Edge Davao 8 Issue 112

VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

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RUN SARA RUN Followers tie green ribbons for Sara comeback

EDGEDAVAO

WHAT ARE THE GREEN RIBBONS FOR? A green ribbon is tied to a post near the Andres Bonifacio monumenbt along A. Pichon Sr. Street, Davao City. Green ribbons surfaced yesterday and were found on most electric posts and fences of major thoroughfares.

According to sources, the ribbons were allegedly placed by the supporters of former Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, calling her to run as mayor of the city in next year’s election. Armand B. Fenequito Jr.

Serving a seamless society

BY CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

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S Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio running for mayor again?

This question cropped up yesterday as Davao City streets began to be flooded with green ribbons in apparent support of the candidacy of Duterte-Carpio for mayor in the 2016 election.

The green ribbons were tied in electric posts and fences of major thoroughfares and even at the rotunda where the monument of national hero Andres Bonifacio stands.

Supporters are reportedly trying to convince Duterte-Carpio to run for mayor in the event her father, Mayor Rodrigo R. Dutere, decides to join the presidential race next year.

The color green symbolized Duterte-Carpio’s administration when she served as mayor from 2010 to 2013.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the proliferation of the green ribbons but a source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is now a citywide

INSIDE EDGE

Leyte massing up for Duterte P2 4 Mindanawons win Palanca awards P2

campaign to prod Duterte-Carpio to seek the city’s highest post in the coming electoral exercise.

“If there is a ‘Run Rody Run’ campaign, there is also this ‘Run Sara Run’ movement,” the source said.

EDGE Davao went to Duterte-Carpio’s law firm along Roxas Avenue yesterday morning to seek her comment but was told she was out of the office.

Mayor Duterte had earlier indicated he wants his daughter to succeed him if he decides not to seek reelection.

Duterte-Carpio is also the preferred candidate of the people of Davao for mayor. In a survey conducted by the Institute of Public Opinion (IPO) last July, 80 percent of the 1,200 respondents said they would vote for Duterte-Carpio if the elections were held today.

The latest result was big jump from Duterte-Carpio’s showing of

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

FORMER MEETS FUTURE. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte eagerly listens to former President Fidel V. Ramos who gave advice and pointers on how to govern the country. Duterte on Monday told the former leader that he is veering towards running for President next year.

Barzaga says probe vs. Aquino, Abad shows no selective justice

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AVITE Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., vice president of the National Unity Party (NUP), on Wednesday said the fact-finding probe against President Benigno Aquino III and Budget Sec. Butch Abad would show that there is no selective justice under the Aquino administration.

“The disclosure of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales conclusively shows that contrary to the claims of the opposition and critics of the administration, Ombudsman Morales is not engaged in selective prosecution. Unlike some politicians and government officials who cannot perform their job quietly without fanfare

and media mileage,” Barzaga said.

“Ombudsman Morales has shown that she is performing her constitutional duty without publicity conducting fact finding investigation even against the highest elective official of the land, the person who actually appointed her to office. Notably the inquiry comes from a critic of the administration Cong. Zarate and therefore the opposition cannot claim that the question and answer is just a farce,” Barzaga added.

The veteran lawmaker predicted that President Aquino and Abad will be able to surpass the fact-finding

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3 Dabawenyos win 65th Palanca Awards

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OUR Mindanawons, three of them Dabawenyos, are among this year’s winners in the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards).

Two Dabawenyos won the first prize — Charisse-Fuschia “Peachy” A. Paderna in the Poetry category for her collection, “An Abundance of Selves” andErrol A. Merquita for the Tula para sa mga Bata category, for “Ang Iisang Paa ng Tsinelas,” a collection of poems on children displaced by war and climate change.

Another Dabawenyo, Miguel Antonio N. Lizada, won third prize for the Essay category for “The Bangkok Masseur”while Elyrah L. Salan-

ga-Torralba won 3rdprize in the Poetry written for Children category, for“The Cockroach’s Prayer.”Salanga-Torralba, who received her fourth Palanca, is the eldest daughter of Alicia Loyola of Zamboanga City and the late Alfrredo Navarro Salanga of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, a seven-time Palanca awardee.

A total of 57 literary artists were honored at the 65thPalanca Awards ceremony at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City on September 1. This year, the Palanca Awards, considered the most prestigious and longest-running literary contest in the country, accepted 895 entries in 22 categories.

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Leyte massing up for Mayor Duterte

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Mayor Duterte? Here in Tacloban?” a passenger waiting for her flight at the Daniel Romualdez Airport asks repeatedly in Waray.

The lady passenger must have been intrigued by an entourage holding up welcome streamers for Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who was slated to arrive in Tacloban that Saturday afternoon.

Duterte was the main guest at the Leyte Electric Cooperative III’s 36th annual general membership

meeting in Tunga, Leyte, about 40 minutes from Tacloban.

The woman simply found it hard to believe that the Davao mayor would indeed be coming to Tacloban in the flesh.

It is not that Duterte coming to Tacloban was improbable. Rather it was a reflection of how most people in Leyte hold the Davao mayor in respect and admiration.

Duterte was the first local executive outside Leyte who arrived in

Ground Zero after typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons in the world, unleashed its wrath in 2013.

The mayor, who brought in manpower, medicines, food and relief goods to the people of Tacloban and other parts of Leyte, came and went without fanfare.

Good deeds, however, will not remain unnoticed and Duterte’s is one of them.

“I just want to shake his hand. I was walking

barefoot, hungry and shivering not knowing what to do. He saw me, gave me food, dry clothes and rubber sandals,” a woman in her 60s said, explaining her insistence to wait in line in the searing heat for the mayor to emerge from his speech in Tunga.

Duterte recalled his post-Yolanda response to Philippine Daily Inquirer editors and writers, confessing for the first time that he stopped at least

land,” he said.

He said is KEC is the same firm that conducted the feasibility study on the proposed Light Railway Transit (LRT) system for Davao City.

Rigor said the bridge study will be conducted separately from a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which was commissioned by the National Economic and

Development Authority (NEDA) 11.

“We expect the chances of putting that bridge is already near reality,” he said.

Last January, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 11 approved the conduct of a feasibility study for the construction of the Davao-Samal Bridge which has an estimated

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Korean firm tapped to study Davao City - IGaCoS bridge

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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HE long wait for a bridge connecting Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) may soon be over as Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte commissioned a South Korean firm to do a feasibility study.

This was bared by City Planning Development Office (CPDO) Plans and Programs Division head engineer

Jose Froilan T. Rigor in yesterday’s I-Speak media forum.

Rigor said he saw the signature of Duterte accepting the proposal of Korea Engineering and Construction (KEC) for the study of a possible bridge connecting Davao City and IGACOS. “This declares that the Mayor is now open for a bridge connecting Davao City and Samal Is-

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

Country’s LGUs learn from DavOr’s program for rebs

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BIOMETRICS DONE. Registrants take advantage of the two-day satellite registration of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 11 at City Hall to have their biometrics taken yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Waste segregation in barangays pushed

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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HE Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) is strengthening its information and education campaign on waste segregation in the barangays.

