Edge Davao 7 Issue 251

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay

THE WARRIOR OF TALAINGOD

2 COVER STORY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

THE WARRIOR OF TALAINGOD Text and Cover Photo By JOANNA PAOLA GARADO

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KNEW right away it was she. Perhaps it was because of her face — gentle but fierce — and those eyes that told unspoken stories of a people’s aspirations and longings. Or maybe it was because of her overall imposing presence in a sea of other women.

I met Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay in Davao City recently during a gathering of women who paid her a tribute for being a constant source of strength and inspiration to a community of Ata Manobo in the Pantaron Range, a resource-rich stretch of watershed straddling Davao del Norte and Bukidnon provinces.

At the tribute, Bai Bibyaon was seen always almost still, not really without emotions but with a kind of countenance that could be perceived as blasé by those who do not know her — or for those who failed to do their research.

The air surrounding her is inscrutable. She wore a traditional Ata garb that made her stand out all the more, a dress of red and yellow that perfectly fit her small frame.

I admit: I was struck by her presence.

Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay is considered the Gabriela Silang of Mindanao.

I was told she’s a “force to reckon with when poked.”

In 1994, Bai Bibyaon was among those who led a revolt against Alcantara & Sons (Alsons), a huge logging company that was allegedly threatening to destroy the ancestral lands in Talaingod in Davao del Norte.

It was a tribal revolution, known as pangayaw, that led to the eventual end of the operation the logging company in the tribe’s ancestral domain.

Bai Bibyaon and other leaders of the tribe, including the fugitive but tribal hero Datu Guibang Apoga, organized what is now known as Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon or Unity in Defense of Ancestral Land.

The fight Everyone was quiet, patiently waiting for the program to start. About 200 Ata Manobo occupied plastic chairs. I took a seat beside one of the event organizers, a young Ata woman.

“Mao kana si Bai Bibyaon (That’s Bai Bibyaon),” she pointed out. “Mag tribute mi karon para kaniya (We are

EXODUS. Talaingod IPs, complaining of the presence of soldiers in their villages, recently launched an exodus to raise awareness of their plight in their struggle for their right to self-determination and the protection of their ancestral domains. Photo by Kilab Mutlimeda here tonight to give tribute to her).”

When Bai was already behind the podium, the more quiet it became. Speaking in her native tongue, you can sense a burning passion in her as she looked straight back to the crowd.

Through an interpreter, she recollected the life of the Ata people when everything was still simple and peaceful for all of them.

“When I was a child, when someone in the tribe gets ill, our elders would simply lay their hands over that person’s head and pray,” she said. “The diseases would disappear. No need for medicines. No need for doctors.”

I knew just then, she was not simply talking about physical illness. I knew just then the fight continues.

In April 2014, about 1,535 Manobos were forced to leave Talaingod as members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

entered their villages. The troop movement was part of the government’s Oplan Bayanihan Program, a military program anchored on the drive to end the New People’s Army (NPA).

The soldiers were accused of harassing the civilians, some of whom were allegedly forced to join the hunt for the rebels as guides, apparently because of their knowledge of the terrain.

“There was a woman in San Fernando (Bukidnon).

They (soldiers) tied her up and squeezed her breasts hard over and over while she screamed and screamed.

The soldiers asked her ‘kaya pa (can you still take it)?’”

Bai narrated through the interpreter, Datu Teody Mansumyat, a young Salugpongan Council member.

The presence of the soldiers scared the students, too. They stopped reporting to school as soldiers were reportedly occupying their

classrooms. The evacuation in April turned out tragic for the IPs. Many fell sick. A child died. At the evacuation center, they relied on donated food and clothes.

Even Bai Bibyaon also has been a subject to military harassment. She was accused of being an NPA sympathizer.

Armed tribal groups allegedly organized by the military are also hunting her down.

Last week, about 200 Talaingod natives returned home. Before this, the natives left Talaingod once again because of the presence of the soldiers. Mayor Rodirgo Duterte intervened and he assured the residents that the soldiers will spare them from the war against insurgency.

The IP rights group Kalumaran said lumad communities in Mindanao are under attack by soldiers and foreign companies who are out to transform the ancestral lands into mining sites

or monocrop plantation areas. Major General Aurelio Baladad, head of the Eastern Mindanao Command, denied this.

“Your ancestral land is your ancestral land. Whatever you want to do with your land is your decision,” he said.

Bai Bibyaon believes the struggle of the IPs will continue unless the government truly comes up with a program that will ensure that their rights are protected and their ancestral domains will be left for them alone to Joanna Paola Garado is the online manager of Ang Balita Davao [www.abdavao. com]. Fresh from journalism school, she admits to being a student of journalism once again, only this time journalism is real, about the real world, real people, real lives.

manage.

Asked why they left their ancestral domain, she said: “We left as a highest form of protest. It was against militarization, against capitalism, against all the selfish interests of the government. We left to defend our ancestral land. We came because we knew that in the city, we will find people who can help us in our fight.”

The loving warrior For over 23 years, Bai Bibyaon’s fight has never wavered. The people of Talaingod always say that she helped them understand the issues that impact them as a group of people defending their desire to be truly free.

“It was she who opened our minds and eyes,” said an Ata native. “She helped us realize that we cannot simply remain the voiceless hinterland-dwellers anymore.”

When asked what prompted her to become a fierce leader, she would simply say: “love.”

Bai Bibyaon was never married. “But we are her children and she is our mother,” said a woman native.

I only understood her through Datu Teody, but her eyes said everything that mattered for a group of people fighting to protect themselves against policies and programs that victimize them.

As I left for home, her words, like some popular songs, stayed in my head: “We left to defend our ancestral land.” How beautiful an irony it is: To give up in order to fight and win.

And I knew then why she is called the “Gabriela Silang of Mindanao” — all the pain matched with her love for her people was enough to ablaze a fire within the warrior woman’s heart. And fires like that know no age. A fire that could burn forever.

Bai Bibiyaon is such an angry, angry woman. With reporting from Jefry M. Tupas of NewsDesk

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

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4 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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SOLIDARITY. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte attends solidarity mass on the 40th day of the deaths of the Fallen 44 Special Action Force men held at San Pedro Cathedral on Thursday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Cabbies dismayed by reduced flagdown rate

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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crc@edgedavao.net

OMMUTERS may be happy about the reduction of the taxi flagdown rate from P40 to P30 to be implemented nationwide on Monday, but many taxi drivers have expressed dismay over it.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had approved the provisional flagdown fare reduction last

Friday because of the prevailing low oil price in the world market.

But 31-year-old Alvin Remonde, who has been driving a taxi for three years, told Edge Davao that the reduction in the flagdown rate will reduce the amount of money he earns for his family.

“Pait kay maapektuhan ang kita kada adlaw labi na

Tourism not affected by all-out offensive: DOT 11

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HERE have been no cancelations of big events in Region 11 despite the all-out offensive of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) in Maguindanao that has been going on for more than a week.

In an interview, Depart-

ment of Tourism (DOT) 11 regional director Roberto Alabado III told Edge Davao that his office actually assumes that the region is not affected by the conflict.

He said big events in the region such as the Visit Davao Fun Sale in Davao City and the Palarong Pamban-

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karon na mingaw kayo (It will be difficult because my earnings will be affected especially on low days),” he said.

Remonde said he takes in an average of P2,000 but he takes home only P700 because P1,200 goes to the rental of the unit, which he drives only every other day.

“Mahulog na lang na P350 per day. Magkasya lang

gani na sa amoa kay wala pang anak (It comes down to P350 per day. Good thing it’s enough for me and my wife because we don’t have children yet),” he added.

He also doubts if the flagdown rate reduction will mean more people will take the taxi because of the competition from Grab Taxi which currently offers a 50 percent discount.

Another taxi driver, Winston Remorta, said the decrease would be “OK” if there would be further drops in oil prices.

The 24-year-old Remorta said he has to pay P49 per liter of a premium gasoline.

“Mahal pa kaayo ang tubil unya kung ibaba pa (flag down fare) wala nay maamoa (Gas is still expensive, do if they reduce the

flagdown rate nothing will be left for us),” Remorta said.

The flagdown reduction takes effect on Monday, March 9. Taxi operators and drivers violating the order will be penalized under the Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 (Revised Schedule of Fines and Penalties for Violations of Laws, Rules and Regulations governing Land Transportation).

