Edge Davao 8 Issue 7

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

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FOOTBALL FOR PEACE War-shocked and deprived of their playground, 200 kids from Mindanao fight back with football

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

T

HEY all came from war-torn villages of Mindanao. Kids whose biggest shot at life is their dream. A dream built from the grassfields of the island where playing football is often interrupt-

ed by bursts of gunfire.

For Lt. Col. Stephen Cabanlet, proponent of the Football For Peace project, the real battleground for genuine peace in Mindanao is the heart and mind of the

children.

Himself a son of Mindanao, the Lanao-born Cabanlet believed the right approach was to entice children to play football. The children readily welcomed the game

not knowing that beside the game, they are also being planted with the values of self discipline, honesty, unity and loyalty.

Thus, the Football For Peace program was born.

Football for Peace is a sporting event which hopes to hone the football skills of children from conflict areas in Mindanao and Palawan, and instill in them the values

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of sportsmanship, camaraderie, teamwork and discipline.

This year, 200 kids from Misamis Oriental, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga City, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan were brought to Manila for the 4th PMC Football for Peace Festival and Educational Tour. Teams trained

by The Philippine Army from Basilan and Misamis Oriental / Cagayan de Oro will also join this year’s event.

FOOTBALL FOR PEACE What was originally created mainly for the children of Sulu went as far as Luzon, thus the series of Football Festival was held to give the children of Mindanao a glimpse of what it is to live in place where public display of guns and violence is a taboo. The effect of exposure of these war-shocked children was overwhelming that the football was adopted by the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and referred to as the Football For Peace Program (FFP) of the PMC. The Football for Peace Program reached international recognition. An international organization called “One World Football” recognized

the program and donated thousands of indestructible footballs as appreciation for the effort and support for the continuance of the program.

Another international organization called “peace one day” had included the Football For Peace program as an affiliate thus including the latter in activities held simultaneously all over the world, to mention one was the Peace One Day activity held in Zamboanga after the Zamboanga siege which was held simultaneously in countries like ours who also has conflict areas.

The program is exemplary as the Columbian government who must have read about the FFP, was amazed by the effects of the program in the children thus an invitation for LtColCabanlet was given to speak in a forum in Columbia. Currently FFP continuous and has progressed to having children from conflict area benefitting as scholars in schools in Zamboanga.

PARTNERSHIP Meralco’s social development arm One Meralco Foundation (OMF) and football team Loyola Meralco Sparks

team up once again with the Philippine Marine Corps for the annual Football for Peace.

Kids will be grouped into teams where a civilian and a Marine coach will be assigned per team. They shall compete with various football clubs from Metro Manila and other nearby provinces in a one-day

tournament dubbed Football for Peace Festival, taking place at the Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters Football Field in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig on April 18.

In preparation for the festival, the kids will undergo a football clinic with the Loyola Meralco Sparks on April 15

at the University of Makati Track and Oval Field, Makati City. Members of the team will teach the young athletes advanced techniques that could help them gain an advantageover their competitors. Sparks Coach Simon McMenemy and star players Phil and James Younghusband.

Aside from football activities, the kids will also embark on a series of educational tours within and around Metro Manila.

OMF and the Meralco Sparks have been partners of the Philippine Marine Corps since the launch of “Football for Peace” in 2011.

This soldier fights for peace through football

T

HE humble beginning of Lt. Col Stephen L. Cabanlet roots in Lanao del Norte where he spent his formative years. Being a

Cabanlet son of a soldier augmented the imprinting of the chaos of his surrounding in his psyche, unconsciously moulding him to be a lover of peace more than anything else.Guided by bravery and acquired rationale that in order to attain peace “the enemies must be annihilated”, he had chosen to serve the country through the Philippine Marine Corps after graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 1996.

He spent the first four years of his military career in the Islands in Mindanao implementing the military ideals of “search and destroy” for those who bring chaos on the land. Gradually gaining maturity in skills and technique in war fighting, he had his first

significant victory for the country and the PMC when the unit he was commandeering conquered Camp Abu-Bakr, the slowly building haven and the “would be” strongest fortress of the MILF in June 2000. He was given commendations and awards for this more than a month long rigorous life in mountains before their successful penetration, but more than the awards was his personal satisfaction of becoming a part of the solution.

The beautiful yet dangerous Island of Mindanao both “sprouted” and “seasoned”Lt.Col Cabanlet. The place undeniably moulded him into a fierce combatant capable of defending the motherland, but, peace is precious commodity. In his mind is the reality that he cannot do it alone, thus he went back to his Alma Mater to pass on to the next generation officersthe dire need for the military to embrace a vital role as peacekeepers. He wanted to take part in “producing” future military officers holistically superior with emphasis on physical strength and skill.

Equipped with knowledge after finishing Magna Cum Laude in his Master Degree in Physical Education, Sports and Physical Fitness at the University of Cordilleras, he made innovations at Sports and Physical Development Unit of the Philippine

Military Academy. He defied the traditional “mase-mase”(relentless exercise) way of making the cadets strong with exercises scientifically proven to be highly effective. He prepared a manual of exercises that was adapted and still currently used by the Philippine Military Academy Sports and Physical Development Unit (SPDU). He likewise facilitated establishment of a world class gym built by FINIXCORP. LtColCabanlet left PMA in 2008 leaving behind a much improved physical fitness program and a state of the art physical fitness facility, built with minimal cost, that up to now benefit not only the cadets but the entire PMA staff as well.

A more mature and a much deeper thinker Lt.Col Stephen Cabanletreturned to his mother unit, the Philippine Marine Corps after tour of duty in PMA. He willingly embraced his new assignment in Sulu as operations officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team-3 despite his own personal battle with his wife diagnosed with Leukaemia. In his return in the area, reality struck that the area is still unfriendly and volatile. Nothing has changed except now the enemies are the children of their enemies when he was still a young lieutenant. He realized that indeed war and conflict between the Government and

the Muslim brothers, and the Muslim against another Muslim is just passedon from generation to the next. The unrest emanating from hatred has been embedded deeply in the heart has been coded in the genes that mere killing of those who are identified as enemy will not bring peace as hatred has been passed on for the children to carry on. As operations officer he was burdened to find the oasis of the genuine peace.

With different kind of bravery, Lt.ColCabanletreached out to the families of the “enemy”. Thru the help of BETHESDA MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL he provided VITAMEAL, a food supplement that will help local undernourished children increase in weight. In sense the program is different kind of feeding program as it is not a one day meal provision but a six month program that became a vehicle to open the mind of the locals that the Marines, therefore, the Government is not an enemy.With positive response such as “safety” of the marines in the area because of the feeding program, VITAMEAL feeding program continues in other areas where Marine units are assigned.

Feeding the body is not enough to make peace loving individual. The real battleground for genuine peace in Mindanao

is the heart and mind of the children. With this concept in mind LtColCabanlet’s approach was to entice children to play football.

The children readily welcomed the game not knowing that beside the game they are being planted with the values of self discipline , honesty, unity and loyalty. What was originally created mainly for the children of Sulu went as far as Luzon, thus the series of Football Festival was held to give the children of Mindanao a glimpse of what it is to live in place where public display of guns and violence is a taboo. The effect of exposure of thesewarshocked children was overwhelming that the football was adopted by the PMC and referred to as the Football For Peace Program (FFP) of the PMC. The Football for Peace Program made viral thru the help of media such as Rappler reached international recognition. An international organization called “One World Football” recognized the program and donated thousands of indestructible footballs as appreciation for the effort and support for the continuance of the program. Another international organization called “peace one day” had included the Football For Peace program as an affiliate thus including the latter in activities held simultanouesly all over

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KIDDIE CREW. Children beneficiaries of the McDonald’s free kiddie crew workshop program, in partnership with Edge Davao, pose for a group photograph with the two companies’ executives and staff at Bahay Pasilungan in Bankerohan, Davao City on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

Paolo calls FVR ‘land grabber’ Says land was taken from settlers and given to UP

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

D

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte called former President Fidel V. Ramos a land grabber for awarding land in Bago Oshiro, Mintal to the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) in 1995 even though there were residents there who had made a claim for it.

This as Paolo stood firm for the land claimants who will be affected by the proposed City Sports Complex

to be built within the UPMin campus.

In last Friday’s Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong in Barangay Catigan, Toril, Paolo said the settlers had been in the area long before UPMin was established there by virtue of a proclamation made by Ramos awarding the land to UP. Paolo said after the land was awarded to UPMin, the claim of the settlers was disregarded.

“Buot pasabot gi-grab ni President Ramos, gihatag sa UP (It means President Ramos grabbed the land and gave it to UP),” he said.

“Kana sila diha karon ilaha na lang nang gipanindigan ang ilahang pagtuo na naa pa sila’y pag-asa na makakuha anang yutaa na (The settlers are just holding to the hope that they can still claim the land),” he added.

Paolo is apparently head-

ed for a showdown with his father, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who had earlier the proposed City Sports Complex should remain in UPMin and the settlers inside should vacate the area.

Duterte said he does not recognize the settlers’ claim since the area is known as government reservation land.

He said if the claimants do not have land titles to the land they are occupying, they

must vacate the area because it is already a matter of public interest.

Duterte said if UPMin has no budget for the relocation of the settlers, he will allocate lots in the city’s relocation site in Los Amigos, Tugbok for the settlers.

Meanwhile, Paolo also another factor that is delaying the discussion on the proposed City Sports Complex is the 1996 Memorandum of

Agreement (MOA) between the city and UP, which was supported with two ordinances.

He said the City Council is now discussing what should be followed because UPMin is proposing to sign of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) while there is an existing MOA signed in 1996. The sports complex which had been planned then did not materialize, however.

OLICE are eyeing extortion as behind the recovery of several explosives inside a passenger bus in Tacurong City in Sutan Kudarat province before noon on Thursday.

