Edge Davao 8 Issue 31

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

NOW OPEN. The Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (PHILBEX) Davao officially opens at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center yesterday. The opening ceremony was led by World box Services International (WSI) founding chairman Joseph L. Ang, managing director Jill Aithnie Ang, executive director Arch. Francisco Flameño Jr., Levi S. Ang, Councilor April Marie Dayap, Department of Public Works and High-

ways (DPWH) 11 assistant director Engr. Tomas Rodriguez, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 officer in charge Ma. Belinda Ambi, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) executive director Mary Antonette Doromal, Malaysian Consul General Abdullah Zawawi Tahir, and association presidents. Lean Daval Jr.

RODY, ETTA MEND TIES

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

A

LL is well between Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Loretta Ann “Etta” Rosales.

In an interview Wednesday night, Duterte thanked Rosales for saying in a television interview that he was doing well in governing Davao City, especially in the area of peace

and order.

Rosales had also reportedly lauded Duterte for continuously fighting for the rights of the people.

Duterte told reporters that he and Rosales were actually friends since they were together in Congress from 1998 to 2001 and they both belonged to the progressive segment.

It was when Rosales

became CHR chair that the two became adversaries as the former criticized Duterte for his iron-fisted style of leadership.

Rosales also criticized Duterte last year for saying he would “gladly kill smugglers” in Davao City.

The commissioner also told the mayor to keep quiet when Duterte supported Quezon City Mayor Herbert

Bautista who had slapped an arrested drug dealer.

Rosales also called Duterte a “bad influence” after saying that he will turn drug suspects into fish food in the coastline of Davao City.

Rosales previously criticized Duterte for issuing a shoot-to-kill order against the kidnappers of a businesswoman on 2013.

INSIDE EDGE

A SWEET MOTHER’S DAY TREAT AT EDEN NATURE PARK Indulge A1 PACQUIAO DEFENDS TEAM AMID CRITICISM AFTER LOSS Sports P15

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

Lagdameo backs BBL SELFIE MANIA. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte gamely poses for a photograph with a participant of the Association of Dean of Philippine Colleges convention at Ritz Hotel on Wednesday night. Lean Daval Jr.

‘But Congress must make sure it’s constitutional’

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

D

AVAO del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio F. Lagdameo yesterday said he supports the passing of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) but Congress must make sure it is constitutional.

“Anything less will only make the situation worse than it already is. This in essence is what we in Congress have been tasked to do – to pass a law that will be good for all Filipinos wherever they live and

whatever faith they hold. Rest assured we will not fail,” Lagdameo said in a statement.

He said is one with all Filipinos in wanting to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict that has plagued many parts of Mindanao for generations.

“In this cause, where so much is at stake for so many of our countrymen, we must spare no effort, explore all options, and be open to every rea-

sonable compromise for the good of the country,” he said.

Lagdameo said this includes revisiting everything that has been done in the past in the name of peace – including the law that established the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) – to see if and how these can be improved upon, amended, or incorporated into what we are trying to achieve today.

“For many the passing of

the BBL is the best, if not the only, solution to our problems.

I agree, but the law first has to be constitutional,” he said.

For his part, President Benigno Aquino said he remains optimistic that BBL will get passed into law within Congress’ timetable next month despite any amendments.

“Sa ipinangako sa atin ng liderato ng House, mukhang nasa schedule sila,” he said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Aquino said chair of the House ad hoc committee on the BBL and Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez is committed to a June 15 timetable.

He said he considers the proposed amendments to the BBL to be a “normal” process.

Aquino particularly cited former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., a member of Constitutional Commission and Consultative Council, who ex-

plained the appropriate perspective on the BBL. The Malacañang-created peace council is tasked to review the provisions of the Bangsamoro law.

“Yung hinighlight nila na talagang ibang klase itong mga autonomous regions both ‘yung tinataya sa Cordillera at saka dito nga sa Mindanao, at iniliwanag niya na Constitutionally sound at defensible,”

senior high school campuses in the city will have a separate principal from the junior high school campus.

“There are two different principals to man the junior and senior high schools,” he said.

Roco said there is a need for a two separate principals for every extension school due to the foreseen increase in student population next year.

Roco said the senior high

school for DRANHS will be built at the S.I.R Elementary School while the one fore SANHS will be built at the Jose Rizal Elementary School He said the area for DCNHS is yet to be identified.

Roco said the DepEd has identified 67 national high schools that will also offer senior high schools but, unlike the three, these schools only have one principal for both

F LAGDAMEO, 14

City Health to inspect 3 big schools to have separate senior high schools for sanitation

T

HE Davao City Health Office (CHO) will conduct inspections in the schools for sanitation before the start of the new school year.

Speaking in yesterday’s I-Speak Media Forum at City Hall, CHO Environment Sanitation Division head Robert Oconer said the inspections aim to ensure that proper sanitation in the schools is implemented.

He said the team will in-

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

spect the canteens and comfort rooms of the schools.

Oconer said proper sanitation is important since June is a rainy month and there could be many cases of dengue if sanitation is not maintained.

“In fact last year... there many number of students who had dengue cases. When we inspected the place, we found out that they just dumped garbage everywhere,” he said.

Oconer said his team will

FCITY, 14

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE three big national high schools in Davao City will have a separate campus each for the first batch of senior high school (SHS) of the K to 12 program next year.

In yesterday’s I-Speak Media Forum at City Hall, Department of Education (DepEd) Davao City Senior High School Division supervisor Marcelo Roco told reporters that the Davao City Na-

tional High School (DCNHS), Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS), and Sta. Ana National High School (SANHS) will each have a campus for their respective senior high schools alone.

Roco said the three schools were identified by DepEd Davao City Division to be given a separate campus knowing these are the most populated schools in the city.

He said each of the three

F3 BIG, 14

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

3

Ex-Cebu Gov. Lito Osmeña supports Duterte for President F

ORMER Cebu governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña has joined calls for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to seek the presidency.

Osmeña met with Duterte at the Waterfront Cebu Hotel Saturday night to persuade the mayor to run for the top elective post in 2016.

“This is it. It’s about time

to have a Cebuano or Visayan-speaking president who will free southern Philippines from the highly centralized unitary government headquartered in Manila,” Osmeña

told reporters.

Osmena is the founder of the PROMDI Party which advocated federalism as far back as 1990 and was a highly successful governor of Cebu.

WIND POWER. Anakata Renewables, Inc. senior sales executive Mardonie D. Cruz explains the features of a state-of-the-art wind turbine displayed at the company’s booth during the first day of the Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (PHILBEX) Davao at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Osmeña said he fully supports Duterte’s desire to adopt a federal form of government which seeks to decentralize and speed up the development of the countryside. He said this jives with his campaign for local autonomy to address the causes of poverty and insurgency, particularly the Moro rebellion.

“A federal system is the way to equality. At present, Manila looks down on Filipinos from southern Philippines. If we do not support Duterte, and we will lose the presidency this time, it will be our fault,” said Osmeña, who vowed do everything so Duterte will become the country’s next president.

Osmeña said Duterte is the best among those who want to become president.

“Number one, he (Duterte) speaks my language. Second, he will free Filipino people from second class citizenship which we have here in Visayas and Mindanao and even in Bicol,” he said.

Osmeña said a centralized form of government leads to neglect of areas far from the seat of power. “I will support any candidate for

the presidency who will likely embrace federalism with passion. The time to go federal has come,” he said.

Duterte was in Cebu over the weekend as part of his “Listening Tour” to promote Federalism and raise the people’s level of awareness particularly on the possibility of violence in Mindanao if the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails.

Duterte was the guest speaker at a meeting called by the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp. (Opascor) attended by more than 400 officials and members led by lawyer Tomas Riveral.

At the close of his talk, Duterte recited passages from Ecclesiastes, noting that there was a time for everything under the sun.

The mayor alluded to the role that destiny plays in people’s lives – including the making of a president.

“Ug mao nay imong kapalaran, wa kay mabuhat (If that is your fate, you cannot do anything about it),” conceded Duterte. “(But) If it is not your destiny, you won’t become president no matter what you do,” Duterte pointed out.

4 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

BLACKOUT. A staff member of Edge Davao reads a newspaper with the help of a flashlight during an hour-long blackout yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Abu Sayyaf releases school teacher in Jolo

A

TEACHER abducted nine days ago together with her brother, also a teacher, was released by the Abu Sayyaf brigands in the province of Sulu, a top military official announced Thursday.