Speaking in yesterday’s I-Speak media forum, CENRO assistant head Dolly B. Remojo told reporters that while it may be redundant on their part, her office needs to remind barangay officials to strictly implement waste

segregation in their respective areas.

Remojo said segregation is part of City Ordinance No. 0371-10 or the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009 which penalizes people who do not segregate their trash.

She said there are barangays in the city that let their constituents throw their garbage without segregating them.

“It’s sad to note that not

all barangays not practice segregation and composting,” she said.

Remojo said CENRO reprimanded one barangay captain because he allowed the opening of a dump site in the barangay, which is prohibited by the ordinance.

She said the barangay leaders should be the ones to implement waste segregation and be responsible for the collection of residual and biodegradable wastes.

Remojo said the reason the sanitary landfill in New Carmen, Tugbok district is getting filled up way ahead of its 15-year life span is that biodegradable wastes still make their way to it.

Earlier, CENRO head engineer Elisa Madrazo said the 3.5-hectare landfill, which was opened in 2010, will be filled up by 2018 even though it was designed to last until 2020 or even 2025.

AVAO City will receive more than P350 million in projects from the Philippine Rural Development Plan (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) next year.

Speaking in yesterday’s I-Speak media forum, City Planning Development Office (CPDO) Plans and Programs division head engineer Jose Froilan T. Rigor told reporters the city will receive P344 million for road projects in Barangay Subasta, Calinan district and Barangays Malabog and Fatima in Paquibato district.

“This is the first time of the city to avail itself of the program since its national implementation in 2013,” Rigor said.

Rigor said the projects are intended to connect farmers in far-flung areas to the market.

He said a road in Subasta will lead to Toril district, while a bridge will be built in Fatima that will connect it to Barangay Callawa in Buhangin District. A road will be built from the distant sitio of Kialao to Malabog.

“In order for the farmers’ production to improve, we also need to improve the road networks of this area,” Rigor said.

He said aside from the P344 million for the road networks, the PRDP will also provide P38 million in assistance to the Subasta Multipurpose Cooperative which manufactures cacao that is exported abroad.

Rigor said the assistance will help the group improve its production technology.

He said based on the city’s five-year commodity investment plan, cacao production is the crop that has most potential for development.

Rigor said Davao City is already one of the major producers of cacao in the country. He said the city will also invest in cassava, cardava banana, and rubber.

Earlier, the City Council approved an ordinance authorizing Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DA on the PRDP. During the hearing of the City Council committee on rule, privileges, laws and ordinances last February 4, PRDP deputy director Consolacion E. Satorre said the program is jointly funded by national and local government and the

World Bank.

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

The city already issued

Executive Order No. 49 series of 2014 implementing the creation of the PRDP-City Program Management and Implementing Unit (CPMIU) of the DA to comply with the program design. (ABF)

Davao City to get P350M for agri projects D

ATI CITY, Davao Oriental – Members of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) committees from all over the country, together with their respective Department of Interior and Local Government regional directors, recently visited Davao Oriental to benchmark the province’s successful CLIP implementation, mainly on the establishment and operation of the Happy Home – a halfway house for rebel returnees, which has been gaining the attention of different LGUs and agencies for its best practices.

The delegations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, arrived in batches within a series of three-day benchmarking period last August 25-27, learned how the Provincial Government manages to push for the establishment of the Happy Home which helps former rebels transition to civilian life.

A brainchild of Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon, the

Happy Home was inaugurated in April 2013 when the Philippine Army officially declared Davao Oriental as development-ready.

The facility was established as part of the Provincial Government’s thrust to firmly install the pillars of shared peace and prosperity in the province.

The facility’s major goal is to provide a transition home that offers enabling services for total healing, rehabilitation and preparation of former rebels for complete integration into mainstream society and to motivate them to become productive and law abiding citizens.

To ensure effectiveness of the facility, the strategy basically involves the implementation of various initiatives and activities that covers the areas of values formation, community integration, capacity building, skills development, and empowerment through education, among many others. (KAREN LOU

DELOSO)

LPA dissipates, but rains to continue due to ITCZ

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OST parts of the country will continue to experience cloudy skies with rains on Thursday due to the presence of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Shaira Nonot said the ITCZ is now affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

ITCZ, which is the thick clouds coming from the south of Asia, is considered a breeding ground for low-pressure areas (LPAs)

or potential cyclones.

Nonot said the low pressure area seen hovering since last week has already dissipated on Wednesday.

For Thursday forecast, Nonot said the presence of ITCZ will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the provinces of Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon and Mindoro.

She said fair weather or partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country including Metro Manila. (PNA)

EARLY BIRDS. Street food vendors in Davao City converge at the Davao City Recreation Center-Almendras Gym early in the morning yesterday even though the food safety seminar is scheduled at 1:00 p.m. Some vendors said they arrived early to have a better chance to getting inside and join the seminar. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

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Research, innovation to up ASEAN’s competitiveness

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key official from Mindanao underscored the importance of investing in research and development to improve the competitiveness of ASEAN economies in pursuit of the objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

At the recently concluded 5th International Conference on Public Organization (ICONPO) held at the Ateneo de Davao University, Undersecretary Janet Lopoz, executive director of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said there is strong correlation between the growth and level of economic maturity of economies in ASEAN and their investments in research and development and innovation.

“Based on studies conducted by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation

Agency, research and development play major roles in the creation of development plans that will drive the growth among ASEAN economies,” said Lopoz.

She added that research and development will lead to innovations that will improve the implementation of strategies in infrastructure and investments.

“We should look into how research and our teachings can trigger more innovation so that we can increase productivity and improve economic opportunities for the larger part of the population,” Lopoz added.

In a bid to boost research and development in Mindanao, MinDA established the Mindanao Knowledge, Research and Policy Center, which is a network of the pool of knowledge and in-

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Barangays to issue ID’s to food handlers, vendors

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OOD handlers and food vendors in Davao City who participated in the two-batch seminar on proper food hand can start claiming their mayor’s identification cards (IDs) from their respective barangays two weeks from now.

“The City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) will distribute the IDs per district,” City Health Office (CHO) sanitation division head Robert C. Ocuner told reporters in an interview yesterday.

Davao has three districts, with District 1 having the most number of vendors and food handlers because of the Poblacion area.

CHO estimated that the city has around 7,000 to 8,000 individuals who need seminar on food handling.

Ocuner said the CPDO is prioritizing the distribution of mayor’s ID of those 4,700 food handlers and vendors who took part in the first seminar at the Almendras Gym last August.

The second batch of seminar scheduled yesterday was attended by more than 3,000 vendors and food handlers as of 12 noon.

Ocuner said food handlers and vendors started to arrive in the venue around 7 a.m. yesterday, but the seminar was at 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon.

“Some vendors from Calinan District arrived in a dump truck in the venue,” he said.

After claiming certificate of attendance from CHO, participants will proceed to

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PhilConstruct now underway

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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HILCONSTRUCT 2015, Mindanao’s biggest three-day construction exhibition, kicks off at the SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center today.

“This year’s exhibit is bigger than last year’s,” event chair Engr. Ramon Allado told EDGE Davao yesterday.

Allado said some 350 exhibitors, mostly Manila-based companies from the construction industry, will participate in the three day exhibition which will last until Sunday.

