Edge Davao 8 Issue 44

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

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INSIDE EDGE

Al-ag wants Comelec to move district offices The BIG NEWS P2

Pinoy fishermen mugged in Indonesia?

The BIG NEWS P2

Bello: I’ll wait for the party to decide

THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo Del Rosario (right), shown here with son Rodolfo Jr. or Rodney (left) during the recent Palarong Pambansa , will be passing on the torch of leadership to the latter who will be running for governor in the province in 2016.

Lean Daval Jr.

The BIG NEWS P3

IT’S RODNEY Tonyboy announces RDR’s son as bet for governor

Former Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” R. Floirendo Jr.

Sharapova ousted Sports P16

R

ODOLFO G. Del Rosario Jr., also known as “Rodney,” a business executive and banker, will be the candidate for provincial governor of Davao del Norte to replace his father Gov. Rodolfo “Dolfo” del Rosario.

Former congressman Antonio “Tonyboy” R.

Floirendo Jr. made the announcement after a threehour meeting with Governor del Rosario, his uncle, at the Seda Hotel Monday afternoon.

Speculations about who shall run for governor in Davao del Norte, with the term of incumbent Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario soon to

expire, has come to an end.

The elder del Rosario who is on his third term as governor of the province.

Former Congressman Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. announced that a decision has been made to field Rodolfo “Rodney” del Rosario Jr. as candidate for governor.

The declaration followed after an intimate consultation meeting with his uncle the incumbent governor at Seda Hotel in Davao City Monday afternoon.

According to newsman Serafin C. Ledesma Jr., who

FIT’S RODNEY, 10

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

HOME AT LAST. Fifty-two fishermen released from detention in Indonesia disembark from BRP Cebu at the port of the Eastern Mindanao Command headquarters, Camp Panacan in Davao City yesterday. The fishermen were arrested by Indonesian authorities for illegal fishing and illegal entry in Indonesian territorial waters last month. Lean Daval Jr.

Pinoy fishers complain vs mauling in Indonesia

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

A

GROUP of fishermen who were repatriated yesterday in Davao City after being jailed in Indonesia complained that Indonesian authorities mauled them.

One of the arrested fisherman, Nicholas Aquino, said they were mauled several times by Indonesian authorities while they were detained in Bitung, Indonesia.

Aquino said Indonesian authorities and police officers

became angry when they saw that they had a mobile phone.

“Tungod kay naa mi cellphone gi pang sagpa mi, masuko man sila kay maka contact daw mi diri sa Pilipinas, gipa toss up pud mi gipahubo ug gipa ligid-ligid sa semento (They became angry because we had a cell phone and we could contact people in the Philippines. They mauled us, made us strip, and ordered us to toll on the cement floor),”

he said.

Aquino was one of the 13 fishermen from Sarangani province who were arrested on March 21 along with 39 other FIlipino fishermen for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

The 52 fishermen arrived yesterday morning onboard BRP CEBU 28 from Indonesia. They had been handed over by Indonesian Immigration authorities to

the Mandano-Philippine Consulate General on May 31.

One fisherman, Roberto Roque also of Sarangani Province, died on December 2 while in detention in Indonesia. His ashes were handed over to his family.

Roque was reportedly stabbed by a fellow Filipino fisherman. His family, however, is still clueless what really happened to him.

Two of them were mi-

She was amazed when, upon entering the hotel, Duterte was frisked by hotel security.

Duterte told her it was normal for security personnel to bodily check anybody entering the hotel and that nobody is exempted from this policy, including him.

He then showed the broadcast journalist an article

FREE AT LAST. Children release newly hatched hawksbill turtles in an activity initiated by the Davao Light and Power Company at the Cleanergy Park in Punta Dumalag on Monday afternoon. The 97 hawksbill turtles released on Monday were among the hundreds eggs in the park’s hatchery. Lean Daval Jr.

Rody does some `Budots’dance; Soho amazed Duterte was frisked at hotel

nors. Sixteen-year-old Danilo (full name withheld) from Marapatan, Sarangani said they were punished by being punched and made to do push-ups even for small mistakes.

“Gina papush-up mi, unya gamay lang nga mali namo sumbagon dayon mi nila,” he said.

He also said in his three years of helping his family by fishing, it was the first time

that they crossed the boundary of Indonesia.

Coleen Marie Curayag of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) refused to comment on what Aquino and Danilo said.

Curayag, however, said suffering physical abuse is common among Filipinos detained in Indonesia.

She said more than 180 Filipino fishermen are still detained in Indonesia.

BY CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

D

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte can certainly dance, too.

The tough-talking mayor displayed his dancing moves during an interview with broadcast journalist Jessica Sojo of GMA 7, providing a light moment to an otherwise serious discussion about his alleged links with the socalled vigilante group Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Duterte obliged Sojo’s request and did the Davao dance craze “Budots” along with some youth dancers at Magsaysay Park in Davao City.

His dance prowess was shown in the “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Sojo” television program aired Sunday night.From Magsaysay Park, Duterte and Soho proceeded to The Marco Polo, Davao where the mayor had another appointment.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

Bello to let Hugpong decide on 2016 plans

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City third district councilor Karlo S. Bello yesterday said will just continue his work as a public servant for now while waiting for his political party, the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, to decide on his fate in 2016.

“Ako, nagpaabot lang ko kung unsay tingog sa liderato (I will just wait the decision of party leaders),” Bello told reporters in an interview yesterday.

Bello is now in his third and last term and there are unconfirmed reports that he will be vying for a congressional seat in 2016.

When asked for confirmation, Bello said he has no plans yet for the next year’s election since he is still seeking advice.

“Importante man gud na makapaminaw pud ta sa mga advice sa mga tao na ngatabang kanako sa atong leader sa partido (It is important to listen to the advice of the people who helped us, especially our leaders in the party),” he said.

Bello said if he will run for congressman in the third district he will first consult the different groups and sectors in the district.

Earlier, councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, who is also part of Hugpong, said she will also

leave her fate to the party.

Ortiz said she has not decided what path to take when her third term and last as councilor ends in June next year but she is not shutting down the door for a higher position, including a seat in Congress.

Hugpong secretary general city administrator Jesus Melchor V. Quitain mentioned the names of Ortiz and Bello when asked who among the party’s members have shown interest in succeeding Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, who is also serving his third and last term.

Aside from Ortiz and Bello, Quitain also named councilors Bernard Al-ag and engineer Alberto Ungab, Rep. Ungab’s younger brother, as possible candidates for the post. Al-Ag is only in his second term as councilor.

Quitain, however, said these individuals have yet to formally inform the party of their desire to run for the post.

Hugpong, he added, also has to meet on the matter and that he is only awaiting instructions from the party head, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, to call a meeting in preparation for the 2016 presidential election.

REMAINS. The widow of Roberto Roque, a fishing boat captain who was stabbed to death by a fellow Filipino in Bitung, Indonesia, takes a glimpse at a cardboard box containing his ashes. Roque’s remains were handed over by Philippine Navy personnel yesterday at the Eastern Mindanao Command headquarters, Camp Panacan in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

PHL to speed up spending, boost growth, NEDA says T

HE Philippine government will continue to aggressively pursue economic reforms especially in public financial management to speed up spending and stimulate economic growth this and next year, according to a senior National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) official.

NEDA deputy director general Emmanuel Esguerra said such reforms are very critical given the important role of government spending in boosting the coun-

try’s gross domestic product (GDP) amid weak external demand.

“This really requires that government spending is able to bridge that gap but at the same time government spending is done in the right places. Meaning to say, the right projects are financed (and) the projects are also done correctly and efficiently in the most cost effective manner possible. I think that this will still be a very important aspect of governance,” Esguerra said in an

interview.

Sluggish government spending and slumping exports have been cited as major causes for the country’s first-quarter slow growth at 5.2 percent from last year’s 5.6 percent.

Esguerra said most emerging economies or Southeast Asian economies including the Philippines now depend on domestic sources of growth amid the general weakness in the external sector.

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Quintos, lawyer, editor, writes‘30’

F

ERDINAND L. QUINTOS, lawyer, poet, painter, and newspaper editor died of heart failure Monday morning in Bayambang, Pangasinan, his birth place, at the age of 72.

Atty.

Quintos stayed for decades in Davao City, where he practiced law, became editor-in-chief of Peryodiko Dabaw, the forerunner of Sun. Star Davao, in the 80s,

and served as special assistant in the Davao City Fiscal’s Office, now City Prosecutor’s Office.

He wrote a column and did crossword puzzles for Peryodiko and Sun. Star for years.

He later joined the Commission on Human Rights, becoming its regional director in San Pablo City until his retirement.

4 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

Al-ag to Comelec: Move dist. offices

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

D

AVAO City Councilor Bernard Al-ag urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to transfer its second and third district offices to places that are accessible to the people in remote areas.

Speaking in yesterday’s regular City Council regular session, Al-ag said the location of the Comelec office inside the Ramon Magsaysay Park along Quezon Boulevard is very disadvantageous to the people in second and third districts who people need to spend a lot of money just to register or have their biometrics taken.

“Kung gikan ka sa Toril, you need about P150 to reach their office. Kung gikan ka sa Calinan you need about P300.

Kung gikann ka sa Marilog you need more than P300 to reach the office of the Comelec (If you are from Toril you need about

P150 to reach their office. If you are from Calinan you need about P300. If you are from Marilog you need more than P300 to reach the office of the Comelec),” he said.

He said transferring the Comelec’s second and third district offices near their constituents will improve the commission’s services to the voters.

Al-ag said while the people are now speculating on who will run in the 2016 election, the people might forget that in the city there are 179,967 out of 888,442 registered voters who still have no biometrics with the Comelec.

He said these people might be delisted if they fail to complete their biometrics on or before October 31, which is the last day of registration.

Councilor Karlo S. Bello

AFTER EIGHT MONTHS. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd district, Cagayan de Oro), chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law delivers a sponsorship speech on the Committee-approved version of the proposed Basic Law of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

BBL’s substitute bill 59 OFW dependents in R-12 submitted to plenary get scholarships from OWWA T

HE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Region 12 has enlisted an additional 59 scholars for school year 20152016 under a program for dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Marilou Sumalinog, OWWA Region 12 director, said Tuesdaythree OFW dependents from the region have qualified for its Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) and 56 for the OFW-Dependents Scholarship Program (OFWDSP).

She said the three ESDP scholars were among the incoming college students who earlier passed the qualifying examination administered by

FAL-AG, 10

the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The three EDSP scholars from the region are Vincent Barrion of Koronadal City, Hannah Castillano of this city and John Adrian Golveo of Surallah, South Cotabato.

