Edge Davao 8 Issue 125

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

4 ABDUCTED

NPA behind kidnapping of 2 Canadians, Norwegian, Pinay in Samal?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EASTMINCOM PIO

KJARTAN SEKKINGSTAD

JOHN RIDSDEL

ROBERT HALL

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

A

RE members of the New People’s Army (NPA) behind the abduction of three foreign nationals and a Filipina in a resort in Barangay Camudmud,

Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) on Monday night?

This, after the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 said it has recovered a note from the scene

which could point to the NPA rebels as the perpetrators.

The note was found at the entrance gate 500 meters away from the docking area by a securi-

ty guard of the resort at around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, or several hours after the abduction took place. The note read: ““KATARUNGAN NG AM-

FABDUCTED, 10

TESS (Surname unknown)

INSIDE EDGE

Mixed reactions greet Rody announcement Reds collect P1.3B in revolutionary taxes

EDGEDAVAO Sports

P15

Fil-Aussie now world no. 1 golfer

P2 P4

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER NO

Rody announcement greeted with mixed reactions

ONLY FOR MAYOR, NOT PRESIDENT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte gestures while telling members of local media that he may seek reelection if former mayor and daughter Sara refuses to replace him. Duterte made the announcement in a press briefing at Grand Men Seng Hotel on Monday night. Lean Daval Jr.

Samal abduction to affect Davao tourism-Alejandre

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

HE kidnapping incident in a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) will affect the tourism industry in Davao City, Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre said.

Alejandre, chairman of the committee on tourism in the City Council, said the incident will have negative effect to Davao, especially since the victims are foreigners.

“The problem is that if the embassies of these victims will issue a travel advisory for Davao City, definitely foreign tourists will not go to Davao,” Alejandre said.

The councillor from the second district said that although the kidnapping happened in IGACOS, the inci-

dent will have negative effect on Davao being the gateway the city.

“It happened to us two years ago, that there were no APEC and other international conventions in the city because of the travel advisories,” Alejandre said.

The councillor said he is just hoping that the embassies of these foreign nationals will not issue a travel advisory following the incident.

Alejandre, however, believes that law enforcement agencies will double their efforts to solve the kidnapping incident.

The abduction took place in a resort in IGACOS Monday night.

BY CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

N

ETIZENS had mixed reactions over yet another announcement from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte that he is not interested in the presidency, flooding the social media with their sentiments moments after he faced the press late Monday night.

Some of the netizens, all of whom supporters of Duterte, expressed their anger and frustration, while others remained hopeful that the mayor will have a change of heart come the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC).

A few of them even engaged in verbal exchange, and another one, obviously out of frustration, suggested that former Davao mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio to

run for president instead of her father.

“Boom. If ever you decided to run, you just lost my vote. Good night,” netizen Mark Gerald Santos posted on EDGE Davao’s Facebook page.

“If that is so then stop going around the country promoting FEDERALISM bcoz that will never happen, with you not being the next president..I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU!!! You are VERY SELFISH..,” netizen Brad Niño said.

But, while some of them were dismayed with Duterte’s latest announcement, many expressed their all-out support to the mayor and believe he will still change his mind and eventually decide

to seek the country’s highest post in May. Minda S. Obeidat said: “A real Duterte supporters can wait... so am waiting till the filing of candidacy. It’s Duterte or nothing!”

“Hopeless na ang Pilipinas!!! I am still hoping, mayor. Actually, we are!!!,” netizen Kirk Noel A. Pendejito said.

Duterte’s latest announcement, although nothing new from what he said at the same hotel early this month, went trending online the moment it was posted on EDGE Davao’s Facebook page late Monday night.

“No president-elect ever solved the problems of the country,” Duterte said. “(There are) so many prob-

lems to solve. At my age, I do not have the energy anymore.”

Duterte said if her daughter, Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, will not accept his offer for her to run for mayor in 2016, he will seek re-election.

This is the latest twist from all the pronouncements of Duterte, who earlier said he will retire from politics for good in 2016.

Present at the Grand Men Seng Hotel Monday when the mayor made his announcement were his long-time political strategist Mayor Leoncio Evasco, former North Cotabato governor Manny Piñol, his spokesperson Peter T. Laviña and executive assistant Christopher “Bong” Go.

FSAMAL, 10

Army troops deployed to pursue kidnapers

W

HILE stressing that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is the lead agency in the ongoing investigation and pursuit operations against the bandit group who snatched three foreigners and one Filipino woman on Samal Island, Davao del Norte on Monday evening, Eastern Mindanao Command head Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad assured

that all his units will be providing all the support it can to the PNP. In line with this, he said that they already deployed helicopters and naval vessels to help in the pursuit operations, aside from intelligence units.

Baladad said that the identities of the suspects behind the kidnapping of the four victims are still

WILL HE TAKE A REST? Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte lays down a standee printed with his image at a downtown hotel’s lobby while uttering the

FARMY, 10 words “you need to take a rest now”. Lean Daval Jr.

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

2 councilors elated when Duterte named them as possible VM bets

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

WO Davao City councilors were elated after Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte included them in the list of possible vice mayoral bets of the local administration party Hugpong saTawong Lungsod in next year’s election.

In his regular television program “Gikansa sa Masa, Para sa Masa” aired last Sunday, Duterte named councilors Maria Belen S. Acosta, Leonardo Avila III, Edgar Ibuyan Sr. and Louie John Bonguyan as possible vice mayoral candidates.

Ibuyan said he is happy that Duterte recognized his hard work in the City Council by including his name.

Ibuyan, however, said he is not vying for the higher position because he plans to run as barangay captain in barangay 5-A. “Naghula tlang ko sa desisyon sa partido og ni Mayor (I am just waiting for the de-

cision of the mayor and the party),” Ibuyan said.

He said if Duterte will choose him to be the vice mayoral bet then he will not hesitate to accept it.

If the mayor will declare the vice mayor slot as “free zone” he might not pursue to run for the position.

In a separate interview, Bonguyan said he was also happy with the revelation of the mayor last Sunday.

“I am happy that the leader of the party (Duterte) includes my name as one of the options to be the vice mayor in 2016 election,” he said.

He said the inclusion of his name is an indicator that Duterte recognizes his effort and performance in the local lawmaking body.

“All councilors in the city council are all good and performing,” Bonguyan said.

Bonguyan added that

PRIVILEGE SPEECH. Indigenous People (IP) representative to the City Council, Councilor Halila Y. Sudagar, proposes for the enactment of an ordinance prohibiting the seeping, rubbing, inserting, mixing, wiping, or any similar acts into,

onto, inside or through any meat products, fish products and other agricultural and seafood products using blood or any other unrelated substances and elements in yesterday’s regular session of the City Council. Lean Daval Jr.

Rody directly handles Mayor Evasco still hopeful IGaCoS abduction case Duterte will change mind M

ARIBOJOC (Bohol) Mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr. remained hopeful that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte will change his mind and decide to run for president in 2016.

“Let us just pray that his mind will change,” Evasco said in an interview last Monday night at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.

Evasco said there are many people who believe that Duterte can solve the problems of corruption and criminality in the country.

These people, he added, really dream for reforms and insist the mayor is the only viable candidate who can these realize.

“Dili lang ta mawad-an og paglaom. Apil nako ana (Let’s not lose hope, me included),” said Evasco, Duter-

F2 COUNCILORS 10

te’s long-time political strartegist.

On Monday night, Duterte appealed to his supporters eyeing to stage the “Million People March” at the Burnham Green in front of Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Saturday to forego their plans.

Duterte said he wants these groups to stop because people might think that he is not firm with his decision in not seeking the presidency.

“I do not have any part with their exercise,” he said, adding that the presidency does not really appeal to him because he has no money and his family does not want it.

His family members, Duterte said, already made discussions on his possible presidential bid because he

FMAYOR 10

T

HE armed group which abducted three foreigners and a Filipina from a beach resort in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte is expected to be identified soon, sources close to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said today.

No ransom demands have been made yet and initial reports indicated that the kidnappers belong to well-organised group given their high-powered firearms and the use of speedboats in the abduction.

Duterte, chairman of Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), has assumed an active role in handling the latest crisis to hit the region.

After learning of the kidnapping shortly before

midnight Monday of three foreigners and a Filipina by boat-riding perpetrators, Duterte immediately called a crisis meeting with key leaders of the different security groups operation in the region.

The security meeting involved the head of the naval unit in the Davao Region and police and military operations and intelligence units.

Sources close to the Mayor said the meeting, which Duterte convened as head of the RPOC, lasted until 6 a.m. of Tuesday.

