Edge Davao 7 Issue 225

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

MASTER PLAN. Megaworld senior vice president Jericho P. Go (right) and head of public relations and communications Harold C. Geronimo (left), together with Suntrust Properties, Inc. president lawyer Harrison M. Paltongan, present the Davao Park District master development plan and the proposed design of the company’s first resi-

dential tower, the One Lakeshore Drive, during a press conference yesterday at The Marco Polo, Davao. They also announced that One Lakeshore Drive is almost sold out and the second tower is being launched ahead of schedule.

See story on page 5. Lean Daval Jr.

NO TO WAR Duterte: Don’t repeat all-out war vs MILF INSIDE EDGE

MEGAWORLD LAUNCHES 20-STORY CONDO ECONOMY page 5 PULSATING TO PLANA FORMA INDULGE page A1

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte does not want a repeat of an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as many people – including Manila Mayor and former President Joseph Estrada – are calling for.

“There should be a resumption of the talks. It might not sound good to everybody but we do not have a choice because we cannot go to war again,” Duterte told reporters in an interview at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday afternoon.

He also said government must continue the discussion on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) despite the

Mamasapano, Maguindanao encounter that killed at least 44 members of Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF).

Duterte, however, said he is personally not ready to talk with the MILF leadership since he is still saddened by the incident.

“Magapahungaw una ta (Let us calm down first),” he said.

Duterte condemned the brutality with which some MILF men killed the SAF members. Accounts of the incident had said many of the SAF operatives were shot in the face or head.

“Puwede ka namang pumatay isang bala lang (You

can kill even just one bullet).

That is really painful, as warrior, hindi naman dapat ganun (that should not have been done)... Hindi naman kailangan rakrakan yung mukha (you did not need to strafe the faces),” he said.

Who gave the order?

Duterte said the Maguindanao incident should be investigated to pinpoint what agency had the full responsibility of ordering the SAF to go in the area.

“The problem there is who ordered the poorly planned (operation)? Was there a plan at all or was it just a very reckless adventure?” he said.

He said the government invested a lot in trainings the SAF men since it is the striking force of the PNP, but the men were “just thrown into a mis-adventure.”

Duterte said there is an existing agreement between the MILF and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in situations like the one last Sunday that led to the deadly clash.

“I am angry because if there is an agreement, huwag ka munang pumasok sa bahay ko habang hindi tayo nagka-areglo (do not enter my house if have not yet come to an agreement),” he said.

FNO, 14

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

NEW OFFICERS. Newly-elected Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) officers and Board of Trustees members led by president Antonio T. dela Cruz (left, front row) and chairman of the board John Y. Gaisano Jr. (right, front row) pose for a group photo before the group’s 47th annual installation ceremony administered by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday night at The Royal Mandaya Hotel. Lean Daval Jr.

DCPO increases deployment after Mindanao explosions

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has ordered all police stations in the city to maximize the deployment of their police officers in all places of convergence in their respective areas.

Speaking in yesterday’s

I-Speak Media Forum, DCPO spokesperson Senior Inspector Milgrace C. Driz told reporters said the station commanders have been told to deploy their Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS).

Driz said the PIPS has

Chamber to revive iCon

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) will be promoting Davao City as an investment hub to both local and foreign investors as it resumes the Davao Investment Conference (iCon) in July this year.

“We believe that (iCon) should be a continued project with city government,” reelected DCCCII president Antonio dela Cruz said in an interview during the 47the Annual Installation

of Officers and Board of Trustees of the DCCCII last Wednesday at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Dela Cruz said that iCon was stopped because the chamber was already conducting various business events like the annual Davao Trade Expo, among others.

The iCon will be revived in July with about 300 to 500 delegates expected to participate. The probable venue of the conference is SMX Lanang Convention

FCHAMBER, 14

been deployed since the city is now on heightened alert status following the series of blasts in some parts of Mindanao.

“Police presence and visibility in all areas of convergence should be intensified,” she said.

Driz asked for the cooperation of the public for the safety of everyone in the city. She said the people should also be vigilant especially as violent incidents have been happening in some parts of the island.

“We need your vigilance and share it through your reports by calling our police,” she said.

Driz said aside from the high alert status, the DCPO also wants the stations to “exert more effort in solving crimes in their AOR (area of

responsibility) and increase the implementation of city ordinances.

Driz said DCPO director Senior Superintendent Vicente D. Danao Jr. wants the station commanders to have a higher apprehension on drug cases in the city.

airport where three Air Force C-130 planes waited to take them to Manila.

The bodies of two other slain elite policemen were brought to Zamboanga City earlier so they could be buried immediately in accordance with Muslim practice.

Senior Supt.

Noel Armilla, police director of the Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said a sendoff ceremony fit for fallen heroes were accorded to the slain policemen.

“The bodies of the

officers were carried above the shoulders of their fellow officers. The bodies of enlisted personnel were carried below the shoulders.

That is our tradition,” Armilla said.

At least four senior police officers and 40 other police commandos died in last Sunday’s clash involving the PNP-Special Action Force, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao.

Twelve other policemen were injured while the MILF suffered at least 16 dead.

Armilla said none of the families of the dead policemen were present at the vigil at the 6ID gymnasium Wednesday night.

Police officers nationwide will wear black ribbons on their badges in solidarity with the families of the slain policemen.

In Cagayan de Oro City, a Requiem Mass with be offered at the St. Augustine Cathedral on Friday.

PNP holds sendoff rites for slain cops T

HE Philippine National Police held a sendoff ceremony for 42 policemen slain in Mamasapano whose remains were airlifted to Villamor Airbase in Manila Thursday morning.

Fellow policemen carried the 42 caskets, each draped with the Philippine flag, from the gymnasium in nearby Camp Siongco, headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, into waiting Army trucks.

The trucks then whisked the caskets to the tarmac at

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

3

Police want to turn over witness’SIM card to NBI

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

T NO WAR. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte opposes the idea of an allout-war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front despite the deadly Maguindanao clash which claimed the lives of 44 members of the Philippine

National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) last Sunday. Duterte made his comment in an interview with media at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday night. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Toril Police Station wants to pull out from the Anti-Cybercrime Group the subscriber identity module (SIM) card of a witness against a police officer who had been relieved of his post for allegedly tipping off a drug pusher that an operation had been mounted against him.

Toril Police Station commander Chief Inspector (PCI) Hamlet Lerios said they submitted the request to the Anti-Cybercrime Group last year when the latter failed to unlock the SIM because it had a personal identification number (PIN) code and the

witness against Police Officer (PO)2 Luis Gabrinao could no longer be found.

“Late last year pa kami nag submit ng letter sa kanila para makuha namin yung unit, kasi hindi daw nila mabuksan dahil sa PIN code.

Hindi na din namin macontact yung witness ngayon kaya pull out na lang din namin (We sent the request late last year so that we could get the unit because they could not open it because of the PIN code. We cannot contact the witness anymore so we just want to pull it out),” Lerios said.

FPOLICE, 14

DA includes GenSan as Lumad group hits Cayetano for priority area in PRDP

‘fanning anti-Moro sentiment’ T A

N indigenous peoples’ alliance accused Senator Alan Peter Cayetano of fanning antiMoro sentiment and of being “painfully unversed in the intricacies of the peace problem in the country.”

In a statement Thursday, the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) said Cayetano’s reactions on the clash between Moro rebels and the Special Action Forces of the Philippine National Police stirred up “public opinion against the Moro people.”

Forty-four SAF operatives died Sunday in a clash with Moro rebels in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano town in Maguindanao. The policemen went to the area to arrest suspected terrorists

Zulkifli Bin Hir alias “Marwan,” allegedly a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah, and Basit Usman of the Abu Sayyaf.

KAMP also criticized Cayetano’s withdrawal of co-sponsorship of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on Tuesday, citing the MILF’s “lack of commitment, to peace, development, and the rule of law”.

“The senator must understand that the ‘rule of law’ inscribed in the Philippine constitution is not the basis of the peace talks.

The peace talks should be based on the unity to address the root causes of insurgency that is necessary for a just and lasting peace. To demand to play by one side’s rules is a display of condescension which is unfruitful in the negotiating table,” KAMP

PhilHealth to expand to more households in conflict areas

T

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will expand to 11,000 households this year the coverage of its health insurance program for residents in various conflictaffected areas in Mindanao.

Ramon Aristoza Jr., PhilHealth executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Thursday the move was based on the additional allocation received by the agency for the program’s implementation for 2015.

He said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) has allocated a total of P128.9 million for the initiative through the PAyapa at MAsaganang PAmayanan (PAMANA) and the Sajahatra Bangsamoro programs.

“This will enable us to

provide health insurance coverage to 11,000 Sajahatra Bangsamoro and PAMANA program beneficiaries until Dec. 31, 2015,” he said in a statement released by PhilHealth Region 12.

Aristoza, who is a former PhilHealth regional vice president for Region 12, said OPAPP specifically earmarked P47.7 million for beneficiaries under the PAMANA program, P26.4 million for the renewal of Sajahatra Bangsamoro program enrollees, P50.4 million for the targeted beneficiaries under the socioeconomic component of the normalization process and P4.4 million for the 3,698 enrollees in 2013 under the Sajahatra Bangsamoro.

He said targeted new enrollees will come from

FPHILHEALTH, 14

spokesperson Piya Macliing Malayao said.

In announcing his withdrawal of support to the BBL, Cayetano accused the MILF of merely wanting power more than peace and planning to put up a “totalitarian kingdom” that will be a safe haven for terrorists.

But KAMP said the senator only fanned popular anger over the death of the policemen, and placed the blame entirely on the MILF. Malayao said the peace process is not a mere question of power. “The peace process is aimed to address the long-wrought oppressions of the Moro people, and empowering the Moro people to realize their right to selfdetermination.”

“It is sad that a legislator,

more so a senator, harbors such ignorance of the peace process,” she said.

“Instead of focusing on how to address the historic injustice against the Moro people, Senator Cayetano’s words and actions is adverse to the pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Mindanao,” she added.

Aside from Cayetano, Senator JV Ejercito also announced he was withdrawing his support to the BBL. Both PNP officer-incharge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas declared they did not know about the operation.

Roxas said the question of who ordered it will be tackled by the board of inquiry.

FLUMAD, 14

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 has adopted this city as among the priority expansion areas in the region this year of the World Banksupported Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

Amalia Jayag-Datukan, DA Region 12 executive director, said Thursday they have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the city government to facilitate the inclusion of the area into the P27.5-billion flagship rural development initiative.