This is higher than the 285 exhibitors who participated in the 2014 PhilConstruct Mindanao.

“We have exhibitors like machinery suppliers, equipment manufacturers, construction materials suppliers, technology providers and construction firms,” Allado said, adding that distributor of top brands in the construction industry will be also present during the event.

Top construction firms in the country like the Makati Development Corporations, Engineer-

ing Equipment Corporation and D.M. Consunji, Inc. will take part in the exhibition, according to Allado.

“Bringing the latest technology here is necessary to support the booming construction industry of the region,” he said.

Such exhibition provides players in the local construction industry in Davao and Mindanao a single venue where the latest technology is showcased.

“It allows local construction industry players to keep abreast of new

products and technology available in the market,” Allado said.

There will be also series of training and seminars that will be conducted along with the exhibit.

Organizers will also hold technical forum dubbed Technoforum 2015 which is conducted for the capacity building of different stakeholder in the construction industry.

2016.

“December and January will be our critical period as the forecast says the region will expect lowest rainfall pattern particularly in the provinces of Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur,” Recoter said in a statement.

Among the strategies identified under the action plan, “include installation of 200 Open Source Pumps (OSPs) for irrigators’ associations (IAs) under rice program. Another 25 units of OSPs will be installed through the provincial local government units (PLGU) under the corn program.”

For high-value crops program, the DA 11 is proposing the establishment of

small-scale irrigation projects such as spring development and water pump rehabilitation. The program will also provide vegetable seeds including mung bean and soya beans.

Other interventions for crop sub-sector include buffer stocking of seeds for farmers to immediate plant and recover after the dry spell. “We will also provide pesticides and rodenticides as pests outbreak is expected during droughts,” Recoter said.

For livestock sub-sector, the DA regional office will be providing vitamins and antibiotics and will ensure buffer stocks for forage seeds and train farmers on silage

making.

Compostela Valley provincial agriculturist Rolando Simene said DA and LGUs should also look into pooling of water resources among IAs and prioritize irrigating the severely affected areas.

“Our province will have an inventory of existing shallow tube wells [STWs] and possible areas for installation. We will tap our existing drilling project to help rehabilitate STWs,” he said.

Recoter said part of the proposed regional funding is to conduct four Cloud Seeding Operations (CSO) operations at P3-million per activity. CSO is a method of inducing rain clouds to pro-

The event is organized by the Philippine Construction Association and Davao Construction Association.

P95-M plan to combat El Niño T

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) 11 proposed a P95-million funding for a regional mitigation action plan to ease the adverse effects of El Niño set to reach its peak this month.

The proposed funding for the action plan came after a consultative meeting held at the DA regional office among DA 11 regional director Remelyn Recoter, provincial agriculturists and veterinarians.

The proposal is based on the weather bureau’s forecast that the region might experience near normal rain condition from August to November 2015 while normal condition is expected from November 2015 to January

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EDITORIAL

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

True color

HEN members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo took to the streets to protest what they insist was government’s inference into their affairs after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima acted on a criminal complaint filed against eight INC ministers, the adventure not only revealed the state’s weakness to mass action of this magnitude but also unmasked the true character of some of our country’s leaders.

When thousands of INC followers rallied in front of the Department of Justice office and later on along EDSA, that resulted in a monstrous traffic jam and caused inconvenience to thousands of commuters, motorists and residents, there they were – Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senators Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero and Ferdinand “Bonbong” Marcos Jr. – all riding on the issue and taking the opportunity to express their support to the INC. De Lima was being crucified for acting on the complaint against INC ministers, and those who marched the streets had asked for her head as the religious sect anchored its position on the principle of separation of the church and state. There was actually nothing

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wrong with what the INC did as the right to assembly is guaranteed under the Bill of Rights, but the DOJ, too, was just doing its job in hearing the criminal complaint.

The rally had long ended, with the INC leadership declaring victory reportedly after an agreement was reached between the religious sector and the government, but what caught the peoples’ attention was the manner in which Binay and the others reacted over the issue. All of them, including Escudero, Poe, and Marcos didn’t want to antagonize the INC and all rushed to its side. Getting the blessing of the INC, which is known for its bloc voting, is far too tempting to ignore, even if the whole issue involves the rule of law, as in this case.

But if the action takes by Binay and Marcos was to be expected, that of Escudero and Poe revealed their true color, especially on the part of Poe who is a possible presidential candidate in the 2016 election. The country has had enough of traditional politicians, but we may have to face the sad reality that they not only continue to exist but are growing in numbers.

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EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

Buena Familia stars lead GMA’s Kadayawan party

By Kenneth Irving Ong WANTING to make every festival more colourful GMA Network’s stars were all over Davao City last August 23 to celebrate the Kadayawan Festival.

GMA’s dramarama sa hapon gem Buena Familia delighted Dabawenyos straight out of their TV sets as lead stars Kylie Padilla and Martin del Rosario together with Julian Trono held a Kapuso Mall show at the Gaisano Mall of Davao.

Kapuso fans saw Kylie, Martin, and Julian up close and personal at the Atrium of the Gaisano Mall of Davao. The Buena Familia stars showed off their

Kylie Padilla takes a selfie with a fan. talents in thrilling special numbers they have prepared for the audience.

Kylie, who also lent her voice to Mariang Sinukuan the Filipino animated series Alamat, captivated the crowd with her singing and hosting skills while co-star and heartthrob Martin del Rosario sang songs and was game to take selfies with the fans.

K Pop System-trained dancer Julian made the crowd beg for more with his electrifying dance moves. When asked how he managed such electri-

fying moves, he credited the intense K Pop training he received in Korea. “I was hand-picked

by J.U. Entertainment and was sent to train in Korea,” said Julian, who also hosts GMA’s multi-platform boy band search To The Top, “Typically the K Pop training is done through the course of one year, in my case it was shortened to two weeks, so the lessons were really intense.”

And it was with intense performances that the Kapuso stars made Kadayawan extra special.

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Twogether forever Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

LOVE is proof that two heads are better than one; one is useless without the other. A few weeks ago, my niece Meryl Louise E. Tacio took the vow to become Mrs. Normel Lapinig. And love, so goes a line of a song, comes from the most unexpected places. She is from Bansalan,

Davao del Sur while he is from Zamboanga City.

But as fate would have it, both studied in Davao City. It was on July 7, 2007 when the two first had a chance encounter. Meryl was invited by her board mate who was celebrating his birthday at the Mer Grande in Toril. It so hap-

pened also that he brought Normel to accompany him.

It was not a case of love at first sight. “I liked Meryl because of the way she spoke. Her Bisayan intonation was very different from the other girls who were there during the party,” Normel recalled.

That was their first meeting. Nothing unusual; there was no spark. It was just an ordinary meeting of two persons. The two met again in the campus where both were attending. Every now and then, they saw each other in the subdivision where they were staying as neighbors.

A few weeks after their first meeting, they met again -- in a bar. “That

night, he asked for my phone number but I refused,” Meryl recalled. She didn’t bother to explain why she wouldn’t give her number to him.

Then, on August 17, the two encountered again.

It was by chance again.

