory Commission this January 16 at the Apo View Hotel. All board passers who wish to participate in this event may call or visit PICE office at Arellano Extension corner Panganiban Street, Davao City with Telefax number (082) 300-5604 and email address at pice_davaocity@ yahoo.com.

are two pingpong tables, two sets of volleyball poles, one basketball board, two basketballs, two volleyballs, two basketball nets, two volleyball nets, one pingpong racquet, and one set of pingpong balls. Photo by Leo Timogan of CIO Tagum

12

CLASSIFIED

There’s a better way to get attention.

Advertise

EDGEDAVAO

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

with

EDGEDAVAO CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. That CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s)1374 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 101573203 issued to SUMAMPONG, JOANNE R. was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

1/6/13/20

Billiard Supplies

Phone Nos.

Cell Nos.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

Design trip

NEGROS

The Isiwata Bath House.

IF you look at the timeline of the Philippines, it can be said that Davao City and the region it is located in is a relatively young area where most of the oldest buildings barely reach a hundred years old.

In contrast, Negros Occidental is already prominent in the Philippine map as it was and still is the center of sugar production in the entire country going back over a hundred years.

The vast sugarcane haciendas made the Negrense a prosperous people and it was this prosperity that allowed the province to design and build beautiful structures that continue to inspire and awe up to this day and are worth a visit.

National Artist Guillermo Tolentino crowning the building.

Negros Occidental Capitol Located just off the main thoroughfare of Bacolod City and in front of the Capitol Park and Lagoon is the Negros Occidental Capitol building.

Following Architect Daniel Burnham’s Beaux Art style, the capitol building is a neo-classic architectural gem that was designed by Juan Arellano.

A massive three-story colonnade frames its main entrance with the works of

Ishiwata Bath House A monument celebrating Japanese and Filipino friendship, the Ishiwata Bath House was constructed in 1928 by Engr.

Kokichi Paul Ishiwata within the premises of the Mambukal Hot Spring Resort. The bath house features neo-classical architectural design which was in vogue during that period and was lovingly restored in 2006. For a small fee guests can use the bath house facilities

which are still in operation up to this day.

San Sebastian Cathedral Built in the 19th century, the San Sebastian Cathedral or now called the Cathedral of Bacolod was originally a wooden structure with a galvanised iron roof. The stone structure which we see today was eventually built from 1876 to 1882 while the two prominent bell towers of the church were constructed in 1885. In 1933, the church was declared a cathedral in 1933.

The Ruins One of the most popular attractions to Negros is The Ruins. Located at Silay

City, the former home of a Negros sugar baron is one of the most unique structures in the Philippines.

Featuring Italianesque design elements fused with neo-classical touches, The Ruins was a loving tribute built in memory of the former owner’s wife.

The mansion was later set ablaze in World War II to prevent the advancing Japanese forces from using the house as their base of operations.

to share or to keep. Take your pick from small trinkets, bags, and shirts, all the way to big items such as home furnishings, pottery, and sculptures.

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

Beautifully crafted pottery at the Negros Showroom.

Negros Showroom Want to bring home a piece of Negros’ rich design lagacy home? Head to the Negros Showroom for some local delicacies as well as handicrafts and art pieces you can bring home The San Sebastian Cathedral and its twin bell towers.

Exploring Silay’s The Ruins.

Neo-classical details of the Negros Occidental Capitol building.

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

FDCP obtains ownership rights of Lino Brocka’s “Insiang” MS. RUBY TIONG TAN, producer of Lino Brocka’s Insiang, turned over the rights of the classic Filipino film “Insiang” to the Film Development Council of the Philippines last December. She agreed to turn over the rights of this significant work in our nation’s film heritage, as talks are ongoing with Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project/The Film Foundation for the restoration of the film.