Released was Reynadeth Bagonoc-Silvano, 31, a teacher of Tuburan Elementary School in Talusan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Col. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said Silvano was released around 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the town proper of Jolo, the capital of Sulu.

Arrojado said a concerned resident brought Silvano to the headquarters of the Joint Task Group Sulu where she immediately underwent medical check-up and debriefing.

Arrojao said Silvano told

them the Abu Sayyaf brigands released her due to the pressure brought about by the continuous law enforcement operations in the towns of Indanan and Parang.

However, Arrojado said that Silvano’s brother, Russel, 22, also a teacher, remains in the custody of the bandits.

He said Silvano will be transported aboard a Navy boat Thursday to the headquarters of the Joint Task Force Zambasulta in this city.

The victims were seized last May 5 while they were on the way to Tuburan Elementary School in Talusan, Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Arrojado said the Abu Sayyaf Group that abducted the victims are led by Mawallil Hatib Mudam based in the town of Parang. (PNA)

Duterte confirms talking politics with VM Paolo

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

D

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte confirmed talking with his son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, two weeks ago about their political plans.

In an interview after his speaking engagement with the Associations of the Deans of College of Nursing’s in the Philippines on Wednesday night, the mayor said he and his son did not fix any plans

for 2016 yet.

Duterte is widely believed to be eyeing the presidency, while Paolo has already said he would run for mayor if his father runs for president in 2016.

The mayor, for his part, has publicly said he wants his daughter, former Mayor Sara Duterte, to run for her old post.

FDUTERTE, 14

PSSCC to install more CCTV cams

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) will install additional closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in some areas in the city.

In yesterday’s I-Speak Media Forum, PSSCC head Francisco Villaroman said his office is still identifying the areas in the city where the CCTV cameras will be placed for security purposes.

“We will check with our

technical people where can we install. If we can put up CCTVs in public schools we will do that,” he said.

Villaroman said the PSSCC need a maximum of 50 new cameras in addition to the existing 173 cameras to cover blind spots and some public schools.

He said his office will not announce where the CCTVs will be installed for security reason.

“Our CCTVs in public

are for anti-criminality and anti-terrorism and we do not announce where these cameras will be installed,” he said.

He said the additional CCTV cameras are part of the P150 million fund for the upgrade of all security equipment of PSSCC. Villaroman said part of the fund also includes the expansion of the Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) room where the monitors

are placed.

He said there is a need for additional equipment such as computers and monitors as well as additional personnel for the monitoring team.

“There is a need to add our monitoring team. We will hire additional personnel,” he said.

Villaroman said the PSSCC will probably finish its upgrade study this December.

facturing, Inc. building, which was razed by fire from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Earlier reports said more than 70 company workers were trapped inside the two-story building. The victims were trapped inside the 2nd floor as its windows had steel barriers.

Recovery efforts were being spearheaded by the Bu-

reau of Fire Protection (BFD) and the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Scene of the Crime Operatives.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, together with police and BFP officials inspected on Thursday the recovered charred remains of fire victims, mostly beyond recognition.

Roxas, with BFD regional director Sergio Soriano and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Director Carmelo Valmoria, reported 72 bodies were recovered.

“Possibly, the number of dead bodies will no longer increase” Soriano said.

A spark from welding

Death toll in Valenzuela slipper factory fire rises to 72; 10 missing T

HE death toll in the fire that gobbled up a two-story slipper factory in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City rose to 72 on Thursday afternoon while 10 more people were reported still missing.

Police and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFD) retrieval teams recovered 72 charred bodies from Kentex Manu-

FDEATH, 14

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

5

EDGEDAVAO

6 VANTAGE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDITORIAL The greater tragedy

T

HE horrific death of at least 72 people inside a burning slipper factory in Valenzuela City serves as an unnerving reminder that the Philippines still has a long way to go before it can call itself a developed country that looks after the welfare of its citizens. Occasional fires do happen everywhere in the world, and they sometimes result in fatalities. Such is life. But when the body count reaches 72, that is no longer accidental; it was obviously the result of negligence on the part of many players.

In a case like this, the initial attention naturally goes to the owners of the business and/or the building. Did they institute safety measures to make sure people are able to leave in case of fires and other emergencies? In the Valenzuela fire, the answer was obviously no. One or two fatalities would have been understandable, but to have 72 people trapped inside a burning building took significant negligence on the

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

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 TACIO • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Economic ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZEN CHUAAnalysts: • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

the national association of newspapers

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

part of the owners. How could such a large number of people not find a way to get out if fire exits had been provides?

Beyond the owners, of course, we must look at the authorities whose job it is to enforce building safety laws precisely so that incidents like this do not happen. Regular inspections are a requirement, and surely the danger signs had been there for this particular building. How they slipped past the inspectors must be investigated, and those who allowed unsafe building practices to slide must be held accountable.

The Valenzuela fire was surely an incident that was bound to happen, and the tragedy was that it was allowed to reach that point. An even bigger tragedy now would be to see it as an isolated case and simply forget that a number of factors played a part in making it such a deadly fire. If we do not get our acts together, we will see more cases like this in the future.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND P. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Sun) 0925-357-3460 Tel: (088) 852-4894 (Smart) 0907-202-3844

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

A sweet Mother’s Day treat at Eden Nature Park LAST May 10, mothers, bakers, and baking enthusiasts joined Eden Nature Park and Resort’s “Baking 101 with Mom, A Mother’s Day Special @ Eden”.

The participants got a chance to nurture their love for baking. They

learned how to bake cakes such as Caramel Duet Cake, Moist Island

Chocolate Cake, Caramel Chocolate Mousse, Pandan Mousse Cake, Strawberry Mousse Cake, Black Forest, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcake, different kinds of icing. Apart from those, attendees got to experience hands-on lettering to beautify their baked goodies.

Moms honed their baking skills with Chef Argie’s tips on new baking techniques, flavor combinations, and simple cake and cupcake decorating techniques using FineLab’s FineBake, FineDesserts, and Finissimo products.

Chef Argie Tagon, the award-winning chef, came all the way from Cebu to facilitate the baking demo in Eden. The event was in partnership with FineLab, a division of Beauchem Thermtech Group, Inc. Based in Mindanao, Finelab caters to bakeries, hotels, restaurants, and commissaries in Southern and Northern Mindanao.

The participants were given an apron, recipe booklet, and Certificate of Attendance.

Moms were given cakes to take home after the event.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EVENT

Davao personalities share their love for mom LOVING SMILES were exchanged and happy tears were shed at the launch of Abreeza Mall’s “Thank You, Mom” photo exhibit on May 9 during Mother’s Day weekend.

Part of Abreeza Mall’s Mompowerment May campaign, “Thank You, Mom” serves as a reminder of all the admirable things mothers have done and continue to do for their children by shining the spotlight on the mother-and-child relationships of eight Davao personalities. Photojournalist and TV personality Jojie Alcantara, ABS-CBN Davao station manager Trisha Corpus, Ateneo de Davao University professor Rikki Enriquez, Sun.Star Davao editor-in-chief Stella Afurong Estremera, Mutya ng Dabaw 2015 Kris Abegail Guanzon, Davao City Tourism Operations Office OIC Lisette Marques, artist Kublai Millan, and peace builder and social entrepreneur Dawn Albert Pates all impart lessons they learned from and memorable experiences they shared with the most important woman in their lives.

The Davao personalities attended the launch with their beloved moms, who were able to lay eyes on their children’s moving words for the first time.

These personalities praise their mothers for helping shape them into who they are now: Enriquez said that his mom “taught me to be strong and to stand up for what was right,” Millan thanked his mom for the gift of humanity that enabled him to create beauty, Alcantara credited her mom for “the

freedom to express myself in positive ways and the confidence to achieve and share my dreams,” and Marques called her mom “my life’s tour guide.” Guanzon couldn’t help getting teary-eyed as she hugged mom Helie, whom she described as “the true queen in my life.”

The Thank You, Mom photo exhibit is on display at the Ground Floor Hallway until May 31.

Mompowerment May is a month-long campaign

by Abreeza Mall that aims to celebrate and empower all the moms who make great things happen for themselves and their families in various ways. Parts of the campaign are the recently concluded Mompreneur Fair from May 7 to 10, the Project Mom: Our Natural Approach to Motherhood book signing with author Amanda Griffin-Jacob on May 8, and the Mommy Talk series by LATCH (Lactation, Attachment, Training, Counseling, Help) Davao from May 9 to 10.

