Edge Davao 9 Issue 187

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO

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Serving a seamless society

BACK FROM MALAYSIA. President Rodrigo R. Duterte flashes his signature clenched fist while answering questions during a news conference upon his arrival from a state visit to Malaysia at the Davao International Airport in Davao city yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

PROJECTS ON DECK Rody reports gains on Malaysia visit EDGEDAVAO Sports

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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adlopez0920@gmail.com

RESIDENT Duterte assured the Filipino people that more projects will pour into the country as a result of his successful two-day official visit to Malaysia.

The President arrived at Davao International Airport early morning on Friday, saying that Malaysia will continue to be a partner for growth and

development.

“My message to business leaders is clear – the Philippines is open for business and we will provide environment that is conducive for industries to thrive,” President Duterte said in his arrival message.

Business leaders in Malaysia, he added, expressed confidence on various opportunities for investments in the

country, particularly on infrastructure, mass transportation development, building of regional centers, joint ventures in agribusiness, halal certified products and high-value post harvest processing facilities.

He also tasked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to follow through and ensure trade and investment with Malaysia that he referred

to as the country’s 10th largest trade partner.

A meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also focused on strengthening further partnership for safe, secure and stable region, the President added.

“As ASEAN brothers and maritime nations, we recognized that cooperation

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MAN ON A MISSION P16

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

NO LAW VIOLATED. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa says he did not violate any law in accepting an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to see the fight of Senator Manny Pacquiao over the weekend. Dela Rosa made the comment with regards to the investigation against him initiated by the Ombudsman

Fire-hit village in GenSan under state of calamity

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FFICIALS have declared a village here under the state of calamity following a major fire on Wednesday that displaced hundreds of residents.

Reynaldo Salubre, chair of Barangay Calumpang, said Friday they issued the declaration to facilitate the use of their disaster quick response or calamity funds to assist the needs of the affected residents.

Citing their assessment, he said the fire rendered homeless a total of 180 households from Purok Upper Acharon.

The official said the victims are currently taking temporary shelter at the barangay covered court or gymnasium.

“We have scheduled another emergency barangay council session so we can dis-

cuss the needs of the affected families and the required interventions,” he told reporters.

The fire erupted at around 10 a.m. last Wednesday at a crowded portion of Purok Acharon village in Calumpang.

Among those gutted down by the fire, which reached the second alarm, were housing units, boarding houses and stalls at a nearby market.

Officials said more than 100 properties were destroyed by the fire, which left an estimated damage of around P2 million.

Salubre said the barangay council, City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office have provided food, clothing

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Mayor Sara to join 200 kids on Children’s Day celebration

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AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is joining about 200 children aged 4 to 14 years old for the “4/14 Children’s Day Celebration” on Saturday.

The event is hosted by 4/14 Window Movement Pilipinas-Davao in partnership with the Davao City Council for the Welfare of Children with the theme “Habang Ako Ay Bata” to be held at the SM Annex Activity Center. This is also a celebration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNRC) and Children’s Month this November.

The group has organized different hands-on activities

for the kids, who will also showcase their talents.

The 4/14 Window Movement is a worldwide movement of churches and faithbased organizations that aim to Reach, Reach, Root, and Release children into a relationship with strong faith and spiritual belief so they can become co-laborers in the Great Commission in the Philippines and around the world. It is composed of more than 20 churches and organizations including among others Compassion, Tebow Cure, Mindanao Children’s Ministry Network and Global Impact Philippines Foundation. (PNA)

upon their arrival with President Duterte from a state visit in Malaysia at the Davao International Airport in Davao city yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

DavNor hosts Batang Pinoy nat’l games, Nov. 27-Dec. 2

Guv AGR to Butch Ramirez:‘We’re ready for BIMP Eaga, SEA games, too’

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

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HE province of Davao del Norte has accepted to host this year’s Batang Pinoy National Championship, November 27 to December 2. The acceptance was formalized during the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Davao del Norte Gov. Antonio Rafael “AGR” del Rosario and Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in simple ceremony attended by Vice Gov. Alan Dujali and other top executives of the provincial government and also top officials of the PSC, including PSC Commissioner Dr. Cecilia Kiram.

The MOA signing was done at the T’nalak meeting room of

Seda Hotel in Davao City yesterday.

In his remarks, Chairman Ramirez saluted Governor del Rosario for accepting the hosting of the biggest athletic event the first six months of the Rodrigo Duterte administration.

He also thanked AGR for working through the League of Governors to press the implementation of the law that stipulates that 5-percent of the gross income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) be remitted to the PSC. He said the law has never been followed

by PAGCOR as its share only sums up to 2 to 2.5 percent annually since the law was

Gov. Antonio Rafael Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez “AGR” del Rosario passed. nancial assistance for hosting “The correct PAGCOR the national championship but share will go a long way in the the final amount has still to be development of grassroots disclosed. sports,” the PSC head said.

Pursuant to the MOA, the Ready to host big games province will receive PSC fiF DAVNOR, 11

Guerrero in a ceremony with military honors, said Major Eza Balagtey, the command’s spokesperson.

Visaya also held a dialogue with the troops, shared his insights on the important issues and concerns of the country.

He also provided valuable advises to the field com-

manders, officers and troopers of battalions under the command of Eastmincom.

“He reminded them to shun away from illegal drugs, the narco-politicians and those who are in crime syndicates,” Balagtey pointed out.

The chief of staff also visited the headquarters of 10th

Visaya visits Eastmincom

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

A

adlopez0920@gmail.com

RMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Ricardo R. Visaya visited Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) on Friday and personally meet the officers and men of the command.

Visaya was received by Eastmincom Commander Lt. General Rey Leonardo B.

Infantry (Agila) Division in the town of Mawab, Compostela Valley.

Visaya also told the officers that he is set to retire on December 8, 2016, and that he urged them to remain professional, stand by their oath, live by their calling, and maintain the nobility of the service.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Mural painting for a cause

By RIA VALDEZ

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S the country observes the month-long International Day on Human Trafficking (IDHT) that will kick-off today, November 12, various groups from Davao region under the Interagency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) launched a mural painting activity along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City, particularly on the walls of the

former Davao Mental Hospital which is now under the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

A total of 38 panels were subject for painting by 38 individuals that started yesterday, said Janet Grace Fabrero, prosecutor at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in region 11 and one of the members of IACAT. Fabrero said the 38 indi-

viduals who joined yesterday’s opening of the mural painting came from Tabularasa Art Group; fine arts students from Philippine Women’s College; and volunteers from government agencies that include Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI).

Some participants came from non-government orga-

nizations (NGOs) that actively work with authorities fight human trafficking in the region, among them was the Global Impact.

Fabrero said that they chose mural painting as their medium for campaign because it is public art.

“We want to send our messages to the community by depicting them in places where

people can see,” she stressed, adding that mural painting is considered a public art that easily attract the attention of the people.

Participants to the event were required to use pastel colors to depict children and women living in healthy atmospheres instead of using vibrant red colors that would promote violence and negativ-

F MURAL, 11

Security preparations underway for FM burial

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SELFIE WITH RODY. President Duterte poses for a “selfie” with a lady reporter after a news conference upon his arrival from a state visit in Malaysia at the Davao International Airport in Davao city yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

ity, she added.

Yesterday’s event was also dubbed as “The First Brush” that meant putting the first coat of white paint over the panels for the murals.

