Edge Davao 9 Issue 174

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

THE REAL THING. A young boy with a toy truck watches, as a backhoe operator works on the ongoing drainage system project along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

DAVAO AID FOR LAWIN VICTIMS Councilors okay release of P5-M assistance EDGEDAVAO Sports

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS, FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

T

HE Davao City Council has approved the release of a P5 million disaster fund for provinces in Northern Luzon that were battered by Typhoon Lawin.

On Tuesday, the 18th City Council approved a resolution under suspended rules authorizing the city government to utilize a portion of its disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) fund.

The said resolution was passed based on the directive

of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to immediately provide assistance to the typhoon stricken areas.

Finance Committee Vice Chairperson Councilor Diosdado Mahipuss told reporters the P5 million cash assistance will be divided among the five typhoon affected provinces.

Mahipus explained the amounts to be released to the recipient provinces are based on the breakdown provided by City Disaster Risk Reduction

Management (CDRRM) Chief Emmanuel Jaldon to the City Council.

“It depends on the size of the affected locality, the extent of the damage, and how many families were affected,” the councilor said.

Cagayan Valley will receive P1.8 million; Kalinga, P1.6 million; Ilocos Norte, P900,000; Mountain Province, P350k; La Union, P200,000; and Apayao, P150,000.

Data provided by the

CDRRM showed that around 495,937 persons were affected by the typhoon.

Davao City still has about P340 million left in calamity funds from the P350 million budget that was allotted for 2016.

Meanwhile, Mahipus said that the devastation caused by Typhoon Lawin has become a test of President Duterte’s declaration for the Philippines to chart an independent foreign

F AID, 10

MASSIVE TURNOUT P15 Milo run now has 5,000 entries

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

Rody now in Japan for 3-day state visit

RODY MEETS JAPAN PRESS. President Duterte accommodate queries from members of Japanese media in Malacañang on Monday evening. KING RODRIGUEZ/ Presidential Photo

Davao City officials to go on 5-day visit to China

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

D

AVAO City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and five other city councilors will be heading to Shanghai, China today (October 26) for a five-day state visit there, a local official said.

According to Councilor Rene Elias Lopez, their delegation will be meeting with Shanghai officials to present to them Davao City’s trade, tourism and investment potentials.

“We will focus on presenting Davao City as a whole – its strengths, how we [both parties] could be benefitting in terms of trade,” Lopez ex-

plained, adding the Davao group will also discuss agriculture and export issues with their Shanghai counterparts.

Lopez said the city government is looking forward to eventually sealing trade and investment deals with public and private partners in the Chinese city.

Lopez said the Davao contingent’s efforts will focus on penetrating China’s institutional markets, which offer vast opportunities for the city’s agriculture producers.

The Davao Region is a top

F DAVAO, 10

Rain-induced threats persist

F

LOODS, landslides and even storm surges may still strike even if the country’s 2016 rain-driving southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ is officially over, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned about such a possibility as it forecasts generally near- to above-normal rainfall in most areas of the country from next month until January.

“Such rainfall may potentially trigger floods and landslides in vulnerable areas,” said Analiza Solis, officer-in-charge of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section.

The expected rainfall may

also trigger storm surges in coastal areas, she noted.

Solis explained that PAGASA based its rainfall forecast on the assumption that borderline La Niña phenomenon would persist during the November 2016-January 2017 period.

“We integrated borderline La Niña into our forecast,” she said Tuesday at a forum in Metro Manila.

PAGASA continues to forecast borderline La Niña only, as Solis said available meteorological data still do not indicate this phenomenon’s likely full development.

Despite such forecast, she urged communities to prepare for borderline La Niña’s impacts.

F RAIN, 10

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

P

adlopez0920@gmail.com

RESIDENT Duterte is now in Japan for a threeday state visit and to meet the country’s Premier Shinzo Abe, other top Japanese officials, and the Filipino community and business leaders there.

The President and members of his delegation left Manila on Monday afternoon.

“The official visit will be a valuable opportunity to further deepen and broaden the Philippines’ relationship with Japan, our valued strategic partner and one of our true friends,” President Duterte said in his departure message.

The visit is most awaited, he added, as he looked forward to meeting Premier Abe who invited him to visit Japan when they met during the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos.

The President said he will discuss with Abe greater political, social and defense cooperation initiatives, particularly in maritime domain, awareness and security.

“While in Japan, the country’s top trading partner, I shall seek the sustainment and further enhancement of our important economic ties,” he said.

Meeting with business leaders in Japan is also among the priorities of the President where he “will tell them that the Philippines is open for business.”

To support the country’s growth and development, the President said he will seek to open more avenues of cooperation in key infrastructure development.

Tapping the experience and expertise of Japan in devel-

oping high quality and modern public transportation will one of the priorities of the visit, he said.

The visit will also be an opportunity for the President to personally thank Japan for its pre-eminent and fearless role as the country’s development partner.

“I shall seek the strengthening of this role for more high impact projects that will benefit our nation,” the President added.

Talking to the press in Manila on Monday before leaving for Japan, Atsushi Ueno, minister and deputy chief of missions of the Japanese embassy in the country said President Duterte’s state visit will become one of the highlights of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties

between the two countries.

Today, the President will address the Philippine Economic Forum and will meet the top officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday.

Mindanao, he said ,will be a central focus, as together with Japan the country will seek to put on track the island-region towards a just and lasting peace and development.

“This is an important time for Philippine-Japan relations as we advance an independent foreign policy in our engagement with the community of nations,” the President said, adding that the visit will also be a defining moment for the solid and strategic partnership between the two countries carefully nurtured over

A

The new building is worth P40 million, and the fund will be coming from the office of Davao City 2nd District Congressional Representative Mylene Garcia Albano.

The new CSSDO is a 3-storey building that will house the Office of the Senior Citi-

zens Affairs (OSCA), Persons with Disability Office (PDAO), and the operations center of the CSSDO. The 450-square meter new building will be constructed beside the Davao City Hall Annex along Pichon Street.

“It will be more friendly to clients,” said CSSDO Chief Maria Luisa Bermudo. “The new building will also feature accessible structure for the elderlies, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women.”

The facility’s construction will start early next year. (CIO)

F RODY, 10

P40-M social welfare building to rise in Davao

NEW Davao City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) will be constructed next year – replacing the old building that has been at the forefront of the local government’s delivery of basic social services since 1996.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

Dabawenyos security, envi-conscious: Survey

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

I

N support of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s 10-point development agenda for Davao City, the University of Mindanao – Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO) recently conducted a city-wide survey to determine which projects Dabawenyos want the local government to prioritize in terms of implementation.

The city-wide survey was held from August 2 to 12 this year and consisted of 1,200 respondents.

Adrian Tamayo, UM-IPO representative, revealed that the five major initiatives most Dabawenyos want the City Government to carry out are the following: resolve cases of robbery; address gangsterism; provide free medicine at barangay health stations; ensure protection of the environment; and resolve extra judicial killings (EJKs).

Tamayo stressed that there is a need for the City Government to continuously improve its existing peace and security programs in light of recent developments.

“It is given that the public expressed the top concern for both robbery and gangsterism,” he said, adding the twin concerns pose a high security risk for residents.

With regards to the local government’s health pro-

grams, Tamayo explained that residents want medicines to be free and readily available at barangay health stations, as most patients who go there come from marginalize sectors who have very limited access to health care services.

On the other hand, the survey respondents also wanted environmental protection to be given the attention it deserves, particularly by protecting the city’s watersheds and ensuring the area’s air quality in light of the adverse effects of climate change.

Tamayo noted that the respondents also showed great concern for the rise in EJKs, as they noted that the “culture of death” has made its presence felt in communities.

Dabawenyos also proposed other initiatives which the city government can undertake such as the implementation of flood-prevention measures, increasing funds for barangay units, and improving road networks that would connect remote areas of the city to the Poblacion.

Comparing the results of the latest survey with the previous one conducted three years ago,Tamayo pointed out the recent poll lacked four items that were originally in-

F DABAWENYOS, 10

City to implement Sara’s agenda soon

T

HE recently concluded Executive-Legislative Assembly (ELA) conducted by members of the Davao City government in Cebu City was very fruitful, a city councilor bared.

Councilor Rene Elias Lopez said during Tuesday’s Pulong2x ni Pulong that city officials were able to craft action plans that are in line with Mayor Sarah Carpio-Duterte’s 10-point agenda for the next three years.

“Everyone was very supportive of what Mayor [Sara] Duterte has planned for the city,” Lopez said, adding that all the programs and projects proposed during the assembly are attainable.

He disclosed that the City Council is now preparing to implement an Action Plan/ Agenda that will give flesh to their discussions in Cebu.

“We already have the funds to implement those and we also know where to allocate the funds,” Lopez said, pointing out that the agenda

will have a major impact on he city’s growth and development.

To recall, the mayor’s 10-point agenda includes poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, education, health, agriculture, transportation, and peace and order.

Lopez said that during the ELA, the city officials were able to align the objectives of the executive department with the goals of the legislative body in support of Mayor Duterte-Carpio’s vision for Davao City.

He stressed that all of the city’s initiatives need corresponding legislation in order to be successfully implemented.

However, Lopez noted that such legislation needs to focus on infrastructure and tourism development to have a greater and more meaningful impact.

“There will be a series of construction [activities], as we also have to adopt with modernization and to address the

F CITY, 10

HELP FOR LAWIN VICTIMS. Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Sr. says the City Council has approved the release of the P5 million calamity funds for the victims of typhoon Lawin in Luzon. Mahipus made the statement during yesterday’s regular session at Sangguniang Panlungsod. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

Panabo wins Nat’l Best PESO awards T

HE Public Employment Services of Panabo (PESO) has been awarded as the National Best Peso Component City Category last Oct. 14, 2016 during the 16th National PESO Congress in Cebu City.

The award was formally presented to city officials and employees by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Director Joffrey Suyao during the Monday convocation program on Oct 17, three days after PESO Manager Cherelle Espinosa and City Administrator Atty. Jamail Lunar Macla personally received the recognition in Cebu.

Suyao noted that Panabo City represented Region XI, and bested eleven other regions nationwide.

Espinosa said this is the second National PESO Award the has won since 2008, and it was achieved through the

joint efforts of the local government headed by Mayor James Gamao and Vice Mayor Janrey Gavina, the 7th City Council, as well as non-government organizations and PESO staff.

Mayor Gamao acknowledged the hard of the local government and its various partners in delivering services through skills training, career guidance, and employment facilitation, as he committed to continue supporting PESO in its public service programs.

Meanwhile, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) OIC Head, Jeanette Lamoste, together with DSWD Field Office XI OIC Assistant Regional Director for Operations Rebecca Santamaria, awarded the certificate of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya to Jeanette de Asis, a Pamilyang Pantawid Pilipino Program (4 P’s) member.

Santamaria expressed her

gratitude to the DSWD, as two of her children were able to complete their college degree through the 4Ps program.

The DSWD convocation program began with a message from Pastor Rolito Cogal, Sr. 4 P’s barangay coordinator.

An accomplishment report for the period Sept. 2015 to Sept.

2016, was given, wherein the

ducers in the world.

Realizing the huge demand for this crop in the international market, he decided to bring the technology to the farmers of Davao Occidental to enable them to earn bigger incomes.

The Provincial Government intends to develop at least 10,000 hectares of black pepper in selected municipalities of Davao Occidental on a plantation-based system of management.

Under the set up, production costs will be subsidized by the provincial government, following a “plant now, pay later” scheme.