Still to come is the Yes to Breastfeeding! Photo Exhibit with LATCH Davao from May 15 to 31 at the 2nd Floor Hallway, which aims to inspire and educate mothers to breastfeed their babies. Finally, this year’s staging of Style Origin, Ayala Malls’ annual fashion event, will feature one of Philippine showbiz’s admirable young moms, Andi Eigenmann,

Mutya ng Dabaw 2015 Kris Abegail Guanzon with mother Helie. walking the Abreeza Mall runway with daughter Ellie on May 22 at 5pm.

For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall’s Mompowerment May events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook.com/ AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

Rikki Enriquez, Lisette Marques, Dory Estremera, Lucy Pates, and Abreeza Mall marketing manager Ruby Ochoa cut the ribbon.

Dory Estremera, mother of Sun.Star Davao editor-in-chief Stella Estremera, with Annali and RA Estremera.

Davao City Tourism Operations Office OIC Lisette Marques.

Min Ponce, mother of artist Kublai Millan.

Lucy Pates, mother of peace builder and social entrepreneur Dawn Albert Pates (second from left), with children.

Ateneo de Davao University professor Rikki Enriquez.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Carlos and Gael’s boxing match trends on Twitter CARLOS and Gael’s fist fight was a hot topic last night among netizens as the intense face-off in the hit primetime series “Bridges of Love” trended online.

Netizens tuned in to Carlos taking his rivalry with Gael to the boxing ring and finally confronted the man who betrayed his trust.

Some people expressed through tweets how tensed they felt watching Carlos beat Gael up, while some shared how hot the two were boxing without their shirts on.

Before Tuesday’s episode, Gael already generated buzz online last Monday (May 11) after he handed to Mia’s father the blueprint of the house he supposedly designed for both of them if they ended up

ALEX GONZAGA’S REVELATIONS IN “INDAY BOTE” SHAKE UP PRIMETIME TV. ABS-CBN’s top-rating drama series “Inday Bote” is set to shake up primetime TV now that the real identity of Kapamilya TV host-actress Alex Gonzaga’s character will soon be revealed. As Andeng (Alora Sasam) continues to pretend that she is Lita’s (Alicia Alonzo’s) long lost granddaughter, tensions rise as Fiona (Aiko Melendez) starts to speculate that Inday (Alex) might be the girl Kristal whom the Vargas family has been looking for. Will Fiona be able to hide the truth from everyone when she finally confirms that Inday is Kristal? How will Inday’s life change when she finds out who her real family is? Don’t miss the inspiring and magical story of “Inday Bote,” weeknights before “TV Patrol” on ABS-CBN Primetime Bida. together. Carlos, however, saw the blueprint that further ignited his jealousy.

The episode was very well received by viewers across the country that it hit a national TV rating of 21.2% versus GMA’s newly launched series

“The Rich Man’s Daughter” with only 16.4%.

Keep watching the story like no other of “Bridges of Love” weeknights after “Forevermore” on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida. For exclusive updates, log on to Twitter.com/StarCre-

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

I-Witness presents “Banagan” this Saturday THIS SATURDAY, join Kara David as she follows a group of teenagers in Palaui, Cagayan, who sets out to sea at night in search for banagans or lobsters in I-Witness on GMA7.

Into the dark waters, with his every breath dependent on a compressor machine, 17year old Gilbert Espiritu scours the sea floor for the prized lobsters. He

can earn as much as 400 pesos a day for this. As the sole provider to his siblings, he makes sure his every dive counts.

With his friends, Gilbert stays underwater for hours, indifferent to the possible harm this may bring hi Every second counts in compressor diving.

The small tube that supplies the diver his air is , literally, his lifeline. One wrong move, any indeci-

sion, and everything can go fatal. For banaganhunting veteran Edmar Palisic, catching lobsters left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. Can Gilbert escape this fate?

Find out in Kara David’s documentary “Banagan” on I-Witness this Saturday, right after Celebrity Bluff on GMA7.

For comments, tweet Kara David, @karadavid and I-Witness, @IWitnessGMA.

UP AND ABOUT

Lanang Weekend Market to jumpstart budding entrepreneurs A market place in search for the next big business idea is set to open at SM Lanang Premier this coming weekend.

Organized by Gatch Events in partnership with SM Lanang Premier, the Lanang Weekend Market aims to provide a trendy venue for start-up businesses and potential entrepreneurs to test the viability of their respective ventures and introduce new product concepts to the public. It will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 15 to June 7, 4pm to 9 pm, at the 2nd Level of the mall’s Fountain Court.

The newest weekend market in the metro will bring together small, medium and big businesses to sell a wide assortment of products – farm-fresh and organic pro-

duce, specialty food, ready-to-eat meals, exquisite furniture finds, arts and crafts, fashion accessories, and more.

Participating exhibitors are Bios Dynamis, Yanii’s Sweet Tooth, D’lish Eats, Maneapolis, The Crates Co., EJ Pasia Furniture, Kapis Aligue, Ninobasilio, Gigingka, Bunganiza, I Love You Flowers, Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo, Allegro, Blugré Coffee, and Kultura, among many others.

For more information, call 2850943 or check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

May 14-19, 2015

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult R16

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

PITCH PERFECT 2 Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson PG

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

PARA SA HOPELESS ROMANTIC Nadine Lustre, James Reid, Julia Barretto, Inigo Pascual PG

R-16

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

MAGGIE Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin R13

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

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

“

THE inconvenient truth is the future is not bright. It’s going to get worse,” deplored Dr. Enrique Tayag, director of the National Epidemiology Center, told a summit on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Manila, a few years back.

At that time, the head of the Department of Health (DOH) was Dr. Esperanza Cabral.

“From one new case reported every three days in 2000, this increased to one per day in 2007, then doubled to two new cases per day in 2009,” she reported.

In a recent workshop, Davao City was singled out as one of the six major cities in the country with alarming rise of HIV cases. Based on date from 2013, the city had a prevalence rate at five percent, lower than those compared with Quezon City, Manila, Caloocan, and Cebu, but higher than Cagayan de Oro. Just last March, a total of 667 HIV new cases were reported. It was the highest number since 1984, DOH claims. “This is a 34-percent increase from the same period last year,” it pointed out.

HIV is the precursor of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). “It is a syndrome because there are a range of different symptoms which are not always found in each case,” explains Dr. John Hubley, the author of The AIDS Handbook.

There are several ways of transmitting HIV. According to the UN health agency, HIV can be transmitted through: (1) unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person; (2) transfusions of contam-

I

T’S perplexing how we tolerate perverse political behavior, letting corrupt practices contaminate the bureaucracy and the community.

Not a day passes but that there’s news of grievous violations of the law, man-made or divine. But violators get away with corruption because we let them wriggle away with impunity.

They raid the treasury and use public funds as if it’s theirs; but we let them off lightly, even re-elect them. Perverse.

Would anyone let a butcher operate on his brain, a carpenter manage a hospital, a high school dropout head a university, or a street sweeper pilot a plane? But in politics, anything goes! ***** In selecting who should be in office, we have no sense of relevance. We base our election choices on standards that have no relevance or connection to public service.

Take Manny Pacquiao. Sure, he’s a great boxer, but a lawmaker? As a result, he now lusts after the senate… and thinks of running for president after that. Weird. He doesn’t even show up for sessions. He deprives his district of representation.

It’s obvious that public service isn’t one of his priorities. But we dignify him with an exalted public service title—which he leaves idle like a trophy or a championship belt on a shelf.

Then there’s Ms. Jinkee: elected vice governor just for being married to him. I suppose they’ll be electing Mommy Dionisia as well soon or later. *****

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

7

Getting worse inated blood; THINK ON THESE! (3) the sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments; and (4) the transmission between a mother and her baby during p r e g n a n c y , Henrylito D. Tacio childbirth and henrytacio@gmail.com breastfeeding.

Today, HIV/ AIDS remains one of the world’s most significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, according to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO).

Since 1981, about 78 million people have been infected by HIV. Thirty-nine million have died, according to United Nations estimates.

While AIDS cases continue to drop in various parts of the world, the Philippines remains one of the countries in Asia which have failed to prevent the spread of HIV, according to the United Nations Program on HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (UNAIDS).