She said such condition caused farmlands to dry up and the area’s irrigation supplies to drop significantly.

“There are farm areas that are now dried up and there some that still have remaining standing crops but are already severely water-stressed,” she said in an interview over Brigada News TV. Donasco said the soil composition in most parts of the city that is mainly of the sandy loam type contributed to the problem.

She said water retention in sandy loam soil is very low, making the survival of planted crops very difficult during extreme dry periods.

Citing their initial assessment, she said the areas that were so far hit hardest by the dry spell are barangays Tinagacan, Mabuhay, Upper Labay, Batomelong and San Isidro.

She said these barangays have reported significant crop damages, specifically for corn, banana and coconut.

In Tinagacan, which was

inspected by CAO personnel on Thursday, barangay chair Dagadas Panayaman said the dry spell has practically dried up farmlands in its 10 puroks.

He said it has affected an estimated 500 hectares of coconut, corn and banana plantation areas.

“The latest cropping by most of our farmers were failures. They were not able to recover even their capital during harvest,” he said.

Donasco said they are

GenSan eyes cloud-seeding as dry spell worsens

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HE city government is studying various measures, including the conduct of cloud-seeding operations, to counter and mitigate the impact on an ongoing dry spell that already dried up farmlands in several villages in the area.

Merlinda Donasco, City Agriculture Office (CAO) head, said Friday at least 15 barangays were already affected by the onset of unusually intense dry weather and the lack of rains in the city since January.

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NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

Gov’t to deliver free internet through TV ‘white space’

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

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HUGS FOR MINDANAO. Students of the Ateneo de Davao University offer free hugs to spread awareness for lasting peace in Mindanao during the National Day towards healing for justice, unity and peace campaign at the Freedom Park in Davao City on Saturday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

DA, city gov’t to form team to build P70-M food terminal

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) will adopt the proposal of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to form a team for the establishment of a food terminal in the city.

In press conference Thursday night, DA Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters that the DA and the city government have agreed to form a team for the establishment of a P70 million food terminal in Daliao, Toril.

“The good mayor is asking us to nominate some members from DA central office that will help them maybe because he just wants transparency in the project,”

Alcala said.

Alcala said the team will formulate a transparent mechanism for the bidding process of the project.

He said the project was supposed to be implemented last year but Duterte opposed the provision that the city government will be the one to implement it with funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Alcala said Davao City is the center of trade of the region and other neighboring regions.

If the food terminal is established outside Davao City, he fears that the money used

DavOr, Surigao Sur ink pact to resolve boundary dispute

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HE chief executives and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the neighboring provinces of Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur recently signed a Compromise Agreement signifying the closure of the long standing boundary dispute involving some barangays on the borders of the two provinces.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon and Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel led the signing ceremony of the said agreement in a joint meeting of the two provincial delegations held in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur on Friday, March 6.

Based on the signed agreement, a new political boundary map will be produced that would delineate almost 3,000 hectares of land in favor of Davao Oriental.

However, “built up areas” or lands with existing developments such as public infrastructures located in the village of Rajah Cabunsuan in Lingig town, Surigao del Sur will not be covered by the signed agreement. wMoreover, before its formal adoption through an ordinance by the provinces’ respective Sangguniang Panlalawigan, a joint ground survey will be conducted by teams of surveyors of the two provinces together with a technical team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of regions 11 and 13.

The members of the two legislative bodies, headed by presiding officers Vice Governors Joel Mayo Z. Almario and Manuel Alameda Sr. of Davao

FDAVOR, 11

will be wasted.

Alacala also the food terminal will “revolutionize” the agricultural sector in the city.

He said the facility could change the lives of the farmers because they can sell the products without the intervention of middlemen.

Duterte had earlier said he did not accept the project because he does not want to handle money. He said he just wanted the DA to give the facility to the city.

Duterte said he accepted the project but on the condition that teams from the city government and the DA will monitor it.

“Dili ko gusto na kami-ka-

mi lang mag-handle kay... basin pud ingnon na PDAF na (I do not want the city to handle alone the project because people may say it is like the Priority Development Assistance Fund),” he said.

The PDAF was allegedly used by suspected mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and several lawmakers to siphon off billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money into their own pockets.

Napoles and Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada are currently in detention for plunder cases filed against them related to the PDAF scandal.

HOUSANDS of rural areas in the Philippines will be soon connected to the internet with the implementation this year of the P1.4 billion TV White Space (TVWS) Initiative.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo told reporters in a press conference that the initiative will use TV White Space, a new wireless data communication standard, to deliver free internet connection especially to the countryside.

According to the Information and Communication Technology Office (ICTO) website, TVWS technology

“uses un-allocated television frequency spectrum like VHF and UHF to provide data connectivity.”

The technology can be used for rural last mile connectivity and environmental sensor networks, the website said.

ICTO Field Operation Office for Mindanao Cluster director Alimbzar P. Asum said the free wireless internet will have a bandwidth of 4 megabits per second (MBPS) but will have a limit in every public place of 50 users at a time Montejo said the DOST is just waiting for the terms of reference to bid out project

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MILF fighters come out to register for 2016 polls

By ALEX D. LOPEZ

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ORE than a thousand fighters and field commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) showed up at the special registration center for voters at the BLMI Training Center in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Saturday, March 7.

BIAF spokesperson Von Al-Haq led his field commanders and men in the process of registration, which the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said was part of the manifestation of the sincerity of the MILF to the on-going peace process.

“I am happy. The last time that I voted was during

the time of the late President Cory Aquino,” Al-Haq said.

Al-Haq lined up with his men during the verification, receiving and filling out of forms.

Comelec Commissioner Al Parreño together with Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chair Henrietta de Villa and Comelec ARMM regional director Atty. Ray Sumalipao personally witnessed the special registration of the MILF fighters.

In his message, Sumalipao expressed gratitude to the leadership of the MILF for the support that led to the realization of the special registration of MILF fighters.

Sumalipao said the special registration project is a

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CLOSURE. Officials of Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur led by Governor Corazon Malanyaon and Governor Johnny Pimentel, respectively, during the signing of the Compromise Agreement signifying the closure of the long standing boundary dispute involving some barangays on the borders of the two provinces.

7 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

Industry players urged to use innovations on science, tech to improve productivity

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

S

crc@edgedavao.net

CIENCE and Technology Sec. Mario Montejo urged industry players to utilize innovations and other products of science and technology to improve productivity.

Montejo said science and technology will not only improve productivity in sectors like tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and food processing, but also increase the income of stake holders.

“Improving productivity will provide additional income,” Montejo said during a

press conference Friday at the Yellow Fin Restaurant.

Adopting technology, he said, will also improve line of services not only in the public sector but most especially to the business and private sectors.

Among the projects of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 11 in Davao Region that aim to improve the productivity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in food business are the establishment of a Halal Laboratory Center in

the DOST 11 regional office and the P5.3 million Food Processing and Innovation Center (FPIC) located at the Philippine Women College (PWC).

DOST 11 director Anthony Sales said the FPIC aims to produce value added agricultural and fishery products through innovation by becoming a hub for innovations, technical support services for the food industry in Davao Region “transforming concepts into products.

Among the existing processing machineries in the

FPIC were immersion freezer, vacuum-packaging machine, water retort, vacuum-fryer, spray dryer, vacuum evaporator, and freeze dryer.

“These equipment will hasten the production process and improve food and packaging quality in order to enhance product marketability and enable products to withstand transport,” Montejo said.

DOST is also planning to add 10 equipment originally benchmarked in Thailand.

These are hammer mill, aseptic packaging equipment,

ARAW NG DAVAO PROMOS. SM Lanang Premier marketing manager Jenny Loyola (left), together with public relations manager Acey Puno-Reyes, announces the mall’s upcoming Araw ng Davao mall-wide sale and activities during the FAST Fridays media forum at Barrio Fiesta. Lean Daval Jr.

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S & T receives high priority under PNoy

HE administration is giving high priority on science and technology and that the sector enjoys the highest trust and confidence of President Aquino, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said.

Coloma joined Science and Technology Sec. Mario G. Montejo, Regional Development Council (RDC) 11 chair Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario, RDC vice chairperson Ma. Lourdes Lim of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)

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11, Compostela Valley Province Vice Governor Manuel Zamora and some officials of DOST line agencies at a press conference Friday.