Barrion will take up a business economics degree at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman while Castillano will pursue a metallurgical engineering degree at the same university. Golveo will study accountancy at the University of Santo Tomas.

Under the program, the three scholars will receive a maximum educational assistance of P60,000 per school year.

F59 OFW, 10

A

FTER eight months of consultations, 51 public hearings, executive sessions and meetings, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (AHCBBL) submitted its substitute version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to the plenary of the House of Representatives on Monday afternoon.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2ndDistrict, Cagayan de Oro), chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law said the substitute bill “will provide the groundwork which the foundations for peace and development in Mindanao shall be laid.”

“These are the first, small steps towards achieving lasting peace in Mindanao,” Rodriguez said.

He said the substitute bill, House Bill 5811, which the ad hoc committee passed last week, has major amendments that will not create a Bangsamoro nation but a new region under “one flag, one country.”

Rodriguez said House Bill no. 5811 will seek the repeal of Republic Acts No. 9054 and.

6734, the laws governing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) He said the substitute measure no longer has the “unconstitutional provisions like the “Wali, “ the titular head of the Bangsamoro region and reverted the offices of the Ombudsman, Civil Service and Audit to regional extensions of the national government agencies.

Rodriguez also said House

Bill No. 5811 also reverted ownership of “strategic resources” like oil, uranium, petroleum and other sources of energy back to the national government.

Chiding the voices that opposed the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Rodriguez said these people should read carefully the substitute bill, which is now named as “ the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.”

“This 91-page document is not a miraculous pill that would somehow end all hostilities in Mindanao and usher in a golden era of peace in the region,” Rodriguez said.

“Centuries of violence, injustice, discrimination and misunderstanding among our brothers and sisters in Min-

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DepEd to hire 1,879 teachers in Region 12

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READ THE SIGN. A demonstrator’s child reads the slogan written on a tarpaulin during a protest rally for the suspension of the K to 12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd) along San Pedro Street in Davao City on Monday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

danao will not be magically swept away once we pass this bill,” he continued.

But House Bill No. 5811, Rodriguez said will offer “the chance to achieve peace by addressing all these issues and thrusting their into the public consciousness.”

Buhay partylist Rep. Lito Atienza questioned the lack of quorum at the start of the House of Representatives plenary last Monday.

Eventually, a total of 193 congressmen answered the roll call paving the way for the induction of the substitute bill to the House plenary.

The session was suspended at 7:22 p.m. It will resume at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Aside from Rodriguez,

HE Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12 is targeting to complete within the week the hiring of an additional 1,872 teachers for various public elementary and secondary schools in the region.

Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 director, said they are currently fast tracking the hiring process to ensure that the teachers would be able to report to their posts by next week.

He said they are currently working on the release of the appointments of the 1,872 teachers that is the quota allotted by the agency for the region this year.

“The hiring processes are currently ongoing but we’re working double time to com-

plete them within the week,” he said.

Farnazo said the hiring of the new teachers for the area was delayed, as DepEd Order No.7, series of 2015, or the hiring guidelines for Teacher I positions for school year 2015-2016, only came out last April.

The order, which was issued by Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, was dated March 27but only released to the regional offices last April.

Citing the guidelines, Farnazo assured that the agency would hire the most qualified and competent teachers.

“We believe that the achievement of quality basic education relies on the hiring of competent teachers,” he

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5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

Railway project FS suffers delay

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

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HE feasibility study needed for the Mindanao Railway System may suffer a delay after the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has yet to find a consulting company that will undertake the P30-million FS. The feasibility study was targeted to start in June this year, but the short-listing of the eight interested bidders is still ongoing, according to a NEDA report.

Omer Timblani, secetary of NEDA’s bids and award secretariat, said he June target can be delayed because of the complexity of the project.

“It will depend on the technical working group,” Timblani said.

The winning consultancy firm will then be awarded with the P30-million contract, which includes the assessment of the viability of the light railway transit system that is said to be essential in bolstering the economy of the island region.

The Mindanao Railway System is among the priority projects for feasibility study of the agency for this year along with the Nationwide Fish Ports Project and Ilocos Norte

Irrigation Project Stage 2 under the P400-million Feasibility Studies Fund (FSP).

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) executive director Janet Lopoz earlier told Edge Davao that an unnamed German company will conduct a feasibility study of the railway system next year that will include Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte,Bukidnon, Butuan, Davao,General Santos City, Cotabato looped in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Surand Ozamis, Misamis Occidental and back to Zamboanga.

However, Lopoz did not confirm whether the feasibility study to be conducted by the German firm is related to the ongoing short-listing of consultancy firms of NEDA. She said MinDA is just awaiting the resolution from the board of the German firm.

This German firm, she said, will be funded by an international donor agency which she did not identify.

The Mindanao Railway System (MRS) is a project consisting of six segments spanning the entire Mindanao, providing a dramatic bid to boost the economic development of a resource-rich region.

WALL OF BAGS. A sales attendant assists a shopper who is choosing a school bag for her daughter from a wide collection of colorful bags at the atrium of a mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

Final bundling policy for DIA, 4 airports

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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crc@edgedavao.net

HE Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is eyeing to come up with the final bundling policy for the P108.19-billion worth of deals to develop, operate and maintain five regional airports, including the P40.57-billion Davao International Airport (DIA).

This developed after at least one of the prospective

bidders proposed for a single bundling.

The project is presently bundled into to two packages, including the modernization and development of the DIA under the second package. Also included in the packages are the P2.34-billion New Bohol (Panglao) Airport and the P14.62-billion Laguindingan Airport.

The first bundle in-

cludes the P20.26-billion Bacold-Silay Airport and the P30.40-billion Iloilo Airport which will all be implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

PPP Center executive director Cossette V. Canilao said DOTC will finalize the bidding terms for the two bundles this week.

There were a total of five prospective bidders for

the bundled projects. These are the GMR-Megawide, Metro-Pacidic-JG Summit Consortium, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, San Miguel Corporations and Philippine Skylanders Inc. Based on the project brief for the development of the DIA, the “project aims to decongest the airport which is currently operating beyond its capacity.”

The winning private partner will undertake the operation and maintenance of the airport for 30 years as well as provide additional facilities and other necessary improvements to enhance passenger safety, security, access, passenger and cargo movement efficiency, and operational efficiency under a defined concession period.

BSP eyes to review policies for Islamic banking system

T

WAITING. Davao City councilor Karlo S. Bello says he will continue his work as a public servant while waiting for his political party, Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, to decide on his fate in 2016. Bello is now in his last term and there are unconfirmed reports he will be vying in the third district congressional race in 2016. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

DCCCII wants zonal valuation revision on real properties halted

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) wants the proposed revised zonal valuation of real properties in the city to be halted, saying it will affect the investments in the city.

Speaking under suspended rules in yesterday’s regular City Council session, DCCCII president Antonio dela Cruz said the new zonal valuation of the Bureau Internal Revenue (BIR) 11 will have a “chilling effect” on the city.

He said he believes the City Council can do something to hold the proposal in abeyance.

Dela Cruz said the BIR should conduct a series of public hearing with all affected sectors as well as the city government in order to come up with a compromise solution.

For her part, Philippine Integrated Real Estate Service president for Davao City MaluMonteverde, who is also a past DCCCII president, said the proposal will have a domino effect on the city’s economy.

“What we are just worried about this time is, the very high valuation of about a thousandfold in some of the areas, but we are most worried about the investments that are going to happen supposedly in the city especially in the agriculture areas,” Monteverde said.

She said as an example, taxes for agricultural land that used to be P50 is valued at P500 to P1,000 in the proposed zonal value.

“This is going to deter the expansive growth in terms of

economy of the city,” she said.

Monteverde said the revised zonal valuation will also “boomerang”on the government since the expropriation scheme of the lands for the infrastructure development projects in the city will be based on the zonal value.

She also warned of a “crash” in real estate since there are a lot of development projects here.

“There are a lot of subdivision developments, a lot of

training for pilots, cabin crew, maintenance engineers, technicians, grounds service personnel as well as leadership and management training development for airlines throughout the ASEAN region including complete training of all of AirAsia’s pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and ground services personnel.

Dato’ Fareh Mazputra, CEO of AACE, said: “With this new partnership in the Philip-

pines, AACE has come closer to our vision of expanding operations in the region to make AACE a truly ASEAN training hub offering a complete training system and state of the art facilities for the aviation industry.”

PAAT, which opened in Clark Pampanga in December 2012, is an Aviation Training Organization (ATO) approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

(CAAP) to train pilots in Airbus A319/320/321 series. It offers type-rating and recurrency training for the Airbus A320 family and has one Airbus Pilot Transition Trainer & two Level-D Full Flight A320 Simulators in its training center. PAAT’s instructors have extensive experience as airline pilots and have previously worked with Airbus training centers abroad. PAAT instruc-

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PAAT inks deal with AirAsia, CAE Inc.

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HE Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT) has recently announced an investment into it

by Asian Aviation Center for Excellence (AACE), an aviation training centre jointly owned by aviation corporate giants namely CAE Inc. of Canada and AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia.

AACE is based in Kuala Lumpur with subsidiary in Singapore and provides

FPAAT, 10

The project will include the expansion of passenger terminal building from 65,000 square meter to 125,000 square meter, cargo terminal building from 13,000 sqm to 27,000 sqm and other key facilities such as car parking, and administration building The winning bidder will also construct an apron area and a full parallel taxiway.

HE Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is considering a review of banking policies and regulations to pave the way for the establishment of Islamic banking system in the country.

“Right now, we are reviewing the regulations,” BSP head for Inclusive Finance Pia Romano said during a recent press conference for the third and last leg of the public consultation for the drafted national strategy.

The BSP can amend or impose some policies and regulations that will allow the establishment of Shariah law-compliant banks, according to Romano.

“May regulations and other arrangement with other agencies like taxing system have to be aligned para magkaron talaga ng Shariah-compliant banking in the Philippines,” she said.

When established, Romano said the Islamic banks, at least windows dedicated for

these, will serve as a strategy to cater the need for financial services of the Muslim community.

Earlier, stakeholders of the proposed Bangsamoro area stressed the need for an Islamic bank because Muslims cannot borrow from commercial banks because this is against their beliefs and the Shariah law.

The National Strategy for Financial Inclusion is largely drafted to provide services that will promote financial inclusion to the underserved and unserved market.