The activity will be continuous until it’s unveiling on December 23 in time with the culmination of the IDHT. Aside from Fabrero, the

ECURITY preparations are underway for the interment of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) in Taguig City.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde said security plans are being laid out to ensure a peaceful and orderly burial.

Rallyists and supporters of the Marcos family are expected to troop within the vicinity of LNMB during the interment, Albayalde said.

The number of police to be deployed for the burial is yet to be identified, as Albayalde noted the need to separate rallyists from pro and anti-Marcos

groups.

The former dictator’s burial has no date yet.

Meanwhile, Philippine Army Spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao said the Marcos family continues to coordinate with them for the preparations. “(As the designated protocol officer), I coordinated with the Marcos family and I asked them on whether they have any concerns we need to address, (and for the moment), they said they have none and they are still waiting for the final coordination on the date (of the former president’s internment,” he said in Filipino.

Hao earlier said the Army is ready to provide the late dictator with military honors. (PNA)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

DavOr to launch Serbisyo Caravan

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Provincial Government of Davao Oriental said on Friday it will launch its own version of Serbisyo Caravan aimed to provide services to remote communities in the province and render basic services to areas considered vulnerable to insurgencies and armed conflicts.

The project which will be dubbed as “Nagkakaisang Lingkod-Bayan ng Davao Oriental Barangay Outreach Caravan” is designed to become a regular program of the provincial government.

Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang said the outreach program will also

highlight the thrust of the provincial government of promoting peace by providing government services closer to the people.

Though the date of the launching is still being finalized, Governor Dayanghirang signified the project will push through saying that he wanted people, especially in far-flung areas to feel the government’s presence along with its genuine desire to reach out to them by providing the most basic services.

He said that the program was conceptualized after the successful conduct of a Serbisyo Caravan in the remote

Sitio Sangab in Caraga town that was facilitated by the Philippine Army, line agencies of the government and the provincial government earlier this month.

The said activity served around 3,000 residents in said remote village, most of whom were members of the Mandaya tribe.

The provided various services that include medical and dental services, provision of school supplies and food packs, conduct of a feeding program and lectures on various advocacies of the government.

Dayanghirang said series of preparatory meetings

by members of the program committee consisting of several provincial offices and national government agencies were already facilitated.

It was also agreed that the venue of the launching of the caravan will be in barangays Taocanga and Rizal in Manay town.

The said villages are around 35 kilometers from the highway and can only be reached by hiking through rough terrains.

Aside from the provincial government and the army, agencies that will participate to the caravan include the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department

of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) such as the Global Impact and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) will also be tapped during the caravan.

The municipal government and barangay local government units concerned will also join the activity.

Dayanghirang is certain the program will make a difference in the lives of the

Pacquiao given red carpet welcome in General Santos

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SLEEPING. Some members of the Eastern Mindanao Command Drum and Bugle Corps take a nap after learning that the arrival of President Duterte from a state visit to Malaysia will be delayed for two hours at the Davao International Airport in Davao city yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Sayyaf hijacks Vietnam-flagged vessel off Basilan

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EN gunmen believed to be Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands have hijacked early Friday a Vietnam-flagged cargo vessel and seized six people, including five officers, off Basilan province.

Commander Jerome Cayabyab, Zamboanga Coastguard Station commander, said the incident could have taken place at dawn but was reported to them around 7 a.m. by the captain of M/V

Lorcon-Ilo-ilo that provided initial assistance to the Vietnam-flagged vessel, M/V Royal 16, in distress.

The M/V Lorcon (Lorenzo Container)-Ilo-ilo vessel was passing near Sibago Island, Mohammad Ajul, Basilan, when it spotted M/V Royal 16 and provided assistance.

The Lorcon-Ilo-ilo vessel transported one of the Vietnam-flagged vessel crew identified as Dham Yan Trong, an electrician, to a local hospital.

Trong was accompanied to the hospital by Lai Minh Khao, the fourth engineer.

“The gunmen shot him (Trong) when he run as they were about to take him,” Cayabyab said based on the information Khao relayed to them.

Cayabyab said they have yet to establish the identities of those abducted by the gunmen that included the boat captain, chief mate, second officer, third officer, bosun (boatswain), and a seaman.

He also said that it was not immediately known as to the point of origin and destination of M/V Royal 16 including its cargo.

“We have yet to board the vessel (M/V Royal 16) to get the other details,” he added.

He said they have deployed a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel manned by coastguard personnel to escort the M/V Royal 16 to the port of this city. (PNA)

travel perks received by the PNP chief when he went to Las Vegas,” said Atty. Mary Rawnsle Lopez, acting director of the Ombudsman’s Public Information and Media Relations Bureau, on Friday.

Lopez added the investigation on Dela Rosa will be led by the Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO).

Dela Rosa will reportedly

be investigated for possible violation of Presidential Decree 46, which makes it punishable for public officials and employees to receive gifts on any occasion; and Republic Act No. 6713, or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees”.

The PNP chief has said that Pacquiao invited him to watch his boxing match against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas last Nov. 5 (US time).

However, Dela Rosa maintained that there was nothing wrong with having the senator pay for his and his family’s trip because no public funds were used.

Pacquiao has also defended “footing the bill” for Dela Rosa’s trip, saying that it is better to treat others than do illegal activities.

Dela Rosa has welcomed the Ombudsman’s investigation on his trip. (PNA)

Ombudsman probes Bato on US trip T

HE Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman) has started its investigation on Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America courtesy of Senator Emmanuel Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

“The Ombudsman is conducting a fact-finding investigation regarding the alleged

people of Davao Oriental.

Although it only offers short-term interventions, the program will also be a venue to identify long-term interventions that will usher communities towards socio-economic development.

“Giving our whole-hearted services is already a huge thing for the people in the hinterlands. These various services that we are giving are essential to help these people who are struggling to afford the basic necessities.

This is our chance to help them and make them feel that we here in the government are there for them,” the governor said.

HE city government and the provincial government of Sarangani rolled out the red carpet for the homecoming here on Friday morning of world boxing champion, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who wrested the World Boxing Organization welterweight title in a historic win on Sunday against former champion Jessie Vargas, arrived at the city airport here at around 8:40 a.m. amid a rousing hero’s welcome.

He was met by city and Sarangani officials led by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon.

“Thank you for your prayers and continuing support. (This win) is for all of you,” Pacquiao said before joining an hour-long motorcade around the city.

Wearing a lavender polo and jeans, Pacquiao beamed as thousands of residents showed up at the roadside to cheer him.

Shouts of “Manny, Manny” filled the air as a huge crowd greeted the boxing champion as his motorcade passed by communities, business establishments and schools.

The motorcade ran

through Barangays Fatima, Tambler, Calumpang, Labangal and Dadiangas West before proceeding to the SM City mall here.

The city government and the provincial government of Sarangani hosted a tribute program and a press conference for Pacquiao at the mall’s atrium.

Rivera hailed Pacquiao for giving honor and pride anew to the city and the entire for winning the WBO welterweight championship belt.

“The people of General Santos is always behind you,” the mayor said.

Gov. Solon said Pacquiao reiterated that Pacquiao is really not due for retirement” despite his age and lauded his mark in history as the first sitting senator in the world to win a world boxing title.

The “fighting senator,” who grew up in Barangay Labangal here, will turn 38 years old next month.

