Edge Davao 7 Issue 239

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

ASHES TO ASHES. Davao Archbishop Romulo G. Valle puts ashes on a devotee’s forehead during yesterday’s Ash Wednesday mass at San Pedro Cathedral. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Season of Lent which is marked by Roman Catholics around the world. Lean Daval Jr.

VIDEO BACKLASH Uploader of Mamasapano video gets death threats

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. and FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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HE man who had uploaded the video of the member of the Special Action Force (SAF) being shot in the head at close range in Mamasapano, Maguindanao was forced to deactivate his Facebook account after receiving death threats.

NBI assistant regional director Eric B. Distor told reporters that Zaldy Suson, a resident of Kidap-

awan City, North Cotabato who has a business in Davao City, received death threats because of false information that he was a supporter of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

And in a radio interview yesterday, Suson said he had deactivated his Facebook account after receiving negative comments and even threats.

INSIDE EDGE Distor said Suson was the fourth person to upload the video but he knows the other three who first uploaded the video.

For his part, NBI Cybercrime Division Executive Director Victor V. Lorenzo said Suson has vowed to cooperate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in its search for the person who shot the video.

In an interview with

Davao City reporters, Lorenzo said Suson expressed willingness to cooperate and vowed to give a statement if he is called upon again.

“He showed his willingness to cooperate that anytime he will be called, he will come,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo said Suson was identified through the

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2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

CHANGE. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte reiterates the need to change the system of government from unitary to federal in his speech during the inauguration and blessing of Felcris Centrale along Quimpo Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Criminal charges filed vs arrested rebel leader

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

P

OLICE yesterday filed criminal charges against a leader of New People’s Army (NPA) who was apprehended on Monday night following the rebel attack on the Mati City Police Station which left four soldiers and one rebel dead.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 regional director Chief Superintendent Wendy Rosario said three criminal cases were filed against Prince Wendel Olofernes alias Edoy, the alleged commander of the Sentro de Gabridad (SDG) Front 18 of the NPA.

City Council approves PRDP implementation

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HE Davao City Council has approved the ordinance authorizing Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) in the city.

The ordinance was approved on third and final reading in last Tuesday’s

regular session.

In the ordinance, the parties agreed to implement the DA’s special project which is a poverty reduction project aiming to improve incomes and food security of the rural poor and indigenous communities in the country.

The PRDP has four components: 1) Investment for Agriculture and Fisheries Mod-

FCITY, 14

Rosario said Olofernes faces cases of destruction to government property, attempted murder, and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the comprehensive law on firearms and ammunition.

“May mga ibang cases pa kami na tinitingnan

na pwedeng mafile kay Olofernes aside dun sa tatlo (We are looking into other cases that can be filed against Olofernes aside from those three),” he said.

The military said Olofernes was wearing a military uniform when cornered by government

troops.

The military said Olofernes assumed as commander of SDG Front-18 of the NPA following the arrest of its former leader, Jordan Donillo alias “Talyo,” in December 2014.

Meanwhile, Rosario said he has mandated the

different station commanders all over the region to upgrade their Camp Defense Plan.

The military said the NPA’s Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) 3 and 8 and SGD Front 18 were the ones responsible for the Mati attack on Sunday night.

already been with him for more than 17 years.

“My message is that I am always for the Father’s will.

The Presidency is a destiny and we have seen that the past Presidents did not desire for it. Cory (Aquino) did not desire for it, PNoy did not desire for it,” he said.

Quiboloy said in his opinion, Duterte is more than ready to handle the responsibility of being President of country based on the leader-

ship the Dabawenyos experienced.

“We will just pray and hope,” he said.

Quiboloy also said he believes Duterte’s statements during the television interview indicated that the mayor was going to run for President.

“He left the door open and that is the big indication that the mayor one day will really declare (his candidacy),” he said.

Quiboloy foresees Duterte Presidency

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

A

abf@edgedavao.net

S far as Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is concerned, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is the next President of the Philippines.

In an interview with reporters after his show “Give Us This Day” on Monday night in which the mayor was his guest, Quiboloy said he had received a “revelation” that Duterte would be the next President.

“So far, in my ministry, all

the revelations given by the Father to me become true,” he said.

Quiboloy explained that in 2010, he did not follow “the Father’s will” and instead endorsed the candidacy of Gilbert Teodoro, who ultimately landed fourth in the presidential race.

“I knew my candidate would really be defeated but I stood on my word,” he said.

He said on the part of Duterte, the revelation has

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

GenSan to relocate residents living near eroded coastline T

HE city government is pushing for the immediate relocation of residents settled near the shores of a coastal village here following a suspected coastal erosion in the area last Sunday.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said Wednesday they are currently working on the clearing of residents along a critical stretch of the shoreline in Barangay Dadiangas South due to dangers posed by a potentially-massive coastal erosion.

He specifically cited portions of Puroks Islam and Tinago in the said village where a huge shoreline opening, which was initially believed to be a sinkhole, emerged early Sunday.

The local government earlier ordered the forced evacuation of 46 households that were situated near the affected area that was initially ruled by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Region 12 as a possible case of coastal erosion.

Citing the MGB’s assessment, the mayor said the area’s shorelines are considered as high-risk or danger zones and should be cleared of any dwelling and other structures.

“Basically, the area is highly dangerous and there’s a possibility that the eroded area could still expand,” he said.

He said the MGB report noted that similar erosions could happen anytime within the area and that they could even be more massive and advance towards the nearest

main road, specifically the P. Acharon Boulevard.

Roger Tamayo, MGB-12 mining engineer, said their assessment showed that the huge hole that developed at the shores of Purok Tinago could have been caused by the degeneration of coralline limestones situated underneath the area’s shoreline.

He said the breakdown of the limestones triggered the erosion of its sand covering that eventually appeared liked that of a sinkhole.

The shoreline opening, which was initially estimated at around 40 meters in diameter, could not be considered a sinkhole as there was no “igniter” like an earthquake that happened before it emerged.

The affected area is located near the pier and anchorage area of motorboats ferrying passengers and cargo to and from this city and Balut Island in Davao Occidental.

It is adjacent to the city’s Queen Tuna Park and several commercial establishments, including a hotel and a gasoline station, as well as a crowded residential community.

Rivera said he has directed the City Housing and Land Management Office (CHLMO) and the City Social Welfare and Development Office to draw out a plan for the relocation of the affected residents.

He said the CHLMO initially launched a mapping of the area’s households on Tuesday as part of the move.

Mary Ann Bacar, CHLMO chief, said the planned forced

SECURING THE ATHLETES. Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 director Chief Superintendent Wendy G. Rosario (right) gives assurance of the security and safety of athletes and delegates of upcoming 2015 Davao Regional Athletics Association (DAVRAA) which will be held in Mati evacuation will affect residents situated in Puroks 9-A and 9-B of Tinago and Purok Islam.

She estimated that around 1,000 households are presently settled in these areas.

Bacar said they will present the evacuation and relocation plans on Friday in a consultative meeting with the affected households called by the city government. MindaNews

DLPC announces tight power supply situation

D

AVAO Light and Power Company (DLPC) yesterday said it is facing a tight power supply situation within its franchise in the coming days due to the scheduled preventive maintenance of the STEAG State Power Inc.’s Coalfired power plant on February 19 to March 16, as advised by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

In a statement, DLPC said the situation could worsen during the simultaneous maintenance service on STEAG’s two units with a capacity of 210 MW between February 21

and March 2, 2015.

“This could lead to a twohour maximum rotating power interruption in the Davao Light franchise area,” the statement said.

DLPC corporate communications officer Rossano Luga said Davao Light will optimize the generating facilities with power supply agreements, namely Hedcor Inc.’s Sibulan and Talomo Hydroelectric power plants, and Therma Marine Inc., in order to mitigate the impact of the tight power situation.

He said DLPC will also run

its embedded standby power plant in Bajada and will activate the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) if needed, especially during the peak demand periods.

When advised by the utility, ILP participating companies use their own generating sets so that available power may be utilized by the smaller residential and commercial customers.

Luga said DLPC will do its best to provide continuous electricity supply to its customers given the tight supply situation.

City. Rosario and Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) chief Francisco Villaroman (left) were guests in the AFP-PNP Press Corps briefing at Task Force Davao headquarters in Sta. Ana wharf yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

4 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

LENT BEGINS. Catholic faithful listen to Davao Archbishop Romulo G. Valle’s homily during yesterday’s Ash Wednesday mass at San Pedro Cathedral. Lean Daval Jr.

Aquino urged to convene National Security Council V

ICE President Jejomar C. Binay Wednesday called on President Benigno Aquino to convene the National Security Council (NSC) to assess the national peace and security situation and define appropriate measures.

“In light of recent developments especially the reports of renewed clashes in Mindanao, I urge President Aquino to convene the National Security Council,” Binay said.

“The meeting will assess the current peace and order and security situation, and formulate the proper mechanisms that would prepare

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our law enforcement and the armed forces to respond accordingly,” he added.

The Vice President stressed that in view of the escalating conflicts in Mindanao, it is important to be prepared for any eventuality.

“We need to be prepared.

We have to discuss not only what’s happening now but how to be ready for the future.

We need to invite persons who possess knowledge and experience on matters pertaining to national security,” he said.

“The NSC meeting will provide our security forces the framework to act, keep-

Tribe pushes own rep to City Council

HE Klata/Guiangan tribe has endorsed its own representative to the City Council as the indigenous people’s mandatory representative (IPMR), absent a Kagan IPMR chosen by the tribal elders.

The City Council on Tuesday approved on first reading the request of the officers and members of the Davao City Federation of Bagobo Klata/ Guiangan tribal councils, Inc. to allow lawyer Dennis Ampon to represent them “as

an alternative to the present circumstances,” according to a copy of the agenda for its regular session.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples has been given a deadline of February 20 to install Halila Sudagar as the Kagan IPMR. Sudagar has been facing the disapproval of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who said Sudagar, who had already served as a councilor representing the youth sector in the

FTRIBE, 14

ing in mind that our ultimate goal is to ensure stability and pursue peace in Mindanao,” he added.

The NSC is composed of the President, the Vice President, the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, the National Security Council director, the executive secretary, and the secretaries of foreign affairs, national defense, interior and local government, justice, and labor and employment.

Barely a month after the police raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, gunfire once again rattled the province after members of the Moro Is-

2 persons suspected of MERS-CoV quarantined

A

lamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) clashed Saturday.

More than 15,000 residents of Kabasalan, Barongis, Buliok, Bago Inged, Bulol and Rajamuda in Pikit, North Cotabato, and Kalbugan and Buliok in Pagalungan, Maguindanao have reportedly fled their homes to escape the combat.

Commander Lt. Col. Orlando Edralin of the 7th Infantry Battalion said the clash seemed to have evolved from being just a “rido” or clan war to a full-blown fight between MILF and BIFF. (PNA)

N Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from this city and a visiting flight attendant are currently undergoing quarantine due to possible infection with the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV).

Dr. Mely Lastimoso, epidemiology and surveillance unit head of the City Health Office (CHO), said Wednesday the two, who recently arrived from the Middle East, were placed on hospital quarantine after exhibiting suspected symptoms of MERSCoV. She said the OFW, who is a female domestic helper, is currently under isolation at the Cotabato Regional Medi-

cal Center (CRMC) in Cotabato City while the flight attendant is confined in a private hospital here.