The farmers will be orga-

nized into clusters and will be closely managed and monitored by a team of agricultural technicians from the production stage to marketing.

The good thing is that pepper plants can be intercropped with coconuts, coffee and even agroforest plants like falcata.

A pilot pepper farm has already been established in Demoloc, Malita, Davao Occidental, which has gained positive feedback from the technical team of the Department of Agriculture XI. The area was also recently visited by International Pepper Community (IPC) Executive Director W.D. L

program reported that it had made a total of 7,373 Regular and Modified Conditional Cash Transfers (MCCT), as well as disbursed P266,842,100.00 to 4 P’s beneficiaries in the city.

The DSWD also turnedover a capital seed fund amounting to P750,000 to barangay associations in San Vicente (Sampaguita Cluster A

SLP), Nanyo (Pangkabuhayan SLP), Southern Davao (Duck Raisers Pangkabuhayan), Quezon (Womens Pangkabuhayan) and New Pandan (Hugpong Kabuhayan).

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), headed

by Provincial Director Romeo Castañaga, also handed P700,000 to the City Agricul-

ture’s Office under the 2016 B-U-B Yaman Pinoy Program, intended for beneficiaries identified as solo or single parents.

The funds will be used by the recipients as seed capital for their Cardava and Latundan banana production activities. (Jasmine Paras/ CIO-Panabo)

Black pepper production brings hope, GenSan dads for ban opportunities for Dav Occidental farmers vs trikes in highways D I AVAO Occidental has embarked on another large scale high value crop production project black pepper production.

The native variety of this crop has long been grown in certain parts of the Davao region, particularly in lowland areas.

Gov. Claude Bautista decided to introduce the program to farmers of Davao Occidental after a meeting he had with technical experts during one of his travels to Asia.

Among the countries he visited were Indonesia and Vietnam which are currently the number one pepper pro-

Gunaratne and Nur Huryanto, IPC information officer to further assess the viability of black pepper production in Davao Occidental.

The visitors were surprised to find out the project had already been began in Malita, which utilized one of the best hybrid varieties from Cambodia.

Gov. Baustista pointed out that with the province’s agro-climatic condition and soil type, there is no reason for Davao Occidental not to succeed in pepper production and become one of the main producers of pepper in Southeast Asia. (PGO-DavOcc)

Dadiangas to host shrimp congress

P

REPARATIONS are in full swing for the city’s hosting of the 1st Mindanao Shrimp Congress slated from Nov. 24 to 25.

Marjun Villanueva, president of the SarGen Shrimp Stakeholders Association, Inc. (SSSAI), said Tuesday they are currently working on various arrangements for the hosting of the congress, which will be held at the SM City Trade Halls here.

He said they expect to gather around 300 to 500

shrimp industry players from parts of Mindanao for the event, which will focus on the theme: “Promoting Inclusive, Sustainable and Profitable Shrimp Aquaculture in Mindanao.”

“This is the first major congress on shrimp aquaculture in Mindanao,” Villanueva said in a statement.

Last year, the city hosted the 10th National Shrimp Congress that was organized by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine

Shrimp Industry Inc., and the SSSAI. Villanueva said a number of shrimp growers from Zamboanga, Misamis and Agusan have confirmed their participation to the event.

“We’re expecting a good number of participants to the congress and the exhibit,” he said.

Among the topics that will be discussed during the congress are farm production, farm management marketing, and various challenges affect-

ing the industry.

Organizers have invited Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol, Senator Francis Pangilinan and other officials to grace the two-day congress, which is supported by the city government and the provincial government of Sarangani.

Villanueva said the congress will be the chance for the shrimp aquaculture community to revisit the city and Sarangani, and see the rapidly expanding aquaculture indus-

F DADIANGAS, 13

N a bid to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, the city council is pushing for the sustained enforcement of the ban on tricycles along national highways in the area.

City Councilor Dominador Lagare Jr., chair of the city council’s committee on transportation, said Tuesday he is working for the inclusion of such prohibition in the city’s proposed comprehensive land transportation and traffic code.

The council’s transportation committee and the city government is currently conducting a series of consultations in line with the crafting of the measure.

Lagare said the ban on tricycles along the national highways is mainly set in Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.

But he said the city has not passed a local counterpart measure or ordinance regarding the matter.

“I’m planning to adopt that same national provision and incorporate it in our local ordinance,” the official said.

He said its inclusion in the city’s proposed land transportation and traffic code would eventually strengthen its enforcement.

Lagare said the local government has no recourse but to implement the prohibition, as it is based on a national law.

Lawyer Armand Clarin, city legal officer, earlier said

the move is also backed by a Supreme Court ruling.

He specifically cited a 2001 SC decision on a case between the Butuan City government and the Land Transportation Office.

He said the ruling upheld Butuan’s prohibition on the plying of tricycles along its national highways.

“It was highlighted in the decision that local officials may face civil, criminal and administrative charges if they would not implement it and in case there will be accidents along the national highways involving tricycles,” he said.

In June, City Mayor Ronnel Rivera issued an executive order prohibiting the entry into the city through the national highway of tricycles from outside localities, especially those from the municipalities of Polomolok in South Cotabato, and Alabel and Malapatan in Sarangani.

The ban, which was initially implemented in August, was later expanded to city-based tricycles that were passing the national highway.

Clarin said the local government is determined to implement the measure as part of its efforts to “properly put into order” the city’s transportation sector.

“For quite some time, the city’s transport sector was not given much attention.

But now we’re doing everything we can to correct this and address its problems,” he said. (PNA)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

AirAsia’s Fernandes wins entrep excellence award

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IRASIA co-founder and Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has won the 2016 EY Asean Entrepreneurial Excellence Award for his contribution to the region.

He received the award at a gala dinner at the Ritz Carlton Millennia here last night.

The accolade is awarded annually to Asean entrepreneurs who have demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, global or community impact, innovation and personal integrity or influence.

AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said, “It is a great honour to be recognised

by EY. An entrepreneur is only as good as his people though and I would like take this opportunity to thank the 17,000 AirAsia Allstars who made it all possible. Through their hard work and dedication, they help make our dream of bringing Asean closer together a reality.”

He added: “A strong, united Asean is so important for the people of the region, and individual member states may have to make some sacrifices for the greater good. We’re on the right track with the common market, which recognises the need for the free flow capital, goods and labour. It’s time we go further and push for a common visa for Asean as well as common ownership. We need more Asean brands to challenge established players in North Asia, Europe and the US, and we can only do that if we are allowed to pool our resources together.”

Max Loh, EY Asean and

Singapore Managing Partner said, “From being an auditor to a music executive before buying over a loss-making airline, turning it around and transforming AirAsia to become an award-winning low-cost carrier, Tony’s entrepreneurial journey is truly distinctive and inspiring. AirAsia has helped to boost intra-regional connectivity and bring the world closer to Southeast Asia with its network. This has had a significant positive impact on the region’s movement of trade and people, as well as labor opportunities - exemplifying the far-reaching socio-economic contributions that a single entrepreneur can have as a game-changing industry leader.”

AirAsia is Asia’s largest low-cost carrier by passengers carried and jet fleet, and boasts an extensive network of more than 120 destinations across Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

AirAsia was named World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the eighth year in a row and AirAsia X won the World’s Best Low-Cost Premium Cabin and Premium Seat for the fourth straight year at the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

For its exemplary inflight service, AirAsia was also awarded the title of Asia’s Leading Inflight Service at the recent World Travel Awards, beating full-service carriers in the region and replicating its historic achievement last year when it became the first ever low-cost carrier to win Asia’s Leading Cabin Crew.

PROFITABLE BUSINESS. A porter delivers a cart full of dried fish to a retailer along Sta. Ana Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Regularize workers, or else... - DOLE exec

By RIA VALDEZ

“D

O not wait for DOLE to declare them as regular employees.”

This was the warning made by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Dominador Say during his remarks at the 10th General Assembly of the Davao Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCI) in Royal Mandaya Hotel yesterday Say explained that based on DOLE Department Order 18-A Series of 2011, which governs contracting and subcontracting agreements, employers should make an assessment of their employees’

performance and use these as the basis of their regularization.

“If the employee’s services are necessary and desirable to the company, he/she should be regularized,” he said.

Say stressed that companies should voluntarily absorb employees into their regular workforce, pointing out that employers should not wait for workers to file a complaint with the DOLE or stage labor strikes before revising their contracts.

The DOLE undersecretary noted that such labor strikes are common in Laguna where-

in workers of manufacturing plants simply stop working, go to the streets, and demand that they be regularized by their employers.

“Don’t wait anymore. Volunteer to regularize them,” he said, adding that a failure to do so would result in “chaos.”

Say also warned employers to “cease and desist” from implementing the “5-5-5 Endo.”

“5-5-5 Endo” refers to the practice wherein workers are given a five-month labor contract, after which they are terminated, and then absorbed again by the same company for

another five months.

“We will end ‘Endo’ by 50%,” he vowed, quoting DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III. He noted that over 15,000 to 16,000 employees in Region 11 have in fact been regularized within the first two months of the Duterte Administration.

According to Say, DOLE plans to organize labor summits across the country that will provide a venue for employers and employees to discuss labor and contract-related issues and concerns, and find effective ways of addressing them.

Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act. “The protection really comes from the increase in their VAT threshold to 3 million so that the micro and small enterprises with gross sales of at most P3 million will not be affected by the broadening of the (VAT) base. They will of course still pay their percentage tax,” said Chua, who is the DOF’s concurrent chief economist.

Chua said changing the form of benefits provided for the country’s vulnerable sectors from outright exemptions which favors both rich and poor to targeted social protection measures would help plug the massive leakages in the VAT system.

“We very much respect and would like to help the poor and vulnerable people who would be affected, but we think that a better system to do it is through the expenditures side, not the tax side,” Chua said.

“This is so that we can avoid the leakages and in fact

transfer the leakages that we [plug] to provide better services,” he said. “To use the tax system to protect the poor and low-income earners risks massive leakages as is currently happening.”

Chua said indigent senior citizens will also be protected by providing them with higher social pensions, while PWDs will get expanded health insurance coverage and other benefits under the social protection package of the DOF-proposed tax plan.

“We propose to do a highly-targeted subsidy reform program wherein … the poorest 50 percent of households will be fully protected through a highly-targeted unconditional cash transfer in the initial year, and that means around P200 to P500 per month or up to P6,000 a year per household, and this is calibrated based on the possible increase in inflation and the impact of the higher oil (tax increase) on their lives,” said Chua at a recent tax

reform forum.

“Less leakage means more money for benefits for poor senior citizens,” he said.

Chua said the poorest 50 percent of households earning P5,000 or less a month apiece will each get unconditional cash transfers of up to P6,000 over a year in the initial phase of the DOF’s tax reform program.

These are just some of the expanded benefits that the DOF is now fine-tuning with other government agencies to cushion on the country’s vulnerable sectors the impact of the proposed fuel excise tax adjustments and removal of certain VAT exemptions, which form part of Package One of DOF-proposed tax reform program.

Such measures, along with improvements in tax administration, will help offset the revenue loss from the reductions in the personal income tax rate that the DOF is proposing under Package One,F DOF, 10

Rody eyes revival of Masagana 99 DOF tax plan good for PWDs, seniors

P

RESIDENT Duterte has espoused the implementation of a rice production-enhancement program similar to the Marcos era-project, “Masagana 99”, a subsidized credit scheme which focuses on high loan ceilings and low interest rates that was implemented in the 1970s.