Aside from the Muslims, other underserved and unserved market by the banking industry are the sectors of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), agrarian reform beneficiaries, disaster prone areas and those excluded by either because of their religious or cultural affiliation.

The strategy, drafted by interagency committee last year,

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Tourism council, city gov’t intensify greening drive

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HE Gensan Tourism Council (GTC) and the city government have intensified the city beautification campaign through a greening drive launched on May 24 by planting mangroves in a coastal community in the city.

The campaign, which is called #GoGreenGensan, is the first clean and green initiative made in partnership by GTC and the city government to ensure that the city will be climate change-adaptive through planting of trees, specifically on the highways and pocket areas of the city. #GoGreenGensan also aims to protect the coastline and marine life of the city as a way to prevent hazardous natural phenomena such as the massive coastal subsidence that took place in Purok Tinago, Barangay South.

This campaign was officially launched in the shoreline of Purok, Minanga, Barangay Buayan —one of the city’s coastal communities — by planting 3,500 mangrove shoots there. Around

half hectare of coastal land in Minanga was covered by the mangrove planting.

The mangrove planting was participated in by around 1,500 people coming from different agencies and organizations such as the South Cotabato Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. (SCFCCCI) Fire Volunteers, numerous Notre Dame alumni batches, and media organizations such as ABS-CBN, Bombo Radyo, and Brigada News.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the mangrove planting is the biggest they have seen in the city.

GTC head Jane Gollon-Rivera, wife of City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, was one of the most active participants of the greening activity—having more than 20 shoots planted on her own. She was accompanied by Vice Mayor Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles who also did her share in planting mangroves.

Rivera said the mangrove planting is just the start of

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INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

WOMEN

BOLD, enigmatic, and resounding with colors and emotions, Jenny Shin’s artworks are the type that brings you into a state of trance and fills your inner sense of wonder and adventure. Through a visual play of contrast with balance, surrealism with fluidity and colors and monochromes, these paintings convey proverbial themes underneath layers of figurative lines and texture.

“Seeing people gather to see my work excites me a lot,” says the Korean artist. Jenny, who spent a few of her formative years in Davao, has been featured in various exhibits in New York, Miami, Korea and, just recently, Manila.

“My experience with art goes way back to my younger days. While my mom hails from a prestigious art school in Korea, she encouraged me to draw and paint freely rather than teach me compositions and color blending. In a way, it helped me stay in touch with my emotions, how I feel and perceive things that surround me.”

Looking at her creations, one can see Jenny’s character that’s dynamic in spirit and thought. Her range of subjects spans from melancholic depictions to nonconcrete concepts, all of which ignites interest and draws the attention of the viewer.

Without sticking to one particular style and technique, she freely employs oils, acrylic, pastels and crayons in her compositions. While her abstractions and juxtapositions render images of disconnect and oddness, it doesn’t alienate one from relatable and well-defined focus.

“I spend time living in different territories, mostly between the Philippines and Korea,” Jenny explains. This sense of

the unusual also seems prevalent in the insinuations and allusions of her artworks.

During her stint in Davao, Jenny used to own and manage a beauty and salon services center --bringing in the best of her country’s techniques and products to cater to Durianburg’s growing fanbase of the Korean lifestyle. “I had my mind and heart set into that business, but I guess my true passion really lies in art. So, I decided to go all out and focus on what I am most passionate about.

I am driven to fulfill my dreams, one of which is to hold an exhibit in London.”

Judging from the overwhelming reception from her recent audience, it seems that dream may just soon turn into reality.

Follow Jenny Shin Art on Facebook to check out more of her artworks and schedule of exhibits. For those who wish to any of her creations, you may email her at jennyshin83@ gmail.com.

The art of

JENNY SHIN

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Looking and feeling grea with this semester’s eyew

A quick guide to finding the right pair of gl

Going back to school this semester? Get ready to do some reading then! If you’re one of the many who suffer from eye problems, you’re going to need a good pair of glasses to keep things clear and in focus.

With so many types of eyewear available though, how do you know which ones work best for your face? With this little guide, you should have a couple of points to start with, so let’s look at the types of eyewear you need to start the sem strong!

Keeping everything in shape The fine art of balance is going to be your best friend here. When shopping for frames, think of how the shape of the frame matches the shape of your face. Ask

yourself, is your face long or wide? Are your features more rounded or are they particularly angular? Try to find features that complement yours.

If you have a long and narrow face, you might want to consider smaller frames that even out the size of your eyes and make your face look proportionally wider. Round and angular faces are a bit trickier, but a lot more fun to work with since there are more options in terms of shape and size.

Although proportion and balance is a top priority, don’t forget to have fun and experiment. You might just find something that works!

A splash of everyday color A good pair of glasses should look good on its own, but a great pair of glasses would look amazing

with anything. Some things to consider are your skin tone, and the kind of clothes you wear. For some, neutral colors work best, especially if you cycle through colors a lot.

If you’re the kind to have a favorite palette, try choosing a color that goes well with the majority of the clothes you wear. Who knows, that vintage-looking pair of celluloid glasses just might pull your entire wardrobe together!

Lookin’ cool for school Because Ideal Vision wants you to look your best this semester, you could drop by any Ideal Vision branch to avail of their special back-to-school promo!

Get a special pair of frames and lenses for just P995.

You could also receive a free New Balance Magic Wallet for every minimum P1,995 purchase.

Silkair celebrates one year in Kalibo

Marco Polo Philippine Hotels off staycation vouchers valid in all p

SILKAIR, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, today celebrates one year of operations in Kalibo (Boracay). Since the inaugural flight from Singapore touched down on 27 May 2014, the service has proven popular amongst regional and international leisure travelers, with healthy passenger load factors.

IN THEIR efforts to show Commenting on the first anniversary Mr. Ganesh Perumal, Silkair’s Philippine manager said “We at SilkAir are pleased to celebrate our 1st anniversary here in Kalibo with our customers and partners. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and trade partners who have supported us in our maiden year in Kalibo, and look forward to continue serving them in the years to come.

“We remain committed to providing our Filipino customers a full-service flying experience at exceptional value; connecting them to over 90 destinations around the world through the wide SilkAir and Singapore Airlines network.”

To commemorate this special occasion, the airline presented a gift to al! passengers who travelled from Kalibo on 28th of May 2015. SitkAir also hosted an anniversary dinner on 2nd of June 2015 to thank the various stakeholders and industry partners for their continued support.

SilkAir currently operates three services a week between Kalibo and Singapore, offering full service flights with business and economy class cabins. Customers can visit www.silkair.com for further information and to book their next travel on Silkair.

appreciation to the country’s constant support to the Marco Polo Hotel brand, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and Marco Polo Davao invite all local residents to discover the Marco Polo spirit and spend a city staycation in any of the hotel group’s properties in the Philippines.

Priced at Php 5,300 net, this voucher entitles the guest to an overnight stay in a Superior Room with breakfast for two adults and two kids ages 6 years old and below. Refreshing drinks will welcome all checkedin guests, while the little ones may experience complimentary

access to the exclusive Piccolo Kids Club play area on week-

ends and holidays. Scheduled roundtrip airport transfers may

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

eat wear

lasses

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Bruce Jenner makes public debut as Caitlyn Jenner on Vanity Fair’s cover CAITLYN JENNER is getting very candid about her transition.

In the 65-year-old’s headline-making cover and interview with Vanity Fair, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star recalls undergoing a 10-hour facial-feminization surgery several months ago in Beverly Hills. While recovering from the grueling surgery at home, Jenner suffered the first panic attack of her life. “What did I just do? What did I just do to myself,” the Olympian recalls thinking.

In addition to undergoing facial surgery, Jenner also got breasts.

However, there’s still one major procedure Jenner has yet to have done: genital surgery.

“If you have a list of 10 reasons to transition, sex would be number 10,” Jenner tells the mag adding that she has no immediate plans to have the procedure done.

Many Jenner fans who watched her win a

All in all, Jenner doesn’t regret a thing about her recent transition. “If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life.

You never dealt with yourself,’ and I don’t

gold medal at the 1976 Olympics remember her as a “handsome” man dubbed the “world’s greatest athlete” as Vanity Fair put it. Jenner says she never wanted to embody the image of the ideal man.

want that to happen,’” Jenner revealed “Bruce always had to tell a lie. He was always living that lie. Every day he always had a secret, from morning till night,” she adds. “Caitlyn doesn’t have any secrets. As soon as the Vanity Fair cover comes out, I’m free.”

“People say, ‘Oh my God, what a body—you look great.’ That wasn’t what I was going for,” she tells VF. “I could not really cross-dress. I tried to grow my hair out as much as I could without getting yelled at.”

‘The Voice Kids’ alumnus Darren Espanto keen to try acting

ffer properties also be availed exclusively for Marco Polo Davao guests only.

Limited vouchers are available for purchase at the respective hotels on the following weekend dates: May 29 to 31; June 5 to 7; June 12 to 14 and June 19 to 21. Vouchers will only be valid until September 30, 2015 and is subject to hotel terms and conditions.

For more details, contact the hotel through the following: manila@marcopolohotels.com or (02) 720 – 7720 for Marco Polo Ortigas Manila; mpplaza@ marcopolohotels.com or 032) 253-1111 and (02) 887-1263 for Marco Polo Plaza Cebu; davao@ marcopolohotels.com or (082) 221-0888 and (02) 893-0888 for Marco Polo Davao. Visit www. marcopolohotels.com.

EVEN IF he failed to win the first season of “The Voice Kids,” first runner-up Darren Espanto still feels like a champion now that he is considered to be one of the most sought-after singer-performers in the country.

In the past year, Darren has had major successes in his singing career. Darren, now 14, released a solo album that has recently been certified gold and even bagged numerous awards at the ASAP Pop Viewers’ Choice Awards, Myx Music Awards, and being named Promising Male Performer at the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Box-Office Entertainment Awards.

Despite these, he also wants to try his hand at acting, just like his fellow “The Voice Kids” alumni Lyca Gairanod and Juan Karlos Labajo.

“I’d love to try acting.

I’ve always been fascinated by actors when I watch a teleserye, and I’d be interested in doing an acting project,” he says.

As he navigates his path in the entertainment and recording industry, Darren is thankful to his loyal fans who have his back. “I’m

happy because I can see their dedication and support for me. I never thought that after ‘The Voice Kids’ I would find a new family, the Darrenatics,” shares Darren.

And to thank them, Darren showcased his talents in his major concert at the MOA Arena last Friday. He is the younger artist to ever headline a concert at the venue.