She said they already endorsed the MOA for evaluation and approval by the PRDP’s Mindanao Project Support Office based in Davao City.

Once approved, she said the local government could immediately propose and avail of infrastructure and enterprise development

grants for its priority commodity sectors.

She said it could pursue sub-projects under the PRDP’s I-BUILD component or the Intensified Building-Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development and the I-REAP or the Investments in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity.

“There are a lot of opportunities for expansion in terms of agricultural development here in GenSan that the PRDP could assist,” she said in a press conference here.

Datukan said they initially encouraged city officials to propose for projects that would further improve its thriving asparagus industry.

She said the PRDP could assist in the expansion of asparagus plantations, enhance production and

FDA, 14

CHINESE NEW YEAR. Davao Chinatown Development Council public relations officer Jasper Huang (right) and PopeeManapat promote the activities of the upcoming Chinese New year celebration on February 18 in Sta. Ana Avenue. Huang and Manapat were guests of yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall.

Lean Daval Jr.

4 BIGGER PICTURE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

FALLEN POLICEMEN. Fellow police officers carry the caskets of slain policemen involved in the Mamasapano clash to be loaded into Philippine Air Force C-130 planes that will take them to Manila Thursday morning. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo | Ready story

Palace declares National Day of Mourning for SAF members

P

RESIDENT Benigno Aquino has declared today (January 30, 2015) as National Day of Mourning for the fallen Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) members in Ma-

guindanao.

In a briefing in Malacañang Wednesday evening, the President said he, like the rest of the Filipino people, wants to know what really happened in Mamasapano,

Maguindanao last Sunday.

He, however, said that he is leaving it up to the Board of Inquiry, which has been formed to assess and submit a report on the incident.

At least 44 elite mem-

bers of the SAF were killed in a violent firefight with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The SAF members were assigned to capture Malaysian Zulkipli bin Hir, a.k.a.

Marwan, and Filipino Abdul Basit Usman, reportedly bomb experts who are linked with the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah and who are being hunted by the United States.

The incident has been dubbed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as a “misencounter” since there is an existing ceasefire in the area.

(PNA)

Suga refused comment on the specifics of the talks with Jordan, saying the situation was developing. The Cabinet met to assess the latest developments, but did not issue any updates.

Efforts to free al-Kaseasbeh and Goto gained urgency after a purported online ultimatum claimed Tuesday that the Islamic State group would kill both hostages within 24 hours if Jordan did not free al-Rishawi.

Japan has scrambled to deal with the crisis that began last week with the release of a video by the Islamic State group showing Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, kneeling in orange jumpsuits between a masked man who threatened to kill them within 72 hours unless Japan paid a $200 million ransom.

That demand has since shifted to one for the release of al-Rishawi. The militants have reportedly have killed Yukawa, 42, although that has not been confirmed.

“This heinous terrorist act is totally unforgivable,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in parliament Thursday.

Goto, a freelance journalist, was captured in October in Syria, apparently while trying to rescue Yukawa, who was taken hostage last summer.

In Tokyo, Goto’s mother, Junko Ishido, has been desperately pleading for the government to save her son.

“Kenji has only a little time left,” she said Wednesday.

In his announcement that Jordan is ready to trade al-Rishawi for the pilot, government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani made no mention of Goto.

Releasing the would-be hotel bomber linked to al-Qaida would breach Jordan’s usual hard-line approach to the extremists and set a precedent for negotiating with them.

It would also be a coup for the Islamic State group, which has already overrun large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordan is part of a U.S.-led military alliance that has carried out airstrikes against the extremist group in Syria and Iraq in recent months.

Jordanian King Abdullah II faces growing domestic pressure to bring the pilot home.

The pilot’s father said he met on Wednesday with Jordan’s king, who he said assured him that “everything will be fine.”

The pilot’s capture has hardened popular opposition among Jordanians to the air strikes, analysts said “Public opinion in Jordan is putting huge pressure on the government to negotiate with the Islamic State group,” said

Marwan Shehadeh, a scholar with ties to ultra-conservative Islamic groups in Jordan. “If the government doesn’t make a serious effort to release him, the morale of the entire military will deteriorate and the public will lose trust in the political regime.”

Jordan reportedly is holding indirect talks with the militants through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq to secure the release of the hostages. In his brief statement, al-Moma-

ni only said Jordan is willing to swap al-Rishawi for the pilot.

He did not say if such an exchange is being arranged.

The 26-year-old pilot, al-Kaseasbeh, was seized after his Jordanian F-16 crashed in December near the Islamic State group’s de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria. He is the first foreign military pilot the militants have captured since the coalition began its airstrikes in August.

Previous captives may

have been freed in exchange for ransom, although the governments involved have refused to confirm any payments were made.

The Islamic State group broke with al-Qaida’s central leadership in 2013 and has clashed with its Syrian branch, but it reveres the global terror network’s former Iraqi affiliate, which battled U.S. forces and claimed the 2005 Amman attack. ELAINE KURTENBACH and KARIN LAUB

Japan studying latest message in Mideast hostage crisis

J

APAN was studying the latest message purportedly from the Islamic State group, which extends the deadline for Jordan’s release of an Iraqi prisoner, while officials worked feverishly Thursday to try to free a Japanese journalist held by the militants.

The message, read in English by a voice the Japanese government said was likely that of hostage Kenji Goto, was released online late Wednesday after Jordan offered to hand over the al-Qaida-linked would-be suicide bomber to the Islamic State group in exchange for Jordanian air force pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh.

The recording says Jordan must present Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman convicted of involvement in deadly Amman hotel bombings in 2005, at the Turkish border by sunset Thursday in exchange for Goto’s life or the pilot would be killed. It wasn’t clear what Goto’s fate would be if the woman wasn’t returned.

In Tokyo, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Thursday the government was in close communications and “deeply trusts” the Jordan government. He said Japan was doing its utmost to free Goto, working with nations in the region, including Turkey, Jordan and Israel.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, speaks during a hurriedly held ministerial meeting on Japanese hostage Kenji Goto taken by the Islamic State group, at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo Thursday. AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, Pool

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

Megaworld launches 20-story condo

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

G

crc@edgedavao.net

IANT land developer Megaworld’s Suntrust Properties, Inc. of the One Lakeshore Drive, a residential component of Davao Park District, launched on Thursday the second 20-story condominium for its township project .

This, after Suntrust Properties Inc. president Harrison M. Paltongan announced that about 70 percent of the total units of the first condo tower were sold out in less than two months after it was launched to the public in November last year.

“We are very happy with the overwhelming reception of Davaoeños to our first residential project in the 11.2-hectare Davao Park District. Our experience is far beyond what we have expected,” Paltongan said during a press conference at the Marco Polo Davao yesterday.

Paltongan said Suntrust is expecting at least P2-billion in sales in One Lakeshore Drive this year.

One Lakeshore Drive is a four-tower residential condominium cluster that will rise at the center of the township which has an estimated land area of one hectare.

The residential area will be just beside a one-hectare manmade lake surrounded by lush

“Our future residents in said the land development has greeneries and its own leisure shore Drive a modern, high- be convenient and hassle-free,” tech and future –ready resi- he said.

One Lakeshore Drive will soon started for the construction of and recreational facilities.

Megaworld senior vice see refreshing modern con- the first condo tower which “Residents will have direct dential property. Fiber optic access to the lake and some of cables will be installed in each president Jericho P. Go said the cept of mixed-use develop- is expected to end by the last them will have this exclusive tower, bringing a new level of company is ramping up the ment and a central business quarter of 2019.

Megaworld is allocating view of Samal Island, Mt. Apo township lifestyle to our future masterplan of the township district that only Megaworld and Davao Gulf right outside residents. With this, installing project to make living, working can ever build for Davao City,” P15-billion for the development of Davao Park District in their windows,” Paltongan home facilities for internet, ca- and playing in Davao Park Dis- Go said. ble TV and CCTV cameras will trict a truly world-class.

Paltongan, meanwhile, the next five to seven years. said.

Paltongan said that each tower will be 20-storey high, offering studio (up to 27 square meters (sqm)); executive studio (up to 40 sqm); one-bedroom (up to 50 sqm); and two bedroom units (76 sqm).

He said that unit owners in One Lakeshore Drive will have an exclusive third-level amenity that features 20-meter infinity pool overlooking the lake, wood deck pool area, wet lounge, kiddie pool, outdoor fitness station, gazebo, childrens’s playground and pocket gardens.

Other amenities including business center, day care center, function rooms, indoor fitness gym, and commercial area will be located at the ground level of each tower.

Paltongan said they also partnered with PLDT HOME, a leading multimedia solution provider, to provide every resident with connectivity through Fibr, Telpad and DSL services. Megaworld Corporation senior vice president Jericho P. Go, Suntrust Proper- marketing and business development division Jerry R. Rubis lead the ground“Our partnership with ties, Inc. president lawyer Harrison M. Paltongan, executive vice president breaking ceremony of the Davao Park District’s roads and facilities in Lanang, PLDT Home makes One Lake- and chief operating officer Deanna Jean A. Claveria and first vice president for Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

Davao suffers drop in fish production

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

F

crc@edgedavao.net

ISH production in Davao Region dropped by 28 percent last year.

Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 11 Fisheries and Regulatory Law Enforcement Division chief Jose Villanueva said the drop in fish production may change because collection of data is not yet completed.

Based on the BFAR 11 National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP), total fish production from January to October of last year reached only 2,508.50 metric tons (MT), lower compared to the 2013 total production of 3,468.79 metric tons.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 11 regional director Maria Lourdes Lim said that based on the data gathered by the Department of AgricultureBureau of Agriculture Statistics (DA-BAS), production of fish in the region dropped by only 22 percent.

Villanueva said the decrease in production was due to the closed season implemented in Davao Gulf during the spawning season from July to August last year.

During the closed season, commercial fishing vessels were not allowed to conduct any fishing activity inside the

Growth shows Phl no longer sick man of Asia: Balisacan

A

PHILIPPINE official says the country no longer deserves to be branded the “sick man of Asia” after its economy grew more than 6 percent for a third consecutive year.

Hampered by natural disasters, growth of the $300 billion economy slowed to 6.1 percent in 2014, but still outpaced most other countries in Asia, officials said Thursday.