Considered one of the best films of the 1970s by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the film focuses on the struggles of the teenage girl Insiang (played by Hilda Koronel) who is oppressed by a life of poverty after moving to Manila. Her From left to right: FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos, producer Ruby Tiong Tan, FDCP Executive Director Teodoro Granados, and strict mother Tonia (played FDCP Project Development Officer Quintin P. Cu-Unjieng.

by Mona Lisa) allows Dado ema. It garnered international confront the harsh realities of have nine policemen on loca(played by Ruel Vernal), a lover attention when it became the urban poverty. “The writer Ma- tion around the shanty.” Time many years younger her senior, first Filipino film to be screened rio O’Hara said the script was was another obstacle. “We to move in with them. After at the Cannes Film Festival. based on a family he knew. Be- shot the film for 21 days, shootDado develops an infatuation Among the film’s many acco- cause of that situation where ing over night for practically all with Insiang, he later rapes lades, it won Best Supporting they all lived in one shanty, it three weeks because we had to her. When Tonia blames her Actress for Mona Lisa, Best Ac- gave room for Insiang to be be on time for the first Metro daughter for the rape, Insiang tress for Hilda Koronel, and Best abused by her mother’s lover,” Manila Film Festival,” she exseeks freedom from her situa- Cinematography at the Metro she said. “The final scene was plained. tion by plotting revenge, thus Manila Film Festival in 1976. Be- shot at the same penitentiary The producer continued transforming herself and her cause of the film’s influence on where the mother from the that the film’s censors were not relationship with her mother cinema, “Insiang” is regularly true to life story was incarcer- keen on “Insiang” garnering inforever. The film is reputed to revived at various film festivals ated,” she added. ternational attention. “Because be representative of Brocka’s locally and internationally.

On the challenges during of the social realities depicted social realist cinema.

Ms. Tan told FDCP in an in- shooting, Ms. Tan recounted, in the film, they did not want it “Insiang” made Lino Brocka a terview that the message of “‘Insiang’ was the first film ever to go to Cannes. It was banned prominent figure in world cin- the film was to have audiences to be shot in Tondo. We had to because it wasn’t showing the

GCash expands reach; partners with Bayad Center for more cash-in, cash-out and remittance outlets G-XCHANGE, INC., (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom that operates the telco’s flagship mobile commerce product GCash, recently partnered with Corporate Information Solutions (CIS) Bayad Center, Inc., a leading outsourced payment collection company to further expand its reach to bring mobile money services to more Filipinos nationwide.

Leveraging on Bayad Center’s wide network and customer reach as a one-stop services center, GCash cash-in, cash-out and remittance services will now be available in Bayad Center branches nationwide, making them more accessible among GCash customers. “Cash-in” is the term used for putting in money into a GCash wallet, while “cashout” refers to GCash “withdrawals,” or conversion of cash loads into regular money.

“We are excited to bring GCash closer to more mobile phone owners via our partnership with Bayad Center. With its extensive coverage in the country, we are looking forward to further increasing our customer base so that more users can enjoy safe, secure, and hasslefree mobile money transactions that GCash offers, enjoying utmost ease in transferring money to and from their GCash accounts,” said GXchange, Inc. CEO Xavier Marzan.

Formalizing the partnership between G-Xchange and Bayad Center are, from left, GXI Sales Vice President - Merchant Acquiring Head Cecilia Grace Castillo, GXI Chief Executive Officer Xavier Marzan, Bayad Center President Manuel Tuason and Bayad Center Vice President Pit Quevedo.

He added that, “Bayad Center “This being a win-win situation boosts the current roster of GCash for both Bayad Center and GCash, outlets, which would help us pro- we look forward to a promising vide more accessible and convenient partnership as we explore more ways for our customers to transact business opportunities to serve our at any of the accredited Bayad Cen- more than 6 million customers nater branches nationwide.” tionwide,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Bayad Center PresiMoreover, the said partnership dent & CEO Manuel Tuason em- makes Bayad Center one of over 7, phasized that the collaboration 000 accredited GCash outlets nawith GCash will bring bigger con- tionwide. GCash customers can venience to the transacting public, perform cash-in and cash-out transparticularly benefiting the Bayad actions by simply going to any Globe Center customers who will be pro- store or authorized GCash partners. vided with additional touch points Cashing-in to a GCash wallet is free, to send and remit money nation- while cashing-out has a minimal wide. According to him, almost half P20.00 service fee for every amount of their customers, who are remit- in excess of P1, 000. tance beneficiaries, will find GCash To know more about GCash proda welcome alternative to send and ucts and services, visit www.globe. receive their money. com.ph/gcash.

beautiful parts of Manila. They delayed the censoring process just so that it wouldn’t make it for the Cannes deadline,” she recalled. But Ms. Tan took matters into her own hands. “By the time it was passed, it was already so late for the negatives to be sent to France via airmail, so I had to bring it there myself.”

