Edge Davao 7 Issue 261

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

MINDANAO

KEEPING HOPE ALIVE

2 COVER STORY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

MINDANAO

KEEPING HOPE ALIVE

By Amir Mawallil Photos by Kilab Multimedia

I

T’S wartime once again in Mindanao.

But I hope I am wrong.

As I write this, over 90,000 people, mostly children, are languishing in different evacuation centers in Maguindanao. The exodus was expected following the offensive launched by the military against the armed group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters

(BIFF).

It was the result of the provocative posturing of the BIFF that got a grating, almost burning welcome from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that responded with the use of high-end firearms and tanks designed to blow up bodies , destroy communities, and crush dreams.

For the evacuees, to leave was the best thing to do as bombs and bullets honor no one, not even children – like the 8-year-old girl in the town of Mamasapano who died in the firefight between MILF combatants and elements of Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on January 25.

Hazuiar, for instance, would rather have her children learn their lessons than run for their lives. In better days, her daughter Norhayna would be in school, her son Rashid would be at the learning center in their village, and she would be tending to her youngest child at home. But she does not have any choice.

And Norhayna, too. Since the heavy shelling started, she hasn’t gone to school. The school year is about to end but classes have been suspended indefinitely because of the firefights.

“I no longer know what will happen to my studies.

Maybe we’d resume classes after the firefight, but right now I have no idea what will happen,” she said.

When AFP Chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang ordered an all-out offensive against the BIFF, I began imagining the worst – something like what happened in 2008 when thousands upon thousands of civilians left in fear after the MILF declared war because of the failure to pass the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

Right now, 11 towns in Maguindanao are affected by the fighting between government troopers and BIFF. The target are the members of the BIFF, a group that has slowly come out to prominence courtesy of its media savvy spokesperson Abu Misry Mama. But

it is the civilians who are in the evacuation centers now, painfully bearing the brunt.

No one can say when the fighting will be over. No one can exactly say until when the civilians will be staying in the evacuation centers. One thing is for sure, though: the number of the displaced persons is increasing every day. And the suffering will continue. Just like in the previous wars, the civilians are always the biggest casualties.

As this develops, a little good news can perhaps brighten up the day.

The Aquino administration is pushing for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in June – not the March target, with Senate President Franklin Drilon saying the initial target is no longer doable. There is still hope for the BBL as the Aquino government appears to be holding on strongly to its promise of autonomy for the Bangsamoro.

A few nights ago, I caught Moro lawmaker Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman on TV. Her insights on the struggle of the Moro people and the conflict in Mindanao were impassioned.

It was hard not to be shaken by it and be taken away.

She answered the most difficult questions about the Moro people and their aspirations. Her comment on the internally displaced persons gouged the eyes of the bull.

“The series of armed conflicts, which resulted in over a million displaced individuals, until now are not living normal lives. This is what many of us fail to see,” she said.

Hataman was a picture of an intelligent, brave Moro woman, a Filipino, asking her fellow Filipinos to listen to the narratives of a nation long pushed to the margins by years and years of armed conflict.

She said it clearly: The aspirations of the MILF are also the aspirations of the Moro people of Mindanao – the right to self-determination.

Under the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural

Rights, all groups of people have the right to self-determination.

“The right to self-determination for us is to be able to live as a nation,” she said. “This is the right to freely decide. What it means is that we are able to determine our political status, that we are able to pursue our economic, social and cultural development as a nation.”

This is the essence of the BBL. After the Mamasapano in-

cident, lawmakers suspended the deliberations on the passage of the BBL, which, when ratified, will bring about the establishment of a Bangsamoro territory in Mindanao.

The decision was as shocking as the January 25 incident in Mamasapano that led to the death of more than 60.

It’s unfortunate that some of our lawmakers even contemplated abandoning the peace process as they call for justice for the fallen members

of the police in the Mamasapano firefight.

As a Moro youth, as someone who has seen the inhumanity of war, I appeal to our lawmakers to not ditch a process that for the Moro people is as important as their life. As Rep. Hataman said, we cannot afford to be hopeless.

“We believe that we can do it,” she said. “One of the best ways to show it is to establish the Bangsamoro for us to show them the alternative that

we cannot always just go and take the path of war. There is a good solution, and a better alternative.”

It has been raining since this afternoon, the cold wind seeping through the cracks of my window. I grabbed my jacket to keep myself warm.

I could imagine just how cold the night could be for the evacuees.

Amir Mawallil is the executive director of ARMM Bureau of Public Information

3 THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

More troops sent to Maguindanao

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EMBERS of the 34th Infantry Battalion were deployed to Maguindanao and the nearby provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Lanao Del Sur. The unit was formally welcomed Saturday at 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Camp Siongco, Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Officers and enlisted troopers of the unit were formally welcomed by 6th Infantry Division assistant division commander Brig. Gen. Manolito Orense.

The 34th Infantry Battalion is a field unit of the Catbalogan-based 8th Infantry Division.

It is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edgar K. Delos

Reyes.

The 34th Infantry Battalion will augment 6th Infantry Division efforts in maintaining peace and security in Maguindanao, parts of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Lanao Del Sur. The deployment marks the start of the holding phase wherein government forces will establish encampments in former lairs of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in order to prevent armed lawless group from going back to said areas.

It will further pave the way for the implementation of various developmental projects in the different communities in the 6th Infantry Division’s area of operations.

(PNA)

HE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has allocated an additional P30 million in scholarship grants for this year for “poor but deserving students” from various parts of Mindanao.

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Mindanao Technical Vocational Education and Training Association (MINTVET) here on Thursday to facilitate the opening of around 3,000 technical-vocational (tech-voc) training scholarships starting this summer.

MINTVET president Rey Albano, who is president of the Holy Trinity College here, signed the MOA on behalf of the group as the program’s main implementer.

“This is part of our con-

tinuing commitment to assist our performing tech-voc institutions here in Mindanao,” Villanueva said after the simple signing ceremony.

He said the partnership with MINTVET and the direct allocation of funds for the scholarship program is so far the first for the agency.

He said the P30 million earmarked for the initiative is on top of the regular allocation of its six regional offices in Mindanao.

Richard Amparo, TESDA Sarangani-General Santos acting provincial director, said the program will be managed and implemented by MINTVET through its member-institutions.

He said the scholarship slots, which will be given under its Training for Work Scholarship Program, would be divided equally among

TESDA allots P30M for more scholarships T

FTESDA, 11

SHIELD. A man shields himself with an umbrella against the scorching heat of the afternoon sun while asking for alms from passersby along San Pedro Street in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Daneco cuts electricity to Asuncion’s town hall

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HE Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc.-National Electric Administration (DANECO-NEA) disconnected the power supply of the municipal hall of Asuncion town in Davao del Norte last Wednesday due to the latter’s more than P6 million electric bill delinquency.

DANECO-NEA project supervisor engineer Godofredo Guya said the electric cooperative was just following a court order from the Regional Trial Court Tagum City Branch.

“It is well within the Magna Carta of power

consumers that a disconnection would be made nine days after the disconnection notice was served,” said Guya, who is also the general manager of Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative (DASURECO).

Guya was appointed in 2012 by NEA as the project supervisor to DANECO, Inc. during the thick of a three-year legal, collection, and management battle with rival DANECO-CDA (Cooperative Development Authority) group.

DANECO-CDA was apparently subdued starting the middle of last year when its offices and col-

lections centers were padlocked by NEA sheriffs.

Asuncion Mayor Joseph Nilo Parreñas blamed the rivalry between the two groups for the municipal hall’s power blues, saying the municipal government had made electric bill payments to DANECO-CDA. “We were paying our bills. It did not matter to us that it was with DANECO-NEA or DANECO-CDA, as long it’s DANECO,” Parreñas said.

He also said DANECO-NEA would not receive the municipal government’s payments and would not receive the

original receipts issued by DANECO-CDA. On Thursday afternoon, Parreñas said in a TV interview that the RTC Tagum had already issued an order to DANECO-NEA to reconnect is power supply within 72 hours.

DANECO-NEA has long claimed that DANECO-CDA’s official receipts were fake since it is an “illegal entity.”

DANECO-CDA officials, however, say their group is still existing and their office is based at the office of their legal counsel, former Rep. Baltazar Sator.

Cha Monforte, Correspondent

Paolo wants water project fasttracked

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

“The Davao City Water District (DCWD) signs an agreement to develop and construct a sustainable 300 mld bulk water project for Davao City”.

Seated from middle to left: Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, DCWD Chairman Eduardo Bangayan, DCWD Vice Chairman Atty. Abdul Dataya Standing from middle to left: DCWD Gen. Mgr. Engr. Edwin Regalado, Board Sec. Luisa Jacinto, Board Mem. Serafin Ledesma Jr., Board Mem. Atty.

Charmalou Aldevera, Asst. Gen Mgr and JVSC Chair.

Mildred Aviles, Asst. Gen. Mgr Engr. Exequiel Homez Standing from middle to right: AboitizPower FVP Manuel Orig, DCWD Spokesperson Atty. Bernardo De Lima, AEV Business Devt. FVP Roman Azanza III, JVACC Project Lead Renato Da Jose, Atty. Medardo Devera, OGCC, AEV Business Devt Mgr. David Berba, AEV Business Devt. AVP Jay Fernandez Seated from middle to right: Apo Agua Chairman Jose Virgilio Angeles Jr., Apo Agua Pres. Rene Ronquillo

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte is hoping that the proposed P10 billion bulk water system agreement between Apo Agua Infrastractura Inc. (Apo Agua) and Davao City Water District (DCWD) will be fast tracked so that the second district will have an uninterruptible water supply.

In last Friday’s Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong sa Barangay in Tibungco, Duterte said the second district has experienced insufficient water supply for many years.