The CHO earlier referred the OFW to the CRMC to ensure proper observation and treatment of her case, she said.

The CRMC had been designated by the Department of Health as the main isolation and treatment facility in Region 12 for suspected cases of MERS-CoV and other emerging infectious diseases.

Lastimoso said the flight attendant, who had travelled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia before visiting the city, submitted herself to testing and quarantine for MERS-CoV af-

port which has a length of 170 linear meters. This part was earlier completed in June 2014.

Dela Rosa said there is a need to undertake the dredging project since the expanded area of the local wharf could not accommodate large ships since the place has a depth of only 2.4 meters.

He said dredging is important because of the volume of maritime traffic, so that more ships can dock at the same time, and for larger vessels to be accommodated.

Dela Rosa disclosed that at present, only small vessels could dock at the port’s expanded area.

He said the dredging project, which will take eight months to complete, is to increase the depth to 11 meters.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa said the port’s P13-million passenger terminal 2 will start operations in the second quarter of this year.

He said construction was completed last Jan. 31 but they are still waiting for the arrival of the aircondition

units, public address system equipment, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, chairs and other things needed for the terminal.

Dela Rosa said the passenger terminal 2, which has a capacity of 250 people, will serve passengers bound for Sandakan, Sabah and Manila.

He said passenger terminal number 1 will then be solely for passengers bound for the other parts of the region as well as to Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi once the newly-completed passenger terminal 2 starts operations.

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PPA undertakes P95M dredging project at Zambo port

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HE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) announced that the P95-million dredging project at the port of Zamboanga will start by the second quarter of this year.

Engr. Liberto dela Rosa, port manager, said the contractor has yet to complete the other documentary requirements before it can start work although the project has already been awarded.

He said the dredging project will cover the expanded portion of the local

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

3 towering condos highlight Felcris Centrale Phase 2 project

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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FRESH MEAT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte checks out the meat section of Felcris Supermarket during the inauguration and blessing of Felcris Centrale along Quimpo Blvd. on Tuesday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

ELCRIS Centrale finally opened its doors to the public Wednesday following a momentous inauguration ceremony staged under bright skies a day earlier. But, what the people saw on the imposing facility along Quimpo Boulevard was just a glimpse of what Felcris Centrale is all about when it’s finally completed.

Felcris Centrale is not just another real estate development project. It is projected to become the new hub in the Davao central business district that offers brighter economic prospect for the city and its people.

Phase 2 of the real estate project of the homegrown Felcris Hotels & Resorts Corporation (FHRC) features not just one but three 38-storey towers that will house high-end condominium units.

The three towers, once erected, will be Davao’s highest buildings and definitely change the city’s skyline.

“We also look forward to bring to you Phase 2 which promises three 38 story

residential and condominium units,” Felcris Hotels & Rersorts Corporation chairman Bryan U. Yap said during the blessing and inauguration of the first phase of Felcris Centrale Tuesday.

Phase 2 also features convention halls, fitness and wellness centers and retail establishments complete with a splendid of the Island Garden City of Samal, Mt. Apo and the picturesque Davao skyline, according to the management of Felcris Centrale.

FHRC executive vice president Cassandra S. Yap, speaking to reporters on the sidelines during the inauguration ceremony, said the company plans to construct the first of the three condo towers in the second quarter this year.

Yap said the second phase of the 8-year masterplan for the 5.9 hectare area will still be implemented phase by phase.

She said second phase of the project will start by the second quarter of the year.

“Right after we finished the first of the three towers

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6 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

Tribal chieftain seeking investor for P600M coco processing plant

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

crc@edgedavao.net

SECTORAL tribal chieftain of the Manobo tribe is looking for an investor who can pour in total of almost P600 million for the construction of a proposed processing plant for desiccated coconut (DCN) and coco water in Rosario, Agusan del Sur. Datu Placido O. Asis of the Ancestral Domain Manobo Tribal Association Inc. Council of Elders or CAMMPACAM told Edge Davao that the proposed plant will help lessen the tedious work of small farmers in preparing their coconut for

sale. The construction of the plant will also provide an estimated of 525 jobs to indigenous people living in the area.

“We are looking for an investor who is interested to build a desiccated coconut processing plant and a coconut water processing plant in Rosario, Agusan del Sur,” said Asis, who is also chair of the Municipal Cooperative Development Council (MCDC).

Based on the feasibility study adopted by the Hawodon Asis Sectoral Farmer Beneficiaries and Mineral Producers

MinBC eyes Mindanao Islamic banking system

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HE Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) is planning to tap Malayan Banking Berhad (trading as Maybank,) for the establishment of Islamic banking system in Mindanao October this year.

“I would like to do that (Islamic banking) with Maybank and ask for their assistance,” MinBC chairman Vicente T. Lao told Edge Davao on the sidelines of the recent General Membership Meeting (GMM) of MinBC at the Seda Hotel.

Lao said that Maybank, a Malaysian bank which has been into expansion of operation in Mindanao, is already an expert and more advance in Sharia Islamic Banking.

Maybank, according to him, may extend its ways and methodologies in facilitating Islamic Banking to local financing and banking institutions, according to Lao. “Every bank here can have an Islamic Banking window,” he said.

However, having an Islamic banking window should be approved by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country’s highest regulatory agency on banking and finance.

Quips

Earlier, BSP deputy governor for the monetary stability Diwa Guinigundo had told reporters last year that Islamic Banking is one of the agenda of the BSP that is being taken for discussion.

Early last year, BSP conducted talks with Malaysian counterpart for the drafting of the regulatory framework for Islamic Banking in the Philippines that will allow Islamic banks to operate without the use of interest rates- “the centerpiece of western finance that the Muslim world’s Shariah law bans”.

Lao said he is willing to sit down with BSP if it is needed.

He said it is timely for the establishment and intensification of Islamic Bank in Mindanao because it will provide better access to financing programs of different institutions even those that are non-Muslims.

Lao said that Islamic Banking shall solve the problems of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which experience hard time in accessing financing programs in conventional banks.

“They (SMEs) are restrict-

“These potential investments, when realized, will provide approximately 127,830 possible employment for the people of Mindanao and Palawan.”

- Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) chairman Vicente Lao on the P6 billion or US $140 million worth of business agreement forged during the parallel business to business session of the 2nd Brunei Darussalam-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and the IndonesiaMalaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Trade Fair in October last year.

FMINBC, 14

Cooperative (HASFARBEMCO), the construction of the processing plant will require a total of 4 hectares and would cost P349.30 million while the coco water processing plant has an estimated cost of P250 million “The capacity of the proposed desiccated coconut manufacturing plant is at 29 tons of desiccated coconut and 60,000 liters a day, with only one municipality alone, ”Asis added.

The province’s coconut production area in Agusan del Sur can support the daily

requirement of the proposed processing plant, according to Asis.

In a letter dated November 27th 2014 and signed by Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) 13 regional manager Ramon R. Barbosa, he certified “that the total requirement of the input capacity of around 200 tons of nuts per day or equivalent to 200,000 nut per day to the proposed DCN of HAFARBEMCO can be supplied by the province of Agusan del Sur and its nearby areas”.

“The coconut production

area in Agusan del Sur and neighboring municipalities and provinces particularly Compostela Valley and Surigao del Sur can suffice the needed required capacity per day in order that the plant will be running and operational,” Barbosa said.

The coconut production area is planted with a total of 1,801,023 bearing coconut trees that are expected to suffice the projected daily requirement of the proposed plant.

The study also revealed that markets of finished coconut products can be export-

ed to United State of America (USA), entire Europe and part of Asia-Pacific.

“Basically, coconut products will be all for export with an average buying price at $2,400 ton $2,600 per ton,” the study said.

The study revealed that the proposed plant which can process a total of 200,000 nuts per day can have a finished product recovery of 29 tons a day.

The cost of producing the 29 tons a day is at US$69,600 with a return of investment (ROI) of only one year.

MASTER LIST. Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla explains the features of the BOC Regulated Imports List, a master list of all regulated products and their corresponding import requirements

that can be downloaded online from the Bureau’s website. The list aims to help importers and brokers transact with the Bureau with less hassle.

O help minimize corruption and make the importing process more transparent, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has come up with a master list of all of the regulated import products in the country and their corresponding import requirements that can be downloaded online.

“Some importers and brokers would resort to bribery just to make their transactions with the Bureau faster, and at the same time, with little or no knowledge of the import process, traders are often victimized or exploited by unscrupulous Customs employees,” Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla said.

“By making the list of all regulated products and their corresponding import regulations and required clearances / permits readily available

online, we are empowering the public so they can transact with the Bureau with less hassle and at the same time eliminate any room for corruption in our personnel,” he added.

“There will be less legwork for importers and brokers as they wouldn’t have to go from one agency to another just to inquire about the permits / clearances needed for importation and at the same time, our front-liners will be empowered as they now have a single reference list for all regulated products. They don’t have to guess what permits are needed for a certain product.

They won’t make the mistake of requesting for wrong or unnecessary clearance / permit,” Sevilla said.

According to Sevilla, this is the first time that a single reference list of all regulated products has ever been done.

“This is the first in the history of Customs that such a ‘bible’ of all regulated imports and their corresponding import requirements has ever been compiled.

This is truly a major step in improving the Customs process,” he said.

“By taking stock of all regulations, permits, and clearances of various government agencies, we were able to see that many products require clearances from multiple agencies. We are hoping that this would also serve as a catalyst of change for the different regulatory bodies to revisit their rules or regulations so that in the future we can have unified clearances for products that are presently requiring more than one permit to import,” Sevilla said.

The list of regulated imports can be downloaded by going to the BOC website cus-

toms.gov.ph and clicking the banner BOC Regulated Imports List. Just download all the links in one folder in your computer to be able to access the list as well as the user’s guide.

The downloadable imports list comes in three versions: by specific product, by broad category product, and by the regulating agency. All three lists contain information for over 7,400 regulated products ranging from basic commodities like rice and sugar to vehicles, iron and steel products, oil, and electronic goods, among others. Each row in the list corresponds to one product. Also included in the row is the product’s category, who can import it, its regulating agency, list of prerequisite documents for Customs clearance, links to regulating agencies’ clearances and permits, among others.

stressed that national-level and regional actions are imperative to provide climate conducive for women enterprises.

“Increasing the economic opportunities of women in the APEC economies is smart economics. It could well be the gateway to prosperity and a way out of poverty,” it said.

The PIDS paper pointed out that the significant numbers of women entrepreneurs reflect the huge potential of

women to make substantial contributions to the national economy.

“For this to be realized, they need to be supported through appropriate and timely interventions toward growing and scaling up their business,” it said.

The paper said actions to remove the barriers to women entrepreneurship are essential to ensure the growth of women enterprises.

“APEC economies can look

into affirmative measures such as providing tax holidays and more suitable social security requirements for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and women enterprises in the informal sector,” it noted.

Further, the PIDS said the meaningful governance of SMEs and women enterprises requires effective monitoring of business progress, economic contribution, and impact of the support to SMEs and women enterprises. (PNA)

Customs launches ‘bible’for all regulated products T

Creation of environment conducive to women urged

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HE Philippines and other 20 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) need to take actions toward creating enabling environments that will increase the economic opportunities of women in the region.