The eight-division world boxing champion, who is considered a local hero, represented Sarangani at the House of Representatives before winning a Senate seat in last May’s elections. (PNA)

Kerwin to be brought home to face raps: Rody

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RESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has assured that suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa will be brought back to the Philippines “to face charges.” ”I guarantee you, he will be brought back. He will be repatriated. I’m sure of that,” President Duterte told the media upon his arrival from a two-day official visit in Malaysia early Friday morning.

Espinosa, son of the late Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Abu Dhabi police in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 17.

The young Espinosa, tagged

as drug lord in the Visayas, reportedly left the country on June 21, nine days before President Duterte took his oath of office and launched an all-out war against illegal drugs. ”He will be back to face the charges,” President Duterte said.

During last Thursday’s Senate inquiry into the killing of Mayor Espinosa, Senator Panfilo Lacson urged the government to ensure the safety of Kerwin Espinosa so that he can identify his protectors in government.

Lacson said the death of the elder Espinosa had affected the “probative value” of the mayor’s affidavit which contains names

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5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Rody wants coco funds DOF probes steel firm’ s plaint vs IC given back to farmers F

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE coconut levy fund that has been the subject of debates and legal battles for years must be returned to the people.

This was the stand made

by President Rodrigo Duterte in a press conference upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport early morning on Friday from his official trip to Indonesia and Malaysia.

“It should be returned to the people. The law is actually clear,” President Duterte said.

A committee tasked to look into the levy fund has already been formed composed of representatives from the executive department, Con-

gress and the private sector, he said.

He also reiterated his position to return the money to the people – a stand which, he emphasized, he has been espousing ever since.

The President however clarified some matters that, through the years, have hindered the return to the funds to its rightful owners.

Among the obstacle he cited was the difficulty in determining the coconut farmers considered as rightful persons to receive the funds.

“You cannot determine anymore the many coconut farmers who were affected at

that time or who were prejudiced,” he said.

The Supreme Court (SC), he pointed out, had made some suggestions on how to handle the fund.

Among the proposal was the funding of programs and projects related to coconut industry that will ensure the improvement of the quality of lives of coconut farmers in the country.

The coco levy was a fund that was collected from coconut farmers during the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos but was used to fund businesses of the President’s close allies

and supporters known as “cronies.”

For more than 40 years, the fund, which is estimated to have reached P75 billion has been the subject of litigations in courts, even up to the SC. Under his new administration, President Duterte said he will work to return the funds through programs and projects that will boost further the coconut industry in the country.

“I want it returned by way of building institutions, agencies that would enhance the coconut industry,” the President said.

INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has ordered an investigation into the publicized complaint by a local steel manufacturer against the Insurance Commission (IC) for this agency’s alleged “cartelized transactions” with banks and insurance companies.

In a Nov. 2 memorandum, Dominguez directed three top Department of Finance (DOF) executives to conduct an independent probe of the charges raised against the IC and its commissioner in an open letter that the Steel Corp. of the Philippines (SCP) had sent to President Duterte himself.

This letter-complaint was dated Oct. 4 but came out as a fullpage newspaper advertisement in two major dailies only last Nov. 2.

In its letter to the President, SCP chairman-chief executive officer Abeto Uy accused the IC of inaction on the successive letters that the steel company sent to the IC over a span of almost eight years complaining about the alleged failure of nine of its 10 insurance companies to settle the separate claims for (1) material damages and (2) business interruption losses that SCP had sought from these insurers following the fires that struck the company’s Cold Rolling Mill (CRM) plant in Balayan, Batangas in 2008 and again in 2009.

In the memorandum that Dominguez issued on the same day that the newspaper ads came out (Nov. 2), DOF Undersecretary Bayani Agabin for the Domestic Finance Group (DFG), National Treasurer Roberto Tan and Assistant Secretary Mark Dennis Joven for the Revenue Operations Group (ROG) were directed to conduct

the investigation into SCP’s complaint against IC and its head.

These three DOF executives were instructed in Dominguez’s memo to submit to him a preliminary report on Nov. 15.

The IC is headed by Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc.

“With the above actuations of the IC, it is now doubtful if the Commission indeed is there to protect the insuring public, or in actuality protects the interest of the insurance companies,” said Uy in his letter to the President.

“Having been associated with big insurance firms for several years in the past, it is doubtful if the present Insurance Commissioner is fit to hold the position, as he might be biased in favor of insurance companies he is very familiar and friendly with,” he added.

SCP described itself in the letter as “a domestic corporation established to engage in the business of manufacturing and distributing steel products. It is the only steel company registered with the Board of Investments under the Iron and Steel Act (R.A. 7103).”

According to Uy, “fire damaged a small part of the plant’s CRM” in Barangay Munting Tubig in Balayan town on June 8, 2008.

“The insurers in the first fire incident were UCPB General Insurance Corporation, Oriental Assurance Corporation, PNB General Insurers Co. Inc. and Equitable Insurance Corporation,” he said.

On Dec. 7, 2009, “fire again broke out at the premises of SCP, and this time the fire completely burned the entire SCP,” he said.

“Mapfre Insular Corporation, Philippine Charter Insurance Cor-

F DOF, 11

Globe, Cebuana Lhuillier, Mynt sign partnership FISH CATCH. A fisherman shows his catch to customers at a makeshift stall in Matina Aplaya, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Piñol: Freeze to land conversion must not affect agro-industrial businesses

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

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HE proposed moratorium to conversion of agricultural lands in the country gained support from Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol with a condition – that the move must not affect the agro-industrial businesses in the country.

Piñol told EDGE Davao on Thursday that the Department of Agriculture (DA) will go with the guidelines that will be set once the Executive Order (EO) on the moratorium is approved by Mala-

cañang.

He said that his agency was also tasked to identify lands that are classified for prime agricultural purposes.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), through the recommendation of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) has recommended for the freeze of conversion of agricultural lands in the country that will cover around 4.7 million hectares, most of which were already awarded to farmer-beneficia-

ries.

DAR has already drafted the EO and was submitted to the Office of the President for review and approval.

Agricultural lands that will be subjected under the EO will include those that were awarded under Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, Presidential Decree 27, and other agrarian reform laws.

The EO will also cover agricultural lands with notices

of coverage issued by DAR, irrigated and irrigable lands, prime agricultural lands, privately-owned lands with farmer tenants, agricultural lands being cultivated by farmers, individually or collectively.

“The moratorium will be lifted once the goals set by DAR on the Executive Order are achieved,” Piñol pointed out.

He said they are just waiting for the President to sign the EO for implementation.

I

N a bid to further push financial inclusion in the country, Globe Telecom, Cebuana Lhuillier and Mynt inked a memorandum of agreement that will pave the way for several initiatives combining the products and services of the three companies.

The tripartite partnership was signed by Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu, Cebuana Lhuillier President & CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, and G-Xchange President Albert Tinio.

G-Xchange is a subsidiary of Globe Telecom’s wholly-owned financial services unit Mynt.

“The idea is to disrupt the traditional banking system of having to personally go to a bank, fill out forms, fall in line and pay for bills or deposit money. This initiative will create an avenue for the companies to leverage on each other’s strengths and capabilities to create a better financial system for the consumers,” said Cu. Meanwhile, Lhuillier stated, “This undertaking is a great opportunity to address the financial concerns of many Filipinos, especially those in unbanked and underbanked communities which is very aligned to what we do as a company. I am glad that Cebuana Lhuillier, together with Globe and Mynt, is taking this big step to revolutionize the

way we serve our mutual clients.