The 2014 performance ranks the Philippines as the second fastest growing Asian country behind China, which posted 7.3 percent growth, and ahead of Vietnam’s 6.0 percent growth, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary ArsenioBalisacan said. The Philippine economy grew 7.2 percent in 2013.

“Our country can no longer be called the sick man of Asia,” Balisacan said. “Our economic growth is becoming more competitive with our East and Southeast Asian neighbors.”

The Philippines has been blighted by decades of corrupt governments and the archipelago nation is also vulnerable to frequent natural disasters such as typhoons and floods.

Investor perceptions of the country have improved under

A

the government of President Benigno Aquino III, who was elected in 2010 with promises to combat endemic graft and poverty.

“The numbers tell us that we are moving in the right direction,” Baliscan said. “Clearly the economic policies and strategies we are implementing to achieve sustained and inclusive growth are bearing fruit,” he said.

National Statistician Lisa Bersales said the “robust performance” of industry, particularly manufacturing and construction, lifted growth in the fourth quarter to 6.9 percent from 6.3 percent a year earlier.

She said services contributed 3.4 percentage points, industry 2.5 percentage points and agriculture 0.2 percentage points to the 2014 GDP growth of 6.1 percent.

Business process outsourcing was one of the contributors to the expansion of services, according to Balisacan. Outsourcing currently employs 1.052 million Filipinos and the industry is targeting 1.3 million full time employees and $25 billion in revenue by 2016. (Oliver Teves/AP)

AirAsia resumes Manila-Davao flights

IRASIA Philippines, the Filipino low cost carrier that flies hand in hand with AirAsia, yesterday announced it will start flights between Manila and Davao on March 27, 2015.

To celebrate the re-introduction of the Manila-Davao route, AirAsia Philippines is offering promotional seats with all-in-fares from as low as P799, one-way. Promo seats are available for booking starting today until 1st February 2015 at www.airasia.com with travel period from 27th March 2015 to 26th March 2016.

AirAsia Philippines’ Chief Executive Officer, Joy Cañeba said Davao City is an important gateway to Mindanao. “We are partnering with Local Government Units and various stakeholders in the region to develop products and services to

further boost tourism and promote Davao as a major tourist destination to local and foreign visitors,” she said.

Access to Davao-Cebu is also available on AirAsia’s twice daily flights from Davao International Airport to Mactan Cebu International Airport.

More than just a center of trade and commerce for Mindanao, Davao is host to a myriad of tourist attractions.

Nature lovers can hike their way up to Mount Apo to enjoy the lush scenery from atop the nation’s highest peak or indulge in various activities at Eden Nature Park, while the Island Garden City of Samal offers a chance for sun-seekers to go beach-hopping around the many pristine shores surrounding the resort island.

Meet the country’s national

FAIRASIA, 14

gulf, according to Villanueva.

“Even though there’s a continuing fishing activity among small fishermen, this is not enough to cover the catch of commercial fishing vessels,” Villanueva told Edge Davao Thursday.

He, however, was quick to point out that the closed season received positive feedbacks because both local and commercial fishing vessels caught bigger fish that had a higher market value.

Villanueva said the effect of the closed season, which will be an annual event starting from June to August, will be felt five years from now.

“Other regions, like in Zamboanga, that implemented closed season also experience a drop in the volume of fishes caught in the first few years of implementation,” he said.

The BFAR 11 officer also attributed the decrease in the number of commercial fishing vessels from General Santos operating in fishing ground of Davao Region.

“The fishes they caught in the east coast of the region as well as inside the gulf were not listed under the region. It goes to General Santos,” Villanueva said.

Region 12, he said, has an increasing volume of fish

production over the years although it has a lower area of fishing ground compared to Davao Region.

Villanueva added that most boats and fishing vessels operating in Davao Gulf are not designed for open seas where there are more fishes to be caught.

“Most of vessels from Gen San are capable of operating on the east coast of the region where there is stronger current compared inside the gulf,” he said, adding that most of the fishing vessels here are made of wood while others are made of steel.

As a result, a group of fish-

ermen from Baganga, Davao Oriental is building a steel fishing vessel that is capable of operating on open seas, according to Villanueva.

He explained that the northeast monsoon affects the production of fishes in the region.

“Since our boats here are made of weak material, it cannot survive strong wind and sea current,” he said.

Villanueva, however, said that monsoon is not new to fishermen. He was more worried that climate change is one of the reasons that affect the volume of fish produced in the region.

SMUGGLING RAPS. Bureau of Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla, flanked by DOJ Undersecretary Frank Baraan III and Deputy Commissioner Maria Edita Tan, explains the smuggling case filed by the BOC against the top executives of Stellent Corporation.

Stellent faces raps for steel smuggling

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IVE top officials and the customs broker of a steel importing firm faces smuggling related cases filed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for attempting to illegally import steel products worth around P14.3 million.

Smuggling-related cases were filed by the BOC in the Department of Justice (DOJ) against officials of Stellent Corporation, led by Chairman of the Board Rico Rigor Cayunda Cinco (aka RecoRigor), Board Members’ Charmayne De La Peña Angeles, Asuncion Petra Angeles, Maria Rhezy G. Ilada,

Ruge Robert S. Illada, and Customs Broker John Philip Malinao Yap for alleged unlawful importation of steel angle bars from China.

Cinco and the others are facing charges for violation of the Bureau of Products Standards Law for bringing into the country fifteen (15) 20-foot container vans of steel angle bars without the necessary Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) from the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS).

The said law requires im-

porters to have proper BPS certification prior to importation of steel angle bar products. The respondents’ unlawful importation also violated section 3601 in relation to Section 101 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) as amended by Republic Act (RA) 7651. The shipment arrived at the Port of Manila from China in July 2014.

“Although there is a strong demand for steel products, we cannot let these illegal and unsafe products enter the local market,” said Cus-

toms Commissioner John P. Sevilla. “We are working very hard to prevent the technical smuggling of substandard products that pose danger to people who will use them.”

The smuggling attempt was foiled on the basis of an Alert Order issued by the BOC’s Intelligence Group after receiving derogatory information about the shipment.

The Alert Order was hoisted over the shipment to place it under special attention and to allow Customs personnel to validate the veracity of the derogatory information.

istration (SRA).

BWSC Director Ahmma Charisma Lobrin-Satumba said the plan has undergone various consultation process starting off with a plantation level focus group discussion, district level planning, regional action planning, Island-cluster planning, the national validation and presentation and finalization of the HRD Master Plan.

“As this is a convergence effort, we involve as many sectors so that stakeholders under the sugarcane industry will have ownership of the HRD plan,” Satumba said.

Other key players in the convergence include Departments of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Professional Regulation Commission and the Regional

Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.

Satumba added the plan aim to support the industry, more importantly its workers to be more competitive and productive.

This week BWSC is holding here the Mindanao cluster consultation workshop on HRD Plan, the 2nd leg of the four-leg major island cluster consultation. Sugarcane industry is operating on 23 provinces in the whole country. Mindanao’s major sugarcane producer is Davao del Sur, Bukidnon and North Cotabato.

Sugarcane is the Philippines’ fourth largest crop after coconuts, corn and rice which provides direct employment.

Among ASEAN region, the country’s sugarcane industry

covering 423,000 hectares with 28 sugar mills and 14 sugar refineries ranks 2nd to Thailand. In 2013-2014, the industry contributed close to P88 Billion to the national economy.

The industry has more than 700,000 workers with 5 million dependents.

DOLE Davao region assistant regional director Venerando C. Cebrano said this convergence is good avenue for the convergence paving the way towards protection of work force the sugar industry.

“With the advent of the ASEAN Integration we need to be fully cognizant of its impact to the sugar industry in terms of employability, competency and work productivity,” Cebrano said. (Sherwin B. Manual/ DOLE11)

HRD Plan prepares sugar industry for ASEAN Integration

T

HE Philippine sugarcane industry is ready for the ASEAN Economic Integration.

At the onset of ASEAN Economic Integration, the sector has developed the Sugarcane Industry Roadmap and the Human Resource Development (HRD) Master Plan for the Sugarcane Industry.

This HRD master plan led by the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) tackles how the industry can be competitive and productive particularly its workers who are identified among the labor force’s vulnerable sector. The HRD Master Plan is complemented by the Sugarcane Industry Roadmap of the Sugar Regulatory Admin-

7 AGRITRENDS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

Seaweed: Underwater gold mine Text and Photos By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“

THERE is a need to produce more seaweeds in the Philippines. The global demand is big and is growing by leaps and bounds. That’s because seaweed products are used in a wide range of industries,” reported Zac B. Sarian in his monthly column in a recent issue of Agriculture.

The source of his information was Maximo Ricohermoso, chairman of the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines. He was the main speaker of the technology forum of Seaweed Fiesta that was held at the Passig Islet in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur recently. It was convened by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology.

The gathering, which was co-sponsored by the Davaobased Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Council (SMARRDEC), was made “to report the latest developments in the project while at the same time hoping to inspire other people to get into seaweed farming.”

One of those who attended the gathering was 41-year-old Ethelmark Bohol of Baganga, Davao Oriental. He grows two kinds of seaweed: Eucheuma alvarezzi and Kappaphycus cottoni.

The first one is known locally as “Bermuda,” which is highly suitable for eating as part of a fresh salad. Sarian reported that Bohol grows 10 lines of seaweeds, each line measuring 220 meters long.

From this, he harvests 5-10 kilos each day and sells them at P30 per kilo in the local market.

As for the second type of seaweed, the color is very white and seems to have been bleached without using any bleaching agent. Actually, the original color is brown but it when sundried, soaked in water overnight, and then sundried again, it becomes very white. So white that it can be used a replacement for the usual “buko” in a fruit salad.

While there is money in growing seaweeds, the industry is still beset with problems.

Foremost is marketing of the produce. Sarian, in his column, wrote: “Seaweed growers in remote areas with poor transport facilities have a problem with marketing. Government assistance is needed so more people will go into seaweed farming.”

If there’s no financial support from the government, the industry will remain a promise without fulfillment.

As Sarian puts it: “Even if they (farmers) can produce a lot of seaweeds, if they cannot market their harvest as a profit, they will just look for other projects to undertake.”

In a primer, the PCCAARD identified the coastal villag-

es of these provinces as the leading producers of seaweed: Western Mindanao, Central and Eastern Visayas, and Southern Tagalog. They reportedly account for more than 60 percent of the country’s production.

Seaweeds are marine plants that grow abundantly in shallow reef flats and in lagoons with a water depth of less than two meters at high tide. They differ from plants because they lack the stems, leaves, roots, and vascular systems that are common in higher plants.