“Di na nato maihap ang tuig nga niagi, pero, sukad pa sauna pa na ang problema sa tubig... Hinaut unta na mapatuman na nila (I cannot count the years but the water supply problem has been around for a long time... I hope they will implement it),” he said.

Duterte said the DCWD should immediately implement the investment from Apo Agua, the joint venture of Aboitiz Equity Venture (AEV) and JV Angeles Construction Company (JVACC).

In a separate interview,

AEV branding and communication manager Timi Nubla told Edge Davao that construction of the project could start by next year.

Nubla said that after the signing of the joint venture agreement on Tuesday night, both parties will finalize the legality of the contract in the next three months.

After finalizing it, Apo Agua will comply with the necessary permits needed, a process that will run for at least 18 months.

FPAOLO, 11

4 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

ENGINEERS’ PROTEST. Members of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. in Davao Region stage a protest rally against Senate Bill 2623 or the Architecture Act at the Freedom Park in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

AFP asked to suspend drive vs. BIFF due to graduation L

OCAL government and education officials in Maguindanao have asked the military for a three-day suspension of the “all-out offensive” against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to allow the holding of graduation ceremonies in several areas in the province.

During the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting Thursday at the 6th Infantry Division headquarters, Maguindanao 1 Schools Division Superintendent Meriam Kawit, proposed the suspension so that schools that have become evacuation cen-

NYC pushes BBL passage

ters can hold commencement exercises.

The Army was tracking down BIFF guerrillas in Maguindanao’s 13 towns.

Two more towns are hosting 125,302 individuals displaced by the military operations which began on Feb. 25.

About 13,000 elementary and secondary students are set to graduate this year, said Kawit who proposed the suspension of the offensive from March 25 to March 28.

“We are planning to conduct clustered or centralized graduation or we make new platforms where the gradua-

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

T

HE National Youth Commission (NYC) says the passing of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is crucial to the welfare of the youth, especially now that there is an ongoing all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF).

In an interview, NYC Undersecretary Gregorio Ramon Tingson said the NYC is pushing for the passing of the BBL for the stability of the country.

“The BBL is crucial to us as a people. It will ensure the stability of the country,” he said.

Tingson said he was surprised to find out that the younger generations are the ones eager for peace.

At least 100,000 people have been displaced following the operations of the AFP against the BIFF, which the military believes is coddling suspected terrorist Basit Usman.

Usman was one of the targets of the ill-fated January 25 Special Action Force (SAF) operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that saw the deaths of Malaysian terrorist Julkifli bin Hir and 44 SAF members.

“A lot of young people in the ARMM are the ones pushing for peace. These are the ones who want to become engineers, teachers, and investors. They don’t want a return to the old days of war,” Tingson

FNYC, 11

tion can be held,” she told reporters after the meeting.

“Our concern really is the graduation of pupils, when and where to hold commencement exercises,” Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said.

Mangudadatu directed the mayors of 13 towns to hold municipal peace and order council meetings to determine the specific dates of graduation rites.

He also asked the mayors to help the military identity BIFF members in their respective communities using their “assets.”

Brig. Gen. Manolito

Engineers nix changes to Architecture Law

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

Orense, 6th ID assistant division commander, said if the military had its way it want a total stop to the operations.

“However, there are some areas where the lawless elements still exist so the Army will stay,” Orense said.

He said they will assess what areas in Maguindanao the evacuees may now return to.

He said this will be known when the PPOC meets again early next week.

No skirmishes were reported in the past three days.

(Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)

EMBERS of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Inc. in Davao City staged a rally last Saturday to oppose Senate Bill (SB) No. 2623 or An Act to Strengthen the Architectural Profession in the country which they said deprives other professionals of their practice.

In an interview at Freedom Park, PICE-Davao City immediate past president engineer Jose Gestoveo Jr. said the bill filed by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, which aims to amend the Architecture Law,

will deprive civil engineers of their area of practice.

“Kani ng bill kung mahimong balaod, dili na makaprima ang civil engineer sa mga building plans (If this bill will become a law, civil engineers cannot sign the building plans of the structures),” he said.

Gestoveo said the bill added structures to the scope of practice of architecture without defining the term.

He said the bill is unsound because the coverage of architecture could be expanded which will include the areas

draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) so they can duplicate the Senate probe on the Mamasapano incident,” the KDFI said.

The group said the postponement of the scheduled BBL hearings will not only derail two decades of peace work and confidence-building efforts but will also shortchange the people living in the Bangsamoro areas of their best chance to achieve sustainable peace and development.

“Without this new paradigm offered by the BBL, their lives will never

change. They will continue to live in a vicious cycle of war and poverty,” the group pointed out.

Early last week, Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat led a group of House members in a signature campaign calling for the postponement of the BBL deliberations to pave the way for their own version of hearing on the Mamasapano incident.

KDFI called on the people to voice out to the members of Congress the consequences of their present actions, saying

the people “must let them know how important the BBL is to our Moro brothers and sisters. We must convince them to take the side of peace lest they lose the chance to re-write our nation’s history.”

“Together, let us inform the people’s representatives in Congress that it is not cowardice to rethink their positions.

Rather, it is bravery to embrace genuine reform.

Let this be our shared plea as one people—Muslims, Christians, lumads,” the group said.

M

FENGINEERS, 11

Postponement of BBL deliberations slammed

By ALEX LOPEZ

T

HE Kalilintad Development Foundation, Inc., a civil society organization involved in peace advocacy and development work in Mindanao, recently issued a statement criticizing the recent move of 52 members of the House of Representatives blocking the resumption of the deliberations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“We object to the signed petition of 52 congressmen and women dated March 18, 2015, which is pushing to postpone the hearings on the

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

85 Kapalong farmers get sprayers E

IGHTY five farmers from four barangays of Kapalong, Davao del Norte received on Monday knapsack sprayers from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

As part of the Bottom Up Budgeting project, the DTI distributed knapsack sprayers to cassava and cardava

farmers of barangays Patil, Gupitan, Sua-on and Florida, all in Kapalong.

DTI-Davao del Norte Provincial Director Romeo Castañaga said that the facilities hoped to increase the productivity of the farmers as it has been their first time to own such equipment since it is expensive.

He told the farmers not to sell the sprayers since their office will continue to monitor the farmer’s progress instead encouraged them to share their sprayers to their neighbours, who did not qualify for the program.

The knapsack sprayer can contain 16 liters of liquid for cleaning and disinfecting the

crops.

According to DTI Davao del Norte Information Officer Judicia Ponio, the facility is part of the P 1.615-m BUB projects given to the municipality of Kapalong last year.

Ponio said that the municipality have three programs included in the BUB projects, which were

Productivity Training and Market Development for Cardava and Cavendish Banana; Productivity and Market Development for Banana and Cassava Chips; and Enhancement of Liyang Baskets and Bags, and Beadworks for organized ethnic groups.

“We have already

conducted trainings on good agricultural practices involving the same farmers and training s on liyang and basket weaving for the ethnic groups in the municipality,” she said.

The DTI will still distribute 30 more knapsack sprayers to Brgy. Mamacao, also in Kapalong. (PIA11, Michael Uy)

Park Inn by Radisson Davao celebrates 2nd anniversary D

AVAO’S steady rise as an economic hub and a gateway city for Mindanao proves the need of international hotels like Park Inn by Radisson to bring global hospitality standard to the city. Davao today is also a growing hub of MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions) which gives a good indication of the business climate of the city.

Park Inn by Radisson is Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s internationally successful mid-scale hotels. It is a segment-leading brand with a 26 year track record of delivering quality guest experience, focusing on the modern essentials of today’s business and leisure travelers.

The property in Davao became the brand’s springboard to Asia Pacific in year 2013, with its contemporary 204-room hotel strategically located next to the SMX Convention Center and SM Lanang Premier Mall.

“Since the time Park Inn

by Radisson Davao opened its doors last March 22, 2013, we have seen a significant increase in the number of groups arriving in Davao either for business or leisure.

Our partner establishment next door, the SMX Convention Center, has changed the game as it welcomed bigger delegations, giving more opportunities for hotels like ours. It gave us not only an opportunity to showcase the hotel, but also to promote the best of Davao’s hospitality, sights, sounds and flavors,” says Pavan Kakar, general manager of Park Inn by Radisson Davao.

“The industry players have all been instrumental in attracting these events to Davao. The whole city is now reaping fruits out of the strong and dynamic collaboration by both private and government sectors, who worked relentlessly in promoting the region across all market segments,” he added.

Working in tandem with its partner establishments, Park Inn by Radisson Davao offers travelers a myriad of choices from accommodation, dining, entertainment and shopping, as well as practical solutions and unique packages for meet-

ing and events.

“Davao City is one of the Philippines’ most exciting eco-adventure tourism destinations. Whether it is exploring the nearby islands or going on a shopping spree, we give our guests an ideal location from which to explore the city, as well as easy access to business and leisure amenities,” Kakar said.

“Park Inn by Radisson Davao hotel is your perfect hideaway from which you can explore the city and enjoy a good sleep. There’s definitely no room for boredom as great shopping options and entertainment await you next door,” he added.

The hotel has 204 rooms and suites that deliver a great night‘s sleep in a clean, personalized environment for guest. They can also expect vibrant décor, complimentary in-room high speed Internet, as well as our signature Adding Color to Life service concept which aims to exceed expectations.

The hotel also offers the best venues for successful meetings. With smart services and smart rooms, including four meeting rooms that can each accommodate up to 30 persons, the hotel is the smart choice for both formal and informal meetings and events.

In addition, the Lobby Café at the ground level provides guests with a lifestyle hub where they can socialize and relax in the spacious area or enjoy a book and other media.