I am certain that this partnership will positively impact the lives of many individuals.”

Most of the initiatives involve GCash, a micro-payment service operated by G-Xchange.

Already commercially available, one of the projects allows GCash customers to perform cash-in and cash-out transactions in any of Cebuana Lhuillier’s 1,800 branches nationwide.

Also being developed are systems that would enable GCash accounts to submit payments for Fuse loans and accept proceeds of international remittance.

Other projects in the works include the vice versa conversion of rewards points under the loyalty programs of Globe and Cebuana Lhuillier, cross-selling of Cebuana Lhuillier’s microinsurance product, development of donation channels for Cebuana Lhuillier’s chosen beneficiaries, real-time posting of Globe Bills, reselling of Globe AMAX, a mass market postpaid product, and other innovations that that would make financial services more conveniently available.

In addition to the commercially available products and services, the partnership will also yield business-to-business solutions and other initiatives catering to internal stakeholders.

(PNA)

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DA to boost rice production in Mindanao

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

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N line with the rehabilitation efforts that are being done in agricultural areas destroyed by recent typhoons that hit the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will strengthen rice production in Mindanao.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol told EDGE Davao in a text message on Friday that the move is based on fact that an average of 19 typhoons hit the country, particularly Luzon, every year.

“It is one of our rehabilita-

tion and precautionary measures kasi unpredictable na ang bagyo and other calamities,” he said.

Piñol added that they saw greater advantage on production if the country can produce more rice from Mindanao.

The move will also reduce post-harvest losses and enhance rice quality by 60 to 65 percent and will provide consumers access to safe and quality rice.

Davao region can also contribute to rice and corn

production in the country if DA will push through with the plan.

Based on a data from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Davao region has a total land area of

President Duterte asks panel to raise oil palm project issue with NDF

P CHRISTMAS FEVER ON. Shoppers, both young and old, gather around the huge Christmas tree and Disney Land-inspired Christmas village to have their photos taken at SM Lanang Premier yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Moody’s analytics eyes 6.9% growth for PHL in Q3

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OODY’S Analytics forecasts the Philippine economy to remain robust with a 6.9 percent output in the third quarter of 2016.

The research arm of Moody’s, in its preview report for the incoming week, said it remains optimistic that private consumption, investment and government spending will remain the main drivers of domestic growth from July to September this year.

It, on the other hand, projected slower performance for exports “partly as a result of subdued global demand.”

“In addition, nickel exports will be dented by the temporary closure of several mines due to compliance issues,” it added.

The government is scheduled to report the domestic economy’s third quarter output on November 17, 2016.

In the first half this year, growth, as measured by gross

domestic product (GPD), expanded by 6.9 percent, one of the highest in Asia.

For the second quarter alone, the economy grew by seven percent.

The services and manufacturing sectors fuelled the expansion among major industries in the second quarter alone, with a growth of 8.4 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively.

Investment grew by 27.6 percent, government con-

sumption by 13.5 percent and household consumption by 7.3 percent during the quarter.

These are all higher than the previous quarter’s 26.6 percent, 11.8 percent and seven percent print for investment, government consumption and household consumption, respectively.

Domestic growth in the first half this year is already near the upper end of the government’s six to seven percent growth target this year. (PNA)

90-minute dialogue that “we want this Administration to be successful in ridding the country of crime, corruption and drugs.”

“If this is accomplished we believe the Philippines could be a better, safer destination for investment from all countries,” said Hinchliffe in his Nov. 7 memo, which was furnished Dominguez.

“We assured the administration that AmCham was 100% supportive of the 10-point social-economic agenda and we are crafting plans that will support their implementation,” Hinchliffe said. “We will do this through our committees and our Arangkada advocacy.”

Hinchliffe said in his memo that the Saturday meeting, which was held in Dominguez’s office, was “very positive and productve. The meeting was originally scheduled to last one hour but due to the positive two way communication, it actually lasted one and a half hours.”

He said that AmCham had brought to the dialogue with Domimguez a multisectoral

group that included members with businesses in agriculture, manufacturing, energy, financial services, business processing outsourcing (BPO), mining and tobacco.

Hinchcliffe disclosed that Dominguez had clarified during the dialogue that what the new government has been pursuing is “economic diversification, which, Hinchcliffe said, “implies the Philippines will be working to open more markets overseas and create higher paying jobs in the domestic market from all countries.”

Those who had attended the dialogue found the secretary to be “honest, frank and sincere not only to maintain the current positive relationship between AmCham companies in the Philippines but to improve the business environment for continued growth,” he said in the memo.

Hinchliffe said AmCham will “continue to arrange high level meetings with senior government officials.”

For one, AmCham is due to meet with trade and industry

secretary Ramon Lopez after President Duterte’s trip to Malaysia, he added.

During that Saturday dialogue, Dominguez assured AmCham members the Duterte administration will continue to make the Philippines an attractive place for investments by encouraging a competitive environment to level the playing field for business.

Dominguez said that “as far as business is concerned,” President Duterte “wants to have more competition and more innovation.”

He said that the new government is pursuing a policy of “economic diversification” to open more markets for Philippine products overseas, encourage more investments in the country, and create better-paying jobs for Filipinos.

Dominguez thanked AmCham for supporting the government’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, and asked the Chamber to help craft an action plan that would implement the reform plan’s goal on job creation. (PR)

AmCham wishes gov’t success in drugs drive T

HE American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) is crafting plans supportive of the Duterte administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, and wants this government to succeed in its drive against crime, drugs and corruption so the Philippines could become an even “better, safer destination for investments from all countries,” AmCham’s top executive has told Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Reporting on the outcome of what he described as a “very positive and productive” weekend dialogue with Dominguez, AmCham executive director Ebb Hinchliffe informed AmCham members that those who attended the Nov. 5 meeting on behalf of this group had informed Dominguez that they were working on plans in support of the 10-point socioeconomic agenda through AmCham’s various committees and their “Arangkada” advocacy.

Hinchliffe said this week in a memorandum to its members that AmCham had also reiterated to Dominguez during their

758,335 hectares devoted for agriculture.

In an average, Davao Region can produce 414,393 metric tons of rice and 206,215 metric tons of corn every year, data from PhilMech’s indicated.

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday asked the government peace panel to present the issue on oil palm production with the National Democratic Front (NDF) panel in their next peace talks in Oslo, Norway.

Fresh from his two-day visit to Malaysia, President Duterte said Malaysian traders wanted to invest in oil palm plantation in Mindanao that would require hundreds of hectares, but were wary of the rebels’ activities that could disrupt business and compromise their security.

Mr. Duterte said oil palm production is one area where government can help in providing livelihood to farmers and improve the economic condition in Mindanao.

“I really do not know but I think somebody should talk to them again. Maybe this would be one project that we can ask about doon sa (there in) Oslo because while waiting for the final result, ano man ‘yan, kailangan natin na (that is, we need that), we have to improve the lives of the people,” he said in the press conference during his arrival from Malaysia Friday dawn.

The President was pushing the oil palm production project two years back but it did not push through.

“Ang tagal na nga ‘yan eh (It’s been a long time already).

Problem actually, let me be very frank. “Nong una may pumasok na dito (There was an investor before). As a matter of fact, they sent their agronomist, the guy who examines the soil for its appropriate plant,” the President recalled a situation in Paquibato, a stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao City.