Supt. Junny Buenacosa, Tacurong City police chief, said Friday the incident could have been meant to “warn and scare” the owners of Yellow Bus Line Inc. (YBL), which owns the bus unit where the explosives were found.

He clarified that the recovered explosives did not have triggering devices, making them incapable of exploding.

“Based on our initial assessment, it appears that the company was the only target.

This could be a part of an ex-

tortion activity,” he said in a radio interview.

Police operatives recovered the explosives at around 11:40 a.m. Thursday inside YBL deluxe bus unit 9208 that was en route to Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat.

The bus had just left the Tacurong City transport terminal and was traversing a portion of the national highway in Barangay EJC Montilla when it was stopped by policemen for inspection.

Buenacosa said the operatives found an abandoned package inside the bus that contained two live 60mm mortar shells, a rocket-propelled grenade “warhead” and a non-electric blasting cap attached to a detonating cord.

Citing a technical analysis made by the Army’s explosives ordnance disposal unit, he said the planted explosives were not meant to inflict damage as they lack any triggering component or device.

The official said that based on their initial investigation, the explosives were left by three men who boarded the bus near the Tacurong City public market.

He said the three suspects hurriedly alighted from the bus shortly after it left the Tacurong City terminal where it made a brief stopover.

Buenacosa acknowledged that they were able to find the explosives based on a tip from a “concerned resident.”

He said the informant gave

descriptions of the suspects and none of them appeared to be among the four bus passengers that they invited for questioning.

As to suspects, Buenacosa said they are still determining their identities and their possible groups or affiliations.

But he said they don’t discount the possibility that the incident could be a handiwork of breakaway rebel faction Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Authorities had intensified their monitoring against possible retaliatory attacks by the BIFF as a result of the allout offensive earlier launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against their forc-

Charges filed vs Extortion behind explosives found in bus? big-time pusher P

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

C

HARGES were filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office against an alleged big-time drug pusher who had been apprehended on Thursday night in a drug buy-bust operation in Marapangi, Toril District, Davao City.

The suspect was identified as Zoira Saumay, 36, a resident of Marapangi. He faces raps for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

Saumay was indicted Friday afternoon following his arrest in a buy-bust operation

conducted by the Toril Police Station.

Authorities confiscated 15 sachet of shabu with a street value of P300,000 from Saumay’s possession. Also taken from him was the marked P1,000 bill used in the buybust operation.

Toril Police Station commander Senior Inspector Hamlet Lerios said a confidential informant informed his office about the illegal drug activities of Saumay.

He said Saumay was one of

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DATE 2015 to stress hog, poultry raising

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T KIDNAP GANG. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte angrily faces kidnapping suspects led by Indian national Jerry Singh, Noel Onin, and Bobby Onin at the Grand Men Seng Hotel on Friday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) will focus on hog and poultry raising in the 17th Davao Trade Expo on September 25 to 27.

DCCCII president Antonio dela Cruz earlier said the three-day exhibition will be at the SMX Lanang Convention Center this year.

This year’s DATE will focus on hogs and poultry industry with the theme ‘’ Building Local Producers for the Global Community. ‘’This annual agricultural event aims to help livestock,

poultry, and aquaculture industries to be known not just in the local but the global market as well,’’ DCCCII said in a statement.

DATE 2015 is this year’s perfect time in helping Davaobased small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow bigger, it added. ‘’DCCCII hosts DATE 2015 not just to create an event but as an opportunity to uplift businesses to success,’’ the statement said.

The chamber will be partnering with the city government of Davao, the Depart-

WO towns in North Cotabato have been placed under a state of calamity due to severe drought that already destroyed about P230 million worth of crops in the province, officials said Friday.

M’lang and Kabacan, two rice producing towns in North Cotabato, have been placed under state of calamity after damages to crops reached about P40 million and P21 million, respectively.

The declaration came af-

ter the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommendation to allow the local government units to use their calamity funds.

Among the heavily affected agricultural products are rubber and banana, two major agricultural products of M’lang next to rice.

Rice and corn fields in M’lang have dried up, forcing farmers to shift to heat resis-

Indian, cohorts T face kidnap raps

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) is set to file a case on Monday against an Indian national and three other suspects who were arrested past midnight on Friday for allegedly abducting an Indian national in Ula Village, Tugbok District on April 7.

The DCPO will file a kidnapping and serious illegal detention case against Jerry Singh, Josephine Onas, and brothers Noel and Bobby Onin for allegedly abducting Jaspar Singh Malih.

The suspects were arrested by joint forces of the DCPO, Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), and Task Force Davao (TFD) on April 10.

They are suspected of kidnapping Indian national Jaspar Malih, alias Singh, a resident of Wellspring Village, Catalunan Pequeño, Tugbok District.

The suspects were pre-

sented to the media on Friday at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said he wants Singh and his group to be imprisoned.

During the presentation of the suspects, Duterte confronted Singh and told him that the death penalty should be slapped on him and his companions.

DCPO director Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr. said six other suspects are at large.

The Onin brothers were arrested at around 2:30 a.m. on April 10 in Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya based on information from a police informant.

The victim was then rescued at the TFD checkpoint in Barangay Lacson, Calinan after he was identified inside the bus around 4 a.m.

Malih was traveling alone

PICKET. Workers from nine Sumifru packing plants in Compostela Valley Province stage a protest rally against the company at its Davao City office at Pryce Tower on

but was apparently being followed by some of the group’s members. No one was arrested as the lookouts apparently fled.

A follow-up operation conducted in Barangay Tacunan resulted in the arrest of alleged mastermind Singh and his livein partner Onas In an interview on Friday afternoon, DCPO director Senior Superintendent Vicente D. Danao Jr. said on night after the abduction of Malih, the group was demanding P20 million in ransom from the victim’s wife for his release.

Danao said the police helped the wife negotiate for lower ransom. “The following day it decreased to P10 million, then we continued to bargain until Wednesday,” Danao said.

Danao said on Wednesday afternoon the ransom was

FINDIAN, 10

Friday for its planned piece rate system which allegedly will reduce their income below the minimum wage level. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

FDATE, 10

2 NorCot towns under state of calamity due to dry spell

F2 NORCOT, 10

INdulge!

STYLE

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EDGEDAVAO

The fuss about Flossy SUMMER arrived in my doorstep just the other day and it greeted me in supple white material spiked with pineapples.

Unwrapping my first pair of Flossy shoes was a revelation in casual footwear. I am almost always walking around for errands or with my kids so I practically live in them. The shoe resurgence of late in updated espadrilles,

Style Scribe A4

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Easter Fun at Park Inn Davao PARK INN BY RADISSON DAVAO celebrated Easter Sunday with a special lunch buffet at RBG last Sunday, April 5, 2015.

Attended by hotel guests and Davao residents, the lunch event featured the best of the East and West, plus a selection of meat cuts and seafood for grilling.

Guests enjoyed the starters from fresh fruits to greens, and the Sinuglaw, a salad mix that’s unique to Davao.

Rounding up the selection of soup and entrées such as Ham and Tomato Chowder, Greek Chicken, Steamed Tuna Belly with Kaffir Lime Leaf and a Whole Lechon.

An added attraction was the Kids’ Zone, a fun play area where the kids can enjoy board games, educational toys, kiddie tents, and an inflatable pool with balls.

Kids also took part in the Easter Egg hunt at the al fresco dining area of the restaurant. The lucky winner who found the blue egg received two movie tickets for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.

It was definitely a sumptuous and exciting Easter celebration for both the young and the young at heart, only at Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s RBG.

Marco Polo Davao celebrates Easter Sunday MARCO POLO DAVAO joined the Easter Sunday celebration with a children’s party last April 5, 2015 at the Marco Polo Davao Borneo-Mindanao function rooms.

ENTERTAINMENT

Marian Riv and Anahe

REACHING a milestone with of being one at heart with g International amps up the kicking off a year-long ann with the much-awaited Kap series in Vancouver and Ana Jumpstarting a series of Kapuso events to be held worldwide this year, the Network’s brightest stars Marian Rivera, Christian Bautista, Alden Richards, Jonalyn Viray and Betong Sumaya as Antonietta make up the stellar cast of Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver and Anaheim.

Organized by GMA’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, in association with Unit Blue Design & Media Production Services, Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver will be held on April 24 at The Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, Canada.

Meanwhile, GMA Pinoy TV, in association with Polaris Media & Marketing, will stage Kapusong Pinoy Anaheim on April 26 at the City National Grove of Anaheim, in California.

This is only the beginning of many surprises in store for Kapuso fans across the globe in celebration of GMA International’s 10th anniversary as the Network’s international business unit pays tribute to its loyal audience and partners overseas. “We are grateful to our friends, partners, and subscribers who have journeyed with GMA Pinoy TV in the past 10 years,” expresses GMA Vice President for International Operations Joseph T. Francia.

“ of eve the Van are gif thi ou glo ho K Qu has late The ter po wit abr kar big ang

Julie Anne an MULTI-PLATINUM Kapuso recording artist Julie Anne San Jose may be working day in and day out but is also equally enjoying the fruits of her labor as her latest project—GMA News TV’s Day Off—makes waves on social media shortly after her launch as its new host.

The event was attended by 51 kids with their parents and guardian included a magic show, games, balloon-twisting, face-painting, mask-painting and raffle draws. The event concluded with an Easter Egg-hunting where children and their parents sought for the special golden and silver egg that contained fabulous prizes and gifts.

Children and their parents rushed outside Marco Polo Davao to find the hunter for Easter Eggs.

On March 7, Julie Anne’s debut episode required her to take over a day’s work of the first female rescue divers of the Philippine Coast Guard together with cohost Maey Bautista. Both underwent PCG training for water survival and rescue techniques which earned for the program a spot in the worldwide trending topics on the micro-blog-

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vera banners star-studded Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver eim for GMA Pinoy TV 10th Anniversary Celebration

h 10 successful years global Filipinos, GMA e entertainment by niversary celebration pusong Pinoy concert aheim this April.