An estimated 20 men on board two speed boats made a beachhead at the Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort in Barangay Camudmud and abducted the three foreigners at around 10:30 p.m, including the Filipino girlfriend

of one of the tourists.

Resort manager Kjartan Sekkinstad was one of those abducted, police said.

The two other tourists were identified as John Ridsdel, 68; and Robert Hall. Hall’s Filipina girlfriend, only identified as Tess, was also abducted.

Police said the resort has security guards but they were outnumbered by the fully-armed men on board two speedboats.

The armed men fled towards Compostela Valley taking with them their kidnap victims.

Duterte has not issued a statement on the abduction yet preferring to work on the crisis silently first, said Christopher Lawrence Go, the mayor’s executive assistant.

“Mayor Duterte is still

Int’l peace group: Reds collect P1.3B in revolutionary taxes

A

COC FOR DUTERTE. A group of barangay captains and supporters Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte from various sectors flock to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 11 office inside Magsaysay Park yesterday to request for a Cer-

tificate of Candidacy (COC) in behalf of the mayor, an act to urge Duterte to run as president in next year’s election even though he already made an announcement that he will seek the highest post in the country. Lean Daval Jr.

gathering additional information to establish the identities of the suspects including the area where the kidnappers may have brought their victims,” the source said.

No ransom demand has been received yet and no known armed group has yet claimed responsibility.

Sources said that Duterte’s direct involvement in the crisis as RPOC head is expected to yield immediate positive results given the Mayor’s vast network of intelligence assets operating in the region.

In 2001, the notorious bandit group Abu Sayyaf staged an abduction also in the island targeting tourists at the Pearl Farm but alert security guards foiled the attempt.

N international peace group has revealed that businesses in Eastern Mindanao alone, a region with a strong mining industry, have allegedly lost at least P1.3 billion in “revolutionary taxes” to communist rebels last year.

International Alert, citing confidential sources, disclosed the figure on Saturday on the heels of the group’s call for the government to restart peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to avoid further economic as well as human losses.

Judy Gulane, International Alert Philippines

communication specialist, said: “We continue to work with the UP (University of the Philippines) School of Economics in coming up with an estimate of the economic cost of the communist insurgency, then we will present this to the government,” she said.

In Davao City last week, International Alert called on the government to quickly reopen peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, CCP’s political wing, noting that businesses and local government units caught in the conflict have reported

FINT’L 10

EDGEDAVAO

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

BBL crucial in decommissioning

T

HE next steps in the decommissioning process for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front will depend on the progress in the deliberations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress, a member of the Joint Normalization Committee said Monday.

“Depende lang sa BBL (It depends on the BBL), Maj. Gen. Leo Cresente Ferrer, a JNC member representing the government, told reporters during the Security Summit organized by the committee at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

In the House of Representatives, BBL deliberations had been stalled by lack of quorum during sessions.

In the Senate, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has supplanted the draft BBL submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission with a new bill.

These developments have led to doubts the BBL would be passed before Congress adjourns and the campaign for the 2016 election starts.

Ferrer, however, still sounded optimistic. “If

there’s a will, there’s a way.”

The general’s statement echoed the position of GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer that “the normalization process will be implemented simultaneously with the political process”.

Coronel-Ferrer issued such statement during the special meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September last year between the GPH and MILF peace panels to formalize the Independent Decommissioning Body, JNC and other mechanisms related to the normalization process.

The MILF has yet to submit to the IDB a list of additional combatants for decommissioning, Ferrer said.

In a media forum in Cagayan de Oro City in February this year, the MILF peace panel also declared that the pace of the normalization process would depend on the progress of the implementation of the peace agreement.

The decommissioning process started in June this year with the turnover of 75 high-powered firearms

FBBL 10

Drilon: SC has final say on Poe citizenship case

A

MID varied opinions on Senator Grace Poe’s citizenship, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Tuesday it is the Supreme Court (SC) that will ultimately decide on the quo warranto petition against her citizenship.

“Any decision to be handed down by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), whether for or

against Senator Poe, will eventually be brought up to the Supreme Court,” Drilon, a former justice secretary and a lawyer, said.

“Therefore, it is very crucial for the SET to be able to come out with a decision at the earliest time possible, in order to give the High Court sufficient time to hear the case and

FDRILON 10

TIGHTENED SECURITY. A vehicle from the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) is thoroughly checked by a Task Force Davao personnel before entering

Davao City, a day after an abduction of three foreign nationals and a Filipina in one of the world-class resorts in the island. Lean Daval Jr.

Army troops deployed to pursue abductors

W

HILE stressing that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is the lead agency in the ongoing investigation and pursuit operations against the bandit group who snatched three foreigners and one Filipino woman on Samal Island, Davao del Norte on Monday evening, Eastern Mindanao Command head Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad assured that all his units will be providing all the support it can to the PNP. In line with this, he said that they already

deployed helicopters and naval vessels to help in the pursuit operations, aside from intelligence units.

Baladad said that the identities of the suspects behind the kidnapping of the four victims are still unknown.

He also stated that they have no indications that the abduction was committed by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Around 11 suspects, armed with long and short firearms, abducted three foreigners and a Filipina during a raid at

Oceanview Resort, Barangay Camudmud, Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal Monday night.

As this time, pursuit operations are being conducted by naval and group units of the Eastern Mindanao Command.

The incident took place at 11:30 p.m. Monday, Capt. Alberto Caber, Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs office chief, said.

He identified the victims as Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sek-

kingstad, the resort manager, and a still unidentified Filipino woman.

Reports said the suspects were speaking in English and Filipino when they snatched the victims.

Two Japanese tourists tried to stop the bandits but failed.

At the time of the raid, 30 or more foreigners were at the resort.

Joint forces from Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, Philippine Coast Guard and the 10th Infantry Division are now conducting pursuit operations. (PNA)

Murder raps filed vs. 90 Mamasapano suspects

WELCOME, CHIEF. Newly-installed Task Force Davao commander Col. Cristobal N. Zaragoza (center) is greeted by members of the city council during his courtesy visit in yesterday’s regular session. Lean Daval Jr.

M

URDER charges were filed on Tuesday before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 90 suspects in connection with the Mamasapano incident that claimed the lives of 35 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) on Jan. 25, 2015.

In a press conference, DOJ Secretary Leila M. De Lima said that of the 90 identified respondents, 26 are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 12 are Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and 52 are People’s Armed Groups (PAGs) members.

However, De Lima said that they could not yet name the 90 respondents so that they will not be alarmed or go into hiding.

She added that the 90 identified respondents were positively identified

by the witnesses who were allegedly involved and participated in the Mamasapano incident.

According to De Lima, the team of the National Prosecution Service (NPS) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed the complex crime of direct assault with murder against the respondents before the NPS for the conduct of the preliminary investigation.

De Lima said that aside from the 90 identified respondents, included in the complaint are several “John Does” who are not yet identified.

She stressed that the release and service of the subpoenas will not be announced so that the 90 suspects will not be able to go into hiding.

De Lima pointed out that the subpoenas will be sent c/o the Office of the Mayor of Mamasapano, Maguindanao. (PNA)

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

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6 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAOVOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Gov’t told: Facilitate market linkage H

OG producers in Mindanao asked government to facilitate a market linkage with buyers not only domestic but also in foreign markets.

In an interview at the Kapehan sa Dabaw Monday at SM City Davao, Eduardo So, president of Davao Hog Raisers Association, said the market outside the country is so huge but “we cannot even get even a small percentage of this”.

“We are ready but there are concerns as far as accreditation and other policies that we need the support of government,” he said.

He admitted that government had been supporting the agri sector in terms of infrastructure such as farm to market road and others.

“But what we need now is to penetrate the (foreign) market,” he said, citing countries China, Singapore, HongKong and even Indonesia where the demand is big.

He said the set up as far as livestock is concerned is that “we remain to be an importer and not the exporter”.

“And, what is sad about the importation is

we are recipients of waste cuts from other countries and never the prime cuts that were shipped here,” he added.

According to So, Mindanao has production surplus.

In fact, he said part of the Cagayan de Oro and General Santos production or about about 20,000 heads are shipped to Luzon and Visayas monthly.

The Davao production is for the Davao market, he said.

So, who will lead his group in taking an active part during the Davao Agro Trade Fair (DATE) 2015 at SMX Convention Center from September 25 to 27, said they will be discussing thoroughly with foreign attachés on Agriculture and Trade and Industry this concern.

So also announced that DATE 2015 will hold focus group discussion on “Philippine Trade Export of Livestock, Poultry and Aquaculture” with speakers Ana Abejuela, agriculture attaché in Thailand, Glenn Penaranda, commercial counselor, Philippine Trade and Investment Center and Dr. Samuel Animas, agriculture attaché in Japan.