“Maganda na nga yung Masagana 99, nagkaproblema lang sa (implementation).

Nung humina siya, kanya-kanya nang tirada. Tinira ng tinira,” Mr. Duterte said in his Isabela and Cagayan visits to personally give employment assistance and relief packs to typhoon Lawin victims on Sunday.

He awarded agricultural assistance to Isabela with P37-million and Cagayan for P32.819-million for certified seeds for replanting, fertilizers and other inputs for typhoon-affected farmers.

The President said he will copy the major features of the project but will put safeguards

so that it will be properly implemented and monitored through the national government and will be financed by the Land Bank of the Philippines’ loan program.

“This is not a dole-out. It is an interest-free loan but it is as if given free because it is payable in 25 years…kaya ibalik ko yun (Masagana 99),” he said, adding that the loans for fertilizer, irrigation, extension and technical support to farmers will be given to beneficiaries belonging to agricultural cooperatives in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Agriculture has the biggest chunk of budget, aside from health, food, and education, he added, saying that even the defense and interior departments have been sidelined with lesser-than-usual funds, Duterte said.

He also noted success stories in financing small and medium enterprises such as sari-sari stores to help villagers in the countryside. (PNA)

I

NDIGENT senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), along with low-income electricity consumers and small entrepreneurs, will be protected through direct and indirect social protection measures under the tax reform program submitted last month by the Department of Finance (DOF) to the Congress.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the DOF is now looking at lifeline subsidies for low-income electricity consumers to protect them from the impact of the proposed increase in the excise tax on petroleum products.

He said the social protection measures that the DOF is now fine-tuning with other government agencies extends to small and micro enterprises, as the value-added tax (VAT) threshold on their goods and services would be increased from the current P1.9 million to P3 million under the DOF-proposed tax plan--dubbed the

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

Davao Norte gets irri facility worth P9.9-M A RECENTLY constructed P9.94-million irrigation project is expected to boost the agricultural production and address concerns on food security in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned over the Dagohoy Communal Irrigation Project (CIP) to the 4,000 farmer-residents of the community.

The project, covering a service area of about 49 hectares, is implemented under the DAR’s Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP) III, in partnership with the National Irrigation Administration and the Municipality of Talaingod.

“The facility will irrigate the farmlots to help increase the farmers’ harvest. This is part of the department’s goal to improve the lives of the farmer-beneficiaries,” said DAR Secretary Rafael Mariano.

Mariano said the project aims to address food security and food sufficiency in the area.

He added the CIP should be well taken care of, noting that “a well-maintained facility ensures a consistent optimum performance that will benefit the communities’ crops.”

The beneficiaries of the project will soon be provided with trainings and seminars that would help educate them on how to increase their production. (PNA)

ARMM welcomes energy, electrification investments

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HE Regional Board of Investments of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-ARMM) on Tuesday approved the application of KALTIMEX Rural Energy Corporation (KREC) to register its energy project with RBOI in order to avail of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives being provided by the government.

In a joint meeting of the ARMM Board of Governors’ and Management Committee, RBOI approved the application of Kaltimex, a 99.99 percent Filipino and .01 percent Indian company, which is setting up an 8-megawatt (MW) capacity diesel power plant in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi worth P831 million, and is expected to generate 34 jobs.

The company promises to provide a 24/7 power supply through the Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TAWELCO) to service the development requirements of the Province of Tawi-Tawi.

Kaltimex, specializing on providing power to off-grid areas, will also be expanding its operations in Basilan and Sulu.

Lawyer Ishak V. Mastura, Chairman and Managing Head of RBOI, said that the registration of Kaltimex is very timely since

at present, about 70 percent of households in the ARMM have limited access to electricity.

ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

He said the region is in dire need of power especially in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA) where residents experience daily rotational brownouts due to power shortage.

This project, Mastura said, could help address the power crisis in the region.

“On the positive side, power is a huge investment opportunity for those in the power business. The region is the least penetrated market for energy related projects in the Philippines. The Kaltimex project in Tawi-Tawi could encourage more investors to come and invest in ARMM not only on energy but could open-up to agri-fishery, processing and manufacturing projects as well,” Mastura explained.

When asked about the power plant investment of Kaltimex, ARMM Regional Governor, Mujiv Hataman said that it was only this month that President Duterte visited the region in particular

F ARMM, 10

Foreign policies need clarification T

HE Makati Business Club, one of the county’s premier business organizations, has urged the government to call for a national dialogue on strategic relations as the administration aims to further strengthen its relation with Asian neighbors.

The MBC said in a statement on Tuesday that it supports the administration’s drive for an independent foreign policy since the Philippines has gained international respect, recognition, and respect over the past few years.

“As we transition through this recalibration in our foreign policy, we call on the government to initiate another multi-sectoral dialogue similar to when it drafted the 10-point socio-economic agenda,” the business group said.

“We hope that the government will also invite the views of eminent

leaders, foreign policy experts, policymakers, business, the academe, and the youth,” it added.

The MBC also welcomed the administration’s initiative to revive Manila-Beijing ties, pointing out that both countries will benefit from renewed and closer ties with China’s economic stature and the Philippines’ rising economy.

It added that the renewed partnership between Manila and Beijing will be vital in addressing the infrastructure gap in the country, given China’s expertise in this sector.

The business group also expressed optimism in enhancing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

China is the country’s second largest trading partner with twoway trade amounting to USD17.2

F FOREIGN, 10

BALANCING ACT. Traders transport their merchandise from a far flung area of Davao City to the city’s public markets aboard a motorcycle along the national highway in Marilog District yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Chamber inducts 3 new members

By RIA VALDEZ

T

HE Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. has inducted three new member-companies to the organization during its 10th General Assembly yesterday at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.

The three inductees included Jenson Land and Realty Development Corp. which was established in 2009 and currently has two existing residential projects in Davao Twin Palms and Villa Senorita; Instatech Inc. which started

operations in 2000 and has been a provider of quality health care and medical devices in the city; and Green Labor Inc. Manpower and Allied Services which has provided the manpower needs of many companies in Davao.

DCCCI President Bonnfacio Tan led the induction ceremonies. The new member-companies were represented by Engr. Sol Lagmay, Walter Villacencio, anD Pards Vallejos.

Following the induction,

Tan reported on DCCCI’s programs and activities for the past month, which included the Agri-Marketing Conference, Cacao Planning Conference, and Davao Agri-Trade Expo.

“These events were successful and we are happy to promote agricultural products,” he said.

For the month of October, Tan said the chamber conducted a Stakeholder’s Consultation with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA),

spearheaded the BIMP-EAGA Business Mission, and organized an advanced Microsoft Excel skills training for workers.

Tan was also pleased to announce that the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc (PCCI.) awarded the DCCCI as the most outstanding chamber, city-wide category in Mindanao, for its strong advocacy efforts as well as increasing membership.

The award was given by PCCI’s George Barcelon.

others.

Legarda, author of Republic Act 9501 or the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Republic Act 9509 or the Barangay Kabuhayan Act, said, “This fair is a powerful platform to promote MSMEs as viable rural livelihoods and to showcase Filipino home-made products as well as individual and indigenous talents.”

The Senator further said, “I am glad that the DTI is continuing the implementation of the MSME Law. I am even further pleased with the fact that its implementation is incorporated with my advocacies on the preservation and promotion of culture and arts.”

Legarda explained that an important feature of the trade fair is that it brings together fine examples of craft and design and contemporary art that involve virtues and principles of craft.

“The experience of the fair is contemporary and cosmopolitan but is sensitive to the living traditions of Philippine

culture,” said Legarda.

Around 120 groups and individuals from different regions in the country will be boasting their crafts and art inside Megatrade Halls 1, 2 and 3. The exhibition was designed by Patrick Flores, curator of the University of the Philippines’ Vargas Museum, together with Dannie Alvarez and Ann Pamintuan.

Several participants are those that have been met and helped by Legarda such as Sammy Buhle of Ifugao Ikat and Lily Luglug of Lab Tie Dye Weavers Association.

Buhle runs a home-based weaving center specializing in ikat weaving. Legarda has helped them in various ways including promoting their products. They were featured at the National Museum’s weaving demonstrations that are part of the Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, which Legarda and the National Museum initiated not only to perpetuate weaving and indigenous knowledge but also to help promote

weaving communities and their products. Through these forms of support, Buhle was able to pay off their debt from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) so that the looms, sewing machine and other equipment issued to them would not be forfeited.

Meanwhile, Luglug’s Lab Tie Dye Weavers Association, which started in 2009, has been participating in trade fairs but had minimal stocks due to lack of equipment and raw materials. Since they received loom and other weaving materials from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the support of Senator Legarda, their productivity has increased significantly.

Rhoda Pon-an’s Antique Development Foundation (ADF) is also a participant at the 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair. When Legarda met Pon-an, the Senator started ordering from ADF various hand-woven products made from bariw and abaca and would also promote it among

DTI, Legarda to launch arts and crafts fair

T

HE 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair, a trade fair that features both indigenous crafts and contemporary art, will be held on October 26-30, 2016 at the Megatrade Halls 1-3 in SM Megamall, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Senator Loren Legarda announced today.

“A fair that brings together fine examples of craft and design and contemporary art, this National Arts and Crafts Fair aims to dissolve the divide between art and craft,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.

The said fair, spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTIBDTP) and supported by Senator Legarda, will exhibit the cultural expressions of local artists from different regions across the country, mainly highlighting both contemporary art and crafts that exemplify indigenous living traditions through hand-made products, ornaments, jewelry, fabric and accessories, among

F DTI, 10

7 FEATURE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

Community empowerment, the Philsaga way

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

I

adlopez0920@gmail.com

N an upland sub-village named Coo in Bunawan town, Agusan del Sur lies a 120-hectare wide mining complex that stands out from the other mining areas in Mindanao, as it is covered with a lush forest, something which is quite unusual for such a facility.

Philsaga Mining Corporation (PMC) operates the complex which is part of its 592.1562 hectare mining area in Barangay Consuelo. The facility operates under two MPSAs – the MPSA No. 262-2008XIII, which covers 423.1562 hectares, and MPSA No. 2992009-XIII which encompases 169 hectares.

As part of its corporate social responsibility under the Social Development Management Program, the PMC has been engaged in massive reforestation and greening programs, including efforts to restore marine lives, which are all in line with its commitment to be an environment-friendly company.

“The reforestation program is a special tribute to our company’s resolve to become a true advocate of environmental cause now that our mother earth is greatly challenged by the inevitable advent of climate change,” Atty.

Raul C. Villanueva, president of PMC pointed out.

The mining area was the site of unrestrained smallscale logging operations before the PMC was granted the green light to operate by the government.

Massive tree planting and forest protection In 2010, PMC commenced its greening program that covered 60 hectares planted with dipterocarp species which include lawaan, almont, molave, narra and kamagong.

Another 60 hectares were added the following year. And within a span of almost five years, 120 hectares are now covered with lush forest cover.

PMC, now considered a “green company” after being awarded with ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification, currently maintains three main nursery sites with a total

One of the major nursery sites of Philisaga Mining Corporation in Bunawan town that houses thousands of assorted seedlings ready for tree planting activities.

Massive tree planting and greeting activities are regular programs being implemented by Philsaga Mining Corporation in Agusan del Sur.

Rubber trees are among the trees being offered for planting by Philsaga Mining Corporation to farmers in Agusan del Sur.