In supporting the statement, Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo in the same press conference said that the department has experienced substantial increase in budget of about 400 percent during the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino .

Citing other major S&T major developments, Montejo

said that the growth in number of major river basins covered with disaster management systems has grown to 18 under the Aquino administration from just five, and that growth happens after about 40 years.

DOST even eyes to cover 285 river systems in the country under its disaster management program.

Montejo also noted the growth in number of Philippine Science High School campuses from just nine 40 years ago to 16 campuses by the end of

2016.

of members who depend on SSS in times of contingencies and intensifying marketing efforts to various sectors.

“More than half of the benefit payouts in 2014 were on retirement claims amounting to 56.1 billion or 54.6% of the total disbursements,” said de Quiros.

The next biggest benefit payment of SSS last year was on death benefit with 33.7 billion or 32.8% of the

total payouts. Death benefit is either lump sum payment or transfer of monthly pension to the legal dependent spouse and minor children.

The SSS also paid P2.9 billion in funeral grants, P1.9 billion for sickness, P4.4 billion for maternity and P3.8 billion for disability. The sickness and disability payouts include EC payments.

Aside from the regular benefit payments under the

social security program, SSS also released P17.4 billion in EC medical services and rehabilitation which are reimbursements for expenses incurred by members for work-related illnesses and injuries.

“EC medical reimbursements are expenses for hospitalization, recuperation and medicines while rehabilitation expenses are pay-

He noted increased in budget in research and development and the sustained implementation of programs not just projects.

“The government is serious with the role of science and technology with regard to delivery of services and productivity,” Montejo said as he revealed efforts of the government to roll out DOST programs and projects relevant to the daily lives of the Filipinos. (PIA 11/Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)

SSS disburses P102.8-B in benefit payments

HE Social Security System released a total of P102.8 billion in social security and employees’ compensation (EC) benefits to its members from January to December last year which is 12.5 percent higher than the same period in 2013.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio S. De Quiros Jr. said the increase in benefit disbursement is due to the growing number

FSSS, 11

granulator, single bowl centrifuge, extruder, drying equipment controller, bending machine, microwave vacuum dryer, form fill and seal machine.

“These are state-of-the-art equipment that will help SMEs improve their products and increase their productivity,” Montejo said.

DOST 11 assistant regional director Mirasol G. Domingo said the P30-million Halal Laboratory Center will soon operate once the procurement of P20 million worth equipment is completed.

The halal laboratory will be equipped with Liquid Chromatograph - Mass Spectrophotometry (LCMS), Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrophotometry (GCMS), Polymerase Chain Reactor (PCR), and Enzyme Linked Analysis (Elisa).

Sales said that it is important for the Davao region to have its own Halal laboratory center since it is one of the major producers of Halal products in Mindanao. There about 200 to 300 Halal producers in the region.

A

“The conditions are supportive for the region to maintain its growth path.

Economic activity remains dynamic buoyed by robust consumer demand, particularly among emerging markets. Exports have been rising, as some economies move up the value chain,” he said.

Phl calls on APEC member economies to boost linkages in trade, investment

PHILIPPINE finance official has urged member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to intensify efforts to boost trade and investment amid the uneven pace of growth across and within economies, as they seek to maintain a high growth trajectory.

During the APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting held in Tagaytay City on Thursday (March 5), National Treasurer Roberto Tan said the Asia-Pacific region is seen to be an engine of growth with the recovery of the global economy.

Citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Tan said the growth of the Asia-Pacific region is expected to accelerate to 4.3 percent in 2015 from 3.9 percent last year.

Tan said some challenges, however, remain for the region, foremost of which is the uneven growth across and within economies.

“This growth divergence among economies necessitates greater linkages in trade and investments, such that the growth momentum may carry over throughout the region,” he noted.

As the Philippines hosts the APEC Finance Ministers’

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Sec. Balicasan: Revisit QR policy to cut rice prices, benefit the poor

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HE country’s Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan has proposed that the quantitative restriction (QR) policy on rice be revisited to have more competitive prices of rice that will slow down food inflation in order to benefit the poor.

“The very high prices of food wiped out the gains in per capita income. This situation could have been avoided especially in the case of rice, which is a staple food for low-income and vulnerable families, usually accounting for 20 percent of their budget,” Balisacan stated as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released Friday its Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) for the first semester of 2014.

APIS data show that poverty incidence among Filipinos in the first half (1H) of 2014 increased by 1.2 percentage point to 25.8 percent of the population from 24.6

percent in the same period in 2013.

Balisacan, who is also the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), explained that the increment in poverty incidence in 1H 2014 was due to rapid rise in food prices, specifically rice prices, and the lingering effects of super typhoon “Yolanda” [Haiyan] which hit the central Philippines November 2013.

“Just at the time when the world price of rice was declining, the domestic price of rice was skyrocketing,” the Cabinet official said, noting that rice prices in 1H 2014 surged double-digit to 11.4 percent from 1.7 percent in 1H 2013 because of tight supply due to lean harvest coupled with less imports.

He emphasized that in order to slow down food inflation, particularly of rice, the government needs to revisit the QR policy on rice.

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8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

EDITORIAL A depressing state of gender equality

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OT a single country has achieved gender equality, according to the United Nations.

Despite the growing awareness of gender equality around the world and the thriving women empowerment movement, the world is still a vastly unequal place, and the UN says much work needs to be done.

In light of the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, that’s a depressing statistic.

Activists around the world will celebrate International Women’s Day, recognizing the successes of women around the world. However, our attention should be directed to this eye-opening fact.

Here’s some startling facts: According to the UN, a girl born today will have to wait 50 years before she’s projected to have an equal chance at running a government. She’ll have to wait 70 years before the pay gap evens out, and she’ll have to wait 81 years before she might have the same chance as a man of being the CEO of a company.

There is also the disturbing fact of the existing gender gap and violence against women that is considered by UN as a “global phe-

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nomenon” caused by male domination in the world. In a recent statement, the UN said women’s bodies “are viewed not as something to respect, but as something that men have the right to control and to abuse.”

That’s too sad.

Legendary American actress Bette Davis gave a very sad description of women: “When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man.

When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.”

With this reality in consideration, the UN is set to review a massive platform to achieve gender equality around the world that was developed in 1995. Things have gotten slightly better in the past two decades, but there are still far too few female lawmakers and heads of state. The UN hopes that by enlisting men to step up, everyone can get an advantage for the future – and make equality a truly global effort.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once said at an International Women’s Day event: “Let us work together to secure a sustainable future where women and girls, boys and men are equally empowered.”

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

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

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Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Marketing Specialist Cagayan de Oro City General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

Tel: (088) 852-4894

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MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

A

SK women what disease they’re most afraid of, and the vast majority will answer breast cancer. The truth is, however, they have far more to fear from heart disease. “Although most women fear cancer, particularly breast cancer, they do not make the same efforts to safeguard themselves from heart disease, which is eminently preventable,” the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Although many people think of heart disease as a man’s problem, women can and do get heart disease. Each year, over eight million women around the world die from heart disease or stroke, according to the World Heart Federation. This is almost 8 times higher than from those who die of breast cancer. In developing countries, half of all deaths of women over 50 are due to heart disease and stroke.

“There’s a big gap between what women fear and what really endangers them,” notes Dr. Ann Taubenheim, of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “Even if they know about some of the factors that increase the risk for heart disease, they still don’t connect the dots and understand that it’s their life that’s in jeopardy.”

The heart is a hollow muscle that pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The adjective cardiac means “related to the heart” and comes from the Greek word “kardia” for heart.

On the average, the human heart beats about 72 times per minute. It beats approximately 2.5 billion times during an average 66 year lifespan. The heart weighs approximately 250 to 300 grams in females and 300 to 350 grams in males.

The heart is a marvel of efficiency. “It is prone to flutter in response to a kiss, skip a few beats in the klieg lights, brace itself in the face of treachery, and a slow slumber – except, of course, during a nasty dream,” wrote Dr. Bernadine Healy in an article which appeared in “US News & World Report.” “This ever vigilant organ sustains all others by pumping up to six

T

HERE are no exact figures how many children were killed during the Japanese occupation. What is known, albeit privately, is that there were women who were raped and turned into “comfort women” (sex slaves) in Davao region during this period.