He said ther will also be lectures on varied topics such as on Dairy Industry, Dairy Nutrition, Plans and Programs on Livelihood Opportunities on Carabao Breeding, Breeding and Management of Gamefowl, Cattle Re-

search and Development Project, Bangus Polyculture, Food Safety: Bacterial Food Poisoning, tracing the path of an outbreak, Swine and Poultry Intestinal Health, Promoting Gut Health Integrity through nutritional intervention

Enzymes and Probiotics, HOGS by International Training Center on Pig Husbandry with topics on breeding, artificial insemination management, farrowing, nursery and finisher management, and on Poultry Farming: How

to start Layer. There will also be Agri-Financing Forum, he said.

DATE 2015 will also feature the Lechon Parade of 20 lechon that will be paraded at the Exhibition Area on Sunday, So added.

(PNA)

OPEN HOUSE. Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco) held another Open House for The Matina Enclaves over the weekend at The Matina Enclaves Showroom at Genesis Building in Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland. The Open House generated a good turnout from prospective buyers of the mixed use real estate project by the homegrown developer. To date, the second condominium building of The Residences is nearly sold out and will commence construction soon while the first building, already sold out, is moving vertically after completing its foundation. PR

INdulge!

FLORENCE ALEJANDRE is one woman who wears many hats. As a mother, entrepreneur and woman of refined taste, she’s the type who never stops reinventing herself and works wonders to share bliss and joy to everyone in the community.

With the intention of bringing together families to the table, she “bottled up” her own version of wellloved kitchen classics and unique delicacies.

To Florence, it was her way of sharing her family’s joy with other people, from her kitchen to theirs.

A big part of her success is mainly due to her business acumen and understanding of the market. Straight out of college, Florence saw a big potential in styling weddings and ventured into event planning and coordination. Through that, she was able to expand her network, grow her clientele and create an identity for her design aesthetics.

Despite the demands of her profession, not to mention her secondary studies and the role she plays in her in-law’s business, she is able to maintain a happy home for her husband and two children. Their humble yet well-curated living space is a reflection of the Florence’s flair in adding color to any occasion or venue.

As her children grew and her husband got more involved in public service, Florence decided to focus on other business opportunities to give way for more quality time with the family.

With that, she created Florence Home and ventured into online selling of select lifestyle products such as home accents and tablescape articles. Her items sold like pancakes within days since they became available to the public. At first, she considered her teacup collections were some sort of a gamble, not sure if they would click locally. To her surprise and luck, they became her best selling products and she discovered a whole lot of women who had the same interests as hers.

Just weeks ago, Florence Home has expanded its line to include epicurean delights.

With the intention of bringing together families to the table, she “bottled up” her own version of well-loved kitchen classics and unique delicacies. To Florence, it was her way of sharing her family’s joy with other people, from her kitchen

RECIPE A4

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

EDGEDAVAO WOMEN

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Tagalog-dubbed Korean thrillers only on SKY Pay-Per-View ASIAN FILMS have always been a part of the Philippine movie landscape. Starting with the Hong Kong flicks from decades past, to the resurgence of Asian films in the early 2000s, Asian movies have consistently entertained Filipino audiences across the generations.

In recent years, Korea has been a great source of joy for many in the country – ranging from the famous K-Pop groups, fan-favorite Koreanovelas, and of course, hit Korean movies featuring the hottest and most sought-after stars of South Korea. To celebrate our love of Korean stories, SKY offers unlimited viewing of two blockbuster Korean movies on SKY PayPer-View from September 15 to October 14, 2015. These films will be dubbed in Tagalog, ensuring the most enjoyment for Filipinos nationwide.

First-up is Gangnam Blues, a neo-noir action film set in 1970s Gangnam. Starring Lee Min-Ho, Kim Rae-Won, Kim Seolhyun, and Kim Ji-Soo, the story centers on the lives of Jong-Dae and Yong-Ki. Growing-up in poverty, their lives took a turn for the worse when their shanty homes were destroyed by local thugs. Everything went into a downward spiral from that point, accidentally separating these childhood friends after violent skirmishes between rival political groups.

The heart of the film focuses on how these two friends walked two very different paths, on how JongDae took the road of honest living, while Yong-Ki fell into more difficult times, becoming a gangster in the Myeongdong-pa, Seoul’s most powerful criminal organization.

Mourning Grave is the perfect complement to Gangnam Blue’s hard-hitting drama and action. A terrifying thriller starring Hye-Lin Han, Haneul Kang, and So-Eun Kim, the film follows the life of InSu, a high school student harassed and bullied by his classmates because of his ability to see ghosts. In his pursuit of a life free from bullying, he moved back to his hometown to live with his uncle. But In-Su could not escape the patterns of his past, nor his abilities, when he met a ghost in the form of a beautiful girl.

And like in his previous high school, he continues to be taunted by town bullies. In a cruel twist in his favor, all his new bullies were attacked by a vengeful ghost wearing a bloody mask – a ghost he suspects to be the beautiful girl, albeit in a more im-

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Kapusong Pinoy New York draws large crowd

OVER a thousand Kapuso fans trooped to the historic Town Hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, to witness an evening of fun and entertainment with the cast of Kapusong Pinoy New York last September 5.

Headlined by Dingdong Dantes, Christian Bautista, Julie Anne San Jose, Betong Sumaya as Antonietta from the Philippines’ longest running gag show Bubble Gang, Rita Daniela, and Ai-Ai delas Alas, the concert, held in celebration of GMA Pinoy TV’s tenth anniversary, commemorated a fruitful decade of bringing overseas Filipinos closer to home.

In 2005, GMA Pinoy TV was launched in the United States, making it one of the first countries reached by GMA International - the Network’s international business unit that manages GMA’s three overseas channels which also include GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International.

Kapusong Pinoy New York gave nod to the the best of GMA Pinoy TV through a video and performance montage showcasing the top-rating programs of the Network

ebration continues with Kapusong Pinoy Japan on October 11.

Kapusong Pinoy New York is sponsored by Landbank, Vonage, Vista Residences, Moneygram, Ritemed, Mapua Institute of Technology, Cebuana Lhuillier, Globe Duo USA, Executive Optical, The Generics Pharmacy, ASAP Tickets Service, Xoom.com, Shakey’s, Financial Rescue, Cebu Pacific, LBC, DirecTV, Debt Aid Consulting, Transfast, Air 21, Red Ribbon, Magnolia Ice Cream, which had been enthusiastically embraced by audiences throughout the past ten years.

The Town Hall was brimming with talent, energy and excitement as the artists delivered their special performances to a full house.

True to her comedic character, Philippine Comedy Queen Ai-Ai delas Alas impressed and entertained the crowd with her various costume changes.

Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes proved his versatility through his performance including a rendition of “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script.

Fans swooned, mean-

while, as Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista serenaded them with his signature songs.

He also performed a duet with Asia’s Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose. Meanwhile, the audience was equally impressed with Julie Anne’s vocal prowess in her musical numbers.

Actor-comedian Betong Sumaya had the crowd laughing the night away as he portrayed his popular character Antonietta. He also showcased his other skills with a performance of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”

After the successful concert, the cast headed to New Jersey to meet their fans and interact with

Chowking and Tancinco Law Office.

For updates on GMA Network’s artists, programs, international channels and events, visit the website www. gmanetwork.com/international, Facebook pages w w w. f a c e b o o k . c om / GMAPinoyTV, www. facebook.com/gmalifetv, and www.facebook.com/ gmanewsinternational, Twitter pages @gmapinoytv, @gma_lifetv, and @gmanewstvintl and Instagram account @gmapinoytv.

the Filipino-American community. During their visit, GMA International was also presented with a letter of commendation from Rahway City Mayor Mr. Samson Steinman.

“We are overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response of our kababayans abroad for this year’s Kapusong Pinoy concert series as we celebrate GMA Pinoy TV’s 10th anniversary”, says GMA First Vice President and Head of International Operations, Joseph T. Francia.

“We are grateful for the trust they have given GMA over the last ten years”, he added.

After New York, GMA Pinoy TV’s year-long tenth anniversary cel-

‘It’s Showtime’ Funny One champ Ryan Rems launches book of jokes “IT’S SHOWTIME’S Funny One” grand winner Ryan Rems Sarita continues to rock and roll his way to fame as he launches his first book that compiles his witty jokes that captured the hearts of TV viewers and netizens last Saturday at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF).