He said the Malaysians were ready at that time but after a positive finding on suitability of the soil but suddenly the NPA posted banners everywhere saying no to palm oil.

When he asked the NPA, the President said he was told that oil palm is detrimental to the water source. But, he said, “Malaysia (which has a vast oil palm plantation) has prospered. It has not lost its moisture or water.

He said he did not insist despite his assurances to the people because there was the threat. “But they (Malaysians) will try again. And again I will make sure to meet the experts of the world about water under

the soil and ask us to explain why it is so. He said there is an oil palm plantation in Agusan del Sur and it has proven to be a good source of revenue and a source of livelihood for the people.

Department of Trade and Indutry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the companies are willing to put a stake in the current administration in terms of supporting the development goals in infrastructure, agri-business.

Lopez said there’s a potential palm oil project wherein the harvest and the output will go back to Malaysia as exports and for further processing into palm oil areas in Mindanao and Palawan.

The investors are initially looking at 80,000 down the road, but Lopez said they have identified close to 1 million hectares as a possible plantation project for palm oil and natural rubber in Mindanao and Palawan.

It may be recalled that then Mayor, now President Duterte offered to open a deal on the multi-million offer of the Malaysian investors to develop an oil palm industry with members of the NPA as partners. He said it was an opportunity for everybody – the rebels and the populace of Paquibato who have longed for economic development in the area.

Paquibato has remained poor because no investor dared to put money in due to presence of rebels plus the imposition of “revolutionary taxes”.

City Agriculturist Rocelio Tabay earlier said the city has vast potential area for an oil palm plantation. According to him, there is a total of 10,000 to 20,000 hectares of idle land potential for oil palm industry.

Tabay said the city has about 60,000 hectares agricultural land fit for specific agriculture and another 130,000 hectares for non-agricultural sources.

Malaysian investors on oil palm set eyes on Sultan Kudarat, setting aside Davao.

At that time, it was not only the Malaysians who were interested to develop an oil palm plantation but also Singaporeans. The Singaporean-based firm Kol John submitted to then mayor Duterte a proposal to develop a 30,000 hectare land in Marilog District for oil palm plantation. (PNA)

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EDGEDAVAO

AYALA BUSINESS CENTER. The newly-inaugurated six-storey Ayala Business Center, which is illuminated by colorful LED lights, towers over Matina area the other night. The building is PEZA-accredited with a total leasable area of 7,212 square meters with 11 retail spaces at the ground floor. Lean Daval Jr.

Ayala Business Center opens inside Matina Town Square

A

SIX-STORY building designed for business process outsourcing (BPO) operations and other IT-based activities like software development and creation of online games was inaugurated Tuesday by the JFM Development Corporation.

It is called the Ayala Busi- ter is located within the camness Center. pus of the famous Matina The inauguration was at- Town Square (MTS), a mixed tended by JFM owner Mike use event center established Ayala with William L. Leh, by the late lawyer-industrialJFM Development Corpo- ist Jesus “Chito” V. Ayala and ration executive vice presi- Fe, parents of Mike. dent and CEO, Andy Mark T. The techy building is Villorente, head of the com- sound-proof, has column-free pany’s Asset Management interiors for better office and Leasing Group and Jows space planning and efficiency, T. Bagot, sales and market- and has state-of-the-art fire ing officer of Matina Town alarm and protection system.

Square.

It is serviced by two highWith a total leasable land speed elevators with a capacarea of 7,212 square meters, ity of 20 persons per car and the building is accredited is equipped with 1,000 KVA by the Philippine Economic diesel-fed standby generator.

Zone Authority (PEZA). The With BPO companies massive structure which is and other locators in full opmade of steel, not reinforced erations, the building can concrete, is designed to host easily accommodate 1,000 ICT-related companies and employees of mostly call cencorporate offices, according ter agents and related skilled to Fred Yelinek, who is part of employees working in three the group which constructed shifts. the building.

The location is very accesThe building’s ground sible to public transportation, floor has 11 retail spaces while the MTS campus has a with an estimated area of 71- good track record of compe88 sq m, while its second to tent, trained, honest and dedfifth floors have a floor plate icated security personnel.

In a statement, the owner each of 1,202 sq. m.

F AYALA, 11 The Ayala Business Cen-

ECONOMY 7

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

EDITORIAL E

Only themselves to blame

LECTIONS in America is over but not the shouting.

Donald Trump has emerged victorious over Hillary Clinton and will become the 45th President of the USA. His victory was met with protests from anti-Trump (not necessarily pro-Clinton) a day after.

After Trump made his speech shortly after getting a call from the defeated Clinton, a music played on the background that goes “You can’t always get what you want.” That obviously was a dig on his opponents and the Americans who despised him.

The prevailing mood was shock and awe. The question foremost in the minds of people around the world was how could a heavy favorite like Clinton lose to the foul-mannered Trump?

When the exit polls came out, it showed the very reasons why Clinton lost. She did not get the votes from voters she was expected to win—the women, Hispanics and African-Americans.

Two things can be deduced from it. One, she failed to appeal to a number of key voter groups. Groups that it was predicted she would have more support from. Second, she came out stale and uninspiring.

A third could be added which was Clinton’s supporters got so complacent they did not cast their vote on election day. Failure to vote in the US is not a criminal offense.

An opinion piece from the Independent Journal Review (www.ijr.com) outlined 13 reasons why Clinton lost. These are: 1. There are more people out of the work force than at any time in American History (you can’t cover that up with an unemployment stat — people are not receiving an income).

2. Insurance premiums are up 30-40% across the country as a result of the affordable care act (again, it’s hitting peoples’ wallets).

3. Hillary has spent 30 years in government with no accomplishments (fighting for anything with no results gets you fired in the private sector).

4. People are not feeling the effects of any rebound in the economy

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5. Hillary has continued to make poor decisions and then lie about them afterward 6. The wants/needs of the majority of Americans have been ignored in an attempt to expand the voter base over the last few electoral cycles 7. Labeling the majority of Trump supporters as “deplorables” was a terrible idea.

The issues Trump raised were valid concerns even if his policy prescriptions didn’t make sense or the language he used was offensive.

8. The hyper-partisanship in Washington is unappealing to Americans and Hillary is viewed as a Washington insider.

9. Hillary is not a progressive who gets things done despite her claiming so. She literally has no record of accomplishment to speak of.

10. The threat from ISIS and nation state actors has increased under the current administration and Hillary was the chief foreign policy architect 11. The President and others called her the most qualified candidate in American history based on experience – but despite all that experience, she has nothing to show for it except for a legacy of poor decisions 12. Hillary loves to blame a non-existent “right wing conspiracy” for her problems.

That worked the first time but after 30 years of continuous scandals stemming from poor judgment on her part – the American people aren’t buying it anymore.

13. People wanted change, even if that meant Donald Trump.

Going through one of the above reasons reminds us also of the Duterte phenomenon in the presidential elections last May. Labeling the majority of Trump supporters as “deplorables” in the same manner as Duterte supporters were labelled Dutertards was a terrible idea. Like Duterte, Trump raised issues that were valid concerns even if his policy prescriptions didn’t sit well or the language he used was offensive.

At the end of the day, America got what they deserve. Americans have only themselves to blame if they consider Trump’s win a misfortune. It was an elections Clinton lost. That was the story.