Technically, seaweeds are “multicellular” forms of algae and are classified into three main divisions: brown algae, red algae, and green algae.

Brown algae, commonly called “kelp,” are the largest variety.

Pacific species can reach 65 meters in length and have structures that superficially resemble leaves and stems.

On the other hand, red algae are composed of several species, including the Irish moss. They are abundant in clear tropical waters. Meanwhile, green algae – which are sometimes called “sea lettuce” – are commonly seen at low tide, along rocky shores in northern seas.

The Philippines is one of the pioneers in seaweed farming. Cultures of Porphyra, Eucheuma, and Caulerpa in the Philippine marine farms have been recorded as early as the 1960s. Through the initiative of Dr. Max Doty, a marine botanist at the University of Hawaii, and his local counterparts, the first technology for culture of Eucheuma was introduced to industry in 1973.

Commercial seaweed farmers first succeeded in cultivating Eucheuma in the reef areas of Mindoro, Aklan, Cuyo, Zamboanga, and Tawi-Tawi.

Since then, seaweed production has gone overboard.

Ideally, the conditions for growing the seaweeds are water depths of one foot to two feet at low tide, water temperature of 27 to 30 degrees Centigrade, salinity of 31 to 34 parts per thousand and moderate water movement (20 to 40 meters per hour). Excessive sunlight, strong currents, and the presence of plant-eating fish like danggit (siganid) can be detrimental to seaweed growing.

In the Philippines, some 390 species have been identified as having economic value as food, animal feeds, fertilizers, diet supplement, medicines, and raw materials for industrial products.

At least 60 Philippine varieties are reportedly edible, including “gulamang dagat,” “gamet,” “pocpoclo,” “culot,” “lato,” “guso,” “barls-barls,” “bulaklak bato,” and “balbalolang.” Some of these varieties can be processed into jams, jellies, candies, pickles, baby’s food, and “gulaman” bars.

The food value of sea-

A type of seaweed. weeds varies in different species. Average chemical analyses of 46 species of marine algae in the Philippines show that the crude protein content (percentage of dry weight) is 7.44, 6.40, and 9.29 for the green, brown, and red seaweeds, respectively. This is about two to three times the protein content of common green leafy vegetables, which is 3.27 percent dry weight.

Four species – Halimada, Hypnea, Sargassum, and Asparagopsis – have been used as feed or fodder for livestock.

Species of Cladophora, Enteromorpha, Chaetomorpha, and Gracilaria are used to supplement or substitute for fishfood for cultured herbivorous fish.

The high potassium content of brown seaweeds like Sargassum, Turbinaria, Hormophysa, and Hydroclathrus make them ideal substitutes for costly fertilizer. In Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, Jose Riga has developed an all-purpose seaweed-based organic fertilizer and soil conditioner in stabilized pellets.

The fertilizer, called Sea Crop, is made from brown seaweed, cattle manure, stabilizing compounds and an organic binder fortified with soluble compounds of a number of nutrients.

Seaweeds have also some medicinal values. They are used to treat or prevent goiter, glandular troubles, stomach disorders, intestinal and bladder difficulties, unusually profuse menstrual flow, highblood pressure, and high plasma-cholesterol level. Gracilaria species are used locally as pain relievers and ointments.

Commercially, seaweeds are valued for their colloids or gluey substance, particularly agar, carrageenan, and algin.

Both agar and carrageenan are

Seaweed for eating extracted from red seaweeds, while algin is extracted from brown seaweeds.

Agar, which derived its name from the Malay word for seaweed, “agar-agar,” is used in making jellied desserts, as stabilizer in pie fillings, piping gels, icings, cookies, cream shells, and as thickening and gelling agent in poultry, fish and meat canning.

In the medical and pharmaceutical industries, agar serves as a laxative, suspending agent for barium sulfate in radiology, ingredient for slow-release capsules and in suppositories and surgical lubricants, and as a disintegrating agent in tablets. It is also used as impression materials to make accurate casts in prosthetic dentistry, criminology and tool manufacturing.

Carrageenan, on the other hand, is used in making ointments, as a stabilizing agent in frozen dairy products, as emulsifying agent in water-insoluble drugs and herbicides, and as texturing agent in toothpaste and powder. The Philippines is the world’s top

carrageenan exporter.

Algin or alginic acid, meanwhile, is used as another stabilizing agent for several food

Another type of seaweed. products, as a sizing agent in paper manufacture, and as thickening agent in print pastes and painting coatings.

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EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

EDITORIAL Quo vadis, ‘sick man of Asia’?

I

T’S time to burry the one referred to as “the sick man of Asia.”

With the Philippines’ economic performance from 2010 to 2014, the country is poised to drop that tag for good. The country closed 2014 with a 6.9 percent GDP growth and with that, economic planners are looking at the country moving on to a long-term growth path. With the same bullish outlook, we are looking at a 7 percent GDP growth by this year.

The Philippines’ economic performance also indicated it went over the hill and avoided the dreaded boom-and-bust cycle it faced in previous decades. Now, the Socioecomonic Planning department said we have become more competitive with our East and Southeast Asian neighbors.

The country has rebounded strongly in 2014 after posting

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the highest growth in Asia next only to powerhouse China.

Overall, we went 6.1 percent in growth last year with that big jump to 6.9 in the final quarter. Credit that to a strong farm output and construction activity.

Now, with that performance, the Central Bank may also be poised to leave policy rates on hold for some time.

That should mean a good start for the year.

The forecast is placed at 6.5 percent this year and given a 2.6 trillion peso national budget, it now depends on how the Philippine government is going to spend that budget.

Hopefully, the growth in economy will not just remain figures for grizzled economists to understand but translate to tangible growth that will overcome the perennial problems of poverty and unemployment.

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:

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H

EAR this! By 2050, at least 13.6 million Filipinos are at risk of being displaced.

Not by war or floods but by sea level rise.

That’s according to Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific, which was published by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank.

The report considered the Philippines as “one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.” It ranked the country fifth in terms of number of individuals affected by sea level rise.

Most scientists who attended the climate conference at Oxford University a few years back believed that a rise of at least two meters in the world’s sea levels is now certain. The culprit: global warming.

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

If the world limited warming to 1.5 degrees then it would still see two meters sea-level rise over centuries, according to Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf, a widely recognized sea level expert from Germany. Even then, the world will still see some island nations disappear.

A new study contends that sea-level rise is accelerating faster than in the past. The current sea-level rise -- which started in 1990 -- is 2.5 times faster than it was from 1900 to 1990, according to the study published in the journal Nature.

“A continuing rise in average global sea level would inundate parts of many heavily populated river deltas and the cities on them, making them uninhabitable, and would destroy many

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

The rising sea level

beaches around the world,” said THINK ON THESE! the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of 2,000 scientists which advises the United Nations.

This is bad news for Davao Henrylito D. Tacio City and those henrytacio@gmail.com areas near the Davao Gulf. The recent Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts, published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), said that sea-level rise may create problems for Davao City’s ports.

“Located along the relatively shallow channel between the city and Samal Island, these port facilities are a nerve center for Davao City’s economy, and serve a variety of ships handling both cargo and passengers,” the risk assessment said.

These days, when there’s heavy rain, Davao City is immediately flooded. How much more when the sea level rises?

A few years back councilor Leonardo Avila, during a seminar, said that when the sea level rises, the following areas will be completely submerged: Agdao district, Panacan, Sta. Ana wharf, part of the Lanang, Bajada and Matina areas, the whole of downtown area, including the City Hall. “These areas will virtually be part of the Davao Gulf,” he pointed out.

VANTAGE POINTS

9

What happens next is anyone’s guess. But 40 percent of the city’s total population will be forced to evacuate to higher areas like the districts of Buhangin, Catalunan Grande, Calinan, Mintal and Paquibato. Since the downtown area is already inundated, businesses have also to be relocated to higher areas.

Sea level rise is also expected to make groundwater becomes salty in taste. So, residents of Davao City should not be surprised if in the future the water they are drinking will taste like sea water.

“Davao has traditionally tapped surface water from its rivers as its main water source,” the WWF/BPI report said. “It prides itself in the relatively high quality of its drinking water. However, salt intrusion has already been reported in city districts to shore, especially in portions of the city where groundwater extraction continues. Sea level rise may aggravate this situation.”

“Salinity intrusion into groundwater resources occur naturally to some extent in most coastal regions via the hydraulic connection between groundwater and seawater including through canals and drainage channels,” explained the World Bank report, Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience.

Another bad news: salty water is hazardous to your health. “The most common consequence of excessive salt ingestion is hypertension,” the World Bank report said. “Along with hypertension, there is a broad range of health problems potentially link with increased salinity exposure through bathing, drinking, and cooking; these include miscarriage, skin disease, acute respiratory infection, and diarrheal disease.”

All these because of climate change. “Climate change has caused many nations to suffer stronger typhoons, sea level rise, more flashfloods, and more devastating droughts,” commented Senator Loren Legarda during the National Climate Change Consciousness Week two years ago. “If proof is what we need to substantiate these claims, we already have more than enough.”

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

In 2010, the Philippines was the sixth most climate-vulnerable nation according to the Climate ChangeVulnerability Index. In 2013, the country made it to the third most vulnerable by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security.

Climate change could still be curtailed if greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide could be limited. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally and is vital to life, but excessive quantities of it are released by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).

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

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

They have a stranglehold on politics and economics because they are devious and unscrupulous and do not hesitate to exploit the tolerant nature of the typical Filipino community.

Meanwhile, because we, the people, do not apprehend what it means to be a sovereign citizen—and the sacred duties it entails, we cannot or do not act to push back the attrition they cause to our values and institutions.

We seem unable to understand that it is we who make government possible, establishing it at every level. It is we who fill its bureaucracy with people like ourselves, but who inevitably get corrupted by the dominance of corrupt bureaucrats and their perverted values.

We can’t act responsibly and decisively unless we keep in mind that because it is we who vest officials with authority, delegating to them the powers that belong to us, the task also falls to us to discipline, remove, or replace them. ***** Although it is writ large in our Constitution that “Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them” (Article II, Section 1) we don’t exemplify what it means; we don’t act accordingly.

We lack awareness that our government, local or national, derives its power and authority from us; that therefore it is our duty to see the same exercised responsibly, honestly, accountably, and transparently.