Planting of giant bamboo nodes within the mill site of Philsaga Mining Corporation is a way of protecting the environment and stabilization the soil to prevent landslides. area of 23,000 square meters and a total capacity of 275,000 seedlings.

The company has already reforested around 560.67 hectares of lands under its Mining Forest Program and another 643.26 hectares in surrounding areas in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the National Greening Program (NGP).

For this year alone, Philsaga was able to plant 24,346 of assorted forest trees, 57,344 of various fruit trees, and 21,145 rubber trees.

Providing support to farmers, particularly those who are involved in tree plant-

ing, are among the priorities of PMC. To date, a total of 50 hectares of developed tree farms owned by local farmers received support from the company.

Most of the farmers in the said 50-hectare area own at least three hectares of sloping lands now devoted to various fruit trees that include rambotan, mangosteen and other species.

Engr. Ferdinand Cortes, PMC’s resident manager, said the company will also reforest around 225 hectares of lands outside of its area of operations, mostly populated by Indigenous Peoples (IPs).

Tree planting has already started in the community

Philsaga Mining Corporation also provides support to livelihood programs of farmers and residents in the towns of Bunawan and Rosario in Agusan del Sur.

where 20 IPs were identified as the initial recipients of the program, Cortes added.

The company also adopted 1,000 hectares of forest land that is part of the ancestral domain of the Manobo tribe in the area.

PMC inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DENR and the LGU of Rosario town to spearhead a forest protection program inside the said ancestral domain dubbed “Adopt-A-1000-Hectare Mountain Forest Program.”

Marine life preservation PMC is also involved in the protection and preservation of marine life in the province of Surigao del Sur, with the aim of helping other stakeholders rehabilitate endangered coastal areas in the Caraga region.

In collaboration with the DENR, LGU and local organizations, PMC implemented its mangrove rehabilitation pro-

gram in the coastal villages of Wakat and Talisay in Barobo, Surigao del Sur, which commenced last year and will run until 2017.

The company has already planted a total of 12,500 mangrove propagules since the start of the program.

“We are bent to plant more mangroves to rehabilitate the endangered coastal areas in the provinces as well as in the whole region of Caraga,” Atty.

Villanueva said.

Giant bamboo project Six hectares are now being developed by the Philsaga Mining Corporation as part of its “Green Gold Project,” a bamboo production initiative, in the province of Agusan del Sur. “This project was conceptualized in line with the program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the first ever project in Mindanao for a mining company

A total of 3,500 giant bamboo nodes are now being propagated by Philsaga Mining Corporation that will provide support to the livelihood of thousands of villagers in the municipalities of Bunawan and Rosario in Agusan del Sur.

which will be able to provide benefits to our operations, the environment and the communities surrounding us,” Villanueva said.

The move, he added, is also in line with call of the national government, through Executive Order No. 879, to plant bamboos as a remedy to land degradation, and boost disaster management efforts in the area.

To fast track the bamboo project’s nursery, Philsaga has already planted around 3,500 giant bamboo nodes within its mill site, particularly along the flat ground near its Tailings Storage Facility.

The giant bamboos will also enhance the company’s environment protection program that aims to stabilize the soil, prevent landslides, and promote carbon-capture capability.

Engr. Cortes also emphasized the project will benefit communities in the area, particularly the IPs because of its economic impact. Among them is the creation of jobs for those who are involved in the company’s reforestation efforts.

The giant bamboos will be used as raw materials for the construction of houses, handicraft and furniture, Engr.

Cortes added.

“Philsaga’s giant bamboo project is part of the nation’s commitment to reforest at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo as part of the 1 mil-

F COMMUNITY, 13

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

EDITORIAL

H

History repeating itself

ISTORY, indeed, is but repeating itself.

Yes, history teaches us that it is not the first time that the we are standing up against the United States.

An engaging piece by columnist Ramon Farolan in the Inquirer.net produced over 3,000 shares on social media as of yesterday and it told of the bravery of military generals Artemio Ricarte and Antonio Luna who both fought against the Americans to the Magnificent 12 of the Philippine Senate that ditched the presence of the American bases in the country in 1991.

Farolan’s piece also told of Indinesian leader Sukarno’s defiance of the US intervention and himself dissed the foreign aid dangled by Americans to its supposed allies. Sukarno did the “go to hell” statement in 1964 long before President Rodrigo Duterte did it.

So what gives? Didn’t we learn our lessons? We cannot just be beholden to promises of foreign aid and perceived sense of security. A bit frankly, we cannot be taken for a ride.

Many of us seem to forget that we are the same nation that said “No” to prolonged stay of the American bases in Olongapo and Clark in 1991. A spectre of doom was painted by the pro-bases lobbyists if the Americans are driven away from the country to the point that Filipinos will die of

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hunger and thousand will go unemployed.

Today, Olongapo and Clark are far better economically than during the time of the Americans.

Now, if people make knee-jerk reactions when President Duterte said he is separating from the US, they probably forgot that we ended up stronger on our own in each occasion that we stood up for ourselves against the Americans.

It’s all about national dignity, sovereignty and pride.

Now if the reaction from the United States was as knee-jerk as a few of our countrymen, it is because somebody cannot afford move on without the other.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel was in town over the weekend trying to figure out what the President’s remarks exactly meant and talked to President Duterte’s men.

If this were a game of chess, President Duterte scored on a Queen’s gambit. He obviously was able to rock the world of a superpower.

Now imagine of this administration continues to lick the whims of the United States, how else can we gain respect?

And even gain more friends we have in the past ignored because we were so clingy on the supposed Big Brother.

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EDGEDAVAO

I

9

Bullying is everyone’s business

WAS in Tagum City when I heard the news about a minor who was stabbed to death by a schoolmate. I got further information about the incident after reading it in a wall posted by one of my friends.

“What is the reason of this tragic incident?” I asked myself. It wasn’t only after reading a comment that the one who committed the murder was being bullied by the victim. I didn’t have the time to verify the post whether it was true or not but I am sure that bullying is existing in schools.

In fact, there was that news item some months ago which reported that the daughter of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte “was allegedly bullied by her classmate inside the school premises.”

According to the news report, Duterte has already contacted the father of the “bully” but it seemed the latter didn’t do anything about it.

He has also called the attention of the school authorities but was only told that the matter was already referred to the school’s guidance counselor.

Duterte has asked his lawyer to write a letter and send a copy to the father, the school, and the Department of Education. “Bullying has never been given attention by the school,” Duterte was quoted as saying. “I think it’s about time. If won’t do anything now, who are you waiting for to act on this law?”

Yes, it’s about time! I know the feeling of being bullied. When I was still in primary grade, I was also bullied by a classmate bigger than me.

At first, I tried not to pay attention to it. But when he started getting nasty, I became alarmed.

So, I decided to fight back – not literally but figuratively. I befriended some classmates who were much bigger than him. I “bribed” my

P

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

RIOR to the pronouncement of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to forge military and economic alliance with Russia, the former Union Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), had already shown significant interest in the Marxist-Leninist underground movement, notably the communist-inspired New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao region.

Underscoring this attention, US intelligence reports said, was the desire of the then Soviet Union to open embassies in Cebu and Davao, then the rebel hotbed in Southern Mindanao, where the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) had strong guerrilla presence.

Stephen Rosskamm Shalom, in ‘Imperial Alibis: Rationalizing U.S. Intervention After the Cold War’ (1993), wrote that towards the end of martial law in the Philippines, Russian (Soviet) curiosity about Davao City was growing. In December 1984, during the World Peace Council held in Manila, “two Tass [official Russian media] correspondents visited Davao City, a center of NPA activity… presaging a growing Soviet interest in Davao. Over the past year the Soviets have returned to Davao several times.”

Decades after the breakup of the USSR, the Russians, with an embassy opened in Manila in 1976, returned to the country, particularly in Davao, for vastly different reasons detached drastically from the ideological intent they harbored during the Marcos dictatorship.

In 1995, a group of 36 Russian circus performers was stranded in Davao for seven

friends by giving them snacks (I THINK ON THESE! usually asked my mother to prepare more than what I could eat). Every time the bully went near me, I told my friends that he (the bully) was pestering Henrylito D. Tacio me. Since then, he stopped both- henrytacio@gmail.com ering me.

Violence against children by their peers, in particular bullying, has received little attention in the Philippines, possibly due to the perception that bullying and fighting among children is part of school culture. “Away bata” is the common excuse for it – it’s “normal” or “a rite of passage” for children.

Bullying is defined as “the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others.” The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception, by the bully or by others, of an imbalance of social or physical power, which distinguishes bullying from conflict.

“Behaviors used to assert such domination can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion, and such acts may be directed repeatedly towards particular targets,” Wikipedia explains. “Rationalizations for such behavior sometimes include differences of social class, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, body language, personality, reputation, lineage, strength, size or

ability.”

By the way, if bullying is done by a group, it is called mobbing.

There are four basic types of abuse which can be described as a form of bullying – these are emotional (sometimes called relational), verbal, physical, and cyber.

In the Philippines, then President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the anti-bullying bill into law, Republic Act 10627, in 2013. Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, one of the principal authors of the bill, called it “a huge step in protecting our children from the earliest forms of violence.”

The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 requires elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address bullying. The law defines bullying as “any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property, creating a hostile environment at school for the other students.”

A 2009 study by Plan International and United Nations Children’s Fund on Violence Against Children in Public Schools in the Philippines showed that four out of 10 children in Grades 1 to 3, and seven out of 10 in both Grades 4 to 6 and high school have experienced some kind of violence in school.

“Results of the survey show that peers perpetrate most forms of violence experienced by children,” commented Plan Philippines country director Michael Diamond. “Ridicule and teasing by peers are the most common experiences.”

Dave (not his real name) used to be a consistent honor pupil when he was still in kindergarten. Then, the family moved to a city when his father became a supervisor of the company where he is working.

It was the middle of school year and Dave, now 8, had to be transferred to a new school, a few distant away from where they are living.

It was a totally different surrounding for Dave; new classmates, new teacher, and new friends.

In the first few weeks, it was fine. Then, something weird happened. He felt sick in the morning. His grades started to drop. He had unexplained cuts or bruises. Then, one afternoon, after arriving from school, he told his mother: “I don’t want to go to school anymore.”

What his mother didn’t know that the actions her son was doing lately were manifestations of a child being bullied.

Aside from those experienced by Dave, other manifestations that a child is being bullied include the following: frightened of going to school and difficult to wake in the morning; doesn’t want to ride the school bus; begs to be driven to school; becomes withdrawn, anxious, or lacking in confidence; cries him/herself to sleep at night or has nightmares; feels sick in the morning; and comes home with clothes torn or books damaged.

A child is also being bullied if he or she has possessions (like pens or pencils) that end up “missing”; asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay the bully); comes home starving (money/lunch has been stolen); stops eating; and is frightened to say what’s wrong.

A major red flag is when he or she attempts or threatens suicide or runs away from home.

months after FAST BACKWARD it was abandoned by its Filipino promoter. The AllStar Russian Circus needed US$195,300 in order to fly home. On a daily basis, the group, which refused to Antonio V. Figueroa leave without the animals, needed at least US$156 to feed them. Prior to the financial issue, the group had performed over 60 shows in various cities in the islands, Japan, and Taiwan.

For the group to be able to fly home, circus friends in Russia raised US133,000 for a charter plane that flew the animals, which belonged to a state-owned Moscow company.

On July 26, 2013, the Philippines seized a Russian cargo plane, an Antonov AH-74, parked at the Davao International Airport after extending beyond the 30-day regulatory stay in the country. The plane came from Indonesia but had to land for emergency landing.