Food and Beverage options in the hotel include RBG (Restaurant Bar & Grill), a hip all-day dining restaurant. RBG is a bold bar and grill concept that delivers buzz and ambience, great food and friendly service in a modern setting. Fresh ingredients, grilled meats and fish, locally-inspired specialties and classic dishes make up RBG’s menu, which is updated periodically.

The drinks menu has been designed to offer variety and value, while private dining area make RBG yet another great venue for informal meetings. Guests can drop by for a Quickfire set lunch on weekdays, or come together with family to bond

Lobby Cafe

Standard Room (king sized bed) over Supersize meals on weekends.

On the second floor is the recreation hub, which houses leisure facilities such as the swimming pool, fitness center and pool bar.

Guests can dip, sip dine as they indulge in some R&R and socialize with family and friends amidst the cool, fresh air.

“Busy urbanites nowadays look for a place to hang out after office hours,” Kakar said. “The pool lounge and bar is a modern space where you can unwind and enjoy some Bar Chow paired with our featured cocktails.

The al fresco scenery alone inspires a light and cheery mood that can soothe any weary soul.”

Aside from catering to MICE business, the hotel sees a big potential with the influx individual travelers, more so with domestic and affordable flights.

“This is mainly the reason why we offer a range of

stay options and inclusions.

We are designed to provide accommodation solutions to diverse range of travelers.

When you go online, whether through our website or any other online travel portals, travelers can find a good selection of packages and rate options suited to fit all kinds of budget and needs. It’s all about you,” Kakar said.

Recognizing Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s commitment in providing quality service and outstanding hotel experience, Agoda.com, one of Asia’s leading booking sites, presented the hotel with a Gold Circle Award last December 2014.

The award is given to accommodations around the world that embody the best qualities of the online hospitality industry. Likewise, the hotel was just recently given the Award of Excellence by Booking.com for achieving an over-all guest satisfaction score of 8.5.

Dry spell destroys P91.9-M agri products in Zambo City

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HE dry spell has taken its toll on the agriculture sector in the city, destroying some P91.9M worth of farm products as of Wednesday, March 18, the Office of the City Agriculture said City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat reported to Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar that a total of 8,469.2 hectares of land planted to various crops and fishery products have been destroyed by the dry spell, affecting 20,996 metric tons of products.

Of the total 8,469.2 hectares destroyed, 277 hectares are planted to rice; 31 hectares to corn; 8,084.1 hectares planted to banana; 74.5 hectares planted with assorted vegetables; 9.3 hectares planted with

cassava; and, .3 hectares are fishpond areas.

Palacat said that at least 1,041.8 of the 8,469.2 hectares affected have no chance of recovery.

Palacat expressed fears the damage could worsen and consequently affect this city’s agricultural supply if rains will not come by the month of May. Palacat has recommended various action plans to help mitigate the effect of the dry spell on farmers such as the immediate conduct of cloud seeding to be jointly undertaken between the Department of Agriculture, Zamboanga City Water District and the local government.

Palacat said the other

FDRY, 11

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Minda cooperatives eyes bid for Agus-Pulangi power plant

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

C

OOPERATIVES in Mindanao are planning to form an entity to bid for the acquisition of AgusPulangi Hydro Power Plant which is due for privatization in 2017.

Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) administrator for Mindanao Datu Pendatun Disimban said around 8000 cooperatives in the island will propose to establish the One Mindanao Energy Cooperative to bid on the privatization of Agus-Pulangi Plants.

“Ang malalaki at malalakas sa buong Mindanao, magkakaisa, pagsamasamahin nila angkanilan glakas para makapag-bid pagna privatize angatingAgusPulangi (The big and strong cooperatives in Mindanao will unite for the bid of AgusPulangi acquisition if it will be privatized),” Disimban said in a press conference Friday.

Disimban said the cooperatives came up with the

idea after National Association of Electric Consumers for Reform (NASECORE) presented the problem of stable power supply in Mindanao.

He said with the problem, the CDA in Mindanao has conducted a power summit in the different regions in the island to present the proposal.

Disimban said that they already conducted meetings in the cities Cagayan De Oro,Butuan, Kidapawan, General Santos and Davao.

Department of Energy (DOE) undersecretary Donato Marcos this initiative is unique since the cooperatives are used to be in the power distribution and not in power generation.

“Ito po ay involvement ng lahat ng tao (it will be the involvement of all people),” he said.

Marcos said these

FMINDA, 11

AWARDS NIGHT. Euro Towers International, Inc. (ETII) chief operating officer Maricar J. Encarnacion welcomes guests and awardees during the company’s annual awards night for Vivaldi Residences Davao held at the Apo View Hotel on Friday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

Globe, PLDT cited as among ‘best managed’telcos in Phl F

INANCEASIA Magazine cited two Philippine te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n companies as among the best managed public companies in the country and in the region.

FianceAsia said a survey was conducted among investors and analysts which ranked companies, senior executives , as well as policies on dividend payments and other matters.

It said the responses were culled from over 250 portfolio managers and buyside analysts from around the world on their opinions on Asian-listed companies.

In the 15th edition of Asia’s Best Companies report, Globe Telecom Inc. (Globe) emerged

as one of the best-managed companies in the country, coranked as fourth along with SM Investments Corp. (SMIC).

Meanwhile, Globe’s industry rival, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) came in at ninth.

Aside from co-ranking fourth place, Globe also made it at seventh for best corporate governance, together with SMIC and BDO Unibank.

Globe also ranked prominently at second as the “most committed to paying good dividends,” and fourth in investor relations.

Meanwhile, Globe President and chief executive Ernest Cu was also adjudged as one of the best chief executive

officers (CEOs).

Globe Chief Financial Officer Albert de Larrazabal in a statement welcomed this achievement.

“We are very honored to have been recognized by investors and analysts in the region as one of the best organizations in Asia,” Larrazabal said.

“With sustained momentum in growth for almost all performance metrics, marked by recordbreaking results in 2014, Globe has become an exemplar company in terms of setting the pace in its industry, founded on very sound leadership and strong financials,” he said.

(PNA)

HILIPPINE exporters are urged to explore the booming food market in Sweden.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) International Economic Relations undersecretary Laura del Rosario mentioned that there is a notable increase

in sales of organic food and food products in Sweden in 2014 surging by 38 percent.

Sweden’s organic food and food products revenue in last year reached 15.5 billion Swedish kroner (SKr) or around USD 1.8 billion from SKr11.2 billion or USD 1.3 billion in 2013.

“(The increase in sales) is more than anywhere else in the world,” del Rosario noted.

She cited that market value of organic food in Sweden has also grew at around SKr4.0 billion. In the past seven years, organic

PHL exporters urged to explore Sweden’s booming food market P FPHL, 11

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EDITORIAL Another death in the ring

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HE world is going gaga over the forthcoming Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. megafight and this early, it looks like it is going to be the biggest event in the history of boxing.

While we look to the megafight with aniticipation and excitement, some doctors want boxing banned as a sport.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for the ban on professional boxing in Australia. The move came after the death of professional Queensland boxer Braydon Smith after losing to Dabawenyo boxer John Vincent Moralde.

Moralde has returned home a hero but not wary on his way home that Smith had passed away. Smith died two days after he lost to Moralde for the WBC intercontinental Asia Boxing featherweight crown in a unanimous decision in Toowoomba.

Smith, a law student slash boxer who has a perfect 12-0 record before he met his fate with the 20-year old Dabawenyo, shook Moralde’s hand before walking back to his locker room where he collapsed. He was in coma for two days and never regained consciousness in Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital. The family eventually decided to have the life support system turned off.

There appears to be no irregularity in the conduct of the fight. Smith passed ringside checks by a doctor before and after the fight, and was passed fit for his annual boxing license renewal in October.

With Smith’s death, AMA has recalled its demand for a ban on the sport.

“We believe that a so-called sport where two people knock each other in the head as often as you possibly can to win a bout seems rather barbaric,” said

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Queensland president Dr Shaun Rudd. “You’re not allowed to hit the organs beneath the belt whereas you’re allowed to hit the organ above your shoulder which is the most important organ in the body.”

Smith’s death comes just four years after the death of Alex Slade who slumped to the canvas in the fourth round of a fight in Mackay in October 2010.

One sports lawyer commented that the sport is continuing to essentially operate in a very unregulated manner. He questioned: “How many deaths or injuries does it take before they’re brought into the fold like all other major sports?”

The medical practitioners of AMA have all the right to secure the ban on boxing as it is also the right of the boxing authorities of Australia to keep the sport and move on with the accident.

Deaths in boxing are not uncommon. Last year, two boxers died in Davao— one in Davao del Norte and another in Compostela Valley. Both ring deaths involved amateur boxers.

While we believe that, like any combat sport, accidents do happen in boxing. There are a number of factors that must be considered. The bottomline is that any boxing event must be supervised by professionals, or at least those adequately trained and capable of following all requirements of the sport from pre-fight medical examinations to the use of proper equipment, ability of the referee to protect the fighters from injury and excessive punishment, and postfight recovery and medical attention.

We congratulate Moralde for his achievement but at the same time grieve with the family of Smith for the unfortunate turn of events that led to Brayden’s death.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

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AST year, the organizers did what they called “a roadshow.” They hopped from one city to another city: Lucena, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Naga, Dagupan, Baguio, Vigan, and Laoag.

The roadshow is part of its efforts to collect more entries in one of the country’s top journalism competitions. The team personally invite local media practitioners to submit their entries and answer any questions they may have about the awards. This year, they are planning of going to various provinces and cities in order to reach more journalists to participate in the annual competition.

The annual competition, now on its ninth year, is called Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards. “The Bright Leaf Awards honors the most outstanding and relevant agriculture stories that were published or aired on radio and television,” the press statement said. “It will also celebrate the work of photojournalists who successfully capture, in one snapshot, the essence and the heart of the agriculture industry in the country.”