Not only that, we need to understand that irresponsible citizens create irresponsible or illegitimate governments; and that to prevent this from happening, we must be civic-minded

and do our duties accordingly.

We do need always to be mindful of the fact that all official corruption is made possible by the improper or corrupt exercise of our power (sovereignty) and authority—which we merely lend to our officials. It is our power. It is authority we delegate it to them by electing them. ***** But although it is our duty to see that the same is exercised responsibly or honestly we don’t do so. We don’t keep politics on the straight path and let it perform to our satisfaction.

And so the ruling families can indulge in corrupt and perverted practices to their heart’s content. It is we who allow them to be venal and unfocused on their mandates. It is we who let wrong family values prevail, allowing public servants to turn our government into a self-service enterprise.

It is time to put family values in perspective, time to stop dynasties from gutting the resources of our community and society at every level; time to penalize the malefactors.

We must put a stop to the culture of impunity. And to do it, we need to start with family and clan!

(Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific, secretary-general of Southeast Asian Publishers Association, director at Development Academy of Philippines, vice chair of Local Government Academy, member of the Cory Government’s Peace Panel, and PPI-UNICEF awardee for outstanding columnist. valdehuesa@gmail.com)

Families subverting our values and institutions

O much is said about the role and value of the family. Well and good. Because family is the most basic of our roots and our loyalties—our basic identity, support group, and wellspring of our individual and collective ego.

It is why the Pope took pains to remind us that family is the greatest treasure of any country… the cornerstone of society.

Unfortunately, there’s a downside to excessive family obsession and loyalty, the kind that subordinates the welfare of community and society and places family interests above others.

It is what characterizes the reign of political dynasties throughout our archipelago.

Family ambition, pride, or obsession trumps any other consideration, overpowering the demands of the common good, exacerbating inequality, raising discontent in community after community.

This unseemly social/political phenomenon causes family units to subvert instead of enhance communal well-being, worsening inequality and lack of opportunity in our society. ***** By any measure of fairness or justice, it makes no sense for a family or clan to crowd everybody out of choice places in the public domain by stocking it with relatives and cronies.

Family or clan monopoly is abhorrent to democracy just as mono-cropping is abhorrent to agriculture or the natural environment.

This social problem has been spawned by the dominance of traditional politicos (trapos) in our politics, along with the cupidity of their cronies in the economy. Their dominance draws

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA attention away from elementary democratic principles and the ethical values of the community.

And the broad scale of their dominance has made greed and the urge to aggrandize appear perfectly normal and fashionable. ***** Unmindful that human diversity is just as important for society’s survival as nature’s diversity is essential for environmental survival, they mindlessly go power-tripping in defiance of what’s socially acceptable and what’s legally frowned upon.

As a result, community solidarity is shattered as trapos sacrifice harmony and mutual consideration on the altar of ambition and greed. In the process, they spread ill-will and resentment as they go about merrily in search of plunder, loot, and advantage.

The capture of politics and the economy by these shameless trapos has spread and institutionalized corruption as never before. Supported by dynasties with no sense of civic responsibility, they are driven by the spirit of opportunism, the urge to aggrandize, and thus expand up their family’s fortunes.

Cheered on by cronies and sycophants eager for a share of the loot they acquire from being in power, they dominate every level of our political system without compunction. *****

10 ICT HUB EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

FACEBOOK’S STATUS UPDATE

Profit, revenue beat expectations F

OR the seventh quarter in a row Facebook beat profit and revenue forecasts, continuing to win more mobile advertising revenue as most users shift to using the site on smartphones and other portable devices.

The world’s biggest online social network said Wednesday that advertising revenue jumped 53 percent to $3.59 billion for the fourth quarter — with mobile ad revenue representing 69 percent of the total. That percentage has grown steadily in each quarter of this year.

Facebook’s massive user base also expanded. It had 1.39 billion monthly active users at the end of the year, up 13 percent from a year earlier. Daily users totaled 890 million, up 18 percent.

Mobile monthly active users jumped 26 percent to 1.19 billion.

“The bigger Facebook gets, it cements its position as one of the most dominant players in digital media, and it has the size and reach to change the rules of digital advertising and convince others to play by them,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at research firm eMarketer.

Facebook, which turns 11 years old this year, began offering mobile ads in 2012, the year its stock began publicly trading. More recently, Facebook expanded into video ads, which are very lucrative, and last year it re-launched Atlas, a tool for marketers to better target people across devices, platforms and publishers and to measure how

S

well the ads work.

Facebook had a “strong quarter capping off a really great year,” Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an interview.

She called 2014 the year Facebook completed the shift to mobile, and said the company will continue to make investments to build its business this year. When it comes to Facebook’s ad business, the focus is squarely mobile.

Sandberg said that in the U.S., 25 percent of consumers’ time spent on various media is spent on mobile — while only about 10 percent of advertising budgets goes to mobile.

“What that says to me is that we have opportunity for growth,” she said.

The company is still a long way from catching up to rival Google Inc. in the digital advertising market, though.

In 2014, Facebook had a nearly 8 percent share of the market compared with Google’s 31 percent according to eMarketer. That’s an increase for Facebook and a slight decrease for Google from 2013.

After paying preferred dividends Facebook earned $696 million, or 25 cents per share, in the October to December quarter, up from $520 million, or 20 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Adjusted earnings totaled 54 cents per share. Analysts, on average, were expecting adjusted earnings of 48 cents per share, according to FactSet. Revenue grew to $3.85

billion from $2.59 billion a year earlier, also topping analysts’ $3.78 billion forecast.

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said the company has “made it clear” that it expects revenue growth rates to slow due to tough comparisons to year-ago results, but added that this “should not be a big concern, especially for longterm investors.”

Facebook, which owns the popular photo-sharing app Instagram and the messaging service WhatsApp, has launched stand-alone mobile apps of its own, in a move that helps it take up more real

estate on people’s phones.

Besides its Messenger app, though, these apps have seen limited success.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised that Facebook will continue investing in new areas that might not pay off for a long time. This includes its purchase of Oculus, a small company that makes virtual reality goggles, last year. The company’s ambitious Internet.org project, meanwhile, aims to connect everyone on Earth to the Internet.

Zuckerberg said recently that it’s a misconception that

Facebook does everything for business reasons.

“I can promise you that if what I cared about was making more money, I would take the engineers and the people who are working on Internet. org and spreading connectivity around the world and have them go work on our ads product,” he told an audience recently in Bogota, Colombia.

Case in point, costs and expenses for the fourth quarter rose 87 percent to $2.72 billion from a year earlier.

Shares of Menlo Park, California-based Facebook

slipped $1.09, or 1.4 percent, to $75.15 in extended trading after the results came out.

Some analysts attributed the after-market pullback to profit-taking by short-term investors.

“Investors are getting accustomed to better than expected results,” said Edward Jones Analyst Josh Olson, adding that he sees any weakness as a buying opportunity. “Mobile continues to be a success. They are really redefining the mobile ad market right now.” BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

sales.

The world’s top smartphone maker reported Thursday that its October-December earnings were 5.3 trillion won ($4.9 billion), compared with 7.3 trillion won a year earlier.

Samsung’s quarterly net income has dropped over a year earlier for four

straight quarters. Still, the bottom line was a moderate recovery from the previous quarter’s 4.2 trillion won and higher than analysts’ forecasts of 4.4 trillion won, according to financial data provider FactSet. Sales fell 11 percent to 52.7 trillion won from a year earlier while operating

profit slumped 36 percent to 5.3 trillion won, in line with Samsung’s preview earlier this month.

The Korean company’s mobile business began to struggle in 2014 while Apple enjoyed record-high sales of bigger iPhones that were released in September.

Samsung is still believed

to have retained its lead over Apple in smartphone unit shipments during the last quarter, but Apple must have narrowed its gap with Samsung, analysts said.

Apple reported stellar earnings on Tuesday thanks to its new plus-sized iPhones that hit record-high sales. Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones during the three months that ended Dec. 31.

Samsung does not give its smartphone sales figures, but Lee Jae-yun, an analyst at Yuanta Securities Co., estimated that Samsung sold 77 million smartphones.

Samsung’s IT and Mobile division that makes Galaxy phones recorded operating profit of 1.96 trillion won in the October-December quarter, less than half of the 5.47 trillion won operating profit in the same quarter of 2013. But that was better than the July-September period’s 1.75 trillion won operating income.

The recovery from the previous quarter showed

that the dramatic decline in its smartphone business may have stopped. The company said its mobile phone business’s performance improved from the three months earlier because the Galaxy Note 4 and other high-end smartphones saw higher sales that offset a drop in sales of cheaper phones.

Its management of marketing expenditures was efficient, its statement said.

The company was shy of giving a clear guidance of how its mobile business would perform during the current quarter. It said it will focus on “the successful implementation of its new product line-up strategy.”

Facing a dramatic fall in smartphone sales, Samsung vowed last year to reduce the number of smartphone models to streamline businesses and to adopt a change in design by using metal in more high-end models.

YOUKYUNG LEE, AP Technology Writer

Samsung’s 4Q profit drops but beats forecast

AMSUNG Electronics Co. said its quarterly earnings dropped 27 percent in the fourth quarter as it struggled in its battle of big phones with Apple. But its result still beat forecasts thanks to component businesses that performed better and a modest improvement in high-end handset

11 SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

ARMM to mark World Hijab Day with symbolic walk of 1,000 women

A

T least 1,000 women wearing hijab are expected to walk the streets of Marawi City on Feb. 1 as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) joins in the celebration of 2015 World Hijab Day. The ARMM’s Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW) is organizing the event.

Sittie Jehanne Mutin, RCBW regional chair, said they expect women from all sectors to join the celebration and help “draw attention to the need for women to participate in the political and economic development of Bangsamoro.”

She said participants would come from different

parts of the region, regardless of religion and social standing.

Hijab refers to the veil and the dress that covers the entire body that most Muslim women wear.

Mutin said this year’s celebration would carry the theme Hijab WALK (Women’s Access to Livelihood ay Karapatan), which is aimed at emphasizing women’s important role in society and promoting their right to decent livelihood, development, justice and empowerment.

Last year, ARMM marked the World Hijab Day celebration with the participation of more than 500 women in hijab in a fun run. (PNA)

File photo by Lean Daval Jr.

38,000 dogs get anti-rabies vaccines DSWD 12 honors V

ETERINARY personnel in South Cotabato vaccinated a total of 38,000 dogs in parts of the province last year as part of intensified campaign against the deadly rabies virus.