Is there still hope to stop the HIV epidemic in the Philippines, wondered Dr. Willie T. Ong in a statement posted in his Facebook account.

“The usual media campaign against HIV is not working,” he wrote. “Abstinence talk is not practical. We need a new strategy needed before it’s

too late.”

According to Dr. Ong, who authored several health books and recipient of the Jose Rizal Award for Excellence in Medicine in 2006, the one-week free HIV screening from DOH is a good move. “But we should consider the costs versus benefits of making it all free to public, which is what we want,” he said.

Dr. Ong urged that we need to have a long term plan for HIV “or more Filipinos will suffer.”

Government funds, he surmised, will soon be not enough to treat all patients, including children with HIV. “HIV patients need long-term, lifelong and expensive treatment,” Dr. Ong pointed out. “The cost of medicines may compromise our other health programs. We cannot always rely on foreign funding.”

As such, he suggested changing the media campaign currently being used. “The usual HIV advice may lead to wrong actions. “Saying HIV not transmitted by saliva may open door to risky behavior,” Dr. Ong said. “Yes, saliva may not contain enough HIV but if with mouth sores, then transmission is still possible.”

Dr. Ong believes discrete, targeted strategy may be best option. “The usual media campaign may not work,” he said. “It may just increase stigma on some groups which we don’t want.”

His final thought on the matter: “We want to help all groups and treat those who needed to be treated. Free testing is a good strategy. But how do you get the people to be tested in the first place? How do we convince young people that HIV is real? How could be convince them to

avoid risky behavior?”

To think of, there are several ways to prevent HIV transmission, according to the UN health agency. These are: (1) practice safe sexual behaviors such as using condoms; (2) get tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; (3) avoid injecting drugs, or if you do, always use new and disposable needles and syringes; and (4) ensure that any blood or blood products that you might need are tested for HIV. The WHO says that combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents the HIV virus from multiplying in the body. “If the reproduction of the HIV virus stops, then the body’s immune cells are able to live longer and provide the body with protection from infections,” the WHO says. “If the HIV positive partner in a couple is on ART, the likelihood of sexual transmission to the HIV-negative partner decreases dramatically by 96%.”

HIV can only be suppressed. “ART does not cure HIV infection but controls viral replication within a person’s body and allows an individual’s immune system to strengthen and regain the capacity to fight off infections,” it explains.

“With ART, people living with HIV can live healthy and productive lives.”

Meanwhile, the trend of HIV/AIDS cases in Davao City and other five cities has alarmed health officials. “We are alarmed by the lack of awareness and information of the public regarding HIV,” deplored. Dr. Eden Divinagracia, executive director of Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare, Inc.

our archipelago. Thus, if it’s not a Jojo Binay for president or a Lito Lapid for senator or an action star with a fake name for president or mayor, it’s someone else equally ludicrous. How silly people can get.

Then there are all those shameless dynasties with their plundering members. They’re in power because voters support candidates who cheat, buy votes, or bend elections to their will, bastardizing our democratic processes.

Perverse. ***** And look at their supporters and sycophants, people who thrive on patronage.

Such political parasites discredit the nation, belittle citizen sovereignty, and undermine our self-respect. They encourage the rise of family syndicates that loot the public treasury and transform public service into a clan enterprise.

Perpetrating notorious practices that should have no place in a civilized society, they drive propriety and morality away from politics.

But we tolerate them, let them get away with it.

So we make corruption and dishonestly appear perfectly normal. No wonder no one is surprised or mortified at how mired our system is in venality and bad governance. Part of our culture already!

It should worry us that the widespread occurrence of corruption is numbing our moral sense, in effect “immunizing” our society against being good—a situation that favors power greedy trapos. ***** With trapos in control, sensible elements are marginalized, outgunned, unable to match the forces of greed and opportunism.

It can’t be mere coincidence that the

proliferation of political dynasties on all levels in all regions is occurring simultaneously with the reign of corruption, opportunism, and unfairness in our system.

Nor can it be mere coincidence that shamelessness in pursuing public office is matched by shameless indulgence in its privileges and a devil-may-care attitude about its adverse social and generational consequences. ***** As a result, normally decent people become tolerant of hypocrisy and venality. Aberrations become normal phenomena.

And sad to say, the one sector in our society that has pretensions to nobility is the one firing up the bastardization of our social and political values and institutions.

They used to be called ILLUSTRADOS— meaning, learned people, noble and worth emulating. But not anymore.

Their indulgent behavior and their excesses have made meaningless what the French call noblesse oblige—i.e., noble people are supposed to act nobly, with utter delicacy, because they are supposed to be role models and paragons of probity and righteousness in the eyes of the community and society at large.

(Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific, secretary-general of Southeast Asian Publishers Association, director at Development Academy of Philippines, vice chair of Local Government Academy, member of the Cory Government’s Peace Panel, and PPI-UNICEF awardee for outstanding columnist. Author of books on governance, he is national chairman/ convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc. valdehuesa@gmail.com)

Our fascination with perversion

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA You have to give it to the South Cotabato voters in whose 1st District (which includes General Santos City) Manny first ran for congress.

He reportedly spent P120 million during the elections of 2007 to knock out Darlene Antonino-Custodio. Still, he lost. GenSan voters weren’t so corrupt or naïve.

That loss sent him shopping in another district where his money and fame could get him elected. He moved to the neighboring province of Sarangani, and got his win in 2010.

I won’t even guess how much he invested in that campaign.

No doubt that Manny is vastly popular at home and abroad. But how does popularity qualify him to serve and secure the welfare of all the people of Sarangani province? ***** The voters who made him a congressman showed a terrible misunderstanding of the nature of government and the responsibility of public servants. They made him a lawgiver because he possesses a deadly fist! Did it make sense? Perverse!

In doing so, they discredited their own intelligence, as if there are no wise men or women in Sarangani with a sense of responsibility and enough education. It projected the people of Sarangani as without standards or sense of propriety.

Of course, this behavior isn’t just in Sarangani, for it’s found everywhere else in

8

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

9

EDGEDAVAO

10 ECONOMY

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

PHILBEX showcases new technologies

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

C

crc@edgedavao.net

ONSTRUCTION service providers in Mindanao had the chance to see new technologies and innovative products as the second Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (PHILBEX) 2015 opened yesterday at the SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang Premier.

“We appreciate trade shows for private sector led exhibition like the PHILBEX. It will also expose our local construction industry to better innovative technologies,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 regional director Maria Belinda Q. Ambi said during the opening ceremony

of 2015 PHILBEX. Ambi said that as the country geared toward Asean Integration, trade exhibitions like the second PHILBEXin Davao City improved the competitiveness of the local construction sector.

“There’s a need for aggressive promotion because most of the big players on construction materials are on Manila and if you notice Mindanao is right now into rising construction projects and we need these products to keep up with the latest technology and to be innovative also in our structure,” she said.

Department of Public

Spa and wellness need more promo activities

S

PA and wellness owner Cherry Faye Al-ag said there is a need to further boost the promotion of the participation of the sector in next year’s fun sale to entice more clients.

“For this year, the number of clients didn’t really grow because our participation is still new and only few knows it,” Al-ag told Edge Davao on Thursday, or two days before the culmination of the seven-week 2015 Visit Davao Fun Sale (VDFS).

Al-ag, general manager of Elysia Wellness Spa and a member of the Davao Wellness and Spa Association, said the fun sale mostly draw more clients and customers to participating malls and restaurants because these establishments had been fun sale participants since 2014.

“I think the City Government and the Department of Tourism in Davao Region had done its part in promoting the event but I think the private sector (Spa and wellness) should do more promotional

activities if it wanted to draw more clients,” she said.

Having a branch in Obrero, BangkalToril and at Eden Nature Park, Al-ag said spa owners can promote its services in next year’s fun sale activity if it will be allowed to do exhibition in public places where it will be easier to promote discounts and other services.

She is positive that next year’s fun sale will draw more clients in the spa and wellness sector of Davao City since its already known as part of this year’s VDFS. “I’m still interested to participate in next year’s fun sale,” Al-ag said. “In our association, we would like to promotre Davao City not just as a shopping and dining destination but also as a health and wellness destination in the country.”

Al-ag also suggested that the City Government must be more stringent in implementing rules and regulations that will stop the operation of unregistered spa and massage

FSPA, 14

Expansion of banana plantations pushed

B

ANANA industry players in Region 12 are pushing for the development of more banana plantations in a bid to cope with its growing export market.