“Following the success our Kapusong Pinoy ents in various parts of e world, our concerts in ncouver and Anaheim e only the first of many ts that we are offering is year in keeping with ur promise of bringing obal Filipinos closer to ome,” he reveals.

Kapuso Primetime ueen Marian Rivera, who s begun taping for her est project on GMA, e Rich Man’s Daughr, is grateful for the oportunity to touch base th her numerous fans road. “Isang malaking rangalan ang makapaggay saya at iparamdam g pusong Pinoy sa mga

kababayan natin sa ibang bansa,” she expresses.

“Dahil 10th anniversary ng GMA International, marami kaming sorpresang hinanda bilang pasasalamat sa lahat ng loyal Kapuso viewers worldwide na sumusuporta sa amin!” says the actress who has been a much-anticipated artist overseas after bannering Kapusong Pinoy sa Dubai in 2013 and 2014.

Other members of the Kapusong Pinoy cast also give credit to the years of service that GMA International has imparted to Kapuso audiences all over the world. “10 years is always a great accomplishment. I’m happy and proud that GMA Pinoy TV has been able to touch lives of our kababayans around the world this long! Congrats!” says Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista, whose fans may catch him on GMA’s

GMA Pinoy TV’s Kapusong Pinoy Anaheim is sponsored by Xoom. com, Mapua Institute of Technology, Pag Ibig Fund, Amaia, Vonage, International Travel Network, Red Ribbon, Ritemed, Jollibee, Moneygram, PLDT US Mobility, Davies Paints, Financial Rescue, The Generics Pharmacy, Everest Aircondition, DirecTV, Taxxmart, Flawless Faces, Debt Aid Consulting, Cebu Pacific, Alas Cargo and Tancinco Law Office.

Kapusong Pinoy Anaheim will be held on April 26. City National Grove of Anaheim is lo-

variety program Sunday All Stars.

He also promises to deliver an amazing show for the Kapuso audience. “The Anaheim and Vancouver show is going to be a blast!

We have comedy, we have dancing, we have singing! We have your favorite artists performing your favorite tunes! See you all there!” he says to his fellow Filipinos overseas.

Kapuso homegrown star Alden Richards, who starred in the historical drama Ilustrado and hosted the reality talent search Bet ng Bayan is looking forward to sharing the experience with his fans there. “I

cated on 2200 East Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA. Gates open at 6:30 PM. For tickets, please call 310-989-4523 or 310-986-1665.

For updates on GMA Network’s artists, programs, international channels and events, visit the website www. gmanet work .com/international, Facebook pages www.facebook. com/GMAPinoyTV, www. facebook.com/gmalifetv, and www.facebook.com/ gmanewsinternational, Twitter pages @gmapinoytv, @gma_lifetv, and @gmanewstvintl and Instagram account @gmapinoytv.

truly appreciate being part of an event that brings happiness to Filipinos abroad and I’m glad that GMA International considered me to be a part of this,” he humbly says. “The fans can expect us to give them one fun-filled and exciting show so magkita-kita po tayo mga Kapuso!”

Join in the celebration of 10 years of being one at heart with global Filipinos using the hashtag #Sampuso in your online posts, photos and tweets.

GMA Pinoy TV’s Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver is sponsored by Pag Ibig Fund, Vista Residences and Ritemed.

nd Day Off make a strong combo ging site Twitter during its broadcast.

Day Off’s succeeding episodes aired on March 14, 21, and 28 where Julie Anne experienced being an Englishspeaking banana cue vendor, a roving ad truck driver slash sticker ad installer, and a collector of leftover food for hogs, respectively, also rendered the same reception over Twitterverse.

Social media accounts of GMA News TV’s longrunning public affairs reality wish-granting program also experienced a boost in terms of following. Upon announcement of Asia’s Pop Sweetheart being Day Off’s new host, a surge in the daily net likes of its Facebook page was observed, registering an average of

100 to 150 likes per day from its previous average of only 20 to 30 likes per day.

Likewise, for the period of February 15 to March 16, Day Off’s Twitter account recorded 615 new followers versus 39 from the same timeframe in the previous month thereby representing more than 1,500% increase in terms of followers.

Truly, Julie Anne’s commanding presence on both television and social media cannot be denied. Day Off welcomes this rewarding increase in both viewership and following and aims to keep the viewing public not only entertained but interested and informed as well in its future episodes provided by hosts Julie Anne, Pekto, Maey, and Boobay.

April 9-14, 2015

YOU'RE MY BOSS Toni Gonzaga, Coco Martin PG

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

FURIOUS 7 Vin Diesel, Paul Walker PG

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

SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER / * FURIOUS 7 Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke / * Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

G/*PG

R-16

11:25 | 1:25 | 3:25 LFS / * 5:30 | 8:30 LFS

HOME / * FURIOUS 7 Rihanna, Jim Parsons / * Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

G/*PG

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 LFS / * 6:15 | 9:15 LFS

EDGEDAVAO

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STYLE Style Scribe A1

skater shoes, sneakers and other similar styles has been working totally in my favor. Just when I thought I had all my options busted wide open, coming across these plimsolls is really a surprise bonus I don’t mind taking advantage of.

Backed by a rich 30year strong heritage, Flossy originated from the Rioja region of Spain and introduced the original plimsoll that became popular with bohemians, street artists, and sailing enthusiasts in Barcelona.

Like wild fire, the popularity of Flossy grew rapidly and became staple footwear among the party animals of the Ibiza clubbing scene.

Despite making waves globally, Flossy still aspires for its Spanish legacy to live on in each of its designs while ensuring that it remains fun and full of life. All these and more hold true most especially with the brand’s SS15 collection with its array of finishes. Split into five ranges – Classics, Originals, New Edits, Exclusives, Special Prints, as well as Kids, Flossy focused on luxe fabrics

and plush leathers in core neutral and hot accents throughout, making for a zingy, fashion forward collection.

Casual footwear does not need to mean that it is disposable. The demands of our environment call for footwear that is deliciously designed and dependable to the hilt.

Material and shoe construction is something I am very particular about as I am sure a lot of people are. Flossy obviously strives to be the shoe for every active free spirit, representing a wide variety of tastes in their virtual rainbow of prints and materials. As soon as you encase your feet in a pair, you will realize that it was the print that drew you in but the lightweight and soft feel is what will make you put your foot down.

You will feel that you met your perfect match for the hustle of your daily grind – one that will bring you a little spring in your step, no less.

Itching to get your feet some serious dose of Flossy? In Davao, Flossy is available at Chimes Specialty Store, Gov Sales Street. Keep up with the latest updates from the brand on Facebook and Instagram @flossyfootwearph #holaflossy.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

7 ECONOMY

Closed season in gulf welcomed

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

B

crc@edgedavao.net

USINESSMAN Domingo O. Ang lauded the annual three-month closed season implemented in Davao Gulf, saying it will help in reviving the tuna industry in the region. ‘’Before the Japanese war, the region was known for its vibrant tuna industry,’’ Ang, who owns the popular Maria Tuna restaurant in Davao City, told Edge Davao.

Overfishing of small pe-

lagic fishes, however, caused a decrease in the tuna’s food, which in turn caused a decrease in the tuna catch.

Ang said the closed season is ‘’a good conservation mechanism’’ in reviving the lost tuna industry of Davao Region because it will increase the number of sardines, which is tuna’s food. ‘’Davao Gulf is part of the migratory path of tuna.

These tuna will get back here

Megaworld Geri profit up 151 percent in 2014

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UST year after its majority acquisition by Megaworld, Global-Estate Resorts Inc. (GERI), the Philippines’ leading tourism estate developer, posted a 151% growth in its net income last year from P341 million in 2013 to P857 million (inclusive of P377 million non-recurring gain) in 2014.

Without non-recurring gain, its net income rose to P480 million, a 41% increase year-on-year and almost double growth than in 2012 when its net income was P264 million.

Total revenues of GERI in 2014 almost doubled last year – from P1.71 billion in 2013 to P3.36 billion in 2014, or around 97% growth yearon-year.

This remarkable growth was attributed to real estate sales that accounted to around P2.04-billion, up 139% from P856 million in 2013, due to robust sales of residential projects in Southwoods City and Alabang West.

Last year, the company has launched five (5) projects: Pa-

hara at Southwoods and Holland Park Tower 1 in Southwoods City; Alabang West Village; The Vineyard Residences – Shiraz Tower in Twin Lakes; and Sta. Barbara Heights Phase III in Iloilo.

“GERI has again set the bar by achieving another banner year. This year will be another exciting year for GERI and we expect continuing growth in the company’s revenues as we launch more projects in the coming years,” says Lailani Villanueva, chief finance officer, Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. At present, GERI has five (5) major developments across the country covering more than 2,200 of Boracay Newcoast in Boracay Island (150 hectares); Twin Lakes in Laurel, Batangas near Tagaytay (1,300 hectares); Southwoods City on the boundaries of Carmona, Cavite, and Biñan, Laguna (561 hectares); Sta. Barbara Heights in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo (170 hectares); and Alabang West (62 hectares).

In May last year, Megaworld announced the purchase of

FMEGAWORLD, 10

Gov. Bautista proud of agriculture award

D

AVAO del Sur Governor Claude Bautista expressed pride when his province was recognized as outstanding province on rice production being a three-time recipient of the Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers Award.

«In the coming days, we hope to know of some success stories coming from other provinces like what we have now,” the governor stated.

He lamented however of the situation of most farmers plunged into deb.

“Sad to say, most of our farmers have been indebted already from planting up to harvest due to lack of assistance from our local government units,” he said.