Dr. Flora Bigot, acting provincial veterinarian, said Wednesday they expanded their anti-rabies vaccination program in 2014 as a strategy to eradicate rabies cases within the province’s 10 towns and lone city.

“Giving of anti-rabies vaccine to dogs is still the most effective strategy to eradicate rabies,” she said.

From January to December last year, the official said they were able to attend to

some 21,000 dogs in the area.

Polomolok town topped the list in terms of the number of dogs that were vaccinated last year with 8,000, followed by Banga with 6,187 and Suralah with 6,000, she said.

Bigot said they have scheduled anew a yearround vaccination drive this year and they are targeting to cover all 199 barangays of the province during the period.

She said they will initially visit the remote or far-flung barangays and areas where rabies cases were previously recorded.

“The anti-rabies team

will be following a schedule but if there are emergency cases or if we receive requests from concerned barangay councils, then we will prioritize them,” she said.

The official said they usually spend an entire day during their barangay visits to make sure that all dogs in the area would be vaccinated.

Aside from the barangay vaccination drives, Bigot said they also offer the same services to other pet owners in key localities at a minimal fee.

She said they were able to collect a total of P349,000 in anti-rabies vaccination fees last year and they eventually used the funds to serve

2,458 indigent owners.

Rabies is a deadly virus which is transferred by warm blooded animals like dogs, cats, bats, and horse to human through bites. It causes inflammation in the human brain that will lead to the victim’s death.

In South Cotabato, at least 10 persons died last year due to confirmed rabies infection.

A human anti-rabies vaccine costs P1,500 per vial and the local government provides them for free through its Animal Bite Center located at the out-patient section of the Integrated Provincial Health Office in Koronadal City. (PNA)

policies, innovative anti-squatting programs and projects, and its effective implementation of its efforts and initiatives in housing.

The HUDCC, headed by

Vice President Jejomar Binay, said this enhanced the capacity of the local government in addressing housing and urban development concerns that are recognized by the national

government.

The recognition, which was presented through a plaque, was bestowed at the Coconut Palace, the official residence of the Vice President in Manila, and was received

by Engineer Bernardo Castor, who heads the technical working group of the Local Housing Board chaired by Mayor Allan L. Rellon.

This is still part of the national government’s drive against professional squatters and squatting syndicates in its goal of recognizing best practices in the local government.

Tagum City has eight existing relocation sites which are developed by the local government.

Aside from Tagum, other local government units that were recognized were Butuan City, San Carlos City, Island Garden City of Samal, Marikina City, Kidapawan City, Quezon City, and Malabon City. Louie Lapat of CIO Tagum

Tagum City cited for housing efforts T

HE Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) recognized the city government of Tagum for its sound legislative actions, pragmatic

RECOGNITION. Vice President Jejomar Binay hands a plaque of recognition to Engineer Bernardo Castor representing Mayor Allan R. Rellon for Tagum City’s housing program at the Coconut Palace in Manila recently. Contributed Photo

by LHB-TWG

Bayan Ka! awardees T

HE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 honored on Wednesday a community volunteer and a coordinating team of its Kalahi-CIDSS program for winning top awards at the recent 1st Bayan Ka! Awards of the agency.

Bai Zorahayda Taha, DSWD Region 12 director, said the region’s awardees were recognized during the awards as “champions and modern-day heroes” of community development.

She said the agency earlier launched the nationwide search as part of its enhanced information and promotions campaign for the Kalahi-CIDSS, which stands for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services.

The campaign promotes the involvement of local stakeholders in community development by encouraging them to “put their community (bayan) first before their own selves.”

“We’re fortunate that we have our own champions of our community-driven development strategy here in the region,” she said.

The awardees from the region were community volunteer Santos Balilid, who took the “Best Indigenous Peoples Volunteer Award,” and the program’s staff assigned in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat who won the “Best Area Coordinating Team (ACT) Award.”

The awards were conferred in a ceremony held at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City last Jan. 23.

Taha said Balilid is one of their long-time program volunteers in Barangay Sinapulan, Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat.

She said Balilid was recognized due to his contributions as volunteer, dedication to his community and determination to improve the lives of the tribal or indigenous peoples in the area “who were left behind in terms of development.”

The ACT of Isulan, which spearheads the implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS at the municipal level, was recognized for its efforts in terms of strengthening the awareness of local communities through consultative dialogues and rigorous engagements with the people.

Kalahi-CIDSS, which is implemented by the DSWD, is one of the national government’s flagship poverty-reduction programs.

It utilizes the community-driven development concept as a strategy, with the aim to empower communities to achieve improved access to services and ensure their participation in more inclusive local planning, budgeting, and implementation.

In Region-12, it is now implemented in the 16 municipalities in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato. (PNA)

12

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

TRENDS

Pulsating to

PLANA FORMA

AS SOON as the telltale burn hit my thighs a few minutes into our exercise, I started to comprehend why Plana Forma produced aficionados that they affectionately call “thigh warriors.” I had just been initiated into Plana Forma by way of their Forma Asana class. The 8:00am session last January 23 kicked off their second Popup here in Davao, held at the Damosa Fairlane clubhouse.

The 2-day series of classes included the Forma Asana class, Zumba and the Beginners class – all full body workouts incorporating elements of yoga, dance and Pilates that tone and stretch the muscles at the same time.

Plana Forma is a new and revolutionary thinking in the local world of physical fitness. It conforms to the principles of Physique 57™, which uses a mix of isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches to simultaneously lengthen and tone muscles. It differs from most of the other exercises that uses machines and isotonic or dynamic movements as it primarily utilizes the body’s own weight and the aid of the barre. Though it makes

use of static exercises— make no mistake, a session of Plana Forma is 55 minutes of challenging workout which stretches and contracts muscles to the point beyond exhaustion. It generates intense heat in the muscles that will remain and continue burning calories even after the session has ended.

Despite the young age of Plana Forma in the country, its platform is one that many have rapidly taken to. Both its studios in Metro Manila have carefully mapped out classes that cater to all levels. From the 30 minute Intro that is recommended for purposes of learning proper form and alignment of the body to

its much-beloved Zumba class that is as carefree and high-intensity a workout as you can get. Gearing towards opening their first studio outside Manila early this year at the soonto-open Felcris Centrale, their forays into the South have proven encouraging as fitness fiends slowly begin to discover why this evolving form of exercise only grows stronger and more resilient such as the bodies it shapes.

For more information regarding Plana Forma, visit their website at forma-asia.com. You can also contact them through their email info@formaasia.com, and contact numbers 09178094392 and 5530870.

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

STYLE

WILSON LIMON If I were to dress MJ Lastimosa, I would make her wear a sweetheart neckline accentuated with drapes on the hips to emphasize her hour glass figure. Appliqued with lace and beads on the bodice down to her hips with tulle gathers on a subtle panels.

JOHN BELANDRES MJ has a beautiful figure and a red gown that emphasises her curves as well as flows with her walk would be the perfect evening gown for her during the competition. Lace floral appliqués as well as crystal embroidery should draw the eye to hey tiny waist as well as elongate her body making her look taller than the competition.

Davao designers dr

MISS PHILIPPI

MUCH has been said about the gown that Miss Philippines Universe Mary Jean Lastimosa during the Miss Universe competition, that it was ill-designed and did not flatter the Philip one issue, that it was not designed by a Filipino designer was another.

MAIZY COLLEEN TAN MJ Lastimosa is such a beauty and I would love for her to slip into something elegant with a fun twist. I want her to wear an iron-pleated cut-out piece in turquoise that will let her sashay around the stage in high-spirited charm and oozing self-confidence.

Binibining Pilipinas chair Stella Marquez-Araneta defended the gown’s designer, saying in an interview produced by Filipino designers were just not good enough for the pageant. This prompted Filipino fashion foul and made Pinoy netizens demand that the organization look for Filipino designers for future excursio Indulge! asked some local Dabawenyo fashion designers what they would have had MJ wear instead. H their designs and thoughts.

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DON MAKI I would have loved to dress MJ up in a fully sequinned floral gown with 3D effect Appliqués.

There’s a little bit of flirtiness added to it by incorporating a skintone tulle on the waist part scattered with small floral appliques. This look will emphasise MJ’s tiny waist and elongate her body.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Vina and Denise become stronger because of love

VINA MORALES and Denise Laurel both admit that they can relate to their characters when it comes to love in ABS-CBN’s newest afternoon drama series “Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita.”

“I can really relate to Cecilia’s life because we both have to be strong as single moms for our children. Like her, I have become tougher as a person and as a mother because of my experiences in love,” said Vina about her role in one of the newest Kapamilya Gold teleseryes.

According to Denise, she can see herself in the personality of her character Toni when it comes to love. “For me, Toni

and I share similarities when we fall in love because we are both ready to sacrifice and do everything to let our loved ones know how we feel for them,” she said.

Meanwhile, TV viewers will surely be more thrilled in the next episodes of “Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita” now that teen stars Jane Oineza, Jerome Ponce, Joshua Garcia, and Loisa Andalio will soon appear in the series as Corinne,

Ryan, Joel, and Bea, respectively.

Don’t miss the newest teleserye that will show the different faces of love, “Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita,” everyday, 3:15PM, after “Flordeliza” on ABSCBN’s Kapamilya Gold.

For more information about “Nasaan Ka Nang

Kailangan Kita,” log on www.abs-cbn.com, or follow @abscbndotcom on Twitter.

Viewers may also catch up on full episodes and past episodes of “Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita” through ABS-CBNmobile. For more information, please go to www. abscbnmobile.com.

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Y CASTILLO

ve MJ wear a red terno made fiber for the evening gown ion to emphasise the uniquepino design as well as Filipino y featuring locally sourced s. The lines of the gown are o emphasise her figure as well her look taller.

Yagit gets overwhelming support from viewers and online netizens KAPUSO Afternoon prime drama series Yagit continues to grab the attention of viewers and netizens. The well-loved characters of Chlaui Malayao, Zymic Jaranilla, Judie Dela Cruz, and Jemuel Ventinilla never fail to capture the hearts of viewers. Portrayals by Yasmien Kurdi, James Blanco, LJ Reyes, Renz Fernandez, Kevin Santos, Bettina Carlos and Wowie De Guzman plus Paolo Contis are also highly-anticipated.