All in all, there are nine categories. However, only there are four major awards (in which winners will receive cash prize, Ipad Mini, and trophy): Agriculture Story of the Year, Tobacco Story of the Year, Agriculture Photo of the Year, and Tobacco Photo of the Year.

The minor awards (winners receive cash prize and trophy) are Best Agriculture TV Program/Segment, Best Agriculture Radio Program/Segment, Best Agriculture News Story (National and Regional levels), and

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IVING in Mindanao and working in different parts of the country, it will not be difficult for me to understand the potential and controversy of mineral resource development. A good portion of Mindanao is mineral rich. Truly, mining by itself contributes 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

However, that figure may actually be higher taking into account the totality of mineral resources and their use, as that number only covers only the legal mines. Contrary to what many Filipinos may think, mining does not cover only the extraction of gold and other metals. Even limestone is mined to make cement, and sand and gravel supply are also forms of mining. To mine my thoughts on this controversial business and livelihood, we have to look at it from a different set of angles away from the hard positions often taken for and against it.

First of all, we must all agree that minerals are a resource. That said, minerals are resources owned by the people through the state which is elected by the citizenry. Directly, it is a source of material gain for those with the rights vested by the state to exploit them.

The mining permits and sharing Agreements entered into with government set the stage for the sharing of gains between those granted the permit and the rest of the country. That said, minerals, forests, water are all resources. This being a resource, it must be properly used, so that it can be conserved. For you cannot conserve, much less protect, that which you do not use.

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VANTAGE POINTS

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The quest is on!

Best Feature THINK ON THESE! Story (National and Regional levels).

Although not in the competition, there is an Oriental Leaf Award.

This special award is given to those Henrylito D. Tacio who have won henrytacio@gmail.com a Bright Leaf Award in any category for five years. The Oriental Leaf Awardees become part of an elite group of individuals that comprise the Bright Leaf Hall of Fame.

In the past, only winners of the major categories were given a free trip to an Asian country. But starting last year, all winners are given a chance to go to an Asian trip. The winners of last year’s competition will go to Beijing, China next month.

Winning the Agriculture Story of the Year in 2014 were Cherry Ann Lim and Liberty Pinili for their collaborative three-part series on “Fish in troubled waters,” which appeared in a local daily in Cebu.

Gabriel Cardionza got the Tobacco Story of the Year for his article, “Pangasinan farmers pin hopes on tobacco,” which was published in Philippine Daily Inquirer. He also received Best Agriculture News Story for “Carabao vanishing breed in Pangasinan,” which

came out in Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Winner of the photos competition were Harley Palangchao of the Baguio Midland Courier for “Frostlandia” as Agriculture Photo of the Year while Mauricio Victa’s “Leaves of Gold” (published in Business Mirror) topped the Tobacco Photo of the Year. Both are from Baguio.

Winners in the television and radio program competition were all from Mindanao.

ABS-CBN’s “Agri Tayo Dito” (hosted by Ruben Gonzaga and produced by Karren Verona) in Davao City won in the TV category while “Panahon” (aired over DXND in Kidapawan City, Cotabato) got the nod for radio category.

My article, “The prospects of swine industry in the Philippines,” which appeared in Marid Agribusiness was adjudged winner in the Best Agriculture News Feature (National) while Florisa Gitgano, of a Cebu-based daily, settled for the regional level in the same category.

“The Filipino spirit is indeed admirable,” said PMFTC Inc. president Paul Riley said in last year’s awarding ceremony held at the Sunset Pavilion of Sofitel Manila. “Their dedication to the craft and livelihood whatever it may be, inspires respect. And their hard work and determination are stories that are meant to be told. And through the journalists’ work, all these stories are being shared with the world.”

The launching of the 9th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards was done in Davao City a day after the Araw ng Dabaw.

Didet Danguilan, the project head of the

awards, is encouraging all professional Filipino journalists residing in the country to join the competition as their way of sharing the successes of farmers through their stories to the public.

“Their stories need to be seen, heard and appreciated. The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is the best way to achieve that,” Danguilan pointed out.

In this year’s competition, only those articles and features in print category and programs and segments in television and radio that are published and broadcast between September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015 are allowed for competition. The deadline for submission is September 4.

Once the entries start pouring in, they are turn over to a judging panel led by a respected journalist and include members of the academe, photographers, editors, artists and columnists. These judges will do the task of reviewing every entry until finally the winners are chosen.

Since participation is free of charge, contestants can submit as many stories in any of the categories but no story can be entered in more than one category. Entries may be in English or any of the Philippine regional dialects provided they will have English translation of their works as some of the judges are foreigners.

Bright Leaf is the name given to Virginia Tobacco because it turns into a vivid yellow when it is cured with intense heat. It is the variant of choice for manufacturing tobacco products.

Secondly, MY TWO CENTS’ if resources are not properly used, others will use them whether you like it or not.

This is evidenced by two main phenomena – unlawful John Tria occupancy of ecisouth@gmail.com lands, illegal logging and fishing, and illegal small scale mining. Regardless of whether state policy, or local government directives promote or restrict these practices, the truth on the ground is that illegal small scale mining sites and gold rush areas have proliferated in areas like Pantukan, Panganason, and of course, Diwalwal. Down (or up) there they don’t bother to read official policies nor respect property rights, ancestral domains or the presence of national parks and other protected areas to get the gold for themselves. As a teenager I have seen gold nuggets from these areas brought by family friends.

Like unlawful land occupancy, illegal mining deprives the state of taxes and also prevents proper enterprises from flourishing. You can claim an ever higher share of the products of mining, but if you cannot enforce these agreements, than it will not work. Proper mining takes years to set up, with all the permits

and licenses, financing and other procedures and observances. Often it takes years to set up, while illegal mining can take days. The government, as partner wants to make sure that all regulations are followed, property rights and protected areas respected, and safety and other regulations complied with.

While a quick enterprise providing direct livelihood, unfortunately, a lot of the illegal mining is unregulated and poses safety and environmental hazards. Improper mining procedures and methods may not be financially and environmentally sustainable. Thus, looking at the Compostela Valley’s Kingking river for example, its clear to see what activity may have caused it to turn brown. Moreover, illegal extraction of minerals have time and again fueled conflict. One group feels it deserves more than the other, giving rise to such issues. The use of arms is therefore a recourse for areas where the law does not shine. The current illegal mining activities can be granted support and recognition which will encourage them to do their mining in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner.

The role of the state is to promote responsible use and regulate utilization to promote conservation. Only the state has the power to tax and compel that the gains of these resources are wisely used. Natural Resources are the property of the state. They constitute the commons that all citizens have the right to partake of from the responsible utilization. Thus, the greatest misnomer is to think that the project belongs to the Mining

company. Actually, no, it is the project of the state. Mining companies are merely partners to help the state utilize these resources. As such, whether these resources ought to be used or not is not a question we can challenge.

No matter how anti mining advocates oppose legal mining from taking place, they cannot stop the minerals from being illegally extracted anyway in the gold rush areas.

With the desire to build a federal form of government the natural question is how the wealth from these resources will be shared between the national and local governments.

Thus, the challenge to make mining, like fisheries and other resources, a proper indigenous source of wealth that can be shared while safeguarding the common environment. Thus, minerals, energy and other commodities that your region is capable of producing cheaply can be a fulcrum of local development when properly implemented with the right policies for investment promotion and protection of peoples welfare and conservation. This fulcrum can be an enabler of local development efforts replacing national government subsidy and debt. These are local resources utilized by local people.

Thus, if the government wishes to properly use resources within its territory, then it needs to programmatically utilize these resources in an environmentally sustainable manner with due regard to proper wealth sharing and development of communities. If you don’t do that somebody else will, and it may destroy, rather than create prosperity.

Mining my thoughts

10 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

AEON TOWERS. Condominium units of the 33-level Aeon Towers, a signature project of FTC Group of Companies, offer a breath-taking view of Davao’s metropolitan landscape as well as the pristine blue waters of Davao Gulf. Featuring state-of-the-art smart home amenities, the Aeon Towers make for either a wise investment or a comfortable and affordable urban recluse.

students benefit from SSS, DCWD builds new office complex 72,000 gov’t education assistance to improve customer service A D AVAO City Water District starts construction of its P575M Matina office complex to improve customer service and prepare for impending massive service expansion and influx of customers with the coming of its new surface water source which would cater to District 2 in three to four years’ time.

The construction project will be composed of a seven-storey functional roof deck main building, three-storey water quality control laboratory building, two-storey building with functional roof deck multi-purpose / canteen and one-storey record storage building and site development.

According to DCWD general manager Edwin V. Regalado, the soon-to-rise office facilities are very timely and much needed to address the increasing water service demands of the city and DCWD’s growing workforce. From the 300 employees servicing around 40,000

service connections in the 1980’s, DCWD’s work force has grown four folds and now servicing close to 200,000 service connections. Currently, DCWD operates offices in scattered locations all over the city in Bajada, Madapo, Matina and Talomo.

Once the facilities in Matina are completed, DCWD will house almost all of its services in one location, centering its operations to serve the public better. Most of the other offices will be vacated and utilized as additional collection centers and motorpool for DCWD vehicles.

DCWD foresees improved processing time of all customer needs with the whole first floor of the seven-story building allotted for the basic services of the water utility including additional collection booths for faster water bills payment. Ample parking space will also be provided.

Regalado added that the current DCWD Matina office building needs to be demolished as it encroaches the

national highway and is already very old. The original building was one-storey and an additional floor was added weakening its structure.

Although the building is still serviceable, DCWD does not want to compromise especially the welfare of its customers.

As of this writing, the old DCWD Matina office building is being demolished. Thus, Regalado asks for the understanding of its customers for the inconvenience that the construction may cause.