Ecclesiastes Roque, chair of the Banana Industry Council of Region 12 (BAICOR), said Wednesday they are currently working on the establishment of new banana plantations to help increase the region’s production.

He said the move is also part of their efforts to transform the region as a top producer of the commodity in the country within the next decade.

Region 12, which is also known as Soccsksargen, is

currently the third biggest banana producer in the country. Davao and Northern Mindanao ranks first and second, respectively.

Of the region’s four provinces, North Cotabato ranks number one in terms of production, followed

by South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.

Banana is currently among the country’s top agricultural exports, reaching around 80 million metric tons annually.

The country is currently the world’s third largest banana exporter, with India and China at the first two spots, respectively.

The expansion of the area’s banana plantations

FEXPANSION, 14

Works and Highways (DPWH) 11 assistant regional director Tomas Rodriguez said the four-day exhibition “is very timely” given with the big opportunities that the Philippines might get from the integration of the 10 Asean countries.

Organized by the Worldbex Services International (WSI), PHILBEX 2015 is participated by mostly Manila-based companies also provides these companies to form networks with local based companies, construction service providers and distributors.

The event had also local exhibitors from Davao City

and the rest of the island-region promoting local products and services.

WSI founding chairman Joseph Ang said Davao City was the foundation launch pad for Mindanao because of its vibrant economy, reliable security, and continually growing construction sector.

Ang said PHLBEX provided a venue where construction material providers and construction service providers meet and form direct connection thus eliminating the middle man.

He said this is part of the private sector in helping the public and private construc-

tion sector to become more competitive by being updated with what’s new in the market.

The foundation is planning to make the trade exhibition part of an annual event in Davao City, according to Ang. Last year, WSI conducted the first PHILBEXand became the largest and most comprehensive building construction exposition in Mindanao. It attracted nearly 12,000 visitors WSI managing director Jill S. Ang said in a separate interview that a total of 180 local and Manila-based construction material companies and suppliers participated the event.

Jill said this year’s exhibition showcased more products and services than last year’s “We would like to promote the potential of Mindnao market to Manila-based companies and we wanted Davao to see the latest product in the industry,” Jill said when asked on why the PHILBEX was held again in Davao City for the Mindanao leg.

She said the foundation is also looking at conducting more similar trade show in other cities in Mindanao like Cagayan de Oro City and General Santos City in the next few years.

FINISHING TOUCHES. An employee of SM Lanang Premier puts the finishing touches before the opening ceremony of Lanang Weekend Market, a trendy venue for start-up businesses and potential entrepreneurs to test the viability of their respective ventures and introduce new product concepts to the public, at the mall’s atrium yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Lanang Weekend Market helps entrepreneurs

A

MARKET place in search for the next big business idea is set to open at SM Lanang Premier this coming weekend.

Organized by Gatch Eventsin partnership with SM Lanang Premier, the Lanang Weekend Market aims to provide a trendy venue for start-up businesses and po-

tential entrepreneurs to test the viability of their respective ventures and introduce new product concepts to the public.

It will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 15 to June 7, 4pm to 9 pm, at the 2nd Level of the mall’s Fountain Court.

The newest weekend market in the metro will bring

together small, medium and big businesses to sell a wide assortment of products – farmfresh and organic produce, specialty food, ready-to-eat meals, exquisite furniturefinds, arts and crafts, fashion accessories, and more.

Participating exhibitors are Bios Dynamis, Yanii’s Sweet Tooth, D’lish Eats, Mane-

apolis, The Crates Co., EJ Pasia Furniture, Kapis Aligue, Ninobasilio, Gigingka, Bunganiza, I Love You Flowers, Aling Foping’s Halo-Halo, Allegro, Blugré Coffee, and Kultura, among many others.

For more information,call 285-0943 or check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

percent increase in its number of mobile customers, which now stands at 46.1 million, while broadband subscribers also reflected the same increase by hitting the three million mark, 41 percent higher than the same period in 2014.

Globe Chief Financial Officer Albert de Larrazabal in a statement said that the telco was able to sustain its growth momentum from its banner year in 2014 despite competition.

“We have established ourselves as the preferred telco brand in the country as manifested by our solid growth rev-

enue and robust performance in data, mobile and broadband, and we take that as a good sign of our continued dominance in the market,” Larrazabal said.

He further said that the strong top line of Globe built on the growth of its EBITDA and core net income reflects the company’s true performance for the first quarter of 2015.

EBITDA margin was at 42 percent from January to March 2015, up 38 percent against the same period in 2014. It also showed quarter-on-quarter improvement from 36 percent last quarter to 42 percent

on the same period.

Meanwhile, its core net income was 25 percent higher against the same period in 2014 which stood at Php 3.4 billion, driven by the record level of EBITDA, despite an increase in depreciation expenses and higher non-operating charges recognized during the period.

Globe also spent around P4.9 billion in capital expenditures in Q1 2015 to support its growing customer base and complement their demand for data and content.

The company also started

Globe’s Q1 net profit up by 43% to P4.2B

T

ELCO giant Globe Telecom reported a surge in its net profit on Wednesday as the company sustained its growth trajectory due to gains across all its business segments.

Globe said that the company generated Php 26.2 billion consolidated service revenues, 13 percent higher than 2014, while EBITDA level was at Php 11 billion, up 25 percent yearon -year.

Meanwhile, its core net income was at Php 4.2 billion, a 25 percent rise compared to last year.

The telco also saw a 13

FGLOBE’S, 14

EDGEDAVAO

SCIENCE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

11

More power from the water Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“

ELECTRICITY is more than just a commodity,” said Antonio R. Moraza, the chief operating officer and president of Aboitiz Power. “It is the lifeblood of our country. It fuels both the economy and individual opportunity.”

Moraza said those words during the inauguration of the Sabangan Hydropower in Mountain Province. “We… consider it our responsibility to provide reliable and ample power supply when needed and to ensure that the supply of electricity is provided at a reasonable and competitive price.”

Sabangan Hydropower uses a run-of-river system.

An intake weir, which situated in barangay Napua, diverts part of the river’s water into the system. The 3.2-kilometer tunnel feeds the water to the penstock which goes to the powerhouse in barangay Namatec. The natural force of gravity creates the energy required to spin the two Pelton turbines that in turn generate electricity.

“The water leaves the generating station and is returned to the river without altering the existing flow or water levels,” said the press statement released during the inauguration.

With a total capacity of 14 megawatts (MW), the Sabangan Hydropower has the capacity to deliver additional 55-gigawatts of clean and renewable energy annually to the Luzon Grid, the press statement said.

Operating the mini-hydropower plant is Hedcor, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation. The biggest developer of run-of-river hydropower plants in the country today, it has 21 such kind of power plants in Benguet, Davao, Ilocos Sur, and Mountain Province.

Hydropower is a zero-emission, dispatchable, base-load power source. In the United States, hydropower makes up more than half of renewable electricity generation. In 2013, Canada exported more than 60 terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity to the US, the vast majority of which is hydropower.

Water is one of the country’s renewable energy sources that has not been fully tapped until now. Electricity produced by water movement has been used for decades. About 16 percent of the world’s electricity is generated by hydropower.

According to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, the world’s top five producers are Canada, China, Brazil, the United States

and the Russian Federation.

Several countries, including Brazil and Norway, obtain almost all their electricity from this one source.

Hydropower can be generated by water falls (the first hydroelectric plant was built on Niagara Falls in 1878), rushing rivers and streams, and manmade dams, all of which allow a controlled amount of water to pass through the pipes that spin turbines – creating electricity.

Electric power is measured in units called watts. A watt is equal to one joule per second. The total generating capacity of a power plant is measured in kilowatts for 1,000 watts and megawatts for one million watts. One terawatt-hour is equal to a sustained power of approximately 114 megawatts for a period of one year.

Enormous dams such as the Hoover (1,455 megawatts) and the Grand Coulee (6,180 megawatts) produce large quantities of power.

“Growing interest in developing hydroelectric power is largely an outgrowth of governments’ desire to be more self-sufficient in energy and to provide low-cost electricity,” wrote Cynthia Pollock Shea in Renewable Energy: Today’s Contribution, Tomorrow’s Promises.