In a paper entitled “Challenges in the economic participation of women as entrepreneurs”, government thinktank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)

7 BIGGER PICTURE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

2015:

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

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HEEP are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget, or mutton), and milk. A sheep’s wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones.

In the Chinese Horoscope, 2015 is the Year of the Sheep. The eighth in the ranking order, it rules the hours from 1 pm to 3 pm. Its season is summer and July is its principal month. It corresponds to the Western sign of Cancer.

As it follows the energetic Horse, 2015 is a smooth year. “A year to relax and make peace with oneself as well as with others,” writes Theodora Lau, author of The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes.

“Things progress slowly and we find ourselves more sentimental and emotional.”

As Sheep is considered the patron of the arts, this year will bring out the creativeness in man’s natures. “We will be productive and imaginative in artistic and aesthetic ventures,” Lau writes. “The pessimistic vibrations cast by him will also make us oversensitive and

Muhammad Ali (from Wikipedia) fretful of little problems.”

As things around the world are tranquil and subdued, it’s high time to make new friends and travel. Invest in art and antiques, if you will. “But keep a tight hand on your purse string, too, as there could be repercussions caused by overspending,” Lau reminds.

Sheep is known as “yang” in Chinese. It is the most feminine sign of the Chinese zodiac. “A person of the Sheep year is called the good Samaritan of the cycle,” notes Lau. “He is righteous, sincere, and easily taken in by sob stories. He is likely to be mild-mannered, even shy. At his best, he is artistic, fashionable, and a creative worker.

At his worst, he tends to be easily overcome by his emotions, pessimistic, and withdrawn.”

A person born in the Sheep year has both good and bad quali-

The Year of the sheep

ties. Gentle and compassionate in some ways, he can forgive easily and be understanding about others’ faults. His bad side: He dislikes strict schedules and cannot take too much discipline or criticism.

As a friend, you can depend on him. “He is generous with his time as well as his money,” Lau writes. “When you have nowhere to go and no money, you can be sure the Sheep will not turn you away. He will always have the three most important things in life: food, shelter, and clothing.”

A Sheep never believes in the song, “Don’t worry; be happy.” Lau explains: “The Sheep is basically a worrier. He tends to be pessimistic about events and is prone to predict the worst.

Misfortunes touch him deeply and he does not get over hardships easily. Lest others forget, he will also take to recounting his miseries ad infinitum. He has difficulty in denying himself anything.”

As stated earlier, he is the eighth sign. To Chinese, the

the table (he will be impressed), stomp around the room, act like an ogre, but never stop showing that you love and care about him,” Lau notes.

If you want to get even with the Sheep person, do these: “Woe to you if you forgot his birthday or neglected to pay him a visit or send him a get-well card (at the very least) that week he was in the hospital.

As far as he is concerned, you practically broke his poor heart in two and he will probably be scarred by this for the rest of his life.”

Sheep (Photo by Henrylito D. Tacio) Specifically, a girl born in the Sheep year is inclined to like dainty things and about to smack him down with will vote for all the frills and a loud, resounding ‘No,’ you notrimmings that come along tice that chaste and innocent with them. “She is decided- look on his face, that tear hangly coquettish and may spend ing from the corner of his eye, hours on her toilette. She rarely the slight quivering of his lips, arrives on time for anything.” and suddenly you feel like some But when she becomes horrible monster taking a lamb a lady, she completely trans- to the slaughter,” Lau writes.

Barbara Walters (from Wikipedia) number 8 symbolizes prosperity and comfort. As such, a Sheep person doesn’t have to live miserably. “He has fantastic luck; people often leave him money in their wills and even the poorest will be able to inherit something of value from their parents or relatives.

Somehow the fortunate sheep will always have things made easier for him.”

If you want to get his attention, here are some things you can do: “Entice him with rewards. Promise that you won’t be angry. Humor him. Give him a wide margin and lots of sympathetic nods. He has little sense of time, so you will probably have to rearrange your other appointments, too.

“Finally, if all else fails, go ahead and bully him, bang

forms herself. “The Sheep lady will be spanking clean; she is most concerned with personal hygiene, even though her house may be a mess and she doesn’t know where anything is,” Lau notes. “The more aloof types will be preoccupied by sanitary standards. She has flawless taste in choosing clothes and likes smart accessories.”

Let’s talk about love. “All Sheep people, from nine to ninety, are diehard romantics,” Lau says. “Soft music, moonlight and intimate candlelit dinners never fail to work their magic on them.”

Just a warning to those who have friends born under this sign: they usually come up with preposterous requests, bordering on blackmail and highway robbery. “And just when you are

Takeo Miki, Sir Laurence Olivier, Pierre Trudeau, and Ian Smith were also born in the Sheep year.

Just a bit of trivia: The Chinese lunar calendar is the longest chronological record in history, dating from 2637 B.C. when the Emperor Huang

John Denver (from Wikipedia) Don’t depend on him to decide. “The Sheep would rather follow and complain when things do not turn out right,” Lau writes. “Yet, people will sincerely love him and he is so good-natured and is kind enough to share whatever he has. He or she will be very close to the family and will overindulge them.”

Among those who are born in the Year of Sheep were Andrew Carnegie, King George IV, Rudolph Valentino, Michelangelo, Andy Warhol, Douglas Fairbanks, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, The Shah of Iran, and George Wallace.

Barbara Walters, Catherine Deneuve, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, John Denver, Miguel de Cervantes, Dino De Laurentiis, James Michener,

Ti introduced the first cycle of this zodiac in the 61st year of his reign.

A complete cycle takes 60 years and is made up of five simple cycles of 12 years each.

Twelve animals were assigned to each of the 12 years when, according to legend, the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from Earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell.

These were (in the order that the animal arrived) rat, ox, tier, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. It is said that the animal ruling the year in which a person was born has a profound influence on one’s life. As the Chinese say, “This is the animal that hides in your heart.”

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

EDITORIAL The bigger picture

O

NE wonders why the government wants to pinpoint the person who uploaded the video showing a member of the Special Action Force (SAF) being shot in the head at close range in Mamasapano, Maguindanao except to identify the person who was holding the camera – and ultimately to find out who actually executed the commando. But if the plight of Zaldy Suson, who has been identified as the first to upload the video publicly on Facebook, is any indication, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apparently wants to punish the act of uploading the video itself.

Asked if Suson would be charged and with what, NBI Cybercrime Division Executive Director Victor V. Lorenzo had this to say: “If you will ask me, as of now, we see a violation on article 201 of the Revise Penal Code or the obscene publication in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act which

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penalizes the uploading of very violent theme as we see on the video.” That is, Suson may be facing charges for the act of sharing a violent video, even though that video may prove to be a valuable piece of evidence that can help the government find out the truth behind the Mamasapano incident.

Suson probably did not have any patriotic intent in uploading the video – Lorenzo said the businessman apparently did it simply because the video was “new” – but he did inadvertently turn the tide of opinion and caused even the members of the Senate and House of Representatives to modify their respective stands on the issue. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen, but the video has value that must be considered in filing a case against Suson. The Cybercrime Prevention Act may prohibit what he did, but the bigger picture must be considered in a case like this.

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9

Students of life

R

ECENTLY, I met a friend who arrived from the United States three weeks ago.

“I am staying here for good,” he told me.

To prove it, he said he sold all his properties in the US. “The economy out there is not so good. I think it will become worse in the coming years.”

During our talk, he told me of another friend who is now living in Manila. This friend, he said, had been in college for several years already and he never managed to graduate. “Will you be a student for life?” His friend corrected, “No, I won’t be but I will always be a student of life.”

In a way, all of us are students of life. No one is spared from this fact. Every day, we go through things that we have not experienced before. “Life,” Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood.”

Goh Lay Kuan, Singapore’s doyenne of classical dance, was 19 when she commenced formal training as a classical ballerina. “Usually, a ballerina starts training seriously from 12,” she said, “so I counted the number of extra hours I needed to redeem the lost time and it came to ten hours a day.”

For three years while studying at the Victorian Ballet Guild in Melbourne, Australia, Goh worked with maniacal energy and determination, practicing up to ten hours a day, six days a week. Her efforts eventually paid off, and she graduated with honors.

In 1964, after working for various dance companies in Australia, Goh returned to Singapore where she discovered there was no arts scene to speak of. With her playwright husband, Kuo Pan Kun, she founded the Practice Performing Arts School and helped push dance into the cultural mainstream while forging a reputation

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as one of the na- THINK ON THESE! tion’s premier dancers.

Starting from scratch in Singapore, she said, “taught me the philosophy that if you want to be a good cook, it’s important to learn how to cook with the Henrylito D. Tacio minimum in- henrytacio@gmail.com gredient. Life is short and tortuous. One does not have a choice to arrive in or exit from this world. You just make the best of what you have.”

In other words, even if she already excelled in dancing, she was still a student when it comes to running a dance school. The good thing is that she never quit learning. She managed to come up with a principle that became her credo on life. “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through,” said Anais Nin. All of us have to go through the journey of life. In the film, Star Trek: Generations, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) told the viewers: “Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again.”

“Love the moment,” Corita Kent urged.

“Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.”

Journey is just one of the metaphors used by people to describe life. J. Richard Sneed reminded, “Life is described in one of four ways: as a journey, as a battle, as a pilgrimage, and as a race. Select your own metaphor, but the finishing necessity is all the same. If life is a journey, it must be completed. If life is a battle, it must be finished. If life is a pilgrimage, it must be concluded. And if it is a race, it must be won.”

Live life to the fullest -- don’t be afraid to do new things. Get out from the boat, just like what Peter did when he saw Jesus Christ walking on top of the water. He wanted to experience what it was like to walk like what His Master did.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,” Mark Twain advised. “So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

“Security is mostly a superstition,” Helen Keller points out. “It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Or as James F. Bymes puts it: “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.”

And that is what learning is all about. When we were still students, we either pass or fail an examination. The same is true with life: We have our own highs and lows, ups and downs, happiness and sadness. When the world is seems against you, consider it as a challenge.

“However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names,” Henry David Thoreau reminded. “Cultivate poverty like

a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.”

If you will die today, will people remember you? And if they do, what kind of life they would remember? One morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who had amassed a fortune manufacturing and selling weapons of destruction, awoke to read his own obituary in the newspaper. (Actually, it was his brother who had died, but a reporter mistakenly wrote Alfred’s obituary.)

For the first time, Alfred saw himself as the world saw him: “the dynamite king” and nothing more. Nothing was mentioned about his efforts at breaking down barriers between people and ideas. He was simply a merchant of death, and he would be remembered for that alone.

Alfred was horrified. He determined that the world would know the true purpose of his life.

So, he wrote his last will and testament and left his fortune to establish the most coveted of all prizes: the Nobel Prize. Now, the world has forgotten his dynamite legacy.

“Live a good life,” Marcus Aurelius declared.

“If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”

But in the meantime, don’t stop learning. We are all students of life. “Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow,” Maria Mitchell urged.

rangay, it signaled a radical departure from the unitary-presidential system that everyone is familiar with. Unfortunately, such changes were not properly pointed out or explained, so they largely escaped everyone’s notice.