Bautista bared that he is planning to allocate P300 million budget for the prov-

ince “for agricultural interventions from start to finish so that every component of this thrust would be appropriately addressed» In March this year, the province successfully hosted the 1st National Rice Congress held at Crown Convention Center, Digos City.

A total of 3,438 farmers representing 25 provinces from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, actively participated in the plenary, field tours and farmers’ forum joined in by various stakeholders, officers of national agencies and private companies.

Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas has congratulated the municipality of Hagonoy headed by Mayor Franco Calida for being a top performing LGU in terms of yield

FBAUTISTA, 10

if there is food,’’ Ong said.

He said it is time to have human intervention to bring back the tuna here.

Ang said he supports the three-month closed season implemented by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 11 during spawning season which happen from June to August. ‘’If you will really take care of the fish, it will really produce millions of off-

spring,’’ he said.

BFAR 11 started to implement the closed season in last year’s spawning season with the aim of increasing the reproduction rate of small pelagic fishes.

Commercial fishing vessels and the use of bag nets and ring nets was prohibited during the season.

A BFAR 11 research study conducted after the closed season showed that

there were tuna larvae found in the gulf. ‘’This is good news for fishermen in the region because there’s a bigger opportunity in the tuna industry because of it high price in the global market like Japan’’ Ang said.

Ong said a 30-kilogram premium class tuna can sell for as high as P30,000 in an auction in Japan, compared with a kilo of small fish which

may range from P80 to P100. ‘’Fishermen will have a chance to earn more in tuna,’’ he said.

Ong said the revival of the tuna industry here will also benefit the tourism sector. ‘’People will come here not just for the Philippine Eagle but also for tuna,’’ he said.

The BFAR 11 will also implement the closed season this year.

DUAL PURPOSE. Hawkers use the “ukay-ukay” clothing they are selling as shields to protect themselves from the scorching heat of the afternoon sun along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Gov. Cora cites rise of eco-tourism

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AVAO Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon spoke during the last night of the 27th national convention of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines on Wednesday in Davao City and wowed prosecutors into knowing the eco-tourism and historical wonders and beauty of her province.

More than 700 prosecutors around the country convened in Davao City from April 6 to 9 at the posh SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang Premier.

PLP national president Aileen Marie Gutierrez in an interview after the governor’s speech, said: “We’re very happy with the governor sharing

the best of her province. We’ll really visit the beautiful province of Davao Oriental.”

Gov. Malanyaon, in her speech, enumerated the natural and man-made eco-tourism destinations and historical landmarks in her province that were restored and preserved, protected and developed to awesome state as “testament of the province’s resiliency in meeting the challenges in the aftermath of the super typhoon Pablo.”

Among the tourist attractions that the governor highlighted are the rich flora and fauna, “a nature’s park” in the UNESCO-declared heritage site of Mount Hamiguitan, the “majestic waterfalls” like the

Aguacan Falls in the midst of a pristine protected landscape in Cateel, the Banganga Sunrise Boulevard overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean, the best Dahican Beach ideal for surfing and for its white and fine sand in seven-kilometer shore stretch, the Millennium Sunrise Pusan Point in Caraga, the many mystic and scenic lakes, caves, fresh springs and man-made resorts ideal for retreat, rest and recreation.

For the province’s historical sites, the third-termer governor mentioned of the province-run Subangan Museum, that- among others- features the fossil remains of one of the world’s largest sperm the

locals called as Davor, which was found at the coast of General Generoso town, She also mentioned the Cateel Memorial Shrine and Riverview Park, that features giant statues depicting the struggles and triumphs of the municipality in surviving the Pablo calamity.

Malanyaon capped her speech by saying that more eco-tourism projects are coming to each municipality of the province “to showcase our rich culture and our warm hospitality as people.”

“Please come to Davao Oriental!,” she added, drawing applause from the delegates, (Cha Monforte, Correspondent )

HE Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) announced the opening of the pre-qualification to bid on its first public-private partnership (PPP) seaport project on Friday.

Dubbed as the Davao

Sasa Port Modernization Project, the Php 17-billion project is among the government’s projects to provide people with a better transport system.

DOTC said that bidding documents will be available starting April 14 for a non-refundable fee of Php 300, 000.

Meanwhile, the Develop-

ment Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the International Finance Corp. (IFC) will serve as transaction advisers for the project.

The winning bidder will finance, design, redevelop, operate and maintain the Davao Sasa Port Modernization Project.

This involves the con-

struction of a new apron and linear quay, expansion of the back-up area, container yards and warehouses, and installation of ship-to-shore cranes and rubber-tyred gantry.

It will also consist of the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the port within a 30 year concession period.

(PNA)

DOTC bids out P17-B Davao port project T

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

EDITORIAL Reexamining the sports complex project

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HEN the Davao City government announced that the Dabawenyos’ dreams of having a sports complex is finally taking shape, everyone jumped for joy.

It was like rain coming on hot midsummer’s day. A whiff of fresh air in the morning.

The long wait was coming to an end.

The sports complex, long overdue for Davao’s sports community, is about the last thing Davao does not have for a vibrant and rapidly growing metropolis. It is the ultimate dream of many Dabawenyos after seeing the last sporting frontier--the then Palaruang Panlungsod or the PTA Sports Complex--vanish into what is now the People’s Park some years ago.

For a long time, there was no significant sporting oasis to keep children playing and running or adults and senior citizens alike working out. And while the city’s residents make do with the roads as jogging lanes, or mall parking lots as running tracks and biking loops, our neighbors in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur started completing their modern sports complexes.

Most of us can only breath deeply in envy.

So it’s understandable that when the Memorandum of Understanding with University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus came to fore, Dabawenyos simply rejoiced at the thought of the project finally taking shape.

Until lately when the MOU was clouded with claims from those who presented themselves as landowners of the property that’s supposed to be the site of the sports complex project inside the UP Mindanao campus. Now it has become the subject of heated debate between the executive and the legislative branches of this local government.

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Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has come to call a halt to the project until the claims are settled. He wants the MOU revisited. On the other hand, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte says he is sticking with the UP site and believes the claims of the settlers at UP will not hold water.

With this recent development, the sports complex project is in limbo.

We see no reason to rush things here. In fact, the announcement of the site at UP Mindanao campus may not be new as it had been discussed many years back. However, building a sports complex is not like building ordinary structures. Much more make it just a point to cover up for a long overdue shortcoming. The first and strongest argument here is the viability of the sports complex in terms of accessibility. The UP site appears to be not the best site in this respect.

Second, the question on the cost of the project at P8 billion looks very expensive at first thought especially when there are no specifics on the structures that will be built in that complex. By comparison, the Davao del Norte Sports Complex costs P240 million when completed in 2012. Add some renovations and additional structures, the entire complex could be around P300 plus million. The Davao del Sur sports complex is around P500 million although it is not yet fully completed. The Philippine Arena, the biggest sports facility in the country today, in Bulacan costs P9.4 billion.

If this is P8 billion according to UP Mindanao, this could be more than a sports complex they are planning to build.

Given the many aspects of the project that need to be fully discussed, it is only imperative that the proposed project be revisited without further delays and a report, transparent as it must, be provided for everyone to be fairly apprised.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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URVEYS indicate that more and more people would prefer organically grown products. As preferences grow, the main question is: why don’t we see more organic produce in our markets? Why limit the organic produce to special markets events?

The presence of the organic agriculture act notwithstanding, it seems that the presence of such products in mainstream markets remains marginal. Thus, while the preference remains strong and growing, the consistent availability of such products is needed to drive sustained demand.

In a capitalist economy, the market is the final arbiter of what is economically acceptable in any society. This enables individual choice that creates the conditions to enable the exercise of choice, which is what pushes consumers to make that decision to prefer to eat organic. If demand is there but supply is wanting, the demand may wane over time, as the interest that creates the preference dries up. On the other hand, a constant availability of such choices combined with the already high awareness and preference sustains demand. For ex-

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IRCUMCISION is probably the world’s most widely performed procedure. According to some studies, approximately one-third of males worldwide are circumcised, most often for reasons other than medical indication.

To people who practiced Judaism, circumcision is very important. In fact, over 90 percent of adherents have the procedure performed as a religious obligation. The basis for its observance is found in the Torah of the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis chapter 17, in which a covenant of circumcision is made with Abraham and his descendants.

Circumcision is actually the surgical removal of all or part of the prepuce (pronounced “pre’pyoos”) – that flap of tissue covering the head of the penis – or foreskin. In the United States and most industrialized countries, circumcision is usually performed on the first or second day after birth and usually takes only about 5 to 10 minutes.

“It becomes more complicated and riskier in infants older than two months and in boys and men,” American doctors claim.

But not so in the Philippines, where most boys are circumcised between the ages of 10 and 12. If you go to the rural areas, especially during summer, you will see the long line of boys waiting for their turn to be cut. “They’re proud to go back to school, to talk about how brave they were,” says one doctor.

Aside from there is more time to recuperate after the surgical procedure, the other reason why summer is the most popular time for circumcision in the country is its being the most ideal time both for those conducting the medical mission and for those who will be circumcised.

“It’s the optimal time for us and the kids, because we’re on break, and they have ample recovery time, so their circumcision won’t interfere with school,” Dr. Victoria Dimacali was quoted as saying by GMA News Online.

Here’s what a foreigner says of the circumcision he had witnessed: “Filipino boys are circumcised by the group during summer time under the banana tree by a manunuli using dorsal slit method that takes only few seconds without anesthesia. They don’t mind being seen by others kids to be circumcised, too.”

Circumcision in the Philippines is not related to religion. The vast majority of Filipinos are circumcised - whether they are Catholic, Muslim, or whatever. It is a “coming of age” ritual, and traditional for a boy to prove his manhood properly, it should be done without anesthetic.