The crime of violating womanhood was not exclusive to the invaders, though; in fact, several cases of rape committed by Filipino soldiers and civilians against Japanese women could also be found in wartime annals.

A report cited in Digital Museum: The Comfort Women Issue and the Asian Women’s Fund noted that in Manila alone the Japanese maintained 12 “houses of relaxation” or comfort stations and five brothels for privates and non-commissioned officers. In northern North Luzon comfort stations existed at Bayombong, Nueva Ecija; central Visayas; and a “military club” in Masbate. Comfort stations were established in Iloilo, Panay, Cebu (which was operated by a Japanese proprietor), Tacloban (managed by a Filipino), and Burauen, Leyte. Sex dens were also found in Butuan, Cagayan, Dansalan (Marawi City), and in Davao, the report added, “where Koreans, Taiwanese and Filipinos were brought

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Women’s enemy no. 1 gallons of blood THINK ON THESE! per minute.”

That is why, as the line of a song goes, you need to “be careful with your heart.” If not, this is what will happen: “When heart muscle is robbed of its Henrylito D. Tacio blood supply, henrytacio@gmail.com the heart either pumps erratically or simply stops beating. Fatty plaques that build up in heart-vessel walls and then burst, blocking blood flow, are the primary cause of heart attacks.”

Heart diseases that affect women more than men include coronary microvascular disease (a problem that affects the heart’s tiny arteries) and broken heart syndrome (those extreme emotional stress leading to severe but often short-term heart muscle failure).

Recent studies conducted by the American Health Association (AHA) show that women who have heart attacks are more likely than men to die within a year, and they’re more likely to have a second heart attack.

The reasons: Signs of heart disease are often overlooked in routine screening tests and symptoms of heart attack differ between men and women. As such, women are less likely to get the aggressive treatment they need following a heart attack. An older woman suffering from abdominal pain might blame it on indigestion when it’s really the sign of an incoming heart attack.

“A woman is three times more likely to be told that symptoms are all in her head,” said Dr. Marianne Legato, director of the Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia University.

When men and women suffer a major heart attack, medical doctors say the symptoms are similar. “It’s the sensation of an elephant sitting

on the chest, crushing it, a cold sweat and pain running up the left side of the neck, and down the left arm,” said Dr. Martha Hill, former president of AHA. A recent study of more than 500 women who had heart attacks showed that 95% experienced some warning signs a month before their attack.

One of the most common warning signs, ignored by many, doctors say, is unusual fatigue.

About 43% of the women had no chest discomfort at all. Lack of chest pain, said Dr. Jean McSweeney, the lead author of the study, may be a major reason that women’s heart attacks are more often unrecognized than men’s and that female patients are mistakenly discharged from emergency rooms.

“Women are also apt to downplay their symptoms,” said Dr. Nisha Chandra-Strobos, the coronary care unit director of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. “Men are more likely to go to the emergency room with chest pain, and women likely to say, the repair man is coming or I’ve got to get the kids off to school, so I’ll take some drug and maybe it will go away.”

Like men, women’s risk of heart attack rises with age, very sharply after menopause. But only 38% of women over 65 recognize this risk, according to Prevention magazine’s “Survey on Women and Heart Disease.” Doctors, too, don’t always know how to treat heart disease in women.

Unknowingly, more women than men die of strokes (60% of women, 40% of men), even though more men have strokes. Doctors aren’t sure why, but they think it may have to do with women’s smaller blood vessels, which are more vulnerable to blockage.

According to recent studies, women wait longer than men to seek medical help. “Women should not wait to raise the subject of heart disease before they begin taking preventive measures,” said Dr. Healy, who is the dean of the College of Medicine at Ohio State University.

Cardiovascular diseases are the num-

ber one cause of death worldwide and this is projected to remain so, according to United Nations health agency. Since 1999, the international community observes World Heart Day on the last Sunday of September every year to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death.

Here are some steps recommended by AHA. These may help protect women from other illnesses, as well as heart disease: Stop smoking. Smoking is women’s biggest risk factor for heart attack, and the most preventable. Women who smoke and use some types of oral contraceptives have a much higher risk. Women who live with smokers should know that long-term exposure to second-hand smoke might also increase the risk of heart disease.

Reduce high blood pressure, which contributes to the risk of stroke and kidney disease, as well as heart disease. More than half of all women 65 and over have high blood pressure, and pregnant women and those taking oral contraceptives also are susceptible to high blood pressure.

Reduce high blood cholesterol. This is another major risk factor for heart disease, and although studies show that women’s cholesterol is higher than men’s from age 55 on, many doctors fail to check the cholesterol levels of their female patients.

Exercise regularly. Women who are inactive are twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who work out regularly. Thirty minutes of physical activity each day is ideal, such as walking, gardening or cycling. Between 60% and 85% of women are not physically active enough to gain health benefits.

Shed excess weight. Obesity raises heart disease and stroke risk by 30%, even if she has no other risk factors.

“Women of all ages should be concerned about heart disease,” the NHLBI reminds us.

“All women can take steps to prevent it by practicing healthy lifestyle habits.”

nuns at the Carmelite monastery in Davao City. Even daughters of some prominent families were not spared, but their excruciatingly ugly plight has been deemed a shame and has remained a family secret until now.

A.M. Dubinski, in The Far East in Second World War, wrote about young women being taken to a hotel where they were raped by Japanese men and officers before they were killed and the building set aflame. In the 2000 report titled ‘UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and the McDougall Report on Systematic Rape, Sexual Slavery, and Slavery-like Practices,’ the government of Japan was blamed for the plight of “comfort women” during World War II for the sole purpose of sexual servitude, adding the crimes, including gang rape, forced abortions, sexual violence, human trafficking, and other crimes against humanity, were officially commissioned and orchestrated.

Archival records reveal that the first “comfort station” was established in Java Island, Indonesia, and the invading Japanese army proportionally allocated women. The files, which were from the military police corps of Japan’s Kwantung Army and the

national bank of the puppet Manchurian regime stored in Jilin Provincial Archives in northeast China were revealing. For instance, from Feb. 1-10, 1938, six “comfort women” were assigned to 1,200 soldiers, in Xiaguan district of east China’s Nanjing.

Thereafter, eleven more women were added to the station. Over a five-month period since November 1944, the Japanese army paid 532,000 Japanese yen in setting up the stations, an appropriation that was approved by the Kwantung Army.

One poignant, unedited story of war was that of Felipa, a 81-year-old grandmother (2011) from Sulop, Davao del Sur. Speaking through her granddaughter, she told her family’s plight and reechoed the other abused women’s ordeals in the hands of invaders.

The Japanese also targeted young women who were unlikely infected with venereal diseases, some as young as eleven years old and were at times removed from elementary schools. To ensure the victims could not seek help, they were often brought to and isolated and far-flung places where they had no linguistic or cultural ties.

Rape of women

FAST BACKWARD

BY THE ARCHIVIST and forced into service.”

Raping did not have any convention. The crime was committed wherever the Japanese soldiers fit. There was no appointed site to consummate the lust. Accounts of women violated in garrisons, churches, training schools, residences and nunneries are given life in records. A report cited in War Victimisation and Japan (1993) tells of the rape of

10 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

When AIDS does matter

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

H

IS name is Daniel and he’s only 18 years old. A half-Chinese lad, he looks like the very popular actor of his namesake. At one time, he was with his friends attending a party. While his friends were dancing, an American came to him. They talked for a few moments, and then the American told him that he was staying in a hotel. “If you have time, you can come to my hotel room,” the foreigner said before leaving.

Daniel was surprised by what the American said. But he had already an idea since he heard some stories from friends who had the same experience before. He was not only curious but he also wanted to buy a new cellular phone.

He went to the hotel, knocked the door, and there he saw the American.

“Come in,” the foreigner said. The door locked and indeed it was what he thought.

At the middle of the tryst, the American wanted to perform anal sex but Daniel objected. And so, the American made him an offer: to perform an oral sex on him and he would pay the teenager P15,000.

Although he couldn’t imagine doing it at first, he did eventually. “I really needed the money,” he said, adding that he had gone out with 27 people already. “But I do it only when I badly need some cash,” he said.

Daniel, however, doesn’t know that most of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) cases in Davao City come from males having sex with males (MSMs).

That’s according to Alma Mondragon, the Mindanao executive director of Alliance Against Aids in Mindanao.