Even today, many people don’t realize that our governmental structure is no longer unitary, not monolithic anymore. They’re unaware that the presidential and representative mode of governance no longer applies to the primary level because the Code had done away with the old monolith, the aloof and unyielding structure that debased Philippine democracy by its excesses and inefficiencies.

To balance the formidable powers of the barangay chairman (head of the government’s three branches), the Code created the Barangay Assembly—its Parliament except in name—to serve as the oversight body to keep the chairman and kagawads accountable and under the community’s scrutiny. ***** The creation of this Assembly-Parliament in every barangay is one of the Code’s unique contributions to the advancement of Philippine democracy—and potentially the most important. Its all-inclusive membership enfranchised and empowered every Filipino as never before: his membership in it gives him a voice and an influence over government affairs that have long been denied him.

In other words, over and above the right to be represented by elected proxies at upper levels, every Filipino today has access to his local government and influence over it because the Code ordained him as an officer thereof—a member of parliament in small letters.

It is time people know that from the time the Code was promulgated, representative government applied to the upper levels only—where elected officials are vested with the tasks of governance. But in the barangay, in the words of Congressman Antonio Cuenco in his sponsorship of the Code, Filipinos “govern themselves, exercise democratic processes according to their wishes and skills, and take their destiny in their own hands.”

It would have been so good if that declaration had been pursued and attained these past years (already 23 years since the Code was enacted in 1991). But sad to say, the primary level of government remains dysfunctional to this day.

For lack of understanding of the Code’s intents perhaps, or because the implementing agencies, particularly the department of the interior and local government (DILG), have done a very poor job of explaining and propagating the changes it ordained, the people think local governance can be left on auto-pilot and without their attention and intervention.

So is anyone surprised that to this day barangay citizens remain unempowered, voiceless, unassertive, and without a substantive role in local governance? Shame!

Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asia Publishers Association; director, Development Academy of Philippines; member, Philippine Mission to the UN; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Govt’s Peace Panel; awardee, PPI-UNICEF outstanding columnist. He is chairman/convenor, Gising Barangay Movement Inc. and author of books on governance. valdehuesa@gmail.com

The dysfunctional state of local governance

HE Local Government Code (R.A. 7160) must be among our least apprehended pieces of legislation, especially as regards its provisions for governing the barangay, the primary level of our government.

For one, very few Filipinos seem aware that there’s a difference in the way a barangay is supposed to be governed, as distinguished from way the upper levels (municipal to national) are governed.

Everyone knows about representative democracy and the presidential system that has been in place since the outset of our statehood.

But who is aware that the Code prescribes direct democracy with a parliamentary system for the barangay?

In fact, the Code had reconfigured the old unitary, monolithic structure of our government and turned it into a dual system—presidential above, parliamentary below. There are serious implications to this duality in the way our Republic is governed. ***** Our Founding Fathers thought they had given our Republic—the First Democracy in Asia—a pyramid-shaped structure. In fact, it turned out to be an inverted pyramid: top heavy, with political power bunched at the upper levels—overcrowded with big-time politicians at the top, while their small-time operatives manipulate the people and the community below.

The Local Government Code redesigned that ungainly structure so that the inverted pyramid was repositioned right-side up—giving it a broad base anchored on the sovereignty of every citizen. Then it introduced features and processes that held the promise of transforming

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA the system into a genuine democracy by making every community a bastion of People Power.

First, the Code elevated the barangay into a full-fledged government—the basic political unit of the Republic serving as “the primary planning and implementing unit of government.” It vested the barangay with powers and resources that used to lodge only at the upper levels: executive, legislative, judicial—including police or regulatory power, taxing power, and power of eminent domain, with requisite facilities and resources.

Second, in ordaining the barangay as the primary unit of government, the Code transformed the structure into three levels, namely: primary (barangay), intermediate (municipal, provincial, regional), and national. ***** It used to consist of only two layers: local and national—and local referred to the municipal and provincial governments only since the barangay was merely a quasi-municipal entity with minimal powers and resources and no corporate standing.

The Code also boosted the primary and intermediate levels with added powers and resources devolved from the national government, decentralizing the system (although this isn’t always clear from the way the traditional politicians run the bureaucracy.)

When direct democracy with a parliamentary government was prescribed for the ba-

10 ICT HUB CDO students win Globe Labs Google Cardboard Hackathon EDGEDAVAO

OVERJOYED. Winners of Globe Labs Google Cardboard Hackathon celebrate their victory.

I

MAGINE interacting with dinosaurs and other pre-historic animals or traveling to places you have not been to – all using the power of your smartphone and a cost-effective, easy-to-build virtual reality player.

This is what Raven Duran, Geoff Diaz, and Edmund Salcedo Jr., graduating IT students of Cagayan de Oro City’s Mindanao University of Science and Technology and Co-Founders of Webnified. com web development startup came up with to win the grand prize of P50,000 in the first Google Cardboard Hackathon organized by Globe Labs, the developer community of Globe Telecom.

The app called 3DU is a Modularized Augmented and Virtual Reality System Education Technology where users can talk to each other in real

time as well as learn, explore and challenge themselves in a virtual ever growing university. It is designed for students and teachers who would like an immersive real-world experience without leaving the comforts of the classroom.

Second place went to monstAR, a 3D Virtual Pet/Monster on an Augmented Reality experience of Erwin de Torres, Jeffrey Santiago, Karl Patrick Camota, and John Carlo Rolluqui who took home P30,000 while third spot went to Dayo-rama which gives users a chance to watch history as it unfolds.

Dayo-rama creators Rai Icasiano, Karina Zambrana, Rex Cruz received P20,000.

To work, the virtual reality apps have to be downloaded on a smartphone fitted in a Google Cardboard viewer kit.

The kit may be created using simple tools such as a fold-out

1st Prize winner 3DU’s immersive virtual university app

cardboard, lenses, magnets, Velcro, and a rubber band or bought ready-made.

“We want to help increase the learning engagement of students and teachers without making them spend a lot. This desire gave us the drive to fly to Manila and join the Google Cardboard hackathon which we luckily won. Through the support of Globe Labs, we hope to create more virtual reality scenarios to help them with the lessons – from history, to science, to practically anything,” said Duran, the team leader.

Anne Michelle Santos, Developer Relations Manager of Globe Labs said: “We are thrilled with the creative and interesting apps which the developer community has produced for Google Cardboard and which we may eventually adopt to give our millions of

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

‘Modern Family’ to air episode that takes place only online

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OW to keep the “modern” in “Modern Family” in its sixth season? Create an episode that plays out completely on a computer and in the realm of social media.

That’s what’s in store Feb. 25 on the ABC comedy’s “Connection Lost,” a half-hour that revolves around Claire Dunphy’s (Julie Bowen) frantic effort to locate daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) after they squabble.

Other than a few scenes shot with the MacBook Pro, the episode was captured entirely with iPhone 6s and iPads, series co-creator and executive producer Steve Levitan said.

ABC and producer Twentieth Century Fox Television announced the project Tuesday.

This isn’t Apple’s first starring role on “Modern Family.” On the brink of the iPad’s retail debut in 2010, the tablet was portrayed as a sought-after birthday gift.

Levitan said the upcoming episode involved no product-placement compensation to Apple and resulted from an epiphany he had during an online experience involving one of his college-age daughters.

“I had emails open, some websites... then my daughter showed up” on FaceTime, he recounted. “I could not only see her, but I could see me, and there was something going on behind me, my wife or somebody.”

The in-progress “Connection Lost” looked very much like Levitan’s account of his own experience, with a “Modern Family” overlay.

Claire, about to board a flight, must rely on her laptop to get in touch with her immediate and extended family — who pop up via their own computers or smartphones — for help in finding Haley.

The setup allowed for new comedy avenues, said Megan Ganz, “Modern Family” co-executive producer and the episode’s co-writer with Levitan. He served as director.

When Claire is online with her brother, Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), she feigns surprise that he hasn’t received her birthday gift as she searches online for a belated one to send. Nice try, he says, since he can check the date on the order when it arrives.

Other funny bits are tucked on to Claire’s Facebook page or will be available through links, such as daughter Alex Dunphy’s (Ariel Winter) application to Yale University.

Editor Tony Orcena and motion graphics producer John Brown also had key roles in creating the episode that required, as Brown said, each element seen on Claire’s Facebook pages to be “handmade.”

Levitan credits a 17-minute film, “Noah,” which also plays out fully on a computer, with giving him the “proof

customers a different kind or virtual reality experience.”

Once the 3DU app is fully developed, Globe Labs will provide an additional P80,000 to the team, help them publish the app in Google Play, and assist in its promotion. Those interested to support 3DU or get updates can visit http://3du. webnified.com/.

Meanwhile, 3D mood board and sound space, CONFETTI won P35,000 under the Ayala Museum special category. CONFETTI allows users to paint images and generate sound through movement. It also generates a collage made of clippings from current Ayala Museum shows.

“We wanted to explore the space that Virtual Reality provides, by creating something that doesn’t replicate existing/ actual reality. There’s merit in recreating the world or the reality we’re familiar with, but we were intrigued by the possibilities that can be made with VR, as we treat the space it generates as a blank canvas of sorts. Basically, anything is possible within VR. We were also motivated by the partnership with the Ayala Museum, This photo provided by Twentieth Century Fox Television shows, from left, Claire Dunphy, Jay Pritchett, and Phil Dunphy, in a scene from the episode, “Connection hence our decision to build Lost,” of “Modern Family.” (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox Television) something that was heavily inspired by art, sound, and “I realized on that screen, of concept” that such an apthe process of creation,” said you could tell so much about proach could sustain an auyoung developers Carl Rosario my life,” Levitan said. It oc- dience’s interest and allow Flor, Claudine Rodriguez and curred to him that format for a complicated story.

Mike Co Lu. He said the young Cawould be fitting for “Modern They added: “One thing we Family,” he told reporters nadian filmmakers behind realized during the competiafter a sneak peek at the ep- “Noah” were unable to action is that innovation doesn’t isode. cept his invitation to conhave to be grand or complicatAll the comedy’s house- tribute to the “Modern Famed. It always begins with the inholds represent a contem- ily” episode because of other tent to challenge existing stanporary family in some way, work. dards, and thinking that there’s he said, including that of gay Apple was informed always room for improvement. couple Mitch and Cam, who about the episode, “loved In filling our hearts with this are adoptive parents, and Jay the idea” and provided iPdesire, we believe that we can and Gloria, a cross-cultural, hones for the production, solve problems in our society, cross-generational pair. With Levitan said, adding that it’s even with just an idea and the Claire, Phil and their chil- commonplace for most maability to build things.” dren, the marker is how they jor computer companies to The 3DU and CONFETcommunicate. have ongoing relationships TI apps will be displayed at In the comedy’s debut with TV shows. the new Globe Gen3 Stores in episode in 2009, the parents “This came from life and Limketkai Mall, Cagayan de summoned Haley to dinner it made sense,” said Levitan, Oro City and SM North EDSA by calling out to her, Levitan who cheerfully described in Quezon City. CONFETTI will recalled. Her response: “Why himself as “super-geeky” also be used at the Ayala Muare you yelling, why don’t about technology. LYNN ELseum. you just text me?”