As the music in Trump’s triumphant speech goes: “you can’t always get what you want.”

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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P

ERHAPS one of the most beautiful islands in Mati City, Davao Oriental is the Pujada Island. I had the pleasure of visiting the white-sand island at least twice. The water is crystal clear and the place is so pretty that you are transported back into the time when I was still a kid and swimming in the beach was a welcome treat.

The island, one of the four, is situated in the bay that has been declared a marine protected area in 1994 by then President Fidel V. Ramos. It covers 21,200 hectares protecting the bay and its coastal area.

But what is interesting is that Pujada Bay is known to harbor nine of the sixteen species of sea grasses found in the Philippines. “That’s why we have plenty of marine turtles and dugongs in our waters,” said provincial board member Louie Rabat.

Although no one seems to pay attention the lowly seagrass meadows, some studies have revealed that they are very important – especially in offsetting carbon dioxide emissions thus combatting climate change.

A new research from Edith Cowan University – published in the journal PLOS ONE – shows that seagrass meadows, hidden beneath the oceans, lock away between four and ten times that of tropical forests. “Pound-for-pound, they are big hitters when it comes to snatching carbon out of the atmosphere,” it said.

Another study – from the University of York and published in “Frontiers in Marine Science” – seemed to agree. “Seagrass meadows could play a vital role in combatting climate change as they are regarded as a net global sink for carbon,” explained Adam Hejnowicz, who headed the study.

“They have the capacity to bury significant de-

I

N an ironic sort of way, I should feel a deep sense of gratitude to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos now considered by no less than the members of the distinguished Supreme Court justices as one Filipino our people should consider truly a hero. (Will they next approve a budget to build a monument of this discredited ruler right in front of the Court’s main building?)

Why? Certainly not because I agree with the lies being peddled in parts of social media – paid for by the Marcoses’ stolen wealth – that his reign remains the golden period of Philippine contemporary history. Not because I accept the preposterous claim of his family and loyalists that he never violated our people’s rights and caused the deaths of thousands of the country’s youth who offered their lives for their motherland. And definitely – not because I enjoyed the 22 months that I was his political prisoner subjected to a state of living fit not even for animals about to be slaughtered. (And yet my harrowing experience pales considerably when put side by side by those who suffered far more than I did; especially those whose bodies were never found so that they could enjoy their last “human” right, namely a decent burial in the company of loved ones).

Yes, thank you but no thanks to you – you discredited ruler - to whom the present youth continue to scream the same cry as their elders: “Marcos! Hitler! Tuta! Diktador!” You did something to me and to my generation of young people who can proudly claim that with your martial rule, we were able to crystallize our important role in nation-building. Like many young people at various historical junctures of this Republic

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Carbon sink

posits of organic carbon beneath THINK ON THESE! the sediment, up to many meters thick in places and over millenary time scales.”

When I asked Dr. Miguel D. Fortes, the country’s foremost expert on seagrasses, Henrylito D. Tacio about it, he an- henrytacio@gmail.com swered affirmatively. In fact, they are far better than forests when it comes to carbon sequestration. “They effectively sequester and store carbon dioxide from the air, hence they mitigate global warming and climate change,” said the retired professor from the marine science institute of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Although seagrass meadows are able to store large amounts of carbon, they have been historically virtually ignored. They are neglected that they are fast disappearing from marine waters.

In Biscayne Bay, Florida in the United States, it has been reported that 2.6 square kilometers of seagrass disappeared between 1938 and 2009.

Up to 38% of the seagrass in the south of France may have been lost since the 1920s. The nearshore waters of Singapore have lost some 45% over the past 50 years.

The Philippines is not spared. Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau, sounded the alarm during the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in 2012. “In spite of the ecological and econom-

BY KARL M. GASPAR CSSR (the likes of Gregorio del Pilar and Hermano Pule during the Spanish regime, Macario Sakay and his campanions at the beginnings of the American regime as well as the Moro fighters and Lumad baganis throughout the US colonial rule and the young guerrillas who fought the Japanese Imperial forces during WWII), we can lay claim to the fact that we stood bravely to resist oppression and domination.

We are the generation whose lives your authoritarian rule almost totally destroyed. We were those who could never leisurely walk the streets at night and fully enjoy going out with friends to have a drink at a neighborhood friendly bar because your view of “discipline” was to turn the country into a police state. We were hunted by the State’s ferocious “dogs” who when they caught up with us, mercilessly tore our bodies apart until we no longer could scream to momentarily push the pain away. Ours were the bodies you offered on the altar of power and ambition so that you can become rich beyond the dreams of your conjugal wife and then be acclaimed by the world as making this country” great again!”

Thanks but no thanks: we did rise up to the occasion. Not all of us, of course as some of those of our generation – sadly many coming from the most elite of universities – looked the other way and claimed a place within your dictatorship to fatten their bank accounts believing that you will last forever in Malacañang. But there were

9

ic value of seagrasses, between 30-50% of the seagrass beds have been lost due to industrial development, ports, and recreation in the last 50 years,” she pinpointed.

Since the time of the dinosaurs, three groups of flowering plants colonized the oceans. Seagrasses, however, are the only flowering plants that can live underwater. More closely related to terrestrial lilies and gingers than to true grasses, they grow in sediment on the sea floor with erect, elongate leaves.

Seagrasses are quite different from seaweeds, which are algae. Seagrasses produce flowers, fruits, and seeds while seaweeds make spores. Seagrasses have separate roots, leaves and underground stems called rhizomes (which form an extensive network below the surface). Seaweeds rarely have “roots” below the surface.

“Unlike seaweeds, seagrasses are vascular plants – they have a network of veins to move nutrients and dissolved gases around the plant,” states the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatci Resources (BFAR). On the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, over 500 species of algae can be found but only 14 species of seagrasses inhabit.

In terms of seagrasses in the world, the Philippines – with 18 species thriving along its coasts – has the second highest. Western Australia has more than 30 species of seagrasses.

Seagrasses in the country covers an area of 27,282 square kilometers. They are widely distributed throughout the country – from Bolinao Bay (Pangasinan) in the north, Palawan and the Cebu-Bohol-Siquijor area to the center, and Zamboanga and Davao in the South.

“Seagrasses are the least studied among the habitats in our coastal zones,” Dr. Fortes de-

plores. “As such, we know less than we need to in order to use them in solving coastal environmental as well as societal problems.”

Just like mangroves, seagrasses also play an important role in the protection of marine animals. “The mixed seagrass meadows of tropical waters provide a home for abundant and biodiverse marine communities, acting as fish nurseries and important ecosystem for charismatic and globally threatened species such as turtles and dugongs,” Hejnowicz said.

In the Philippines, among the diversified species found in the seagrass beds are fishes, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, crabs, scallops, mussels and snails. Shrimps spend the early stages of their lives in seagrass areas. Seahorses, a tourist attraction and of medicinal value, reside in seagrass beds. A study done in five seagrass sites in the country identified a total of 1,384 individuals and 55 species from 25 fish families.

A science report also said: “One hectare of seagrass absorbs 1.2 kilograms of nutrients each year, equivalent to the treated effluent of 200 people. It can produce 100,000 liters of oxygen per day and can support 80,000 fish and 100 million invertebrates.” tYet despite sustaining abundant sea life, protecting shorelines from coastal erosion, and combating climate change, there are no functioning seagrass restoration or conservation projects. They are also suffering rapid global decline; around the world, 24% of seagrass species are now classified as threatened or near threatened.