Of the 1,109 HIV/AIDS cases recorded by the National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health in Davao Region last year, about 921 of those were from Davao City. That means Davao City contributed about 82% of the cases, Mondragon said.

HIV is a stage where there are no physical symptoms visible. In AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), the disease is manifested with malignancies and infections. “Between HIV and AIDS, there is a window period of as much as five years,” said Dr. Jordana P. Ramiterre, chief of Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC).

In order for people, particularly those engaged in high risk behaviors, to know if they are positive for the virus, the city government is offering free HIV/ AIDS testing.

“You don’t have to worry since the City Health Office Reproductive Health and Wellness Center assures that the testing is confidential and free,” said Mondragon.

“HIV testing is different among all the health services because the patients don’t just come in prepared,” Dr. Ramiterre was quoted as saying by a local daily. “With HIV/AIDS, you have to really sell it that it is being done in all confidentiality and all the information being gathered are in actual privacy so it’s really one-on-one for every individual.”

One of those who personally volunteered to be tested recently is Perry Paul G. Lamanilao, a digital media strategist by profession. He previously worked as social media coordinators for different non-governmental organizations in Mindanao. As a media practitioner, he advocates for media literacy and journalism in

Mindanao, particularly in Davao City.

“Since most people don’t want to be tested,” Lamanilao said, “I wanted to find out what goes in there. It is only by experiencing it that I can write it much better.”

He did. And, in his own words, this was what had happened: Last February 25, I went to the Reproductive Health & Wellness Center (RHWC) located at Jacinto Street to find out what would be the process to get tested. The RHWC offers 100% free HIV- and syphilis-testing and counselling. I submitted myself for a voluntary HIV testing.

It was early afternoon when I arrived at the RHWC. There were others who were waiting for their names to be called for the test. One of the representative handed over to me a form to be filled-out. It asked for my personal details.

After completing the form, the representative asked me to go for pre-counselling unit. The Philippine Republic Act 8504, otherwise known as the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, came to my mind.

Article III Section 20 of the act said that all testing centers, clinics, or laboratories which perform any HIV test shall be required to provide and conduct free pretest counselling and post-test counselling for persons who avail of their HIV/AIDS testing services.

During the pre-counselling, I was asked to answer some questions like why I submit myself for the testing. He also asked for my sexual orientations and preferences, my activities for the past months and years, and things like how often I engage myself to sex, among others.

Later, he did a lecture on how one can get HIV and how HIV can possibly result to AIDS. The counsellor also discussed Republic Act 8504, about some laws and rights that protect the person’s confidentiality in all that had been discussed.

After the pre-test counselling, I went to the next room for blood extraction. The medical technologist verified my details, asked for a valid government-issued identification card

Symptoms of HIV/AIDS (from Wikipedia) required to get the result.

I waited for about 30 minutes. While waiting my mind was working; I told myself that there are only three persons who will know the result: myself, the medical technologist, and the counsellor.

Then, the suspense started.

When the counsellor called my name, I was already sort of frightened. What if?

Anyway, he told me to proceed right away to a

Diagram of HIV (from Wikipedia) t o make sure that my name and other details are true and correct in the form that I submitted.

Then he extracted 5 cubic meters (equivalent to 5 milliliters) of my blood.

After, he gave me a small piece of paper, actually a slip, which shows the laboratory code, my name, and the date. That slip is

Rock Hudson, the first famous male actor who died for AIDS (from Wikipedia)

room. I gave the slip and he handed over to me the result, securely stapled. He allowed me to open the folded letter-sized paper first; then, I voluntarily told him the result: non-reactive. It simply means that I am negative to HIV. After that, I went through a post-test counselling. The counsellor told me not to engage in any sexual activities that could possibly transmit the virus to me within three months. He also asked me to go back on May 25, 2015 to make sure everything is alright.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information says that HIV is generally transmitted in the following ways: · Sexual contact with an infected person, during which the mucous membrane lining of the mouth, vagina, penis, or rectum is exposed to contaminated body fluids. This usually happens when un-

protected sex is practiced. · Injection or infusion of contaminated blood, as occurs with blood transfusions, the sharing of needles, or an accidental prick from an HIV-contaminated needle. · Transfer of the virus from an infected mother to a child before birth, during birth, or after birth through the mother’s milk.

“Susceptibility to HIV infection increases when the skin or a mucous membrane is torn or damaged -- even minimally -- as can happen during vigorous vaginal or anal intercourse,” the Merck manual states.

Health experts say a diagnosis of AIDS should not be taken as an immediate death sentence. “With proper care, the AIDS sufferer can stave off the worst symptoms and live a productive life for many years,” The Medical Advisor points out.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

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GenSan... FFROM 4 currently making rounds of the areas affected by the dry spell to assess and validate its impact to crops and local farmers.

She said they results of the assessment will serve as basis for the interventions that they will later recommend to City Mayor Ronnel Rivera to mitigate the situation.

“We will elevate this to the mayor and other concerned agencies for proper planning and setting of counter-measures as well as the provision of necessary assistance to the

affected farmers,” she said.

The official said among the counter-measures that the city could undertake is cloud-seeding to induce rains in the area.

Cloud-seeding is the process of manually spreading either dry ice or salt into the upper part of the clouds to help stimulate the precipitation process and form rain.

Donasco said the city government has a standing allotment of P1 million for the conduct of cloud-seeding operations if needed later on.

(MindaNews)

sa in Tagum City, Davao del Norte will push through this summer as scheduled.

Alabado, however, said the DOT still expects the conflict to affect the region because of the negative perception of people on Mindanao.

He said he hopes the media will help DOT by telling people from other places that Davao region is safe.

“Kasi, mukhang ang

lumalabas lagi sa diyaryo (It seems that most of the news published in newspapers is that) there is a war in Mindanao (even though) Mindanao is a very large area,” he said.

Alabado gave assurance to tourists that they are safe in the region.

“Our attractions here in the region are very good and we hope that the every place will be visited,” he said.

before the program can be implemented.

He said it will be implemented solely by the government, although many players from the private sector have expressed their interest in being partners.

“The utilization of TVWS will provide internet access to thousands of fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities in the country which have not been reached by commercial wireless and broadband services,” Montejo said.

Mortejo said the technology will help reach far-flung barangays that cover huge areas but have low density of users.

The project will be installed in public areas like public terminals, parks, and plazas where the public usually converge.

Montejo said the TVWS Initiative was already pilot tested in Bohol and Bulacan.

Cavite will be the next area for testing.

“We received positive response from the people where the project was piloted,” he said.

Earlier, Leo Ugto, chief of technical coordination and support division for ICTO Field Operation Office for Mindanao, told Edge Davao that 10 municipalities in the region will have free internet access through the TVWS project.

“For the region, municipalities were identified by the Regional Development Council (RDC) 11 headed by Davao del Norte Rodolfo del Rosario as municipalities with high poverty incidence,” Ugto said.

The proposed priority fourth to sixth class municipalities in Region 11 are Jose Abad Santos, Saranggani, Don Marcelino, Kiblawan, and Malita in Davao del Sur; Talaingod in Davao del Norte; and Taragona, Manay, Caraga, and Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental.

Oriental and Surigao del Sur, respectively, said the unprecedented settlement would put to rest the dispute of almost 20 years while signaling the start of the charting out of plans for development that would benefit both provinces.

Malanyaon said this would be a great opportunity for both provinces to work together in accomplishing their mutual socio-economic interests since two provinces are strategically located in one economic growth corridor known as the Surigao-Davao Oriental Pacific Rim (SUDOPARIM).

“We are not here to com-

pete for our resources but rather to complement each other,” she said.

Malanyaon said the signing of agreement marks a historic milestone for the two provinces, which finally ends the long-running problem and heralds strengthened partnership.

Governor Pimentel of Surigao del Sur said he was thankful that the first steps to resolve the dispute was finally taken. “This will be our legacy to our people, especially to the next generation,” he said.

Karen Lou Deloso, Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan

Tourism... FFROM 4

Gov’t... FFROM 6

DavOr... FFROM 6

WELCOME. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) head Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. is welcomed by Rotarians during the 2015 District Convention of more than 90 Rotary clubs under RI

District 3860 at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center on Saturday.

Coloma was the speaker during the second day of the convention. Lean Daval Jr.