Last March 16, a simple groundbreaking ceremony was held to formally kick start the construction of the Matina complex. This was attended by DCWD officials led by Chairman Eduardo A. Bangayan and the rest of the directors, former director Atty. Eliseo R. Braganza who was among the prime movers of the realization of the office complex, Engr. Regalado, officers and some employees, Development Bank of the Philippines C.M. Recto branch

head Lani Manaloto and Office of Government Corporate Counsel contingent headed by the deputy government corporate counsel Justice Elpidio J. Vega.

Chairman Bangayan emphasized that the soon-torise facilities is a symbol of innovation and future that DCWD foresees especially in improving the water services of the city. Further, he encouraged all DCWD employees to look upon the building as their source of inspiration to excel more in their line of work and become better public servants.

Notice to proceed was given to the contractors of the project, the joint venture of J Bros Construction Corporation and AIMM Builder and Construction Supply, last January 23 this year. The contractors estimate to finish the building in less than two years. Funding for the project came from the P500-million non-collateralized low interest loan granted by DBP. (Jovana T. Duhaylungsod)

DCWD Matina Office Complex ceremonial ground breaking. General manager Engr. Edwin V. Regalado (L) with the Board of Directors headed by Chairman Eduardo A. Bangayan (2nd from R) do ceremonial ground breaking at the construction site of the new DCWD Matina office complex together with former DCWD Director Atty. Eliseo R. Braganza Jr. (3rd from L).

TOTAL of 72,451 college or vocational-tech students are currently benefiting from the Educational Assistance Loan Program (EALP), a joint program of the Social Security System (SSS) and the National Government (NG).

The EALP was launched on April 30, 2012 with a total fund allocation of P7 Billion, P3.5 Billion of which came from the national government and the other P3.5 Billion from the SSS. Under the program, the NG portion of the fund is interest free while the SSS portion charges a six percent interest or a blended rate of three percent for the borrower-member.

Joint Circular No. 20121 signed by the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Government Service Insurance System, and SSS in September 2012 institutionalized the

grant of affordable educational loans to qualified GSIS and SSS members.

“Now on its fourth year of implementation, we are happy to be part of this joint program of SSS and the national government since we are able to continue lending a hand to our members by defraying their children’s education expenses through EALP”, said Officer-In-Charge for Asset and Lending Management May Catherine Ciriaco.

Majority or 97 percent of EALP beneficiaries are enrolled in degree courses.

Ciriaco clarified that SSS did not stop granting EALP. “We have allocated the loan fund to those who have applied in 2012 so that their dependents - who are expected to be in school for four years in the case of a bachelor’s degree, or two years for vocational or technical courses - have a

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Coconut tissue culture lab inaugurated

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HE UP Mindanao Coconut Tissue Culture Laboratory was inaugurated on March 19 in the Mintal, Davao City campus, a facility that was established in support of the government research program, “Reinvigorating the Philippine Coconut Industry through Coconut Somatic Embryogenesis Technology”.

The keynote message was given by Dr. Danilo Cardenas, deputy executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).

According to Dr. Cardenas, “The Philippines used to be number one in coconut production as well as in export. Now we are ranked

number two. We still remain competitive, however that competitiveness is being eroded because our coconuts are growing old, and have been depleted by typhoons, and coconut-scale insects. This Laboratory will use the new Coconut Somatic Embryogenesis Technology which will allow us to multiply or mass propagate coconut seedlings to produce 120 to 10,000 times the production of coconut seedlings per plumule.”

He further disclosed that the Laboratory is one of five being established in different parts of the country.

With this Laboratory, “UP Mindanao, together with the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMARRDEC)

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Mindanao’s six regions or at 500 each.

“Each scholarship grant is worth P8,000 to P10,000,” he told MindaNews in an interview.

Amparo said MINTVET will handle the selection of the scholars based on its internal guidelines that is also aligned with TESDA’s scholarship criteria.

Founded in 2001, MINTVET is the biggest association of its kind across Mindanao’s six regions.

It is the lead organizer of the annual Mindanao Human Resource and Skills Development Summit that is supported by TESDA, TVET institutions, industries and other stakeholders.

The MOA signing was

among the highlights of Secretary Villanueva’s two-day swing in the city to promote TESDA’s flagship programs.

On Wednesday night, Villanueva led a basketball exhibition game dubbed “Shoot for Your Dream” held at the city gymnasium.

The match featured the agency’s “Team Trabaho” composed of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) veterans and local basketball stars under “Team Espeyalista.”

Villanueva served as captain of “Team Trabaho,” which included PBA veterans Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Condinera, Kenneth Duremdes, Marlou Aquino, Bal David, Zaldy Realubit, Rodney Santos and Bobby Jose. (MindaNews)

DCWD spokesperson Bernardo Delima said the project needs to get permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Davao City Government, the City Council, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Delima said after the compliance, the project will proceed on the construction stage which will last up to three years.

“The vice mayor is right.

The DCWD wants to finish the project early. But we can finish it by 2019 since the source which is in Tamugan is very far,” he said.

Delima said while the bulk water facility in Tamugan has not yet started, they have an ongoing construction of 1,500 cubic meters capacity reservoir in Barangay Cabantian to address the quantity problem.

He said it will be operational by next month.

He said there is an ongoing construction of a nano-filtration system to treat the water in Cabantian to remove the odor and discoloration. It will be operational by May this year.

Delima said the DCWD is currently drilling for additional wells in the Panacan area.

“If the projects will be com-

pleted and operational, we will see the effect on the supply.

Surely, the water supply in the second district will be added but we cannot say if this will solve the problem of the areas that have no 24 hour water availability,” he said.

Earlier, Delima said the Tamugan facilities can provide the water requirements of the whole city for the next 30 years.

He said in the contract provisions, the development of the source which include the construction of the infiltration gallery, raw water transmission pipelines, and the water treatment plant will be owned

by APO Agua.

Delima said the DCWD will build eight reservoirs in the area where the bulk water facility will be located.

He said there will be no take-over provision for APO Agua in any case and only the DCWD can take over the facility once the owner fails to meet the contracted supply volume.

The APO Agua will supply up to 300 million liters per day (MLD) of potable bulk water from the Tamugan River to DCWD, which will benefit the more than one million people of the city.

APO-Agua has a 70-30 ownership structure, with AEV owning 70 percent of the company and the remaining 30 percent JVACC.

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NOTICE OF AUCTION SALE All Jewelry and other items pawned at Jaskin Pawnshop San Perdo Street, Davao City during the months of September 1 to October 31, 2014 if not redeemed or renewed will be sold to the public on April 16, 2015 at our pawnshop premises.

March 23,24,25

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Engineers... FROM 4 that do not traditionally belong to architecture such as bridges and other horizontal infrastructure.

Gestoveo said the term “feature or elements” referred to are not clearly in the bill because feature might be referred to appearance or visual effects and elements be referred as structural system.

He said with the proposed amendment, architects may claim that the system which can be illustrated by means of plans, diagrams or detailed drawings are included in the architectural design “which is not true since it belongs to engineering design.”

Gestoveo said the bill makes the preparation of architectural plans to include the site development plan which

has several components to other professions such as Civil Engineers, Sanitary Engineers, Environmental Planner and Geodetic Engineer.

He said the bill might lead to confusion in the practice of many professions.

Gestoveo said the bill is treating the architectural permit as the same with the building permit that in this time it is just a supporting document.

He said the issue of overlap of practice between the civil engineering profession and the architectural profession is still pending in the Supreme Court (SC).

He said that the Senate should wait the SC to resolve the issue first before amending the Architecture Law.

said.

In a press conference early this month, ARMM regional budget and management officer Mylene Mcusang said those who were born in the early 2000s were the ones exposed to war in their region. That was the time then-President

Joseph Estrada launched an all-out war against the MILF. “Those who are now aged 10 to 14 are the ones born during the war. They are the ones who are most affected.

The passage of the BBL will benefit them the most,” she said.

action plans include information dissemination pre-mitigating measures primarily to encourage a quick turn-around planting of early maturing varieties; production and distribution of alternate crop seeds and planting materials; pest management; desiltation of communal irrigation system and river dredging;

and, procurement and distribution of organic fertilizers.

He proposed the rehabilitation of pumps and water system of existing demo farm, procurement of breeder stocks, information dissemination and procurement and distribution of organic fertilizers for the fishery sector. (MindaNews)

food market value only increased at an average of SKr1.0 billion.

Philippine exporters can also utilize the European Union Generalized System of Preference Plus (EU GSP+) in tapping Sweden as the latter is a member of EU.

The EU GSP+ provides zero duty to 6,274 products entering the EU market.

Del Rosario mentioned that the trend in organic food and food products are also seen in other Scandinavian countries.

(PNA)

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DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late DARIO R. LACAP has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT executed among his heirs per Doc. No.351; Page No.71; Book No. XXII; Series of 2011, of the NOTARY PUBLIC PAQUITO G. BALASABAS 3/23,30,4/6

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cooperatives are making moves on how they can acquire and manage the Hydro Power Plants since they do not want the private companies to manage it.

“Ang gusto ng mgakababayan natin ditosa Mindanao, kung sino ang mga taga Mindanao sila yung dapat namamahala ng power dito (People of Mindanao want Mindanaoans to manage the power generation here),” he said.

The proposed establishment of One Mindanao Energy Cooperative this summer can more focus how to improve power supply of Mindanao.

Marcos said that a unified cooperative knows the supply side and they can also calculate the demands of the people in Mindanao.

He said that under Republic Act (RA) No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, the government-owned power plants should be privatized which includes the Agus-Pulangi.

Chairman of the House

Committee on Power and Energy Oriental Mindoro Congressman Reynaldo Umali said the initiative by the Mindanao cooperatives is an innovative idea that needs to be tested.