Being able to tell human stories of Filipinos, often set in overlooked social realities, and have those stories emerge undiminished by trite melodrama and moral clichés, was the heart of Brocka’s genius. “The purpose of the producer and the filmmaker is to uplift the quality of life, uplift the standard of films. ‘Insiang’ was able to achieve that,” Ms. Tan said.

Previous restoration projects carried out by FDCP in partnership with World Cinema Project include Brocka’s other 70s classic “Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag,” which won the “Best Archive Restoration/Preservation Title” award at the Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries International Awards earlier this year. Presently FDCP is finalizing the launch of the restored version Manuel Conde’s “Genghis Khan” on DVD, which is set to be out by February 2015.

Waterfront Hotel’s exciting Chinese New Year offerings

THE Year of the Green Wooden Sheep is trotting in at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao. On February 19, celebrate and bring in prosperity with a Lion Dance in the Lobby and hand red pockets on the Prosperity Tree. Head right over to Cafe Uno for an opulent and authentic Chinese-themed lunch buffet for only Php888 nett per person. Come with a group of five and one gets to dine for free.

For reservations and inquiries, please contact the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao at (082) 300-8881 or 2332881 local 8700.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Camille Co & DJ Tom Taus to guest at SM Lanang Premier’s Great 3-Day Sale CATCH the latest style trends and hottest party event at the Great 3-Day Sale weekend of the region’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination – SM Lanang Premier.

Top fashion blogger and ‘It’ girl Camille Co will share with us the fashion inspirations for 2015 at a runway show featuring various participating brands on Friday, January 30, 6 pm at the Atrium.

Meanwhile, international DJ Tom Taus will play his brand of music mixes at the “Fresh Beats” party at The Foun-

tain Court grounds on Saturday, January 31, at 9pm. He will be joined

by Davao-based DJs Pae Dobles and Tien Batu.

Fresh Beats party is co-organized by Manic Nightnings Productions.

Fans can get VIP backstage passes to meet DJ Tom Taus right after the show with P2000 worth of single or accumulated receipts from any of the Fountain Court restaurants from January 30 to 31. Passes are available at the 3-Day Sale redemption booth at the Atrium.

“Style Trends with Camille Co” and “Fresh Beats: Party with DJ Tom Taus” are part of the mall’s

exciting lineup of events for the Great 3-Day Sale slated on January 30, 31 and February 1, 2015.

Grab up to 70% off on fabulous finds at participating stores mall-wide during the Great 3-Day Sale. Plus, be one of the 5 lucky winners to win 30,000 pesos worth of SM gift certificates in the raffle.

For inquiries, contact 285-0943 loc. 135-138.

Check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive promos and event updates.

Janella stars in “Oh My G!” SINGER-AC TRESS Janella Salvador stars in a unique love story that centers on the journey of an orphaned teenager in ABS-CBN’s newest feel-good drama series titled “Oh My G” which will began airing on Monday.

“Unlike other love stories, ‘Oh My G’ is not purely about romance.

It is about my role Sophie’s life as a teenager, her struggles in school, friends, love, and more importantly her faith,” said Janella whose character’s perfect life is about to turn around because of the death of her parents.

Janella considers “Oh My G” close to her heart not only for being her first starring teleserye,

but also because of the inspiration, lessons, and values it will impart to viewers especially for teens like her who are too preoccupied with school, family, and social media.

Janella added that the show was conceptualized through the personal request of Carmelite nuns to ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio, in celebration of St. Teresa

of Avila’s 5th birth centenary on March.

Also joining Janella in “Oh My G!” are Marlo Mortel, Manolo Pedrosa, Sunshine Cruz, Dominic Ochoa, John Arcilla, Edgar Allan Guzman, and Janice de Belen.

Eric Quizon and Maricar Reyes will also appear for special participations. It is under the direction of Roni Velasco and Paco Sta. Maria.