Although the plane’s mechanical problems were eventually fixed, it was not allowed to fly out of the country unless the owner of the aircraft had paid his obligation to airport authorities.

Three years later, a batch of Russian traders, shortly after Duterte’s presidential victory, arrived in Davao to explore opportunities in exporting bananas. The businessmen, with the help of the Russian envoy to the country, initially dispatched trial shipments from the city via China, then to Vladivostok, Russia’s major Pacific port near the borders of China and North Korea.

Krav Maga, a system of self-defense and fighting created in Russia, has found its niche in Davao City. This school of martial arts fits the need of law enforcement and military applications.

One of the earliest Filipino links to the Russians was after World War II when the Philippines hosted the White Russian refugees, peoples who supported the Russian czarist regime and displaced by the Bolshevik Red Army, a component of the Soviet Armed Forces.

From Eastern Europe they fled to China where they settled. With the creation of the Soviet Union as a result of the Russian revolution, they were forced to escape again. Unsure where to go, the refugees sought the assistance of the International Refugee Organization (IRO). At the time, only the Philippines, a newly independent country, responded to the call.

Like the German refugees before them, President Elpidio Quirino, in December 1948, offered the over 6,000 evacuees a three-year (1949-51) temporarily stay at Tubabao Island, in Guiuan, Samar, where a former naval base was situated. In response to the request of the International Refugee Organization (IRO), the Cabinet, on June 21, 1949, approved the request to extend the stay of the refugees.

In November 2015, some of the refugees who were still in their childhood at the time of their forced evacuation, met to reminisce the plight and shared memories of the experiences they underwent when the Filipinos opened their arms to soften their predicament.

Davao on the Russian radar

Orthodox Church In recent, interest in Davao City turned to church matters in early 2008 after the Primate of Australia and New Zealand of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All of the East approved the application of the congregation of the Missionary Servants and Handmaids of St. Francis of Assisi to join.

This development, in March 2008, resulted in the ordination of Pentecostal Methodist Bishop Jeptah Aniceto, the third Antiochian Orthodox priest in the Philippines, as vicar of the Davao Vicariate. He was elevated to archpriest but did not stay long to perform his solemn Episcopal duty.

Despite the setback, the Moscow Patriarchate, known in the country as the Philippine Orthodox Church, inaugurated the Philippine Orthodox Church Deanery of the Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary in Aglipayan Village, Sto. Niño, Tugbok, Davao City, on Sept. 29, 2014. It was first Orthodox congregation in the region.

Beyond religious engagements, the art of

10 NEWS AID... FROM 1

policy.

The councilor said he supports the statement made by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo that the Philippines does not need to ask financial assistance from other countries to fund relief operations in the typhoon-affected areas.

“It is true that we don’t need foreign aid. We have enough [funds] allocated [for] times like this,” he pointed out.

“It is now time that we stop being a mendicant by standing

on our own,” he added.

Aside from the P5 million financial assistance allocated for the Lawin victims, the Davao City government will also send food packs and other relief goods, together with a Central 911 emergency team and rescue volunteers to the typhoon-stricken areas.

This is not the first time the city government has extended assistance to calamity-hit areas, as Davao City extended help to residents affected by typhoons Sendong, Pablo, and Yolanda, among others.

60 years of formal diplomatic relations.

The President said he will also pay a courtesy call on Japan’s Emperor, which he said will be of great significance this will reaffirm at the highest level the positive transforma-

tion of ties between the two countries and its peoples.

“It will capture in one moment the full range of our relations with the country that is kept at high regard and definitely deserves its unique place,” President Duterte said.

producer of banana, pineapple, pomelo, and mango.

“We might also be inviting Chinese officials and investors to look into the economic zones in Davao City as long as they have good relationship,” Lopez added.

The city councilor hopes that their trip to China will yield positive results, which comes in the heels of President Duterte’s recent state visit to the Asian superpower.

During the President’s

visit to China, the Philippine contingent – comprised of representatives from the government and private sector – were able seal economic deals worth $24 million with their Chinese counterparts.

In particular, the Philippine and Chinese governments signed 13 agreements, which are mostly economic in nature and will provide the framework that would enable the two countries to carry out more joint initiatives

“The country can experience La Niña-like conditions likeabove-normal rainfall,” she said, pointing out that above-normal rainfall triggered the 1999 Cherry Hills and 2006 Guinsaugon landslide tragedies as well as the Payatas garbage dump crash in 2000.

Rainfall in most parts of Luzon will likely commence, easing during the February-March 2017 period while near- to above-normal rainfall may still persist in the Visayas and Mindanao, she noted.

Solis estimated that two to six tropical cyclones (TCs) may either develop in or enter the

Philippine Area of Responsibility from November to April 2017.

Weather systems that may affect the country during the period are TCs, thunderstorms, inter-tropical convergence zone, low-pressure areas, the tail-end of a cold front, easterlies, ride of high-pressure areas and the northeast monsoon or ‘amihan’, she said.

“Generally near-average temperature is expected during the forecast period and cold surges may start occurring in December,” she noted, adding that ‘amihan’ will commence soon, replacing the ‘habagat’. (PNA)

her friends.

Other features of the event are artworks by Ann Pamintuan, Magdiwang Jardiniano, Lirio Salvador, and Ged Merino; Future Flavors booth of DOST – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD); Lab to Fab booth of DOST – Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI); and a booth by NCCA, featuring Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) beneficiaries.

It will also host simultaneous workshops conducted by the Performing Arts and Recreation Center (PARC Foundation) which extends support to financially challenged performing artists, Lumban Pinya Embroiders, Sorsogon Basket Weavers, Vermont Coronel Jr. and Gerome Soriano’s Kaleidoscope Photography, Leather Crafting by Patricia Peralta, Comics Making by Manix Abrera, Kim Tiam Lee’s jewelry making, among others.

billion -- USD10.8 billion to the Philippines’ imports bill and USD6.2 billion in exports revenue.

Philippine businesses’ investments in China as of 2012 reached USD75 million, while Chinese investments in the country as of 2015

amounted to USD570,000.

The MBC however noted that as the country aims to boost its relations with its northern neighbor, the government should also take care of its ties with existing strategic partners like the United States. (PNA)

Rody... FROM 2

Davao... FROM 2

Rain... FROM 2

DTI... FROM 6

Foreign... FROM 6

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

SPIDERMEN. Linemen from the Davao Light and Power Company transfer power lines from an old post to accommodate the road widening to a newlyerected one in Lanang, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

Dabawenyos... FROM 3 cluded in the first survey.

“The projects that were not found in this year’s priority list are: projects for women and elderly, recreational projects and festivals, business tax

exemptions, and disaster preparedness,” Tamayo said.

He said the UM-IPO survey had a 5 percent margin of error, and 95 percent confidence level.

traffic situation here in Davao,” he said.

Moreover, Lopez said the council will also help the tourism sector to develop a more viable strategy, adding “they [tourism] need to have a better and wider avenue attract the tourists.”

ELA, mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, is jointly developed and agreed upon

by executive and legislative departments of local government units in consultation with various stakeholders.

It is a term-based plan culled out from the Comprehensive Development Plan that contains major development thrusts and priorities of both the executive and the legislative branches for the threeyear term of office. Tiziana Celine S. Piatos

Lamitan, Basilan wherein he heard about the perennial problem of the ARMM island provinces on the lack or shortage of electricity.

Hataman said the Kaltimex investment in Tawi-Tawi is a re-

sponse to this development challenge and he hopes that the national government will continuously promote investments in ARMM in the energy sector and in livelihood generating industries. (PNA)

Cooperation Forum, China-Japan-R.O.K. Media Dialogue and China-Japan Economic Forum, etc.”

“multimillionaires“ in circulation. The Yomiuri Shimbun Group has the largest circulation with 10 million plus; Asahi Shimbun with 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition; Mainichi Shimbun with more than 5 million; the Nikkei Inc. with 3 million; The Hokkaido Shimbun, 1 million. The other great Japanese news organizations represented in the forum are Asahi Shimbun, Jiji Press, LINE Japan, and Kyodo News, Japan.

Oher interesting participants included the 110-year old Daily Mail and General Trust of UK, now a multimedia, multinational investment house earning billions of pounds, Bloomberg News USA, and Yahoo, USA among others.

In sum, the circulation figures of many of the participants were simply mindboggling and their revenues mouthwatering. NEXT: China’s bullet trains

City... FROM 3

ARMM... FROM 6

FEATURE... FROM 12 The Sidney Morning Herald of Australia The 165-year old The Sidney Morning Herald of Australia comes out six days a week with an average readership of 658,000 on weekdays and 701,000 on Sunday. The paper’s elite team of reporters, specialists, editors and photographers are household names and regular media-award winners. It award-winning website, smh.com.au, is published 24/7 and has a monthly unique audience of 5.2 million, monthly page views of 137.6 million and readers spend an average 00:56:18 on the site.

The Hindu Group of Publications of India has a circulation of 1.6 million copies.

Japanese newspapers The Japanese newspapers represented in the forum are

DOF... FROM 5

which it submitted to the Congress last Sept. 26.

Chua said minimum-wage earners and other members of the working class identified as those earning more than P5,000 but not over P12,000 a month would be protected from the effects of the excise tax adjustments on petroleum products by providing drivers and operators of public utility vehicles with cash cards similar to the Pantawid Pasada Program to ensure that their pass-through costs would only be around 50 centavos.

“Also, if we address the other problems of traffic, of improving their engines to make these more efficient; if we address the corruption on the streets, which we hear some authorities collect bribes from jeepney drivers, [then we probably do not need to see any increase],” Chua said.

Chua said even the middle class would still be protected because they can use the savings they get from paying lower personal income taxes to offset out the effect of the fuel excise tax adjustment.

According to Chua, entry-level workers earning more than the daily minimum wage would effectively enjoy significant increases in their take-home pay because they will pay lower taxes under the DOF-proposed tax reform program.

For instance, “entry-level employees with a monthly salary of P13,378 and no declared dependents would see an increase in their take-home pay

by P12,673 per year,” he said.

There are about 3 million of these entry-level workers paid above the minimum wage, like those in the Clerk III category, who will be exempted from paying income taxes because they each get a monthly income of P13,378 or an annual gross income of P231,292--comprising a basic salary of P160,536 plus 13th month pay and other benefits totalling P36,765, and minus mandatory contributions of P34,000.

They are supposed to each pay a personal income tax of P12,673 under the current system. This amount would be

reduced to zero under the DOF tax reform plan.

The country’s 1.7 million minimum-wage earners (MWEs) are already exempted from paying income taxes.

With the current daily minimum wage at P491 in the National Capital Region (NCR), the MWEs earn P12,488 a month or a total gross income of P218,832 per annum--comprising a basic salary of P149,856 plus 13th month and other benefits totalling P34,976 and minus P34,000 in mandatory contributions like those for the Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-IBIG. This means that a total of 4.7 million taxpayers, which make up 83 percent of the tax base for individuals, would be exempted from paying taxes under the DOF-proposed tax reform plan, Chua said.

Another half-million plus taxpayers earning between P250,000 and P400,000 will pay taxes equivalent to only 20% of their incomes in excess of P250,000 in 2018, the first year of implementation of the DOF-proposed tax plan.

From 2019 and onwards, they would only pay a personal income tax equivalent to a lower 15 percent of their incomes in excess of P250,000.