BER, AP Television Writer

COMMUNITY SENSE 11

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Barangay Musikahan previews Tagum City’s grand festival

MUSIKAHAN. As a prelude to the upcoming Musikahan Festival, the Barangay Musikahan formally kicked off which highlights the musicality and creativity of the Tagumenyos. The event, which will run from February 15, 2015 to February 22, 2015, will showcase five variety shows under the urban category and three shows for the rural category. Photos by Leo Timogan and Karem Jane Gomez of CIO Tagum

Bato Balani Foundation calls for nominees for teacher search

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IWA Learning Systems Inc. (DLSI) and Bato Balani Foundation Inc. (BBFI) once again open the search for true heroes of our generations, the teachers, with The Many Faces of the Teacher program.

Now on its 12th year, The Many Faces of the Teacher (TMFT) is an advocacy campaign aimed at extolling the virtues of teaching by providing role models who inspire excellence.

Organizers believe that discovering these educators and honoring them will make Filipinos aware of the sublime nature and valuable contribution of the teacher to society, thereby encouraging every Filipino mentor to achieve excellence in teaching.

Last year, it honored young inspirational speaker Lou Sabrina S. Ongkiko from Manila; culture preserver and leader Elsie C. Padernal from Calinog, Iloilo; ALS coordinator and community organizer Darwin T. Tadifa from Tubungan, Iloilo; mobile school teacher and tribal Filipino educator Jinglebert P. Collado; and ICT and peace advocate Genevieve Kulong from Zamboanga City The search is open to teachers of all ages, who are actively teaching in private or public primary, elementary or secondary schools, colleges, and universities. He or she must demonstrate exceptional performance in teaching; has employed creativity, inno-

vation, and resourcefulness in teaching; and importantly, lives out his esteemed values inteaching, family, and personal life.

The nominees should also have a deep sense of nationalism and are committed to teaching for the benefit of the country and its people.

He or she must be respected in school and community and is a role model for students, colleagues, and family. In addition, he or she must be an active member of the community and has engaged in socio-civic activities.

Partner organizations, school associations, religious organizations, the Department of Education, and the school heads, students, and teachers can nominate.

The organizers will use the following criteria for evaluation: person of integrity and morality; in good relations with students, colleagues, community members, and family; commitment and dedication to the teaching vocation; strength of values/principles applied in teaching and personal life and involvement in school and community activities.

To nominate, log on to www.batobalanifoundation.org.ph to secure a nomination form or visit BBFI office at 6/F PDCP Bank Center, V.A.Rufino cor. Leviste Streets, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Nomination forms may be sent to bbfi@ diwamail.com/batobalanifoundation@gmail.com or to fax number 892-9543.

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HE two-week revelry that the people of the City of Tagum will experience in relation to the 2015 Trio Celebration intensifies with the opening of the 4th installment of the Barangay Musikahan.

The Barangay Musikahan, as a competition, is an avenue where the musicality and creativity of the Tagumenyos will be highlighted on a grass-

roots level and is categorized into two: the Urban and Rural Barangay category.

The event, which will run from February 15 to 22, 2015, will showcase five variety shows under the urban category and three shows for the rural category.

The grand finals of the Barangay Musikahan, the category qualifiers of which will be announced on February

22, will be held on March 3, 2015 for the Rural Category, and on March 6, 2015 for the Urban Category to be held at Tagum City Trade Center and Pavilion.

Sponsored by the City Government of Tagum through the City Tourism Office, the Tagum City Tourism Council, Globe Telecom, and other select partners, the top plums of the event include P100,000

for the grand prize, P75,000 for the second prize and P50,000 for the third prize. A consolation prize in the amount of P20,000 will be given to participants who will fail to place at the grand finals.

Meanwhile, the Texter’s Choice Award, to be conferred by Globe Telecom, will be in the form of a computer set worth P20,000.00. Richi D. Gulle of CIO Tagum

13th Happy Walk for Down Syndrome

HE Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Inc. (DSAPI) is inviting everyone to the Happy Walk on February 22, Sunday, in celebration of the annual National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month.

Registration and assembly time of the foot parade will start at 6:30 a.m. at Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue and will be followed by a short closing program at People’s Park.

“We are inviting everyone, especially those who have relatives, family members, or friends with Down Syndrome,

to join us in the 13th Happy Walk. Let us take advantage of this opportunity to gather supporters and increase people’s awareness on Down Syndrome,” said Lanie Vergara of the DSAPI Davao Branch.

This year, Happy Walk is expecting thousands of medical/health workers, teachers, friends, and family members to walk alongside individuals with Down Syndrome.

Although the event will be staged in Davao, it will gather participants from all over the country as a similar parade will be held simultaneously in Luzon and Visayas.

“Our aim is to reach out to families living in remote areas. We want them to know that we have an organization that can provide assistance to them. If they have a family member who has Down Syndrome, they can register in our office,” Vergara said.

Also invited to showcase their talents in the closing program are students from Bolton Sped Center, Lamb of God Sped Academy, and Davao City Special School in Bangkal.

Established in 1992 by a group of committed parents and physicians, DSAPI aims

to foster greater understanding on persons born with Down Syndrome. This nonstock, non-profit organization holds regular programs such as seminars, free clinics, and informal group discussions where members can discuss their experiences in caring for individuals with Down Syndrome.

The DSAPI Davao Branch office is located at the 2nd floor of Market Basket in Damosa Complex Lanang Commercial Center, Davao City. For queries, you may contact their office at (082) 305-7192 or 0943-440-2395.

lage, Doña Salud Village, Suha Village, Airview Village, Nelia Ville Subd. I and II, Landmark Village I and Doña Pilar Village).

Areas with no water are Matina (a portion of Mc Arthur Highway particularly from the corner of Tulip Drive to Bankerohan Bridge, MTS, UM Campus, NCCC Mall, ADDU, SIR Phase 1, Agro Compound, Matina Gravahan, Ma-a Gravahan, Morales Village, Palanca Village and Coca-Cola Village.); Ma-a (Bugac, Ma-a, Trinidad Greenhills, St. Michael Village, Nacilla Village, Juario Compound, Pantinople Village, DBP Village, Gem Village, Riverview Garden Homes, Don Julian Village, Emerald Village, JPMI Subd., Luzviminda Village, Yñiguez Village, Midland Subd., Purok 28, Pag-asa Village, Del Pilar Village and Monte de Piedad Housing.); Bucana (Savina, Sitio Narra, Manggahan, St. John,

Sto. Niño, Bilusa, Sanasa and Busna); P. Bangoy (RGA Village and Cory Aquamarine Village), the entire Bo. Obrero and Agdao and all downtown areas except for Lizanto Homes, Diho 3 Subd., Napaka Village, Madapo Hills, Don Isidro Village, Everly Subd., Bankerohan Public Market, Fatima Village, Palm Village, Ledesma Subd., Garden Park Village, Sto. Niño Hillside Subd., EMP Village, Marfori Heights, Mineral Village, San Rafael Village and Monfort Village.

This water cut is needed to give way for the installation of 750mm diameter butterfly valves on both sides of Gov. Genoroso (Bankerohan) Bridges as part of the ongoing construction of 1000mm diameter pipe bridge crossing between Gov. Genoroso Bridges 1 and 2. Water pressure in the city’s downtown and north areas served by Dumoy WSS will be improved after the en-

tire project is completed.

DCWD general manager Edwin V. Regalado advises would-be affected customers to store enough water prior to the scheduled water interruption and asks for their understanding and cooperation.

Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

The general public may visit DCWD website (www. davao-water.gov.ph) and official Facebook page (www. facebook.com/davaowater) or call the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 297-DCWD (3293) and press “1” on their phone dial to listen to latest daily water updates. They may also call / text 0927-7988966, 0925-5113293 and 09084410653 for other updates, complaints, queries, and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Jamae R. Garcia)

Water service interruption in many city parts Feb 21-22

D

AVAO City Water District (DCWD) announced a 16-hour water service interruption from 8:00 AM of February 21 until 12:01 AM of February 22 that will affect many city parts being served by Dumoy Water Supply System (WSS).

Areas that will experience low water pressure to no water are: some areas in Pampanga (Beach Side Homes, Insular Village I and II, Waterfront Hotel, Elena Hotel, Nova Tierra Village, Fortune Executive Homes, Sto. Domingo Phases I and II, Pampanga Executive Homes, Belen Homes, Bancom (Model) Homes, Doña Asuncion Subd., San Roque Village, Don Lorenzo Subd., PAL Cloud and Donasville Subd.) and Sasa (Doña Paz Subd., Southern Homes, Hacienda Village, Doña Aurelia Village, Marla Compound, Bolton Village, Lougemar Subd., BAT Compound, San Antonio Vil-

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DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICE

GENERAL SANTOS CITY MARKETING OFFICE

Director of Sales

Marketing Specialist

JOCELYN S. PANES

Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel: (082) 224-1413 Telefax: (082) 221-3601

EDMUND P. RENDON

General Santos City

Mobile: (Sun) 0925-357-3460 (Smart) 0907-202-3844

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA Marketing Manager 97-1 Bayanbayanan Ave., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

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FOOD

Eat these on

CHINESE NEW YEAR

THERE are many things associated with the Chinese New Year, from the giving of red pockets or ang pao to the making of noise to drive away bad spirits. Chinese New Year is a celebration of family closeness as members come together no matter how far or how busy to spend a new year’s meal together.

Members who are absent are given places around the dining table to symbolize their presence in the meal.

So what do Chinoys (Chinese-Filipinos) eat for Chinese New Year, you might ask? Well here are a few of what can be found around the Chinese New Year table spread.

Radish cake Made of rice flour, dried shrimp, and shredded radish or carrots, this Chinese treat is usually served in dim sum places. Oftentimes cut into squares and pan fried until crispy on the outside, this traditional Chinese treat is a favourite during Chinese New Year since radish sounds like ‘good fortune’ for the Hokkien Chinese whom most Filipino Chinese associate themselves with.

Chicken The Hokkien Chinese also believe that eating chicken during the traditional Chinese New Year meal symbolises a less hectic year ahead as Chicken in Hokkien also sounds like ‘easy to pass.’ A regular chicken dish served on the Chinese New Year’s table is Eight-treasure Chicken, chicken stuffed with glutenous rice, Chinese ham, lotus seeds, carrots, peas, mushrooms, and dried shrimp and then steamed and finished with a rich sauce to make a hearty dish.

Fish If there is one food item that a Chinese New Year table should have bar none, it is fish. Served steamed, fried, filleted, or

whole, fish is the center of the new year meal. A homophone for ‘in excess,’ fish symbolises a prosperous year with overflowing luck and money.

Pineapple Ever wondered why Chinatowns around the world hang lanterns in the shape of pineapple every Chinese New Year? This is because pineapples are a symbol for prosperity.

Sounding like ‘to prosper,’ pineapples are oftentimes used as Chinese New Year offerings in the Buddhist temples and are also often served together with other round fruits for the Chinese New Year meal.

Tangerines Another symbol of prosperity, Tangerines, locally called Ponkan, are also another staple Chinese New Year offering at the temples as well as on the dining room table.

The word ‘pong’ where we get the local name of ponkan from also means ‘to prosper.’