Until now, there is no firm consensus as to how it came to be practiced worldwide. One theory is that it began in one geographic area and spread from there; another is that several different cultural groups began its practice independently. That

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

VANTAGE POINTS

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What organic agriculture requires ample, having MY TWO CENTS’ organic choices in the mainstream public and supermarkets encourages buyers to try such produce and do so more than once. These loyal buyers, in turn, can inJohn Tria fluence others ecisouth@gmail.com to make the same buying decision. Going organic is a decision that people must make in a manner that is not as difficult. Not everybody is a passionate advocate and thus, they will always choose as long as it is affordable. Ultimately, for an industry to be established, a sustained, loyal demand must take root in the community. Choice plus availability creates sustained demand. Thus, a sustained production base hey must be driven by market

demand. Not having sustained availability, in turn, drives up prices.

Information gaps need plugging Perhaps organic advocates can push direct to market means like social media, trade shows

Creating an ecosystem of choice Pushing organic agriculture is an advocacy that does not exist in a vacuum. All around is the choice for non-organic, cheaper vegetables that compete with the organic produce. Going organic requires a shift in buying behaviors of consumers to increase preference. A sustained development of a market with enough producers and consumers will eventually change the buying habits of more people, and convert more farms to supply this growing demand.

Only then will the roots of this new organic market ecosystem grow and spread.

was according to the authors of the THINK ON THESE! study, “Neonatal circumcision: a review of the world’s oldest and most controversial operation.”

In 1891’s History of Circumcision, physician Peter Charles Remon- Henrylito D. Tacio dino suggested that circumcision henrytacio@gmail.com started as a less severe form of emasculating a captured enemy: penectomy or castration would likely have been fatal, while some form of circumcision would permanently mark the defeated yet leave him alive to serve as a slave.

However, the history of the migration and evolution of the practice of circumcision is followed mainly through the cultures and peoples in two separate regions. In the lands south and east of the Mediterranean, starting with Sudan and Ethiopia, the procedure was practiced by the ancient Egyptians and the Semites, and then by the Jews and Muslims, with whom the practice traveled to and was adopted by the Bantu Africans. In Oceania, circumcision is practiced by the Australian Aborigines and Polynesians.

In tribal settings, circumcision is nearly always associated with traumatic puberty rites. Occasionally the severed part is offered as a sacrifice to spirit beings. According to Encarta Encyclopedia, the operation certifies the subject’s readiness for marriage and adulthood and testifies to his or her ability to withstand pain. Circumcision may also distinguish cultural groups from their uncircumcised neighbors.

Since the 19th century, many English-speaking peoples have adopted the custom of circumcision, primarily for medical reasons. In modern medical practice, circumcision of males is a minor operation usually performed in infancy for hygienic purposes. It is currently estimated that 85 percent of North American males are circumcised.

The incidence among non-Jewish populations of continental Europe, Scandinavia, and South America is low.

There is good but not ideal evidence that circumcision reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in boys under two years of age, and there is fair evidence that the reduction in incidence is by a factor of 3–10 times.

The 2012 Technical Report of the American

Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Circumcision said there is a plausible biological explanation for the reduction in UTI risk after circumcision. It said that the orifice through which urine passes at the tip of the penis hosts more urinary system disease-causing bacteria in uncircumcised boys than in circumcised boys, especially in those under six months of age. As these bacteria are a risk factor for UTIs, circumcision may reduce the risk of UTIs through a decrease in the bacteria population.

Circumcision has also been found to have protective effect against the risks of penile cancer in men, and cervical cancer in the female sexual partners of heterosexual men. “Childhood or adolescent circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of invasive squamous cell carcinoma in particular,” said one report. “There is an association between adult circumcision and an increased risk of invasive penile cancer; this is believed to be from men being circumcised as a treatment for penile cancer or a condition that is a precursor to cancer rather than a consequence of circumcision itself,” another report pointed out.

Meanwhile, studies comparing disease rates among circumcised and uncircumcised men in the AIDS-ravaged Africa show on average three times more HIV infection among the uncircumcised.

One study of a group of HIV-infected men having sex with men in the United States also found a correlation.

Dr. William Cameron, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada who co-authored several African studies, theorizes that the uncircumcised foreskin sustains tiny abrasions during intercourse, allowing HIV to enter the bloodstream. Several studies have found that such sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis also occur somewhat more frequently among the uncircumcised.

The medical case for circumcision is unproved and controversial, contends Dr. Donald F. Tuzin, an American professor of Anthropology at the University of California in San Diego. He says that physicians in the 19th century advised the operation for many ailments, including hysteria, sexually transmitted disease, hypersexuality, and even hiccups.

Removal of the foreskin also precludes phimosis or the inability to retract the foreskin. Louis XVI of France, a famous phimosis sufferer, was unable to have sex with his wife Marie Antoinette until he was circumcised at age 21.

Modern proponents suggest that diseases result from the buildup of smegma, a substance secreted under the foreskin. Also cited is evidence that circumcised populations (especially Jews) display low rates of penile and cervical cancer.

Critics reject the validity of these claims, arguing

that such disorders are more likely caused by poor hygiene and by contact with multiple sex partners.

There’s more. A study published in the British Journal of Urology International found that both the masturbatory and sexual pleasure decreased after the males underwent circumcision.

In the early days of Christianity, a controversy arose over whether Christians should be circumcised, as Jews were. The Apostle Paul emphatically told Gentiles in his epistle to the Galatians: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision.”

To cut or not to cut – this is now one of the most debated subjects among the medical profession. In fact, there are now Filipino doctors who won’t perform circumcision. “I have convinced quite a number of adolescent males who came to my clinic not to have circumcision anymore,” one surgeon admits. “Those who are convinced are happy and thankful to me. Those who are not convinced seek other surgeons to do the circumcision for them.”

In America, “it’s still an ongoing controversy about whether circumcision is really necessary,” says Jack Sherman, M.D., associate chairman of pediatrics at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y. “In 1971 and 1975, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said it wasn’t necessary. Later, they amended their policy statement, citing studies about lowered penile cancer and first-year urinary-tract infections among circumcised males.”

The AAP’s 1999 policy statement, based on a review of 40 years of data, states that circumcision has potential medical benefits. “But they advise that parents not use that as their primary criterion when making a decision,” says Sherman. “That’s like not expressing an opinion at all.”

Opponents against the practice say that in circumcision, the baby has no “power” to say no. Others suggest that circumcising an infant imprints violence on the baby’s brain. Still, others contend that circumcision will leave the male species traumatized by the removal of their foreskins.

Dr. Yehuda Nir, a psychoanalyst who was formerly head of child psychiatry at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, says he hasn’t observed circumcision trauma. “The only thing men are concerned about with regard to the penis is its size.”

Now, whether a child should be circumcised or not, here’s the personal opinion of Dr. Ramon L. Arcado, past dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine and UP Manila chancellor: “What matters is that the welfare of the child is taken into consideration up to the time he grows up into adulthood, in the context of his health status, his parents’ beliefs and society’s expectations.”

Supply needed sustain demand If a supply gap exists, then these can be plugged by encouraging higher levels of production. Often the concern is organic inputs and planting materials. Unlike mainstream agriculture with seed companies and fertilizer suppliers able to promote and incentivize the use of their products , organic methods don’t have an industry to back up the practice. Perhaps a network of demonstration farms and seed banks that can sell organic inputs and means can be organized to create an ecosystem within which prospective producers can obtain the means and tools to produce organic crops and food. Different Civil Society actors and schools can already network existing initiatives to push the availability of such products, inputs and practices.

The passage to manhood

and focal sales outlets in our major markets like an organic produce section to push the consumer’s choice to buy these products, and producers and planters to choose to produce the same organic alternatives. Perhaps a Facebook exchange page is easy enough to establish as a focal point for consumers needing organic vegetable and producers of organic fertilizer, for instance in Davao. People will know who produces the inputs, and supplies the end products like vegetables and organic meats.

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

Indian... FROM 6

JACKAL RIDERS CLUB. Jackal Riders Club members give cheers to Michael Jan S. Tapic (center with trophy), champion of the Open Yamaha category of Moto X Davao Competition during the 78th Araw ng Dabaw celebration last March 15 at Bernardo Carpio National High School in Buhangin, Davao City. Shown are founder Cesar Famitanco (back row, 3rd from left), who’s also 1st Kagawad of Buhangin, Davao City; Edgar Escovilla (2nd from left), president of Jackal Davao City Chapter; Edward Gonzaga (front row, right),

president of Jackal General Santos City Chapter; Luz Reyes Velez (2nd row, 5th from right), assistant secretary and Harry Velez (back row, left), of Davao City chapter with Danny Dalisay, vice president of Davao City chapter and Jimmy Salvador, barangay captain of Buhangin during the event. The club, composed of motorcycle riders - enthusiasts who strongly support peace and order, is one of the hosts and organizers of the competition. Contributed photo.

Village chief, escort die in ASG ambush in Basilan ROOPS have launched a pursuit operation against suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who ambushed a barangay chairman and his escort Saturday morning in the nearby town of Sumisip.

Senior Superintendent Mario Buyucan, provincial

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police director, identified the victims as Nurahman Japparul, 52, the barangay chairman of Mangal, Sumisip, and his security escort Hajim Barilyo.

Buyucan said the victims were ambushed around 6 a.m. Saturday in the boundaries of Barangays Mangal and

the world, to mention one was the Peace One Day activity held in Zamboanga after the Zamboanga siege which was held simultaneously in countries like ours who also has conflict areas. The program is exemplary as the Columbian government who must have read about the FFP, was amazed by the effects of the program in the children thus an invitation for LtColCabanlet was given to speak in a forum in Columbia.

Currently FFP continuous and has progressed to having children from conflict area benefitting as scholars in schools in Zamboanga.

Lt Col Cabanlet’s stand on helping mold a “perfect” soldier never change nor fade.