Meryl and her friends were watching a concert but it rained so hard that they decided to go to a bar instead. And lo and behold, there was Normel. They talked for quite some time and Normel asked for her phone number again. This time, Meryl relented.

For the next two days, they were exchanging text messages. As it is normal these days, Normel courted her via text messages.

Meryl was thinking if it

Buena Familia stars Martin del Rosario, Kylie Padilla, and Julian Trono pose with the crowd in a Kapuso Mall Show at the Gaisano Mall of Davao.

was really love and if she really had fallen for him.

It was a decision that she didn’t want to gamble on.

Also, she was thinking of her parents. “What would they do if they found out?” she asked herself.

When she was already sure of herself, she finally accepted Normel, who was two years older than her.

“I was on my second year in college when Normel graduated in 2008,” she admitted.

After graduation, Normel went to Manila and stay there for one year.

He was a seaman and so he spent another year on board.

“I waited for him for

two years,” Meryl said, “but the communication of the two us was constant.

He called me every now and then. We also sent text messages.”

On April 2010, Normel returned back and brought Meryl to his family in Zamboanga City without her parents knowing it.

“We stayed there for one week and then we came back to Davao City,” Meryl said.

Normel left her again.

But it was good that she was working and had to put her energy and focus her mind on her work. In 2011, Normel came back and fortunately or unfortunately she got pregnant.

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N the land of the blind, the one eyed men are kings. So who rules social media, with its millions of eyes?

--I had an interesting conversation with my cousin recently about social media and how it was affecting the fields of public relations, marketing, advertising, media, and communications in general. Having earned my stripes in these fields during the years before social media, I was telling him that while the basic concept of sender-message-medium-receiver have remained essentially the same, it becomes an entirely new ballgame once you bring social media into the picture.

Structurally, all communications still follow the same pattern. Someone wants to say something to someone else, and chooses the best way to get the message across. But where there used to be three distinct elements of sender, media, and receiver, with social media there has been a contraction in the communications chain and certain functions of the “media” have been absorbed by both the sender and the receiver. Which is why we see companies (like Red Bull) creating their own media platforms, and amateur journalists broadcasting their own messages about brands using traditional and social media outlets (like the Washington Post’s Freelance Network).

“

Happiness,” said Rosamunde Pilcher, “is making the most of what you have.”

When people start to want those things which they cannot have, complications arise. A wife wants a new house while the husband desires to have a new car. The daughter looks forward having a two-week vacation in another country while the son yearns for a new computer with latest gadgets.

If these longings can’t be met, then tears and sadness ensue. A fight is bound to happen along the way. Can a person live a simple life and live happily? “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated,” Confucius stated. “As you simplify your life,” Henry David Thoreau explained, “the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

So why make such a big fuss on making simple things complicated? “One reason why people have difficulty in getting across their idea is because they use more words than needed,” says a sage. “I know. I have done so too many times to count. I keep babbling on and on about something for far too long and fill the air with too many words.”

In some instances, that can be a good and enjoyable thing. But more often than not, talking about things that most people will have a hard time understanding is just a way to feed your own ego and keep the spotlight on yourself for as long as possible. “A lot of the time I think it can be useful to simplify and try to use fewer words,” the sage finally admits.

Keep it short and simple. That was also the advice of Rev. Harold R. Watson, the former director of the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) and recip-

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Social media conversations Another significant change that social media has brought is in the way the communications operate, p a r t i c u l a r ly in terms of the speed and scope that messages can now travel. From ideas spreading only as fast as the speediest horses and camels to today’s instantaneous and borderless messaging capabilities, communications professionals must be able to think and act just as quickly and comprehensively as technology would allow.

So from the perspective of communications professionals, the combination of these new structural and operational realities creates familiar yet unique challenges in the areas of brand management, crisis communications, and media relations.

Brand Management: Companies are no longer in control of the whole process. Once out in the public, a message can develop a life of its own, multiplying exponentially, and, depending on how it is received by the public,

could make or break the future of a company or a person literally overnight.

What to do: Branding specialists must be as agile as their target audience in responding to and guiding developing social media conversations. They should make their communications plans flexible in the application of messaging strategies, without sacrificing the larger branding objectives.

Crisis Communications: Trying to manage the communications between two parties is hard enough. Imagine if you have to mediate for millions of people all talking at the same time. This is the kind of environment that communications professionals work in when they engage in social media conversations.

What to do: Communications professionals must have good ears on the ground in order to separate the various threads of conversations and identify which ones lead to a solution. They should work on developing strong network links among communities of common interests that can help amplify the message, or reduce the amount of noise in the environment.

Media Relations: Traditional media outlets will never be able to compete with the global community of amateur journalists when it comes to the variety and speed of reporting the news. At anytime of the day,

anywhere in the world, whatever is happening, expect that there will always be someone there to take a photo or shoot a video. This is something that no television station or newspaper, no matter how big, will have the resources to do.

What to do: Media companies should evolve from gathering news to providing analysis and commentary on what is being reported. There should be more use of expert opinion on how certain news stories impact specific communities. Systems and technologies should be developed to harness the citizen journalists as a resource for the company.

--And so the crisis with the Iglesia ni Cristo has passed, and among all the candidates whose credentials are being ballyhooed as possible presidential material, it is clearly Davao City’s Rody Duterte who came out as being the best qualified in handling these kinds of situations. More than just making pronouncements to the media, Mayor Duterte was decisive in allowing the church members to have their rally, but firm in making them obey the law while they were are it.

This is the kind of common sense leadership that we need. Not the all-talk, media-centric pseudo leaders that dominate the national headlines.

ient of the 1985 Ramon Mag- THINK ON THESE! saysay Award for peace and international understanding. He is a believer of E.F. S c h u m a c k e r, the man behind the bestselling Small is Beautiful. “Any intel- Henrylito D. Tacio ligent fool can henrytacio@gmail.com make things bigger, more complex, and more violent,” Schumacker said. “It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.”

Coming from the United States, Watson introduced modern technologies in a 19-hectare farm in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. But small-scale farmers didn’t know how to use those tractors, drip irrigations, and artificial insemination, among others. Watson changed his strategy. He talked with the farmers and learned what they already knew. And from there, he developed what can be done to help them. “It takes technical people to make things complicated but a wise man to make complicated things simple and workable,” he said.

Hearing Watson talk, I was reminded of the words of American industrialist Lee Iacocca: “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” Well, look at those technical papers and reports. Do people read them?

Most of them are in university or public libraries gathering dust. Indeed, what a waste of valuable information.

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak,” master painter and pioneering educator Hans Hofmann reminds. To which the great novelist Ernest Hemingway adds, “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”

If these famous people can do things in simple manner, why can’t we? “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” Italian painter Leonardo Da Vinci once said. “Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” That’s what Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said.

Know who you are and your standing in life. “Knowing your purpose simplifies your life,” wrote Rick Warren, the author of the bestselling The Purpose-Driven Life. “It defines what you do and what you don’t do.

Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t.”

More often than not, all of us want to be a star, to be the center of attraction. But only few can become a star in his own right. So, if you can’t be a star, then be a tree. But be a tree that bears fruit. And if you cannot be a tree, then be contented of being a grass. Don’t settle, however, of being just a grass. If possible, be the best grass of all grasses. Simple enough, isn’t it?