A World Bank report in the 1980s showed the Philippines as one of the “thirteen largest additions to hydroelectric capacity in developing countries.” From an operating capacity of 940 megawatts in 1980, it went up to 2,195 megawatts in 1985. In 1998, the total hydropower capacity stood at 2,304 megawatts or almost 20 percent of the country’s total installed capacity.

According to the Department of Energy, there are 1,081 hydropower potential sites scattered throughout the country. “Hydropower can produce a lot of megawatts,” then energy undersecretary Rufino Bomasang told participants of a media briefing on business and economics reporting convened by the Press Foundation of Asia at Los Baños, Laguna in 1994.

Most of the hydropower plants in the country are in the form of a dam that backs up the water and raises the level. The released water falls into a turbine that generates electricity. “Impounding a river radically changes the surrounding ecosystem,” Shea wrote. “Nutrient-bearing sediments, instead of being deposited on agricultural floodplains and providing food for downstream fish, accumulate behind turbines and dams. Hydroelectric dams may also change the

temperature and oxygen content of downstream waters, altering the mix of aquatic and riparian species.”

Smaller hydropower plants, however, do not necessarily require dams.

They use a series of pipes with turbines inside which are turned by the current.

During his lecture, Bomasang said that “we have the mini-hydro and micro-hydro plants, with a potential of as much as 200 megawatts in the Cordilleras alone.”

He added, “No rice floods are flooded – just a very short dam to collect and divert the water, use it to turn the turbines, and then return the same amount of water to the creek.” Indeed, they have less negative impact on the local ecosystem.

“The introduction of mini-hydro is very environmental friendly,” said Mountain Province Governor Leonard Mayaen during the inauguration of Sabangan Hydropower Plant. “It has no pollution at all.”

But are hydropower plants really environment-friendly? Some scientists believe that hydropower from manmade dams produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, which are greenhouse gases closely connected to climate change.

“Large amounts of carbon bound up in trees and other plants are released when a reservoir is initially flooded and the plants rots,” Worldwatch points out in a recent report. “And as plant matter settling on the reservoir bottom decomposes without oxygen, it leads to a buildup of dissolved methane, which is released into the atmosphere when water passes through the dam’s turbines.”

To operate well for many decades, hydro projects require sound management, not just of equipment, but of entire watersheds. “Hydroelectric power will not be truly renewable until the functions of flood control, irrigation, transportation, power production, tree planting, fisheries management, and sanitation are coordinated within the overall goal of maintaining healthy and productive rivers,” Shea reminded.

In the final analysis, however, “hydroelectric power creates virtually no pollution problems,” writes H. Steven Dashefsky, the man behind Environmental Literacy: Everything You Need to Know About Saving Our Planet.

“Small-scale projects cause little harm to the environment, but larger projects are environmentally destructive.”

Powerhouse

Generating power to the grid.

How water flows when being dammed.

12 CLASSIFIED

EDGEDAVAO

GO BOLD

GO COLOUR

• All text • Telephone Number (bigger point size) • Bold Header Price: 100.00

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

ADD-ON

• Background • Text Price: 175.00

• Pictures/Logos • Graphic Elements Price: 230.00

DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICE

GENERAL SANTOS CITY MARKETING OFFICE

Director of Sales

Marketing Specialist

JOCELYN S. PANES

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

EDMUND P. RENDON

General Santos City

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

13

Aquino: BBL still on track T

HE Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is still on track towards passage by the two chambers of Congress, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said in a radio interview aired Thursday.

The President told Bombo Radyo that the so-called delay in the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL is actually a “positive development” and not a problem compared to the situation of the bill after the Mamasapano incident.

But President Aquino pointed out that he and other peace supporters would find a “watered-down” version of the BBL unacceptable because it will be tantamount to reducing benefits accruing to the Bangsamoro people.

“Kung babawasan pa ang nakatakdang benepisyo ng Bangsamoro, mistulang pagkait na rin ito ng pagkakataon para makahabol o makapantay man lang sila sa matagal nang tinatamasa ng ibang mamamayan. Imbes na bawasan ang BBL, mas mabuting dagdagan para mas angkop sa mga napagkasunduan (If we will cut more from what the Bangsamoro is supposed to get, then they will have a problem catching up with the rest of the country. Instead of giving them less, we should

give more benefits to Bangsamoro),” President Aquino told Bombo Radyo.

He also expressed optimism that the members of the Ad Hoc Committee are now in the process of enhancing and improving the proposed BBL as the same is now considered as a historic measure once enacted into law.

An enhanced law will further help the Bangsamoro push towards attaining lasting peace and genuine development in Mindanao, the President said.

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data in 2012, the areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) posted the highest poverty incidence among families in the country’s 17 regions nationwide in 2012, with Lanao del Sur posting the highest at 68.9% and Maguindanao at 57.8%.

“Kailangan naman ng dagdag-tulak para makahabol sila. Hindi makalampas ‘yung hinahabol pa lang, makapantay man lang (They need an extra push so they could catch up with the rest, not surpass everyone but just to catch up),” President Aquino said, adding that the same is also the view of majority of Filipinos. (PNA)

14 NEWS 3 big... FROM 2

junior and senior high school.

Roco said these schools are the ones to choose the tracks that will be offered to the students.

He said there are four tracks in senior high school: academic, technical and vocational, arts, and sports.

Roco said there are 31 total subjects in the senior high school, divided into three: 15 core subjects, seven contextualized subjects, and nine specialized subjects.

Earlier, DepEd Secretary Brother Armin Luistro FSC said in the Government Official Gazette that the 2014 and

2015 budgets already have allocations for 30,000 classrooms for SHS. Luistro said the initial target for the proposed 2016 budget, which is subject for approval, is over 20,000 classrooms for SHS. The government will further allocate investments for SHS. The report said the partial list shows 3,839 public schools that were submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for funding and to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for bidding and construction.

also inspect the comfort rooms of the schools.

“There should be a maintenance on the toilets. What is

the use of collecting PTA fees if they cannot afford the maintenance?” he said. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

the President said.

“Kapag babalikan natin, marami nang pinagkasunduan bago pa pinag-usapan ito e, na ibinigay na sa kanila so kailangan idadagdag… Dapat talaga dagdag. Normal lang naman ‘yon,” he added.

Further, the President reiterated the importance of passing the BBL.

“Ngayon, tayo tinatanggap natin, napag-iwanan sila, kailangan naman ng dagdag-tulak para makahabol sila. Hindi makalampas ‘yung hinahabol pa lang, makapantay man lang at palagay ko ang pangkaraniwang Pilipino, ‘yon rin naman ang pananaw e,” President Aquino said. With reports from PNA

Still, the mayor said he will still support Paolo even if they have some misunderstandings because he is his son.

He stressed, however, that the issue is not about his son or daughter but the public trust and interest.

Duterte said he wants his

children to continue what he has started by protecting the city and its people.

“If ever I want them to continue what I have started and sometimes I even lay my life on the line, it’s because I want Davao City and its people to be happy and be comfortable,” he said.

equipment near the storage for chemicals allegedly started the fire, according to the statements of survivors.

“Someone will be liable for this.” Roxas said adding the family who owned the factory would be one of the primary suspects for the tragedy.

BFP spokesperson Supt.

Renato Marcial earlier said that they were still determining the exact cause of the fire but added that some witnesses were claiming that sparks

from welding equipment triggered the inferno.

The owner said the factory employed almost 200 employees, but he was still uncertain about the number of employees on duty during the fire.

Meanwhile, President Aquino ensured help to the families of the victims while the city government of Valenzuela and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were also on standby to give aid. (PNA)

City... FROM 2

Lagdameo... FROM 2

Duterte... FROM 4

Death... FROM 4

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

READY FOR K TO 12. Department of Education (DepEd) 11 K to 12 for High School chair Dr. Luzminda Onor gives updates of the agency’s preparation for the implementation of the program in the upcoming school year during a press briefing at the DepEd regional office yesterday. Also in photo is DepEd 11 director lawyer Alberto Escobate. Lean Daval Jr.

5 more aftershocks hit Nepal as toll in fresh quake tops 100 F

IVE aftershocks jolted Nepal Thursday, triggering panic among the people as the death toll in the powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the Himalayan nation two days ago climbed to over 100.

Nepal was jolted by the quake on Monday just weeks after a 7.9 magnitude temblor had wreaked havoc in the country, claiming 8,151 lives and leaving 17,861 others injured.