Yes, seagrasses can offset carbon emissions.

“However, if unmanaged, they release carbon dioxide and heat again back into the air,” reminds Dr. Fortes, who authored “Seagrasses: A Resource unknown in the ASEAN Region.”

enough of us – in the red areas of the countryside and the white areas of the urban centers – who resisted your rule. At first, we were just a rag-tag army of idealistic youth with arms in a kapit-bisig with peasants, laborers, urban poor and indigenous people. Like the mosquito press, we began to be an annoyance to you; until finally our forces reached a historic moment when we gave birth to a People power to oust you from your throne.

While labeled the EDSA moment, you know very well this struggle was nation-wide and was truly a popular one.

You should really be resting in peace by now, after being shamefully pushed out of your very own people and dying in a distant land without honor. But oh no, you should not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. But somehow, after all these years you would not leave this country in peace. You continue to tear us apart as a nation all because you want to claim a glory you never deserve. Why impose a curse on us that has lasted for so long?

But here we are again, dealing with your “presence” among us even if you should have been relegated to the dustbin of history. This time your ghost haunts us and we find ourselves – once more – a divided people. What kind of an ancestor are you who would pass on to the next generations not an accumulated wisdom that would make this country freer, gentler, kinder but on the contrary would continue to stoke the fires of anger and hatred and keep us fragmented and unable to take giant steps towards genuine development?

And sadly, along with those who support your “crooked legacy” you continue to corrupt

even those of us who in their youth resisted your regime. Sad to say, the justices who were the youth of the 1960s – have now protected that legacy and would want the entire nation to accept the validity of their verdict. And many of the millennials today – except the brave ones who would pursue the truth of history and have joined recent moments of rage against the Supreme court ruling – are drawn to this revisionist version of our contemporary history.

But, thanks and no thanks, we are reminded of the ideals of our youth. And even if this recent event is a setback, we are not about to give up. The struggle continues for we know that “el pueblo unido, hamas sera vencido” ( a people united can never be defeated). Once more we are only a rag-tag army resisting this new expression of a creeping authoritarianism of government.

But there are weapons at our disposal. As with struggles in the past, there are “weapons of the weak” that we can mobilize. For those who believe in a God of justice and righteousness, the time has come to once more storm the heavens to keep us strong in our continuing struggles.

[Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar is Academic Dean of the Redemptorists’ St. Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute (SATMI) in Davao City and a professor of Anthropology at the Ateneo de Davao University. Gaspar is author of several books, including “Desperately Seeking God’s Saving Action: Yolanda Survivors’ Hope Beyond Heartbreaking Lamentations” and two books on Davao history launched in December 2015. He writes two columns for MindaNews, one in English (A Sojourner’s Views) and the other in Binisaya (Panaw-Lantaw).]

Thanks but no thanks

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

EDGEDAVAO SPECIAL FEATURE

CHIMES BOUTIQUE reopens flagship store

A sneak peek of the interiors of Chimes Flagship interior.

on November 12

LUXURY SPECIALTY RETAILER CHIMES BOUTIQUES WILL OPEN THE DOORS TO ITS NEW FLAGSHIP ON NOV 12.

Where it all began From its original opening in 2004, the 37,000 square-foot flagship is located in the heart of the bustling Chinatown.

While this may be a return to its historic neigh-

Head of Operations Renren Villena, CEO Cindy Yap, Moss Manila Designer Frida de Ramos, Project Manager Nelson Baclayo.

Facade illustration of Chimes Flagship.

A few days before the launch.

borhood, this new store will present a modern image with the help of designs from Moss Manila.

An homage to its name and first store, a chimesinspired brass chandelier is seen throughout the store. This is evident in all three floors, which will carry menswear, women’s wear, footwear, accessories and beauty curated for the discerning market. Filling out the in-store experience

will be the personal shopping lounges, facial rooms and the soon to open tea salon.

For the grand launch, Chimes has planned a celebration to thank its loyal clienteles, including exclusive collaboration with Happy Skin and exclusive capsule collection from local designers such as Joyce Orena, Patty Ang, Maureen Disini, and Charina Sarte.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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To thank avid fans for their solid support, the “Banana Sundae” barkada will stage an anniversary show at the Kia Theater this Thursday (Nov 17).

Watch as cast members Angelica Panganiban, John Prats, Pokwang, Pooh, Jayson Gainza, JC De Vera, Jessy Mendiola, Ryan Bang, Jobert Austria, Sunshine Garcia, Aiko Climaco and Badjie

Mortiz give explosive numbers alongside their surprise guests.

“Banana Sundae” is a consistent top-rater on weekends and a trending topic on social media. Clips of its segments also go viral and are widely shared by netizens.

It has also given viewers hit parody segments such as NNNN (Ntertainment News Na Naman) with Tito Bhoy and Crissy, Krissy TV, Mutanglawin, and Ihaw Na, as well as original segments that include Brod Bro Bru, Banana TV, Laugh 3, Balitang Siksik, Sosyal at Di Sosyal, Kantaranta, and Baby Luv. Keep watching “Banana Sundae” airing every Sunday after “ASAP” on ABSCBN.

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Mika dela Cruz is now a Kapuso

GMA NETWORK WELCOMES MIKA DELA CRUZ as the newest addition to its family as she signed a management contract with GMA Artist Center on November 8 at the 17th floor Executive Lounge of GMA Network Center.

Present at the contract signing with Mika dela Cruz are her managers GMA Artist Center and PPL Entertainment Inc. as represented by GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer, and PPL Entertainment Inc. Chief Executive Officer Perry Lansigan Jr. Mika is looking forward to the new experiences that

await her. “Sobrang excited po ako and curious with what kind of characters I would portray in the future.

I look forward to everything, I am excited for new experiences,” Mika shares.

GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Lilybeth G. Rasonable has her faith in the young actress’ talent and claims that her projects will hone her skills not only as an actress but as a well-rounded performer.

“Napakagandang bata ni Mika and being a good actress runs in the blood, so I

can say that she will be very visible in different dramas, even in comedies. She has a beautiful voice and can sing really well so we will show all her talents as we go along,” the GMA executive adds.

Also present were GMA Artist Center Senior Manager Daryl Zamora and Entertainment TV Program Manager Hazel Abonita.

The newest GMA Artist Center star will be working alongside award-winning actress Barbie Forteza in an upcoming drama series.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

PROJECTS... FROM 1 between our countries with other stakeholders is key to ensure that our sea lanes are not used for illegal purposes or criminal activities.”

The country, together with Malaysia and Indonesia had made headway this year with the signing of the framework for trilateral arrangement on immediate measures to address security issues in the maritime areas of common interests, he added.

Commitments were also made to explore all available options to ensure greater collaboration in a joint and coordinated pursuit the interdiction and the arrest of criminals and terrorists plying the waterways between the two countries.

“The Philippines will be and always unremitting in the efforts to address criminality on land, at sea and between borders,” the President said.

President Duterte also recognized the important role of Malaysia in the on-going peace process in Mindanao.

“We also committed to sustained efforts to achieve just and lasting peace in Mindanao, as we proceed with the implementation phase of our peace process,” he said.

The country, the President pointed out, is ready to work with Malaysia and all partners interested in securing for generations of Mindanaoans and Filipinos, a future free from fear and conflict.