Taxpayers earning P400,000 to 800,00 will pay P30,000 in tax plus 25 percent of their annual gross income in excess of P400,000. The tax would be adjusted in 2019 and onwards so that those belonging to this bracket would pay a lower rate of P22,500 plus 20 percent in excess of P400,000.

Those earning P800,000 to P2 million per year would pay a tax of P130,000 plus 30 percent in excess of P800,000. In 2019 and onwards, the rate would be reduced to P102,500 plus 25 percent in excess of P800,000.

Some 28,000 individuals earning P2 million to P5 million or 1 percent of the tax base would be taxed P490,000 plus 32 percent of their annual gross income in excess of P2 million. They would benefit from a lower tax rate of P402,500 plus 30 percent in excess of P2 million from 2019 and onwards.

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

STYLE

EDGEDAVAO Lookbook photo of Ron and his collection.

Photo by Aidx Paredes

From sheet to street

TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD RON XAVIER SANTOS, who represented the Philippines in the 2016 Air Asia Runway Ready Design Search, was initially being groomed for a career in either architecture or interior design when he realized fashion was more fitting for him. What led to this change of heart?

“Lady Gaga happened,” Ron quips.

He took up a degree in Architecture at Ateneo de Davao University, given that there were no fashion schools open at the time his family moved to Durianburg back in 2007.

“I was dubbed as ‘Ronnie Gaga’ in college because of my fascination with Lady Gaga’s unique and quirky style.” You’d see this translated into how he carried himself in campus every wash day-Wednesday, donning his own structured Gaga creations amplified with trimmings and pieces from thrift stores. He first

got a taste of how the fashion and beauty industry works, not as a designer, but, as a makeup artist. “I love to paint and I figured maybe I can try applying my skills in makeup artisty for the ‘Modelo Ateneo’ competition. Winning an award came as a

surprise, and this paved the way for opportunities to connect with photographers and local artists.

I filled up most of my free time doing makeup for fashion shoots, weddings and other events.”

Ron decided to pursue his love for design after he completed his architecture degree. He enrolled in the newly opened Fashion Institute of Design and Arts (FIDA), under the fashion design and merchandising program.

Reminiscing his childhood, Ron says did not start out as a Vogue reader. “I fed on my dad’s interest in interior design and architecture. I draw, I paint. When I was young, I did not know anything about dressing mannequins. I would only see how a house or building gets dressed up with colors and design themes.

Instead of fashion glossies,

we only had Wallpaper magazines at home. I actually learned about fashion and visual arts while flipping through the pages of Wallpaper. Apparently, the magazine has an editorial section which featured designer creations.

I still remember that one fashion editorial which struck me the most. It was feature on John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, showing clothes dusted with Holi powder.

It sparked my interest and curiosity. Then, when I was in high school, I made use of my leisure time designing clothes and visualizing wedding gowns for high school friends. Had FIDA opened that time, I would have enrolled there straight out of high school.”

Ron enjoyed his time at the fashion school and

METRO MOM A4

Ron Xavier Santos Photo by Jowe Posadas

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he felt he measured quite well in his chosen field. As an undergraduate, he summed up courage to participate in the graduation fashion show in 2013 and presented a piece which became one of the closest to his heart. “It was a tribute to my mom who passed away because of lung cancer. I wanted to dedicate my first runway experience to her. I designed a white loose and airy fulllength dress with a spider web back detail, which, to me, represented the cancer that consumed my mom.”

This foray into fashion turned out to be very fulfilling for this young artist. “I like it because it’s always evolving. This industry has taught me me a lot in defining who I am and how I can see the silver lining in every challenge presented to me.

When I am experiencing a creative block, I try to experiment with different mediums, which then allows me to focus and appreciate the process of creating, without getting so preoccupied with what the output should be. I feel it excites me mind even more to weave and surface out new experiences and discoveries from untouched grounds. In learning, you have nothing to lose.”

“In my 4-year experience in this field, I was able to produce 3 collections. First was my 12-piece graduation collection entitled ‘Ave Sinistra’. Then came the ‘Haraya’ capsule collection which served as my entry to the 2014 Look of Style Awards.

My set entitled ‘Alingawngaw ng Pag-alala’ got recognized in the 2016 Air Asia Runway Ready Designer Search. For this competition,

I was one of the chosen few from our country who were presented together with 14 other young designers within the ASEAN region.

It is my first international exposure in which I was given the chance to showcase my pieces at the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week.”

Ron’s Alingawngaw ng Pag-Alala collection takes its cues from the Filipino culture and tradition. The classic sensibilities were redesigned for the modern and more experimental generation. “It pays homage to our evolution as Filipino people.

I chose to highlight the Filipiniana, which is the most highly evolved, so to speak, among our national costumes. The goal and the idea was to interchange the Filipiniana elements to create new looks, making it ready-to-wear. I focused on three main garments—the barong, the terno Baro’t Saya, and the Terno Mestiza. I then incorporated my own design aesthetic, which is street wear. The aim of my collection is to be worn by today’s Maria Clara.”

“My personal style is a combination of minimalism, street wear, 90’s punk grunge and, sometimes, provocateur. I like tweaking the basics with the unfamiliar, added with a sense of fun. I’d like to offer alternatives to mainstream fashion, but, at the same time, I want my designs to be socially and culturally relevant.

I get my inspiration from our local scene and setting, as well as media, art pieces, film and books about Philippine history. I like to explore more on the native fabrics, mainly the Pinya. I aspire to successfully contribute in preserving local art

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

On the AirAsia runway.

Photo by Davie Gan

and culture, from fabric production and to the artisans and workers who make these pieces we treasure until now. I would love to reinforce national identity, as a designer, present new ideas using traditional fabric, and, most importantly, promote Philippine fashion globally.”

You may view Ron’s styles and looks via his Instagram account @ ronxsantos.

11 COMPETITIVE EDGE cases covered 87 fishermen trained on Zika

by PhilHealth EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

safe, sustainable fishing

E

IGHTY seven fishermen coming from the host communities of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South, Inc. (TSI) participated in a training on safe and sustainable fishing practices as part of the company’s continued efforts to ensure their livelihoods and safety at sea.

“There are times that fishing at sea becomes unsafe if there are sudden changes in the weather patterns or if the boat experiences mechanical problems.

Thus, we are conducting this activity so that when you go out to fish, you can be assured of their safety,” said Jason C. Magnaye, Therma South (TSI) Corporate Social Responsibility Manager to

the local fisherfolks during the opening program.

Two sets of trainings were held for local fishermen.

The first training was held on Sept 2 and 6, at the Binugao Barangay Hall, Toril, Davao City.

Participants came from the TSI host communities of Barangay Binugao in Davao City and Barangay Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. On the other hand, the second training was held on Oct 1 and 8, at the Sirawan Barangay Hall, and was attended by the fishermen from the barangay.

Discussions during the first day of training focused on the use of the WeatherPhilippines mobile and web

application.

“When it comes to weather-related disasters, fishermen are usually more vulnerable to weather disturbances because of the nature of their work. Even though their frequent exposure to the seas made them develop an intrinsic connection with weather, we want to help them complement their intuitive weather knowledge with new tools, technology and further education on weather,” said Kaye Rosario, WPF Sustainability manager.

She pointed out that even though not all the fishermen have smartphones or access to the internet, they can always coordinate with their respective Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management

Office, which in turn, can access the web application or may have the mobile application of WeatherPhilippines.

The TSI Safety Team gave out demonstrations on the proper use of water floatation aids, as well as first aid and basic life support at sea.

“It is important that these fishermen have basic knowledge on safety as it can greatly help them in times of emergencies. Every little bit of information on safety can always save a life,” pointed out Kishler A. Pascual, AP Coal Group safety manager.

Upon completion of these series of trainings, TSI and the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (AFI) are set to turnover fishing boats to fisherman of the host communities.

T

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has announced that it has a package of health benefits for clients who have been infected with the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a flavivirus common in tropical countries.

According to a health advisory issued by the Department of Health (DOH), the Zika virus is similar to the dengue virus, as it is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, the aedes egypti.

Zika can also be transmitted sexually by a person carrying the virus. It also has similar symptoms to dengue which include fever, conjunctivitis, skin rashs, muscle or joint pains and vomiting.

Pregnant women infected with Zika may also be at risk since the virus carries complications such as microcephaly, a congenital condition where the brain does not develop properly resulting to the abnormal growth of an infant’s head.

DOH has issued a public advisory to increase awareness on the virus, while high-

lighting preventive measures such as maintaining clean surroundings and using mosquito repellents and mosquito nets.

Figures from DOH show there have been 14 confirmed Zika cases in the country. So far, there have been no confirmed Zika cases in the Davao region.

PhilHealth will provide a basic health package amounting to P8,100 for all Zika patients.

On the other hand, the company will provide P13,000 to patients who developed complications resulting from the disease such microcephaly, hydrocephaly and micro encephalon.

Other common mosquito-borne diseases including dengue fever, severe dengue and chikungunya are likewise covered by the health insurance program with package rates of P10,000, P16,000 and P8,100, respectively.

PhilHealth members are therefore advised to update their records and contributions to ensure that they will be able to continuously avail of the health benefits offered by the program. (Kleah Gayle Dublin-PhilHealth)

HE Social Security System (SSS) relocated its Cubao branch, which handles an average of over 21,300 transactions daily, to a bigger and more convenient location at the 2nd floor of the Puregold Building along Aurora Boulevard at Araneta Center in Quezon City.

SSS Senior Vice President for National Capital Region (NCR) Operations Group Jose B. Bautista said that with the branch’s relocation, SSS Cubao can provide better and more accessible services to over 100,000 members and about 8,200 employers from 47 barangays under its jurisdiction.

“Cubao is a busy urbanized area where many businesses ranging from small market stalls to shopping malls to call centers employing hundreds of workers are situated, resulting in a high demand for SSS services from employers, members and other clients who reside, visit or work there,” Bautista said.

SSS Cubao receives about 3,500 walk-in clients daily.

Apart from its larger location which allows SSS to accommodate more transacting employers and members, it also features a newly-renovated office space with facilities that comply with SSS branch standards and requirements.

Bautista said that the new office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, is easily accessible via public transportation. The relocated SSS Cubao Branch occupies a floor area of 1,134 square meters, larger than its previous office location along EDSA which measures 972

square meters.

“Near SSS Cubao are commercial establishments such as banks and food outlets as well as branches of other government agencies such as the Land Transportation Office, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and Home Development Mutual Fund,” he noted.

As a full-service branch, SSS Cubao offers services such as the issuance of Social Security (SS) numbers as well as Employer ID numbers and Certificates of Registration for employers; biometric data capture for members applying for the Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) card; receipt of applications for SSS loans and benefits; and tellering services, among others.

Aside from SSS Cubao, employers and members in the area can also visit the SSS Service Office at the 3rd Floor of Ali Mall where they can apply for SS and Employer ID numbers, submit loan and benefit applications, and undergo UMID data capture from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Saturdays.

At present, the state-run pension fund has a total of five branch offices in NCR located inside Puregold Malls, namely: SSS Paso de Blas, SSS Valenzuela, SSS Paranaque, SSS Las Piñas and SSS Cubao.

“We want to thank the management of Ellimac Prime Holdings, Inc. for providing SSS with office space inside their malls, which attests to the company’s strong support for the SSS mandate to provide Filipino workers with social security protection,” Bautista said.

SSS relocates to Cubao T SKILLS UPGRADE. TSI Safety Technician Jimmie Carlo Berdos, with the help of Brgy. Binugao Kagawad Romeo Saniel, shows local fishermen of Barangay Binugao, Toril, Davao City how to use a rescue can.