Meanwhile, he also offers advice to kiddie hopefuls who will soon compete in the new season of “The Voice Kids”: “Just be who you are.

Always stay humble, because without humility you won’t get as far.”

Don’t miss the premiere of “The Voice Kids” Season 2 this June 6 on ABS-CBN. For updates on the program, visit thevoice.abs-cbn. com, like www.facebook.com/thevoiceabscbn, or follow @thevoiceabscbn on Twitter and @abscbnthevoice on Instagram.

June 3 - 4, 2015

LAST KNIGHTS / *SWORD OF VENGEANCE Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman / *Stanley Weber, Edward Akrout R13/ *R16

12:00 | 2:10 | 4:20 LFS / * 6:30 | 8:15 | 10:00 LFS

PITCH PERFECT 2 Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson PG

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

TOMORROWLAND George Clooney, Britt Robertson PG

R-16

1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

SAN ANDREAS Alexandra Daddario, Dwayne Johnson PG

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

EVENT

Malagos cheese tasting at Felcris

By Kenneth Irving Ong FELCRIS SUPERSTORE at Felcris Centrale held a cheese tasting affair last May 23 featuring artisanal cheeses from Davao’s own Malagos Farmhouse.

The tasting event provided visitors a unique first-hand shopping experience different from the other grocery stores. Attending the event was Olive Puentespina who was present to explain the history of the Malagos Farmhouse cheeses as well as of the many varied cheeses that she currently supplies to the Felcris Superstore’s gourmet food section where one can also find the best gourmet and artisanal premium products sourced locally and from abroad.

The cheese event was a prelude to the wine tast-

ing event held the following week which featured

top wine brands from the Strait Wine Company.

EDGEDAVAO

7 SCIENCE Saving ‘Eden beneath the waves’

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

Samal Island (Photo by Henrylito D. Tacio)

T

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urges every Filipinos to help save the country’s remaining coral reefs, which have been touted as “rainforests of the sea.”

“We must act now to save our remaining coral reefs, before it’s too late,” the DENR said in a statement published in its website. It added that these are threatened by human activities and climate change.

Among the cited major causes of coral reef destruction in the Philippines are destructive fishing, overfishing, sedimentation, ill-planned coastal development, and rapid population growth.

Davao Gulf, which cuts into the island of Mindanao from Philippine Sea, is not spared from destruction. With an area of 308,000 hectares, the World Wildlife Fund considers Davao Gulf as one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Diverse coral reefs, different mangrove species, cetaceans and a host of invertebrates contribute to the natural diversity of the gulf.

Take the case of the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte. “A dive into the depths of Samal reef gardens

will reveal colorful underwater vistas with its treasure of tropical marine life,” commented Darrell Blatchley, an American who had plunged into the bottom of the sea.

“Unfortunately, some of those colorful corals are not in good shape.”

A study done by the Regional Fishermen’s Training Center in Panabo City showed that most of the shallow or inshore coral reefs in Davao Gulf “were totally damaged because they were exposed to greater pressure.”

“Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, housing tens of thousands of marine species,” the DENR said. “Reefs buffer shorelines from waves and storms that cause flooding and erosion, support commercial and subsistence fisheries, and are home to a thriving recreation and tourism industry.”

In Southeast Asia, the Philippine coral reef system is said to be second largest -- after Indonesia. It covers around 240 million hectares of water and is home to some 468 species of scleractinian corals, over 50 soft corals, 1,755 reef-associated fishes, 648 mollusks, and 27 marine mammals.

Soft coral reefs (Photo by Henrylito D. Tacio)

According to Angel C. Alcala, former DENR head, there are three major types of coral reefs. These are fringing type (those found on the edges of islands and which constitutes 30% of the country’s coral reefs); the barrier type (best exemplified by the Dajanon Reef of Central Visayas); and the atoll (of which the Tubbataha and Cagayan Reef in the Sulu Sea are ideal examples).

The corals most people have seen are actually the dried and bleached skeletons of soft-bodied animals that live in the warm, sunlit waters of tropical seas and look more like plants and rocks than animals.

The main part of the real coral is the polyp – the extraordinary flower-like animal with a tube-like body and finger-like tentacles. “Coral polyps get nutrition in two ways,” explains Lindsay Bennett, author of globetrotter island guide, Philippines. “They catch their food by means of stinging tentacles that paralyze any suitable prey – microscopic creatures called zooplankton – and also engage in a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae that live within the polyp structure.”

Science says coral polyps reproduce in two ways: asexually (by the division of existing individual polyps) and asexually (by combining egg and sperm from two different polyps). “This results in a free-swimming polyp that will be carried by ocean currents to find a new colony and commence a new reef,” Bennet writes.

The ecologically-fragile coral reef ecosystem is called as “Eden beneath the waves.”

Eden refers to the Biblical paradise mentioned in the Holy Bible where the first human beings -- Adam and Eve -- lived. Although they occupy just 0.17% of the ocean floor, coral reefs are home to perhaps one-quarter of all marine species. “Essential life-support systems” necessary for human survival is how the World Conservation Union describes them.

The Philippines is home to Palawan’s Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, which was declared as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention.

Coral polyps (Photo by Henrylito D. Tacio)

The country is also home to the Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro, considered the second largest contiguous coral reef system in the world, next to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

These two world-renowned reefs, along with the other coral reefs in the country’s 240 million hectares of water, and the biodiversity that thrives within them, provide food security to Filipinos, who source 80 percent of their protein requirement from the oceans.

“Despite considerable improvements in coral reef management, the country’s coral reefs remain under threat,” said Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In the late 1970s, the EastWest Center in Hawaii sounded the alarm. The Inventory of the Coral Resources of the Philippines found only about 5% of the reefs to be in excellent condition, with over 75% coral cover (both hard and soft).

A study conducted in 1997 showed only 4% of reefs in excellent condition (75% hard

or soft coral cover), 28% in good condition (50-75% coral cover), 42% in fair condition (25-50% coral cover), and 27% in poor condition (less than 25% coral cover).

“Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines,” deplored marine scientist Don E. McAllister, who once studied the cost of coral reef destruction in the country.

The Philippine government, however, made and introduced many laws in an attempt to protect the natural environment on the islands and in the national territorial waters. But the government cannot do it alone; help from individuals are also needed to save the reefs from total annihilation.

“We are the stewards of our nation’s resources,” said Rafael D. Guerrero III, former executive director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, “we should take care of our national heritage so that future generations can enjoy them. Let’s do our best to save our coral reefs. Our children’s children will thank us for the effort.”

Captivating coral reefs (Courtesy of SeaWeb)

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

EDITORIAL A chance to be heard

B

Y any measure, 179,967 is a large number, and when applied to a population it makes for a sizable chunk of humanity. It takes on an even bigger significance when placed in the context of an election; such a large number of voters can literally make a candidate win — or lose, as the case may be. But there they are, a substantial number of voters in Davao City who are in danger of not being able to vote in 2016 because they have not completed their biometrics with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). After all that has happened to the country in the recent past, it no longer needs to be said that one’s right to vote should not be taken lightly. Our voice as a people is collectively given on that one day every three years, and we will have only ourselves to blame if the wrong set of leaders are elected into office.

The problem, however, does not solely lie on the 179,967 voters.

As councilor Bernard Al-ag pointed out in yesterday’s regular City Council session, it is not a lack of desire that prevents most of these people from doing their biometrics with the Comelec but the great difficulty that they have to go through just to get to the Comelec

EDGEDAVAO

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office. Many voters who live in the city’s second and third districts are at a huge disadvantage because they have to spend between P150 to P300 one way to reach the Comelec office located at Magsaysay Park in downtown Davao City. While it is taken for granted by those fortunate enough to be living in the first district, going to the Comelec office is a major expedition for those who live in the far-flung areas.

The solution, Al-ag has proposed, is for Comelec to simply move its second and third district offices closer to the people they are supposed to be serving. This makes complete sense, something the commission should have thought of long ago. For its offices to be so inaccessible is an affront to the democratic rights of the voters and smacks of the broken bureaucracy that has plagued government in general. Transferring the Comelec’s second and third district offices near their constituents will not only improve the commission’s services to the voters, it will also go a long way in keeping our democracy vibrant and free. The voices of the 179,967 must not be stifled, and Comelec must make sure they are given the chance to be heard.

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) 0930-669-3018 Tel: (088) 852-4894

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EDGEDAVAO

M

ARRIAGE is one of the first institutions that God has given us. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh,” Genesis 2:24 recorded.

How will a man and a woman stay together throughout their lives? In Covenant Marriage, Fred Lowery gives us this pledge for both: “I will always love you. After God, you will always be my first priority. I am forever committed to this relationship are will always work on this marriage. I will always forgive you and work through conflicts. I will always be faithful to you. I will always be truthful with you. I will always be there for you.”

In Serving Love, couple Gary and Barbara Roseberg agreed that no matter what happens, they will love each other. The two wrote: “If things are better for us, I will love you. If things get worse, I will love you. If we get rich beyond our wildest imagination, I will love you. If we grow poorer and don’t own much, I will love you. If you get sick, I will love you. If you remain healthy, I will love you. In fact, no matter what happens, I will always love you.”

Husband, how will express your love to your beloved? Stuart Scott, author of The Exemplary Husband, lists: “Prefer her over yourself. Show interest in her interests. Encourage her with words of appreciation. Brighten her day with an unexpected card, note, flowers, or gift. Listen with interest to her concerns while showing compassion. Help her when she looks

I

WAS reading news recently about the People’s Republic of China’s baffling statement that it was the United States and the Philippines that are the ones “sowing chaos” in the West Philippine Sea by opposing their illegal reclamation projects on the disputed area.

In an effort to understand the Chinese government’s convoluted sense of logic, I turned to that boundless fount of wisdom and enlightenment that is the comments section at the end of every online news story. As I was scrolling down, one particular entry, posted by user ianisaac, caught my eye for its, shall we say, unique perspective on things.

Here are some excerpts for you to understand what I mean, “The important to pacific ocean are the plants in the ocean, because if this will die all godbye Australia,Philippines Vietnam Indonesia Singapore america,, all this will be collapse into the ocean... Just sleep and wait your death, and you are no any clue to survive, million of Filipino,,and american will die because you are not belong to the elected people of the god... make it laud if you want to laugh, to fight the god are impossible human has no any knowledge how to cured the planet with disease.”