“Ako naman bilang chairman ng committee on energy, nakita ko yung kagandahan nito(As the chairman of the committee on energy, I see the beauty of this) because this is a realization of an inclusive growth,” Umali said.

If this will be materialized, it will the first in the country that a power plant will be owned by the cooperatives, according to Umali.

Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation Corporate Planning Division Manager Ronald Coquilla said that the value of the plant started at P1 billion dollars per mega watts (MW).

Coquilla said the capacity of the Agus-Pulangi is almost 1000 MW and if it will be acquired by some entity, the company will be the one to rehabilitate the plants.

better chance to finish their studies,” she added.

Interested SSS members could still apply for EALP but they will be included in the waiting list. “As soon as one of the beneficiaries back out of EALP, we notify those in the waiting list so they could apply”, Ciriaco said.

As of December 2014, SSS has already disbursed over P1.1 billion nationwide from its coffers out of the P7 billion allotted for the educational loans.

Under EALP, members

can borrow up to P20,000 per semester or trimester for college degrees while maximum loanable amount for vocational-tech course is P10,000 per semester or trimester.

The repayment process of EALP will commence a year after the beneficiary’s graduation day or release date of the last loan. Borrowers for college degree programs are given five years to repay the loan, while for vocationaltech courses, the repayment timeline is three years.

and its agencies can solve various industry problems facing the agricultural sector”.

Messages were also given in the inauguration by Dr. Cristeta Cueto of Phil.

Coconut Authority, and UP Mindanao officials Pedro Alviola and Antonio Obsioma.

Also present were visiting scientists Edna Anit, Marita Carlos, and DOST-PCAAR-

RD staff, local scientists Lourdes Generalao, Lorna Herradura, Emelita Mora and colleagues from Bureau of Plant Industry, Phil. Coconut Authority, and the Fiber Industry Development Authority, and UP Mindanao officials led by Dean Annabelle Novero.

The blessing of the lab was presided by Fr. John Villarete.

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NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 1005316 under Loyola Contract No(s). 326802/NNN 130001030 issued to ANTONIO,MANILITA E. Plan Application Form No. OO-236051 issued to EMELY S. ADLAON were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

HOUSE AND HOME

Security meets convenience:

THE YALE DIGITAL LOCK COLLECTION

DO you have any childhood memories of those fancy sci-fi movie scenes where astronauts put their palms, fingers or eyes near a sensor and whoooosh‌a door automatically opens? No doubt you wondered when you could have one in your home. That day has finally arrived! No longer futuristic or imaginative, biometric digital locks are here!

Digital door locks have emerged in recent years to become very popular among homeowners. Yale, as one of the best-known

brands in door lock industry, offers you a variety of models to choose from.

The term digital door locks may be new to you,

Security A4

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

It is more rewarding with Seda Rewards AS part of its way of thanking loyal business partners, Seda Abreeza pulled all the stops to ensure that these individuals and companies get their just rewards with Seda Rewards program which allows members to earn points from room bookings as well as from food and beverage charges across all Seda hotels.

Aside from earning points, members also get added privileges from Seda Hotels such as discounts on food and beverage, complimentary room upgrade, birthday gift, and invites to exclusive Seda Hotel events such as the exclusive movie night at the Abreeza Mall Cin-

ema last March 13 featuring one of the most-awaited family movies of the summer season.

Aside from movie tickets, Seda Abreeza also provided snack boxes from Misto, the hotel’s all-day dining concept, that was well-stocked with delicious treats that completed the movie-watching experience.

“The Seda Rewards program aims to give our loyal business partners more perks and more reasons to book with a Seda hotel,” says Kennedy Capulong, general manager of Seda Abreeza “aside from earning points which they can then later use to claim free room nights, gadgets, or other offerings at the Seda Rewards website, Seda Re-

wards membership also gives additional perks and this is our own little way of saying thank you to our regular clients.”

To know more about the Seda Rewards program one can visit www.sedarewards.com.

Follow me on Instagram

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

The faces of Herbalaya Liniment Oil

A

very young, charming, and enthusiastic teenager, these are just few of so “many-to-mention” positive qualities that dwell in the unique personality of 5’7 stunner, Jessy Salvador.

Undoubtedly, as what her surname implies, she is a sister of one of the reigning actresses nowadays, Maja Salvador. No doubt that she can also dance gracefully like her half sister.

But more than this inherited talent, she was also blessed with such a good voice. She is really a total package of beauty and talents— that is for sure!

Jessy was crowned as Miss Campus Role Model Philippines 2013 and this becomes her stepping

stone to be an aspiring beauty queen. Her career continues to explore its way up. And after sometime, with great passion and potentials, big offers and opportunities started to uproar its existence. She had done her training in G-Force, and had signed a contract in Viva Films. She had also finished signing a three-year contract to Herbalaya last year yet the endorsements just happened this year because of having nationwide campaigns.

And this contributes to her latest achievement today for she has done a Television Commercial with her co-endorser, Kent Ian Villamor, ramp and print ad model, up and rising teen star of this generation, patronizing the very effective

and fast relief action for body pains—the HERBALAYA Liniment Oil. This liniment oil has done miracle and contributions not only to Jessy Salvador’s career but most importantly, to the consumers who have experienced its soothing fragrance and its effectiveness in curing Arthritis/Rheumatism, Gouts, Stomach ache, Headache, Stiff Neck, Insect

Bites, Muscle Ache, Body Pain, Varicose Veins, Fatigue and Flatulence. As what its tag line truly conveys;”Amoy na Kaaya-aya, Sa Bawat Pahid ay Ginhawa”, it really astounded among other brands for the fusion of three natural ingredients have successfully produced liniment oil which is relaxing and absolutely effective, the first of its kind in the market.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

InstaDAD to liven up Sunday afternoons on GMA PEOPLE nowadays are very much inclined into “instant” things. As the world continues to evolve, a lot of things are becoming instant which make life easier, comfortable and beyond imaginable. But what if that instant thing came in unexpectedly and you were unprepared? What would you do and how would you handle it?

Starting April 5, GMA Network offers another family-friendly drama series that will showcase to the viewers that parenthood can even become three times better with InstaDAD. Topbilled by multital-

ented Kapuso actor Gabby Eigenmann, InstaDAD revolves around the life of Kenneth, a famous chef and one of the most eligible bachelors in the metro. He decides to remain single after his heartbreak from his first love, Des. One day, fate turns Ken’s life upside down as he learns that he is a father of not just one, but three daughters: Marikit portrayed by Gabbi Garcia, the boyish, adventurous and athletic one but very protective of her two sisters; Mayumi played by Ash Ortega, the eldest among three, poised and smart

just like her mother; Maaya played by Jazz Ocampo, the most sociable, girly and fashionable among them.

Aside from not being knowledgeable of being a father, Ken struggles even more in dealing with the different personalities of his triplets.

Meanwhile, the triplets are also not used with the new family set-up that will eventually sprout a series of family and teenage issues.

Completing the cast of this family-oriented series are Matet de Leon as Gracia, the older sister of Des and aunt of the triplets; Juancho Triviño as Dwight,

a varsity player and Mayumi’s boyfriend; Prince Villanueva as Ikot, a musicallyinclined, hopeless romantic who is secretly in love with Mayumi.

InstaDAD is a contemporary and a relatable program that discusses the sweet, adventurous and challenging aspects of parenthood. The series becomes even more exciting as the family faces obstacles that will surely test Ken’s abilities of being a father.

InstaDad is directed by Neal del Rosario and will premiere on April 5 after Sunday All Stars.

GMA partners with WBR Entertainment for Willie’s WOWOWIN GMA Network and WBR Entertainment Productions, Inc. signed last March 20 the airtime agreement for the airing of Willie Revillame’s much awaited variety program WOWOWIN on GMA-7 every Sunday beginning April 26.

“We are pleased to have Willie Revillame’s program in the Network.

Willie has a very large following. Through our partnership with WBR Entertainment, GMA Network will be a part of the long awaited return of Willie Revillame on television,” says GMA Network Chairman

and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon.

“We are very grateful and glad to have our program ‘WOWOWIN’ shown in GMA Network, the no. 1 TV station in the country. We will see

to it that we deserve the trust reposed on us

by GMA Network,” says WBR’s Chairman Willie Revillame.

Present during the contract signing were GMA Network’s Atty.

Gozon; President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr.; Executive Vice President and CFO Felipe S. Yalong; WBR Entertainment’s Willie Revillame; Atty. Alfonso Reyno, Jr.; and Atty. King Reyno.

Alex Gonzaga showcases her musicality with “I Am Alex G” album TV host-actress and best-selling author Alex Gonzaga continues to unleash her talents as she now shows off her vocal prowess via her bubbly, fun, and easy listening debut album “I am Alex G” released by Star Music.

“My album is just like me–fun yet fierce. I just don’t want people to discover that I can sing. I want them to enjoy and connect to the songs so much that they can sing along with me,” said Alex who admits that her idol Taylor Swift was a major influence in her music.

“Taylor Swift was my inspiration while doing the album. Just like her, I want to perform songs that will uplift

the spirit of others,” she said. “Incidentally, I felt that ‘Taylor Swift magic’ the first time I heard my now favorite track in my album titled “Panaginip Lang.” It’s very upbeat, has strong recall and it’s a quick mood upper.”

With her debut album released, a first major concert happening in April at the Araneta Coliseum, and an upcoming primetime teleserye

“Inday Bote,” Alex has nothing but gratitude in her heart.

“All these things that are happening to me now were just once part of my dreams. But through the help of many people who gave me opportunities to share my talents and with the strong support of my fans, I am now here living my dreams.

I will forever be thankful

to all of them,” Alex said.

The “I am Alex G” album has six tracks “Di Ko Akalain,” “Alam Mo Na ‘Yan,” “Boyfriend,” “Break Na Tayo!,” “Goodbye Kiss” and her carrier single “Panaginip Lang.”