His Marine Fitness Program (MARFIT) re structured the entire corps’ physical fitness program focusing not only on the physical aspect but also the psychological domain. His emphasis was the holistic approach towards total health and fitness of every marine, for them to be ready to defend the country not only in the internal threat but also in the external threat given the current dispute over the West Philippine Sea. MARFIT program included the improvement of the Marine FitnesCenter and the building of Fleet-Marine Fitness Park. His concern for the entire unit included those who are still in training, thus improvement of the Marine Base Gregorio Lim(MBGL) “War-

rior’s Grill” obstacle course was also one of his works.

What is significant in these projects is the fact that it costs PMC, therefore, (the Government) less as activities aimed for CMO is used at the same time to raise non monetaryfundings for such projects. The widely known in the internet KareraLakasPilipinas was one of his brainchild, that did the job of bringing PMC nearer to the heart of the civilians who in turn “committed themselves” in supporting the PMC the “best way” they can including rebuilding and improvement of MBGL warrior’s grill which is the training ground where the marines are made. KareraLakasPilipinas, an obstacle race for the elite athletes all over the country, is such a success because it is an avenue where civilians get a taste of how it feels to be in the jungle and serve the country. Apart from the construction of fitness facilities KLP’s proceeds was given to the Warrior’s Recovery Program which is another project of LtColCabanlet.

Warrior’s Recovery Program are for the battle casualty marines who wish to continue being useful to the Corps.

LtCol Stephen L. Cabanlet is young, innovative Marine Officer. He has been silently making changes wherever he is assigned believing that it his Godly duty to always make better the place where destiny brings him.

This soldier... FROM 2

Central, Sumisip town.

Buyucan said the victims were aboard a motorcycle were traveling to Sitio Landing, Barangay Central when suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits ambushed them.

Col. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Army’s 104th Infantry

Brigade commander, said the bandits led by Juhaibel Alamsirul alias Abu Kik were the ones responsible in the ambush.

Baustista disclosed that troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-11 are pursuing the group of Alamsirul. (PNA)

es in Maguindanao.

“Our investigation is still ongoing so we can’t make any conclusion yet regarding the suspects. We’ve been also coordinating with the YBL management to shed more light on the extortion angle,” he said.

Olimpio Par, operations manager of the Koronadal City-based YBL, initially declared that they have not re-

ceived any recent extortion demands or threats from any group.

He assured that the company will cooperate with the police with regard to the ongoing investigation.

The company has also adopted various security measures to prevent another similar incident in the future, he added. (MindaNews)

persons wanted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 and the Criminal Investigation and Detection

Group (CIDG).

The suspect was said to be operating in Toril area and nearby places.

in hybrid rice production which ranges from 7,0008,000 metric tons per hectare equivalent to 97%.

With this yield, Hagonoy earned the title as rice granary of Davao del Sur. Peñas urged the farmers to embrace the modern technology of agriculture to boost their earnings to attain economic sustainability.

On his part, Calida vowed not to import rice from other

countries.

We have sufficient yield, we have good irrigation system and a dam situated at a distance of 30 meters from the highway. There›s nothing to worry even if dry spell comes,’ he assured.

Calida thanked the governor for his unwavering support to the agriculture programs extended to his municipality. (PLGU-Davao del Sur/Nilda S. Aniñon)

the 49.20% stake of Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI) in GERI for P10.43 billion. Today, Megaworld owns 80% of GERI and it has taken an aggressive

role in transforming GERI’s vast land bank into integrated urban townships, the concept that Megaworld pioneered in the Philippines.

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brought down to P4 million.

The wife, with police coaching, continued to bargain until it reached P200,000.

Danao said a certain Tata told police that Singh hired him to kidnap Malih because the suspect said they could get P30 million from the victim since he is a rich man in India.

“Unfortunately for the Indian (Singh), Tata did not continue to conspire with the suspect,” Danao said.

He said Singh is a resident of Manila.

“From his (Singh) accounts, his brother was also a victim of kidnapping, that is why he asked P20 million ransom to get back the P5 million he gave to the kidnappers,” Danao said.

Noel Onin said he and his brother accept Singh’s offer

to kidnap Malih because they need money.

He said Singh told them that of the P10 million ransom that will be received for Malih’s release, P8 million will go to them and the six others, while P2 million will go to Singh.

“Si Josephine nagstorya sa amoa na ingon ana ang plano, nisugot na lang pud mi, among gikidnap ang Turko (Josephine told us about the plan and we agreed to it. Then we abducted the Indian),” he said.

Onin, however, said he released Malih on the early morning of Friday and let the victim ride the bus because of pity.

Danao, however, debunked Onin’s statement, saying the suspect merely said he had released Malih in order to get a lighter case.

tant crops but these will take time to grow.

In Kabacan, Mayor Herlo Guzman Jr. said the municipal council has already issued the necessary legislation putting the entire town under state of calamity.

Guzman said the local agriculture office is finalizing the list of farmers to be given assistance after rice fields, corn fields, banana plantation and rubber plantation have dried up.

Grass fires which occur every now and then also threaten crops that can still be recovered.

Dr. Eliseo Mangliwan, North Cotabato provincial agriculturist, has recommended to the Department of Agriculture the conduct of cloud seeding operations.

While DA-12 is ready for the cloud seeding, Mangliwan said it cannot be carried out right away due to the absence of “seedable clouds.”

Thick clouds have been rare in the province, even over the country’s highest peak and North Cotabato’s rain forest.

The province has not experienced downpour since January.

Mangliwan said the irrigation system of North Cotabato was also affected by the threemonth dry spell. Based on monitoring of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the water level of all irrigation systems in the province have been cut by about 50 percent.

In South Cotabato, local

officials mull putting the entire province under state of calamity.

The provincial agriculture office has placed the crop damage to about P78.8 million as of April 9.

Justina Navarrete, South Cotabato Office acting agriculturist, said almost all the 10 towns have suffered heavy losses of agricultural products.

“You can see our forests, corn and rice fields and even plantations have turned from green to color brown,” she told a news conference Friday.

She said corn products have suffered the biggest loss with an estimated P67 million worth while palay losses have amounted to P11 million.

Navarette said the drought has dried up 1,379 hectares of corn fields in 31 villages and affected more than 930 farmers.

Polomolok, situated at the foot of Mt. Matutum, was the hardest hit with 880 hectares affected followed by Tantangan which has 280 hectares in 20 villages affected.

Navarette said the amount of damages could even go higher as there is no rain in sight in the next few weeks.

The agriculture officer said her office has recommended to South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes to place the province under state of calamity to help farmers cope up with the calamity and allow the use of calamity fund by the provincial government.

(PNA)

ment of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Partner organizations from the livestock sector are Davao Hog Farmers Association, Goat Industry Development Council of Davao, Federation of Cattle Raisers Association of the Philippines, and Federation of Davao Dairy Farmers Cooperative.

For the poultry aquaculture sector, it will be in partnership with the Southern

Philippines Egg Producers Association and the Regional Aquaculturist Multipurpose Cooperative respectively.

DCCCII will also partner with veterinary technologists from the Davao Association of Veterinary Technical Representatives Inc., and animal breeders of the Mindanao Game Fowl Breeders Association. ‘’DATE 2015 will be the biggest agri-trade event in Mindanao,’’ DCCCII said.

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11 MOTORING

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

NOT THE FIRST TIME TO JUMP Red Lykan Hypersport used to jump from T one skycraper of Abu Dhabi in Fast & Furious 7

WO hundred and thirty cars were harmed in the making of Fast & Furious 7. They were raced off ramps, parachuted from planes and driven head-first into each other.

For the seventh instalment in the multi-million dollar joy-riding franchise, the emphasis was on real stunts. Only 10 per cent of the action sequences in the film were generated by computer, which goes some way to explaining why so many of 340 cars used in the film were trashed.

Dennis M c C a r t h y, the man who modifies the cars for the film, gives each one the same basic structure: a 500-horse-

Could Furious 7’s skyscraper jump really happen?

E

VERYONE will have their own choice for the most ridiculous and/or spectacular car stunt in Furious 7. But the one that intrigued us most was the one where Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) jump a very rare and expensive sports car from one Abu Dhabi skyscraper into another — and then, after discovering that their brakes don’t work, proceed to jump from that skyscraper into yet another one. (See it in this trailer.) Obviously, the scene itself in the movie is aided immeasurably by CGI and all types of Hollywood trickery; this is not anything anyone should try at home — or, for that matter, anywhere, let alone Abu Dhabi. (You can find out a little about how they actually created the effect here.) Nevertheless, we were curious: Is such a jump even possible, and how fast would the car have to be going to be able to make it? To answer these and some other questions, we turned to Lee Loveridge, a professor of physics at Pierce College.

The verdict? “To be honest,” says Professor Loveridge, “that is probably the most plausible stunt in the whole movie.”

First, some information: The towers in question are an immense five-tower skyscraper complex in Abu Dhabi called Etihad Towers; the tallest is 1,002 feet high, and the shortest is 714 feet high. The car is a Lykan HyperSport, a $3.4 million supercar with custom rubies and diamonds in its headlights and a gold-plated roof. It’s the only supercar produced in the Middle East, and there are only seven in existence. (Maybe six after this scene.)

From the looks of it, Dom and Brian start off in Etihad Tower 2, the tallest, about 40 or 50 stories high. When the fancy party they’re crashing turns into a melee, the two of them find they have no way out of the building. Luckily, a Lykan HyperSport is right there in the apartment, because rich

people. They get in the car and spin around a little while Jason Statham tries to blow them away.

Then, much to Brian’s protestations (“Cars don’t fly!”), Dom guns the Lykan and blasts through the windows, and in glorious slo-mo, the car jumps across to the next tower — which, to our eyes, looks to be Etihad Tower 3. (Though it’s never entirely clear which towers they’re flying into, given the way the wide shots of the jump are composed.)