Why make things so complicated? Karen Jogerst, author of If I Could Just Get Organized!, suggests, “Take a few things off your plate and take a vacation, get some sleep, eat better, drink less coffee, resolve any conflicts weighing on your mind, get some exercise, get away by yourself once in awhile, take off a few pounds, read a good book, and stop and smell the roses.”

Now, let’s go back to words. Simpler words are easier to understand: use flood instead of inundate, kiss instead of osculate, woman instead of dowager. Write to express not to impress, my editor thundered. “In the beginning was the word,” John 1:1 stated.

It came to pass that the heart, the brain and the tongue agreed that they would not make any more simple words. “Those simple words only weigh me down and make me soft,” the heart said. “Today, everyone must use complex words.”

The brain added, “Great ideas, formulas, speculation – these are the things that produce results. Simple words are only a waste of time.”

The tongue agreed: “I specialize in technical terms, foreign words, and great speeches. I can’t be bothered any longer with simple words.”

So the heart began to send only complex and harsh words to the tongue. The brain produced only learned words and the tongue made great speeches. No more simple words came from the lips. After that decision, the world became empty, cold, and hopeless.

But there were some people who remembered the simple words. They started to search for them in past history. At first, they were afraid of being laughed at. But interestingly, the simple words, with their builtin joy, began to pass from mouth to mouth, from head to head, from heart to heart, and in no time they won wide circulation. And the world became a friendlier place to live again.

Do you want to know what those simple words are? Among them are: Thanks! Welcome! Please! Keep up the good work! May I help you? Don’t quit! I’m sorry! Take care!

That’s excellent! I miss you! I love you! God bless you!

Simple is beautiful

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10 NEWS P95-M... FROM 5

duce rainfall by dispensing salt to rain-bearing clouds.

“Cloud seeding will only be conducted if the affected areas is at least 1,000 hectares with existence of standing crops at critical growth stage,” Recoter clarifies while referring to the guidelines from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).

Other criteria include critical water level in reservoirs, no adverse effects on other crops, and presence of seedable clouds in the area including peace and order condition.

If the requesting party is

the provincial LGU, it must submit letter of request to BSWM through the DA region with attached Sangguniang Panglungsod resolution while for private entities, it must submit board resolution from its governing body.

Recoter said DA Secretary Proceso Alcala has issued an order for regional offices to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives in agriculture. These include disaster risk management training and redesigning of climate-resilient infrastructure. (CRC/ with PR)

CPDO for their ID picture.

Ocuner warned vendors of the fake certificate of attendance now being sold at P300.

“The police are now conducting necessary investigation,” he said.

The city government is targeting to finish the distribution of IDs by the end of September and start the implementation Mayor’s order by the October first week.

As of Wednesday, Ocuner said about 50 percent of food handlers including vendors are now following the mayor’s order.

“Some vendors are already wearing masks and hair nets,” he added.

Ocuner said both the consuming public and the food vendors will benefit from this initiative of the city government as it promotes food safety. CRC

formation from the island’s higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutions, training institutions, and service providers.

“The context is that we now have to empower the HEIs and research institutions in building their capacities to prepare human resources and bridge the gap between industry, research institutions, and academe,” Lopoz added.

She said the network is established with the aim to trigger more innovative ideas and researches that will power the industries and economies of Mindanao.

Lopoz said innovation is among the three strategies – investment, infrastructure, and innovation – that is being implemented in preparing Mindanao for the AEC. In the international level, she said the senior officials of Brunei Darussalam Indo-

nesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) has adopted the Socio-Cultural and Education Pillar in 2014 in their view of the recognition that innovation is a very important strategy to prepare their economies for the ASEAN Integration.

BIMP-EAGA is an economic cooperation formally created to spur development in the lagging sub-economies of the member countries by boosting intra-EAGA trade, tourism, and investments “With the changing landscape, we hope to see empowered and synchronized higher economic, learning, and research institutions that provide innovative researches and business models designed to increase competitiveness and prepare the ASEAN economies for the much anticipated integration,” said Lopoz.

cost of P10 billion.

In a statement, NEDA 11 said the proposal “stems from the results of a pre-feasibility study funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which was a component of the Davao Integrated Development Program (DIDP) Master Plan formulated in 1999 with an estimated project cost of P6.48 billion for a two-lane suspension bridge with a length of 1,200 meters.”

NEDA said a separate study done by consultants from Katahira and Engineers International in 2005 recommended

alternative start and end points, increasing the proposed bridge length to 1,350 meters and consequently raising the project cost to P15.93 billion.

RDC 11 approved a recommendation by the consultants for the conduct of a full-blown feasibility study on the project in 2015.

The feasibility study will be funded by the NEDA Feasibility Study Fund and is targeted to be completed by 2016 before Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario steps down from his post next year.

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64 percent in the October 2014 survey. The increase also took place despite the former mayor not yet declaring her intention to mount a political comeback.

Duterte-Carpio had earlier said she is not interested in seeking the mayoral post next year, although a representative of her father, Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio

Evasco Jr., had told her in June to prepare for a possible shot at the mayoralty.

Mayor Duterte himself is now being pushed by his supporters to run for president in 2016.

The clamor became more evident and widespread during the culmination of the nationwide caravan in Davao City last week when thousands

of supporters trooped to Rizal Park here to show their support.

In that rally, Duterte did not gave a categorical rejection of the peoples’ snowballing clamor and instead asked for time to talk to his family, specifically his daughter Sara.

Duterte’s apparent bid for the presidency received a major boost

when the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban started talks for a possible alliance and fielding of the popular mayor as their common candidate in the May election.

Duterte also met with former President Fidel V. Ramos days ago and reportedly got advice on how to run the country.

twice because he could no longer hold back his tears.

The mayor is feared for his tough approach to crime and drugs in his city but his constituents know they can always count on him.

“It was already dark when Mayor Duterte arrived, I think he was in pajamas, to give relief goods and hand over a check,” recalled Southern Leyte Gov. Roger Mercado who welcomed the mayor when he attended the Roa Clan reunion in Maasin City last May. Ormoc oldtimers still remember that Duterte sent relief goods and manpower when the city was devastated by a flash flood in 1991. He also responded to the Ginsaugon

landslide in 2006.

Few people outside Leyte are aware of this because Duterte always made it a point to get things done without fanfare.

In fact, one of his instructions to the Davao 911 responders before they left for Tacloban was to refuse interviews and just stick to their job.

Duterte does not hide the fact that he has a soft spot for Leyte.

“It is the land of my birth. It is the home of my people,” he has declared more than once, as though reciting a solemn pledge for a people who have a special place in his heart.

Indeed, aside from the fact that Duterte was

born in Maasin, Southern Leyte, the emerging political star from Mindanao has proven time and again that he has sympathized with Leytenos in their times of sorrow.

Visayas has contributed three Presidents to the country: President Manuel Roxas of Capiz in Western Visayas, Presidents Sergio Osmena of Cebu and Carlos Garcia of Bohol of Central Visayas.

Until this time, Eastern Visayas, like the island of Mindanao, has not seen one of its own in the highest office in the land.