Glutinous Rice Cake Made of steamed sticky rice and sugar, glutinous rice cake or locally

known as tikoy is one of the most iconic Chinese New Year dishes not just in the Philippines but in the world. Also known as ‘nian kaw,’ glutinous rice cake is a symbol of family and togetherness.

Normally pan-fried with a thin coating of egg, the sticky texture symbolizes strong family bonds and the sweetness of the cake symbolizes good family

relations.

In the end, though, one’s fortunes for the new year are determined by hard work and deeds.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Guai Le! *** For those who don’t have time to prepare their own Chinese New Year feast, Park Inn by Radisson Davao is offering a

Supersized Family Feast priced at just Php1,888 nett for the Chinese New Year celebration. Each set has eight courses that are good for six to eight persons and include Chicken Lettuce Wrap, Dimsum, Chow Mien, three choices of soup, stir-fried vegetables, your choice either Steamed Whole Red Snapper, Kung Pao Shrimp, Roasted Whole

Chicken, or Hoisin Braised Pork Belly, rice, fruit platter, and Chinese dessert platter.

For more information and reservations, call and book through 272 7600. *** Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter at @kennethkingong for more travel stories, foodie finds, and happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

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EVENT

ENTERTAINMENT

Black is the new Direk red at Waterfront “I adm Insular Hotel AFTER the successful run of the Kapuso primetime series, Niño, another masterpiece will be helmed by no less than, award-winning director Maryo J. Delos Reyes— Pari ‘Koy.

LOVE was definitely in the air at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao last Valentine’s Day. Black is the New Red: A Valentine Gala was a sold out hit, another successful venture by the hotel under their belt.

The Grand Agila Ballroom was transformed into a fiery and romantic venue for passion and dreamy romance. Flaming red and midnight black accents and decors were what gave off the romantic ambiance. Our numerous guests savored delectable culinary dishes, like Shrimp Cocktail on Passion Fruit Puree, Garlic and Rosemary Studded Rib Eye with Jack Daniel’s Sauce, Callos Madrinela and an array of sinfully sweet desserts. Diets were definitely thrown out the

window that evening, thanks to our Food & Beverage Team that was headed by our new Executive Chef, Chef Victor D. Barangan. The dining experience did not stop at just the gastronomic delights. Sensual instrumental music was delivered by a piano and saxophone duo and added to the ambiance of the night.

Favorite love songs, classic and contemporary, were what diners fed to their auditory senses and gave everyone that passionate vibe.

Once most of the guests had their fill of the mouthwatering dinner buffet, they were treated to beautiful performances of excerpts of Broadway Musicals by Songspell Philippines Inc. Their renditions of the classics from Miss Saigon and other plays, as well as covers of hit love songs left everyone in the room breathless and en-

tranced. Their rich and melodious voices filled the ballroom with epic proportions. It was amazing to realize that there were just kids that were already brimming with so much talent. Valentine patrons were all filled with awe and delight, and not just because of the buffet.

Love, passion and romance was truly mani-

fested during this month of hearts at the Waterfront Insular Hotel.

For updates on our promos and culinary offerings, like the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on Facebook at www.facebook.com/waterfront.davao. You may also call the hotel at (082) 233 2881 or 300 8881 or visit www.waterfronthotels.com.ph.

Globe Telecom hosts 38th GSMA Asia Pacific conference LEADING telecommunications firm Globe Telecom recently spearheaded the 38th GSMA Asia Pacific Exhibition and Conference held last February 4 to 6 at Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu.

Headed by the newly appointed GSMA-AP Chairman and Globe Telecom Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Gil Genio, the event gathered over 100 delegates from different mobile operators in Asia Pacific. This included guest speakers from telecommunications and technology companies who shared best practices for the advancement of the mobile industry in the region.

“It is always a great opportunity to gather mobile technology leaders and experts in one venue to further drive the mobile industry to greater heights. Through the GSMA-AP conference, we are able to collaborate and work together towards equipping our companies with the latest technologies that are for the utmost advantage of every customer,” says Genio.

Invited for a keynote speech is also the country’s Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Louis Casambre who fortified DOST’s support in GSMA’s endeavors. As Casambre put it, “the DOST-ICT office and the ICT agencies of your respective countries are your partner in building and making Asia Pacific countries 100% connected. Together let us ease the digital divide for a better future.”

Genio also announced to the delegates the election of the new Vice Chairman of GSMA-AP Ben Yeung, who is the General Manager for International Services, SmarTone, Hong Kong.

The sessions focused on world-

wide trends in the mobile business ranging from next generation roaming services to LTE technology developments. Among the topics discussed and its corresponding speakers were: Trends in Mobile Roaming and Operator Challenges and Vision 2020 by Jack Jia, Strategic Engagement Director for GSMA (APAC); RAEX/IOT Changes by Randy Petersen, Union Wireless; Operator Opportunities in Data/LTE Roaming by Casey Tan, Senior Product Manager for Mobile Voice & Services, Telsa International LTD; LTE Roaming- Security & Privacy and HTTP 2.0 Developments by Anton Bonifacio, Vice President for Information Security, Globe Telecom; Network Support

for Tomorrow’s Roaming Experience by Bruno Vilares, Sr. Telecom Consultant, Huawei Technologies Sweden/Global; VoLTE and New Network Technologies by Bao Li, Solution Architect, IMS CORE, Alcatel Lucent and Guang Hong Liu, Solution Engineer, IMS CORE, Alcatel Lucent; The Future of Mobile Roaming by Demetrio Di Martino, Partner, Head of TMT practice in Asia, Value Partners.

GSMA-AP’s focus remains on managing and delivering the Regional Interest Group (RIG) priorities defined by its members through GSMA governance bodies, as well as coordinating working groups and events. The team is also responsible for representing the GSMA’s views and initiatives at regional institution meetings and events.

GSMA is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting the standardizing deployment and promotion of the GSM telephone system.

According to the director, although he was on vacation, he did not have to think twice in accepting the project. “Pari ‘Koy is about inspiration and bringing out the best in everybody. [It’s like] trying to see what good values we can implant in people. I like that, I like doing that [kind of story].

I want to get the best out of people rather than see the worse in them.”

Direk Maryo also reveals that another reason why he chose to do the project is the chance to work again with the Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes. “[It’s] because of Dingdong. I admire him as an actor. The one we did before, Pahiram ng Sandali, was a powerful drama.

I felt very relaxed with him.

Of course the line-up of the cast brings me a lot of excitement because I’ll be meeting talents na nakasama ko na before like Sunshine [Dizon], Gabby [Eigenmann], and of course the tres marias—Luz [Valdez], Chanda [Romero], and Dexter [Doria]—who have been with me since I started my career. And of course the young talents,” he said.

“I look forward to exciting tapings and collaborations with the whole team. I be-

li a I s a D

Teen idol Juli first single on ONE of GMA Artist Center’s pride artists, Julian Trono, is back in Manila from his recent tapings and guestings in Korea.

Before flying back to the Philippines, Julian wrapped up a performance on Show Champion which will air soon.

Show Champion is a Korean musical variety show that airs on MBC, a major TV network in Korea. Julian will be performing his first single ‘Wiki Me’ on the show, and will officially launch it in the Philippines this February 22 on GMA Network’s musical variety program Sunday All Stars.

Julian has been on high

s d a re e fo p

m o a p h

tu d z K fa H C m

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k Maryo J. Delos Reyes: mire Dingdong as an actor”

ieve in their intergrity, talent and dedication to their craft. hope we can create a good show that will touch the lives and hearts of several people,” Direk Maryo added.

Among with the stellar

Dina Bonnevie plays twins in “MMK”

AWARD-WINNING actress Dina Bonnevie will play the roles of identical twins, Eunice and Febie, in the family drama episode of ABS-CBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya” this Saturday (February 21).

After years of living away from each other, Eunice and Febie got reunited when the latter had to fly back to the Philippines from Malaysia to treat her colon cancer and reach out to her family, including her beloved twin whom she asked to look after her family once she passes away.

Soon, Febie peacefully died and Eunice, who is a widow, starts fulfilling her promise to her sister by comforting Febie’s family, especially the husband who became emotionally devastated by his loss.

What will Eunice do

when her closeness with her twin sister’s husband develops into serious romance?

Can they move on from Febie’s memory, stand up for their love, and handle the disapproval of the people around them, including their families?

Joining Dina in the upcoming “MMK” episode are Tonton Gutierrez, Dante Ponce, Neri Naig, Michelle Vito, Jenny Miller, Rochelle Barrameda, Simon Ibarra, and Mccoy De Leon. It is directed by Raz De La Torre and written by Rose Colindres.

“MMK” is led by business unit head Malou Santos and creative manager Mel Mendoza-del Rosario.

Capturing the hearts of Filipino viewers all over the world for the past 23 years, “Maalaala Mo Kaya” has legions of fans from differ-

ent generations who cried, laughed, fell in love, and got inspired through the reallife narratives of the show’s letter-senders.

Don’t miss the longestrunning drama anthology in Asia, “MMK,” every Saturday, 7:15PM, after “Home Sweetie Home” on ABSCBN. For more updates, log on to MMK.abs-cbn. com, follow @MMKOfficial

on Twitter, and “like” Facebook.com/MMKOfficial.

Tweet your thoughts about this Saturday’s episode by using the hashtag #MMKTwinHearts.

Meanwhile, viewers may also catch up on full episodes and past episodes of “MMK” through ABS-CBNmobile. For more information, please go to www. abscbnmobile.com.

cast are Jeric Gonzales, Carlo Gonzales, JC Tiuseco, Rap Fernandez, Hiro Peralta, Jojit Lorenzo, Lindt Johnston, Jhiz Deocareza, and Jillian Ward.

Pari ‘Koy is set to air this March on GMA Telebabad.

ian Trono launches n GMA’s Sunday All Stars

spirits as he worked with the different local groups and artists during his stay in Koea. He also shot a music video, and met a number of perorming arts students in the prestigious Kimpo College.

He expressed his excitement through various posts on his social media accounts, and even initiated a fan-appreciation contest to convey his gratitude towards his fans.

He was also recently feaured in Arirang’s ‘Korea Today’, a morning news magazine program that presents Korean culture such as food, ashion, and entertainment.

He was also interviewed in TV Chosun and in various print media. He was introduced as

a promising artist, who trains exhaustively in the Philippines and in Korea to learn the styles of K-Pop and debut as a singer-dancer in the Philippines.

“After performing sa Show Champion, mas na-excite akong umuwi to launch the single. Feeling ko kasi, since I was able to perform well in a different country, mas dapat kong magawa ‘yun dito,” says the teen idol.

Get to know a brand new Julian Trono in his first single, ‘Wiki Me’ which will be released by GMA Records worldwide. The digital single is now available on iTunes and all your favourite digital stores.

February 18-24, 2015

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson R16

11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan R18

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

THAT THING CALLED TADHANA /*JUPITER ASCENDING

R-16

PG13/ *PG13

Angelica Panganiban, JM De Guzman/ *Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum 11:30 | 1:20 | 3:10 LFS / * 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

DRAGON BLADE Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody R13

12:20 | 2:45 | 5:10 | 7:35 | 10:00 LFS

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

FOOD

Chicken, pasta, and sweets in one roof at

CAFÉ LE SORELLE

WE may not be a Michelin Star Chef like Gordon Ramsay or a Food Critic extraordinaire like Francis Lim but our palate is our most powerful weapon. We have the ability to awaken our souls and appreciate the many flavors of food and ingredients around us.