MILF... FFROM 6

Phl... FFROM 7

brainchild of both the government and the MILF and was one of the concrete expressions of sincerity of both parties to pursue peace and development in Mindanao.

For his part, de Villa told the MILF fighters that they were making history by registering for the elections in 2016.

“Registration is the most important part of the electoral process. It is the entry point to the right of suffrage and the responsibility to participate in creating a government,” she said.

Pass the BBL first The members of the Central Committee of the MILF, however, refused to register themselves.

MILF vice chair for political affairs Gadzali Jaafar arrived at the registration site but told reporters that the members of the Central Committee had decided not to register while the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is not yet decided by Congress.

He said the Central Com-

mittee members will only register if “the BBL is enacted into law, and that law is not inutile, not diluted.”

He said the negative statements of some senators and congressmen continue to hurt the Moro people of Mindanao.

“Ang buhay ng BBL ngayon ay 50-50, so the Central Committee has decided to wait further until the enactment into law of the BBL,” he added.

But he also clarified that only the members of the Central Committee will not register during the special registration and that they are not barring their field commanders and fighters from registering.

The special registration was also witnessed by the members of the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities from both the government and the MILF, members of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

ments to services provided to member-employees until they have fully recovered from their work-related injuries,” said de Quiros.

To make its services more accessible to its members, 25 new branches and 13 service offices usually located in malls, were added to the SSS service delivery network as of yearend 2014.

As of December 2014, SSS has 262 offices across the Philippines located in NCR (60); Luzon (118); Visayas (41), and Mindanao (43).

This year, SSS will open five new branches and five service offices while also enhancing electronic and self-service transactions for

greater convenience of its 32.1 million members.

Alongside improving the delivery of services, SSS continues to intensify coverage and collection in both informal and special sectors while strengthening campaign against erring employers to ensure that member contributions are remitted.

“We are continuously doing major improvements and enhancements with our services and processes to provide more meaningful benefits to our members. We want our members to value SSS which they could always count on to cope with contingencies,” said de Quiros.

SSS... FFROM 7

Process (FMP) this year, Tan said the country has crafted the Cebu Action Plan (CAP), which takes into account the progress that the APEC has achieved throughout the years.

He said that with the CAP being a key agenda in the APEC FMP starting this year, the 21 Pacific Rim countries could forge an APEC community that has harmonized policies, rules and practices.

These enable and facilitate free trade and flow of cross-border investments; access to financial services by

low-income households, micro, small and medium enterprises and the unbanked; and good governance that results in sustainable and inclusive economic growth, he added. ”We highly encourage you to work with us on our CAP initiatives so that we could bring about their intended benefits,” Tan said.

Aimed at building inclusive economies, the CAP will be launched during the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting to be held on September 10 to 11 in Mactan, Cebu. (PNA)

The Philippines was granted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) last year to extend the QR on rice which limits the country’s rice imports in order to protect the local sector.

“While we definitely need to support the agriculture sector in general, we should also maximize the gains from trade and globalization. The private sector should be allowed to take the driver’s seat while government simply facilitates the access to both the import and export markets,” Balisacan noted.

Meanwhile, per capita income of Filipinos in 1H 2014 jumped by 6.4 percent from its previous year.

It was also observed that among those in the fifth income decile has the fastest growth rate in per capita income at 8.5 percent while slowest growth was noted in the top income decile at 4.0 percent.

“Per capita income data in 2014 show that economic growth has benefitted the lower income groups, including the poor. This means that the twin strategies of encouraging investments and production alongside the implementation of a large-scale in-

come redistribution program have worked,” the Socioeconomic Planning chief said.

But this gain of the lower income groups was negated by rapid rise in food prices as food per capita threshold or the minimum income required to meet basic food needs and satisfy the nutritional requirements set by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) has increased by 9.5 percent while per capita poverty threshold or the minimum income required to meet basic food and non-food needs including clothing, housing, transportation, health, and education expenses also went up by 9.4 percent.

This means that during the first semester of 2014, a family of five needed at least Php6,125 on the average every month to meet the family’s basic food needs from per capita food threshold of Php5,593 a month in the same period in 2013.

Likewise, a five-member family needed at least Php8,778 on the average every month to meet both basic food and non-food needs from per capita poverty threshold of Php8,025 in 2013. (PNA)

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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

INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 250 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 6 - 7, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

A romantic night at

THE ROYAL MANDAYA HOTEL

By Neilwin Joseph Bravo

DAVAO City residents and guests didn’t risk missing Cupid’s arrow and The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao’s most prominent address, made sure it creates the most romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day 2015.

For its Valentine’s Day dinner, The Royal Mandaya Hotel whipped up the most romantic night planned for romantic couples complete with romantic tunes from a flutist, melodies from a quintet and contemporary dance numbers.

It turned out to be more than that. More than just a romantic affair, the day of hearts became a family date too at TRMH. Couples and families alike indulged in a delicious specially-prepared menu by the hotel’s resident chef.

Partners soak up the romantic atmosphere that has become the hallmark of every TRMH celebration.

Flutist Ever Caballero kicked off the passionate

party with harmonic tunes that set the lovely mood. Echoistic, a youth-laden band, dished out a bevy of love songs with guitarist Andre Lou Igot, vocalists Mikhaella Uy, Pauline Servillion, Ernest Gerodies and beatboxer John Richard Galura.

Robert Sumalinog and Mae Ann Gadia Villarino then took over the dance floor and swayed and spun through a Shakira number and another from the Ed Sheeran hit “Thinking out loud.”

Needless to say, those who celebrated the day of hearts at TRMH went home filled to the tummy and fond memories.

The Royal Mandaya

Hotel is located at Palma Gil Street, Davao City. For bookings and reservations,

contact (082) 225-8888 or visit www.theroyalmandayahotel.com. (NJB)

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 250 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 6 - 7, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Gregorian Choir of Paris enchant Dabawenyos at

ABREEZA MALL SACRED sounds soared through the Abreeza Mall Activity Center as the worldrenowned Gregorian Choir of Paris performed in a free concert on February 27.

As part of their firstever Philippine tour made possible by the Ayala Malls, the 26-member choir flew to Davao City to bring a spiritual and sacred message: the world needs a form of silence that resembles a Gregorian chant. Led by conductor Charles Barbier, the Gregorian masters of chant entertained their

audience at Abreeza Mall with an hour’s worth of heavenly hymns sung entirely in Latin.

Earlier, the prestigious ensemble had made its way to other Ayala Malls— Greenbelt in Makati, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Center Cebu, and Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro—to spread its spiritual message of hope and

solidarity especially after moments of natural and man-made upheavals in the country.

The tour, which is endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, also saw the choir performing the Sacred Liturgy in Latin in masses in different churches around the country. In Davao, they sung as a special choir at the Sacred Heart Parish in Obrero on February 26.

The choir also participated in the historic celebra-

tion of the 450th year of the presence of the Augustinians in the Philippines, with an opening concert at San Agustin Church in Intramuros on February 19. It featured a repertoire with acclaimed French organist Pascal Marsault on the oldest existing organ in the country.

The members of the Gregorian Choir of Paris have dedicated themselves to cultivating the Gregorian chant, both in its natural liturgical setting and in concerts

worldwide. The singers come from France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Slovak Republic, Colombia, Madagascar, and Republic of Korea.

The Gregorian Choir of Paris Philippine Tour was made possible with the support of Alliance Française de Manille and the French Embassy, and through the participation of official international airline partner Etihad Airways, official local airline partner Cebu Pacific, official hotel partners In-

terContinental Manila and Seda Hotels, official media partner The Philippine Star, and the Department of Tourism - Region XI. For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall news and events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook.com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @ iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

Art, good food and live entertainment at SM Lanang Premier on Araw ng Davao CELEBRATING the oneness of Dabawenyos, Araw ng Davao is definitely one of the vibrant feasts to look forward to in this part of the country. Held each year to commemorate the founding anniversary of the largest city in Mindanao, the festivities come with a colorful parade, and numerous events in the fields of arts, culture, music, and sports.

In observance of Araw ng Davao, the metro’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination – SM Lanang Premier – is bringing together great pieces of art, good food and live musical performances in a series of events themed ‘Davao in Full Flourish’ from March 9 to 15.

On Monday, 5pm, the Davao Art Market showcasing the works of seven local artists/art groups will officially open at the Atrium.