Don’t miss the beginning of the newest feel-good drama series that will bring everyone closer to God, “Oh My G!” on Monday before “It’s Showtime” on ABS-CBN Prime-Tanghali. For more information about “Oh My G!” log on to www. abs-cbn.com, or follow @ abcbndotcom on Twitter.

ABS-CBN dramas continue to conquer the world ABS-CBN programs prove to be a big hit not only in the country but in other parts of the world as well after the demand for and interest of foreign viewers in Kapamilya dramas significantly grew in 2014.

From a total of 3,779 hours sold by ABS-CBN International Distribution to various contest buyers in 2013, ABS-CBN’s sales increased by 35% and sold more 5,089 hours of different titles locally produced by the network in 2014.

Most of the top content buyers were from Asia particularly Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia in Asia and from Africa. Among the top

titles sold this year and have aired in the respective territories were “Got to Believe,” “The Legal Wife,” and “Be Careful with My Heart.”

These shows were either subtitled or dubbed in their local languages, just like what ABS-CBN does with popular Asianovelas that Filipinos love and continue to patronize.

The year 2015 is expected to be bigger for ABS-CBN International Distribution with the network’s strong line-up of banner programs such as Bea Alonzo’s “Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon” (internationally distributed with the title “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”), Filipino

adaptation of Korean series “Pure Love,” and ongoing hit primetime series “Forevermore,” topbilled by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano.

Just recently, these shows were exhibited and launched during the Asian TV Forum and Market (ATF) participated by hundreds of international content sellers and Asian buyers.

Aside from ATF, ABS-CBN International Distribution also actively exhibited in other fora namely Filmart (Hong Kong), DISCOP (Istanbul, Africa), NATPE (US, Prague) LA Screenings (US), BCWW (Korea), MIPTV (France), Shanghai TV (China), WCM (Russia), APEX (US), Content

Asia Summit (Singapore), MIPCOM (France), and TIFFCOM (Japan).

ABS-CBN International Distribution has been recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider. It has been a premier source of high quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 30,000 hours of content worldwide. Living up to this recognition, ABS-CBN International Distribution commits to add to its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to various cultures.

January 19-20, 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

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

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EVENT

S.O.X. celebrates seven JANUARY 13 2015, marked the 7th year anniversary of the Sox Bloggers (SOCCSARGEN BLOGGERS) at the RD Driving Range Restaurant, hosted by the awesome Mayor of Gensan, the Honorable Ronnel Rivera.

A brief history of the group was given by SOX Head, Avel Manansala.

The achievements since 2008 are astonishing, and not to mention the throwback photos, which had the group sharing some good laughs. It ended with the head blogger citing their plans for the year and their commitment to continue sharing the good news about Gensan, and the whole of Region 12 to the rest of the globe, through their blogs.

Later on, the good

Mayor gamely answered 20 Playtime questions prepared by the bloggers. He also played along to the game IPIS, Isang Photo Isang Sagot, (One photo, one answer) hosted by the ever hyper active, Ganda Ever So Much, Orman Manansala. Mayor Ronnel proved to be a good sport and playfully described the photos of personalities shown on the screen which had everyone laughing out loud on their seats.

At the end, Mayor Rivera thanked the Sox

Mayor Ronnel Rivera gets grilled by Ormon Manansala.

Bloggers and vowed his support in their advocacy to sell the city and Soccsksargen to the world.

The dynamic Mayor Rivera was accompanied by his hardworking Chief of Staff Voltaire Tiu, his tireless Media Affairs Officer, Ms. Blanche Yamba, and efficient Appointments Sec, Floyd Dagum.

Follow me on Twitter or Instagram, @kyriekoutre for more adventures in and around my wonderland that is Gensan, Tuna Capital of the Philippines.

S.O.X. head, Avel Manansala.

The S.O.X bloggers.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EDGE

13

EDGEDAVAO

Serving a seamless society

DAVAO

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

- 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

14

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NPA... FFROM 1 his wife Lijobeth was also snatched but was later freed by the abductors The Coquillas’ vehicle was found abandoned in Purok 2, Barangay Fatima, Paquibato District a few hours later.

‘Act of goodwill’ The NPA had earlier said Coquilla was taken into custody “in order to subject him to an investigation to determine his individual culpability with respect to the complaints lodged against him before the People’s Democratic Government by jail inmates and their families.”