Ryan Rems’ “Rock and Roll to the World Woooooooh Orayt!” published by ABS-CBN Publishing is aptly titled after the comedian’s signature line and contains Ryan’s original jokes, some of which fans will remember as seen on his stint in “Funny One.” In his debut book Ryan said, “marami nang librong nasulat tungkol sa mga alamat. Ito ang akin. May mga jokes dito na hindi agad kayo matatawa, hayaan niyo lang, matatawa din kayo.”

Along with Ryan Rems’ laughter-filled book, ABS-CBN Publishing also launched at the book fair “ASAPedia”, a complete and comprehensive guide to all things

“ASAP” from A to Z. It includes interesting trivia, never-before-seen photos, and exclusive stories from the 20-year-old variety show.

Completing the triple book launch of ABS-CBN Publishing last week was the launch of the “On The Wings of Love” official scrapbook last September 19 at the Ayala Fairview Terraces.

Meanwhile, one of the hot-

test titles of ABS-CBN Publishing, “Besties,” will also had a meet and greet with celebrity author Solenn Heusaff at the annual book fair in SMX Convention Center. This comes after the successful book signing event of both Solenn and Georgina in Davao that was attended by hundreds of their fans.

Other best-selling book titles published by ABS-CBN Publishing such as “Dear Alex, Break Na Kami. Paano? Love, Catherine”

by Alex Gonzaga; “Help!!! Ayoko Na Sa Syota Ko” by Ramon Bautista; “One More Chance” by Juan Miguel Sevilla (based from the screenplay of the hit John LloydBea film); “Anak ng Patola” by MOR DJ Cha Cha; “Just The Way You Are” fanzine; “Stupid is Forever” and Stupid is Forevermore”

by Sen. Miriam Santiago will also be showcased at the 36th Manila International Book Fair this week.

ABS-CBN Publishing is home to the country’s bestselling books.

Its books and magazine titles cover a variety of topics to cater to the diverse Filipino community.

September 9-15, 2015

HENERAL LUNA/ *THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED John Arcilla, Epy Quizon/ Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright R13/*R13

11:25 | 1:40 | 3:55 LFS/* 6:10 |8:05 | 10:00 LFS

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS Dylan O'Brien, Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Brodie-Sangster R13

11:20 | 2:00 |4:40 | 7:20 | 10:00 LFS

PIXELS/ *SINISTER 2 Adam Sandler, Kevin James/ Shannyn Sossamon

R-16

PG/*R16

11:25 | 1:40 | 3:55 LFS/* 6:10 |8:05 | 10:00 LFS

EX WITH BENEFITS Derek Ramsay, Coleen Garcia, Carmi Martin R13

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

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

WOMEN

RECIPE A1 to theirs. In context, her menu is composed of basic Filipino flavors, except that her rendition comes with a tasty twist in both texture and mixture. Aside from the Gourmet Tuyo, which is now a breakfast staple in several households, the Durian Caramel also tops the order list. Fancy as they may sound, all are sold in reasonable prices, ranging from

Php150 to Php350 per bottle (depending on the size). Beautifully packed and labeled, these treats can also be given as gifts to friends and family for any occasion, including Christmas.

When asked where she gets her inspiration for business, she said, “Work doesn’t seem like work if you’re doing what you love. With the businesses I’ve started, I made sure my heart is set on each of them. Be it product or service, I sell what I know and love.

Also, being a mother myself, I always think of what homemakers would want and need.

Selling products from your home can be profitable if you know your market and what’s currently in demand. The right product, combined with effective marketing and networking, organization and time management skills, paves the way for you to be a successful entrepreneur wherever you may be.”

For those who wish to order Gourmet Tuyo and Durian Caramel, you may send a message to www.facebook.com/florencealejandre and have the items delivered to your place. You may also call 0917 701 3346.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

THE ECONOMY7

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

DavNor eyes P300M for sports complex

T

HE Davao del Norte provincial government is seeking a P300-million loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines intended for three purposes: construction of three new facilities of the provincial sports center, for stimulus projects and for the provincial counterpart for various national projects.

During yesterday’s session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, provincial administrator Jennifer NamocYasol assured the provincial legislative body there would no longer be a need to have a legal opinion from the provincial legal officer to waive the confidentiality of the information pertaining to the deposits, investments, loans and other transactions of the provincial government with its trustee bank, the Land Bank of the Philippines and all other banks that it has transactions with.

She said that the waiver of confidentiality through a resolution is a requirement required by the Central Bank and the Land Bank in connection with the P300 million loan the provincial government is currently seeking with the latter.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario earlier requested the SP for such waiver relative to his plan of upgrading the Davao del Norte Sports and Tour-

ism Complex through the construction of a P80-million bowling court, P20-million water park, and P30-million commercial building, or a total of the P130 million.

The other P170 million of the loan being sought is intended for the P120-million stimulus projects, and P50-million provincial counterpart to various projects with national funding.

Namoc said in an interview that it is in the discretion of the SP to expedite the approval of the resolution on the waiver of confidentiality although she bared that the executive department would want to have the P300 million loan approved and released by the Land Bank before the end of December 2015, noting of the election ban for the coming May 2016 polls.

She clarified that the projects “are not in aid of the election” as these were identified under the province’s Annual Investment Plan for 2015.

The SP majority approved yet on first and second readings the resolution for the waiver.

Three of the 12 present SP members abstained from voting and they were senior Board Member Shirley Belen Aala, Board Members Ely Dacalus and Janet Gavina. (Cha Monforte/ Correspondent)

GRATEFUL TO DSWD. Vircelina Suarez, a Pantawid Parent leader and recipient of Sustainable Livelihood Program from Barangay Ilang, Davao City, confidently underscores how her participation in government programs improved her life. (DSWD)

SouthCot takes steps vs El Niño A

S the effects of dry spell started to affect agricultural products, the South Cotabato provincial agriculture office has laid down mitigating measures to cushion the impact of El Nino.

Justina Navarette, OIC provincial agriculture officer, said among the steps was the revival of Task Force El Nino.

The task force is composed of agencies that directly engage in mitigating the impact of dry spell.

These are the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and other

agencies.

Also, the putting up of shallow tube wells and water impounding facilities in near or around farmlands and corn fields was being prioritized.

“Cloud seeding is also in the pipeline,” she said.

Navarette also urged farmers to plant heat-resistant crops outside the regular palay and corn products.

Engr. Orlando Tibang, NIA-South Cotabato manager, said his office has issued schedule of releases of irrigation water from Banga River Irrigation System, cropping calendars and pattern to prevent heavy

losses on the part of farmers.

Tibang projected that about 50 percent of the Banga Irrigation System will be gone during the dry spell.

The state weather bureau has announced that a strong El Nino will hit the country during the last quarter of the year and expected to last until the first quarter of 2016.

Navarette earlier reported that aside from losses of agricultural products due to drought, the agriculture sector also lost about Php20 million worth of crops to rodents. (PNA)

egy, with focus on specific sectors such as infrastructure, tourism, and BPO. This would have a ripple effect on the population— and eventually, us in the retail investment and financial services industry,” said RienHermans, president and CEO of AXA Philippines.

Davao, as with the rest of the Philippines, presents strong growth opportunities for AXA on account of its economic vigor, growing middle class, and low penetration of life insurance.

As of 2015, AXA Davao sales figures grew 48% versus the same period last year, prompting a need to

increase manpower support by 53%.

AXA, a global leader in insurance with 103 million customes in 59 countries, is keen on expanding its Philippine operations as part of its Asia-wide expansion. It is targeting to have a customer base of 100 million across the continent by 2030.

AXA’s first half gross written premiums or total premium income amounted to P11.9 billion, a 56% increase from P7.7 billion in 2014. Moreover, sales reached over P2.4 billion, a 33% increase from P1.8 billion from the same period last year.

AXA expands business in Davao

R

ECOGNIZING the economic potential of the southern Philippines, AXA Philippines, the second largest player in the local life insurance industry, announced the expansion of their branch in Davao.

The branch brings AXA’s newest products and services to one of the most dynamic and fast-growing cities of Mindanao. Its opening is also aligned with AXA’s domestic and regional expansion plans, which highlights its strengthening foothold in the region.

“Davao is the economic center of the South and the local government is very clear with its growth strat-

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

EDITORIAL Changing the game

T

HE only thing constant in this world is change.

That said, EDGE Davao is consistently pushing itself to ride the winds of change. With this young organization’s battlecry “Change the game”, we are again blazing the trail amidst the autobahn speeds of developing technology by going to the social media platform to advance our coverage.