From the minutest of seasoning to the main ingredient of the dish, we are magicians of our own stage.

This humble café began as a cake and pastry shop. The rave was apparent, thus it became a household name in no time. From its simple beginnings, it has now since been serving the people of Cotabato – and foreigners – good food minus the extravagant price.

More so, this has been my Dad’s go to on a weekend. (Speaking of whom.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We may not talk about shallow things but it is with you that I get to understand the complexity of life, the world and our culture. I am thankful for being your carbon copy daughter and the heiress to your perfectionist attitude. I love you and Mama so much!)

Calming, peaceful, and embracing – you’ll feel at ease in an instant. I simply adore the dim but bright ambiance that makes you just sit down and get your feet up in their comfy chairs.

To simply fall in love with the place is one thing, but the food – it’s another story! They have a full-on menu – from simple pasta dishes to chicken meals to sweet desserts, you will surely have something for your hungry tummy.

For someone who loves chicken wings, it was a no brainer to get one. Truly, it was juicy – seriously, it was oozing with juice.

However, I was not feeling the sauce. It overpowered the chicken and lost its flare – I had to remove some of the sauce to appreciate my wings. Overall, it was okay.

I have read and heard raves about their lasagna.

It was meaty and saucy

all right – but I was concerned because it was a bit deconstructed when it arrived on our plates. HOWEVER, the taste was amazing. It paired nicely with the garlic and butter melba toast served on the side.

As to the cakes, they tasted velvety and silky.

Their red velvet cake is a must try as must as is their chocolate moist cake.

From the looks of it, you’d want more than just a forkful in every bite. Oh and if you happen to crave for a bite (or two), their slices are inexpensive and always available.

Visit Café Le Sorelle at Macapagal Street, Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City.

You can also call them up at 064.4219988.

Make #TheRoyalChef your Thursday habit! Follow and tag me on instagram (herroyalheiress) for your delicious pics and food finds!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

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Return of SAF 44 firearms ‘shows MILF commitment to peace process’

RESIDENTIAL Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Wednesday said the decision of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to return the firearms belonging to the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) who died in Mamasapano, Maguindanao shows its commitment to the peace process. ”The return of firearms belonging to the SAF-44 partially meets the call of President Aquino for the MILF to show concrete manifestation of their support to the on-going Bangsamoro Peace Process,” Coloma said in a press statement.

Coloma said the return of the firearms was done through the mechanisms of the peace process such as the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Coordi-

nating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH). ”We affirm the statement of Government Chief Negotiator Professor Miriam Colonel-Ferrer that the return of the firearms by the MILF is a sign of goodwill and commitment to the peace process,” Coloma said.

Coloma, however, said the MILF leadership should also display other concrete manifestations that they can be trusted by the government in the peace process by supporting the government’s efforts to capture terrorist Basit Usman, who escaped in the Jan. 25 anti-terrorist operation in Mamasapano town.

The Palace official also said the MILF should also help the government in the identification and prosecution of the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Free-

dom Fighters (BIFF) combatants who killed the 44 SAF troopers.

Coloma clarified that the three conditions have been mentioned by President Benigno S. Aquino III in his address to the nation last February 6. ”In the same speech, the President has also mentioned the need for the government and the MILF to pursue the

path that would lead to the lasting peace in Mindanao,” Coloma said in a press briefing in Malacanang. ”It is only proper to understand that those requests, according to the President, would give concrete manifestation if the MILF can be trusted as partner by the government,” he added.

Coloma said failure to heed to these requests would

mean “that their cooperation with the government” is not complete.

Deliberations both by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) have been suspended to give way to the ongoing inquiries on the bloody Mamasapano encounter.

On January 25, the 392-member SAF team en-

13

countered the combined forces of the MILF and the BIFF while carrying out a mission to arrest Usman and Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan.

Marwan, a notorious bomb expert who has link with international terrorist group Jeemah Islamiyah, was killed but Usman, a BIFF commander, managed to escape.

(PNA)

NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 21029453 under Loyola Contract No(s).

186447-9/NNN 400483674 issued to JOCELYN S. CASTILLO under Loyola Contract No(s). 519675-3 issued to GLOBASA, JOAQUIN were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

2/19/26/3/5

START OF PROTEST. Representatives from various sectors and indigenous people from Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur raise their fist and echoed the call to stop the alleged militarization of the

hinterlands in Caraga Region during the start of the week-long protest and gathering in Butuan City on Wednesday. MindaNews photo by Erwin Mascarinas

14 NEWS

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DESPERATE ACT. 10th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commander Major General Eduardo Año (right) says the Mati City police station attack was a desperate act of the New People’s Army (NPA) because of the declining influence in the area due to AFP’s

community programs. Año was joined by Task Force Davao commander Colonely Macairog Alberto during yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps briefing at Task Force Davao headquarters in Sta. Ana wharf yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

City... FFROM 2

2 persons... FFROM 4

Video... FFROM 1 IP (internet protocol) address of the mobile phone he used in uploading the video. An IP address identifies a device as it communicates with a network.

After identifying the IP address, the Cybercrime Division was able to locate the Suson in Kidapawan City and proceeded there last Tuesday.

Lorenzo said when he and his team reached the place, Suson was not present. They verified, however, that he was in Davao City where his business is located.

Lorenzo said they immediately coordinated with NBI- South Eastern Mindanao Regional Office (SEMRO) in Davao City to help them find Suson.

He said the NBI invited Suson to talk, clarifying that he was not arrested.

Lorenzo said when they asked Suson where the video came from, the latter replied that it came from the Facebook account of a friend, who had uploaded it but shared it only to his Facebook friends.

Suson said he downloaded the video through his cellphone and uploaded it in his account, this time sharing it publicly.

Lorenzo said Suson told them the reason he uploaded the video was simply that it was new.

He said they did not

press Suson any further regarding his motivation.

“We are still validating the information and once we conduct the forensic examination on the tools that he provided, we will see if they really downloaded the video,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo said Suson was pinpointed because he was the first to share the video publicly.

Lorenzo could not say what charges may be filed against Suson because his team is just part of the investigating team making an assessment of the incident.

“If you will ask me, as of now, we see a violation on article 201 of the Revise Penal Code or the obscene publication in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act which penalizes the uploading of very violent theme as we see on the video,” he said.

Lorenzo said there is an ongoing investigation to find the source of the video. “So far, as the one who publicly published the video, we already determined him (Suson),” he said.

He said it would be difficult to trace the source because the scope of the online world is very wide.

It is also possible that it was uploaded from another country.

that will be the only time we will construct the second tower,” Yap said.

The company has not started the pre-selling of condominium units because details have still to be finalized, according to her.

The cost of the second phase is still being finalized.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the development has a total cost of P1.2-billion.

Brian Yap said Phase 1 of Felcris Centrale boasts of a new Felcris superstore, Chimes Specialty Store, restaurants and bars, al fresco, specialty shops, boutiques and 10 stories of premium office units.

According to Cassandra Yap, 50 percent of the 90 commercial spaces were already leased by tenants coming all the way from Manila and Davao.

She said that some of their tenants were Felcris’ sister companies.

One of the tenants which will offer new services to the people of Davao is Planaforma, a fitness and wellness establishment.

She said that most of the tenants are restaurants and clothing retail stores that are into new concepts.

Cassandra also added that the 10-story office building is ready for occupancy.

“There’s a lot of interest (coming from interested locators). We’re very confident with the office spaces,” she said.

According to her, a business process outsourcing (BPO) company will be one of the tenants of the office spaces.

“It is a corporate office but it is call-center ready. The facility is ready to receive (either) BPO or corporate office,” Yap said.

FHRC has already applied for accreditation from Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for tax holiday, among others.

“Felcris Centrale will play a significant role in both the growth of Davao City and ultimately in the development of a much more prosperous Mindanao both now and in the coming years,” the management said in a press release.

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ernization Plan, Planning at the Local and National (I-Plan), 2) Intensified Building-Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-Build), 3) Investments for Rural Enterprise, Agricultural and Fisheries Productivity (I-Reap), and 4) Implementation Support (I-SUPPORT).

In the committee report, PRDP deputy director Conslacion E. Satorre said during the hearing of the committee on rule, privileges, laws and ordinances last February 4, the program is jointly funded by national and local government and the World Bank.

The report said the signing of MOA needs to be pushed through in order for the city to benefit from the program since it is already implemented from other places of the country.

For Davao City, the whole 2015 would be a preparation stage of the PRDP project which would be properly implemented in 2016.

The city already issued Executive Order No. 49 series of 2014 implementing the creation of the PRDPCity Program Management and Implementing Unit (CPMIU) of the DA to comply with the program design. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

ed from borrowing because of the collaterals required in conventional banks,” Lao said.

Compared to conventional banking system, Islamic banks comply with Shariah Law, which prohibits lenders from charging interest for loans.

“The religion sees it as a form of profiteering. Instead, Islamic banks rely on the principle of risk-sharing, which means borrowers may take banks in as partners when taking out loans,” an earlier report said.

Lao said under the Islamic Banking interest is prohibited.

Instead, the bank will act as an investor in the company and will become a part owner of the establishment.

Lao also added that establishment of more Islamic banks in Mindanao will help uplifting of the lives of Muslims Bangsamoro Development Authority chairman Dr. SaffrullahDipatuan told Edge Davao earlier that establish-

ment of Shariah-compliant Islamic banks will be included in the Bangsamoro Development Plan.

Dipatuan said the Philippines sole Islamic bank, the Al Amanah Investment Bank of the Philippines is not operating purely based on the Islamic culture.

“Al Amanah is also operating as a conventional bank because it doesn’t have adequate capital to start with. Amana needs capital from investors so it can do Islamic banking, and of course technical knowhow on how to do Islamic banking,” he said.

Dipatuan said that even though it is an Islamic Bank it cannot cater to the needs of all Muslims who are in need of capital for their small businesses.

Dipatuan added that Islamic Banking is the key ticket in ending armed conflict in Mindanao which is a result of poverty and oppression. CHENEEN R. CAPON

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ter showing suspected symptoms like cough and colds.

But she said the patient’s condition has already been improving based on their latest monitoring.

“Both are still under the 14-day quarantine period so they remain under close observation,” she said in an interview over Brigada News TV here.

Lastimoso clarified that the two patients were not among the passengers of Saudi Airlines Flight SV860 that arrived in Manila last Feb. 1 with a returning female nurse who later tested positive of MERS-CoV. The patient is currently undergoing treatment at the DOH’s Research Institute for

Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

The official said they remain on alert against the disease and stressed that the city is so far considered MERS-CoV-free.

She added they have established mechanisms to ensure the proper monitoring and handling of suspected MERS-CoV cases and other infectious diseases.

MERS-CoV is a highly fatal, influenza-like illness characterized by fever, cough, and often with diarrhea.

As of Feb. 5, the World Health Organization said it already recorded a total of 971 laboratory-confirmed cases and 356 deaths due to MERSCoV infection.

city, “already had her chance.”