With the aim of promoting Davaoeño art, the event

will provide a platform for homegrown artists to make their creations accessible to the local market. Exhibitors include Mishael Pueblas, Artlink, Tanya Gaisano-Lee, Daryl Descallar, Gil Bumanlag, School of Fine Arts and Design of Philippine Women’s College of Davao, and Tabula Rasa. The event will run until March 15.

For a taste of culinary and gourmet delights from no less than the city’s best chefs, SM Lanang Premier will mount once again the Davao Gourmet Collective: Pop-Up Market from March 13-15 at The Fountain Court.

Guests will enjoy the delectable specialties of Cellar de Boca, Bistro Selera, Kushiya, Green Agenda, Bon Appetit, Classio Pizza, Bangkok Wok, Don Durian, , and Café El Gato.

Araw ng Davao weekend will go full blast as Urban Sound Music featuring the country’s well-known musi-

cians and Davao-based artists takes place from March 13-15, 5pm onwards at The Fountain Court. On Friday, Markki Stroem will croon to pop jazz tunes at 6 pm while Juliet Bahala performs at 5pm. Alternative rock gets a boost on Saturday, March 14, when band Hale takes the stage at 6 pm while Jad Montenegro performs at 5 pm. On Sunday, Voice of the Phiippines Season 2 contender Kai Honasan graces the event with songs of folk fusion at 6 pm while Thea Pitogo plays at 5 pm.

Shoppers also get a rare treat from SM Lanang Premier with up to 70% off on great selections from March 9-16. For extra shopping convenience, shopping hours are extended till 12 mn on March 13 and until 10pm on March 14 and 15.

For event updates, check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more details.

DODONG RAMOS SALON OPENS ITS NEW BRANCH. The Newly Branch of Dodong Ramos Salon opened last February 28, 2015. In the photo is salon owner Dodong Ramos (center), Ma. Gina Vel A. Lim from J and G Propiedad Company Inc., businesswoman Judy Nain, Pastora Julnes U. Jumalen of CCFIChristian Church, and retired assistant supervisor of DepEd General Santos City Division School. The new Dodong Ramos Salon branch is located along Quirino Avenue, General Santos City.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 250 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 6 - 7, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Bridges of Love fights for family, identity, and love on ABS-CBN’s primetime TV ABS-CBN presents its newest powerhouse drama offering this 2015 via upcoming primetime TV series “Bridges of Love,” an intense love story involving brothers, who will be separated by hatred and guilt, and their common love for a woman who will bridge them together.

Dubbed as a “story like no other,” “Bridges of Love” shares the tale of two brothers, Gael (to be played by Jericho Rosales) and Carlos (to be played by Paulo Avelino), who were bound by their promise to each other but separated by an un-

fortunate tragedy.

Separated by guilt and hatred, Gael and Carlos will be bridged together

by love embodied by only one woman — Mia (to be played by Maja Salvador), a vivacious

club dancer who happens to be Gael’s greatest love and the woman who completed Carlos’

broken heart.

Will their love for Mia be the ultimate test to Gael and Carlos’ brotherhood torn asunder in the past? In the end, will love bring them together, or will it create an irreconcilable gap that will tear them apart permanently?

Aside from Gael, Carlos, and Mia, viewers will also unravel the mysterious lives of the powerful businessman, Lorenzo Antonio (to be played

by Edu Manzano) who is the adoptive parent of Carlos, and Alexa Meyers (to be played by Carmina Villarroel), a woman of power, drive, and unpar-

alleled glamor whose scorned heart who longs to be loved again.

“Bridges of Love” is directed by Dado Lumibao, Will Fredo, and Richard Somes. It is under the Star Creatives production, the creator of recent TV hits including “Princess and I,” “Got to Believe,” “The Legal Wife,” and “Forevermore.”

The upcoming series will also feature Antoinette Taus, Max Eigenmann, Maureen Mauricio, Lito Pimentel, John Manalo, Janus del Prado, William Lorenzo, Joross Gamboa, and Malou de Guzman.

Biyahe ni Drew rolls out an action-packed March!

THIS March, Biyahe ni Drew dares all biyaheros to leave their comfort zone, review their travel bucket lists and try something different!

Professional traveller and most recent DOT’s Tourism Star awardee Drew Arellano goes to four scenic and memorable locations to celebrate Biyahe ni Drew’s 2nd anniversary.

To kick off this monthlong anniversary celebration, Drew goes surfs up on the famous Cloud 9 of Siargao this Friday, March 6.

Here, he discovers that the popular surfing destination has a lot more to offer than barrelling waves. It also features unique rock formations where daredevils can cliff dive. In Magpupungko Beach, there are natural pools where one can leisurely swim. For those looking for an extra rush of

adrenaline, there are dune buggy and crocodile hunting tours.

On March 13, Drew tries cowboy livin’ among the cattle herders of Bukidnon as he heads to Northern Mindanao for a taste of something different. Here, he finds out that there’s a lot more to raising cattle than meets the eye. Aside from visiting famous landmarks in Bukidnon, the

self-confessed caffeine lover also discovers the secrets to creating the full-bodied flavor of the famous Monk’s Blend coffee.

As dream destinations go, the private islands in Palawan probably top many travelers’ bucket lists.

On March 20, Drew gets to experience the “good life” as he lives it up in Palawan’s secluded, exclusive hideaways for Biyahe ni Drew’s

special feature. This is the kind of trip that one would do in a heartbeat if money was no object. Travelling via private sea plane, island hopping via private yacht, having a staff of 30 at your beck and call and “owning” an island for a few days... certainly a trip of a lifetime.

Finally, on March 28, Drew escapes the Philippines’ summer heat by cooling off in Hokkaido, Japan for a “winter wonderland” special. For the first time in Biyahe ni Drew, Drew goes to Niseko, the most famous ski resort in Japan, known for its light powder snow where he tests his skiing/snowboarding skills.

Jump on and be part of Biyahe ni Drew’s 2nd anniversary specials airing all Fridays of March, 8pm on GMA News TV!

Special screening of award-winning docu ‘Nick and Chai’ on March 6 at SM City Davao cinema THE Tuburan Institute, Inc., will be holding a documentary screening of the movie ‘Nick and Chai’ this March 6 at Cinema 6 of SM City Davao.

A story about two parents who lost all their children at the height of Typhoon Yolanda. ‘Nick and Chai’ is a movie that recalls their painful experience in a featurelength documentary for all the world to see.

Directed by Cha Escala and poduced by Hiraya Pictures, the documentary was successfully premiered at the Busan International Film Festival where ‘Nick and Chai’ was selected as one of the 10 entries in the QCinema International Film Festival’s Circle

Competition which covers both fiction and documentary feature films. The film is also competed at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in the Netherlands where it was warmly received.

Tickets for ‘Nick and Chai’ are available at Coffee For Peace (Matina), Balik Bukid Farm and Kitchen (Quimpo Boulevard), Doc Bayani’s Veterinary Clinic (Maa) and Forest Outdoor Shop (Mintal). Tickets cost Php 120 for students and Php 200 for regular patrons.

Screening time will be at 5:30 pm, 6:35 pm, 7:40 pm and 8:45 pm at SM City Davao cinema 6.

For inquiries and tickets, please contact Weng at 0932-869-2851.

March 6-10, 2015

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE / * BIRDMAN R16 / *R13

Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson / * Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts 12:20 | 2:55 LFS / * 5:30 | 7:45 | 10:00 LFS

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL YOU / * KIDNAPPING MR. HENEIKEN Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla / * Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Anthony Hopkins

PG / * R13

11:50 | 2:00 | 4:10 LFS / * 6:20 | 8:10 | 10:00 LFS

UNFINISHED BUSINESS Vince Vaughn, Dave Franco R16

R-16

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

CHAPPIE Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman R13

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

A4 INdulge!

LIFESTYLE

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 250 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 6 - 7, 2015

Now you can book online at

GREEN WINDOWS THERE’S more to convenience at Green Windows Dormitel, Davao’s no. 1 boutique hotel in terms of budget saving and convenience.

Already known for its unrivaled convenience in location, accommodation and room rates, Green Windows is now accessible online through www.greenw i ndowshotel.com.

If that’s not added convenience, what else could be?