There has been a growing clamor for Duterte to join the race in next year’s polls. His successes in Davao City,

his character, competence and courage make him the most viable candidate at a time when lawlessness, drugs, criminality and corruption stalk the land.

“Tell him to run for president. All of us in our family will go all out for him,” said the lady at the airport.

It seems like Leyte and Eastern Visayas have found not only an opportunity to repay Duterte for his kindness in their times of need, but also a champion who will fight for them.

Indeed, Duterte is finding it harder and harder to resist the clamor for him to lead the country and fulfill his date with destiny.

probe for lack of legal basis.

“Having been a practicing lawyer before and a former bar reviewer, I am fully confident that the President and Sec Abad could easily hurdle the complaints filed against them,” Barzaga said.

The Office of the Ombudsman is expected to do justice by acting without fear or favor in resolving the fact-finding probe against President Aquino and Abad.

House Independent Bloc Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin expressed confidence that Ombudsman Morales will act on the matter independently.

“We are confident again that the Ombudsman will be independent and perform its function without fear or favor. We are confident that she (Morales) will be impartial and will not give favors to the powerful,” Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Phil-

ippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) pointed out.

“The Ombudsman must proceed with full authority here because this is a very important issue that warrants clarity in the name of transparency and accountability,” Romualdez added.

The other day, Morales disclosed the fact-finding probe in response to the question raised by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate while defending the agency’s Php1.775 billion budget under next year’s Php3.002 trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) before the House committee on Appropriations.

Morales explained that her office conducted a motu propioinvestigation on the matter to determine the possible liability of President Aquino and Abad in the creation and implementation of DAP that the Su-

preme Court (SC) declared unconstitutional.

She said that the fact-finding probe was being done simultaneously with the investigation on pending Disbursement Accelerated Program (DAP)-related complaints against government’s top officials, adding that her office subjected the investigation report to thorough evaluation.

At the same time, Morales disclosed that her office was scheduled to make a ruling this September whether they would conduct further probe on Abad’s plunder complaints.

The Ombudsman also admitted it cannot make public the investigation report against President Aquino and Abad that could be used to determine if preliminary investigation is needed.

Last February, the SC upheld its decision in July

2014 to declare practices under the DAP unconstitutional, including the withdrawal of unobligated funds and their declaration as savings, the funding of projects, activities and programs not covered by the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the “cross-border” transfer of savings by the Executive Branch, and the use of unprogrammed funds despite the absence of a certification by the National Treasurer that the revenue collections exceeded the revenue targets for non-compliance with the conditions provided in the relevant GAA. The high court also junked the Office of the Ombudsman’s motion for reconsideration “for lack of merit.”

The SC also upheld its earlier decision that “authors” of the DAP may be held liable in “proper tribunals.” (PNA)

Named in honor of businessman and philanthropist Don Carlos Palanca Sr., the Palanca Awards aims to develop Philippine Literature “by providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works as well as serve as a treasury of Philippine literary gems.”

Winners Paderna, who finished high school at the Stella Maris Academy in Davao City, works as Issues and

Media Manager/Public Information Unit Head at the Department of Budget and Management in Manila.

Paderna, 32, graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University (AB Philosophy 2007).

In March 2005, she received the Loyola Schools Award for the Arts (Poetry in Englihs), an award given to “select seniors in the Ateneo de Manila University in recognition of hteir accomplish-

ments in various creative fields, ranging in scope from creative writing and theater to visua and performance arts.”

The 34-year old Merquita, a resident of Los Amigos in Tugbok District, Davao City and presently the Deputy Program Manager of the Catholic Relief Services in Tagum told MindaNews that his experience with internally displaced persons (IDPs) “which is

the theme of my winning work is based on my experience when I worked for UNHCR and UNDP” (United Nations High Commission on Refugees and United Nations Development Programme).

Merquita posted on his Facebook wall that the 14 poems in “Ang Iisang Paa ng Tsinelas” is about children evacuees – Moro, Lumad and Christian. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

Dining with danger: thunder under the sea

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO (Photos courtesy of SeaWeb) (Second of Two Parts)

L

AST year, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported a massacre of about 22 rare dwarf sperm whales and 21 dolphins in Siargao Island.

“The whales, apparently 22 of them, were killed by dynamite fishing,” said Gianni Boy Grifoni, a Swiss-Italian marine biologist, was quoted as saying.

In May of this year, the Philippine Star carried a news item that said foreign vessels fishing near Pagasa Island which lies in the disputed waters.

Mary Joy Batiancila, the island’s administrator, told the national daily: “They are engaged in blast or dynamite fishing. They also use cyanide ... This leads to a drop in the fish catch or incomes of our own fishermen.”

Although outlawed, dynamite fishing is still rampant throughout the country. Dennis Calvan, executive director of NGOs (non-government organizations) for Fisheries Reform, said that on a single day an average of 10,000 blasts occur in various parts of the country.

But dynamite fishing is not only practice in the Philippines but also in other parts of Southeast Asia, as well as in the Aegean Sea and coastal Africa. Dynamite fishing is well documented in the country that it has even been mentioned by Ernst Jünger in his book, Storm of Steel.

“Dynamite or blast fish-

ing became rampant in the Philippines after the Second World War,” wrote Gregg Yan, communication officer of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). “American soldiers would sometimes lob grenades into shoals of fish, providing local fishing communities with a lucrative new means of instantly increasing their catches.”

Unfortunately, it’s an incredibly destructive practice.

“These days, blast fishermen use powdered ammonium nitrate (usually from fertilizer), kerosene and small pebbles, which are packed inside a glass bottle and covered with a blasting cap,” Yan wrote. “New designs integrate long metal rods which absorb sound and act as sinkers.”

The impact underwater is devastating. “A single blast’s shockwave typically travels at about 1500 meters per second (the length of 15 football fields), killing or maiming every fish in range and often liquefying their internal organs,” Yan wrote. “The fish are then collected either by divers using hookah air compressors where an on board engine pumps air through a garden hose, or using nets.”

Researchers believe that destructive fishing practices like blast fishing are one of the biggest threats to the coral reef ecosystems. “Coral reefs that may have taken thousands of years to grow are reduced to

Fish floating immediately after the blast (Wikipedia) rubble in a matter

Coral polyps (SeaWeb)

Dynamite fishing (from the net) of seconds, obscured by wafting clouds of silt,” Yan wrote.

An estimated 10-15 per cent of the total fisheries come from coral reefs. About 80-90 per cent of the income of small island communities comes from fisheries. “Coral reef fish yields range from 20 to 25 metric tons per square kilometer per year for healthy reefs,” says Dr. Angel C. Alcala, former environment secretary.

“Dynamite fishing has contributed to massive destruction of Southeast Asian coral reefs over the past 20 years,” deplored the Endangered Special International. “Large blasted areas are very slow to recover because corals have difficulty establishing on loose

or sandy substrate.”

That’s not all. “The damaged coral reefs from blast fishing lead to instant declines in fish species wealth and quantity,” Wikipedia continues.

“Explosives used in blast fishing not only kill fish but also destroy coral skeletons, creating unbalanced coral rubble.

The elimination of the fish also eliminates the resilience of the coral reefs to climate change, further hindering their recovery.”