Two weeks ago, we posted the “Crying Lady” photo on our Facebook page and it generated nearly 200,000 views in 24 hours. On Monday, as we took to the social media our coverage on the much-anticipated “Announcement II” of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a series of posts reached over 100,000 in a matter of minutes leading up to the press conference. In sum, over 200,000 were reached in those hours of “Announcement II” where Mayor Duterte reiterated he is

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

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ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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

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OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance RICHARD C. EBONA Marketing Supervisor

not running for President and is considering reelection for Mayor if his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio decide not to run.

The numbers speak for the reach of this coverage and we intend to intensify our push towards the optimization of our news reach in the social media platform where the battle has shifted.

These days, most news organizations are taking their content to the social media which has proven to be the most accessible vehicle for news content.

Let’s face it, the game has shifted.

If one has to be in the thick of the fight, one’s presence in this platform would spell the difference. This is where the real demographics are measurable and tangible, not to mention relevant and not limited to a few respondents only of a particular segment.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0909-424-7990 Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Talking about fundamentals: Agriculture as a kickstarter

T

HE slight adjustment in our currency will be good for OFW families and exporters, but bad for local manufacturing, that has to import many raw materials. Manufacturing and agriculture is weak. It is alarming, though, that the shrinking contribution of agriculture to over all GDP is what can break our current growth. When other urban oriented sectors such as BPOs and manufacturing take off, the rural poor who are the agriculture sectors work force, most not be left behind. The hard cash earned by city folk and ofw families means little when food expenses go up, but on the other hand, will be made meaningful when prices of food go down. Neglect them, and you will see urban blight, traffic congestion and squalid living conditions. If rural incomes are strengthened, their living conditions in the countryside will improve and so will their capacity to contribute to the economic growth effort. The more they contribute, the more inclusive the growth will be, and the more the wealth emanating from our growth will be spread.

Agriculture is thus a kickstart-

“

HOW can I say thanks for all the things you have done for me,” so goes a line of a very popular Christian song.

William A. Ward has another way of saying it: “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say, ‘Thank you?’”

“Doctor,” a lady asked her physician, “why am I seized with these restless longings for the glamorous and faraway?”

“My dear lady,” the doctor replied, “they are the usual symptoms of too much comfort in the home and too much ingratitude in the heart.”

Is it really hard to say, “Thank you”?

Sarah Ban Breathnach told us: “Every time we remember to say ‘thank you,’ we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.”

William Blake said it best: “Gratitude is heaven itself.”

Johannes A. Gaertner reveals: “To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch heaven.”

Throughout history wise men and women have encouraged us to feel grateful for what we have. Why? Dr. Richard Carlson replies: “Very simply because gratitude makes us feel good. When you’re feeling grateful, your mind is clear, and therefore you have access to your greatest wisdom and common sense. You see the big picture.”

Some great men and women have penned reasons why we need to give thanks. Melody Beattie states: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns

er for the MY TWO CENTS’ Philippine economy. It is the sector from which many of our rural poor, as much as 10 million families, (or almost half John Tria our populaecisouth@gmail.com tion) make their living.

It doesn’t need highly skilled workers, and is relatively easy to set up.

Likewise, it is also where our people report the most hunger. It must be urgently noted that a third of our population remains food poor. A big percentage of the food poor are in the rural areas. It is therefore a moral necessity that this be addressed by engaging in larger farming of food.

Plots of land need little investment for small farming to start up. Sun and soil are generally free, and in areas where rains are evenly distributed, can get free irrigation water. All that is needed is massive programs for

government itself to invest in farming. Perhaps many idle government properties can be organized into farming plots to be tended by many of the rural poor. With the right training and motivation i think it can be done.

Conversely, allowing a population to degenerate into non productive consumers is a social sin. Everyone must be given the task to contribute, and be motivated to do so. If these incomes therefore were to increase, then it is possible to achieve three major benefits: Decreased migration to our urban centers, Increased incomes to buy local products, and lower food prices.

As rural family incomes increase, more opportunities are built and rebuilt, thereby creating the conditions for reinvestment to meet critical needs like food and shelter, which, in turn, will increase demand for these products (like raw materials for construction) and services, most of which are also locally sourced from within the general community. At the same time, this will encourage less families to migrate to urban centers to find livelihood. Agriculture will kickstart

the multiplier.

What this means in real terms is that we have the potential to depopulate tight urban areas like Metro Manila. Residents from nearby regions like Bicol and Cagayan valley can go back to their regions and jumpstart farming. Is this possible? Yes! Travel through these regions by road and you will see vast tracks of idle, sparsely populated land. Of course the challenge posed by climate change is real, but with the right government support for training, irrigation and other services, these can be mediated and overcome. As migrants return to their home provinces expect metro Manilas housing backlog to decrease, and traffic congestion to ease. At the same time, in th long term, as local food production increases, food prices will go down.

Again, and as always, government’s commitment and support needs to be channeled into getting the rural poor economically active. It is therefore our hope that the net president will not just talk about it, but engage the concrete actions that can roll the ball and make this a priority.

denial into acTHINK ON THESE! ceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes Henrylito D. Tacio sense of our past, brings henrytacio@gmail.com peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Albert Einstein reasons out: “A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the full measure I have received and am still receiving.”

Gratitude, according to William Faulkner, “is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”

Benjamin Franklin believes that “most people return small favors, acknowledge medium ones and repay greater ones with in gratitude.”

John Henry Jowett agrees: “Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.

Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual

road.”

M.J. Ryan thinks gratitude makes a person feel bursting with delight by just remembering the gifts he has received.

“Thus we are doubly blessed when we receive something--for the gift itself and later, in recall, for the miracle of having been given it,” he explains.

Albert Schweitzer has another idea: “To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course.

Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.”

Brian Tracy advocates: “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”

Some people equate thanksgiving with other things. Hollywood singer and actress Doris says, “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” In other words, if you are a lady who keeps on complaining then you know what kind of person you are.

A few people in this world thrive on revenge. But the words of Edward Gibbon come in handy: “Revenge is profitable, gratitude is expensive.”

Give thanks always – even if what you might have received are small things. Allow me to share the story of Retired Brigadier General Robinson Risner, which Zig

Ziglar recounted in his book, ‘Something to Smile About.”

Risner was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for more than seven years. “He was in solitary confinement for five of those years,” Ziglar notes. “He suffered from cold, heat, malnutrition, and lack of fresh air. He was totally deprived of any human comfort.”

In those years of confinement, what he did were the following: “He jogged in his cell by the hour. When he became so frustrated he had to scream, he stuffed his underwear into his mouth to muffle the scream. He would not give his captors the satisfaction of knowing his frustration.”

Then one day, something happened: “In the depths of despair, General Risner lay down on the floor and looked all around his small rectangular-shaped cell,” Ziglar notes. “He put his eye next to the cinder blocks, hoping that there would be a crack in one of them. Fortunately, there was a minute opening and he saw a single leaf. Later, he stated that seeing that evidence of life outside was a tremendously uplifting and life-changing event.”

Look around you. I am sure you will find that there are so many things you have to be thankful for. Ralph Marson reminded: “What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it-- would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.”

Thank you.

“Thank you!”

10NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

ADUCTED... FROM 1

Samal... FROM 2

ING COMMANDER (Justice for our commander) by: NPA.” The IGACOS Police Station immediately coordinated with Regional Mobile Unit (RMU), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy and Task Group Samal for follow-up operations.

PRO 11 identified the victims as Kjartan Sekkinstad, a Norwegian national who is the operations manager of the resort, John Ridsel and Robert Hall who are both Canadian nationals, and a certain Filipina named Tess, reportedly the livein partner of Hall.

The Eastern Mind-

anao Command (Eastmincom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said 11 armed men on board two motorized banca forcibly took the victims at round 11:41 p.m. of September 21.

The Eastmincom said the perpetrators were speaking in English and Tagalog. Around 30 foreigners were in the area when the incident happened.

Some of the armed men barged into the yacht of couple Steven and Kazuka Tripp, but they fought back and managed to escape.

“However, the couple

were rushed to Davao Norte Hospital-Samal Zone for medical treatment after suffering head injuries,” PRO 11 said in a statement.

Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office is now requesting the creation and activation of SITG “OCEAN VIEW” to conduct in-depth investigation on the incident.

Joint forces from Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, PCG and 10th Infantry Division were deployed to investigate and conduct pursuit operations in support to the law enforcement operations of the PNP. The abduction dealt a

big blow to the tourism industry of the Davao Region.

Department of Tourism (DOT) assistant secretary Arthuro Boncato immediately condemned the incident.

Boncato said DOT is now coordinating with the law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the visitors in the island.

“Samal Island is an important destination, a priority tourism development area in the Philippines,” Boncato said.