According to majority floor leader Bernard Al-ag, the council will be installing Sudagar to the seat if no one files a complaint at the NCIP on or before February 20, based on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act and the Department of Interior and Local Government guidelines.

Sudagar was chosen by the Kagan council of elders in two sessions held at the Davao City Sports Center in January.

Earlier, committee on human rights chair Karlo Bello said the council was considering reinstating former IP representative Berino Mambo-o at a holdover capacity until the council decides on Sudagar’s fate.

Mambo-o ended his term last month as the first IP representative from among 10 indigenous groups.

In an interesting note, the joint resolution of the tribal deputy mayors that

recommends Mambo-o’s reinstatement was also passed on first reading at this week’s session.

Both items at first reading were consolidated and assigned to the committee on human rights, Al-ag said.

“We will have to wait until February 20,” Al-ag said.

According to Kagan tribal customs, only members of the Baragwa or Council of Elders can cast their vote for the IPMR. Sudagar, the only female candidate from the Kagan tribe, garnered 147 votes out of 373 voting members of the tribe’s Council of Elders, besting five other candidates: former barangay captain Lito Lapitan (50 votes), Macabayao Apadan (97 votes), Janor Balo (2 votes), Joel Bustamante (28 votes), Larry Cabaguio (49 votes).

The 22-year-old Sudagar was the Sangguniang Kabataan representative at the city council from 2007 to 2010.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

RUNNING OUT OF TIME

Roach wants Pacquiao, Mayweather to decide soon T

IME is running out for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to book a May 2 showdown, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said Tuesday.

Amid a welter of reports in recent weeks that a deal for the much-anticipated bout was all but done, Roach warned that a decision would be needed soon if both fighters are to prepare adequately.

“We are getting really close,” Roach said of reaching a cut-off for declaring a May 2 fight a reality.

“I need eight weeks. That window is getting smaller and smaller.”

In fact, Roach said, he could make do with a slightly shorter training camp with Pacquiao, the eight-division world champion who said Monday in the Philippines that a deal was “near.”

On an eight-week schedule, the first fortnight would be core training and general conditioning, Roach said.

“The boxing would start six weeks out, because if you go more than six weeks with Manny you’ll burn him out because of his work ethic.”

Pacquiao is 57-5 with two draws and 38 knockouts, while

Mayweather is 47-0 with 26 knockouts.

Fight fans around the world have clamored for years for a showdown between the boxers widely regarded as the best “pound-for-pound” fighters of their generation.

The Sunday Telegraph in Britain reported that the pair had agreed to a $250 million deal, although on Sunday night in New York, Mayweather said in a brief television interview during the NBA All-Star Game that nothing had been signed by either party.

Last year, Mayweather used the occasion of his 37th birthday on February 24 to announce his opponent for a May 3 bout -- plumping for Argentina’s Marcos Maidana and snubbing England’s Amir Khan.

A similar birthday announcement by Mayweather would make for a nine-week lead time to a May 2 fight.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum last month ignited buzz over the fight when he said negotiations had been “narrowed down to extraordinarily small points.”

On Tuesday, however, Arum took himself out of the prophecy business.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal plays a shot against Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci at the ATP Rio Open (AFP Photo/Paul Crock)

NBA teams decide as Defending champ Nadal advances in Rio trade deadline nears W T

HE East was a two-team race at last year’s trade deadline, and Larry Bird made the move he thought would win it.

When the Indiana Pacers acquired Evan Turner from rebuilding Philadelphia, they hoped it would provide the scoring punch to beat out Miami and reach the NBA Finals.

It didn’t, and Turner is now in Boston.

Now the Pacers are trying to get in the postseason, two games out of eighth place and seeking a spark that could slingshot them past others down the bottom of the playoff ladder.

Bird promises to be as aggressive as when his team on top.

B

‘’We’re always looking to improve the team and obviously there’s a lot of improvement that needs to be done,’’ the Pacers’ president said recently. ‘’So we’ll look around the league and talk to a lot of different people and see what’s out there and hopefully we can do something that makes us better.’’

If not, he said, he’ll wait until the summer.

That’s what every NBA team has to decide in the next couple of days.

The trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, and with many teams in contention, the question is whether that makes them more conservative or cautious.

EST Palaro ever.

That’s the promise of the Province of Davao del Norte as it plays host to the 2015 Palarong Pambansa which happens in Tagum City on May 3 to 9.

The play up by the hosts takes off from the hackneyed social media term. It springs of a positive vibe ahead of the biggest event the province will ever host. By the numbers, there will be some 12,000 student-athletes and officials from all 17 athletic regions. Count in non-competing visitors and there should be at least 15,000 people for this event.

It’s understandable that Governor Rodolfo del Rosario is all too concerned about the event most especially after the February 15 NPA attack of Mati City. Governor RDR quickly called his men and made a reassess-

ORLD number three Rafael Nadal made an impressive return to competition after an Australian Open quarter-final loss, dispatching Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-1 at the ATP Rio Open.

Defending champion Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, needed only 91 minutes in advancing to a second-round matchup Thursday against Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.

In the host city for next year’s Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal winner Nadal improved to

15-0 on Brazilian soil, having won titles at Costa do Sauipe in 2005, Sao Paulo in 2013 and Rio last year.

The 28-year-old lefthander began his 2015 season in Doha, where he lost in the first round while defending his title. At the Australian Open, Nadal saw a 17-match win streak against Tomas Berdych end with a surprise exit.

Clay-court maestro Nadal, who seeks his sixth French Open title in a row and 10th overall on Roland Garros clay later this year, elevated his play in the second set of his first match on the surface since last

Best Palaro ever

ment of the LET’S GET IT ON situation after the Mati incident.

T r u e enough, no stone should be left unturned in the lead up to the Palaro if Davao del Norte Neil Bravo wants it to be the best ever.

We understand though that security concerns are always a nightmare of any hosts of a major event. In fact, security expenses eat up a handsome chunk of the entire financial

June’s Grand Slam final victory over Novak Djokovic.

Bellucci’s third double fault of the match handed Nadal a break after five prior missed chances for a 3-2 lead, but the Brazilian broke back in the next game to level the opening set.

Top seed Nadal and 64th-ranked Bellucci exchanged breaks in the next two games before Nadal broke again for a 5-4 edge and held to take the first set after 51 minutes on a service winner.

Nadal broke to start the second set and broke again at love for a 3-0 edge, tak-

pie needed to put up such a colossal event like the Palaro.

Governor RDR knows how important security is to the event.

Sports has a history of unfortunate incidents. I remember covering the Philippine National Games cluster eliminations for baseball and softball in Zamboanga City years back when a grenade was lobed inside a crowded market place. My mother too was a grenade throwing victim during a victory ball celebration capping the 1978 Southern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (SMRAA) in Mati.

We are not doomsaying here but it pays to be forearmed and that is exactly what the hosts are doing. It’s a splendid job thus far for the province.

ing 14 of the first 20 points contested, and held twice for a 5-1 edge.

On Nadal’s third match point chance of the seventh game, Bellucci hit a forehand long to surrender the break and the match, falling in the first round for the fourth time in five events this year.

Bellucci made 31 unforced errors to only 12 by the Spaniard.

Nadal went 25-3 on clay last year and won three titles on the surface.

He has the best clay court record in the Open Era at 318-24, including 45-7 in career clay-court finals.

In last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Sta. Rosa, Laguna was blotted with some reports of snatchers taking advantage of the situation.

A number of factors can make for a successful hosting of the Palaro and it begins with security, playing facilities and accommodations (utilities included). I’m sure the province has looked beyond these ‘basic’ factors and is focusing on the publicity and impact it can generate from the event.

It’s but less than three months waiting for the biggest event ever in Davao del Norte.

Make that possibly, the best Palaro ever.

This we got to see.

Postscripts: Listen to “Let’s Get It On with Neil Bravo” on 105.9 Balita FM every Saturday 8-10 a.m.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

UNDER CONTROL

VOL. 7 ISSUE 239 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

Mati LGU assures safety of DAVRAA delegates

MATI-BOUND. Members of the Davao City athletics team who will represent the city in the upcoming 2015 Davao Region Athletics Association (DAVRAA) in Mati City participate in an early morning training at the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

T

HE local government of Mati City assured the safety of delegates to the 2015 Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet from February 24 to 28, saying the police and military are on top of the situation despite the recent attacks in the area perpetrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

Mati Mayor Carlo P. Rabat himself made the as-

surance in a letter sent to Department of Education (Deped) 11director Atty. Alberto T. Escobarte.

“The local government officials, the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army and other security forces are on top of the situation,” Mayor Rabat said in his letter.

“As such, it is the position of the City Government of Mati and the City Council

headed by Vice Mayor Ma. Glenda Monette Rabat-Gayta, as well as the recommendation of the regional and provincial police offices, to proceed and push through with the scheduled Davao Region Athletic Association Meet set to be held this February 24 to 28,” Rabat added.

The local chief executive said all the necessary security measures will be put in place during the duration of

in the final match with 20 points while Romeo Yap and Rogelio Cabantug added 15 and 14, respectively.

Flordelito Cagampang scored 16 points for Agdao’s losing cause.

Cabantug went on to win Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.

Bantayan, Yap and Paul Rosalada of the champion team, Cagampang and Rhoy Bangcas of Tugbok District were adjudged members of the Mythical Five in the event organized by the City Government of Davao thru the Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO).

Poblacion B coach Jupiter Jorgio said he was very happy with the way his team played throughout the tournament.

“It was a great opportunity for us to play and promote unity among barangay officials,” said Jorgio, barangay captain of 24-C. The champion team will receive P40,000 while the second placer gets P30,000 from the organizers.

SDD-CMO acting officer-in-charge Ma. Tisha Goldie R. Delvo awarded the trophies and medals to the teams and individual winners right after the championship game yesterday. (SDD-CMO)

Poblacion B rules DBL cage loop

P

OBLACION B outgunned Agdao, 89-75, to rule the Duterte Basketball League (DBL) Inter-Political District Basketball Tournament Wednesday morning at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. The Poblacion B dribblers also took Game 1, 9385, to capture the crown via sweep in the best-of-three championship series and complete a wire-to-wire finish after going 11-0 in the eliminations.

Barangay 32-D village chief Rolando P. Bantayan topscored for Poblacion B

the Davraa.

Deped 11 spokesperson Jenelito S. Atillo said they had wanted the Mati LGU to write a formal communication declaring its readiness to host the annual event after the NPA rebels staged an attack on the Mati City Police Station Sunday night that killed five persons, including four government forces.

On Wednesday, Deped 11, after getting the assur-

ance from the host city, sent letters to the 10 participating divisions reiterating the decision of Mati and also assuring the delegates of their safety.

Davraa is the region’s biggest sporting competition for elementary and secondary athletes. The top performers here will earn slots to the Palarong Pambansa, the country’s biggest sporting event also held an-

nually.

Competing in the meet are Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal, Digos City, Tagum City, Panabo City, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental and host Mati City.

Based on Deped 11 record, a total of 5,219 athletes, coaches and officials are taking part in this year’s Davraa.

MATI-BOUND. Members of the Davao City athletics team who will represent the city in the upcoming 2015 Davao Region Athletics Association (DAVRAA) in Mati City participate in an early morning training at the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.