7 things you need to STOP doing online

I

N the beginning, the Internet was not terrifically user-friendly — early users needed tech chops just to get online, and they had to do so over a wired, dial-up connection. Between those online pioneers’ savvy and the relatively few other Internet users, online behavior with regard to security was not a major issue.

Flash forward to the present, and the world of ubiquitous Wi-Fi and social networking. Gone are the hurdles to enter the World Wide Web. Connecting is so easy that toddlers can tap around the Web on a tablet; great-grandparents can get online, anywhere, without even realizing it; we can buy, sell, bank, work, and socialize online. On the other hand, the entire ecosystem is rife with dangers and malefactors.

We often talk about needing to be more careful

than ever, but it’s never been easier to be careless.

With that in mind, here are seven things, many of which are common behaviors or easy traps people walk into every day, which they need to stop doing.

1. Trusting open Wi-Fi Everything about an open Wi-Fi connection puts you at risk, starting with the trust you place in the network’s legitimacy. For example, criminals may create a Wi-Fi hotspot and name it something plausible, like “McDonalds open wifi” or “Hotel Guest 3.”

Then, let’s say you’ve made sure an open Wi-Fi network is really what it appears to be. That doesn’t mean it’s safe — it means that “network: librarywifi; password: ReadBooks!” really belongs to library, not that criminals aren’t lurking on

that network. If you must use the network, do so as safely as possible: avoid visiting sites that require a login, and especially avoid any financial transactions. No banking, no shopping. If possible, use a VPN. 2. Choosing simple, guessable passwords Pets’ names, birthdays, family names, and the like make for supremely insecure passwords. Instead, start with things other people are unlikely to guess, and use our password checker as a tool to help you learn to build better passwords.

The good news is, a reliable password doesn’t have to be something like ML)k[V/ u,p%mA+5m — some random string you’ll never remember. Try our techniques to create strong passwords that are easy to memorize.

3. Reusing passwords So, you’ve chosen an awesome new password.

Strong like a bull. Easy to remember, hard to crack.

Guess what? You’re going to need more passwords.

Because although yes, you could certainly be the victim of a hacker who unlocks your password, the odds are high that your login credentials will be compromised by some gigantic database hack.

And if one login name and password opens your e-mail, bank account, Amazon, Facebook…well, you get the idea.

4. Clicking links in e-mails Who thought clickable links in e-mail were a good idea? Well, lots of people — including criminals. Clicking on a link in spam or phishing e-mail may take you to a site that automatically downloads malware to your com-

F 7 THINGS, 13

12 FEATURE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

9 days in China

Part 4

The world’s mega media organizations

By ANTONIO M. AJERO

T

HE 2016 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road in Beijing last July was remarkable in one other thing, aside from the significance of the main topic – it was attended by some of the world’s mega news organizations, whose more than 200 editors and news executives, including brain trusts and leaders of a sprinkling of think tanks and new media institutions, from 101 countries gamely participating in the discussions on the unprecedented Chinese initiative, China’s growing soft power and their geopolitical implications.

Technology sub forum There was also a “New Media and Technology Sub Forum” which gave participants an idea of how the world’s media organizations have leveled up in communication technology and embraced digitalization in their now integrated news operations.

The organizations represented in the forum included at least 17 media houses which have existed for more than 100 years now in various parts of the world.

The centenarians These media “centenarians” in the order of their ages are The Sidney Morning Herald in Australia, which has existed for 175 years, surviving two world wars and a dozen smaller conflicts notably the ones in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East, which continues to rage in many fronts today; followed by Die Presse of Austria, which is 168 years old; Reuters of the United Kingdom, 165 years; The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan, 142 years; Al-Ahram of Egypt, 141 years; Nikkei Inc., Japan,

People’s Daily national commentary team People’s Daily takes pride in its commentary products, which are preferred as the flag of the newspaper. The commentaries published in the People’s Daily are often seen as a barometer of Chinese politics and the development trends of the times. The newspaper often speaks out and draws worldwide 140; The Hindu Group of Publications in India, 138; Asahi Shimbun of Japan, 137; The Mainichi Shimbun Group, Japan, 136; Hokkaido Shimbun, also of Japan, 129; The Financial Times of U.K., 128; *The Manila Times, 118; *Manila Bulletin, 116; Standard Media Group of Kenya, 114; Gazeta Pravda of Russia, 104; and Lietuvo zinios of Lithuania, 103. Not included in the list are those which will turn century-old in a few months whose glorious stories are also worth telling but for the lack of space.

Note that two of the “centenarians” are in the Philippines –The Manila Times and Manila Bulletin. The Manila Times, the country’s leading daily up to the early 70s, had been included in a book of the world’s 50 greatest newspapers published just before

People’s Daily Headquarters in Beijing, China

Martial Law snatched it away from the Roces family, the paper’s owners then. Aside from the paper being padlocked, its iconic publisher, the late Joaquin “Chino” Roces, was locked up in the military stockade together with politicians, activists and street parliamentarians who opposed the Marcos presidency for a variety of reasons. The sequestration lasting more than a decade effectively removed the paper from circulation and from the consciousness of the readers, such that when it was reopened in 1986, days after the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos was driven away by the United States government-backed People Power Revolution at Edsa, many young readers had no recollection of the paper and its greatness.

By the admission of its

attention at historic moments. It puts into print the key points of the Party’s work and government’s work, hot social issues, the public’s interest, and the difficulties of reform. It takes initiatives and gives voice to the Party’s mouthpiece on key events, social phenomenon and ideologies. current president, CEO and executive editor, Dante Francis “Klink” Ang II, who was only 3 years old when the paper was closed by Marcos in 1972, The Times “presently bills itself as having the fourth largest circulation of the newspapers in the Philippines, beating the Manila Standard Today but still behind the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Star.”

No such misfortune visited Manila Bulletin as its owner then, the late Gen. Hans Menzi, was the aide-de-camp of President Marcos, when he declared Martial Law on September 21, 1972.

As it struggles to gain back its past glory in circulation and profitability, I think one of the Times’ strongest assets is its incisive and enlightened opinion section. Ironically, former senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad, one of its hardhitting columnists, had a lot to do with the paper’s padlocking in 1972 as

Mr. Yang Zhenwu, People’s Daily President

the chief propagandist of President Marcos then.

A word on the sponsor Indeed the participating organizations, including some state-controlled agencies, radio and television networks, was an impressive array of top players in the media constellation, starting with People’s Daily, the forum’s organizer and host.

According to one of the forum’s souvenir programs, “People’s Daily is an organ of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. It is also the largest and most influential newspaper in the country, published nationwide with a daily circulation of 3.1 million in 2016. People’s Daily was ranked by the UNESCO as one of the world’s top newspapers in 1992.

“People’s Daily has grown from a printed only newspaper to a modern multimedia news group, distributing its news products through various platforms, such newspaper, magazine, website, television, radio, digital newsstand, Mobile SMS, microblog, WeChat and mobile application. The group now operates 29 newspapers and magazines. 44 websites, 129 microblog accounts, 129 WeChat accounts and 26 mobile applications. The readership of the whole group reaches 350 million.

“People’s Daily also main-

tains a multilingual internet presence. On January 1, 1997, it launched its website people. com.cn, which is the leading general-interest news websites founded by media organizations in China. It now has a daily page view as much as 510 million. It has 17 languages as well as 18 versions.

“On April 27, 2012, People. cn went public at the Shanghai Stock Exchange, setting two records at the capital market of China by becoming the first news website listed on the A share market and the first media company that went on public as a whole on the A share market.

“In June 2014, People’s Daily launched its official mobile application. It has been downloaded and installed by 130 million users. People’s Daily extends its influence on social networking platforms.

It microblog account, which has 83 million followers, is ranked as the most influential one among all media organizations. And its WeChat account, which is followed by 5.4 million users, has the biggest readership among all WeChat accounts.

“People’s Daily commits itself to promoting integration between traditional media and new media, and tries to reengineer and upgrade its new producing line by adoption the concept of central kitchen to build an integral platform so as to increase interflow of resources inside the group and prioritize multimedia outlets.

The data base center under construction will equip itself with better technological capacity to realize integrated development.

People’s Daily has been updating and strengthening its news gathering systems throughout the country and the world. Currently, it has more than 70 branches and bureaus nationwide and worldwide. “ People’s Daily has been actively engaged in communication and cooperation with foreign media, and committed to promoting understanding and cooperation between Chinese and foreign media. It has successfully organized a number of international conferences, such as Silk Road Economic Belt Media Cooperation Forum, 10+3 Media

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7 things... FROM 11 puter or to a site that looks familiar but steals your password. At the very least, clicking will confirm to spammers that a person opened the message — it lets them know they found a mark.

Bonus: Stop clicking on Facebook like-farming links. You know the ones — Like and Share to win an iPhone! Like this if you think it’s wrong to torture animals!

At best, you merely won’t win anything, but it’s safe to say you will be helping out scammers and validating shady businesses practices, and there’s always the risk of getting suckered into installing malware (in which case, we can help — but it’s better to avoid the malware to begin with).

5. Providing login credentials to anyone The only way to be sure no one malicious — or clueless — has your info is to keep it entirely to yourself.

6. Letting the Internet know you’ll be out of town “At the beach for two weeks — jealous?” “Goin’ to Mexico mañana!” “Can someone take Rover while we’re out of town next week?”

How about geotagged photos that show viewers where they were taken? Keep that information among trusted friends only — especially on networks such as Facebook that show your town of resi-

dence.

7. Accepting social media default settings By and large, social media networks give you a fair amount of control over the information you broadcast — to the public at large, to your connections, to third parties, and so on. But you may have to dig to find the settings, and those settings may change (:cough: Facebook :cough:) every so often.

Before you sign up for a new account, take 5 minutes to comb through privacy and security settings. And for existing accounts, set aside a few minutes every month to confirm you’re sharing info only with the people you choose.

Then, before you post something for your friends on Facebook, your followers on Twitter, your connections on LinkedIn, or wherever else you may broadcast, take just a quick second to be sure you aren’t sending strangers information that might help them impersonate you online or otherwise do you harm.

Generally, remember that it pays to be alert and aware — and suspicious — with your electronic life.

Online services from Wi-Fi providers to banks to social networks strive to make users feel comfortable and at ease, but to online criminals, you look like a big wad of cash. So: Are you ready to get smart online?

NEWS 13

DOJ OKs filing of illegal possession of arms raps vs Davao blast suspects

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HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the filing of illegal possession charges against the three members of the Maute Terrorist Group who were allegedly the perpetrators of the Sept. 2 Davao City night market blast.

In a resolution dated Oct. 18 but was only released Tuesday, the DOJ recommended that the resolution be approved and respondents as TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, Wendel Apostol Facturan, and Musali Mustapha, be indicted for violation of Republic Act 9516 for illegal possession of explosives, firearms and

ammunition filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

“We take judicial notice that by virtue of proclamation No. 55, dated September 4, 2016, the country was placed by President Rodrigo Duterte under a state of National Emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao. The checkpoint conducted by complainants was pursuant to said President Proclamation and warranted by the exigencies of public order, “said the resolution signed by Senior Assistant State Prosecu-

lion hectares of designated areas as its contribution to the ASEAN commitment of 20 million hectares of new forests by 2020,” Atty. Villanueva said.

Though the company’s tree planting efforts will only cover a specific area, Philsaga plans to eventually expand the project among adjoining communities,” he added.