Several studies have shown that single blasts cause reefs to recover over 5-10 years, while widespread blasting, as often practiced, “transforms these biodiverse ecosystems into continuous unstable rubble.”

And then there is the human cost. “Dynamite fishing is prohibited in the Philippines, but many Filipino fishers still use homemade bombs,” Yan wrote. “Some fishermen lose limbs and sometimes even the sight in one or both eyes due to bombs exploding prematurely.”

But despite all these, fishermen are still doing it and the government seems to have had little success in stemming the practice. The reason is that some fishermen use some tricks so they cannot be caught by authorities. Among these

Lapu-lapu, a fish caught mostly through blasting (Henrylito Tacio) fish or other aquatic animals, are the following: · Blasting artificial reefs or under water for any pur(ARs) which have become pose except in the execution effective fish aggregating de- of bona fide engineering work vices. In most instances, ARs -- and the destruction of wrecks which are designed to increase or obstructions to navigation; fish population in degraded or the gathering by any means coastal area -- are blasted be- of the fishes or other aquatic animals stupefied, disabled or yond repair; · Piggybacking on the op- killed by the action of dynaeration of commercial fisher- mite or other explosives shall men. By tailing the big boys of be unlawful.”

On the other hand, “the the industry who use sophisticated equipment, the explosive possession and/or finding, of experts are able to track down dynamite, blasting caps, and schools of fish which they blast other explosives in any fishing away before the other side boat shall constitute a precould even cast their cumber- sumption that the said dynamite and/or blasting caps and some net; and · Employing local resi- explosives are being used for dents to gather the blasted fish. fishing purposes” and “that the In areas protected by some possession or discovery in any authorities, the blast fishers fishing boat of fish caught or explode and run, leaving the killed by the use of dynamite task of collecting the dead fish or other explosives under exto trusted local contacts. This pert testimony shall constitute arrangement enables them to a presumption that the owner minimize brushes with law if present in the fishing boat or the fishing crew have been enforcers.

“Dynamite fishing is an in- fishing with dynamite or other humane way of fishing,” some- explosives.”

How will you know that one wrote. “It is an effective way for fishermen get a lot of the fish you are buying have fish fast and simple. By having not been caught by dynamite the abundance of fish to sell, fishing? According to fishery the fishermen slowly get out experts, you should not buy of the poverty cycle. Most local those fish with reddened eyes Filipino fishermen do not real- (due to ruptured capillaries), ize that by destroying the coral loosened (mid-portion of the reefs, they destroy the homes body length) and have blood of the fish, resulting in less area oozing from the gill cover.

Dynamited fish have signs of to fish.”

In 2012, the Bureau of blood effusion at the base of Fisheries and Aquatic Resourc- the fins, abdominal area and es declared an “all-out war” around the waist.

When asked why fisheragainst dynamite fishing and other illegal fishing practices. men still practice dynamite Actually, it is the implementa- fishing -- despite all the health hazards and the illegality of tion of Republic Act No. 4003.

Article 3, Section 12 states: it -- one government official “The use of dynamite or other said: “Easy money. That’s why explosives for the stupefying, they go into this kind of activdisabling, killing or taking of ity.”

12 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

Demand for quality materials to rise amid construction boom A

S Philippine construction sustains growth, the demand for high-quality building materials is expected to increase due to the country’s unpredictable climate.

“In the Philippines, weather swings from scorching heat to torrential rains throughout a year,” said Ernesto Ordoñez, president of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CeMAP). “This can affect the integrity of infrastructure, especially those built from materials that cannot withstand these conditions.”

For 2015, the turnover for both public and private construction projects is forecasted to reach P1.7 trillion.

As this growth continues, Ordoñez said, the demand for higher quality building materials will spike as well.

Nathaniel B. Diola, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of the Philippines, said concrete is “still a popular choice for companies engaged in construction because of its durability, cost, and performance.”

Globally, annual concrete use is twice as much as all other building mate-

rials combined (including wood, steel, plastic, and aluminum). In the Philippines, cement sales reached 21.3 metric tons last year – marking a 9.6 percent increase compared to 2013.

Ordoñez likewise cited durability and sustainability as key factors in selecting building materials.

Durability With the archipelagic Philippines as a natural disaster-prone country, durability should be a top priority for construction projects.

In contrast with other building materials like wood and glass, Ordoñez said

concrete is more resilient during natural disasters. In fact, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, concrete can ably withstand extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes.

Ordoñez also cited better heat absorption and minimal CO2 emissions as key advantages of concrete against other building materials. Advances also allow us to design concrete that can withstand chloride and sulphate attacks which are common risks in coastal areas.

Sustainability and cost

ground and SM Cyberzone, offers over P2.3 million in prizes, the largest gaming pool prize ever in a local competition.

After hours of racing for trophies, Team Republika Pinas clinched the top spot with a with a net score of 5,358 cups while Team Cebu Baby 69 finished second with a net score of 5,131 cups, besting 20

other clans who flocked to SM City Cebu for a shot at representing the Visayas region.

Best of the best players “We were really determined to win right from the very start,” said Republika Pilipinas clan leader Herlyn Tabudlo.

“The moment we learned about the compe-

tition, we picked the best players in our clan so we could bond online, practice and strategize. We came with a mindset to top the game, and we made it happen by communicating with each other all the time,” added Tabudlo, who revealed that his teammates even flew in from Laguna, Bulacan, Bacolod and Bohol to make it to the competition.

Smart welcomes Visayas teams to Phl Clash finals

S

MART Communications, Inc. (Smart) has awarded the top teams that will represent Visayas in the Philippine Clash, the biggest nationwide search for the best Clash of Clans players in the country.

The tournament, mounted by Smart in partnership with the Philippine eSports Organization, Philippine Clash of Clans Battle-

The Philippines has the most expensive electricity rates in Southeast Asia, placing particular emphasis on energy savings across all sectors. And construction is no exception.

Based on research from the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), cement requires less energy to produce compared to wood and steel. According to the NRMCA, a ton of concrete only requires 1.4GJ/t compared to 30GJ/t for steel and 2GJ/t for wood.

NMRCA also pointed out that concrete walls and floors slow down the pas-

sage of heat throughout an infrastructure, reducing temperature swings to minimize the energy needs of heating or air-conditioning.

“One study found that concrete walls can actually reduce the energy requirements of a given structure by up to 17 percent,” Ordoñez remarked.

He concluded, “Concrete plays a major role in sustaining the country’s growing demand for high-quality infrastructure.

Very few building materials can replace it in terms of effectiveness, cost and performance.”

TOP TEAM. Republica Pinas, led by Herlyn Tabudlo, finished with 5,358 trophies to top the Visayas qualifier leg of the Philippine Clash 2015 held at SM City Cebu. The Mindanao qualifier will be held on September 5 at SM Lanang Premier, and interested clans may register at www.smart.com.ph/ pages/PhilippineClash2015.

NEWS

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DavOr’s Happy Home benchmarked

M

EMBERS of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) committees from all over the country, together with their respective Department of Interior and Local Government regional directors, have recently visited here to benchmark Davao Oriental’s successful CLIP implementation, mainly on the establishment and operation of the

Happy Home – a halfway house for rebel returnees, which has been gaining the attention of different LGUs and agencies for its best practices.