The NPA said Coquilla was being investigated for complaints against him “which include his willful negligence in the supervision of inmates and his direct and indirect, overt and covert participation of drug trade and drug use inside the Comval jail.”

In its statement yesterday, the NDFP-SMR, however, suspended its judicial proceedings against Coquilla “as a humanitarian act in response to the pleas of his family and representatives from the GPH and well-meaning individuals, and as a gesture of compassion and mercy – a message that is reverberating in the country with the recent visit of Pope Francis.”

“The suspension of revolutionary judicial process over respondent Coquilla is also a unilateral exercise

of political authority of the NDFP, as an act of goodwill for the immediate resumption of peace negotiations between the GPH and the NDFP. As such, the case of Coquilla is being archived,” the NDFP said.

No exchange In an interview, Duterte said the NPA did not ask for an exchange for the release of Coquilla except for what it previously asked: improve the condition of the provincial rehabilitation center which it said was already infiltrated with drugs.

“I said better that he (Coquilla) will be the one to ask investigation from their higher office if the allegations are true or not.

It is hard to believe the allegations on drugs, then anomalies,” he said.

Coquilla, for his part, said he was treated well by the rebel group.

“So far, I cannot say anything negative about them (NPA) because of the attention they gave to me.

They treated me as a visitor,” he said.

Coquilla said he was asked by the NPA about the drug problem inside the rehabilitation center and he explained his side.

He said despite the preventive measures and strict security he has implemented, problem still prevailed. He said 50 percent of the population in his detention facility are drug cases.

the immediate passage of the BBL in Congress with the special attention given by Pope Francis to the peace efforts here,” Hataman said.

The regional governor had cited the statement of support to the BBL expressed by the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution last week “that public conversation should not be about semantics but about people -– their needs, their aspirations, their choices -- and about empowering them with the environment and institutional framework for social justice.”

“Their statement really captures the essence of law-

making, asking our people to decide what is good for them and capturing what they articulated,” Hataman said.

He also lauded the broad public consultations of lawmakers under the leadership of Rodriguez because “building a consensus among the people is very important in drafting a law that is reflective of what is good for them and the country.”

“Things are really looking up for the Bangsamoro people,” Hataman said, reiterating the reforms his administration is continuously working on prior to the establishment of the Bangsamoro. (PNA)

upon the request of the Vatican citing the prior engagements in May of Pope Francis.

On the other hand, the Apostolic and State Visit was set from Jan. 15 to 19 after Pope Francis expressed his desire to be with the victims of super typhoon “Yolanda”.

On Monday morning, Pope Francis left the country after his successful visit to the Philippines.

A Vatican official said that the Pope was impressed on the faith shown by the Filipino faithful during the Concluding mass at the Quirino Grand-

stand in Manila on Sunday afternoon.

Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican Spokesman noted that the number of attendees was overwhelming.

“If this is true, this is the largest event of the history of the popes. Before, in Manila, there were 4 or 5 million.

Now, 2015, 6 or 7 million.

(Imagine) next time we come back to Manila… in any case, it was really, really impressive,” Lombardi said.

A total of five million people attended the World Youth Day in January 1995. (PNA)

Mujiv... FFROM 3

Tagle... FFROM 4

OBLATION PROJECT. University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) Oblation Plaza project chair Dr. Bo Puentespina (right), together with publicity committee member lawyer Glenn Sorila (center) and UP Mindanao information officer Rene

Improve... FFROM 2 committee will look into the performance of district collectors last year as well as their targets to assess their efficiency.

He also said the CTO must improve its system before it makes any recommendation.

Dayanghirang admitted

that the Davao City tax code should have been amended four years ago but the delay “does not give us the permit to immediately jump on it.”

He said the CTO has not submitted any endorsement to his committee for the amendment of the tax code or increase in the tax.

close to answering that question. Why do children suffer so much? Why do children suffer?

When the heart is able to ask itself and weep, then we can understand something.”

Asked for reactions on the Pope’s statement to have more women representation, Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, told MindaNews in a text message: “Talagang I love this Pope! It is so heartening that, in his attention to the periphery, he did not miss the women. And it’s so important that he notes that men are a factor in the problem.”

Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chair of the government peace panel in the negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said women and girls “are affected in distinct ways by poverty, drugs, prostitution as well as by war” and Pope Francis “thus poignantly noted the different perspectives that women and girls can offer.”

Ferrer, the lone female peace panel chair in the world who signed a major peace agreement with a revolutionary group said the young girl’s question was “heartbreaking.”

“She asked why God allows these things to happen but the question is really addressed to us: why do we let these happen? Love this Pope,” Ferrer said.

Both Ferrer and Deles were cited in the December 3, 2014 speech of US former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s at Georgetown University on women as peace makers.

She said when women participate in the peace process, “often overlooked issues

such as human rights, individual justice, national reconciliation, economic renewal are often brought to the forefront.”

Aveen Acuna-Gulo of IPDev, a Cotabato-City based project of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance that is serving indigenous peoples, said of Pope Francis’ statement on women: “Rejoicing!

Rah, rah, rah! Saying things as they are! Lolo Kiko’s got a lot of Francisms! How can one not love this man with all the wisdom he radiates on every issue?”

“I am just sooooo moved by the Pope’s spontaneous comment about women after that encounter with the young girl,” Patricia Sarenas, chair of the Mindanao Coalition on Development said. “Tears in my eyes to read about what he said about women having much to tell us in today’s society. That’s what we have been saying in the women’s movement for so long. We see the world from our ‘women’s eyes’ and we see ‘differently.’

Thank you, dearly beloved Pope Francis for your very strong and clear challenge for all of us to ‘give enough room for women.’”

The Pope’s speech began with an announcement of a “sad piece of news,” about Kristel, a 27-year old volunteer of the Catholic Relief Services, who died when a scaffolding in the Tacloban airport mass fell and hit her head on Saturday, January 17.

He asked the crowd to pray for Kristel, an only child of an OFW mother and a father whom he later met at the Apostolic Nunciature after the youth encounter. (MindaNews)

Women... FFROM 3

Estremera, urges alumni to participate in the planned construction of the Oblation Plaza on February 28 in time for the 20th anniversary of UP Mindanao. The three graced yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

Aquino... FFROM 4 ruption issues.

BuCor is currently in limelight after a visit by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed that some inmates are given special privileges as proven by their air-conditioned quarters that also have Jacuzzis and music room, among others.

Aquino said the fight against corruption will not stop but also stressed that everything has to be done through right processes.

“As a saying goes, the measures of democracy is not how you defend your friend’s rights but the right of your enemy,” he said.

On the issue of poverty,

which Pope Francis also included in his homilies, Aquino said the government continues to help the needy through its various intervention program like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

He said some 2.5 million poor Filipinos have been alleviated from poverty through these various pro-poor programs and about one to 1.6 million new jobs have been created as of 2013.

He said results of the poverty alleviation programs will not be felt overnight but stressed that the government is slowly achieving its targets.

(PNA)

nomic and environmental benefits in the town.Now that most rice farmers are engaged in organic farming, declining amount of toxins go to rivers and lands which are harmful to residents, unlike before when farmers cultivate their fields using conventional methods with plenty of fertilizers and pesticides that had consequences”, Fareñas said.

Currently, a total of 130 hectares of the farming lands in Asuncion are already organic rice farms and ABE-FAP continues to provide financing and marketing assistance to rice farmers in the municipality since farmers who have paid their loan in full have the opportunity to avail the program in the succeeding cropping season.

In a record from the DA 11, a total of P57 million through GPBP was allocated in the province and P25.7 million of which was already utilized.

The remaining P31.3 million is set to be turned over to the different local government units of the province after the enabling documents were approved.

Twenty-three out of the 55 projects were already implemented and turned over.

On the other hand, DA 11’s hope also is growing that more farmers will avail of the program and its long term benefits that wouldable them to escape from the debt trap.

Agriculture Regional Director Remelyn Recoter said that the department continues to provide assistance to the farmers.

She added that the GPBP program is pushing farm mechanization for the farmers and beneficiaries to become self-sufficient and competitive.

“I hope you will take good care of the project.

You are lucky to receive an assistance such as this,” Recoter said. (Lucille Bocado/DA-11)

DavNor... FFROM 6

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

15

Ivanovic ousted at Aussie Open F

IFTH-SEEDED Ana Ivanovic struggled with her serve and lost in three sets to Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka in first big upset of the Australian Open.