After reading such cryptic yet obviously dire warnings about the fate of our world, I was hungry for more — like those late night cravings you have for junk food, but then after you eat you don’t feel so good, and now you feel guilty for eating and you wonder if maybe you should have just slept it off, or maybe drunk water to dull the hunger pangs kind of thing.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Marriage is not for a moment as if she needs THINK ON THESE! it (don’t wait to be asked!).

Do chivalrous things to let her know how special she is to you.

Give her nonsexual affection.

Seek to please and satisfy her during sexual Henrylito D. Tacio intimacy. Pray henrytacio@gmail.com with her and lead her spiritually.”

On the other side of the coin, here’s what a wife can do to her husband, according to Martha Peace, the woman behind The Excellent Wife: “Pray for him daily. Speak word of kindness. Give him unexpected gift. Thank him for something good he has done. Praise him for one of his good character qualities. Be humble enough to confess your own failures. Reaffirm your commitment to him. Initiate a special time of lovemaking with him. Spend time with him doing something he likes to do. Obey God and let your husband see Christ in you.”

Yes, successful marriage is always a triangle: husband, wife, and God. Allow me to share this story related by Robert J. Morgan in his book, From This Verse (365 Inspiring Stories About the Power of God’s Word:

Renouncing her lavish lifestyle, beautiful Mary Bosanquet opened an orphanage for London’s street children; and for years she had little time to think of marriage. I had no other thought but devoting myself to God in a single life; only I sometimes thought, were I to be married to Mr. Fletcher, would he not be a help to my soul.

Mary was referring to John Fletcher, wellknown Christian leader and close friend of John Wesley. And so it happened. On November 12, 1781, to the delight of their friends, the two got married. Mary was over forty years old at the time; John was ten years her senior.

Returning from the wedding, the groom read Ephesians 5:25, telling their assembled friends. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church. My God, what a task! Help me friends, by your prayers to fulfill it. As Christ loved the church! He laid aside His glory for her! O my God, none is able to fulfill this without Thine almighty aid.”

He read the next words: “Wives, submit to your own husbands.” Mary piped in, “… as unto the Lord,” and Fletcher responded. “Well, my dear, only in the Lord. And if ever I wish you do anything otherwise, resist me with all your might.”

Some time later, this entry appears in Mary’s journal: I have such a husband as is in everything suited me. He bears all my faults and failings, in a manner which continually reminds me of that word, “Love your wives as Christ loved

Anyway, I just felt that it was now my duty — my solemn obligation to myself, my family, and to all who have struggled read his comment, to learn more about this mysterious author.

Who is ianisaac, and why have we not heard more from him?

Does he, as he seems to hint, hold the secrets of the universe?

I first began my journey by clicking (or tapping, as your device might require) on his hyperlinked name. And I was instantly redirected (again this may vary depending on your internet speed and/or whether or not you actually have internet connection. In which case, it might be a really loong wait) to another page that provided more insights into my elusive quarry.

This was a treasure trove of valuable information, and by closely examining the entries, I was able to determine that while ianisaac has made over 600 posts, he was last active just “53 minutes” before I started my quest. The tracks were still fresh, I had his scent, the hunt begins in earnest.

I followed him through his labyrinthine maze of postings.

On a a story about the beheading of a Pakistani drug trafficker in Saudi Arabia he left, “This Arab race is too bad like her god w demon alien,,,because also the victim of raped are needs of beheaded, double funishment, that is the problem of made of Satan alien all are brainless head, instead to help to escape in trauma she killed also...”

I found this on an item about how climate change is compounding natural disasters: “you are the same of one comment or in mexico using a satanas words, after two days mexico are hit of a giant tornado, we are not a god,, god are only reading my comment,, after finished of final judgment day last April 18 2015 all more than four billion kind of us elected people all this are died in disaster causes of climate change,,, bubble is not a liar much true to the fake science of american and. European,,,,, no beach on the moon, only MacDonald are there and coca-coca.”

He then hinted at a hidden language in his comments on the conviction of a Salafi by a French court, “Many are understand my English and this is not my language,, my language are similar ancient Jews and number of roman umpire, we are real human came from the race of Adam and eve or Jesus...”

And finally, since my battery was running low, I had to end my search with this final mysterious post he left in reply to an account of a dead whale washing ashore in California: “Dirty ocean or accident are the causes ,because reducing of gravity to the planet this time is

Solving the Chinese puzzle

the Church.” He is in every sense the man my highest reason chooses to obey.

In a letter John wrote to one of his friends, he penned: I was afraid at first to say much of the matter, for new-married people do not, at first, know each other; but having now lived fourteen months in my new state, I can tell you, Providence has reserved a prize for me, and that my wife is far better to me than the church to Christ.

No matter how you love each other, conflict almost always bound to happen. Best-selling author Charles Swindoll said that when he got married, he has committed himself to the marriage for life “and to work to solve all problems that arise.”

In Night Light, Dr. James and Shirley Dobson give some valuable tips: “Change what can be altered. Explain what can be understood.

Teach what can be learned. Revise what can be improved. Negotiate what is open to compromise. Accept the rest.”

“Marriage is not for a moment; it is for a lifetime,” reminded Gina Cerminara. “It requires long and serious preparation. It is not be leaped into, but entered with solemn steps of deliberation. For one of the most intimate and difficult of human relationships is that of marriage. Infinitely rewarding at its best, unspeakably oppressive at its worst, marriage offers the uttermost extremes of human happiness and human bondage – with all the lesser degrees of felicity and restraint in between.”

wrong,,,,,,,and wrong for the death of all big fish.”

During my desperate search for ianisaac, I was also able to glimpse others like him. Others whom I suspect to be part of a larger group of similarly-minded individuals, able to see past the thin veneer of normalcy that wraps our daily lives. People who have an understanding of the inner workings of the men who pull the strings and weave the webs of conspiracy that bind us with invisible threads. Men and women with the courage and conviction to call it as they see it — without regard to the rules of men or language alike.

Reading these seemingly random thoughts, spread over a wide variety of so-called “news stories,” I realized something — ianisaac is not alone. They are legion, and they have us surrounded. The common line that runs through these, and a million more posts, prove it beyond reasonable doubt. It is a line that is clear for those whose eyes are open, but one that others refuse see, or if seen, is quickly swept under the rug. Out of sight, out of their minds...

I mean, out of mind.

Despite all my efforts, which largely consisted of the unimaginable task of wading through the comments section of various news stories, I was, in the end, unable to track down the REAL ianisaac. But even with this failure, I walked away with my head — aching like hell — still held high. By gaining an insight into the minds of the ianisaac of this world, I think I am starting to understand — if only a little bit — the logic of the Chinese.

10 NEWS IT’S RODNEY... FROM 1

was present during the consultation meeting, Floirendo bared that the younger del Rosario had intimated to him his interest in running for governor. He said that “he has no problem with that for as long as he first ask the go signal from his father, the governor.”

Governor del Rosario for his part said that his son Rodney never took up with him his interest although he was persistently prodded by Rodney’s friends in Tagum City and in Panabo City to consider him for the governorship.

The governor said that even as he is the father and the incumbent the time has come that the decision has to be made by Tonyboy especially now that he will be back in active politics.

Floirendo who took over the board chairmanship of Anflocor after the death of Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. earlier decided to run for congressman of Davao de Norte’s second district, following the end of the term of his nephew, Anton F. Lagdameo.It was gathered that Tonyboy will run to follow the wish of his late father that someone from the family must always render government service to the district.

“My father always reminded me to never allow a leadership vacuum in the second district because it is their way of demonstrating their gratitude to the district which is home of Tagum Agricultural Development Corporation the flagship of ANFLOCOR,” Tonyboy said. “Besides I also have to pursue some plans for the district”, he said, adding that he will reveal this later on the proper time.

Asked his comments on the turn of events, Governor del Rosario said that he was

overwhelmed with the development. He said that Tonyboy had insisted to already make the announcement regarding Rodney’s candidacy to end all speculations.

Del Rosario and Floirendo agreed that the rest of the positions from Vice Governor to Provincial Board Members down to the municipal levels will be threshed out later by the ruling political group in the province sometime this month.

“I am giving the young generation of leaders to decide for themselves. I will be there to guide them only if consulted. Maybe I can take a very minor role but you know these emerging leaders have gone through the grindstone of corporate and public service under the tutelage of Don Antonio Floirendo,” Governor del Rosario said.

Tonyboy said Rodney is academically prepared for the job. He is a graduate of prestigious school among these Ateneo de Manila, Richmond University in England, and Asian Institute of Management.

He also said that Rodney has an intensive training and running corporate affairs having held various important positions in Anflocor as Chief Finance Officer and Senior Vice President of Tadeco. At present, he said, Rodney runs a number of their family enterprises including a rural bank.

“Rodney has worked with us for a number of years. As growing up teenagers, we were the best of friends and I know as well as I am confident that he will be a good public servant”, he added.

Rodney del Rosario cannot be reached for comment as he still is in New York City to accompany his mother who is visiting his sister.

“We consider the EDSP scholars as the cream of the crop as they belong to the top 200 who successfully hurdled the DOST examination last year,” she said in a statement.

Sumalinog said that since the scholars will study in Metro Manila, they have endorsed them to the OWWA-National Capital Region for facilitation in the payment of their school fees and monitoring of their school performance.

For the OFWDSP, she said the agency will support 56 additional scholars starting this school year.

She said 13 of them are from South Cotabato, 13 from North Cotabato, 12 from Sultan Kudarat, and 18 from Sarangani and this city.

Sumalinog said the beneficiaries will receive a finan-

cial assistance of P20,000 each per year or P10,000 every semester.

She said the assistance will cover for their tuition fees and other matriculation or academic-related expenses.

The scholars will also get a group health and accident insurance coverage of up to P100,000 each she said.

Sumalinog said the agency selected the OFWDSP scholars based on their general weighted average and other criteria.

“We’ve set a standard to ensure that our program will truly serve its purpose. And hopefully, four or five years from now, our scholars would be able to finish their chosen courses with flying colors,” she added. (MindaNews)

tors have had two standardization training conducted

by Airbus flight instructors from Toulouse, France since it opened.

Raoul S. Pérez, General Manager of PAAT, said: “With the new investment and by working hand in hand with AACE, we are setting the stage for the Philippines to become an important destination for

pilots, cabin crew and airline workers to gain additional experience, skills and worldclass training opportunities.”

AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia Zest, members of the AirAsia Group, have also signed a Training Services Agreement with PAAT and have been using PAAT’s facilities for the recurrent training of its pilots since April 2015.

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displayed outside the main entrance announcing his requirement to all business establishments on security matters.

In the same program, Duterte vehemently denied any involvement with the DDS, or that he had ordered the police to kill suspected criminals in his city.

The local chief executive also took time to hit back at his critics Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales and Justice Sec. Leila de Lima.

“Shut up,” Duterte told Rosales in the television interview.

Rosales had earlier issued a statement saying she would campaign against Duterte should he decide to run for the presidency in the 2016 elections.

De Lima is a staunch critic of Duterte, accusing the mayor of doing nothing to stop the summary executions in Davao for years now.

She had also said that Dute-

rte is criminally liable for all the slayings that took place in the city.

Duterte responded by challenging de Lima to file a case against him directly in court. He said he would gladly ask de Lima to become a witness so that he can cross-examine her.

And for the nth time, Duterte said he is not interested in running for president next year, although an advertisement supposedly revealing his political plans has been airing on national television for the past several days now.

City administrator Jesus Melchor V. Quitain said he really does not think Duterte has ambitions of becoming president.

If ever Duerte decides to run, Quitain said, it would be because he is pressured to do so.

“Bakamapilitans’yangpagkakataon (He might be forced to do it),” Quitain said.

said.

The issuance of the guidelines, Farnazo said, was aimed to integrate and further institutionalize the primary objective of the flagship K to 12 basic education program “to enhance the overall quality of basic education in the country by hiring highly-competent teachers.”

“It also seeks to uphold the department’s mandate under the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, improve public school teachers’ employment and career opportunities as well as to attract more people with proper qualifications to the teaching

profession,” he said.

The official said they expect to receive additional hiring quota for new teachers next year as the region begins the full implementation of the K to 12 program.

The K to 12 program, which was first implemented

by DepEd in 2012, provided an additional two years to the country’s basic education program.

It covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education, comprising six years of primary education, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school.

(MindaNews)

said if the Comelec cannot grant Al-ag’s request, then it must conduct more satellite registrations especially in farflung areas.

Bello said the people of the city should complete their biometrics because it will be important if Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte runs for President in

2016.

“I encourage all Dabawenyos to complete their biometrics because we need to exercise our right to vote,” he said.

He called on the Comelec and the Association of Barangay Captains to conduct satellite registration activities in remote areas.

He noted that domestic investments and government spending are thus imperative to boost internal demand.

“For the Philippines, I think the two go together. We still believe that the private sector is the main engine of growth but the private sector normally cannot do it alone because the right conditions should be there,” he added.

The NEDA official said the country needs to create an environment conducive for doing business.

“In other words, the cost

of doing business is reasonable, less red tape the better. And then of course infrastructure development because that is a very critical factor in crowding in private investments and in giving the business sector, the private sector the confidence to invest,” he further said.

Despite sluggish government spending in the first quarter, Esguerra was optimistic that the country would achieve its infrastructure spending target equivalent to five percent of GDP by 2016. (PNA)

seven other Representatives, among them Lanao del Sur’s Pangalian Balindong, the Deputy Speaker for Mindanao, also delivered sponsorship speeches.

Rodriguez said he is con-

fident they can defend the bill from questions that would be fielded by their colleagues when the House goes on to deliberations on Tuesday.

(Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

ongoing condominiums and other developments that were already approved by the city government. If there is a massive increase, all of these real estates is going to crash here in Davao City. Especially if you implement it soon,” she added.

“We appeal, however, to... the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the city to come up with a win-win solution wherein we can negotiate the prices or the proposed zonal valuation (so that it) is not going to be equivalent to the selling price,” she said.

In an interview with reporters after the session, BIR 11 regional director Glenn Geraldino said the proposal will not harm the economy of the city since its technical working group (TWG) is basing the zonal valuation on the actual selling price on the daily transactions made by the taxpayers of the city.

“If what is the real value, we really give it. We just give the right value for Davao City,” Geraldino said.

He said the proposed zonal value is lower than the actual market price of the property.

Geraldino said the basis of the taxation of the real prop-

erty will depend on which has the higher value among the actual selling price, zonal value of the BIR, and the City Assessor’s value.

He said the zonal valuation in the city has been left untouched for 17 years and now is the right time to revisit it.

Geraldino cited Ladislawa Garden Village as example, saying in 2002 the price of per square meter lot was around P7,000 but with the proposal it will be P19,750.

He said it is also his office’s mandate to revisit the zonal value since the BIR Central Office is urging the regional office to look into it.

Geraldino said the proposal will also help the increase of internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the city.

He said the implementation of the proposal is still far in the future since the TWG is still on the second stage of its evaluation.

Geraldino said the last revision of the zonal valuation was in 1998 but it was implemented in 2002.

Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirangsaid he will start the committee hearing of the matter on June 8.

will be implemented by different agencies through their short –term and long-term plans.

The interagency committee is composed of 13 agencies which will also implement the strategy through adopting it in their programs and plans.

These agencies include the BSP, Commission of Filipino Overseas, Cooperative Development Authority, Department of Budget Management, Department of Education, Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Insurance Commission, National Economic Development Authority, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Philippine Statistics Authority and Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Financial Inclusion basically means “just including everyone in the financial system,” Romano said.

“Everyone needs financial services whether to save, to take a loan, to send money, to

be insured and yet yung financial inclusion natin sa Philippines is medyo marami pang wala sa financial system,” she added.

Romano said that only four out of 10 Filipinos adults save, with 68 percent of them saving it at home. Forty seven percent of Filipino adults borrow, with 72 percent are informally either thru family or informal lenders “In fact, 4.4 percent lang nakakautang sa banko,” she said.

Romano said there is definitely a “need to broaden access to financial services.”

“Through this, people can enjoy the benefits of being able to manage their finances better to seize economic opportunities. Makautang para makapa-negosyo ng konti and all of these are not just for financial inclusion but also for inclusive growth kasi kapag nakakautang sila for a small business they employ, they engage in productive activities which we call broad-base,” she said. Cheneen R. Capon

the intensified campaign to “green” the city to mitigate the effects of climate change and the on-going dry spell.

“We will continue to do this every two months—in here and then other coastal communities in the city. We will also plant trees in our highways and to the city’s pocket locations so that we can give a little coolness to our city,” Rivera said.

The mangrove plant-

ing will cover 37 hectares of coastal lands of the city. Gensan has nine shoreline barangays.

“These mangroves, when they will grow, can also be a possible tourist attraction in the city. I have visited places where they put coastal roads or pathways along their mangrove areas so that people can enjoy seeing them,” Rivera said. (Gensan CPIO/Ian John Lagare)

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ASUS joins Pinoy Gaming Festival

G

AMERS flocked to SM North Edsa on April 28, 2015 to be part of the Pinoy Gaming Festival in which ASUS Republic of Gamers showcased their newest gaming line-up.

The event featured gaming competitions such as Heartstone, League Of Legends, DOTA 2, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and Point Blank. Of all the participants, it was the 66-year old Lolo Cris who caught the most attention as he battled the younger participants in the game of DOTA 2.

Among the products that ASUS introduced in PGF2015 was the ROG G501, an ultra slim gaming laptop that features the latest GTX960M. The G501 is powered by the 4th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and the new NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M graphics for an unrivalled gaming experience. This impressive power is supported by ASUS-exclusive Hyper Cool technology with dual independent fans, delivering smooth, stable performance for both gaming and professional content creation.

In addition, G501 has a 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) to treat users to incredibly detailed visuals and lifelike colors.

ROG G501 is one of the world’s thinnest gaming

M

laptops, with a height of just 20.6mm. It features a lightweight aluminum construction and weighs just 2.06kg (non-touchscreen). Its modern, elegant design sports red bezel accents and gaming features like a red-back-

lit keyboard with 1.6mm of key travel for a responsive feel, a numeric keypad, and marked WASD cursor keys.

G501 is also the coolest and quietest gaming laptop on the market, with exclusive Hyper Cool technology

built in. This advanced cooling system employs dual fans and copper heat sinks to remove heat efficiently with minimal fan noise. Both processor (CPU) and graphics-processing unit (GPU) are cooled independently

based on each component’s demands to ensure maximum efficiency — delivering extremely cool gaming experiences that are both whisper-quiet and silky smooth.

ROG G501 is powered 4th-generation Intel Core

i7-4720HQ processor for the smooth, powerful performance required to drive today’s fast-paced games.

G501 also features the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics with up to 4GB of GDDR5 video memory for sharp, vivid visuals and smoother in-game animations. The powerful GPU also drives hardcore content-creation, enabling even the most demanding creative to produce any kind of content on the go.

In addition, G501 can be paired with PCI Express® x4 (PCIe® x4) solid-state disks (SSDs) for data-transfer speeds of approximately 1400MB/s — more than twice (2X) as fast as SATA III SSDs or 16X faster than SATA III hard disk drives! Optional Onboard Intel Thunderbolt™ technology provides a single-cable data and graphics interface with speeds of up to 10Gbit/s — twice the bandwidth of USB 3.0.

G501 features ASUS SonicMaster audio, incorporating ICEpower®, Bang & Olufsen technology, for high-quality sound. ASUS AudioWizard gives users five preset audio modes with settings tailored to suit different game genres.

The ASUS ROG G501 is now available in all ASUS Authorized Re-Sellers nationwide.

of more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices, and natural interactions with your Windows devices, including speech, touch, ink and holograms.”

Windows 10 brings back the Start menu people know and love while enabling them to easily find their files, pinned applications and favorites. Windows 10 starts fast, resumes fast and helps enable batteries to last longer.

More secure than ever, Windows 10 includes Windows Hello, Microsoft Passport and Windows Defender for anti-malware protection, and a commitment to deliver free, ongoing security updates for the supported lifetime of the device. Optimized for both keyboard and touch, the Windows 10 upgrade is designed to be compatible with Win-

dows devices and applications.

In addition to the Office 2016 full-featured desktop suite, new Universal Windows applications for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook will offer a consistent, touch-first experience across a range of devices. Designed from the ground up to run on Windows 10 and perfect for staying productive on the go, people can easily create and edit Word documents and deliver PowerPoint presentations while annotating on the fly. With new touch-first controls in Excel, people can create or update spreadsheets without a keyboard or mouse.

Windows 10 offers a familiar and consistent experience across devices. Continuum enables devices to transform, enabling elegant transitions of a tablet into a PC, and back — and for a Windows phone to become like a PC.

Xbox on Windows 10 brings the expansive Xbox Live gaming network to both Windows 10 PCs and tablets. People can communicate with their friends on Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One while playing any PC game and share content using Game DVR. People can also stream games

directly from their Xbox One console to a Windows 10 tablet or PC in their homes.

Games developed for DirectX 12 in Windows 10 will see improvements in speed, efficiency and graphics capability.

On July 29, people can get Windows 10 for PCs and

tablets by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer, or on new Windows 10 devices.

New Windows 8.1 devices will also easily upgrade to Windows 10, and many retail stores will help upgrade new devices. People can reserve their free upgrade if they choose.

BATTLE-TESTED. Sixty-six-year-old Lolo Cris battles the younger participants in a game of DOTA 2.

Windows 10 available as free upgrade July 29

ICROSOFT Corp. announced on Monday that Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade on July 29 in 190 countries.

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 will help people be more productive and have more fun, with a personal and natural experience that works across all their devices. Familiar, yet better than ever, Windows 10 will deliver ongoing feature innovations and security updates. Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade to people using Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, enabling hundreds of millions of people around the world to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

“Windows 10 is a new generation of Windows designed to empower you to do great things,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Microsoft. “Windows 10 starts to deliver on our vision

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DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICE

GENERAL SANTOS CITY MARKETING OFFICE

Director of Sales

Marketing Specialist

JOCELYN S. PANES

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

EDMUND P. RENDON

General Santos City

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

VOL. 8 ISSUE 44 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

COMMSENSE 13

TRMH employees donate blood A S part of its corporate social responsibility program, The Royal Mandaya Hotel conducted a blood-letting activity participated by its employees on May 27 at the Datu and Rajah Halls.

The blood-letting activity was participated in by 26 hotel employees who voluntarily donated blood for prospective beneficiaries who might need blood matched with their own blood types.

“We are doing this to also help the employees in times of need,” said Benjie Banzon, General manager of TRMH. The activity, an annual program of TRMH, was staged in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross.

“We thank the PNRC for being our partner in this program. We do this every year and we intend to continue with the program,”

Banzon added.

The blood-letting was held from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Of the 26, 11 were from Food and Beverage, eight

from Human Resources and Finance, three from Purchasing, two from Housekeeping, and one wach from Marketing and Engineering.

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Phl leads the way in microinsurance T HE Philippines has the highest microinsurance coverage among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, experiencing exponential growth over the last 10 years.

According to Michael McCord of the Microinsurance Network, coverage in the Philippines rose from 20% to 28.1% from 2012 to 2014, reaching an annual growth of 18.4% in terms of the number of persons covered.

As of 2015, microinsurance in the Philippines has covered 28 million individuals. This comes as the country continues to develop financial inclusion by making financial services available and accessible to all regardless of income class.

Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran, a key champion of financial inclusion initiatives, credits the National Strategy for Microinsurance as the guiding framework for the achieving the success rate. It was formulated and implemented by an inter-agency committee led by the Department of Finance under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. This encouraged private financial institutions to develop market-based and relevant products and services, linkages and business models to the low-income sector, allowing them access to savings and credit services while providing for financial education and consumer protection.

Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc said there is an increased awareness and concern from the government and the private sector in working together for financial inclusion. Hence we see various initiatives on microinsurance that reflect a whole-of-government approach with extensive collaboration with the private sector.”

Private financial institutions are actively engaged in providing various types of microinsurance products and services, developed to cater to the different needs of the clients at an affordable premium.

The amount of premiums, contributions, and fees computed on a daily basis, does not exceed 7.5% of the current daily minimum wage rate for non-agricultural workers

in Metro Manila and having the maximum sum of guaranteed benefits of not more than 1,000 times the daily minimum wage rate for non-agricultural workers in Metro Manila, based on simplified contracts and relaxed terms and conditions, allowing the informal sector to have a greater understanding of the benefits of insurance, and their rights as insured.

“Microinsurance does not only enhance our resiliency to disasters, shocks, and crises. I actually think it is a key element to strengthening the economy and making growth sustainable. It is always a win for the economy when the most vulnerable are protected and empowered.

In a way, boosting microinsurance coverage rates is an effective anti-poverty measure: we minimize vulnerabilities of the poor and enable them to rebuild the pieces of their dreams that crack when disaster hits,” Beltran explained.

The importance of microinsurance was highlighted in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Microinsurance providers were able to infuse P0.5 billion (around US$11 million) in typhoon-affected areas after paying out damage claims within the required 10-day period. In addition, 129,786 families reportedly took out new microinsurance policies after the typhoon.

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima emphasized the importance of the Philippines-proposed Cebu Action Plan (CAP) in the country’s hosting of the APEC meetings this year. He said, “We are seeing how microinsurance works in the Philippines: not only to protect the most vulnerable, but also our sustained and inclusive growth trajectory.

Throughout this year, we are sharing our experience with our colleagues from APEC member economies as part of our push for more access to financial services by low-income households, MSMEs, and the unbanked.

Financial inclusion works on the simple principle that the bigger the chunk of the population you draw in and protect, the bigger your chances of economic success. When the most vulnerable wins, we all win.”

Ximex Delivery Express, Inc. recently signed a partnership with Globe Business to equip its cargo vehicles and trucks with the latest Fleet Management solutions. The formal signing was attended by (from left) Globe Senior Vice President for Enterprise Group Nikko Acosta, Globe VP for IT-Enabled Services Rey Lugtu, Ximex President Jerome Ibanez and Ximex Sales and Marketing Head Ryan De Leon.

Increase in PRDP project proposals for Mindanao cited T

HE Mindanao Project Support Office of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) cited the bullish performance of proposals for infrastructure and enterprise development projects submitted by local government units in Mindanao.

This was revealed by PRDP Mindanao cluster Project Director Lealyn Ramos during the recently held Mindanao-wide coordination meeting with DA regional project coordination offices (RPCOs).

“Since the first World Bank mission for PRDP in January, we strived to catch up with a lot of project deliverables, foremost of which is urging our LGU partners to submit project proposals for consideration,” Ramos said.

She added that the PSO sped up the technical review and validation of infrastructure project proposals and business plans for enterprise development projects, “ensuring that it complies with the necessary requirements.”

“The number of infrastructure subprojects spiked up within the January-April period as a result of our efforts,” she said.

The infrastructure or I-BUILD component now has a total portfolio of 161 subprojects worth P8.7 billion from P2.4 billion in January. Farmto-market roads make up the bulk of this portfolio.

As of May 2015, proposed subprojects under pipeline increased from 14 in January to 85 as of April 2015. These projects are those undergoing

validation and review stages.

Meanwhile, approved and ongoing subprojects remain at a total of 82.

On the other hand, the enterprise development or I-REAP component now has a total of 22 subprojects worth P898 million from just 5 proposed subprojects last January.

The I-BUILD component aims to put in place strategic and climate-resilient rural infrastructure facilities such as farm-to-market roads that will link production areas with markets and enhance transport of agricultural products.

Under its I-REAP component, PRDP aims to strengthen and develop viable agribased enterprises by elevating production and providing

market support facilities.

“Series of workshops have also been conducted in some of the regions to capacitate our LGU planners in submitting their project proposals,” Ramos added.

Recently, a series of business plan technical review has been conducted by the Mindanao PSO in Davao City, where LGUs presented various enterprise development subprojects on commodities such as cassava, rubber, cacao, coffee, abaca and coconut.

Scheduled for a second round of review this month are business proposals from Sarangani for a virgin coconut oil project, and Agusan del Norte for an abaca fiber production and marketing enterprise. (Jay M. Rosas, PRDP Mindanao)

are listed on Luxify’s website and interested buyers could also visit Salcedo Auction’s center in Manila, for a special preview until June 5, before the auction begins on June 6 at 11 a.m.

In a statement, Luxify said it is “particularly excited” about the great opportunies in the Philippines.

It said the Philippines has emerged with one of the greatest economic growths in Asia “amidst generally testing times to the global economy.”

“From being once touted

as the ‘sick man of Asia,’ the country is now unquestionably stronger, especially after it emerged as the second fastest growing country in Asia last year. The reported economic growth of 6.1% in 2014 is also complemented by an influx of high-end brands and foreign companies. The forecasts for the future are similarly positive, with companies and consumers showing strong confidence,» the company said.

“The Philippines is definitely a growing market for luxury products,” Luxify

co-founder Alexis Zirah said.

“The spurt of growth in the Philippines is very encouraging, especially for sophisticated brands like ourselves,” he added. “There is still a lot to explore in this market and with consumers being more open to luxury, we have an exciting lineup ahead,” he added.

Zirah said Salcedo Aucions is “the only auction house in the Philippines to specialize in the sale of fine art, jewelry, decorative arts, and collectible accessories.” PRNewswire

Luxify.com teams up with Phl auction house

L

UXIFY, an online luxury marketplace for buying and selling luxury products based in Hong Kong with offices in Singapore, and London, has teamed up with Philippine auction house Salcedo Auctions for its upcoming Collectors’ Sale auction.

The types of products listed in the auction include international and traditional Filipino art pieces, classic furniture, elegant jewellery, as well as collectible books, maps, and paintings.

The details of each item

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SMART FINISHER. Collie Castillo-Arroyo of SMART Philippines finished the Sprint category at 03:18:07 in the recent Sarbay Thriathlon in Sarangani Province.

Davao’s Rubillar loses inTexas

V

SARBAY TRIATHLON. Swim, bike and run for the environment. Five employees of Smart endured the challenging course of the triathlon event, one of the highlights of the Sarangani Bay Festival 2015. From left, Ben Silva, Mark Sanchez, Edward Maximo, Pompo Arroyo, and Collie Castillo-Arroyo.

Smart employees finish strong at SarBay triathlon

T

RIATHLONS are not for the faint-hearted.

A good example would be the recently-concluded 2nd SarBay Swim-Bike-Run for the Environment triathlon which involved a total of 51.5 kilometers—a 1.5-km swim, 40km bike ride, and a 10-km run across the waters and coastline of Sarangani Bay. The five employees of Smart who joined this year’s triathlon proved they had what it takes to conquer the challenging terrain in what is becoming to be one of Mindanao’s biggest sports events.

Mark Alfred “Pompo” Arroyo, supervisor, E2E Wireless Optimization, who finished first among the group in just three hours, found this to be one of the most challenging courses

by far.

“I have participated in 20 triathlon events in the past. What sets the SarBay triathlon apart is the course for both the 40-km bike and the 10-km run, which involved hilly areas and steep inclines, unlike in other events when running is done on flat ground. During the 30-minute swim from the middle of the bay back to the shore, one would see lots of corals and that makes the entire experience very unique,” said Arroyo.

Arroyo was joined by fellow Smart triathletes Mark Gil Sanchez (engineer, Technical Operations Center in Malolos, Bulacan); Ruben Silva, Jr. (supervisor, Smart e-Money), and Edward Vincent Maximo (business analyst, Smart and Subsidiaries Product Development) in

battling it out in the Olympic category.

Arroyo’s wife, Corallie “Collie” Castillo-Arroyo, the fifth Smart employee to join the race, signed up for the Sprint category, which covered half the distance of the Olympic category. The SarBay triathlon was a “baptism of fire” for first-timer Collie, who thinks she can hack other triathlon events in the future having gone through the challenging course.

The Smart triathletes all flew to General Santos from Manila. They had to a hire a multicab to transport themselves and their bicycles to the town of Gumasa, which is the venue for the event.

Smart has been encouraging its employees to participate in sporting events like triathlons as part of “Live Well, Live More”, its

holistic wellness program that includes sports festivals, workout sessions, and wellness seminars.

“All in all, it was an unforgettable experience for me and my fellow triathletes. The fact that a portion of the proceeds will support Smart’s environmental advocacy makes it all the more worthwhile,” added Arroyo.

Proceeds from the triathlon will go to the turtle hatchery in the town of Maasim.

The triathlon was organized by Smart , Body Kinetix, and the Province of Sarangani for the second straight year to help promote Sarangani Bay as an eco-tourism hub, as well as to raise public awareness on the need to protect the environment. The event was one of the highlights at the recent Sarangani Bay Festival.

ETERAN southpaw Juanito Rubillar has lost once again, suffering a 4th round TKO defeat at the hands of former world champion Joseph Agbeko at the El Paso Memorial Coliseum in El Paso, Texas.

It was the 38 year old Rubillar’s fourth straight defeat and his tenth loss in his last eleven fights raising serious questions as to why the Philippine Games and Amusements Board allows Rubillar who is well past his prime, to continue fighting.

Rubillar’s only win in his last eleven fights was when Basilio Nievas of the Dominican Republic quit in the 5th round of a scheduled ten round bout with a hip injury, enabling the Filipino to register a TKO victory.

Bill Knight of the El Paso Times reported that Agbeko “returned to the ring for the first time in over 13 months and won when the bout was halted by a cut ruled to be from a punch” which improved his record to

30-6 with 26 knockouts while Rubillar who, according to boxrec.com last fought on August 24, 2013 when he was knocked out in the 4th round by Rey Vargas, dropped to 49-23-7 with 24 knockouts.

The 35 year old Agbeko, the former three-time world bantamweight champion, lost to undefeated WBO/WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in December 2013 by a 120-108 shutout on the scorecards of all three judges.

The El Paso Times reported that Agbeko “needed the win to get back into the title picture and he got just that with his 4th round TKO win over Rubillar who was cut over the left eye in the second round as Agbeko continued to use good angles and good combinations to finish off his opponent. The fight was stopped at 1:31 of the round.”

In a post fight interview Agbeko said “it took me afew rounds to get warmed up. But this is my best comeback.”

ILAN Melindo blamed American referee Gerard White for his poor decisions that eventually deprived him of victory in his IBF light flyweight title bout against champion Javier Mendoza of Mexico last Sunday, Manila Time.

In an overseas telephone conversation with the New Standard/boxingmirror.com from Los Angeles, Melindo claimed the cut on Mendoza’s left eye was caused by a legitimate punch and not by an accidental clash of heads and that referee White did not signal that the cut was caused by a headbutt when the fight was stopped on the advice of the ring doctor.

The officials made the mistake of going to the scorecards that enabled Mendoza to retain his title with a lopsided technical points decision when it should have been a 6th round

TKO in favor of Melindo.

The challenger explained his strategy which resulted in Mendoza winning in the first six rounds when he was the aggressor, telling us. “I knew Mendoza was strong and I planned to be defensive in the first six rounds and ready to turn aggressor in the second half of the fight” when his body shots began to hurt the fading champion.

Melindo said “I knew his weakness was in absorbing body shots” and in the earlier rounds when he landed some solid body shots referee White mistakenly ruled them as low blows allowing Mendoza to lean on the ropes and rest even as he admitted landing one low blow.

He also cited the referee’s mistake in the opening round when he dropped Mendoza with a right to the side of the head which White inexplicably ruled a low blow.

Melindo blames referee for poor decisions

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16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

ADIEU, MARIA Sharapova’s title retention bid ends in loss to Safarova

VOL. VOL.88ISSUE ISSUE44 44• WEDNESDAY, • WEDNESDAY,JUNE JUNE3,3,2015 2015

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EFENDING champion Maria Sharapova’s bid for a third French Open title in four years is over.

Coughing between points on an overcast day, the second-seeded Sharapova was outplayed throughout a 7-6 (3), 6-4 loss to 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round Monday.

“My opponent had a different gear than I did,” Sharapova said. It is her earliest defeat at Roland Garros since 2010, when she was beaten in the third round.

Since then, the Russian won the clay-court Grand Slam tournament in 2012 and 2014, was the runner-up to Serena Williams in 2013, and reached the semifinals in 2011. Safarova dictated much of the action and held her nerve as the far more experienced and accomplished Sharapova

UPSET VICTIM. Maria Sharapova, the defending champion, is out of the French Open.

tried to mount a comeback in the second set.

“Maria is an amazing player. I needed to play aggressive and to come forward for the points,” Safarova said. The left-handed Safarova wound up with a considerable edge in winners, 34-20, including forehands on the last two points to break Sharapova.

“I felt like I had small openings, and I just wasn’t able to ... play a good few points. I just wasn’t able to keep that level up today,” Sharapova said. “She was able to do that for a longer period of time.

She took the time away from me, created her angles and I didn’t.

That was the difference today, in my opinion. “ She did not use the cold she’s been dealing with as an excuse, saying: “I don’t like to talk about it, and I don’t think it really makes a difference. I’m still a competitor, no matter what.”

In her first French Open quarterfinal, Safarova will face No. 21 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who beat No. 28 Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3, 6-4. Both of those fourth-round matches were originally supposed to be played

Sunday, but were postponed after a rain delay in the afternoon.

They instead became part of a Monday full of tennis’ biggest names, with Williams and the Big 4 of the men’s game — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — all on the schedule.

Sharapova, a five-time major champion who completed her career Grand Slam in Paris three years ago, started things off at a mostly empty Court Philippe Chatrier. Years ago, Sharapova famously described herself as a “cow o n ice”

when playing on red clay, troubled by the tricky footing. But she overcame that well enough to win 65 of her last 71 matches on the surface entering Monday.

Sharapova also had not lost to Safarova anywhere since 2010, winning their four most recent matches.

Still, from early on, it was clear Sharapova was not going to have her way this time against Safarova, who won the Australian Open doubles title in January but whose best career showing to date in singles was a semifinal run at Wimbledon last year.

8 breeders added to Mindanao All Stars T

HE cast of Mindanao All Stars has been expanded to onclude eight more of Min-

MINDANAO ALL STAR. Bebot Uy will be part of the Mindanao All Star derby in the forthcoming Thunderbird Davao Challenge.

danao’s finest gamefowl breeders who will battle it out for the Thunderbird Mindanao All-Star 5-Cock Derby during the much-anticipated Thunderbird Davao Challenge set on June 6 at the New Davao Matina Gallera in Davao City.

In addition to the earlier list of Mindanao All Stars, the new addition to the list of Mindanao All-Stars are Christian Saldivar / Mayor Roel

Paras, Juanito Nasser / Manny Ibanez, Dr. Alfonso Bitoy, Jr., Marny Fuentes / Boy Digal, and Jun Lao. Earlier, Thurderbird Southern Mindanao team leader Mark Anthony Lagmay said the Mindanao All-Stars will feature topnotch breeders Gov. Eddiebong Plaza, Gov. Claude Baustista, Alex Macariola, Dorie Du, Balong Espinosa, Tata Sala, Kap. Romeo Baquirel, Mario Bantilan, Christian Saldivar, Lyndon Tabuada, Bryan Blanco, Herman Cantuba, Maning Eva, James Fuentes, Jojie Tiu, Jun Bacolod, Isidoro “B1” Uy, Larry Rubinos/Greg de Carlos, Boy Oncada and Sammy Uy. The Thunderbird Davao Challenge will be the first-ever “double derby” with two 5-cock derbies to be held within each other -- the Thunderbird National All-Star 5-Cock Derby and the Thunderbird Mindanao All-Star 5-Cock Derby.

“These two derbies will be matched separately, will

have two separate fight programs and two separate scoreboards. The derby will start with Fight#1 of the Thunderbird National All-Star Derby, followed by Fight#1 of the Thunderbird Mindanao All-Star 5-Cock Derby, then Fight#2 of the National AllStar followed by Fight#2 of the Mindanao All-Star, and so on and so forth,” said Mark Anthony Lagmay, Thunderbird Southern Mindanao team leader.

“It’s history in the making when this big event is held in Davao City from June 4 - 7,” said Lagmay.

First staged in 2010, the Thunderbird Challenge is a yearly-held 4-cock derby among Thunderbird Power Feeds & Thunderbird Powervet’s elite endorsers aimed to promote cockfighting and local tourism, thus it has been held in the country’s most popular travel destinations : Boracay in 2010, Palawan in 2011, Dakak, Dapitan in 2012, Bohol in 2013 and Ilocos Re-

gion in 2014.

In the Thunderbird National All-Star 5-Cock Derby, the impressive line-up of entries include cocking greats Engr. Sonny Lagon, Nene Abello, Lancey dela Torre, Pol Estrellado, Rey Briones, Nestor Vendivil, Mayor Bobby Clemente, Cong. Lawrence Wacnang, Joey Sy, Pao Malvar, Mayor Jesry Palmares, Bebot Monsanto, Bernie Tacoy, Winnie Codilla, Mayor Baba Yap, former Gov. Baham Mitra, Joe Laureno, Engr. Sonnie Magtibay, Tol Mariano, Lino Mariano, Tan Brothers (Jun, Bobot & Bong), Bugsky Ngsuy, Bentoy Sy, Manny Dalipe and Bebot Uy. A sidelight to this year’s Thunderbird Davao Challenge is the staging of several medical missions, as Thunderbird Cares, in cooperation with Mr. Jun Bacolod conduct medical, dental and optical services in Panabo, in Bgy. Mattina Aplaya, Davao City and in Bgy. Makato, Makilala, North Cotabato.