All six tracks have minus one versions in the album.

“I am Alex G” is now available at all record bars nationwide for only P199. Digital tracks can also be downloaded worldwide via online music stores such as iTunes and Mymusicstore.com.ph.

For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/ starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.

March 19-24, 2015

INSURGENT Shailene Woodley, Theo James PG

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

CINDERELLA Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Richard Madden G

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

DRAGON NEST: WARRIOR'S DAWN Jiao Xu, Guanlin Ji, Ying Huang G

R-16

12:25 | 2:20 | 4:15 | 6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

RUN ALL NIGHT/ * THE GUNMAN R16/ *R16

Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman/ * Sean Penn, Idris Elba 12:10 | 2:40 | 5:10 LFS / * 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

Security A1 but it will definitely be the heart of the future door lock market.

Yale Digital locks bring you keyless convenience to unlock your door and still keep security at the core of it all. Choose from the latest in digital locking technology – fingerprint, RFID card or smart touchpad (PIN code) – to open your door. Each offers an immediate door opening solution and adds simplicity to your lifestyle.

These digital locks also come with alarm systems for security against burglary, vandalism and fire (selected models). Combining cutting-edge technology with practical reliability, Yale Digital locks are the future of door locks.

The emergence of digital locks brings you keyless convenience and changes your lifestyle.

Digital locks shift our lifestyle, leading us to a new digital era of keyless locking!

ing a front door? Search for the keys in your bag, pick the right key, accidently drop the key, try to fit your key into the slot but realize it is upside down, turn your key but in the wrong direction…

Digital door locks allow you to access your home easily and in one step: just scan your finger on your digital lock sensor.

What Benefits Does a Digital Lock Bring You? No more rummaging through pockets or bags Have you ever thought about how many steps may be involved in open-

No more forgotten keys Do your children always forget their keys, sitting outside your home or hanging around waiting someone comes back?

Digital locks ensure this

No more locking the door Your life may always be in a rush. You may hurry to work when you oversleep or run back home to cook dinner for your family in the evening. It is easy to forget to lock your door in these situations, and your property and family members become exposed to threats from burglars! Digital door locks will automatically lock as the door closes; eliminating the risk of forgetting to lock the door every time you exit or enter your home.

problem is eliminated; you can always use your fingers to unlock your door, either via scanning your fingerprint or entering PIN code.

No more losing keys Rather than being angry with yourself or your children if a key gets lost or stolen, or if you have to find a locksmith to change your entire door lock, digital door locks offer an effective solution to these situations once and for all.

No more carrying a key Sometimes you just don’t want to carry a key around when you are out running or walking with

your dog. Just access your door using your fingers, that’s convenience and security in one.

Staying true to its corporate slogan “The World’s Favorite Lock” Yale will always provide the most innovative products that offers the most convenient way of opening your doors while keeping security at its outmost priority.

The new age of securing and opening door has begun; join us as we unlock your life with the latest technology.

The Master Brand Behind Yale Yale is part of ASSA

ABLOY global brands since year 2000; ASSA ABLOY is the world leader in total door opening solution with more than 200 brands under its portfolio. ASSA ABLOY offers intelligent opening solutions making people feel safe and secure in simple and convenient ways.

Innovation is the core of ASSA ABLOY, in fact in 2013 ASSA ABLOY was ranked 38th on Forbes’s list of the world’s most Innovative companies…ahead of Apple and Adidas.

As the world evolved and continues to transform, so as ASSA ABLOY and all its brands, how-

ever the mission stays the same, to bring INNOVATIVE solutions - creating security, safety and convenience by opening future doors.

Last February 20 in CitiHardware Buhangin, business partners and friends of CitiHardware gathered for the first— ever launch of Yale Digital Lock Collection. Guests experienced first-hand the range of lock sets of the future. It was a night of fun with food and music as the latest Yale Digital locksets were exclusively unveiled.

Yale Digital Lock Collection is available at CitiHardware stores.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO

14 MOTORING

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines announces change of leadership M

ITSUBISHI Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) formally announced the appointment of Mr. Yoshiaki Kato as the company’s new President and Chief Operating Officer effective April 1, 2015. Mr. Kato will succeed Mr. Hikosaburo Shibata who will have a new role in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC)’s global operations.

In his four years of leadership, Mr. Shibata contributed greatly in strengthening the presence of Mitsubishi Motors including the setting of record-breaking sales and improving market share amidst aggressive and growing competition in the country. In 2014, MMPC recorded an all-time high of 50,085 units sold. He also led the company in the smooth transition to their new larger and modern assembly plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna. He also led the employees on several Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs which he spearheaded.

MMPC’s incoming President and CEO, Mr. Kato is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and took his post-graduate studies at the Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia. His career started with Mitsubishi in 1988 and from then, he held significant positions in several companies such as Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd. from 1996 to 2000 and 2006 to 2011; and Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks and Bus Australia Pty. Ltd. from September 2003 to December 2005. After these assignments he returned to Japan and took the post as expert of the Europe Department and was promoted to General Manager of Europe Department in MMC. He was also recently assigned to Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co. Ltd. as Executive Vice-President for Corporate Global Unit.

“I am very pleased to be assigned in MMPC and at the same time I am also challenged as it is vital to continue or further improve

Save As Much as P100,000 with Kia’s Summer Specials

K

NOWING how much Filipinos love road trips during summer, Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), exclusive distributor of Kia Motors vehicles in the Philippines, offers Kia Sorento, Kia Rio, and Kia Picanto at significantly discounted prices.

With Kia Summer Specials, savings of as much as P 100,000 can be yours!

From March 18 to April 18, 2015, the Kia Sorento 2.2L LX A/T (5 str), in 4x2 CRDi and AWD CRDi, are available at P 80,000 off of its original prices. Now, starting at P 1,315,000, you and your family can go on an epic travel up north or down south aboard Kia’s capable off-roader. With the Sorento, get superior power, handling, and performance under the hood and enjoy a spacious and comfortable ride along the way.

Kia Rio, the talented compact, is also an ideal partner on the road. With P 40,000 off of its original price, the Kia Rio 1.4 EX 4-dr can be your ticket to an amazing group getaway. For as low as Php 665,000 for the M/T variant

and Php 705,000 for the A/T variant, you get a distinctive, urban sedan with top-notch convenience features inside.

And for an out-of-town summer date, the Kia Picanto starts at P 535,000 for the 1.0 EX M/T and P 610,000 for the 1.2 EX A/T. Save P 40,000 off of their original prices for these variants. Take advantage of the Picanto’s advanced features and practical implements, all in a chic compact.

You can also trade up old vehicles for additional P 20,000 savings for the Kia Sorento or P 10,000 savings for the Kia Rio and Kia Picanto.

CAC Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Hernando D. Gañac, Jr., shares how important this season is for families and friends.

“People really equate summer with trips to amazing places and just being with loved ones. This is a time to relax and get away from the city hustle and bustle; and so with Kia Summer Specials, you can enjoy summer on the road, save big, and get a different driving experience all at the same time.”

MMPC’s performance not only in sales but more importantly to be able to provide better service to every

valued customer apart from the world-class vehicles that we offer,” says Mr. Kato.

MMPC is among the core

markets of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. After their transfer to Santa Rosa, MMC has announced that it’s keen

to further expand its business in the country led by fresh new products such as the all-new Strada.

Aside from drivers, drifting mechanics and tuners as well have also shown they can hold their own in the global stage.

Hyundai understands the serious sport of drifting, and the Genesis Coupe is the answer to heavy drifting needs.

The Genesis Coupe’s superior styling and solid durability combined with powerful engine and precise steering gives it the maneuverability that suits the standard of drifters. Japanese drift duo Hiromi Kajikuma, and Kimihiro Obata, who will again serve as judges in the competition, can attest to the Genesis Coupe’s excellent handling, performance, and style.

On March 21, 2015, the new season of the Hyundai

Lateral Drift Pro-Am Championship Series will kick off with the first of six rounds.

The competition will take place in new venues to further expand the reach to the fans.

The venue for Round One will be at Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP Complex), while Rounds Two and Three will be held in the new Tarlac Race Park in Tarlac City and The Philippine Sports Arena in Bulacan, respectively.

Prepare for even more excitement as we welcome familiar faces in new places in this year’s competition, led by last year’s judge Jason Choachuy now pitting against other pro drivers, which include back-to-back Hyundai Lateral Drift Champion Gio Rodriguez of Team A-toy Cus-

toms.

Long-time drift instructor Paolo Arespacochaga takes Choachuy’s place in the judges’ helm, while six-time drift champion Alex Perez also joins the fray as this year’s Race Director, with a goal to further grow the sport.

Catch all the rubber-burning action on these dates: Round 1 - March 21 (CCP Complex) Round 2 - April 18 (Tarlac Race Park, Tarlac City) Round 3 - May 23 (The Philippine Sports Arena, Bulacan) Round 4 - June 20 (Venue: TBA) Round 5 - July 18 (Venue: TBA) Round 6 - Date and Venue: TBA

Hyundai Lateral Drift 2015 season kicks off March 21

T

HIS year marks the 10th season of the Lateral Drift Championship Series, which started with the goal to introduce drifting as a motorsport to Filipino enthusiasts. Since 2005, its first season, drifting in the Philippines has come a long way. Amateur and professional drifters have multiplied, cars have evolved, and the number of drifting fans is still growing continuously.

With the support of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), a partner for the 3rd straight year, the vision of Lateral Drift Productions to grow the motorsport has become a reality. Today, Filipino drivers are proving that their skills are worthy of international competition.

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

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Trainer: Old Pacman is back

By AQUILLES ZONIO

T

HE old Manny Pacquiao – with insane hand speed and devastating punching power – is back!