Green Windows Dormitel, with a strategic location at the FTC Tower along Mt. Apo Street, is

very accessible to shopping malls, hospitals, churches and government offices. It now boasts of three levels at the FTC Tower comprised of 88 wellappointed rooms. You can choose from either Boutique or Standard Rooms or the very affordable Dormitory Room at only P188 per person for a maximum of 14 sharers.

Green Windows, which accepts Visa

and Master Card payments, also offers affordable homecooking style restaurant at the hotel main lobby with a spacious basement and outdoor parking slots guarded by 24-

hour security.

Aside from the unique Book Online system, guests may also book at Green Windows through telephone nos. 082300-3893 or 082300-3896.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

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

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND Or Pag-ibig Fund,

-versus-

Mortgagee

EJF-REM CASE NO. 15,104-15

ALLAIN LICINIUS O. ALONSO, Mortgagor/s.

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the above-mentioned morgagee against Allain Licinius O. Alonso with postal address at LOT 4 , Block 4, Samantha Homes, Matina, Aplaya Davao City to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness in the total amount of ( Php 247,126.49 ) Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest, penalty charges as of October 17, 2014, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to TEN (10%) of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on April 17, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the real property with all its found thereon particularly described below to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T- 146-2011013173 “A parcel of land xxx (Lot 4, Blk. 4, xxx) situated in Barangay Matina, City of Davao Island of Mindanao.xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWELVE (112) SQUARE METERS, more or less”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date,it shall be held on May 15, 2015 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the condition of the unit property/ies and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, February 24, 2015

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) NICOLAS L. SUMAPIG Sheriff IV

(3/9,16,23)

Noted by: (SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff (3/2,9,16)

CLASSIFIED 13

There’s a better way to get attention.

Advertise

with

EDGEDAVAO CLASSIFIEDS

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 251 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - 9, 2015

15

PBA tickets 90 percent sold PBA tickets 90 percent sold, say organizers

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

I

PBA ON TOUR. ArkiQuest President Hector Magno (extreme left) promotes the upcoming PBA On Tour in Davao City on March 14 at the Usep Gym during the FAST Fridays media forum at the Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier. With him are fellow architects Chichin Villalon and Josephine Lu. LEAN DAVAL JR.

Win big at the 7th Phoenix Open golf tourney

O

NE million pesos in cash, one hundred thousand pesos worth of Phoenix Petroleum fuel cards, and a SKYGO motorcycle await the hole-in-one winner of the 7th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament to be held on March 14, 2015 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club, Davao City.

Team, partner, and individual division winners will each receive a Royal Selangor Pewter Plate and Phoenix Petroleum fuel cards. Champions will also bring home limited edition Phoenix signature golf bags.

Players also have a chance of bringing home prizes in the raffle draw during the awarding ceremony at the clubhouse of

T

HE PBA will be back in town on March 14.

What can we expect: Jampacked crowd, sweaty arena, scalpers at the gates, and traffic along Obrero Street.

Give in to a lot of nightmares with the stature of the teams playing this time around. You have Talk N’ Text which leads the Commissioner’s Cup with a 6-2 win-loss record and Purefoods Star Hotshots which is right behind the leaders with a 5-3 mark.

The players of both teams too are certified crowd drawers. Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier, Kelly

Rancho Palos Verdes.

Registration for the Phoenix Open is still ongoing until March 11, Wednesday, up to 5:00 pm at Rancho Palos Verdes, Apo Golf and Country Club, and Davao City Golf Club.

Entry fee is P5,000 per player which qualifies him/her to participate in the team, partner, and individual categories.

A Rudy Project dri-fit golf shirt, a special edition Phoenix power bank, and a golf cap will be given to each registered player.

Players are also entitled to one practice round on any day between March 9 to 13, 2015 at Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club upon presentation of the tournament receipt at the club’s

front office.

Online registration for the tournament is also available on the Phoenix website at www.phoenixfuels.ph.

For more information, please call tournament organizer Ms. Liloh Evangelista at 0917-362-0880, or e-mailphoenix.opengolf@ phoenixfuels.ph.

The 7th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament is a fund raising event of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines for the benefit of Phoenix Philippines Foundation and its projects on Education, Environment, Health and Safety, and Outreach.

It is presented

by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines and Pioneer Insurance, and co-presented by Trans-Overseas In-

dustrial Corporation.

Major sponsors are Marra Builders, Mechatrends Contractors Corporation, Brenton Engineered Products Corporation, and Juben Construction.

Gold sponsors are Davao Custom Grafix Advertising, Cebu DLS, Globe Telecom, Realsoft, Inc., RBP Petro Star, and Kairos Oil Trading Pte Ltd. Bronze sponsors are Servityre Sales & Service Center, F2 Logistics, Mithras, Banco De Oro Unibank, CTBC Bank (Philippines) Corp., Simpson’s Phils., Inc., Western Guaranty Corporation, Development Bank of the Philippines, Landbank of the Philippines, and United Coconut Planters Bank.

LET’S GET IT ON

media forum.

“Ubos na ang tickets,” he said smilingly.

It’s a stark contrast from the last PBA promotion the group brought to Davao City with Meralco and Rain Or Shine. Magno admitted the game did not sell well at the ticket office. Add to that the heavy downpour during gametime which prevented many basketball fans from coming and buying their tickets at the gate.

In that PBA game, Magno said they have sold just 25 percent going into the last week of ticket sales. This time, they have 90 percent tickets sold and can perhaps

T’S a sellout.

Tickets for the next week’s Philippine of Basketball Association (PBA) on tour game in Davao City are already 90 percent sold.

The game between Purefoods Hotshots against Talk and Tropang Texters will invade the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) gym on March 14, organized by ArkiQuest, an umbrella organization of architects in Davao City.

In last Friday’s Fast Fridays at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premiere, Architect Hector Magno of ArkiQuest, told reporters there is one week to go before the game but the tickets are selling like hotcakes because of the huge supporters for the two squads.

TNT is leading the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a 6-2 winloss card while Purefoods is close by with a 5-3 slate. The Davao game will be crucial for the two teams with the outcome weighing

The biggest show is back

Williams and Harvey Carey with exciting rookies Matt Rosser-Ganuelas and Kevin Alas for the TNT side. Hometown hero PJ Simon, poster boy James Yap, Marc Pingris, Joe Devance, Justin Melton and Ian Sangalang for Purefoods.

Throw in too the built-in rivalry between these two squads. One is owned by San Miguel Corporation (Purefoods) and another is owned by the MVP group of Manny Pangilinan (TNT).

Davao City could not ask for more. It’s a dream match to be exact.

That is why I understand if the organizers say 90 per-

Neil Bravo cent of the tickets have been sold out. Whew. That’s more than a week before gametime. Architect Hector Magno, president of the organizing ArkiQuest, was even hesitant to promote the event at the weekly Fast Fridays

sit down and smile.

We expect a huge interest in this game and with the PBA’s popularity, this one should be a knockout of a promotion.

However, the venue we can offer the PBA at the moment is but a 7,000-capacity arena at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP). This venue pales in comparison to the bigger venues in neighboring Digos City and Panabo City. This led me to ask if Davao City can host a bigger PBA event like the PBA All Stars.

Magno and his peers admit it is not possible. The PBA is amenable only to a

heavily on the standings for the playoffs.

Magno said that they hope that the fans can still purchase tickets because it will be a good game as the San Miguel team and MVP team rivalry will take centerstage in the city.

Around 6,600 fans are expected to watch the game from both general admission and courtside.

Architect Josephine Lu said that they expect more spectators since the group brings the strong teams.

“For this one we are very confident that there will be more crowd,” Lu said.

Lu said aside from the PBA game, there will be an inter-school slam dunk, three-point shootout and skills competition.

She said the objective of the competition is to show and recognize the talents of the local basketball players.

Magno on the other hand, said that there will be a undercard game between City Mayor’s Office against Acer-Columbia.

bigger venue that can possibly carry at least 10,000 given the enormous amount needed to bring the All Stars to the road.

But hope spring eternal.

There’s the Kingdome of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy now under construction. Once completed, the PBA All Stars is peanuts. Bring in the NBA. Or a Manny Pacquiao fight.

For now, let’s savor the PBA in its grandest rivalry— SMC versus MVP. NOTES: Listen to “Let’s Get It On with Neil Bravo” at 105.9 Balita FM every Saturdays 8 am to 10 am.

You may email this writer at bravoneil@rocketmail.com.

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