Five small tremors -- measuring between 4 and 5 on the Richter scale -- were recorded near Kathmandu as after-

shocks continued to jolt the quake-affected region.

A 5-magnitude quake struck at 3:25 a.m. while a 4-magnitude quake was felt at 9:05 a.m. with the epicenter of both the temblors at Dolakha district.

Three other tremors were also recorded by National Seismological Center here between 12 a.m. and 8:22 a.m. with their epicenter mainly being in the Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts, situated to the east of Kathmandu.

However, no damages were reported from the temblors.

the deployment of its USD 500 million LTE network to serve both mobile and household data requirements, building a footprint of around 5,000 sites over the next two years on FDD1800 and TDD2600.

Likewise, the recent collaboration with Huawei

Technologies to fire up its SingleSON or self-organizing network technology to continuously heighten mobile user experience.

So far, the telco has a total of 25,820 base stations, with over 15,900 4G facilities. (PNA) RMA/ANP

Globe’s... FROM 10

JOB OPPORTUNITY

A Davao based automotive company is a need of GENERAL MANAGER who will perform the following functions: • Provide overall leadership and direction to ensure the company’s continued growth/profitability and achieve its desired state for the future; • Set strategic directions, targets, strategies and performance control indicators for the sales, after-sales services, and administrative support units of the company.

• Achieve bottom-line results such as gross sales, profitability, operating efficiencies, and shareholder relations.

The ideal candidate is one who has a proven track record as a General Manager having steered a company with a sales revenue of at least P500 million annually and with at least 50 employees. He or she must be at least 40 years old.

A competitive compensation package awaits our ideal candidate. Kindly email your Resume with photo and Career Highlights on or before May 19, 2015 to: humanresource.davao@gmail.com

The death toll in the 7.3-magnitude quake that struck Nepal on May 13 climbed to 107 with 2,563 others injured, according to the Home Ministry.

The highest number of casualties -- 51 people -- are from the Dolakha district, situated 75 km east of Kathmandu.

Altogether 211 aftershocks have been reported in Nepal after the April 25 quake temblor that left the country devastated with thousands reeling under the impact of the disaster.

Meanwhile, a seven-story

building that had developed cracks due to the quake last month collapsed in Kalanki area of Kathmandu today.

However, no casualties were reported in the incident.

Rescue workers are searching for survivors from the latest quake. Search is also on for a U.S. military helicopter that was reported missing with six marines and two Nepalese soldiers on board while delivering aid.

Thousands of fear-stricken people spent the night in the open under plastic tents barely shielding them from cold last night. (PNA/PTI)

centers in Davao City.

“Only two out of eight spa and wellness center in Toril have license to operate. This is dangerous because also most their massage therapist don’t have licenses,” she said, adding that operation of these unregistered spas affected the daily operation of registered spas

which only hire licensed therapist and maintain.

DWSA president Fides Bernabe said a total of 30 owners of different spa establishment in the city offered the “Madayaw Massage Promo” during the fun sale which started last April 3. CHENEEN R. CAPON

opportunities currently affecting the banana industry.

“We got advance learning from experts on how to make banana industry remain competitive in the global market,” he said.

He said they also discussed opportunities in the ASEAN economic integration that will begin later this year, “The industry is not yet fully ready for the ASEAN integrated but were continually moving to cope with the requirements of the regional industry and the markets,” he said.

Bautista said they are specifically fast tracking their certification for Good Agricultural Practices to help increase the marketability of the area’s bananas.

Also discussed in the congress are concerns affecting the small scale banana growers as well as the control and management of Fusarium wilt and other diseases.

The banana congress is a yearly activity organized

by BAICOR in coordination the Department of Agriculture in Region 12.(PNA) FPV/AVE/HST

Spa... FROM 10

Expansion... FROM 10 is one of the topics being discussed at the two-day Regional Banana Congress that opened here on Tuesday.

Around 300 banana growers and its stakeholders from various parts of Region 12 joined the congress, which focuses on the theme: “Empowering Banana Stakeholders as Viable Leaders in Economic Development.”

Dionisio Bautista, Region 12 Agriculture and Fishery Council chair, said in a press conference that they have so far tackled various challenges and

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15

Hawks nip Wizards VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

W

ITH their magical season on the brink, the Atlanta Hawks needed someone to come up big.

Al Horford wasn’t supposed to be the guy.

He would not be denied.

The Hawks center swooped in to snatch an offensive rebound and dropped in a shot from right under the basket with 1.9 seconds remaining, giving top-seeded Atlanta an 82-81 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night and a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. ‘’I wasn’t supposed to be involved in the play at all,’’ Horford said. ‘’When I saw the ball go up, I just ran in there.’’

In a game of back-and-forth runs, the Hawks went more than 7 minutes in the fourth quarter without making a basket, then ripped off 14 straight points to take the lead. Atlanta went cold again, and it looked as though Paul Pierce had doomed Atlanta for the second time in the series. Having already made a buzzer-beating winner in Game 3, he got open in the corner and swished a 3-pointer with 8.3 seconds left, putting the Wizards up 81-80.

Pierce taunted the Hawks bench and home crowd on his way back down the court before bowling over John Wall, who was playing for the first time since Game 1 after frac-

turing several bones in his left hand.

Wall didn’t mind, throwing up his hands in celebration. The Wizards were on the verge of heading home with a chance to wrap up the series.

Atlanta had one more chance.

The Hawks gave the ball to backup point guard Dennis Schroder, who ignited a fourth-quarter rally and stayed in the game at the suggestion of All-Star Jeff Teague, who watched the closing minutes from the bench.

Schroder drove down the lane and put up a shot, which was swatted off the backboard

by Wall. But Horford yanked the ball away from Nene, who tumbled to the court, leaving the Hawks center all alone under the basket. Horford, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds, put it the easy shot on a night when both teams struggled offensively. ‘’A heck of a play by Al,’’ Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The Wizards threw up a wild shot from halfcourt that didn’t come close as the horn sounded. The sellout crowd nearly stormed the court, held back by security while the Hawks celebrated. Horford screamed and pumped his fists, having put the Hawks one victory away from advancing to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since the team

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap passes the ball to Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford against the Washington Wizards. moved to Atlanta from St. Louis in 1968.

About 10 minutes after the Wizards lost, there was more heartbreak for D.C. sports fans.

The Capitals were eliminated from the NHL playoffs with a Game 7 overtime loss to the New York Rangers.

At least the Wizards still have a chance. Game 6 is Friday

night in Washington. ‘’Hey, these guys are fighting. I love it,’’ Washington coach Randy Wittman said. ‘’They made one more play than us.’’

Wall’s return was the major storyline before the game.

The Wizards star fractured several bones in his left hand in the series opener and missed the next three games. He was

announced as the starter about 20 minutes before tipoff and wound up with 15 points, seven assists and four steals.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 23 points.

Kyle Korver had a tough night for Atlanta, making only one basket. It was a huge one, however - a 3-pointer with 4:58 remaining for Atlanta’s first

basket of the fourth quarter.

Horford followed with another 3 from the corner, and the Hawks were right back in the game.

At the end, he wound up with the ball a lot closer to the basket. ‘’We’re happy,’’ Horford said, ‘’but we understand it’s one game.’’

The Warriors turned up the league’s top-rated defense and finally found their rhythm from long range.

Curry scored 18 points on six 3-pointers and added a career-playoff high six steals to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Thompson scored 21 points, and Harrison Barnes had 14 as the Warriors won their second straight game in impressive fashion.

Golden State can close out the Grizzlies in Game 6 on Friday night in Memphis. ‘’I think I said the first couple

games, ‘Our defense was good enough, but it wasn’t championship defense,’’’ Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ‘’I was wrong.

This is what it’s going to take.’’

With defensive stopper Tony Allen sidelined with a left hamstring injury, the Grizzlies struggled to contain Golden State’s streaky shooters. The Warriors made 14 of 30 shots from 3-point range, while Memphis made just four of 15 from long distance.

Marc Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Zach Randolph had 13 points and 10 boards for a Grizzlies team sud-

denly on the brink of elimination.

It was Memphis’ lowest point total in these playoffs. ‘’Everybody’s saying we couldn’t score because Tony Allen’s on the floor. We put up 78 without him,’’ Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said.

Since going down 2-1 in the series, the top-seeded Warriors have rediscovered their regular-season form - swarming defense, pace-and-space offense and lots of long-range swishes.