The former No. 1-ranked Ivanovic, a finalist at the 2008 Australian Open, breezed through the first set in 21 minutes with three service breaks on Monday before No. 142-ranked Hradecka rallied to win their first-round match 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Ivanovic, who had a tour-leading 58 match wins in 2014 and started this season by reaching the final at the Brisbane International, had 10 double-faults and made 30 unforced errors and slumped to her earliest exit in a major since 2011. ‘’The whole match I didn’t really feel like myself out there,’’ Ivanovic said. ‘’It’s probably the worst thing could happen. But still, the year is young and I really have to now sit and work on few things and just maybe try to have a different approach to this kind of event and try to see what was lacking.’’

For Hradecka, it made amends for a missed opportunity in her only previous meeting with Ivanovic, when she wasted a match point be-

fore losing in the first round at Wimbledon in 2009. ‘’I was so nervous in the beginning, same at the end,’’ said Hradeck, who has never advanced past the second round at a major. ‘’My hand was so shaky.’’

Three other seeded players were eliminated in early first-round matches in the women’s draw, while No. 3 Simone Halep advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Karin Knapp of Italy.

Caroline Garcia beat No. 27 and two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2, Kristina Mladenovic beat No. 28 Sabine Lisicki 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and Julia Goerges routed No. 32 Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-1.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray beat Indian qualifier Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3), beginning his quest for an elusive Australian Open title.

Murray, who won the 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon, has lost three finals at Melbourne Park.

No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov opened with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over Dustin Brown 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, No. 29 Jeremy Chardy beat Borna Coric 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 and No. 32 Martin Klizan had a 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4 win over Tatsuma Ito of Japan.

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia hits a return to Lucie Hradecka of Czech Republic during their women’s singles first round match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne on Monday.

Mayor Rody invites BIMP-Eaga athletes, coaches to a dinner A

DINNER with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte awaits the athletes and coaches who took part in the 8th BIMP-Eaga Friendship Games in Labuan, Malaysia last December.

“I’d like to have dinner with them,” Duterte said after the athletes and coaches went to see him during the opening of the 2015 Duterte Basketball League (DBL)

P

OPE Francis came and won our hearts. His words, a lot of those he delivered in those times he spoke, gripped us and left an imprint in our subconscious.

Oh, how I wished I was in the country in those days that the Pope was around.

But I could only appreciate the events as they transpired by getting glued to the news online and the rash of posts on social media by friends whose brush with the people’s Pontiff vary in intensity, distance and inner reflection.

One memorable encounter was that of the homeless girl when he

Inter-Political District Basketball Tournament Friday afternoon at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. No date yet has been set for the dinner, although the mayor said it will be anytime soon.

Duterte, the city’s No. 1 sporstman, is a staunch ally of athletes in Davao City and has doled out numerous awards and citations

for them under his administration, the latest one the Athletes Recognition Night in December last year which honored close to 300 athletes.

Earlier, during the flasg-raising ceremony last January 12, City Administrator J. Melchor V. Quitain lauded the athletes who gave Davao City shining moment in during the staging of the biennial BIMP-Ea-

ga Friendship Games.

The City Government of Davao thru the SDD-CMO sent a 53-member delegation to the biennial meet last December 6 to 10. The athletes went home with three gold medals, five silvers and four bronzes.

Davao City took part in athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, sepak takraw and badminton. (SDDCMO)

Alaska ‘excited’for Game 7

A

LASKA veteran Dondon Hontiveros promised that the Aces will give their best against San Miguel Beer in the do-or-die Game 7 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, saying their execution will give them a chance to beat the Beermen.

Hontiveros again played a huge role for Alaska as they won Game 6, 87-86, with the “Cebuano Hotshot” finishing with 18 points including three triples.

“We’re happy that we can make this a special one and force a deciding game,” Hontiveros toldPBA.ph.

The veteran guard believes it is their “pure heart” that will give them an edge in the do-or-

die game.

Indeed, Alaska has shown time and again that they are capable of clawing their way back from deficits against the Beermen. In all three of their victories, they had to rally from double-digit deficits.