They land on a floor that appears to be under construction.

But then they discover that their car’s brakes aren’t working. So, Dom guns the car again, and they fly out of that skyscraper and into the next one — which looks to be Etihad 4 or 5, the shortest of the five Etihad Towers. There, they land in the middle of an art gallery, destroy some priceless terra-cotta warriors, then bail out just before the car flies out the windows one more time. (This time, sans drivers, it plummets to the ground.)

The Lykan HyperSport weighs a little over 3,000 pounds.

(With the two actors in it, it would probably weigh around 3,400 pounds.) Using Google Earth, we estimate the distance between the towers to be anywhere between 140 and 170 feet — so we’re going to approximate the distance they need to jump to be about 150 feet. (The third tower they jump to seems like it might be a bit farther, but we’ll assume a uniform distance for the sake of this calculation. We’re also assuming zero wind resistance, because there’s no way to ascertain what the wind resistance on a fictional day in a fictional movie might be. Also, at these distances, wind resistance probably wouldn’t make much difference.)

“There is no one shot showing the entire flight, so exactly how far the car falls is hard to determine,” says Loveridge. “It is certainly at least two stories, or about 20 feet, but I don’t think it

could be more than four stories.”

“For a four-story fall, the car should be moving at an angle of about 35 degrees when it hits the building, but in the film, it seems to be tilted at only 12 degrees. If this were the case, you would clearly see the back end drop below the landing floor before reaching it, which is not how it is portrayed. If the car dropped only two stories, the expected landing angle is about 18 degrees, which is much closer to the 12-degree angle they show and could be within the expected errors of such a calculation.

“Falling four stories takes about 1.6 seconds, while falling two takes only about 1.1 seconds.

To cover the necessary 150 feet in this time, the car would have to be traveling about 70 miles per hour if it falls four stories, or about 100 miles per hour to only fall two stories. Both of these speeds are clearly achievable by this car.”

There is, however, a question of how much distance the car would need to reach these speeds, Loveridge says. “They say that the car can go from 0 to 60 in under three seconds. What isn’t clear is how to treat the acceleration. If the acceleration is constant, you would need more than 300 feet to reach a speed of 100 mph from a dead spot. That would require that the building itself be 300 feet wide, just to build up the speed.

“If we do the constant power acceleration with a 150-foot gap, then they need about 750 feet to get to the speed of 100 mph, to drop two stories. That would suggest that you would need a building that’s 750 feet wide, and I don’t think those buildings are that wide. Now, to get to the speed needed to drop four stories, at constant power, you would need 275 feet — big, but a bit more believable. Plus, he wasn’t starting from a standstill.”

What about the grenade launcher that Jason Statham fires at the car as it’s halfway through its jump? In the film, it seems

as if the explosion from the grenade gives the car an extra push.

“I doubt it would give them a lot of momentum,” Loveridge says.

“You can’t have any more forward momentum than what you push backward. It’s a lot of energy, but explosions tend to have relatively little as far as momentum until they have something to push against.”

Surprisingly, Loveridge notes, the turns the car makes inside the building are perhaps more implausible than the jump it makes between them. “If he made a circle that filled the entire building (a radius of 175 feet) at 100 mph, then his inward acceleration would be four times the maximum rate at which he can speed up and nearly 4 g’s.” (That’s four times the force of gravity.) At that speed, the car

would probably skid, and the passengers would be thrown from it.

Loveridge points out that the reason we generally don’t notice how implausible such turns are is that “we don’t realize just how smooth and sweeping the turns we take at high speeds are. For example, most people think the white lines on the freeway are about two feet long. In reality, they are ten feet long, with 30 feet between them. As a result, the distances and our speed are about five times larger than they feel. What we think are fairly tight turns are actually quite large. If you’ve ever driven the Big Sur, the tightest turns there are probably twice as big as that building, and few people drive them faster than about 35 mph.”

Loveridge also notes that for

power fuel injection unit and a three-speed manual transmission. This minimises the range of spare parts that have to be used, and allows the stunt team to minutely choreograph each scene without having to know the individual peculiarities of each vehicle.

This Middle Eastern supercar, made by the Beirut-based company W Motors, is the most expensive to feature in a Fast & Furious film. There are only seven models of the car in the world, with each one priced at around £2.3 million.

Even the headlights on this car are outrageous, illuminated with white gold, diamonds and sapphires.

The HyperSport has a maximum speed of 240mph, and goes from zero to 60mph in less than three seconds. In the film, we watch the HyperSport jump from one Abu Dhabi skyscraper to another.

the car to make any of these landings, “the shocks would have to be extremely stiff to avoid bottoming out. Assuming they can compress about one foot on impact (probably a bit too much, since those tires don’t look to be 24 inches across), they would have to be stiff enough that under normal driving conditions they only compressed about half an inch just to make the two-story drop. For the four-story drop, they would have to be twice that stiff. If the shocks are not this stiff, then the car will bottom out, doing severe damage to the undercarriage and exerting even stronger (though briefer) forces on the people inside. Clearly, this part is also implausible.”

There you have it, folks. Doable, perhaps. But very, very ill-advised.

12 CLASSIFIED

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

NEWS 13

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

Families displaced by siege get new homes T

HE government, through the National Housing Authority (NHA), turned over Friday 50 loftable duplex housing units worth P12.6 million to families displaced during the 21day September 2013 siege of this city.

Belen Sheila Covarrubias, City Hall information officer, said Saturday the beneficia-

ries of the permanent housing units were the members of the Lustre Homeowners Association in Barangay Sta. Catalina.

Covarrubias said Engr. AlKwarizimi Indanan, National Housing Authority (NHA) district manager, spearheaded the turnover of houses to Sta. Catalina Barangay Chairman Jimmy Villaflores and Lustre Homeowners Association

president Eulalyn Frandisco.

Indanan were joined during the turnover ceremony

by City Mayor’s Executive Assistant Yahiya Abdusalam and Housing and Land Management Division chief Rodrigo Pagotaisidro, who represented Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar during the event.

Covarrubias said the housing projects for the Lus-

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tre Homeowners Association covered 154 loftable duplex housing units with a total cost of P38.8 million. The costs of each housing unit is approximately P252,000.

With the completion of the 50 units, Covarrubias said the construction of the remaining 104 units being undertaken by the NHA for the Lustre Homeowners Association is ongoing and are targeted to be completed by May this year.

Friday’s turnover was the fifth batch of completed permanents homes that were turned over to the identified beneficiaries since August last year.

The other permanents houses were turned over to the following homeowners groups: Martha Homeowners Association, 44 units; Paniran Homeowners Association, 143 units; St. Peter Homeowners Association, 16 units; and, Taluksangay resettlement site, 100 units of houses on stilts.

Meanwhile, Indanan reaffirmed NHA’s continued commitment to the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R) project and its goal of building back better permanent homes for all affected residents.

Indanan also called on residents to do their part in maintaining and taking care of the housing units. (PNA)

14 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

Holy Child College of Davao to offer BS Criminology

R

EALIZING the country’s d e m a n d for more public servants, Holy Child College of Davao (HCCD) announced its latest course offering of Bachelor of Science in Criminology starting June 2015 at Holy Child Mintal campus.

HCCD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine National Police, the top employer of BS Criminology graduates, to develop a unique curriculum which integrates strong and academic type of instruction that would cater to the strategic and tactical needs of PNP. Holy Child set up its modern

laboratories and equipment such as forensics laboratory, ballistics laboratory, f i n g e r p r i n t l a b o r a t o r y, defense tactics room, dark room for photography, moot court, and polygraph.

Aside from teaching the institutional subjects, the school will incorporate several leadership training in its curriculum based on Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) standards to better mold the students into becoming future leaders.

Aside from Police Officers, graduates may also

follow the tracks of Stenographers, NBI Technical Agents, Customs Officers, Prison Guards, Jail Guards, and Security Guards, among others. “(If ) you want to be a public servant, to be of service to others, take BS Criminology and become a servantleader,” said Ladory M. Aseneta, Holy Child Program Head of BS Criminology.

Holy Child College of Davao envisions to extend its Mintal campus to accommodate more BS Criminology students for the years to come. It will also continuously work on the course development in preparation for the ASEAN integration.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

World champ Loreto sues promoter

By MANNY PIÑOL

I

SUED. South African boxing promoter Siphatho Handi stands between Loreto and Joyi after the weigh-in in East London, South Africa March 23.

NTERNATIONAL Boxing Organization (IBO) world junior flyweight champion Rey Loreto has filed a formal complaint with the Philippines Games and Amusements Board (GAB) against a South African boxing promoter who failed to pay his prize money amounting to $42,000, roughly P2 million.

Loreto, 23, filed the complaint exactly 17 days after he knocked out South African challenger Nkosinathi Joyi in East London, South Africa in the first round to successfully defend his title on March 24.

It was Loreto’s first defense of the title he won in February last year by a 3rd round knockout of Joyi in Monaco.

South African boxing promoter Siphatho Handi, who is also the manager of Joyi, failed to remit the amount of $45,000 representing Loreto’s purse and that of another Filipino boxer, Jetly Purisima, who fought in the undercard of the championship bout but lost a 10-round bout by

J

M

Y kumpadre Chito Malabanan, an engineer based in the Middle East, who’s a certified golf freak hurled this challenge.

Take your pick on the 2015 US Masters. He addressed the challenge, almost like a Las Vegas high roller, to his golfing peers including me and former Edge Davao sports editor Moses Billacura who has made Canada his permanent home.

Chito, who counts on Jesper Parnevik as his golf fashion guru, posted on FB: It’s the most awaited part of the golfing year. Forecast, predictions, wishes for this year’s edition of the Masters. Mine?

one three other players in major championship history and breaking the Masters mark set by Raymond Floyd in 1976. His five-shot lead over Charley Hoffman looked even larger considering that Spieth was a runner-up in his Masters debut a year ago, and he came to Augusta this year as the hottest player in the game.