And for the second time in three nights, Memphis had no answer for them.

Quinito Henson of The Philippine Star. “I saw the guys in his corner rubbing his leg in between rounds. The issue should’ve been addressed in training camp.”

In a column for The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Recah Trinidad said that Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, and the rest of the Filipino boxer’s team made “wrong assumptions” which led to their defeat.

“Based on noisy pre-fight pronouncements, Pacquiao could have expected a punching picnic with his supposedly overwhelming speed and power,” Trinidad wrote the day after the fight. “There was none, as his team failed to make proper ad-

justments after the other party refused to dance their way.”

Despite the criticisms, Pacquiao insists his team is just fine.

“Talagang nagkataon lang, ‘di natin maiiwasan na magkaroon ng injury before the fight… and then lumaban tayo, tapos sa gitna ng bakbakan eh nagkaroon tayo ng injury,” he said. “So natural lang siguro.”

Many also criticized Pacquiao’s chief adviser, Michael Koncz, for making a mistake in the boxer’s pre-fight medical questionnaire, where he indicated that the boxer did not suffer an injury in his shoulder in the weeks leading up to the fight, even though the “Pacman” had already been diagnosed

with a tear in his right shoulder.

The boxing media only got wind of Pacquiao’s injury after the fight, but he believes the Mayweather camp was aware of it.

“Alam nila,” he said, pointing out that Mayweather kept on pulling on his right arm during their fight.

Despite the injury, Pacquiao still believes he defeated Mayweather, and said that upon reviewing the fight, he scored it seven rounds to five in his favor.

The “Pacman,” however, insists that he has accepts the decision.

“Nire-respeto ko ang decision ng Commission, ang decision ng judges, dahil trabaho nila ‘yun,” he said.

Warriors trounce Grizzlies 98-78, take 3-2 series lead

D

OWN and out just days earlier, the Golden State Warriors suddenly look alive and well again.

Stephen Curry turned in an MVP-worthy performance, Klay Thompson snapped out of his shooting funk and the Warriors rolled past the Memphis Grizzlies 98-78 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. ‘’It’s like wine,’’ Warriors forward Draymond Green said about learning how to stop Memphis. ‘’It gets better with time.’’

Pacquiao defends team amid criticism after loss

F

Andre Iguodala (left) of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by Andrew Bogut during a time-out after Iguodala hit a three-point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

ILIPINO boxer Manny Pacquiao believes there are no issues or problems with his team, amidst a flood of criticism from analysts as well as one of his former trainers in the aftermath of his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. “About my team, I believe there is no problem,” Pacquiao said Wednesday afternoon.

“Walang problema sa team ko.”

Pacquiao’s former strength and conditioning trainer, Alex Ariza, was vocal about the Filipino boxer’s woes against Mayweather, and believes those problems could have been addressed during training camp.

“I thought he cramped in the middle rounds,” Ariza told

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 8 ISSUE 31 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2015

Shin storms ahead with record 66, leads by 2 M

ICAH Shin sizzled in calm conditions at the Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club here yesterday, firing a bogey-free 66 to wrest a two-stroke lead over Jay Bayron as the erstwhile joint leaders tumbled under pressure halfway through the rich ICTSI Anvaya Cove Golf Invitational.

The lanky 6-1 Shin dished out an impeccable game off the tee he complemented with solid iron play and superb putting, netting him six birdies inside 14 feet while saving pars in three times that he went out of regulation.

“Honestly, I didn’t know it.

It was my father who told me that I ‘m the new leader,” said the 18-year-old Shin, who surged ahead with a seven-under 137 aggregate at the tight, rolling layout.

The 66 also became the course record at par-72, 7030yard layout, which is hosting a tournament of this magnitude for the first time.

Jay Bayron checks the line of his putt with his caddie on No. 18

Murray wins opener in Rome A

NDY Murray improved his record on clay this year to 10-0 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 38th-ranked Jeremy Chardy at the Italian Open on Wednesday.

The third-seeded Murray considered withdrawing before the tournament because of fatigue after his perfect start to the clay-court season, but his game showed no signs of wear at the Foro Italico. ‘’My legs were a bit tired at the beginning then I started to feel better after the first few games. I felt like I played a really great match,’’ said Murray, who committed only 10 unforced errors to Chardy’s 26. ‘’I moved well and made it difficult for him to get free points.’’

Seven-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal was also sharp in a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan; and Roger Federer began his pursuit of an elusive crown with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over 24th-ranked Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay.

Rome is one of only two Masters titles that Federer has not won - along with Monte Carlo. He’s a three-time finalist.

Federer often followed his serve to the net and displayed a series of crisp volleys.

Also, fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori advanced with a 7-6 (3), 7-5 win over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.

Fabio Fognini, Italy’s topranked man at No. 31, upset 10th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-0 and will next meet sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych.

In women’s play, former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka elim-

inated fifth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 7-6 (2); and sixth-seeded Eugenie Bouchard ended a six-match losing streak with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan.

Also, Christina McHale of the U.S. defeated last year’s finalist, Sara Errani, 6-4, 6-4 in front of the Italian’s home crowd and will next face topranked Serena Williams.

Second-seeded Simona Halep beat Alison Riske of the United States 6-3, 6-0, Russian qualifier Daria Gavrilova eliminated seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (7); and Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovanovski defeated Madison Keys of the U.S. 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Venus Williams, the No. 14 seed and 1999 champion, beat Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3.

In the past two weeks, Murray won his first clay title at the Munich Open, and then beat Nadal in Sunday’s Madrid Open final for his first Masters trophy on the surface.

Murray has never been past the semifinals in Rome and is looking to peak at the French Open, which starts in less than two weeks. ‘’It’s not impossible,’’ Murray said of his chances of reaching the final or winning at Roland Garros. ‘’Whereas, maybe the last few years, even though I played some good tennis in Paris I didn’t feel like I was maybe healthy enough, or played enough matches or had enough big wins against top players to believe I could do it. ‘’Maybe this year will be different. There’s a chance. If I play well then I know I have the chance to go far in the tournament.’’

“Shin 66 is the new course record. No golfer ever shot below 66 since we started operation two years ago,” said golf operation manager American Steve McDonald.

The long-hitting Bayron eagled the par 5, 554-yard No. 10 for the second straight day and went on to shoot a 69 for a 139 while fancied Tony Lacuna climbed to third at 140, also after a 69, and Angelo Que and Cassius Casas, the two other favorites for the top P650,000 purse in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, wheeled back into contention with 141s after a 67 and 68, respectively.

Orlan Sumcad, No. 3 in the current OOM ranking, carded a second straight 71 for solo sixth at 142 while Mars Pucay, winner of season-ending ICTSI Southlinks crown last year, also made a 71 for a 143.

Miguel Tabuena, the kickoff leg winner at ICTSI Splendido,

struggled in the early going at the back and fumbled with a oneover 73 and fell seven shots behind at 144 in a tie with Frankie Minoza and Rufino Bayron, who both shot 70s, and Korean Park Jun Hyeok, who also stumbled with a 73.

Zanie Boy Gialon and Nilo Salahog, who made a fast start of 69s to lead the elite field in the first round, tumbled down just as quickly with the former closing out with four straight birdies at the front for a 77-146 and the latter limping with five bogeys in a birdie-less frontside for a 41 and an 80-149.

Both, however, safely made it to the final 36 holes with 47 players making the cut pegged at 153, including Ramil Bisera who lost three balls but salvaged a 75 for a 152. Notable casualties were Jhonnel Ababa (77-154), Dante Becierra (72-155), Hong (77-156), Anthony Fernando (76-158), Benjie Magada (78160) and pro-am winner Ferdie

Aunzo (87-163).

Shin, seeking a breakthrough on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour after a runner-up to Charles Hong at ICTSI Sherwood last year, candidly admitted he only found out he was the leader when his father told him after his round.

“I really didn’t know but I played really good. My irons and putter were simply good,” said Shin, who could’ve shot a 65 if not for a flubbed four-foot birdie putt on No. 10 which he reached in two.

Bayron, meanwhile, liked where he stood and vowed to make the most of his title chances in the P3.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI and serving as the fifth leg of the ICTSI PGT. “I’m good and I don’t see any problem with my game. But golf is so unpredictable and nothing is sure until the last putt,” said Bayron, trying to recall the form that netted him the 2010 ICTSI PGT Order of Merit crown.