In Game 6, they trailed by 10 points in the opening frame before Hontiveros helped spark a comeback.

“Against that dominant of a team, we’re just excited for the deciding game,” said Hontiveros.

“If ma-execute namin ‘yung adjustment, malaki ‘yung chance namin to get the championship,” he added.

Game 7 is on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

May 2 fight.

Oh, well Floyd said May 2, right? But he never said the year. He never said 2015.

Again, it brings me back to the Pope saying that the nucleus of our question almost doesn’t have a reply.

While Floyd takes his sweet time to sign or not to sign the contract, boxing geniuses in this planet have made their bold predictions from Amir Khan to Mike Tyson. Even Floyd Mayweather Sr. spoke about how his son would beat up Manny.

Almost all of them have spoken. Meantime, Manny is quietly waiting from his own side of the world. Let-

ting the rest of the world do the talking.

This is boxing. This is big business.

More talk, more money.

More wait, more bait.

To the question when will Floyd ever answer, I could only say it’s foolish how we are putting ourselves at the mercy of this crazy man.

I can’t tell for now if he would make a reply. Not even an unlimited load from all networks will push him to scribble his signature on that document.

Or maybe, as Pope Francis puts it, this question almost doesn’t have a reply.

Well, almost.

Give Floyd some load to reply

asked the Pope if God neglected the children who are lured into prostitution and illegal drugs.

“She is the only one who has pit a question for which there is no answer…,” said the Pope to the crowd at UST after meeting the girl.

Then came this message I would love to keep: “The nucleus of your question…almost doesn’t have a reply.”

This leads me to the question many in the sporting world are asking nowadays—will The Big Fight happen?

I also asked that myself.

But thanks to the Pope, he gave me the answer.

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo Yes, the nucleus of our question almost doesn’t have a reply.

The Pope nailed it right there.

Floyd Mayweather, for all his immaculate record and millions in boxing, sur-

prisingly doesn’t have the load to reply as yet to the Manny Pacquiao challenge.

Given that Manny has surrendered practically all his marbles just to make The Big Fight happen, Floyd seems to be taking all the sweet time for him like he’s a demigod that controls the boxing universe.

Floyd must be smiling in his seat right now. Laughing even, at the thought that he wields that power to control his side of the sporting planet. Not even the masters of the prizefighting business like Bob Arum, Don King and ODH could shove Floyd to John Hancock that dotted line that would set off the

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 217 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Rody: DBL promotes unity

T

HE 2015 Duterte Basketball League (DBL) Inter-Political District Basketball Tournament was designed to promote camaraderie and unity among local officials.

This was emphasized by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte as he opened the annual basketball tournament Friday night at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. “It would be a good time for them to be together because we need unity here in

Davao City,” Duterte told reporters..” Kung wala tayong unity, wala talaga. Mahirapan tayo.”

Duterte made sure to personally open the event despite his hectic schedule and even doubled the cash prizes up for grabs in the tournament for barangay captains and kagawads.

From P20,000, the champion team now will receive P40,000 while the cash prize for second place was also raised from P15,000 to P30,000. Third place will

now get P20,000 and fourth P10,000. All the top four finishers will also receive trophies.

There will also be cash prizes for individual awards like the Most Valuable Player and members of the Mythical Five, which the local chief executive also doubled.

Also present during the opening ceremony were Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge William “Butch” Ramirez and Duterte’s long-time politi-

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte promises support for legless swimmer Ernie Gawilan (right) who will start his training in Manila for the Olympic qualifiers in Canada and the United States for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Jaineiro, Brazil. Also in photo is James Infiesto (2nd from right), president of the Davao City Association for Differently-Abled Athletes. Lean Daval Jr. cal strategist Leoncio “Jun” Evasco, himself the mayor of Maribojoc, Bohol.

The 2015 DBL Inter-Political District event, which is being organized the City Gov-

ernment of Davao thru the SDD-CMO, s one of the major sports activities being held regularly under the administration of Mayor Duterte.

Seeing action in the tour-

nament are Buhangin, Agdao, Paquibato, Poblacion A, Poblacion B., Talomo, Toril, Calinan, Tugbok, Marilog, Baguio and Bunawan. (SDDCMO)