He said he is looking forward for an immediate resolution of the incident.

unknown.

He also stated that they have no indications that the abduction was committed by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Around 11 suspects, armed with long and short firearms, abducted three foreigners and a Filipina during a raid at Oceanview Resort, Barangay Camudmud, Babak

District, Island Garden City of Samal Monday night.

As this time, pursuit operations are being conducted by naval and group units of the Eastern Mindanao Command.

The incident took place at 11:30 p.m. Monday, Capt. Alberto Caber, Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs office

chief, said.

He identified the victims as Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, the resort manager, and a still unidentified Filipino woman.

Reports said the suspects were speaking in English and Filipino when they snatched the victims.

Two Japanese tourists tried to stop the bandits but failed.

At the time of the raid, 30 or more foreigners were at the resort.

Joint forces from Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, Philippine Coast Guard and the 10th Infantry Division are now conducting pursuit operations. (PNA)

mounting economic and human losses.

“The government, together with those sectors directly affected by the conflict should work hand in hand to end the communist insurgency at the soonest possible time,” Francisco J. Lara Jr., country manager of International Alert, said in a statement.

This should be pursued even as the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front had struck a political settlement, he added.

Lara said the com-

munist insurgency in the country, considered as the longest running communist insurgency in Asia, is exacting a higher toll than the Moro rebellion.

The communist rebellion ran longer and is affecting more provinces in the country, he said, stressing that in Mindanao, “it is a scourge in the Caraga Region, the Davao provinces and Compostela Valley.”

“Companies in these provinces are forced to pay millions in “revolutionary taxes” and have seen many of their facil-

ities and equipment destroyed,” Lara said.

He added that “local governments cannot attract investments and tourists that should have boosted the local economy,” apparently due to the security risk posed by the communist insurgency.

The Aquino government has made several attempts since 2010 to restart peace negotiations with the communist rebels.

Informal talks last year were aimed at resuming formal negotiations but these eventually

collapsed.

By focusing attention on the impact of the communist insurgency on business and local communities, International Alert said it hopes the government will exert more vigor and urgency in reviving talks with the communist rebels.

Local government officials and executives from agribusiness, mining and other industrial companies operating in the region attended the Davao forum last week.

(Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)

and crew-served weapons to the IDB at Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. One hundred forty-five MILF fighters were also processed for their transition into civilian life.

The IDB is composed of three foreign experts from Turkey, Brunei and Norway and four local experts nominated by the GPH and MILF. Its task is to oversee the decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons.

Ferrer said they are planning to set up to 10 assembly processing areas where members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces will be convened, interviewed, and assessed based on their needs and skills, so that they can start transitioning from rebel to civilian life.

“Some persons from

the government and MILF will go there to interview the combatants in order to determine if they are real MILF members. The transformation councilors will transform them into civilians,” he said.

“The JNC is tasked to undertake the primary functions of coordinating the process of normalization,” he said in his presentation.

“All movements will be coordinated and controlled by both the MILF and the government with the IDB and the existing peace mechanisms,” he said.

Under the JNC, he said the Joint Peace and Security Committee has been created, which “coordinates with the two parties and command structures on security arrangements and relevant to its functions.”

The JPSC also develops policies and operational guidelines for the effective partnership of the Joint Peace and Security Teams and coordinates the security arrangements for the activities related to the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and its annexes.

“The JPSTs shall be the operating units composed of contingents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and MILF’s BIAF,” Ferrer added.

Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, member of the JNC-MILF, added that one of functions of the JPST as agreed by the parties is to empower and develop new skills for the former MILF fighters as they transition into civilian life.

“There are several activities that will have to be undertaken. Skills for planning and managing projects. Planning itself is not yet the technical stage of decommissioning because it is to be undertaken in phases,” he said.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Embrahim earlier said they will continue to push for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro even if the BBL would not be passed.

Aside from the IDB and JNC, the two parties also formed theTransitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission which will undertake a study and recommend to the panels the appropriate mechanisms for transitional justice and reconciliation. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

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BBL... FROM 4

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

The victims were identified as Kjartan Sekkinstad, a Norweigian national who is the operations manager of the resort, John Ridsel and Robert Hall both Canadian nationals, and a Filipina named Tess, reportedly the live-in partner of Hall.

They were abducted by 11 armed men onboard two motorized Bangka docked at the said resort and forcibly kidnapped the victims and fled towards unknown direction.

Some of the armed men barged into the yacht of the couple Steven and Kazuka Tripp but they fought back

and managed to escape. The escapees, however, were rushed to Davao del Norte Hospital-Samal Zone after suffering head injuries.

Around 4:00 AM yesterday, security guard of the resort recovered a note at the entrance gate of the said resort 500 meters away from docking area quoted as: “KATARUNGAN NG AMING COMMANDER by: NPA.” The IGACOS Police Station immediately coordinated with Regional Mobile Unit (RMU), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy and Task Group Samal for follow-up operations.

his edge among other possible candidates is his being young that give him the energy to serve the people.

“If chosen by the mayor and no Duterte will run for the position, I am ready for it,” he said.

He said if Duterte will declare the position as ‘free zone’ he is still ready to gamble and seek the position.

The party, Bonguyan said, is yet to meet for the caucus of who will be the in final list of candidates.

These two councilors

are now in their last term and cannot seek re-election for next year.

Reporters asked Ibuyan and Bonguyan if the revelation of the list of possible vice mayor of the party means that no Duterte will run for the position, the two answered that they do not have any idea.

When Mayor Duterte was asked last Monday night if his son, Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte, will remain to be the vice mayor of the party, he said that it will depend on him.

is already old and ailing.

“So many problems to be solved and at my age I do not have the energy anymore,” Duterte said.

Duterte said that if he will run for presidency, it will only in his barangay because he is not popular like the three presidentiables such as Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay and Grace Poe. The mayor, however, said that if these groups will pursue and march in the streets in Manila then he has nothing to do with it.

“It is part of their rights exercising their freedom of expression,” he said.

Duterte for President 2016 Movement national leader Mar Masanguid said

many groups have already confirmed joining the march on September 26 which is being organized to urge Duterte to run for President in 2016.

Masanguid said some officials of the PartidoDemokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN), the political party to which Duterte belongs, also helped his group organize the big rally to urge Duterte to run.

Masanguid said volunteers from the religious sector, transport groups, urban poor, the academe, and Chinese business groups are also involved in the rally.

He said this is their last call for the mayor to run in 2016. ABFJ

render a verdict before the election period kicks off,” he added.

Drilon, the main author of the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9225), said that the question on Poe’s citizenship is a legal issue “that can only be resolved with finality by the Supreme Court.”

Drilon noted that the majority of the members of the SET are non-lawyers. Only four out of the nine members of the SET are lawyers, namely: Senior Associate Justice T. Antonio Carpio, Associate Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro, Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion,

and Sen. Pia S. Cayetano.

The other members are Senators Vicente Sotto III, Nancy Binay, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Loren Legarda, and Cynthia Villar.

“The matter that is before the tribunal involves the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Constitution, R.A. 9225, commonly known as the Dual Citizenship Act, and other pertinent laws concerning citizenship on an undisputed set of facts,” Drilon emphasized.

He said that the SET can take judicial notice of the facts and public records which are not disputed, and eventually render its verdict. (PNA)

2 councilors... FROM 3

Mayor... FROM 3

Drilon... FROM 4

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

ENVIRONMENT 11

Fruit bats: True angels of the night TEXT and PHOTOS By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

W

ITHOUT bats, life won’t be here! Without bats, (there would be) no durian and all those yummy fruits. (Perhaps not too many are aware) that bats pollinate those fruits and an endless list of (other) plants at that.”

-- Norma Monfort *** “Now that Davao City has been known to be the country’s fruit capital, and annually celebrates the bountiful fruit harvests during the Kadayawan Festival in August, I believe that the fruit bats should now also get their rightful recognition for making this happen because they are the main pollinators of the fruits.”

The statement came from the mouth Norma Monfort, founder of Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation Inc. She said those words to the Business Mirror’s senior correspondent Manuel Cayon.

Monfort is talking about her new campaign called “ELEVATED BATtitude,” which will be launched with the Chinese community this coming Saturday, Sep-

Bats, bats, more bats

tember 26. “Let’s celebrate with our Chinese brothers Mid-Autumn Moon Festival trailblazing a campaign to showcase the moonrise wonders of bats,” she wrote in her facebook account.

She urged everyone to “join and show your appreciation.” She considered the bats as “the unsung heroes,” for they are “the true angels of the night.” She explains: “(They) work while (while the rest of the) humanity sleeps. Bats fly out in thundering rain or at moonrise with baby pups on their breasts into the night to forage for food.