Based on the overnight household ratings data recorded in National Urban Philippines from December 1-January 16, Yagit scored a 13.2 percent household rating versus ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya Blockbusters’ (Dec.1-Jan.14) 10.4 percent and Thank You Sa Malasakit (TYSM): Pope Francis sa Pilipinas’ 10.9 percent.

In Urban Luzon, it scored a 15.1 percent household rating compared to Kapamilya Blockbusters’ 8.9 percent and TYSM’s 9.2 percent while in Mega Manila, Yagit posted 15.7 percent against Kapamilya Blockbusters’ and TYSM’s 7.8 percent.

From intense to dramatic scenes, there’s no doubt why Yagit continuously captivates viewers’ attention. Witness what Dolores can do for her daughter Eliza. Will Victor continue to keep Eliza away from Dolores?

Yagit airs Mondays to Fridays after The Half Sisters in the Afternoon Prime block of GMA. Don’t forget to follow the official Facebook fanpage www.facebook.com/Of ficialYagit and Twitter account @OfficialYagit.

January 28-February 3, 2015

INTO THE WOODS Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp GP

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

TAKEN 3 / * VICE Liam Neeson / * Bruce Willis PG13 / *R16

11:40 | 1:50 | 4:00 LFS / * 6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

THE BOY NEXT DOOR Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman R16

R-16

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

HALIK SA HANGIN Gerald Anderson, Julia Montes PG13

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

EVENT

Southern comfort at

HUCKLEBERRY The Durianburg food scene is once again making waves as Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar finally opened its doors last January 28 after a dry-run last December. A brainchild of cousins Kim and Chris Pamintuan, the restaurant is earning praises and fans all over the metro with its fresh new concept in dining.

Promising to serve a contemporary taste of the American South, Huckleberry offers comfort food that harkens back to the Carolinas, Louisiana, and beyond such as Slowroasted Beef Belly, Southern Fried Chicken, Nashville Hot Chicken Wings, and Pork Belly with Apple Salad and Mashed Potatoes.

More than just offering American soul food, Huckleberry is a one-ofa-kind watering hole with a bar that carries some of

the best premium spirits of the world such as Monkey 47 Dry Gin, Tequila Ocho, Tres Agaves, and Siete Leguas, which hand-

in-hand with the food and craft cocktails are the reasons why Huckleberry is winning fans all over the city as evidenced by the many guests who arrived for the opening party.

Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar is located at the ground floor of the Oboza house at the corner of Rizal and Bolton Streets.

Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter at @ kennethkingong for more happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 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 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

HEIGHTENED SECURITY. Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Senior Inspector Milgrace C. Driz says DCPO ordered all police stations to maximize the deployment of their police officers in all places of convergence in their respective areas as the city is on heightened alert status following the series of bombings in some parts of Mindanao. Driz graced yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Lean Daval Jr.

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“We are neighbors, we used to be friends, you visit my house, I can enter your house, nagkaroon tayo ng deperensya (but we came into conflict). In the meantime there is a settlement, you should honor the agreement,” he added.

Duterte said even the military in the area “were not properly informed, so they could not respond (when the SAF men were suffering heavy losses). What those kind of operation was going on?”

He said the military

hesitated to reinforce the SAF because it would be prosecuted for violating the GPH-MILF agreement.

Duterte said the problem was that the superior of the killed SAF members did not follow the exact protocol for operations.

“You could share information who you are after and what kind of force you would need,” he said.

“I hope that there would be a reckoning someday na bakit murag gibahog nimo sa impyerno (why did you send them to hell),” he added.

Center.

Dela Cruz said the delegates will be oriented on the investment climate of the city as well as the labor environment and investment opportunities here.

Dela Cruz said the details of the event are still to be finalized by the board.

He said iCon will be one of DCCCII’s major events this year aside from the annual Davao Trade Expo which will be staged in September.

Dela Cruz said DCCCII executive vice president Daniel Lim will be in-charge of the 3rd iCon The 2nd iCon, held in 2012, focused on the four priority areas of investments: connectivity, tourism, property and real estate development, and information and communication and technology (ICT).

The 2nd iCon was also focused on promoting the province of Davao Oriental as an investment hub in Davao

region.

Last Wednesday’s 47the Annual Installation of Officers and Board of Trustees of the DCCCII was graced by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte who inducted the elected officers and board of trustees for 2015.

Aside from dela Cruz and Lim, inducted were John Y. Gaisano (chairman of the board), Bonifacio Tan (vice president for trade and commerce), Captain Ronald C. Go (vice president (VP) for professional and service ventures), Engr. Wilfred Teves (VP for industry), Sofronio M. Jucutan (VP for agribusiness), Atty Enrique M. Diola (corporate secretary), Alvin M. Pinpin (corporate treasurer), Yvonne F. Cabada (trustee), Luciano Frederick P. Puyod III (trustee), Annie E. Veloso (trustee), Antonio M. Ajero (trustee), Arturo M. Milan (trustee), and Belinda L. Torres (trustee).

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He said the SIM will be submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for deeper forensic investigation and with the hopes that the NBI can unlock the SIM card.

Lerios said the SIM card is a vital evidence for the pursuance of a drug case against Gabrinao.

Lerios said the unit contains the conversations of Gabrinao and the witness which will prove that the latter was the one who tipped off his pusher “friend’”who was the subject of a raid last year.

A source at the AntiCybercrime Group who requested anonymity said

the SIM will be turned over to the Toril Police Station.

“Usually if the police request our office for a cyber forensic examination, after a week we already have the result. But in this case we can’t give any because the unit can’t be opened,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 spokesperson Superintendent Antonio Rivera said Gabrinao’s case is still ongoing but that it will be resolved “within 60 days.”

Last December, Gabrinao was transferred to the Regional Public Safety Battalion in the Cateel Municipal Police Station.

In his televised address Wednesday night, President Benigno Aquino III did not categorically say who sanctioned the operation. He said it’s not always necessary for police operations to have prior approval from higher-ups.

Aquino’s speech dwelt mainly on the urgency of capturing Marwan, citing his reported involvement

in the 2002 Bali bombings and other acts of terror.

The president also said the incident should not stop the peace process from pushing through.

Police Director Getulio Napeñas, who was relieved as SAF commander after the Mamasapano clash, has owned up full responsibility for the botched operation.

bird at the Philippine Eagle Centre, have “dangerous” encounters at Davao Crocodile Park and find Philippine’s national flower, Waling-waling, amongst the many flower species at Puentespina Orchids and Tropical Plants. Whether you are looking for exciting nightlife or a serene getaway, Davao seals the deal when it comes to natural charms and

city amenities. http://www. airasia.com/ph/en/cheapflights/philippines/flights-todavao.page For more updates on AirAsia Philippines and its latest promotions and activities, follow them on social media through Facebook (facebook. com/AirAsiaPhilippines) and Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsiaPh).

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quality through postharvest facilities as well as help improve their marketing side.

The city could also look into the implementation of sub-projects that will boost its onion industry, which is mainly situated in the upland areas.

“There are also potentials in the fisheries sector that the PRDP could come in under the two program components,” the official said.

Under the infrastructure component, the PRDP, though the DA and the World Bank, will shoulder 90 percent of the total project cost while the local government will assume the remaining 10 percent.

For the enterprise component, 60 percent of the cost will be funded by the World Bank while the remaining 40 percent will be

equally shared by the local and national governments.

PRDP is a six-year rural development program implemented by DA that was designed to achieve an inclusive, value chainoriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.

The government and the World Bank signed a P27.5-billion loan-and-grant agreement in September last year to facilitate the implementation of the program, which took off from the Mindanao Rural Development Program.

The financial package focuses on the implementation of rural infrastructure as well as small business and livelihood projects that are expected to improve rural incomes and alleviate poverty.

conflict-affected areas in Region 12, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the neighboring areas.

Owing to this, the official advised PhilHealth regional offices, local health insurance offices and the agency’s Sajahatra Bangsamoro focal persons to update and renew their membership and member data records.

He said new or additional enrollees who would want to avail of the benefits prior to the issuance of PhilHealth identification cards and member data records are required to go to the nearest PhilHealth office for the issuance of the certificate of eligibility form.

“The issuance of the PhilHealth identification cards and member data records will

be based on the master list of enrollees that will be issued by OPAPP,” Aristoza said.

In case the names of the enrollees are not included in the OPAPP master list, the agency will require them to submit an endorsement from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or the specific combatant group they belong, he said.

The official added that other sponsored and indigent members whose coverage expired last Dec. 31, 2014 and whose enrolment were not renewed by their sponsors are required to continue their membership by amending their records to informal sector economy and by paying their annual contribution of P2,400 payable on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

15

OUT FOR SEASON Kobe Bryant undergoes surgery, expected to miss 9 months K

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant during the game against the Miami Heat at Staples Center. Bryant is expected to be out for 9 months after having surgery to repair his torn right rotator cuff. (AFP Photo/Stephen Dunn)

O B E Bryant is officially done for the season after h av ing surgery to repair his torn right rotator cuff Wednesday.

T h e Los Angeles Lakers also made it official that their superstar doesn’t believe his career is finished.

Bryant is expected t o need nine months to recover from his third straight season-ending injury. If Bryant meets that timetable, he could return to basketball shortly before the start of the 2015-16 season - and the Lakers expect to see him in purple and gold again.

Neal ElAttrache and Steve

Lombardo performed the twohour surgery at the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. ‘’I expect Kobe to make a full recovery, and if all goes as expected, he should be ready for the start of the season,’’ ElAttrache said in a statement provided by the Lakers.

The Lakers formally declared Bryant out for the year by acknowledging the expected recovery time from his injury, but also effectively confirmed he won’t retire and will attempt to play his 20th season in the fall. Bryant, who will be 37 years old this summer, is the NBA’s highest-paid player at $23.5 million this season, and he is under contract for $25 million next year. ‘’In my mind right now, he’s coming back next year, unless he tells me something different,’’ coach Byron Scott said

at practice Wednesday.

Scott already had acknowledged Bryant was highly unlikely to play again this season for the flailing Lakers (12-34), who will match their franchise record for futility if they lose their 10th consecutive game when the Chicago Bulls visit Thursday. But if Los Angeles finishes with a top-five draft pick, the club won’t have to give its first-round choice to Phoenix until next year to complete its brutal trade for Steve Nash in 2012.

Bryant hurt his right shoulder while dunking last week in New Orleans, deciding on surgery shortly afterward. He is the third-leading scorer in league history and a five-time NBA champion.