The delegations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, arrived in batches within a series of three-day benchmarking period last August 25-27, learned how the Provincial Government manages to push for the

establishment of the Happy Home which helps former rebels transition to civilian life.

A brainchild of the Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon, the Happy Home was inaugurated in April 2013 when the Philippine Army officiallydeclared Davao Oriental as development-ready. The facility was established as part of the Provincial Government’s

thrust to firmly install the pillars of shared peace and prosperity in the province.

The facility’s major goal is to provide a transition home that offers enabling services for total healing, rehabilitation and preparation of former rebels for complete integration into mainstream society and to motivate them to become productive and law abiding citizens.

To ensure effectiveness of the facility, the strategy basically involves the im-

plementation of various initiatives and activities that covers the areas of values formation, community integration, capacity building, skills development, and empowerment through education, among many others. These goals and strategies are being met through the provision of various services such as counseling; psychological and psychiatric services; spiritual enrichment services; educational, health and employment services.

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MARIANO TUMANG BARRIENTOS has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS executed among his heirs per Doc. No.392; Page No.79; Book No. 107; Series of 2015, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FATIMA IRENE T. ADIN 9/4.11.18

Aside from that, livelihood assistance and conduct of sports development and therapy sessions and workshops to the residents are also provided. In addition, the facility also offers a site intended for the development of livelihood projects and related skills.

Happy Home Manager Evelyn Vallar said that in order to accomplish such holistic rehabilitation aimed for their clients, a convergence and collaboration of agency programs and services were pooled together.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICE JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel: (082) 224-1413 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 GENERAL SANTOS CITY MARKETING OFFICE EDMUND D. RENDON Marketing Specialist Mobile: (Smart) 0909-424-7990 MANILA MARKETING OFFICE ANGELICA R. GARCIA Marketing Manager 97-1 Bayanbayanan Ave., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

VOL. 8 ISSUE 112 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15

HANGING TOUGH Gilas bows to tormentor Iran anew in Jones Cup CMO mounts late rally in win over Everball C ITY Mayors Office broke away in the final period to beat Everball Columbia, 90 – 73, in Game no. 23 of their basketball friendly series on Tuesday night at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. Ace gunner Christopher “Bong” Go displayed another masterful performance in scoring 32 points with five triples for the City Hall dribblers who widened the series lead, 22 – 1.

Go, the sweet-shooting executive assistant of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, hit a strenuous three pointer to spark a 15 – 2 run midway of the pay off period to pull away and push the CMO’s winning streak.

The late pivotal

rally that ballooned City Hall dribblers lead from 70 – 69 to 85 – 71 kept the Everball at bay.

JR De Guzman contributed 17 points while John Flores had

13 for the CMO. Everball Columbia put up a gallant stand in the first three periods behind the big performance of Rico Kwan Tiu who finished the game with 19 points.

But enthusiastic basketball club

could n o t contain t h e scoring blitz of CMO down the stretch.

Cabrera, Balisalisa and Maligro made eight points each for the Everball Columbia.

FULL STRETCH. Dom Cane of Ateneo de Davao University goes up for a shot against a UIC defender during their DACS basketball tournament match at the UIC Gym in Bajada.

Ateneo won the match.

Lean Daval Jr.

Serena survives early test

S

ERENA Williams took her second step in a drive to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in 27 years by beating Kiki Bertens 7-6(5) 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships at Flushing Meadows.

The 110th-ranked Dutchwoman put up a valiant fight and had world number one Williams, who struggled with her serve, on the ropes in the opening set.

Williams, who registered eight double faults in the set, was down a break with Bertens serving for the set when the top seed broke the Dutchwoman in the 10th game

to draw level at 5-5 and take it to a tiebreaker.

Williams fell behind 4-0 in the tiebreaker but roared back with five consecutive points and claimed the decider 7-5.

“I never stop. I keep going and give the best effort that I can,” Williams said after raising her 2015 match record to 50-2.

Should Williams win her fourth consecutive U.S. Open, the 33-year-old American would become the fourth woman to sweep all four grand slam singles title in one season following Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988).

Williams next faces

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who beat fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe in straight sets in her second-round match.

T

HE Philippine national men’s basketball team fell short of toppling tormentor Iran again, 74-65, in the 37th William Jones Cup Thursday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Ageless veteran Asi Taulava led the Filipinos with 12 points and eight rebounds while also doing a fine job against Iran star Hamed Haddadi who still managed to score 22 points and 15 boards.

Jayson Castro and JC Intal, who was a surprise off the bench, came up with 10 points apiece.

The loss was the second for Gilas Pilipinas (3-2) which had hoped of overcoming Iran (5-1) to have a chance at the Jones Cup title. But Haddadi and Iran, a team they haven’t beaten in two years, were just too much for the Filipinos.

Both teams played in a nip-and-tuck affair early, with Iran playing tight defense against Gilas Pilipinas which were able to keep up.

However, Sonny Thoss and Calvin Abueva suffered early trouble as they committed two fouls in the first period.

There were some fireworks right before the opening quarter ended when Haddadi and Moala Tautuaa almost got into a fight. Haddadi was contesting an elbow by Ranidel De Ocampo when Tautuaa confronted the Iran star big man.

The Filipinos played catchup in the second quarter as Iran found its touch from the outside. The Iranians led by as much as seven, 31-24, before Tautuaa and Castro led a short scoring burst for Gilas Pilipinas.

Tautuaa made two jumpers and one free throw while Castro also hit a basket to keep Gilas Pilipinas within three, 34-31, at the half.

Iran then threatened to pull away in the third period, but Taulava kept Gilas

Pilipinas afloat. He held his ground against Haddadi inside while also pounding his way for baskets.

But Haddadi was just too big and too strong as he overpowered the smaller Filipinos down low. His layup and a tough shot by Mehdi Kamrani gave Iran a 54-43 lead late in third period.

However, Abueva came

TEAM STANDINGS IRAN 5-1 RUSSIA 4-1 TAIWAN 3-1 PHILIPPINES 3-2 S.KOREA 3-2 USA 2-3 N.ZEALAND 1-3 JAPAN 0-4 TAIWAN B 0-4

TOP SCORER. Veteran Asi Taulava topscored for the Philippines with 12 points aside from containing Iranian giant Hamed Hadadi.

back to provide spark for Gilas Pilipinas. He scored six straight points bridging the third and fourth quarters to ignite a 10-2 run as they came within three, 5653, at the start of the final frame.

But Terrence Romeo, playing solidly all tournament long, suffered an ankle injury and didn’t play much of the fourth quarter.

Iran, behind Hamed Afagh, pushed its lead to nine

points, 65-56, with four minutes left.

Gilas Pilipinas then got a huge boost from Intal who buried a go-ahead triple as they trimmed their deficit to four, 65-61.

But a triple by Mohammad Jamshidi and a dunk

by Haddadi gave Iran a 7061 lead and kept the Filipinos at bay.

The Filipinos will next face New Zealand on Friday.

CHAMPS. The Davao City Holiday Gym and Spa badminton team members show their medals and replica checks during the awarding ceremonies of the Cagayan de Oro City Badminton

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