Their role in reforestation can’t be matched by tree planting activities.”

From the time the Monfort Bat Sanctuary in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte was declared as having the world’s biggest colony of fruit bats, the population has now boomed to 2.5 million.

In 2010, the staff from the Guinness Book of World Records came and found out there were about 1.8 million bats residing in the 245 foot (75 meter)-long cave. That’s

a density of 645 bats per square meter.

The following year, an American cave-mapping expedition stumbled upon an unusually high number of pregnant bats in the Monfort bat colony.

The bat species does not usually give birth in the first month of the year, making the discovery a “big surprise” and forcing the scientists to halt their mapping project, reports Norma Monfort, owner of the bat sanctuary.

The cause of the bat baby boom is unknown.

However, Monfort suspects one factor may be that the cave is protected from the disturbance of human beings as it is now an ecotourism site, which allows their numbers to grow.

Although she lives in Davao City, Monfort comes to her Samal property every now and then.

When she’s there, she roams around the property. With a notebook, she writes down the things her staff has to attend to.

“It is tough for me because the property is slightly sloping and I get overwhelmed with the size of the land,” she said.

“But I have to do it. This may be the last bastion of bats in the country in the near future.”

When she enters the sanctuary, referring to the bat cave, she literally talks to her “angels” and say, “Hi! Bat Mama is here.”

“Everything remains rustic,” she said, “and I just try to use indigenous materials. I also make sure that the bats are fully protected.”

The bats that inhabit Monfort’s place are called Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats, known scientifically as Rousettus amplexicaudatus.

The fruit bats have been there since the very beginning. She was barely walking when the family would seek shelter inside the cave during the Second World War. Japanese war planes would circle around Samal Island before bombing the adjacent Davao. “Together with some of our neighbors, we would run to the backyard cave,” she said.

Only few bats inhabit the cave at that time.

After the war was over, the family built a house near the cave, which was already inhabited by

bats. The family moved to Davao and lived there.

But during weekends and holidays, she would accompany her father going to the farm, as she called their Samal residence.

When she was already a teenager, Monfort and some of her friends would venture going inside the cave to see the bats. “To me it was a ‘matter of fact thing.’ I don’t recall being amazed,” she admitted.

“It was simply; these are bats!”

But growing up and seeing bats made her to take care for these creatures.

She describes them as “meek and gentle and keep grooming themselves.” When they come out at night, they go out in an orderly manner like doing a circadian flight. “Instead of fear, I feel being amazed and stand in awe before such a great sight,” she said.

“You marvel and become inspired at God’s creation.”

Fortunately, her parents gave the land as her inheritance. Monfort loves the bats that she thought of protecting them from leaving the cave. But with the

government’s agrarian reform laws, which limit individual ownership of agricultural land, she may loss the land where the bats are dwelling.

She raised her own funds to bring the respected scientists from Bat Conservation International (BCI) to her cave to advise the best way to ensure continued protection of her bats. Together with BCI and six other government and non-governmental organizations, Monfort signed an agreement protecting the cave as the Monfort Bat Conservation Park in 2006.

Within six months, Monfort also created the Philippines Bat Conservation, an environmental group that reaches beyond her colony to promote conservation of all Philippine bat species.

In 2011, Monfort was honored as one of the “Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Conservation Heroes.” The award is bestowed to “extraordinary individuals who are passionate about protecting animals and habitats in areas of critical concern.”

12CLASSIFIED

EDGEDAVAO

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 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

13

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

DEED OF EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ALFONSA M. CELIS has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT SALE executed among her heirs per Doc. No.20; Page No.4; Book No. XXV; Series of 2014, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FELIPE E. PAREJA 9/16.23.30

ZION

ACCUPRINT PUBLISHING, INC.

Is in need of:

MACHINE OPERATOR (Printing Press)

Qualifications:

- At least high school graduate, not more than 30 years old - Physically and mentally fit - Can handle minor repairs of the machine - Has the ability to be cool under pressure of deadlines and complex projects - Experience of at least one year

Send application letter & resume to: HR Supervisor ZION Accuprint Publishing, Inc. Door 14 Alcrej Building, Quirino Ave., 8000 Davao City, Philippines E-mail: marketing@edgedavao.net zion_publishing@yahoo.com Telefax: (082) 2213601 Website: www.edgedavao.net

14 MOTORING

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Foton to compete in SUV market with Toplander

F

OTON is getting ready to field its first-ever Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the Philippines with the market launch of the Toplander. Expected to be priced competitively, the Toplander is poised to steal sales away from the Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) and entry-level MPV and SUV market.

Available in both 4x2 and 4x4 variants, the Top-

lander is underpinned by the same tough and reliable chassis of the Foton Thunder pick-up truck. It also shares the same powerful and durable 2.8-liter Cummins diesel engine under the hood. Interestingly, this Cummins diesel actually is already Euro 4 compliant. Foton Philippines will make the final announcement on specifications and pricing at the

show.

Aside from the Toplander, the Foton Big Show 2015 will offer the best deals on brand-new Foton vehicles that range from discounts to low allin down payments to flexible financing schemes to freebies. These offers are available across the Foton line-up from the Thunder to the View Traveller and View Transvan to even the

company’s line of trucks.

This year’s theme of “Up to the Challenge” aims to showcase the brand’s rapidly expanding range of competitive commercial vehicles. In fact, Foton Philippines has announced that they’ve already reached the same volume sales as they did for the entirety of 2014 with still four months to go. Foton has also men-

tioned that they’re just 10 percent shy of attaining their annual sales forecast for 2015.

The Foton Big Show started out as the “Palitan Fest” in 2010 and was renamed as the “Foton Big Show” in 2011. Since then, it’s always been the venue for the brand to showcase its rapidly expanding range of vehicles. Currently, they have the widest

range of commercial vehicles and have become a household name when it comes to their diesel expertise and no-nonsense vehicles which can empower your business.

The Foton Big Show 2015 opens its doors on October 2, 2015 and will run until October 4, 2015.

Admission is free and gates open every day at 10am and close at 7pm.

ments during testing with a “defeat device”. This affects close to 500,000 cars and could also mean that the German automaker could face stiff fines.

This all started when a non-government organization, the International Council on Clean Transportation noticed discrepancies between tests of diesel

Volkswagens in Europe and in the US. Wanting to verify VW’s “clean diesel” claim, they borrowed equipment from the West Virginia University to test emissions in real-world driving conditions. While the VW models pass the laboratory tests performed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), they failed the real-world test, which measures tailpipe emissions.

With VW engineers unable to explain the discrepancies, the EPA and CARB launched an investigation.

It was only when regulators threatened to withhold certifications and halt sales did Volkswagen fess up to using a cheat device.

In order to meet tougher emissions regulations,

carmakers are now increasingly reliant on diesels that use urea-based additives to cut down Nitrogen Oxide or NOx emissions. However, VW touted that its 2.0-liter TDI can meet these regulations without the need for the costly urea injection system. This includes: 20092015 TDI Golf, Jetta, Beetle, and the Audi A3 as well as 2014-2015 Passat.

Instead, the EPA discovered that these cars contain a sophisticated software algorithm which detects when a car is being tested for emissions. When this happens, the software triggers a change in engine management that cuts down emissions dramatically. During normal driving situations, affected

VW models could have up to 40 times the legal limit of NOx. NOx is a contributor to smog and can cause a wide range of health problems for people including asthma attacks and respiratory illness. It’s also linked to respiratory-related or cardiovascular-related diseases especially to the children and the elderly.

Consumer Reports says that the computer software in affected VW models could detect when a car is put on a dyno basically because the front wheels spin on a rolling road and the rear wheels remain stationary. Normally, this should trigger safety features such as the stability or traction control. To prevent the driver aids from

kicking in, testers put the car into a dedicated “test” mode to complete the procedure without stability or traction control interfering.

Although no recall has been made as of yet, Volkswagen USA has already issued a stop-sale on all remaining 2015 models using the 2.0 TDI engine in the US. Meanwhile, the EPA says they’re withheld the 2016 “certificate of conformity” meaning VW cannot sell cars with this particular powertrain configuration to the public. Currently though, VW stands to lose out 20-25 percent of its US sales volume. Furthermore, they can be slapped with a huge fine amounting to about US $18-billion.

Volkswagen cheating on emission?