Bryant averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games, but made a career-worst 37.3 percent

of his shots in a wildly inconsistent 19th season. He also passed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s career scoring list, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

Bryant’s popularity hasn’t waned during his injury-plagued stretch. He was voted to the All-Star game for the 17th time this month, and he is still the Lakers’ public face despite his recent prolonged absences from the court.

Bryant missed the 2013 playoffs after tearing his Achilles tendon late in the regular season, and he played in just six games last season before breaking a bone near his left knee. Although he has played through innumerable injuries in the past, the accumulated wear from nearly two decades in the NBA has caught up to him.

Bryant sat out eight games

ERENA Williams weathered a barrage of big serves and heavy ground strokes early and needed nine match points before beating Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 6-2 to set up an Australian Open final against second-seeded Maria Sharapova.

Top-ranked Williams, bothered by a cold in recent days, dominated the second set of the all-American semifinal, breaking Keys’ serve twice.

The 19-year-old Keys, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, saved seven match points on serve in a penultimate game that lasted more than 11 minutes. Williams kept her cool, wasting one match point on her serve before closing with an ace to reach her 23rd major final. ‘’She pushed me really hard the first set ... and I had to really dig deep mentally to get through that,’’ Williams said, pausing to cough. ‘’It was a little frustrating, I had like nine or 10 match points and couldn’t close it out. That doesn’t happen so much. She played like she didn’t have anything to lose.’’

Sharapova, who beat No. 10-seeded Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in an all-Russian semi-

final earlier Thursday to reach her fourth Australian Open final, has lost her last 15 headto-head matches to Williams.

Her only two wins in their 18 career meetings were at Wimbledon and the tour-ending championship in 2004.

‘’I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who I’m facing and whether I’ve had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone,’’ Sharapova said. ‘’It doesn’t matter. I got there for

a reason. I belong in that spot.

I will do everything I can to get the title.’’

Williams, an 18-time major winner, is back in the final here for the first time since winning her fifth Australian title in 2010.

LET’S GET IT ON

what I think about this?

Lack of coordination, foresight and planning are just some of the things to begin with. Oh, was I surprised that the President knew of the operations before it was made? And who got more surprised that the military did not even know about this?

I am no longer surprised, Paco.

Maybe they did not plan this one well. Perhaps they did not ask for the suggestion of DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman. It would have made a

Hawks topple Nets Williams, Sharapova advance to Aussie Open final for 17th straight win S P AUL Millsap played like one of the league’s best players.

Now, he’ll wait to see if he’s picked for his second straight All-Star game.

Millsap had 28 points and 15 rebounds, five other Atlanta players scored in double figures, and the Hawks stretched their franchise-record winning streak to 17 games in a row with a 113-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. ‘’Paul was aggressive,’’ said teammate Al Horford, who also had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. ‘’When he plays like that, we’re tough to beat.’’

Atlanta (38-8) has won 31 of 33 and leads the Eastern Conference by a commanding seven games. This was a bit tougher than expected against the struggling Nets, who kept it close most of the way.

The Hawks pulled away in the final quarter, leading by as many as 15. Millsap finished off Brooklyn’s last run with a 3-pointer from the corner

M

Y good friend Paco Mendoza of Kia Davao sent an email to ask on my vibe on the massacre in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

I guess I can only say it’s so sad the police operations ended in huge loss of lives to our forces. Something went wrong somewhere and the botched operations easily would now result to blame games and morning-after military geniuses making their two cents worth of analysis.

This loss is a big blow.

with 2:34 remaining, pushing Atlanta to a 109-98 edge.

Millsap, who was more of a role player in Utah, had taken a lead since signing with the Hawks. He earned his first All-Star appearance a year ago and is expected to be among at least three Atlanta players getting in when the East reserves are announced Thursday night. Horford and Jeff Teague are favored to get in, and Kyle Korver could make it as well. ‘’We’ve definitely got a lot of guys who are deserving,’’ Millsap said. ‘’It’s going to be tough if one of those guys doesn’t make it.’’

Joe Johnson led the Nets with 26 points. It wasn’t enough to prevent Brooklyn’s 11th loss in 13 games. ‘’That’s why they’ve won 17 in a row: they’ve produced every night consistently and their defense had been consistent every night,’’ Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. ‘’We had some stuff that gave them trouble, but they kept scoring and we couldn’t stop them.’’

Maria Sharapova celebrates after defeating her compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

The Maguindanao Mismatch

Shame even. It’s like the Houston Rockets being blown away by Shanghai Sharks.

Or the San Miguel Beermen losing to a barrio squad from Marilog. Hmm, Manny Pacquiao knocked out cold by a thug from Agdao.

Or it’s like Paco, he with the body of ten Hulks, dropped by a swinging elf.

In other words, it was supposed to be a big mismatch.

Somewhere, somehow, there was something wrong.

And sometimes, there are

Neil Bravo motives more overwhelming than patriotism itself.

Now, if you ask me Paco,

difference.

You know why?

Pardon the pun here but nobody in SAF had the mind of Dinky. That’s easily done with the Dinky Soliman Show.

Dinky could have first set up her master plan in the same manner as she scored a masterstroke with the Papal visit. Let her arrange for her now infamous ‘family camping’ for all the MILF families at a posh resort in Batangas or somewhere distant from Maguindanao. Send all of them there for a few days

in luxury accommodations complete with food to boot.

Then you sweep the camp and get the wanted terrorists.

Easily done?

The cost of the family camping may be staggering but at least not at the cost of 44 lives lost, right Paco?

Oh, I have one more suggestion in case that fails, Paco.

Throw in your man from your PBA team Kia, Manny Pacquiao. Give him 30 seconds to talk to the terrorists.

Terti sikans istarts now.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 225 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 - 31, 2015

MEGAFIGHT ON? Mayweather visits Pacquiao in Miami hotel room

H

OURS after they briefly met during the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, Floyd Mayweather visited Manny Pacquiao in his hotel room where they met for over an hour according to a report.

“It was very pleasant and very encouraging, and we give Floyd credit for coming over,” Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz to Rafael. “That’s

the first time they ever sat eye to eye. I’ve met Floyd many times, but he and Manny had never had a chance to meet.

They talked at halftime, but this was a longer, more serious meeting. You could tell by their body language that this was very positive. It was for a good hour or more.”

Koncz, who was also present at the game, said that the two showed respect for each other.

“It was a business meeting, but it wasn’t a tense business meeting. I think that’s because they both have mutual respect for each other,” he added. “We’ll determine what will happen over the next couple of days.”

Mayweather is supposed to announce his upcoming opponent this week but it might be delayed because of the chance encounter with Pacquiao.

“I told Floyd I would call Bob [Arum of Top Rank] in the morning, and I did that and discussed them with Bob, and he assured us they have been worked out. I took care of it,” Koncz said. “I said to Floyd, and Manny agreed, that if those are the only two broadcasting issues, we would take care of them.”

Although Miguel Cotto was seen as the favorite to land the May 2 fight against

USTRALIA coach Ange Postecoglou insists there are no champagne corks being popped just yet after the Socceroos secured a second consecutive spot in the final of the Asian Cup after a 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

Two goals in the space of the first 15 minutes from defenders Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson in Newcastle

put the Emirates to the sword and set up a showdown with South Korea in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd in the showpiece final in Sydney on Saturday.

“The players have worked very hard to get this spot and I want them to enjoy the week. It is going to be a great few days and it is all part of getting to a final, you need to embrace it and look forward

to it,” Postecoglou said in the post-match press conference.

“But walking into the dressing room, there are no champagne corks being popped and they are already in recovery mode and doing the right things as they have done all tournament,” he said.

Australia lost 1-0 to South Korea in the group phase but Postecoglou was not reading too much into that result.

“We have to score. We didn’t score last time and we had a number of opportunities to do it, but we had a different line-up that day,” he said.

“After that game we were quite pleased with the performance and we thought we dominated that game even though we didn’t win. There certainly wasn’t anything negative coming out of it from our perspective.”

Mayweather, Amir Khan also emerged as a possible option.

The British fighter was also rumored to be Pacquiao’s Plan B if Mayweather had a rematch against Cotto.

“Floyd said, ‘I want the fight to happen,’ and Manny said he does, too. If the fighters both want the fight to happen, who can stop it? They both said they want it to happen, and we’re still looking to make it happen on May 2,”

Koncz added. “I think people are just tired of all of this. Me and Manny, and maybe Floyd, we’re tired of the fans and everybody, everywhere we go continually asking us when the fight will happen. Boxing needs this fight to happen, and it needs to happen in May.” “I would have liked to see it happen three or four or five years ago, but hopefully we can get it done now. It will be the biggest fight in history.”

AYOR Rody Duterte lauded the Catholic Educational Association of the Phils. (CEAP) for empowering Mindanao’s youth and helping in the character and value formation of the students.

This was Duterte’s message delivered by City Administrator Melchor Quitain during the opening of the 4th CEAP Mindanao Games last Tuesday at the University of Immaculate Conception Bajada gym in Davao City.

“I’m hopeful that this sports program would further improve the sportsmanship and sense of fairness, and further instill the ethics of winning impartially of our students-athletes,” said Duterte.

“Don’t play for the premiums and for post-tournament rewards. I encourage you to compete for the honor of winning and for the privilege of playing for your teams, the pride of playing with your teammate and for this tournament.”

Duterte thanked CEAP and the organizers led by the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) for bringing the 3-day

event attended by 600 athletes and officials from the regions 9, 10, 11 and 13.

“It is always a source of pride to showcase Davao City not just for being one of the country’s favorite tourist destination but also for being a premier hub for other events and for many other reasons,” said Duterte.

Meanwhile, DACS executive director Jimmie-lou de Vega hopes that the sports event will “help promote peace and understanding in Mindanao especially in this time of crisis”.

CEAP wants to enhance sports program of catholic schools in the Diocesan, Regional and CEAP Mindanao levels; strengthen solidarity of CEAP member schools in Mindanao; and establish a sports highway for CEAP Mindanao schools.

Also present yesterday were UIC president S.Ma. Marissa Viri RVM, CEAP Mindanao’s Romel Quaresma and Erwin Pelayo of Region 9, Vincent Padilla of Region 10, Lilibeth Boligon and Engr. Zenaida Azura of Region 13 and over-all sports coordinator Billy Cruzada of DACS.

lauds CEAP, DACS Aussies keeping cool ahead of final vs SoKor Rody for empowering the youth A M

The Australians’ strong attack against South Korea’s strong defense will make for a superb contest and a great tournament finale.