This was the observation given by Raides “Nonoy” Neri after watching the 10-round punishing mitts session between Pacquiao and his chief trainer Freddie Roach Wednesday afternoon at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym along Vine street here.

“He was so strong and so quick. It was so delighting to watch him train. This is the Manny Pacquiao of old!” Neri said in vernacular.

Neri compared the current Pacquiao to the guy who demolished Puerto Rican slugger Miguel Angel Cotto in November 14,2009.

“This is the same Manny Pacquiao who beat Cotto black and blue during their fight. With his speed and power, I doubt if the May 2 fight would last the full distance,” Neri added.

Referee Kenny Bayless stepped in to stop Pacquiao’s

demolition of Cotto in the last and final round of their 2009 ring duel dubbed”Firepower.”

After the mitts session, Pacquiao spent one round pounding the heavy bag and six minutes each hitting the double end and spend bags.

Today (Thursday), Pacquiao is again set to spar against two quick and strong young fighters.

On Wednesday afternoon, two additional sparring mates of the Filipino boxing superstar arrived at the Wild Card Boxing Gym here.

The duo dined with the eight-division boxing champ inside the Thai restaurant here after they were introduced by Roach to his prized ward.

Roach asked the reporters here not to divulge the name of the new fighters who had just arrived to help in the Pacquiao training camp.

“Please don’t mention their names or show their faces in television. That was their own request,” Roach said.

Roach was impressed by the performance of Pacquiao during the first sparring session last Tuesday.

“Overall, Manny performed very well. He was very impressive against the two young and speedy fighters,” Roach said.

Pacquiao sparred for three rounds against a 5’10 Welterweight Kenneth Sims, Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois.

Sims was an eight-time US national amateur boxing champion.

Roach described Sims as a slick boxer with power and good hand speed.

“He’s a Floyd Mayweather look-alike. He can simulate the moves and shoulder roll defense of Mayweather,” Roach bared.

The other guy who traded gloves with Pacquiao was a 5’9 Lightweight Edis Tatli, 27, of Helsinki, Finland.

Roach said he was happy with what he had seen during the sparring session.

HE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings picked up a key victory in its quest to hang onto one of the top eight places in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings as it routed GlobalPort, 96-81, on Saturday at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City.

Michael Dunigan and Greg Slaughter both scored 22 points to lead the Kings in the 15-point rout. Dunigan also had 18 rebounds and five blocks.

Josh Urbiztondo added 11 from off the bench.

Ginebra entered the game tied with GlobalPort and Alaska for the sixth to eighth place with identical 4-5 marks. Breathing down their necks were Barako Bull and Kia at 4-6.

With the win the Kings moved up to solo sixth at 5-5 while the Batang Pier are now tied with the Energy and Carnival.

Barangay Ginebra utterly

dominated GlobalPort in the first half. Longtime star Mark Caguioa fired the opening salvo for the Kings, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, just one shy of the entire Batang Pier team combined.

GlobalPort, as a team, squandered several opportunities in that opening period, shooting a horrid 2-for-11 (18%) from the free throw line.

That allowed Ginebra to open up a double-digit lead, 2212, at the end of one.

It wasn’t much better for GlobalPort in the second period.

Ginebra’s twin towers of Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar, both coming off the bench, teamed up to carry the squad’s offensive load early before fellow reserve Urbiztondo knocked down two three-pointers in a big Ginebra rally that gave the Kings a lead of as high as 23, 44-21, in the second.

Their locals were so good

that they didn’t need much offense from Dunigan in the first half. He had just six points but grabbed 12 rebounds over the first two periods.

Ginebra led GlobalPort, 4627, at the half with Caguioa’s 11 and Slaughter’s nine leading the way for the Kings. The Batang Pier’s lone bright spot was recently-acquired Gabby Espinas, who scored eight points on four-for-four shooting in the half.

The scores: Ginebra (96) – Dunigan 22, Slaughter 22, Caguioa 15, Urbiztondo 11, Tenorio 8, Yeo 8, Aguilar 6, Monfort 2, Baracael 0, Pena 0, Ababou 0, Brondial 0.

GlobalPort (81) – Romeo 20, Caracter 16, Miranda 11, Semerad 8, Jensen 8, Espinas 8, Taha 4, Pinto 2, Buenafe 2, Nabong 2, Isip 0, Ponferada 0, Caperal 0, Cabrera 0.

Quarterscores: 22-12, 4627, 71-52, 96-81.

ing a personal chef and paying a hefty sum for it. Imagine this, a thousand dollars per meal. The lucky kitchen master Chef Q could not even imagine she would be paid that much per meal.

That’s simply outrageous.

Then again, so is the “Money May” lifestyle.

Meantime, Manny and Freddie have begun working on their strategy in a grand mission to give Mayweather his first taste of defeat when they clash at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena in the biggest non-heavyweight fight in history.

Manny felt great putting on the headgear and spar

against young and fast sparmates whom Freddie tapped to ape the style of Mayweather. This was on St. Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick which is a cultural and religious celebration held every 17th of March which is also the death anniversary (c.

AD 385–461) of the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Let me put on some trivia here. St. Pat’s Day is kind of famous because the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption.

Back to Manny and Fred-

die, the first sparring workout showed Manny with no signs of ring rust. In that workout, Manny was said to have looked as fresh as Irish spring.

Freddie’s joke about the future when everyone and not just the boxing world celebrate St. Manny’s Day. That sure is another appointment or anointment for Manny. From boxer to politician to saint.

Amen.

Notes: Listen to “Let’s Get It On with Neil Bravo” at 105.9 Balita FM every Saturday 8 am to 10 am. You may write the author at bravoneil@rocketmail.com.

Barangay Ginebra nails important win in out-of-town rout of GlobalPort

T

Albernto De Castro

I

N Freddie Roach’s futuristic world, May 2 will be celebrated worldwide as “St. Manny’s Day.” The Hall of Fame trainer said that Pacquiao is on fire in the gym that he is so confident May 2 would be celebrated for years to come as ‘St Manny’s Day’, the day when the Filipino drove Mayweather out of boxing.

I don’t know what Freddie had eaten for a meal, but he is oozing with a lot of confidence this early. He even changed his bold prediction from taking every round to winning by a knockout.

There’s nothing wrong with being confident in a pre-

St. Manny’s Day fight buildup. It’s like building up the Pacquiao camp’s psyche. His optimism could rub off well with everyone in the team.

The Pacquuiao camp claimed that the Filipino boxing icon has developed the strategy to end US boxing champion Floyd Mayweather’s unbeaten run when the two go head-to-head in their much anticipated May 2 bout in Las Vegas. That’s a given and we take that. Every fighter has to develop some strategy for winning.

Whether it works or not, however, is another thing.

Under the watchful eyes of the boxing world, Pacquiao

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo

started his sparring workout this week doing five hard rounds with two different sparring partners at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles as he got down to the serious work.

On another corner of America, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Opened camp in style--hir-

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 261 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 22 - 23, 2015

City dad lauds DCWD’s surface water source N

O less than Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte himself lauded the efforts of Davao City Water District to secure high quality water source to provide and anticipate for the growing water needs of Davao City with its rapidly growing population and emergence of new industries. This he expressed after the contract signing of DCWD and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (AAII) for the Tamugan Surface Water Development Project (TSWDP) last March 17 at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Signatories were DCWD Board Chairman Eduardo A. Bangayan and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation (JVACC) president Jose Virgilio R. Angeles Jr. for AAII. Mayor Duterte signed as witness along with DCWD general manager Edwin V. Regalado According to Regalado, TSWDP is DCWD’s response to the growing water needs of Davao City. “DCWD is majorly using ground water source in

serving almost 200,000 water connections in 108 of the 182 barangays in the city. However, Davao City is expanding at an exponential rate as it develops into a world class metropolitan and, in the long run, the existing water sources will not be enough, thus the need to tap other water sources,” he said.

As early as the 1990s, DCWD already eyed the use of Tamugan River as the best alternative water source for the city. However, per previous assessment, it would entail high development cost. This prompted the water utility to postpone pursuing the project and focus its effort on watershed rehabilitation instead.

DCWD had a major breakthrough when JVACC submitted an unsolicited proposal for a joint venture to develop Tamugan River. And this catapulted the creation of DCWD’s Joint Venture Selection Committee to facilitate the realization of the TSWDP.

The project consists of two parts. First is the implementation of treated bulk water supply facilities and second is the administration of the primary distribution pipe mains, storage facilities and pipeline appurtenances. The first four years of the project will be allotted for the preliminary and construction periods while the delivery period will span 30 years.

According to Regalado, only Cabantian, Calinan, Dumoy, Panacan and Tugbok water supply systems will benefit from the TSWDP while Lubogan, Malagos, Riverside, Tibungco and Toril water supply systems will continue to operate using ground water.

Water systems to be supplied by the TSWDP were identified according to order of prioritization in terms of service coverage, transmission line route and impending water quality issues.

The TWSDP will ultimately help solve the water quality

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte lauds Davao City Water District’s efforts to provide adequate water supply to the Davaoeños. Mayor Duterte signs as witness in the contract between DCWD and Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. (AAII) for the development of a new water source for Davao City using the Tamugan River. With him are (seated from L) DCWD general manager Edwin V. Regalado, Chairman Eduardo A. Bangayan and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation president Jose Virgilio R. Angeles Jr. for AAII. Standing behind are DCWD official spokesperson Atty.

Bernardo D. Delima Jr. and Director Atty. Charmalou D. Aldevera. and water supply problems in District 2 or the northern part of the city. Also with TSWDP, DCWD intends to create three

additional water supply systems, namely, Mandug, Indangan and Talandang to expand the water utility’s services to

additional eight barangays also in the northern part of the city. (Jovana T. Duhaylungsod)