Neighbouring communities are also looking forward to the implementation of the company’s giant bamboo project.

“We are hoping for the full implementation of the giant bamboo project as this will help the livelihood of the peo-

ple in communities,” said 59year old Emilio Oliver, one of the chieftains in Bunawan.

Through the years, Philsaga has extended livelihood programs and provided social services to the towns of Bunawan and Rosario in Agusan del Sur. Such efforts were duly recognized by the local government units (LGUs) in the host communities, as resolutions were recently passed by their respective local legislative councils, wherein they expressed their gratitude, as well as gave their full support to the company’s efforts to uplift the lives of residents in the area.

Community... FROM 7

tors Peter L. Ong, Assistant State Prosecutors Susan B. Azarcon, Ferdinand Fernandez and approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano.

But based on their counter affidavits, the three denied that they were arrested on board a motorcycle with no license plate in a mobile checkpoint by joint elements of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police last Oct. 4 in Cotabato City.

The DOJ said records show the complainants merely stopped respondents after they were found to have violated the law and acted suspiciously. Aside from the fact that the respondents’ motorcycle had no plate number, they were also seen by complainants turning their motorycycle around to evade the checkpoint deliberately.

It added that respondents failed to present any document for the motorcycle and it was the only time the respondents were asked to alight the motorcycle and were searched by the com-

plainants which yielded unlicensed firearms and explosives.

Confiscated from the suspects were various components for improvised explosive devices, a sub-machine gun, a .45 caliber pistol, their motorcycle, and various cellular phones. ”We now come to the criminal liability of respondents.

We find all respondents liable for violation of R.A. 10591 (the comprehensive firearms and ammunition regulation act) and violation of P.D. No. 1866, as amended by R.A. 9156,” the DOJ statted.

Earlier, Ong clarified that the resolution is based on the raps for violation of Republic Act 9516 for illegal possession of explosives, firearms and ammunition filed by CIDG and not on charges in relation to the Davao blast.

He noted that the Davao prosecutors are handling the case in relation to the blast which left 15 people dead and injured 70 others. (PNA)

try in the area.

He said the shrimp industry grew by about 20 percent in the last five years in terms of farm area, which is more than 50 percent annually in terms of production since 2014.

“Attendees will be able to see what is happening in the country’s aquaculture as a whole and observe how this

growth was created as aquaculture developments in the rest of the Philippines,” he said.

He added that the congress will also be a venue to learn about the latest trends in aquaculture, see the newest technology through the trade shows and exhibits, as well as enjoy the world-class tourist destinations in the area. (PNA)

Dadiangas... FROM 4

14 EDGEDAVAO Sports

MASSIVE TURNOUT

Milo run now has 5,000 entries

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

W

njb@edgedavao.net

ITH ten days left before registration closes on November 4, some 5,000 runners have signed up for the 40th Milo National Marathon Davao Leg. Local race organizer Kenneth Sai of Vantage Sports confirmed the massive turnout yesterday as they expect to hit the 10,000 target for this year’s race set on November 9 beginning and ending at the SM Lanang Premier grounds.

“We had 7,000 runners last year and at this point of the registration period, we are well on target of hitting the projected figures,” Sai said.

Sonny Wagdos of the

University of Mindanao and Judelyn Miranda of Tagum City will attempt what no one has done before in the local racing scene—win three straight Milo titles—and at the moment there appears no one on paper to provide the biggest challenge.

Wagdos and Miranda ruled the local qualifiers in 2014 and 2015 and will have a chance to earn a three-peat this year.

Wagdos will contend with Michael Echalico in the men’s premier 21-K race while Miranda will have practically herself at the moment unless somebody will come over and try to qualify

here.

Last year, Wagdos topped the race that saw defending champion Rafael Poliquit drop out midway into the tough route. Poliquit, however, managed to redeem himself when he defended the title in the National Finals.

Sai said the course will be the same from SM Lanang Premier and going through an up and down route in the Philippines-Japan Friendship Highway with the turnaround point at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport junction.

Two schools from Wangan in Calinan district will also be the beneficiaries this year

of the Help Give Shoes advocacy, the corporate social responsibility component of the annual footrace where less privileged school children are given free custom-made rubber shoes by Milo.

First staged in 1974, the Milo Marathon has emerged as the biggest, grandest and most prestigious running event in the country.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 174 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 THREE-PEAT? Twotime defending champions Sonny Wagdos and Judelyn Miranda hope tto make it three straight.

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WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS. (left) Cavaliers’ Big Three Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and Kevin Love are ready to defend their title. (Right) The Cleveland Indians celebrate their American pennant win. They will chase the World Series title against the Chicago Cubs.

BOYS OF CLEVELAND Cavs begin title defense as Indians chase their own for Cleveland

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HE city of Cleveland has waited 52 years to celebrate a championship, yet on the night the Cavaliers will receive their rings and the banner is raised to the rafters, somehow this team has become a bit of an afterthought within its own hard-luck city.

The Cleveland Indians opening Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs across the street from the Cavs opener against the New York Knicks has added an extra element of electricity within a fan base that has little experience celebrating champions. But they’re quickly getting the hang

of it.

LeBron James and the Cavs have waited all summer for the jewelry that accompanies being the first team in history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win an NBA championship. The fact they’ll get their rings on the same night James’ good friend Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks

are in town makes the evening even more fascinating.

The Knicks, after all, greatly aided the Cavs’ title by giving them J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in a midseason trade two seasons ago.

“It’s just a special night, it’s something that no one can ever take away from you no matter

how many missed shots, no matter how many turnovers, no matter how many games that you’ve lost, they can never take that moment away from you,” James said. “I’m happy not only for every guy here, but our fans and the organization. It’s something that’s going to live in the archives forever.”

James and the Cavs also faced the Knicks on an equally emotional night two years ago when James made his grand return to Cleveland. The emotion of the night seemed to overwhelm the Cavs, who lost to an inferior Knicks team.

James, however, is 2-0 on previous ring nights with the Miami Heat.

“It’s difficult because you

Yi out, MTW in for Lakers

M

ETTA World Peace and Thomas Robinson both went into training camp with only a small chance of making the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster.

They seized that chance and wouldn’t let it go, much to the surprise of coach Luke Walton and general manager Mitch Kupchak.

The Lakers kept the two veteran forwards on their opening night roster Monday, waiving Chinese 7-footer Yi Jianlian and forward Anthony Brown.

Yi requested his release after realizing he wouldn’t have a prominent role immediately with the Lakers. Brown, a second-round pick last year, simply was outplayed by the 36-yearold World Peace and Robinson, who is with his sixth team in five NBA seasons. ‘’As much as I like (Brown), and as well as he was playing, Metta World Peace and T-Rob, they were bringing it every single day,’’ Walton said after practice. ‘’They were giving us a toughness that I think we need, and giving us some vocal leadership, some experience, and I just felt like in talking with the guys upstairs, that was what was most valuable for those last couple of spots.’’

When the Lakers return from the worst season in franchise history against Houston on Wednesday, they’ll do it with World Peace on their roster for

the second straight season after his NBA career appeared over.

Kupchak acknowledges he didn’t expect World Peace to make the team again this year, but the former Ron Artest continues to provide veteran stability and defensive ability.

World Peace begins his 17th NBA season this week, and he credits his longevity to a personal reawakening in his mid-30s.

After living a ‘’very reckless’’ lifestyle, World Peace embraced a healthy existence and gained a cerebral understanding of his role with the Lakers. ‘’It’s weird - at the end of my career, I feel like the beginning,’’ said World Peace, who turns 37 next month. ‘’I’ve got a goal, a personal goal, of trying to reach 20 years, and in order to reach those goals, I’ve got to take care of my body, have that body freedom. I have to have a no-partying lifestyle, eating the right ways. Obviously there’s such a thing called Father Time, but if you take care of your body, you’ll have a chance to run with these young guys. These boys are fast, they’re jumping all over, and in order to compete, you’ve got to treat your body the right way.’’

World Peace was out of the league for 18 months between his release by the New York Knicks in early 2014 to his return to the Lakers, playing in China and Italy during his absence.

Yi returned to the NBA last month after a four-year absence,

agreeing to an incentive-laden contract with the Lakers. The 7-footer was the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft before returning to China in 2012, becoming his domestic league’s dominant player.

Yi averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds during the preseason. ‘’I think he wanted a bigger role, bigger minutes than we had available,’’ Walton said. ‘’He was really going to have to outplay everybody to get big minutes because of the players we need to develop, and he did a great job. He w a s great while he was here. He proved that h e belongs in this league.’’

BACK IN THE FOLD. Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) will be playing for his 17th NBA season.

just reflect on last year when you should be worrying about this year, but it’s human nature,” James said. “We’re not there celebrating this year, we’re there celebrating our accomplishment from last year.

“Our fans have the right to celebrate that, we have the right to celebrate that and it’s unfortunate that we also at the same time now got to get back to a new season, but that’s what the job is and we have to do that. It should never take away from the night itself.”

New York, conversely, is hopeful it can make a postseason push in the East with the debut of its new-look roster.

New guard Derrick Rose participated in just three prac-

tices since he was cleared of sexual assault charges last week. Rose missed more than two weeks due to the trial, including the final five preseason games. He hasn’t played in a game since Oct. 4, but coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t believe Rose will be on any minute restrictions.

Anthony missed the playoffs the last three years in New York and now must stand and watch again Tuesday while James, one of his closest friends in the league, collects his third ring. Anthony is still searching for his first, although budding star Kristaps Porzingis, Rose and new center Joakim Noah should at least inch the Knicks back into the postseason.

Cavs,Warriors open new NBA season against rejigged teams

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HE long wait is over for NBA fans as the league holds no punches in three must-watch games to open the 71st season on Wednesday.

LeBron James and the reigning NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers face a familiar foe in Carmelo Anthony, who leads a New York Knicks team revamped from the coaching staff to the roster, when they open the new season at 7:30 a.m.

Two darkhorse teams in the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, then collide at 10 a.m. before the colossal matchup between the owners of the league last season, the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, kicks off at 10:30 a.m.

Here is a preview of the NBA’s season-opening battles: New York at Cleveland The Cavaliers will receive their championship rings before facing the new-look Knicks, who added former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in the offseason. Jeff Hornacek will also make his head-coaching debut with New York, while Cleveland’s Tyronn Lue will coach his first regular-season opener after taking over as head coach last January and

leading the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in franchise history. On a trivial note, James opens the season needing 114 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Utah at Portland The Trail Blazers, who have won an NBA-record 15 consecutive regular-season home openers, feature one of the NBA’s best backcourts in two-time All-Star Damian Lillard and 2015-16 NBA Most Improved Player CJ McCollum. The two guards led Portland to its third consecutive playoff appearance last season. The Jazz, looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012, added veterans Boris Diaw, George Hill and Joe Johnson in the offseason to complement a promising young core. Unfortunately, Utah’s Gordon Hayward, who averaged a team-high 19.7 points last season, will miss the game with a finger injury.

San Antonio at Golden State Kevin Durant will make his debut with the Warriors, who signed the four-time scoring champion and 2013-14 NBA MVP after a league-record 73-9 season but lost in the Finals to the Cavs. Durant joins two-time reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry and fellow All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to make Golden State’s potent offense a lot deadlier.

The Spurs also brings in six-time AllStar Pau Gasol at center in place of NBA legend Tim Duncan, who retired after 19 seasons with San Antonio.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has a 17-2 record in regular-season openers.

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