V

OLKSWAGEN is the middle of a corporate catastrophe that undermines a loss of trust towards consumers and government regulators. Just last week, the US-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discovered that certain VW models are able to circumvent emission require-

SPORTS 15

NEW DAY DAWNS VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Fil-Aussie is now world no. 1 in golf

J

ASON Day has plenty of rivals at the moment, but very few peers. Day’s runaway victory on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) in the BMW Championship vaulted him to No. 1 in the world ranking, backing up a boast the then little-known Australian made during a conference call with reporters in 2007 — and for which he was roasted on more than one occasion since.

“I remember sitting on my mom’s bed and thinking that (predicting he’d be No. 1 someday) might not go over too well,” laughed Day, who turns 28 next month.

It didn’t.

“I expected to get a little bit (of criticism), but not the response that I got from practically everyone,” Day recalled, another championship trophy poised within arm’s reach. “But it’s good to sit in this chair right now.”

His 2-under, final-round 69 and 22-under total at Conway Farms was good for a six-shot victory over rookie Daniel Berger. Scott Piercy finished third, seven strokes back. The win was Day’s fifth on tour this season and his second in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

In addition to leap-frogging Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy to claim the top spot in the world ranking, it made him the front-runner in the 30-man field heading to East Lake in Atlanta next weekend for the series finale.

“Whatever Jason Day is doing, or which course he’s playing, it’s ridiculous,” said Danny Lee, who’s at No. 19.

That was hardly an exaggeration here.

Day zoomed out to a big lead by shooting 61 and 63 in the first two rounds and was never seriously challenged. If he manages a win

in Atlanta, it could make the race for Player of the Year — an award Spieth appeared to lock up by winning the Masters and US Open earlier in the summer — closer than anyone would have anticipated just six weeks ago.

But Day has been on an incredible run since narrowly missing at the British Open. In his six starts since, he has won four times — the Canadian Open, the PGA Championship for his first major and the two FedEx Cup events — and played at a sizzling 101-under par clip.

“I think it might change some people’s minds about (player of the year) if I go ahead and win next week,” he said. “But we can’t deny what Jordan has done in the in the major championship this year. For a 22-year-old kid to accomplish what he’s done ... that has been an amazing ride. “I still think,”

Give where credit is due I N life, it is important to look back at our humble beginnings.

This is what I discovered in my deepening self-imposed probe of the Davao City Collegiate League or DCCL. I was waiting for an answer from the DCCL’s corporate sponsor on who is really funding the league after both the City Sports Development Office and the sponsoring firm denied having spent a single peso.

I was doing my radio program on 105.9 Balita FM Saturday morning when I got a call from a colleague— Andy Rara of DXAB (ABS CBN’s affiliate radio station). Lo and behold, Andy had a handful of story about the DCCL. Let’s put things straight.

The DCCL was an idea conceived in the mind of Andy as an afterthought of the dearth of a local basketball league in the level of UAAP and NCAA in Metro Manila and the CESAFI of Cebu.

These leagues are handled

by ABS CBN in terms of television broadcast.

Andy thought why not put up a league in Davao City to be the counterpart of the UAAP, NCAA and CESAFI. Thus, he sought the help of Mr. Butch Ramirez, the officer in charge of the City Sports Development Office. Then one thing led to another and the DCCL was hatched with the next strata of stakeholders from the schools. And since the league needed a legitimate foundation, the CSDO

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo

owned up to the DCCL according to Andy.

ABS CBN lent its facilities and crew to get things going with the DCCL while CSDO also did its part, but at midstream it became apparent that the league needed some finances to keep it going. In came the corporate sponsor.

It was when this corporate sponsor came in, says Andy, that ABS CBN was stricken off. Its logo is no longer imprinted in the trophies which now bore a huge logoface of the sponsor.

Poor Andy had to pull out his men.

What could have prompted the corporate sponsor to somehow “assume” lead part in the DCCL? How much was the sponsorship then?

This is where we are led back to the statement in a press conference for the 2nd DCCL that no money is involved in this sponsorship.

The sponsor, through its regional sales manager, said they gave only “in kind.”

The CSDO, for its part, also said it did not spend

a single centavo through a statement published in this paper.

But what is this, my insider is telling me, that the corporate sponsor gave a good sum of money (in six figures) for this event. The corporate sponsorship was reportedly made possible through the intervention of an athletics director of a big university which is a huge market of the corporate backer. Whether this is true or not, what confuses me is why the deal had to be kept secret. Or if it is true that no money was given by the sponsor, why on earth it hogged the exposure in this event in the level of a presentor?

Or if it is true that the city government did not spend a single centavo, how on earth did they miraculously stage the first DCCL and the ongoing 2nd DCCL? Who paid for the barker or the refs? One thing I learned, a secretary of an official made the payment to one after the opening program.

Anyway, the 2nd DCCL had opened. Poor Andy and ABS CBN were out of the picture now. The main stars?

Corporate sponsor and two athletic directors.

According to these two stooges, they were the ones who conceptualized the DCCL. Poor Andy can only shake his head in disbelief.

And to think these stooges even told him, “walang iwanan.”

Day added a moment later, “it’s him.”

His fellow players aren’t so sure.

When Rickie Fowler was asked to pick between the two, he replied, “I’m glad it’s not my decision” — forgetting that he’ll have to cast a ballot at season’s end.

But the battle for No. 1 wasn’t the only drama hanging over the tournament.

The quest to make the 30-man field heading to East Lake produced its own share of winners and losers.

TOP OF THE WORLD. Jason Day, half Filipino, half Australian, has moved up to world no. 1.

Gilas eyes flying start vs. Palestine Here’s the full schedule for Wednesday: (Changsha Social Work College’s Gymnasium) 9:30 a.m. – Kuwait vs Hong Kong 11:45 a.m. – Philippines vs Palestine 2:30 p.m. – Iran vs Japan 4:45 p.m. – South Korea vs Jordan 7:30 p.m. – Singapore vs China 9:30 p.m. – Taiwan vs Lebanon

C

HANGSHA, China – National coach Tab Baldwin considers Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the preliminaries of the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship as ‘window games’ that should prepare the team for the tougher grind ahead.

But that doesn’t mean he’s taking any of the three preliminary matches lightly.

So when the national

team begins its campaign on Wednesday against Fiba Asia first-timer Palestine, Baldwin doesn’t foresee much problems but at the same time expects his players to come out fighting from the get-go.

“We have some games that we believe are important for us – obviously window games,” said Baldwin on the eve of the 11:45 a.m. game at the Changsha Social Work College’s Gymnasium here.

“We will take our opponents very seriously … but those games should also prepare us for the later round of the tournament where you’ll play the top teams from Asia.”

Baldwin said the Palestine game, as well as those against Hong Kong on Thursday and Kuwait on Friday, should come in handy for a team that has not had much match practice in its two-month buildup for the China showpiece that stakes a lone berth for Asia in

next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In the two months since Gilas 3.0 was put together, the team only had one appearance in a full tournament at the Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei which Blatche still missed, by the way, owing to the death of an uncle.

Its other matches came in a four-team pocket tournament in Estonia and the three-day MVP Cup in Manila which for the most part Baldwin himself admitted felt like scrimmages more than tournament matches.

The three preliminary games should serve Blatche well, giving the 6-10 former NBA player more match play under his belt after reporting for training camp only a shadow of the player who averaged 21.2 points and 13.8 rebounds with 1.6 steals for Gilas in the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain.

16

EDGEDAVAO Sports

FEROCIOUS. Francis Gabriel Escandor goes high up against two Davao Jones Academy defenders in this file photo during the 2015 Gaisano Grand Cup at the Gaisano Skygym.

Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 125 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

EXPLOSION FG sizzles with 39 as Esdevco Genesis 88 topples Globe GMI

By NEIL BRAVO

F

RANCIS Gabriel Escandor waxed hot all game long as he scored a tournament best 39 points in leading Esdevco-Genesis 88 past Globe GMI 9162 at the resumption of the 2015 Escandor Group of Companies Basketball Tournament at the Genesis Gym over the weekend.

The six-foot Escandor was practically all over the court as he sprayed 13 points each in the second and final periods on top of five three-point connections to shove Esdevco-Genesis 88 to its second straight win in the tournament. Globe GMI dropped to 1-1 in the standings after the loss.

It was the second 30-point plus performance for Escandor

who also fired 30 in their opening day win over KADSIA. Also contributing 12 points for Esdevco-Genesis 88 is Glenn Escandor who sank four triples while Gio Binoya had a sterling performance at the point with 8 markers aside from dishing out nifty assists to the younger Escandor.

In other games, DASIA turned back The Royal Mandaya Hotel 75-66, and Premia Packing nipped Mesa 71-69.

The tournament, sanctioned by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP 11), plays single round robin with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals.