Edge Davao 8 Issue 49

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

INSIDE EDGE

Rehabbed PH Eagle set to be freed in Hamiguitan The BIG NEWS P2

3 NPA members surrender The BIG NEWS P2

1 HIV case every 1 hour and 15 mins

‘SCHOOL BUS.’ A farmer on barefoot takes his kindergarten daughter to school as another child clings on to his shoulder along the border of Davao City and Bukidnon yesterday. Students in far flung areas like in some parts of Davao City and Bukidnon are forced to walk as far as five kilometers just to attend classes due to lack of public transportations in the areas. Lean Daval Jr.

The BIG NEWS P3

TOP COP FACES ADMIN RAPS Pinoy thrower breaks SEA record Sports P16

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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AGUM City Police Station commander Superintendent Solomon Decastilla is facing an administrative case after four persons detained at his station escaped before dawn yesterday.

In a phone interview,

Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office Director Senior Superintendent Samuel Gadingan said his office is currently investigating the matter.

“Whatever the result of the investigation, most probably the COP (Chief of

Police) will face an administrative case,” he said.

Gadingan said the kind of case that will be filed against Decastilla depends on the outcome of the investigation.

“As of the moment I cannot tell what the case of

Superintendent Decastilla will be. It will soon be determined after the investigation,” he said.

Gadingan also ordered a manhunt operation for the four escapees. The names of two of them --

FTOP COP, 10

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

SIGNED. Department of Health (DOH) 11 director Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama signs the Pledge of Commitment for the Health Agenda for Universal Health Care (UHC), the administration’s commitment in delivering quality health care for all the Filipinos, during yesterday’s Regional High Impact Five Summit at Apo View Hotel in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

NPA man surrenders Cured Philippine eagle

A

NEW People’s Army (NPA) member surrendered last Saturday to members of the 60th Infantry Battalion who were on security patrol in Barangay Cabadiangan, New Corella, Davao del Norte.

The military said Alberto Egagamao alias Abdul brought with him an M60 machine gun with ammunition when he surrendered.

According to Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) spokesperson Captain Alberto Caber, Egagamao revealed he was a political instructor of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) responsible for the indoctrination and training of new recruits.

Concerned officials of the barangay and relatives assisted Egagamao in surrendering to the soldiers.

60IB Commander Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Bunagan expressed his thanks to the barangay officials and relatives for helping Egagamao surrender.

Bunagan presented Egagamao to New Corella Mayor Nestor Alcoran and to the Municipal Police Station for documentation and assistance.

Based on records, a total of 109 NPA members have surrendered to different military units of the EastMinCom since January 1, 2015.

Funny Pearl A. Gajunera

Councilor wants to push organic food in schools

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City councilor Rachel P. Zozobrado-Nagayo will propose an ordinance that will promote organic food in the city’s schools.

In an interview, Zozobrado-Nagayo said her proposal will promote healthful food for children inside the schools as an alternative to junk food, which would be prohibited.

She said the people should go “back to basics” and choose healthful food since there are ailments that are generated

by instant food and other food with preservatives.

“We need to go back to our roots, because aren’t we wondering why many people have cancer, even children? It is due to the food we eat,” she said.

Zozobrado-Nagayo said even if people exercise and take food supplements, they can still get sick if their diet is not healthy.

She said with organic food, many harmful chemicals

FCOUNCILOR, 10

freed in Hamiguitan soon

By JON JOAQUIN

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jon@edgedavao.net

AMANA, the Philippine Eagle who underwent rehabilitation at the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) in Davao City after being wounded by hunters three years ago, will be released inside the Mt. Hamiguitan World Heritage site in Davao Oriental on Friday, Independence Day. The eagle’s release is being supported by Globe Business, the enterprise ICT arm of Globe Telecom which has been working closely with PEF in saving the Philippine Eagle and its habitats, including Arakan Valley in North Cotabato.

Globe Business said the collaboration has benefited

agroforestry projects of the Forest Corridor Development Program as well as community-based initiatives programs in the particular area.

The Forest Corridor Development Program is an ambitious five-year program to restore the 1,200-hectare forest corridor connecting three mountains in Arakan — Mahuson, Sinaka, and Kabalantian-Binoongan-Kulaman (KABIKU).

The program aims to give the eagles and other wildlife a pathway among the three areas and expand their habitat.

While not part of the forest corridor, Mt. Hamiguitan, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site early this

year, is also a natural home to the Philippine Eagle.

Pamana was rehabilitated by the PEF for three years after suffering from gunshot wounds in Mt. Gabanun, Iligan. Its reintroduction to Mt. Hamiguitan is expected to contribute to the increase and improvement of the eagle population once it finds a mate and breeds.

Globe Business said the release is a concrete manifestation of its support to the PEF in reviving and ensuring the protection of the biodiversity in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao.

It also said it will use GCash, the mobile money channel of Globe Telecom, as

a platform for donations to support Pamana’s acclimatization, mobilization of monitoring teams, and tracking using a satellite GPS system, as well as the education and awareness campaigns around the Mt. Hamiguitan.

Despite efforts to save the species, the Philippine Eagle remains critically endangered, estimated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to number only between 180 and 500.

According to PEF executive director Dennis Salvador, the eagles are threatened primarily by deforestation which is robbing them of their habitat.

in illegal drug activities in the entire region.

He added they are hoping to seize at least 2 kilos of illegal drugs in their next operation. “We are targeting to apprehend a bigger target, hopefully with at least 2 kilos of drugs,” he said.

Camancho and Saipud-

ing are currently detained at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) because they are considered high-value targets.

They were apprehended at around 7 p.m. on June 5 at Stall No. 2, Pereras Compound, Barangay Magugpo West, Tagum City.

PDEA 11 eyeing ‘bigger fish’in campaign

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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HE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 is currently eying to catch bigger fish after authorities seized P9 million worth of shabu from two suspects on Friday in Tagum City.

PDEA 11 spokesperson NoliDimaandal said the

two suspects -- identified as Ferdinand Jose Camancho and Oder Saipuding -- are considered key players in the illegal drug industry in Davao del Norte and nearby places.

Dimaandal said police have been focusing on high-value targets involved

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

DOH: One HIV/AIDS case every 1.25 hours nationwide

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T HI 5. Governor Rodolfo del Rosario of Davao del Norte expresses his support for the Universal Health Care Impact Five (UHC – HI 5) program during yesterday’s Regional High Impact Five Summit at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

PCL nat’l confab opens today T

HE Philippine Councilor’s League Davao City is proud to host the Philippine Councilor’s League 2nd Quarterly National Executive Officers and National Board(NEO-NB) Meeting and the 2nd Series of the 2015 Continuing Local Legislative Education Program(CLLEP) beginning today at the SMX Convention Center , 2nd Floor, SM Lanang Premier.

This event, with the theme “Social Protection and Security Towards a sustainable program for Filipino’s Rights to Survival, Development, Protection and Participation” aims to provide a forum for discussion among different local government units and foster a continued partnership toward a common goal. There will be series of talks and sessions for the delegates as well as tournaments and tours. This big

event will be joined by more or less 3,000 councilors from the various cities and municipalities around the Philippines.

The idea of organizing a Philippine Councilors Federation was first conceived in 1989. It was on July 15, 1989 that the Metro Manila Councilors League (MMPCL) held its first National Capital Region Councilors Assembly at the Quezon City Sports Club with the theme “Local Autonomy: Key to National Progress and Stability.” The MMPCL Officers held a meeting in the City of Manila primarily to elect the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Interim Officers and to plan for the holding of its first PCL National Congress. The said Congress established the PCL foundation by ratifying its Constitution and By-Laws and electing its first set of National Officers wherein Hon-

Tagum Coop child-members told by NYC exec to face trials

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IFE has to move on despite the No’s and the Ends.

National Youth Commission (NYC) Davao Region Officer Julius D. Gutierrez left a message for Davao City-based child-members of Tagum Cooperative to brave their way to success despite some hindrances.

In his message during the Hataw sa Saya Ngayong Balik Eskwela 2015 held at the Matina Town Square (MTS), Guttierez shared his definition of FAIL, END and NO which he interpreted positively.

He defined FAIL as “first attempt in learning”; END as “effort never ends; and NO as “next opportunity”.

“Kaya dapat maging

positive tayo palagi. (So, we should always be positive.),” he told about 163 Hataw sa Saya Ngayong Balik Eskwela participants from Bajada, Matina and Mintal branches of Tagum Cooeperative.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez lauded Tagum Cooperative for honing entrepreneurial skills among its child-members registered under the Tagum Cooperative Youth Laboratory Cooperative, Power Teens, Youth Saver and Aflatoun.

“Maraming salamat sa Tagum Cooperative. Pag-igihan po natin ang pag-generate ng future entrepreneurs dahil dyan po ang pag-asa natin. (Thank you Tagum Cooperative. We should do

orable Guillermo C. Altuna and Honorable Ponciano D. Subido, both distinguished Councilors of Quezon and City of Manila respectively were elected as National Chairman and National President in the same order.

The PCL obtained its official status as a local government association when it was accredited by the then Department of Local Government on September 3, 1990, and subsequently registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 17, 1990.

The PCL notched another milestone when Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, recognized the existence of the Federations of other Elective Local Officials.

On January 16, 1992, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued a Memorandum Circular No.

92 -03 mandating that the existing PCL as organized in 1990, be reconstituted and its existing Constitution and By-Laws be modified in accordance with the pertinent provisions of the said Code.

Activities will involve plenary sessions, meetings, social gatherings, tours and tournaments. PCL Davao 2015 will be graced by Keynote Speakers Davao del Sur Governor Claude Bautista, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterteand Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.

The Philippine Councilors League is headed by incumbent PCL National Chairperson Hon. Alma Moreno, Councilor of Paranaque City and National President Hon. Maybelyn Fernandez, Councilor of Dagupan City. PCL Davao 2015 is led by Davao City Chapter President Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz.

crc@edgedavao.net

HERE is one positive case of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines every hour and 15 minutes.

“This is one of the problem we need to address,” Department of Health (DOH) Region 11 focal person for HIV/AIDS Dr. Gracita T. Bergua said yesterday in a press conference at the Apo View Hotel.

Bergua said Davao Region has a total of 1,262 HIV/AIDS cases, of which more than 80 percent or a total of 1,021 are in Davao City.

Last April, the DOH redflagged Davao City because of the high prevalence rate of HIV/ AIDS here at 5 percent, surpassing the 3.5 percent national prevalence rate in 2013.

The Philippines, meanwhile, is one of the nine countries that recorded a 25 percent increase in HIV/AIDS cases.

Bergua said the risky behavior of some people living with HIV/AIDS, especially men having sex with men (MSM), is one of the contributory factors that make the disease spread easily.

“They (MSM) continue with the risky behavior despite already knowing that they are positive of HIV/ AIDS,” she said.

Aside from the risky behavior, Bergiua said there are some patients who resort to taking food supplements instead of the antiretroviral treatment which is free in different government hospitals nationwide.

DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean R. Ubial said the lowering of HIV/ AID cases in the Philippines has been such a huge challenge to the health agency to the point that the DOtH has declared as early as now that it is one of the health-related indicators in the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) that will not be attained.

“Some people know that they are infected but they don’t want to be tested,” Ubial said. “That’s why there’s no prevention of the disease from spreading.”

Ubial emphasized the importance of testing among MSM, commercial sex workers, and OFWs, among others, to prevent the spread of the disease.

The DOH is targeting to lower the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country with the implementation of focused strategy High Impact- (Hi-5) strategy that will focus on fast-tracking the implementation of programs on lowering HIV/ AIDS. Aside from infectious HIV/AIDS, the Hi-5 startegy will be also be used to fast-track the implementation of programs that will lower maternal death and infant and child death, and improve the service delivery network.

For Davao City, councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte said the city government is planning to map out areas here that have high number of positive cases of HIV/AIDS this year.

FLAG ROW. A Philippine Navy member walks by a row of Philippine flags installed inside Camp Panacan in Davao City in preparation for the celebration of

FTAGUM, 10 Independence Day this Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

4 BIGGER PICTURE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015 The Rajah Muda Elementary School.

The teachers of Rajah Muda

Text and photos by JEFRY M. TUPAS

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OR the past 17 years, a huge part of Mindira Bansilan Lamping’s life was dedicated to the children of Rajah Muda -- most of them sons and daughters of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters.

The 41-year-old mother of eight said the children of Rajah Muda are special to her.

The village, several kilometers away from her hometown Kabacan, is her second home.

“I’d wake up everyday thinking about the children of Rajah Muda and how I can possibly help them change the course of their lives,” Lamping said.

There were times when the teacher, a product of intermarriage between a Christian mother and Muslim father, brought food for the children, bathed those who turned up in class unwashed, cut their nails, and removed their head lice.

Nilda Roda, meanwhile, has been teaching in Rajah Muda for only two years. She immediately saw the different facets of the children, including their hunger to learn.

A resident of Midsayap, the Christian teacher travels to school everyday.

“These children are full of life and potential. They deserve something better in life,” she said.

One day, she reported to school with only five students in attendance after many residents left because of a looming war.

“It would be a shame to leave them knowing pretty well that they wanted to learn, nevermind if a war was waiting to happen,” she said.

Rajah Muda is a war-battered village. It used to be a major camp of the MILF until it fell into the hands of the

These students used to fear soldiers.

government in 2003. It sits by a river that drains into the Liguasan Marsh. It is among the five villages that form Buliok Complex, the stronghold of the MILF in Central Mindanao.

When Rajah Muda was a ghost town, Lamping and the other teachers joined residents at the evacuation center. Unstopped by the crisis, they gathered boys and girls and conducted classes in the middle of anguish and human suffering.

“You cannot abandon them, not when they need help the most,” she said. “The children’s education must continue. Conducting lessons at the evacuation centers allowed the students to be productive and to not think too much about their miserable condition.”

Teachers like Lamping and Roda are witnesses to how the village lived through many wars: how it collapsed on its knees, how it collected itself from the rubble and destruction, how it aged in time, and how it struggled to move along past its tragic history.

This is the reason that in the classrooms and out in the community, there is a conscious effort among the teachers to address the violence that has stalked the residents for so long.

Lamping , for instance, constantly underscored the value of education and compassion to the children. And she speaks to their parents at home during visits – lecturing them on the importance of education and having educated children, a bold move knowing that many of the parents were rebels.

“Parents must see the importance of education and

having educated children,” she said. “It’s not enough that they go to school. At home, children must be given the time and space to study and do their assignment. The children need support of the parents.”

And she always reminded both parents and the children that joining the rebellion was “pointless for the illiterate.”

Another challenge for the teachers was the people’s “obsession” with guns.

“What are guns compared to education?” she said, adding that the students and their parents needed to realize that the best firearm is education. “It’s something that can never be stolen from them.

Once they are educated, they have better understanding of things and issues. They can resolve conflicts peacefully. Guns will only worsen conflicts.”

Roda , on the other hand, was persistent in her resolve to deform biases and misinformation about being a Muslim or being a Christian. She tells people about the village and its children and how “we are all the same; Christian are like Muslims and Muslims are like Christians.”

Sometimes, she brings her son to Rajah Muda so he can get to see a world outside his comfort zone. The boy, who does not speak Maguindanaon, already has friends at the school.

Gesture of peace On Wednesday last week, the teachers of Rajah Muda were overjoyed as they witnessed soldiers and rebels on the school grounds -- working together, not shooting each other. What happened -- a simple program called Brigada Eskwela -- was a dramatic act of peace, a gesture of confidence-building unfolding right before the

very eyes of the children.

“What the impossible became possible today,” teacher Noraisa Baiko, whose parents were born and raised in Rajah Muda, said.

“This has never happened before -- this noise, this joy,” said Lamping.

Inside one of the small classrooms, young children cheered as they eagerly played a party game, their laughter erupting into a hysterical symphony of joy so contagious onlookers clapped along happily.

The sound of happiness reverberated through the beige colored classroom with walls plastered with posters and learning materials written in English.

Outside, soldiers and rebels pound ed walls and replaced old, rotting tin roofs with green-painted sheets.

They bore the memory of the previous wars. At the school grounds, under a giant tent, two long tables were prepared by women villagers for a “boodle fight.” Several meters away just outside the campus, villagers stood by the road, curious over the bustle inside.

Brigadier General Carlito Galvez, chair of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, said it was his first time to set foot in the village.

Galvez headed the team of soldiers and representatives of various government agencies who took part in the Brigada Eskwela, an activity designed to ready schools to accommodate children. Around 50 rebels joined the activity. Some of them had to cross the Liguasan Marsh by boat. Some rebels arrived on motorcycles.

Abdul Kadil Manibpal, commander of 3rd Guard Base Command of the MILF, was convinced that the children

A Christian, teacher Nilda Roda has realized that Muslims and Christians are the same.

will benefit from the act of goodwill and peace.

“This will help the parents,” he said in Tagalog, his Maguindanaon accent thick.

“But more than that, this offers the children the opportunity to finish school.”

That was exactly the longtime dream of Zoraida Hapid, one of the parents who witnessed the event.

“All I want now is for them to graduate,” she said.

“I want my son to become a teacher and probably he will teach here. He will finish highschool next year. My two daughters? I want them to take up midwifery and nursing courses.”

Hapid said this dream would impossible true if the war continues. “Lives are destroyed by war,” she said.

“Our children cannot go to school, we cannot go to our farms, we leave our homes and return only to see the destruction.”

Asked how many times she had to evacuate because of war, Hapid said, “I cannot remember anymore. I have been an evacuee since I was young. My children are also evacuees.”

Normalizing lives The chair of the CCCH said there are efforts between the government and the MILF to fortify peace and development in former rebel camps -- to turn the dreams of Muslims in Mindanao into a reality.

“This is part of the normalization phase of the agreement between the government and the MILF,” he said, referring to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by Malacañang and the MILF in March 2014.

The nor-

malization process hopes to ensure that conflict affected communities are provided with opportunities for the people to better their lives. Included in the agreement was the creation of a new Bangsamoro territory, which can be done through the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“We intend to transform camps into social entities or progressive communities,” Galvez said. “We hope to see that the lives of the Bangsamoro are better now. We all know how marginalized they are, how neglected they are.”

Galvez said these things cannot be done if war continues.

“BBL opens the door for the Bangsamoro to improve their lives,” he said, adding that Bangsamoro communities will be given training and capitalization, among other forms of interventions. “This is also hoped to correct the injustices committed against the Muslims.”

A new beginning The teachers of Rajah Muda are hoping that Wednesday was only the beginning of something beautiful for the villagers, especially for the children.

“I am praying to Allah that this continues,” said Baiko .

For Roda, what happened in Rajah Muda on Wednesday was a “big push to the efforts to build peace and establish better relationships between Christians and Muslims.”

“This is a proof that if people will only work together, we can stir change, and change is really possible,” Lamping said. “It was heartwarming to see children who are no longer scared of soldiers .”

A teacher in Rajah Muda for 17 years now, Mindira Bansilan Lamping knows that education is more deadly than a gun.

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

WRONG ASSUMPTIONS? The cost estimates in the controversial P19-billion Sasa Port Modernization Project are based on bloated assumptions. This was one of the matters reported by local businessmen to Davao City Rep. Mylene GarciaAlbano (fifth from right) in a dialogue with officers and members of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) at the chamber’s board room last Saturday. From left: DCCCII executive director Maan Doromal, past president

Sofronio “BJ” Jucutan, Julien Domingo, general manager of ICTSI- Davao Integrated Port Stevedoring Services Corporation (DIPSSCOR), DCCCII president Antonio T. dela Cruz, Filipinas Port Services, Inc. president Henry Lopez Chua, Rep. Albano, DCCCII shipping, arrastre and stevedoring committee chairperson Jocelyn Romero of Roans Forklift, DCCCII chairman John Gaisano Jr., DCCCII past president Daniel T. Lim and Edge Davao board chairman Antonio M. Ajero.

MGB: Davao safe for high-rise condos Arreza: Investors and residents in the city should not worry

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11 assured that Davao City is still a safe construction haven for mid to high-rise infrastructures like condominiums.

“Investors and residents in Davao City should not worry that the city is not suitable for high-rise infrastructures because we always factor in the hazard when approving clearances,” MGB 11 regional director Edilberto Arreza said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex Monday.

Arreza said the MGB 11 is closely monitoring and updating the status of Davao City area for its control map, which is the bureau’s reliable source for the status of the area here.

“As soon as we know that there is a fault in an area, we immediately inform the applicant,” he added.

Davao City was earlier cited by the National Competitive Council as the top performing city in the country because of the robust construction of different structures here, either for commercial, commercial, or industrial.

Arreza said the MGB 11 has already completed the mapping of hazard maps for the whole country which has a scale of 1:10,000.

“The hazard maps which has a scale of 1:10,000 is more precise that the maps we earlier made which has a scale of 1:50,000,” he said.

Each barangay in the country will be given copy of the hazard map for planning purposes.

The hazard maps were completed last year and are now being printed in Manila by a contracted service pro-

FMGB, 10

Phl auto sales sustain double-digit growth

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HE country’s automotive industry remains bullish after sustaining a double-digit sales growth for five consecutive months.

Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) reported Tuesday that the industry’s sales for the month of May increased by 18 percent to 23,139 units from 19,598 units being sold in May 2014.

CAMPI noted that the 27-percent growth in sales of passenger car supported the strong industry sales for May 2015.

Sales of passenger cars increased to 9,556 units this year from 7,507 units in May 2014.

Commercial vehicle sales remained the largest in May 2015 with total volume of

13,853 units from 12,091 units in the same period last year.

Light commercial vehicle sales had an increment of 19 percent to 9,088 units in May 2015 against 7,645 units being sold in May 2014.

On the other hand, Asian utility vehicle slightly declined by 2.3 percent to 3,875 units this year versus 3,966 units last year.

On truck segments, light trucks sales went up by 21 percent while trucks and buses categories IV and V both increased sales by 13 percent and 141 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, five-month sales of CAMPI and TMA grew by 20 percent to 107,280 units this year against 89,335 units in the same period last year.

“The consistent growth in

FPHL, 10

6 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

NCSA gets 15 more dialysis machines

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

T

HEALTH SERVICES. Nephrology Center of St. Alexus Inc. (NCSA) medical director Dr. Franklin B. Guillano updates business writers of their services during the Davao Business Forum at Dermpath in SM City Davao

yesterday. Joining him in the media forum is Nephro Group of Dialysis Centers (NGDC) regional manager for Mindanao Trinidad F. Ola. Cheneen R. Capon

HE Nephrology Center of St. Alexus, Inc. (NCSA) has expanded its operations by adding 15 more dialysis stations, making it the biggest in Davao City thus far with a 30-station outpatient dialysis facility.

With its additional machine units, NCSA also increased its daily maximum capacity, according to Nephro Group of Dialysis Centers (NGDC) regional manager for Mindanao Trinidad F. Ola. “The NCSA now has a daily maximum capacity of 120 outpatients,” Ola said during the Davao Business Forum at Dermpath in SM City Davao yesterday.

Ola said the capacity of the NCSA has doubled this year from the original capacity of 60 outpatients as a result of the additional dialysis machine units. Each unit can cater to three to four persons.

“We now have four shifts

in NCSA because of the huge volume of outpatients who are in need of dialysis,” Ola added.

The expansion of NCSA is part of its plan for its fifth year of operation in Davao City.

NCSA medical director Dr. Franklin B. Guillano, meanwhile, explained that the new cases of patients who are in need of dialysis continually increase by more than 100 percent annually.

“From 500 new cases recorded five years ago, the new cases have gone up to 1,000 new cases every year for Davao Region alone,” said Guillano, who is also the transplant director for Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Guillano said most of NCSA’s clients are aged 50 to 60 and are mostly suffering from diabetes, hypertension, among others. The youngest patient of NCSA is 15 years old,

OR the first time, the Philippines exported some 11,000 kilos of fresh frozen chicken to South Korea in a bid to expand the market of the livestock industry by taking advantage of being declared bird flu free and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free without vaccination by the Paris-based Office International des Epizooties (OIE).

In a press conference Monday for the holding of the Livestock Philippines Expo 2015, Dr. Minda Manantan, executive director of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), said the Philippines, for the first time, has shipped some 11,000 kilos of fresh frozen chicken loaded in a 20-footer container van to South Korea.

Being a bird flu-free and FMD-free country, Manantan said, the Philippines was able to expand its market to other countries and be globally competitive in poultry and other meat products.

At present, the country exports around 6.5 million kilos of chicken, beef and other meat products to Singapore, United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Brunei Darussalam, and Abu Dhabi.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Jose Reano, for his part, said the government has been proactively working towards increasing the country’s agriculture sector’s competitive advantage in time for the implementation of the ASEAN

integration by the end of this year.

Reano said the DA is not only improving its programs in anticipation of the increased regional competition in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) but also to further capacitate farmers to be more productive.

He encouraged various stakeholders in the agriculture sector to take the ASEAN integration into “one market” as challenge to make their products globally competitive and not as a threat.

DA Secretary Proceso Alcala earlier said the development of roadmaps have been crafted for each of the major agricultural commodities of the country to meet the demands of the AEC. The primary aim of these roadmaps, he said, is to improve farmers’ yields to meet food security targets and increase farmers’ income.

Meanwhile, the Livestock Philippines Expo 2015 will be held on June 24-26, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Around 225 exhibitors from 43 local companies and 25 countries will participate in the event with the theme: “Farm-to-Shell.”

One of the show’s highlights is the 1st ASEAN Food Conference 2015 in line with the recently implemented ASEAN Economic Community where 10 ASEAN countries are set to become a single market base of trade, labor and investments. (PNA) SCS/LGI

FNCSA, 10

Key improvement figures improve in April Phl exports 11K fresh frozen chicken to SK T F HE reduction in the country’s unemployment and underemployment rates in April 2015 indicates a sustained favorable situation in the job market owing to the continued strength of the economy, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“The favorable market condition in April 2015 follows a similar trend in the January 2015 round of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) where unemployment and underemployment also declined,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported today that the country’s unemployment rate significantly reduced to 6.4 percent in April 2015 from 7.0 percent of the same month in 2014.

This translates to 495,000

more employed Filipinos and reduced the total number of unemployed to 2.7 million.

“It is noteworthy that the improvement in the employment situation appears to be broad-based. Thirteen out of seventeen regions, including the National Capital Region or NCR, exhibited a decline in unemployment during the survey period,” the Cabinet official said.

“NCR continued to post the highest unemployment rate at 9.3 percent, while ARMM recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 3.2 percent,” added Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General.

Underemployment also improved to 17.8 percent from the 18.2 percent registered in the same period in 2014.

This accounts for the 44,000 Filipinos who are no longer underemployed, reducing the

total number to 7.0 million employed persons who want more work for the period.

“Looking at the characteristics of the underemployed, improvements were observed across all classes of workers, except for the self-employed without any paid employee, those who worked with pay in their own family-operated farms, and workers in government or government corporations,” he said.

Moreover, majority of the labor force who are employed in more remunerative and stable work increased by 1.9 percent, reaching 22.6 million in April 2015. They now comprise 57.8 percent of total workers, slightly higher than their 57.5 percent share from a year ago.

“If these developments are sustained for the rest of the year, the full-year average

will likely surpass the Philippine Development Plan target of 6.6 to 6.8 percent for the unemployment rate and 18.0 percent for the underemployment rate in 2015,” said Balisacan.

Meanwhile, total employment also grew by 1.3 percent year-on-year in April 2015, which means that an additional 495,000 Filipinos were able to get jobs during the period.

“While this period’s employment rate is slower than the posted growth in April 2014, the situation has generally improved as services and industry sectors continue to perform in jobs generation,” the NEDA official said.

The slight setback was mainly due to the El Niño phenomenon that impacted the agriculture sector, which accounts for about one-third of

vice; housekeeping; beauty care; technical drafting; hairdressing; bread and pastry; wellness massage; massage therapy; and visual graphics,” Villanueva said.

The TESDA chief further said that he expects the number of HSWs to be assessed and certified to increase in 2015. “We are targeting 850 certified HSWs this year.

We have already processed 2,182 manpower profile forms and profiled 685 prospective HSW candidates for assessment in 37 qualifications,” Villanueva aded.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, who is the TESDA Board Chairperson, last year

ordered the onsite skills assessment and certification to enable HSWs and other low-skilled OFWs to veer away from plain domestic work and transit to establishment-based jobs, envisioning outside-the-home occupations with prospect for higher incomes.

Villanueva said that to boost its number of manpower assessors, the TESDA has developed a blended online training program on Trainers’ Methodology. “In Dubai, 31 prospective assessors attended the training program and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) has now 10 new assessors out of 18 candidates

who passed the blended online training, or a 56 percent passing rate. We have also scheduled the assessment loading for the new assessors this June leading to their accreditation,” he said in his report.

In other posts, the TESDA has received and reviewed 34 training curricula submitted by Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, London, Qatar, Milan, Hong Kong, and Oman.

TESDA Executive Director Patti dela Rama had visited Milan and Rome and did an ocular inspection of training centers in Singapore. Other POLOs are in various stages of their preparation for the onsite program. (TESDA)

FKEY, 10

TESDA program yields 140 household service workers

S

ECRETARY Joel Villanueva, director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, reported that TESDA’s skill assessment and certification program for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) has produced an initial 140 household service workers who were successfully assessed and were, thus, issued National Certificate II. Secretary Villanueva said the 140 NC II-certified HSWs are among the 177 HSWs assessed in Hong Kong and Dubai.

“The 140 HSWs were issued NC II in nine qualifications: food and beverage ser-

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TRAVEL

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

Sydney in

seven days

The writer at The Sydney Opera House.

By NEIL BRAVO

How does a change of latitude change your attitude?

In many ways, I’d say. Imagine yourself trying to beat the heat of summer in the Philippines which ordinarily goes up as high as 40s, and all of a sudden walk into winter at another country at nines and twelves.

It’s insane. The feeling is just that. I’d be crazy not to say that it like walking into another door from another door of a different environment. It couldn’t get any cooler than this.

It’s around 10 am Sydney time (which is two hours ahead of PHL Time) when we stepped into Sydney from almost nine hours of travel from Manila.

The chill of winter air wrapping your face was Sydney’s version of a warm welcome.

From the Sydney International Airport, one can just walk into the adjacent train station which will take you to Central station, an iconic complex with the combined look of sophistication and unspoiled classic architecture.

It’s easy to fall in love with Sydney. It is home

to some of Australia’s most iconic attractions.

When in Sydney, tops in your list of mustvisit are The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, Queen Victoria Building, the Capitol Theater, Sydney Aquarium and the Bondi Beach.

The Sydney Opera House is a thriving hub of art, culture and history. Nearby, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is arguably the most famous of all of Sydney’s architectural gems and becomes the centrepiece of Sydney’s world famous NYE fireworks display that lights up the night sky every year. From the train window, one can’t help but marvel at the foremost twin attractions of this New South Wales capital.

A virtual grand

stage for entertainment, Sydney features a heady mix of world-class theatre, contemporary dance productions, festivals, and local and touring performance acts. Musical enthusiasts should head

Queen Victoria Building

This city Down Under is a r playground fo st families, almo always having kids something for of all ages. to the Capitol Theatre, a venue that’s retained the charm of the 1920’s. The Capitol Theater has been refurbished and features a great bar where you can get a drink before or after the show and is nearby to dozens of great restau-

Sydney A4

View of the Harbour Bridge from The Sydney Opera House.

Darling Harbour

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

TRAVEL

A street-side state of m When one travels to a foreign country, great finds as well as an exciting shopping experience can be found at shopping streets where local brands as well as affordable and interesting items are peddled right on the street.

Here are a few of my favourite shopping streets where the sights, sounds, and smells of the area make for a unique and memorable experience.

Hong Kong’s Flower Market Street Although the streets of Mongkok are more famous for the average traveller thanks to their affordable electronics and clothing finds, a visit to the Flower Market Road at just a short walk from Prince Edward MRT Station warrants a visit. The many blooms and intoxicating scents make a stroll down the road a memorable one. The best time to visit the street is during the week of the Lunar New Year when families flock to the market to purchase flowers and greens that attract good luck.

is busy all year round and the best time to visit is during evenings when the air is cooler and the citydwellers start flocking to the area to chill-out.

Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Alor Malaysia’s food scene is heating up recently with the launch of its KL Big Kitchen campaign and the centre of Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant food scene is definitely Jalan Alor. Every food traveller needs to walk down its busy street and sample the many different food offerings by the many restaurant’s lining the street. The street

Siem Reap’s Pup Street Although short compared to other famous pub streets in Asia such as Lan Kwai Fong or Clarke Quay, Siem Reap’s Pub Street is a unique experience all of its own with famous bars such as Temple, Angkot What?, and Red Piano getting filled with mostly European guests. It also helps that the area is full of restaurants and is just a stone’s

Singapore’s Haji Lane Touted as the narrowest street of Singapore, Haji Lane is located at the colourful Bugis district of Singapore. In stark contrast to Singapore’s clinically clean cityscape, Haji Lane is an artist’s heaven with many local boutiques lining both sides of the road. Aside of the many colourful shops, Haji Lane is also famous for its colourful wall art done by local artists.

throw away from Siem Reap’s bustling night market.

Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter for more travel stories, foodie finds, and happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

Jalan Alor

MX3 attends Agritech Israel 2 MX3 envisions to support the health needs of the growing world population through organic and natural food products. Towards this effort, the MX3 Team attended the International Agricultural Exhibitions in the Agritech Israel 2015 held on April 28-30, 2015 at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center in Tel Aviv.

The Team witnessed how renowned world food suppliers are able to come up with environmentfriendly and invigorating technologies. The Philippine Ambassador to Israel, Ambassador Imperial, welcomed the Philippine Team to Agritech. He encouraged every Filipino to continue strong bilateral relationship with Israel. He said the goal of the 19th International Exhibition is to showcase Israeli and

International Agricultural Technologies that would impact the World’s food requirements for the 7 billion population and projected to grow to 9 billion in over 30 years.

Ambassador Imperial said over the past three decades, Agritech Israel has served as a platform for bringing together more than 9,000 foreign visitors from 115 countries to interact with the leading international agriculture

technology companies. The Embassy’s effort today is to promote the Philippines’ active involvement in showcasing our innovations and continuously become part of this convention. There are more than 30,000 Filipinos working in Israel today.

The International exhibition was joined by more than 50 countries. The exhibition presented breakthrough technologies and research results. It demonstrated proven sustainable technologies

in Arid Agriculture, Water Management through reuse of wastewater for irrigation and water desalination, Water Heating and Electricity generation, and Postharvest methods and processes.

Israel is situated in one of the world’s most arid regions. Yet it was Israel that pioneered and led the concepts of drip irrigation, recycling, purifying, and reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes. Based on accumulated experience, Israel is poised to play a major role in supplying the world with cutting-edge agricultural solutions in agricultural and food technologies: breeding new crop varieties, sustainable crop-protection and post-harvest technologies, livestock health, feed solutions, aquaculture, soil-less agriculture, water management and irrigation technologies, and precision agriculture. Israel has no agricultural resources, no water,

n n O t M e a g p g e

M m c a m n w t fe e c g p r

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

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ENTERTAINMENT

mind

Melai is ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar’ runaway winner

ACTRESS-COMEDIENNE Melai Cantiveros was crowned the first-ever grand winner of top-rating celebrity musical competition “Your Face Sounds Familiar” after garnering 51.93% of public votes in the program’s grand showdown Sunday night.

Haji Lane

Siem Reap Pub Street

2015

no soil, but it as the Credo to be number one in everything it does.

Other than technological innovation, the prime inspiration of the MX3 Team was gained from Israel’s Credo of Excellence, Integrity, and Solidarity. The MX3 Team gained insights in the most appropriate Agricultural technologies that would work in our local environment.

The exhibition showed the MX3 Team best ways to minimize organic wastage through recycling; optimize internal inputs; and maximize creative improvements. The team also realized the need to be inspired with the gift we have received from our country’s rich resources. We must help feed the world. We must instill excellence and solidarity in our children. We must look at the bigger perspective of protecting our people and preserving our environment.

Melai bested other Final 4 celebrity perfomers Nyoy Volante, Jay-R, and Edgar Allan Guzman with her impersonation of pop star Miley Cyrus. Melai brought the house down on Saturday’s (June 6) show when she came out wearing a white top and underwear while singing “Wrecking Ball,” and then swinging on a wrecking ball.

“To those who voted for me through text, thank you very much. To all Melason fans, thank you for your support and for voting for me,” said Melai, who dedicates her victory to her husband Jason Francisco and their daughter.

charity.

Melai, who admits she is not a singer, consistently gained high scores throughout the season from jurors Gary Valenciano, Jed Madela, and Sharon Cuneta, and was even named a top scorer for impersonating Elizabeth Ramsey on the show’s ninth week.

Melai won P2 million, half of which will go to her chosen charity, the Alay Kapwa Desk Social Action Center of the Diocese of Marbel.

Nyoy, who belted out “I Will Always Love You” while copying diva Whitney Houston, placed second by get-

ting 24.51% of the votes.

Jay-R, who impersonated Frank Sinantra, and EA, who transformed into Chris Brown, came in third and fourth place, respectively.

The three placers all got P200,000 each, half of which will also be given to their chosen

his compositions to be the theme songs of several Kapuso programs, with some of these making the cut. He says, “I enjoy creating ideas for specific reasons, people, and projects. Parang mabilis ko siyang mafigure out kung paano ko siya ipi-physicalize.

Na parang, ganito dapat pala. For me, ito yung pinaka na-e-enjoy kong part dito, the act of making it come to life.”

The GMA Artist Center star shares that the first concert that he will be producing is entitled Mood Swings: The Music of Maestro Vincent de Jesus which will happen on June 27 and July 4 at the Teatrino Greenhills. “This is actually the first concert that I’m coproducing under SPARC Productions and I’m really excited to work with Vince de Jesus whom I worked with in the Kapuso program With A Smile. Ang ganda kasi ng songs niya, tapos ang dami na niyang awards, kaya naisip namin, bakit wala pa siyang concert?

Since Filipino enthusiast yung company namin, we thought na siya yung una naming i-produce.

The concert also features Filipino artists Jett Pangan, Markki Stroem, Noel Cabangon, May Bayot, Aiza Seguerra, at Eula Valdes.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday’s finale show, the bottom celebrity performers also took the “Your Face” stage, with Jolina Magdangal performing as Karen Carpenter, Maxene Magalona as Nicki Minaj, Tutti Caringal as Bryan Adams, and Karla Estrada as Gloria Gaynor.

Mikoy Morales: From protégé to concert producer AT the age of 21, Mikoy Morales continues to grow as an artist. He started out humbly as a contestant in GMA Network’s reality talent search Protégé and from then, different opportunities came along his way. He appeared in several television programs where he exhibited his talents in acting, singing, dancing and even hosting. But as he ventures into producing events and concerts with his start-up company, Sparc Productions, he is ready to prove that he’s a Jack-ofall-trades.

Mikoy is also inclined in producing his own music and feels strongly passionate about song writing. He even pitches

June 10 – 16, 2015

JURASSIC WORLD Chris Pratt, Judy Greer PG

11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

JURASSIC WORLD 3D Chris Pratt, Judy Greer PG

12:30 | 3:20 | 6:10 | 9:00 LFS

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott PG

R-16

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

SAN ANDREAS Alexandra Daddario, Dwayne Johnson PG

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

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

TRAVEL Sydney A1 rants in Chinatown and throughout the CBD. This city Down Under is a playground for families, almost always having something for kids of all ages. The school holidays won’t feature a dull day as there are activities and all-day attractions, including Taronga Zoo and the Sydney Aquarium, that will keep the kids entertained.

What seemed like a concrete megapolis is accentuated with picturesque beaches-- another one of its main attractions. With Sydney’s temperate climate, the beautiful beaches of Sydney can be enjoyed year-round. They say that a trip to Sydney isn’t complete until you’ve spent a day in the sun on the iconic sands of Bondi Beach which is just a short six-minute train ride from Central and

15-minute bus ride from Bondi Junction. Once there, feast your eyes on one of the world’s best surfing sites. No limitations here, they surf even in the cold of winter (oh well, a few brave souls).

Dining in Sydney is a mix of cultures. Never miss the Hurricane ribs, a full slab of which looks like a full open accordion. There’s also the Bavarian Bier Cafe with its mixed platter of fine German gourmet

sausages and signature beers, and top-selling Malaysian hawker food joint Mamak in Chatswood and Chinese food chain Tim Ho Wan to feast upon.

One lesson learned from this Sydney trip?

You don’t need to change your latitude to change your attitude. Afterall, the change in the weather from hot to biting cold somehow puts all the stresses in a virtual giant freezer.

The famous beef ribs at The Hurricane.

Chinese food joint Tim Ho Wan at Chatswood.

Walking in Chatswood.

The District.

Queen Victoria Building.

St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Darling Harbour.

EDGEDAVAO

7 SCIENCE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Producing your own seeds Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

I

N GENESIS chapter 1, verse 30, God told Adam and Eve, “I give you every green plant for food.” And it was so.

The propagation of plants is basically divided into two types: the sexual (or propagation by seeds) and the asexual (or propagation using vegetative parts or plants). Among the two types, seeds are the most important.

“Seeds are many things,” wrote Victor R. Boswell, author of The Importance of Seeds. “Above all else, they are a way of survival of their species. They are a way by which embryonic life can be almost suspended and then revived to new development – even years after the parents are dead and gone.”

No wonder, Filipino farmers who plant vegetables, beans, pulses and cereals are planting seeds for their next crop season. This is the reason why the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc., through its several years of experience, is urging farmers to produce their own seeds.

“There are two advantages when farmers produce

their own seeds,” says Roy C. Alimoane, the director of the foundation, which is based in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. “For one, they can practice rigid selection. For another, the plant selected is likely to be adapted to the local environment.”

Here are the basic steps to follow, as recommended by MBRLC:

Selection: Choose the plants most resistant to pests and diseases, those that flower and ripen earlier, have more fruits or pods, and the type that you need (as to size of the fruit, height, and other unique characteristics). Selection should be done preferably a week before harvesting the entire crop. Tag the selected plants with a bright colored ribbon for easy identification.

Harvesting: Harvest the seeds or pods when they are already matured. The seeds usually mature at the same time the fruits ripen. Do not harvest immature ones since their seed parts are not yet fully developed.

Extracting: In processing, carefully extract the seeds from their pod or fruit.

Extraction may be accomplished by beating the pods, by threshing or treading them under foot, by drying them under the heat of the sun, or by manually opening the fruit and extracting the seeds by hand.

Drying: High moisture in seeds during storage is one of the chief reasons that they lose their ability to germinate.

This is the reason why drying, the evaporation of moisture, is very important.

Drying under the heat of the sun is the most convenient to use. Dry processed seeds (like mung beans, string beans, and other legumes) usually take three days to dry under the sun whereas wet processed seeds (such as tomato and eggplant) need to be dried for four days. In cases where there is off-andon sunshine, you can test the dryness of your seeds by biting one of them with your teeth. Dry seeds are brittle and hard to bite.

Mung bean seeds.

Seed treatment: After

Sweet corn for seeds.

Separate the good seeds from the bad seeds.

drying, select the best seeds, culling those with insect holes, undersized or damage in some ways. Then treat the seeds with pesticides to prevent parasites – those organisms which cannot make their own foods and feed on living tissues – from attacking them.

At the MBRLC, they use an insecticide powder at one teaspoonful per three kilograms of seeds. To keep fungus in check, a fungicide powder is recommended, following the same dosage as that of insecticide powder.

Seed storage: After treating seeds, store them in airtight containers. In general, seeds have the ability to absorb water from the air for some time after drying.

Changes in their moisture content result in a shorter storage life. And old, unused jar could be used for storage, but be sure to wash the jars and dry them under the sun before using them.

The seeds must be thoroughly dried.

Germination testing: Testing the viability (or germination percentage) of seeds is important before

planting them in the field so you will have an idea as to the quantity of the seeds you are going to use. If germination is poor, you need to increase your seed quantity or discard the seeds.

“We measure the quality of seed by testing a representative sample of a lot,” a wise man once said.

There are three methods of germination testing: the ragdoll, the plate, and the seedbox. Below is a brief description of each method: · In the ragdoll method, take 100 seeds at random from the sample and place them in a piece of moistened cloth (about 12 inches by 18 inches). Then, roll the cloth containing the seeds around a pencil sized stick 18 inches long. After rolling, tie the legs edges to prevent the seeds from falling. Place in a dark cool place and keep moist.

After 7 to 10 days, open the ragdoll and count the germinated seeds. The number of germinated seeds will be equal to the percent germination. For instance, if 80 seeds have germinated, the germination rate is 80 percent. This

means for every 100 kilos of seeds, 80 kilos will germinate and the remaining 20 will not. · In the plate method, cover a kitchen plate with 5-6 folds of tissue paper. Placed 100 seeds on top of the tissue paper. Cover it with a second layer of tissue paper. Sprinkle the covered seeds with water three times a day. Follow the same procedure used in determining percent germination in the ragdoll method. · In the third method, the soil to be used should compose of one parts sand, one part compost and one part ordinary garden soil. These soils are mixed thoroughly.

After mixing, sterilization is recommended by pouring boiling water on the surface of the soil or burning dried leaves of banana on top of the soil. Let the soil cool off and then plant the seeds. If you plant 100 seeds and 80 seeds germinate, the germination rate is 80 percent.

“Doing these simple procedures will provide Filipino farmers of good quality seeds that will increase their production and their farm income,” assures Alimoane.

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

T

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Wake up

HIS time of year is usually filled with stories of groups and individuals who mount often heroic efforts to provide assistance to schoolchildren who need help as they start the school year. Many people find it in their hearts to gather up books, materials, school supplies, shoes and uniforms, and sometimes even food just so those who are less fortunate would not have to miss classes. This is laudable, and indeed in most cases it is the students’ only chance of actually getting an education. Despite government claims, public schools are still notoriously under-equipped and undermanned, and for schoolchildren to have to attend classes without the necessary materials is a double whammy that often deters them from continuing their education. In this context, the benevolence of well-meaning groups and individuals is heaven-sent.

But we still wish for the time when the national education situation would no longer warrant such philanthropic endeavors. Truth be told, the only reason it is necessary for us to have to call upon the

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spirit of volunteerism among us to help schoolchildren is the lack of attention and funds government gives to the educational system.

The globally accepted funding needed for a country’s education is upwards of 6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but here the figure does not even reach 4 percent. It is no wonder that boys and girls — especially those living far from the urban centers — are not able to get the schooling they want and deserve.

As classes open this month, let us be mindful of the fact that while benevolence, philanthropy, and even the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of companies are in themselves commendable and praiseworthy, the reality is that they are necessary only because we are failing our own educational system and, by extension, our own children. Government needs to wake up to its own systemic neglect and realize that it is virtually condemning the future generations. No amount of tweaking the curricula and even the entire system — as in the K-12 program — will work for as long as government does not put its money where its mouth is.

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EDGEDAVAO

Baby steps up

I

WAS having coffee the other day in Tagum when I ran into an old friend whom I haven’t seen in a while, the good vice governor of Davao del Norte, Victorio “Baby” Suaybagiuo. The last time I saw him was during the 2010 elections when he was running for his second term under the Liberal Party team of governor Rodolfo Del Rosario.

In the intervening years, while I’ve moved away from local politics and tried my hand at other - less stressful ventures, I’ve had few occasions to follow the news from Davao del Norte as closely as I used to. Aside from the casual updates whenever I would run into old acquaintances from my previous life, I haven’t really kept up to date with all the political happenings that dominated my life before.

And so it came as a complete surprise when the vice governor told me that the man he might be running against for governor in 2016 is Rodney Del Rosario, the governor’s eldest son and namesake. Having worked with the Del Rosario’s in the past, I must say that I never really saw him as the political type. In fact, if I was a betting man, I would have put my money on his younger brother, Anthony, a former vice governor and current congressman, to take their father’s place at the provincial capitol.

According to Baby, he was also taken unawares since prior to the governor’s announcement during his recent State of the Province Address, all their previous conversations never hinted at the possibility that Del Rosario would endorse anyone else - let alone his son - for the governorship.

And while he admits to being “saddened” by the decision of his erstwhile political partner,

“

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Baby still holds fond memories of all that they have done for Davao del Norte.

“I have great respect for the governor and I know that together we have done many good things for the province. But I will not back down from this challenge. I owe it to the people to finish the work that we started. We have come a long way, but the journey is not yet over. Meron pang mga natitira na dapat tapusin bago ako makapag retire.”

To be completely honest, I was not expecting this kind of determination from the vice governor, who I’ve always thought to be a little too giving and a bit soft when it comes to dealing with confrontations. A trait that he acknowledges.

“Madalas nami-miss interpret kasi ng ibang tao ang kabaitan para sa kahinaan. They should not make the same mistake this time. Lalaban ako at kahit ano pa ang mangyari, sisiguraduhin ko na makikilala ng mga tao ang tunay na Baby Suaybaguio.”

He explained that having spent almost all his adult life in public service - as a police officer, Mayor of Tagum, and one of the province’s longest serving vice governors - he believes that he has a unique perspective of where the province should go and how to get there.

“I was there at the beginning and during the evolution of the programs implemented by the

province, from providing the minimum basic needs of the communities, to building the infrastructure for development, and finally in training and empowering the people. But that is not the end. We still need to institutionalize all of these reforms to ensure that progress and development will continue. And having spent 12 years as vice governor and helping every step of the way to make the province what it is today, I know I am the best person to finish the job.”

“Para lang yang pag nagtayo ka ng bahay.

Pagkatapos mong ilagay ang pundashon, itayo ang mga pader, at ipasok ang mga appliances at kung ano-ano pang mga kagamitan, hindi mo pa din masasabing tapos ang trabaho hanggang wala pa ang atip. Para kung umulan man o bumagyo, hindi mababasa at hindi masisira ang lahat ng pinaghirapan natin.”

In the event that he does end up facing Del Rosario, Jr. at the polls, Baby says that he is “prepared” for all eventualities and, as far as he is concerned, the only way he will lose is if he doesn’t run. “Ang laban na ito ay hindi lang para sa akin.

Para ito sa lahat ng nagnanais magsilbi sa bayan ngunit hindi nabibigyan ng pagkakataon. Ang iba walang pera, o walang koneksyon, o di kaya walang lakas ng loob.”

“Kung talagang naniniwala ka na may mabuti kang maitutulong sa kapwa mo, huwag mong isipin kung ikaw ay mananalo o matatalo. Ang importante ay lumaban ka. Lumaban tayo.”

---Postscript: since the writing of this article, a news report published in this paper has confirmed that Rodney will indeed be the candidate for governorship by both the Del Rosario and Floirendo clans.

Avedon (phot o g r a p h e r ) , THINK ON THESE! Amadeo Peter Giannini (founder of the Bank of America), Peter Jennings (newscaster), Billy Joel (singer and songwriter), John Major (British prime minister), Herman Melville Henrylito D. Tacio (author), James henrytacio@gmail.com Naismith (inventor of basketball), Wayne Newton (singer), Arnold Schonberg (composer), Leon Uris (author), and Lawrence Welk (bandleader).

In the Philippines, I can think of the late filmmaker Lino Brocka. Although he quit college, it did not stop him to pursue his ambition: to direct some of the country’s high-caliber movies. In 1985, he was chosen as one of the five recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award.

There were others who were expelled from school. Comedian Richard Pryor was expelled from a Catholic grammar school in Peoria, Illinois, when the nuns discovered that his grandmother ran a string of brothels. Musician Roger Daltrey was expelled from Acton County Grammar School in England. “I was an evil little soand-so,” he recalled. “I didn’t fit in.”

“The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education,” reminds Ralph Waldo Emerson. “A college degree is not a sign that one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life,” Reverend Edward A. Malloy remarks.

Clifton L. Hall has also said, “It is easy – even natural to think of education as something that ends when one finishes school, or graduates from college, or is decorated with doctorate. But it might be nearer to the truth to say that real

education begins when formal education ends.”

I have stopped going to school already but it doesn’t mean I quit learning. When I was still in college, I kept on going to the library to learn more. I believe in what Lesley Conger once said, “The best of my education has come from the public library... my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book. You don’t need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library.”

In recent years, we have the internet to browse and google. However, you don’t have to believe everything you read in the internet.

You have to segregate facts from myths. And be sure to know also who wrote the information and from which organization or publication it comes from.

Clive James says, “The number of books will grow continually, and one can predict that a time will come when it will be almost as difficult to learn anything from books as from the direct study of the whole universe. It will be almost as convenient to search for some bit of truth concealed in nature as it will be to find it hidden away in an immense multitude of bound volumes.”

So, you’re old and quit learning? Well, it’s never too old to learn.

A mother was having a hard time getting her son to go to school one morning. “Nobody likes me at school,” said the son. “The teachers don’t and the kids don’t. The superintendent wants to transfer me, the bus drivers hate me, the school board wants me to drop out, and the custodians have it in for me. I don’t want to go.”

“You’ve got to go,” the mother insisted. “You’re healthy. You have a lot to learn. You’ve got something to offer others. You are a leader. Besides you are 42 years old. And you’re the principal.”

To end this piece, allow me to quote the words of Henry Peter, Lord Brougham: “Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.”

Education is a never ending process

A LITTLE learning is a dangerous thing,” said Alexander Pope.

There was this story of a woman who read a newspaper headline stating that acid is good for your eyes. Since she had problem with one of her eyes, she poured an acid to it – even without further reading the report.

It was already too late when she learned that acid is good for your eyes – if you want to get blind. “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance,” Andy McIntyre once pointed out.

Indeed, education is very important. And it is a never ending process. You have to continue to learn. Otherwise, you will be left behind. As one Chinese proverb puts it: “Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.”

One night, three horsemen were riding across a desert. As they crossed the dry bed of a river, out of the darkness a voice called, “Halt!” Although feeling surprised, they obeyed. The voice then told them to dismount, pick up a handful of pebbles, put them in their pockets and remount.

The voice told them, “You have done what I have commanded you. Tomorrow, when the sun shines, you will be both glad and sorry.” Mystified, the three horsemen continued their travel.

When the sun rose, they reached into their pockets and found that a miracle had happened.

The pebbles had been transformed into diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones. They remembered the warning. They were both glad and sorry – glad that they had taken some, and sorry that they had not taken more.

That’s the same thing with education.

Education doesn’t really mean going to school. There are people who don’t have a college diploma and yet they became very successful. In fact, I have known some famous people who were high school dropouts but still managed to excel in their chosen careers. Hollywood stars Al Pacino, Cary Grant, Ellen Burstyn, and Tracey Ullman come to mind.

Others in the same category were Richard

9 ‘No smoking month’?

Not in Davao City (Part 2) VANTAGE POINTS

M

O S T young

THIRD WORLD

Dabawenyos have no memory of ever being exposed to cigarette smoke in a public place, but I remember a time when people could light Jon Joaquin up right inside one of the malls here. Our son was a newborn and we wanted to shield him from the toxic air, but since it was a closed establishment there was no way to do it — except by simply not going there (which was not possible because it was one of the few malls at the time). Public utility jeepneys were worse because it would usually be the drivers who were smoking, and they didn’t take too kindly to being asked to snuff out their cigarette. Many of them also perfected the trick of smoking without looking like they were smoking: they would stick their cigarette in a crack somewhere outside the vehicle so they wouldn’t actually be holding it. They would simply reach out to take a puff and quickly put it back in. Complaining passengers would be quickly rebuffed by showing empty hands (and a “Cigarette? What cigarette?” look on their faces).

This is how I see jeepney drivers still do it in Metro Manila where drivers are vaguely aware that they should not be smoking but smoke anyway. There is such a thing as Republic Act No. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 (enacted a full year after Davao City’s own Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance was signed into law) which, among other provisions, “bans smoking in public places such as schools and recreational facilities, elevators and stairwells, hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, public conveyances and public facilities such as airports and ship terminals, train and bus stations, restaurants and conference halls, with the exception of separate smoking rooms.” Like many other laws, however, this is hardly enforced in many parts of the country.

Former councilor Peter Laviña, who is a volunteer for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s Federalism Movement, told me he believes the mayor would impose a national ban on smoking if he becomes President. He said Duterte would simply enforce the law — the missing ingredient in our society where, truth to tell, there are more than enough regulations and statutes (and one wonders what Congress does all day). Sampolan lang, to use the mayor’s own words. The law is there, and all it needs is for enforcers to make sure people follow it and apprehend those who violate it. As they say, there is no greater deterrent to a crime than the certainty that one will get caught.

One problem with imposing a smoking ban is the possibility that the number of smokers will go down (as it has apparently in Davao City). That may not sound like a problem, but we have to consider the livelihood of thousands of tobacco farmers. Laviña said if Duterte becomes President, he would “also need to provide alternatives for the tobacco-producing areas.” The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) says the tobacco industry in the Philippines “provides direct and primary source of livelihood to 43,960 farmers and about 300,000 other members of their families.” In addition, it provides a living for about 1.56 million other industry workers and dependents.

The NTA also says tobacco is “the only cash crop (that) contributes an enormous sum in the family income of the farmers, particularly those in North.” The agency says the tobacco industry generated an annual average revenue of P31.8 billion from the 2006 to 2008 seasons.

“A sizable fraction of this is given back to the farmers in accordance with RA 7171 (“An Act to Promote the Development of the Farmers in the Virginia Tobacco-Producing Provinces”),” it added. Also during that period, excise taxes from cigarettes/cigars (75 percent) amounted to P 25.5 billion, while corporate taxes (20 percent) amounted to P4.1 billion. The 5 percent duties came out at P2.1 billion.

That’s a sizable chunk of the economy, not to mention the country’s workers. A smoking ban is certainly good for the health and the wellbeing of the entire country, but as Laviña said, the welfare of almost half a million tobacco farmers and their families up in the north has to be considered. Maybe the former councilor can push oil palm for those areas, but that is a matter for a future article.

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

FETCH! A pet owner throws a ball to the water off Sta. Ana Wharf to practice his dog’s retrieval skills. Lean Daval Jr.

TOP COP... FROM 1 Ram John G. Gudin and Jasper P. Salas -- were released while those of the other two were withheld since they are minors.

Gudin and Salas were detained for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition while the two minors were detained for robbery in an un-

inhabited place.

Reports said the four escaped at around 2:50 a.m. on Tuesday by cutting the chain on their detention cell with a hacksaw.

Late reports said one of the minors has already surrendered.

well with generating future entrepreneurs because it is in this sector where our hope is).

He pointed out the importance of leading a shift in thinking among children and youths from politics to entrepreneurship which fuels the economy and progress of a nation.

On the other hand, in representing Board of Members (BOD) Chairperson Norma R. Pereyras, Vice Chairperson Monica L. Salido valued the continued presence of the child-members during Tagum Cooperative activities organized for them.

She honored those who came forward to tell their continued support for Tagum Cooperative activities and handed them over chocolates as presents.

Director Nenita Malbas in her closing message

brought back the attention of parents and children to the parting message of the guest speaker as well as inspired them to go on taking part with Tagum Coop activities.

Aside from the program, the Hataw sa Saya Ngayong Balik Eskwela 2015 featured art workshop for the 4 to 5 years old participants; puzzle-solving for the 6 to 7 years old; poster-making for the 8 to 10 years old; extemporaneous speaking for the 11 to 12 years old; and that it had a lecture on True Love Waits for the 13 to 17 years old.

Hataw sa Saya Ngayong Balik Eskwela 2015 was the sequel of Hataw sa Saya Ngayong Summer 2015 held at Carmen Municipal Gym on April 30, 2015 participated by child-members from Panabo, Carmen and Sto. Tomas. (Tagum Cooperative)

vider. The MGB is targeting to complete the distribution of all the maps in each barangay this year.

Arreza said other LGUs can get a soft copy of the map at their office.

“The map can be used by

the local government unit in policy making and implementation of different program.

The map will provide information which areas are prone to flooding, flashflood, landslide and those near the major and minor faults,” he said.

Tagum... FROM 3

MGB... FROM 5

Councilor... FROM 2 will be flushed out of the body.

“Ang kuhaan nakog menu ani, halimbawa naay naghimog tanglad juice o alugbati juice (The menu that I will propose may have lemon grass juice or vine spinach juice),” she said.

She said the proposal will not only help children have a healthy lifestyle but will also boost the income of some women’s groups that make organic food.

Meanwhile, Zozobrado-Nagayo said her earlier proposal prohibiting junk food inside schools is still

pending before the committee on education headed by councilor Maria Belen S. Acosta.

She said although the committee hearings on the proposal were already done, Acosta is still fixing some technicalities such as some terminologies used.

Zozobrado-Nagayo said the proposal, which she made two years ago, should have already been presented to the plenary for second reading.

“I do not know what is delaying the item since councilor Acosta is very supportive of the proposal,” she said.

sales is a continued manifestation of the trust and confidence of consumers in the attractive products and services that are being offered,” said CAMPI President Atty. Rommel Gutierrez.

“CAMPI welcomes the passage of Executive Order 182, the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS). With the onset of motorization, this program will give opportunity for local

manufacturers to boost their competitiveness and help strengthen the manufacturing sector to be regionally competitive,” he added.

Market leaders for the month May were Toyota with market share of 44.6 percent; Mitsubishi with 19.2 percent market share; Ford with 8.0 percent market share; Isuzu with 7.5 percent market share; and Honda with 6.3 percent market share. (PNA)

total employment.

“To ensure that the gains in employment are sustained, the government must continue its interventions in the agriculture sector and pursue adequate infrastructure spending to boost economic growth and employment,” said Balisacan.

In agriculture, he stressed the need to implement disaster risk management strategies and other precautionary measures against drought, floods, and rain-induced landslides in hazard prone areas. This is

to mitigate as well as prevent any further adverse effects of natural disasters on the country’s economy, especially on employment.

“To continue the gains, we need to speed-up the implementation of key reforms such as public infrastructure development, reducing investment restrictions, increasing competition, reducing the cost of doing business. If implemented, these can help lift the key constraints to sustained, job-generating growth,” he concluded.

Phl... FROM 5

Key... FROM 6

NCSA... FROM 6

while the oldest is 83.

“There’s a shift in the diseases of the patients we catered. Five years ago, most of our patients are suffering glomerulonephritis or inflammation of the kidney,” Guillano said.

Guillano added that there is a growth in the number of facilities offering dialysis service because of the growing demand. This is also part of the continuous effort of different stakeholders in the health sector to address the growing number of Filipinos suffering from various kidney diseases.

The drop in the price of dialysis as well as the financing support from the national agencies like Philhealth and Davao City’s Lingap para sa Mahirap make the service accessible to almost everyone, according to Guillano.

“The affordability of the dialysis increased the survival of the patients,” he said.

At NCSA, a single session of dialysis would only cost P600, the lowest price among

the 30 nephrology centers owned by the New York-based NGDC. “There are a lot of patients with kidney diseases who resort to have the treatment in Davao City because of the affordability as well as the availability of either stand-alone or hospital-based dialysis facilities,” Guillano said.

Davao City has more than 200 dialysis centers owned and managed by different hospitals and nephrology centers.

Meanwhile, Ola said NGSA is planning to open its 8th Nephrology Center in Panabo City this year.

She said there are a total of four centers owned by NGSA operating in the Davao Region, two of which are in Davao City while the other one is in Tagum City.

“We are planning to put up two centers in Mindanao every year,” Ola said.

There are also other centers in Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur and Valencia, Bukidnon.

ferent district hospitals around the province, DRH also committed to donate P500,000 intended for the upgrade of the Manay Provincial Hospital facility.

Malanyaon has initiated several milestones as far as health facility and infrastructures are concerned. She has simultaneously initiated facility upgrade, renovation, and construction in all provincial hospitals.

Among these milestones is the nearing completion of the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center’s annex building which will house the semi-private and private

rooms. In addition, a dialysis center and medical clinics for private medical practitioners are also set for ground breaking.

With the Blood Bank about to completed, patients, especially dengue patients, can now be treated here without referring them to Davao City.

“With all these in place, I am confident that I will be leaving a well-functional and operational hospital in Mati as well as in other towns,” the governor said. “We are able to do that because we get the support of the provincial government plus the support of DOH,” she added. PIO

Surgical... FROM 11

11 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Hedcor plants 16K trees in 1 day U

NDER the heat of the morning sun last May 23, a total of 400 volunteers composed of Hedcor teammates, students, teachers, contractors, host communities, barangay officials, local government units, media, and other stakeholders planted almost 16,000 seedlings covering over a total of 12 hectares of land across six provinces in the country: Bukidnon, Davao, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, and Benguet.

It was Hedcor’s participation in the Aboitiz-wide simultaneous tree planting that aimed to contribute over 60,000 trees across 100 hectares all over the Philippines.

Hedcor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AboitizPower, also adheres to the Aboitiz sustainability mindset: “We can do well by doing good, always making the right long term decisions that balance the interest of people, planet and profit.”

Hedcor president and COO Rene Ronquillo led the planting of coffee seedlings in La Trinidad, Benguet. He said

he was thankful for the active involvement of Hedcor’s host communities and for sharing their time and effort in planting the future together.

In Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, over 100 volunteers planted narra seedlings in 2 hectares of land. The seedlings will be monitored by Hedcor and will be maintained by the host communities as these trees will be owned by the resident-beneficiaries.

Barangay captain Ma. Goretti Salise of Maluko, Bukidnon said: “We will surely do our part in taking care of the narra seedlings and ensure its growth and survival as these will help preserve and protect our watershed and our mountains here in Bukidnon. With all these assistance from Hedcor, our community is certain to have a better future.”

Hedcor recently broke ground in its first hydropower project in Bukidnon, the P12-billion Manolo Fortich Hydropower Project with a capacity of 68.8 MWs. It will soon generate 360GWh of

P

vincial government together with the Davao Regional Hospital (DRH) Surgical Networking Team.

More than 40 volunteer specialist surgeons and medical staff donated their free services to the poor constituents of Manay town.

Led by Dr. Romulo Bu-

WIDER REFORESTATION. Hedcor plants almost 16,000 seedlings in Benguet, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Davao, and Bukidnon in support of the Aboitiz group-wide simultaneous tree planting activity last May 23. clean and renewable energy annually.

Together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Hedcor recorded its highest survival rate of 96 percent.

To date, Hedcor already contributed over 1 million trees across the country.

Hedcor will continue to be the partner of its host communities in implementing and sustaining the envi-

suego, the team of doctors, nurses, and medical staff travelled to the province to give free consultation and performing surgery on the dozens of patients with hydrocele, hernia, myoma, goiter, cysts, and hemorrhoids, among others.

Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon thanked these vol-

unteer doctors for extending their assistance to the poor constituents of Manay who have no access to much-needed surgical care and cannot afford the services of private hospitals.

“You have indeed touched the lives and gave hope to our poor constituents,” the governor told the doctors as well as the medical staff during the surgical mission launching ceremony.

Aside from the surgical assistance, the activity also became the venue for the turnover of over P900,000 worth of hospital equipment, courtesy of the Department of Health (DOH), intended for Manay’s three barangays namely, Cayawan, Holy Cross, and Old Macopa.

Busuego, a former Assistant Secretary of the DOH Mindanao Cluster and currently DRH’s Chief of Hospital, said the equipment assistance is part of the P16.4 million hospital equipment the department had funded for the typhoon Pablo rehabilitation efforts in Davao Oriental.

Among the equipment given are autoclave steam sterilizers, sets of surgical and medical tools and supplies, among others.

“This equipment is a welcome addition to all that we have there in the different barangays,” Malanyaon said as she thanked the DRH team for their benevolent acts.

Having seen the provincial government’s efforts in the upgrade of facilities of the dif-

Surgical outreach, hospital equipment help poor in Manay ROVINCE of Davao Oriental – More than a hundred patients in need of surgical intervention due to different illnesses underwent free surgery in a recent surgical mission held in Manay town.

The three-day outreach was jointly initiated by the pro-

ASSISTANCE. Turnover of hospital equipment to three barangays in Manay town courtesy of the Department of Health (DOH). This equipment assistance is part of the P16.4 million hospital equipment the department had funded for the typhoon Pablo rehabilitation efforts in Davao Oriental. Eden Jhan Licayan

SERVICE BEYOND BORDERS. More than 40 volunteer specialist surgeons and medical staff donated their free services to the poor constituents of Manay town during the surgical outreach initiated by the Provincial Government together with the Davao Regional Hospital (DRH) Surgical Networking Team. Eden Jhan Licayan

FSURGICAL, 10

ronmental initiatives while upholding the standard practices of its ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management System. Engaging its host communities in various environmental

activities like reforestation, river clean up and solid waste management, Hedcor believes that they are enabling the members of its host communities to be stewards of the environment.

ORE than 70 senior citizen-members of Tagum Cooperative received free medical services during this year’s second round of Senior Citizen’s Day held on May 17 at the school auditorium of Panabo Central Elementary School.

Aside from the medical services, they were also treated to music and were able to dance to the beat of the music of their youth. They received cash prizes for showing off their dancing skills and for competing in singing. On top of these, they carried home packs of goodies from Tagum Cooperative.

It was Tagum Cooperative Board of Directors (BOD) chair Norma Pereyras who engaged the senior citizens in dancing and singing.

BOD director Fe Adlawan was present during the event and also showed off her dancing prowess.

In her message, Pereyras made the senior citizen-members feel well cared for and equally valued. “This is a special Sunday. We are here for you because Tagum Cooperative loves you,” she said.

Pereyras encouraged them to do something worthwhile with which they can find happiness.

The second round of Senior’s Citizen day was held in partnership with the Rotary

Club of Tagum Golden LACES (Ladies in Action Committee to Effective Service) which fielded volunteer doctors to join the outreach activity of Tagum Cooperative.

Tagum Cooperative first conducted Senior Citizen’s Day this year in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley on February 21, 2015 at the Nabunturan National Comprehensive High School.

In Panabo City, the senior citizen beneficiaries availed themselves of free medical consultation, tooth extraction services, and pap smear. They also received free medicine and vitamins.

Rotary Club of Tagum Golden LACES president Arlene Adlawan-King thanked Tagum Cooperative which she said had made fellow members and officers of her organization get out of their comfort zone “to serve the people in the periphery.”

“We will be one with you in that mission,” she said.

Together with King were Rotary Club of Tagum Golden LACES volunteers Dr. Rae Kara Malbog, a dentist, and Dr. Concepcion Balunos, an OB-GYNE. Other volunteer doctors were Dr. Analie O. Bercilla, general practitioner; Dr. Cristina B. Gicana, general practitioner; and Dr. Charina H. Bisuña, general practitioner.

(Tagum Cooperative)

Tagum Coop holds Senior Citizens’Day M

12

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

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DEED OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PASTOR DANO has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT executed among his heirs per Doc. No.88; Page No.17; Book No. 39; Series of 2015, of the NOTARY PUBLIC JOHN CHRISTOPHER P. VERA CRUZ. 6/10,17,24

14 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Aboitiz Group plants 62,000 more seedlings nationwide

A

BOITIZ team members from Hedcor-Bukidnon plant trees to help minimize the company’s environmental impact and as part of its sustainability mindset of doing well by doing good.

More than 2,000 Aboitiz team members were in full force last May 22 as business units from various parts of the country simultaneously planted a total of 62,000 seedlings in line with the company’s

commitment to plant nine million trees by 2020.

The seedlings planted include Lanzones, Coffee, Alnus, Benguet Pine, Avocado, Mahogany, Black Berry, Betel Nut, Guava, Santol, Pomelo, Star Apple, Jack Fruit, Forest trees, Tipolo, Mangroves, Cacao, Guyabano, Eba, Kamansi, Narra, Durian, Rambutan, Mangosteen, Auri, Mangium, Molave, and Falcata.

In Manila, nearly 700

team members planted 6,000 lanzones trees in Sitio Bungahan, Brgy. Limao in Laguna – an agroforest with cash crops such as lanzones, rambutan, and banana.

Each tree planted in the area will contribute to the Makiling-Banahaw Watershed Area, which irrigates major farmlands and support water utilities that serve Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“Through this activity, we

are living out our core value of responsibility by caring for the environment and affirming the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to help sustain our country’s ecological balance over the long term,” said Aboitiz Equity Ventures President and CEO Erramon I. Aboitiz.

This initiative under the A-Park Program, which was forged back in 2010, is in line with the United Nations Environment Program’s “Billion

Tree Campaign.” Since then, Aboitiz team members have been planting trees in their respective host communities.

The Group has exceeded its three million trees by 2015 target after planting a total of 3.4 million trees by the end of 2014 – a year ahead of schedule. It took on a bigger challenge for Phase 2 of the A-Park Project by committing to plant six million more trees over the next six years.

Meanwhile, more than 500 team members in Luzon contributed to the greening of Benguet, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Tiwi, and Tarlac; over 300 Cebu volunteers planted in Balamban and Samboan, and nearly 600 team members in Mindanao planted trees in their host communities in Bukidnon, Davao, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Norte, and Iligan City.

Online car platform projects increase of vehicle sales via whitepaper list

I

NTERNET and mobile penetration has grown significantly over the years. In the Philippines, more than 30-percent of car buyers use internet to conduct research via online before making a serious purchase.

Carmudi, the leading online car platform in the Philippines, recently unveiled its whitepaper listing dubbed as the “Booming Automotive Industry in Emerging Market”. The report provides a detailed look of global view of consumer-purchasing behavior and automotive sales across the emerging countries from Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America.

According to its report, the auto e-commerce has grown with a staggering rate of 80-percent of new car customers and almost 100-percent of used car customers begin their car shopping experience via online.

The report also indicates that over 73-percent of car dealers in the Philippines reported an increase in car sales over the past 12 months, while only 26.7-percent reported a decrease.

According to Subir Lohani, managing director of Carmudi Philippines, “This is a good opportunity for us to launch the Whitepaper listing in the Philippines as global auto sales increase and level of internet and mobile penetration as well as GDP increases.”

Lohani further explained, “The report also mentioned that 28-percent of Filipino buyers were influenced by the Internet when purchasing

their cars. While, car manufacturer sites, auto expo and Carmudi each helped 25-percent of the customers in reaching their decision in buying a car.”

“With healthy and sustainable economic growth, coupled with strong consumer purchasing power, the Philippines is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for car manufacturers,” said Lohani.

The report also projected that global sales will rise from 50-percent in 2012 to 60-percent by 2020, while their share of global profits is also set to rise by 10-percent. When it comes to new cars, purchase intent is strongest in Asia, where 65-percent of respondents say they will buy new cars in the next two years, compared with 7-percent who plan to buy used cars.

The company was founded in 2013 and is currently available in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar,Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia.

The vehicle marketplace offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.

SPORTS15

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

SEA GAMES ROUNDUP

Centeno drops veteran Amit in 1-2 finish

B

Kobe Paras gives PH reason to cheer by retaining slam dunk title in U18 world 3x3.

Pinay teenager beats veteran Amit for gold

T

EEN sensation Chezka Centeno stunned six-time gold medalist Rubilen Amit in an exciting finals battle en route to winning her first-ever gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games women’s singles 9-ball event here at the OCBC Arena Hall 4 Tuesday.

Centeno, twice her age of her idol Amit, won 7-5, and became the youngest ever billiards player to win the gold medal in this competition of the biennial meet.

The match was a clash between the present and future of Philippine women’s billiards — the 33-year-old Amit who has reaped medals for the

country in the past decade versus the 16-year-old Centeno who Amit considers as her successor.

Their clash also gained the Philippines two medals as Amit, who had aimed to notch her seventh gold in the SEA Games, settled for a silver.

Centeno nailed the first three racks of the match to zoom to a 3-0 lead in the raceto-seven match. But Amit re-

GIANT KILLER. Teenaged pool sensation Chezka Centeno shows her gold medal in women’s billiards.

ILLIARDS and Snooker : Chezka Centeno won the 9th gold medal of Team Philippines by defeating fellow Pinay Rubilen Amit 7-5 in the Women’s 9-ball Pool Singles Finals.

Amit settled for the silver medal.

Meanwhile, 9 ball doubles gold medalist Carlo Biado won over Trung Quang Le of Vietanam 9-6 of the Men’s Singles 9 ball QF. He will face Maung Maung of Myanmar in the semifinals.

Dennis Orcollo won over Irsal Nasution of Indonesia 7-9 in the Men’s 9-ball Pool Singles QF. He will face Quan Hoang Do of Vietnam in the semifinals. Alvin Barbero and Michael Mengorio won over doubles from Myanmar 3-0 in the Men’s Snooker Doubles QF. They will face Malaysia in the semifinals.

The tandem of Reynaldo Grandea and Jefrey Roda lost to Team Singapore in the Men’s English Billiards doubles QF 1-3.

Gymnastics : Reyland Capellan bagged the Philippines’ 10th gold medal in the men’s floor exercise individual finals.

Capella scored 14.733.

covered and won four of the next five racks to tie it at 4-all.

Centeno went on to win the next two for a 6-4 lead, but Amit never backed down and trimmed her deficit to just one after taking the 11th rack.

However, Centeno grabbed the 12th and final

Pinay netters eye SEAG gold against Thais T

HE Philippine national women’s tennis team takes a crack at the gold medal Tuesday against a formidable Thailand squad at 10 a.m. at the Kallang Tennis Center Court No. 4 here.

The Filipinas, bannered by mainstays Denise Dy, Fil-German Katharina Lehnert, Khim Iglupas and Clarice Patrimonio, will take on a Thai squad that swept both Singapore and Malaysia on its way to the championship round.

The most experienced player in the squad, the 26-year-old Dy, was a gold medalist in the doubles event in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. She has been working as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa but still committed to play for the Cebuana Lhuillier-backed national team.

Lehnert, 21, was one of the most-cheered players when she represented the country in many ITF-sanctioned events, including the one she nearly won in India just recently.

Iglupas, a 16-year-old promising teen player, was last year’s champion in an under-18 ITF-sanctioned event in Manila.

Patrimonio, youngest daugh-

ter of four-time PBA Most Valuable Player Alvin Patrimonio, was runner-up in last year’s Alcala Cup. Prior to their SEA Games campaign, coach Roland Kraut predicted the country to win two gold medals and mentioned Thailand as among those expected to give the Philippines a tough time.

“We have good chances for at least two golds. This year’s team is deep even if some of the members are first timers,” Kraut told InterAksyon.com in an exclusive interview.

The Philippines edged Malaysia, 2-1, in the semifinals to set up a final duel with Thailand which is composed of some seasoned players.

PHL BETS. Clarice Patrimonio (left) and Katharina Lehnert (right) will carry the fight for the PHL netters.

Luksika Khumkhum, who is spearheading the Thais, was part of the gold medal-winning doubles team as well as the team category in last year’s Asian Games in Incheon. She also won a silver medal in the singles event.

Also in the Thai squad are Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, part of the bronze medal team in the 2010 Asian Games, grizzled veteran Tamar Tanasugarn, one of the most popular players from their country, and Varatcha Wongteanchai.

Meanwhile, teammate Rafael lii Ablaza finished 8th.

Ava Loreine Verdeflor won the silver medal of the Women’s Uneven Bars individual finals.

Diving : John David Pahoyo and John Elmer Fabriga ranked 5th of the Men’s 3m Synchronized Springboard Finals.

Meanwhile Haziel Abierra placed 10th and Riza Jane Domenios finished 11th in the Women’s 10m Platform Finals.

Swimming: Jasmine Alkhaldi and Rosalee Mira Santa Ana qualified for the Women’s 200m Freestyle evening finals at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore after finishing 1st and 4th in the morning preliminary with times of 2:06.18 and 2:08.06 Golf : First Round results of Men’s Individual and Team event.

Individual: Dan Emilio Cruz (4) 72 Par Wei Wei Gao (11) 75 +3 Ruperto Zaragoza (11) 75 +3 Aniceto Mandanas (25) 80 +8 Team: Philippines (3) 222

rack of the match to seal the win.

The country’s 1-2 finish in the billiards event, coupled

by Reyland Capellan’s gold in the gymnastics event, put the Philippines’s medal haul to 10 golds, 13 silvers and 25 bronzes as of 2:43 p.m.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 49 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015

Stuart breaks SEA Games record in hammer throw

C

The Philippines’ Caleb John Stuart prepares to heave the hammer.

ALEB John Christian Stuart made Team Philippines’ gold medal total to eight as he ruled the Athletics’ Men’s Hammer Throw of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games Tuesday in Singapore.

Stuart set a new SEA Games record at 65.63 meters in his third attempt to run away with the gold medal against six other competitors that included fellow Filipino Arniel Ferrera who finished fourth at 60.08 meters.

Stuart’s attempt broke the 62.23 meters record set by Thailand’s Tantipong Phetchaiya in the 2013 SEA Games.

Meanwhile, the country’s canoeing team bagged two bronzes earlier in the day.

Hermie Macaranas clocked in at 43.577 seconds to settle for third in the Men’s C1-200m while the tandem of him and Ojay Fuentes finished at 41.827 seconds in the Men’s C2-200m final to also cop a bronze.

As of 12:03 p.m., the Philippines has a haul of eight golds, 12 silvers

and 25 bronzes for a total of 45 medals. It is expected to grow within the

day as a total of 29 medal events are scheduled for the country on Tuesday.