It sure got the attention of the best player in the game.

Rory McIlroy went from trying to complete the career Grand Slam to trying to stick around for the weekend after a 40 on the front nine. He rallied with a 31 on the back nine to make it easily, though he was still 12 shots behind Spieth.

“It’s really, really impressive,” McIlroy said. “I think a few guys can still catch him.

It will take, obviously, something extraordinary from myself to get up there, but you never know. I know better than most people what can happen with the lead around

here.”

McIlroy lost a four-shot lead in the final round in 2011.

Tiger Woods broke 70 at Augusta National for the first time since 2011. He had a 69 and joined McIlroy at 142, only his outlook was more upbeat.

“I’m still right there,” Woods said. “I’m 12 back, but there’s not a lot of guys ahead of me. And with 36 holes here to go, anything can happen — ‘96 proved that. So we have a long way to go.”

He was referring to Greg Norman losing a six-shot lead on the final day in 1996.

Spieth might find comfort in another reference.

The three other players who had a five-shot lead after 36 holes at Augusta — Herman Keiser in 1946, Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and Floyd in 1976. All went on to win.

Spieth sure looked like a winner, even though it was just Friday. The fans treated him like one.

Hunt, Boxing South Africa supervisor Phakamile Jacobs, the representative of the Eastern Cape Government, Loreto, Jorda, Purisima and myself.

After receiving assurances from the promoter, the BSA supervisor, the IBO representative and the Eastern Cape government representative that the purse would be paid after the fight, I asked Loreto and Purisima, if they were willing to fight even without the purse being paid before the fight.

When the boxers agreed to fight, I asked the promoter to prepare a promissory note that the purse would be transferred to my Philippine bank account on March 25.

When the money was not transferred on March 25, Handi sent an email message addressed to me, IBO President Ed Levine and IBO supervisor Len Hunt that the money from the Eastern Cape government was delayed and that the new transfer date was April 7.

earn the Most Valuable Player award. Azenith Ducase converted a quick marker in the first nine seconds of the match before Semacio added in the 10th minute for a 2-0 lead.

Patricia Erika Francisco then found the net for the third goal before Semacio added another one.

“This is a big morale booster for the girls in our preparation for the Palaro,” said coach Ching delos Reyes.

Davraa, which clobbered Higala FC of Cagayan de Oro, via a penalty shootout, 4-1 in the semifinals was also played

by Bea Angela de Luna, Felice Gabrille Tuason, Chiyo Jan Marasigan, Allyn Ravanes, Rachelle Pagal and Jenny Mae Muya.

Higala drubbed Punta del Sol of Samal Island, 1-0 to salve third place.

Hyenas FC of Davao won the 8 under division while the Black Knights also of Davao bowed to VAU of CDO in the quarterfinals of the boys under 13 division.

Still on-going as of press time is the girls under 17 featuring defending champion Lady Knights of Davao City.

DAVRAA futsal girls win in Del Monte

Spieth sweeping the field in Augusta T ORDAN Spieth is making the Masters look easy.

He opened with a 64 despite making a bogey at the easiest hole on the course. He followed with a bogey-free 66 in which he missed a pair of 6-foot birdie putts. He still broke the 36-hole Masters record that had stood for 39 years. His five-shot lead matched another Masters record.

For two rounds, he has 15 birdies, one bogey and no worries.

The plan Friday afternoon for the 21-year-old Texan was to hang out with his family and some high school friends from Dallas, “taking it easy and hopefully just acting like nothing’s going on.”

Don’t be fooled. He knows exactly what’s happened at Augusta National.

And he knows the hard work is about to start.

“This is just the halfway point,” Spieth said.

He was at 14-under 130, a two-day total matched by

decision.

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon, reacting to the complaint filed by Loreto, said the Commission will immediately communicate with its South African counterpart, Boxing South Africa, and the IBO to resolve the problem.

Handi, shortly before the weigh-in on March 23, informed me, as chief executive officer of Sonshine Sports Management which is Loreto’s contractual promoter, that the financial support of the Eastern Cape Government for his boxing promotion was delayed but promised that the money would be ready by March 25.

When informed by Handi of the development, I immediately asked Loreto and his trainer, Joven Jorda, and boxer Purisima to be present during a meeting called by the South African promoter.

Present during the meeting were Handi, IBO supervisor Len

HE Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA) girls futsal team continued its winning form by ruling the women’s divison title in the 11th Del Monte Football Cup Thursday at the Camp Philips in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

The Davao girls crushed Bukidnon’s Celestial Football Club, 4-0 in the championship match to boost its morale for its upcoming stint in this year’s Palarong Pambansa slated on May 3-9 in Tagum City.

Joyce Semacio of the Ateneo de Davao High School scored two goals for Davraa to

PALARO UPDATES. Sofonias Gabonada (left), head of secretariat of 2015 Palarong Pambasa and Davao del Norte assistant administrator and Giovanni Gulanes,

provincial sports coordinator, give updates on the preparations for Davao del Norte’s hosting of the 2015 Palarong Pambansa slated on May 3 to 9. Edith T. Isidro

My pick for the green jacket

It will be either Jason Day, Jordan Spieth or Henrik Stenson.

Rory will be there in the early part but will fade down in the homestretch. And oh, by the way, the Tiger won’t withdraw in the middle rounds but can’t be seen playing in the last two rounds. Who’s yours?

The best part of the challenge is that Chito got to make the first picks.

So his picks are Filipino-Australian Jason Day, Spieth and Stenson. Look, he never picked Rory nor Tiger. Not even defending champ Bubba Watson.

Moses picked Jason Day. My pick? Anyone who wears Under Armour.

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo After two days of the Masters, Jordan Spieth is leading the Masters after taming Augusta with a 64 in the first round and a 66 in the second round. That 64 is the best opening round score in 19

years of the US Masters. That 130 36-hole output is another Masters record.

The best part about it is that Jordan Spieth wears Under Armour. So there’s my boy.

In the golfing world, the list of Under Armour endorsers is so short I can count them by my fingers. And on just one hand. There’s Jordan Spieth, Hunter Mahan and Billy Horschel (the guy who wears octopus pants).

The 21-year-old Spieth was unstoppable in a bogey-free round of 66 to drop 14 under par for the tournament. That score was good enough to tie him for the lowest 36-hole score in major history and break the Masters’

record previously set by Raymond Floyd in 1976.

Spieth enters the weekend the favorite to capture his first major and green jacket.

His 15 birdies and just one bogey through 36 holes place him five shots clear of the field.

Three men before him had leads of as much as five strokes going into the final 36 holes and all three went on to win the green jacket. Only one--Greg Norman--failed.

That was in 1996. This is now the consolation Tiger Woods has on his mind and he thinks it could happen again that a guy who had led as much as 6 or 5 going into the final 36 holes went on to lose.

That’s something for opti-

mism. You know, Tiger Woods has a heart of a champion.

Now, whether he’s down by 12 or up by six, he knows how to squeeze in a win. This time though, he is 12 back. He shot his first ever sub-70 round at Augusta since 2011 in the second round which makes sense when we talk of his newfound optimism.

Rory Mc Ilroy is also at 12 back and whether or not Rory, the world no. 1, gets to get back on track remains to be seen.

For now, the big story is Jordan Spieth, the underdog guy who wears the underdog brand Under Armour.

The green jacket is waiting for my guy.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 8 ISSUE 7 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, APRIL 12 - 13, 2015

ONE DIRECTION. Jordan Spieth points to the direction he is going in the second round of the US Masters where he shot a 66 to go with his opening round of 64. (See story on page 15)

SPECIAL ATHLETES. Blind chess wizard Elmar Olivar (left) and fellow Philippine Team member James Infiesto (right) announce their forthcoming international stints during the Fast Fridays media forum at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier. NJB

Blind chesser goes to World Games

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

A

VISUALLY impaired chess wizard from Davao Oriental is set to compete in the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games in Seoul, South Korea next month becoming the first special athlete from Mindanao to see action in the tough world event.

At the recent Fast Friday’s media forum at Archipelago 7,107 in SM Lanang Premiere, James Infiesto formally presented Elmar Olivar who has qualified in the chess event of the event reputed as the Olympics for the visually impaired.

Infiesto said Olivar is the first Mindanaoan who will represent the country in the chess competition in IBSA world games.

He said that Olivar beat the other top two blind chess players in the country during the qualifying game at the Philippine Sports Commission Arena (formerly Ultra) last month.

Infiesto said that during the last year event the two representative of

the country came from Luzon, Olivar said for his part, he could not believe that he will be representing the country for the big international sporting event for the blinds, after he lost to other qualifying game for the ASEAN Para Games in December.

Infiesto said that Olivar continued his training in his house because for him it is not enough to qualify but he must get the medal for the country specially for the city.

He said that he asked Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte for the transportation expenses of Olivar in South Korea. He also requested the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the allowance.

IBSA is the International Blind Sports Federation which is in charge of a wide range of sports for athletes who are blind or partially sighted.

The group was founded in April 1981 when representatives from 30 countries met at the UNE-

SCO headquarters in Paris, France, to set up the organization.

It is registered as a non-profit making organization in Germany. We are full and founding members of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), where we represent the interests of visually impaired sportsmen and sportswomen.

IBSA believes that sport is one of the best ways to promote mainstreaming and integration in society for people with a visual impairment. Sport can help people overcome their disability by boosting their self-esteem and their ability to overcome adversity.

“To achieve our goals, we encourage all blind and visually impaired people to get involved in different sports and physical activities. You too can become a blind athlete and take part in competitions ranging from school sports to elite championships for the visually impaired and the Paralympic Games,” stated in the website.