“As neigbors and friends we have shared responsibilities to ensure that common dignity, particularly the vulnerable, the weak, the elderly and the youth is upheld. This

is one area that should bring our nations and governments together,” he added.

President Duterte is also counting Malaysia’s support when the Philippines assumes leadership of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) next year.

The country’s leadership of ASEAN will focus on building a stronger, rule-based and people-centered region.

“My visit to Malaysia show that there are more areas of mutual interest that will bring our countries closer and make us work for the achievement of common goals. During these two visits I strive to enhance our relation with our neighboring countries and explore more opportunities to further advance the best interest of our nation,” he added.

The President also met with the Filipino community in Malaysia and expressed gratitude of their warm welcome.

He reassured them that the present administration “will utilize all the resources at its disposal to make this country safe and prosperous place for them to better appreciate and experience once they finally come home to reunite and live with their families.”

President Duterte also reported on his visit to Bangkok, Thailand where he paid his final respect of King Bhumidol Adulyadej who died last October 13.

“His majesty will be remembered by his dedicated efforts to foster goodwill, mutual respect and friendship between our nations and peoples,” the President said.

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GUARDING THE CHURCH. Task Force Davao personnel stand guard outside San Pedro Cathedral, the premier symbol of Christianity in Davao City, yesterday. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said

DavNor... FROM 2

Chairman Ramirez said the people of Davao del Norte can consider the Batang Pinoy hosting as the province’s appetizer before the main course which is hosting some of the events in the Southeast Asian Games in 2017.

In response, the young governor said his province, with its state-of-the art provincial sports complex, “the best there is in the region as of now,” is ready anytime to host the SEA Games, the National Games and 2018 BIMP-Eaga Games.

Grassroots sports program Ramirez told the crowd that the priority sports program of the Duterte administration to be implemented through the PSC remains the development of grassroots sports in the country. “We need to develop an enormous reservoir of Filipino athletes which is doable,” Ramirez said, adding “ we can stop the need for foreigners” once we succeed in the grassroots program.

He said the local government units will have a vital role to play in the program. He said government through the PSA has failed to provide leadership in initiating a sports program in the communities for the last 26 years.

Ramirez said that the PSC has begun conducting nationwide consultations with leaders of the academe, the national sports associations,

DOF... FROM 5

poration (now known as Charter Ping An Insurance Corporation), Standard Insurance Corporation, Asia Insurance Phils. Corporation, New India Assurance Co., Ltd. and Malayan Insurance Co., Inc. were the insurers during the second fire incident,” Uy said. “The 2009 fire policy was brokered personally by Victorio Valledor, President and CEO of Lockton Phils. Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers, Inc.” Uy recalled in his letter that, ”Sadly, the partial payment for the material damage claim in the first fire was paid directly by the insurers to the mortgagee bank..

the schools and colleges and all other stakeholders to gather their views and suggestions and note down their needs in participating in the program.

Tribute to Tonyboy For his part, Governor del Rosario vowed to support the grassroots sports program of the PSC saying he had been witness to how effective it is in developing future sports champions.

AGR paid tribute to Second District Rep. Antonio R. “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. for establishing his “Barangay Una Boxing Program” years, saying the program has been able to produce boxing champions who will hopefully soon fight in the international arena.

Sports tourism The governor also vowed that the provincial government under his watch will have emphasis on sports development as he had realized the impact of sports in the lives of his constituents.

He cited sports tourism as an example. He said he had witnessed sidewalk vendors and other small traders run out of merchandise and enjoy sizeable profits during times when the province is hosting athletic competitions.

The hotels, the eateries, the tour operators and other businesses are likewise benefited. (With a report from Antonio M. Ajero) The partial payment had already been given to SCP by the banks’ trustee, but thereafter, the insurers refused to pay the balance of SCP’s claim for material damage and none for its claim for business interruption losses.”

“After SCP’s continuous demand for payment of the business interruption losses, the insurers offered a measly amount compared to what is actually due to SCP,” he said. “Despite several mediation and conciliation conferences, settlement failed because the insurers would always allege that they ‘need to go back to their reinsurers.’”

NEWS 11

it is saddened by the Supreme Court (SC) decision to bury the late dictator President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani as it will not bring peace and unity to the country. Lean Daval Jr.

Fire-hit... FROM 2

and other relief assistance to the victims.

But as of the moment, he said they can only provide food and other relief assistance to the affected households.

He said they are not capable of providing relocation and shelter assistance, especially house and lot for the victims.

The official said they have yet to assess whether the affected residents would be allowed to return to the site.

“The area or lot is actually

owned by the barangay. We can’t yet decide right now if we will allow them to return there as we have yet to look into some important matters about the lot,” he said.

Salubre said the fire-hit community in Acharon village was already occupied before he joined the barangay council.

Some of the affected households said they have already settled in the area for more than two decades. (PNA)

activity was also graced by Dr. Leopoldo Vega, director of SPMC and other members of IACAT. On Monday, IACAT reported of 96 cases of trafficking reported to the Philippine National Police Region (PNP) in Davao region.

Of the total number of cases, 54 were already filed in courts while the remaining 28 are still under investigation.

Davao region now has 143 human trafficking victims and 149 persons accused of involvement to such crime, IACAT added.

of the drug personalities and protectors in the country.

Mayor Espinosa was killed early Saturday morning after he allegedly fired at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 operatives while an arrest warrant for possession of firearms and illegal drugs was being served inside his cell at the Baybay Sub-Provincial Jail in Leyte.

The elder Espinosa surrendered to the authorities last August after President Duterte gave a shoot-on-sight order if the two Espinosas will resist arrest and will endanger the lives of the arresting police officers.

Meanwhile, President Duterte reiterated his assurance that he will protect and support the police who are doing their job to fight illegal drugs. ”I have said before, right at the start, very early on of my administration, I will protect and I will support the police in this drive against shabu,” the President said. ”I have said, we have become a narco-politics state. It is my sworn duty to preserve the generation. It is my sworn duty to see to it that we do not slide just like the other countries of the world, particularly Latin America,” he added. (PNA)

and the firm’s executives said the company aims to provide office spaces that are convenient and accessible to employees, as well as safe and conducive working environment.

“To locate in the business center is fun because it is located inside the MTS campus where support services

for workers in the building like food, drinks, convenient store, ATMs and other services,” it said.

On the other hand, the presence of BPO and other IT companies in the building will provide complementary business opportunities for existing MTS tenants. Antonio M. Ajero

Mural... FROM 3

Kerwin... FROM 4

Ayala... FROM 7

EDGEDAVAO

12 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Anti drug councils Tagum to spend P2.4M to meet in Kapalong on tallest Christmas tree P T AGUM City will be setting up a 172-foot tall Christmas tree costing some PHP2.4 million.

The ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree is scheduled on November 16 in front of Tagum’s new City Hall. At 172 feet, the Christmas tree would surpass the 100-footer Christmas tree at Araneta-Cubao.

“Where the seat of city government is, ideally it should be near to it,” Mayor Allan Rellon said on the transfer of location of the giant Christmas tree from the city’s old seat of government to the new City Hall.

The steel structure of the

old giant Christmas tree in the Freedom Stage ground at the back of the old City Hall was dismantled last August.

“It’s Christmas Season and part of our culture and tradition is the Christmas tree. We have been doing this and as Christian people we put up symbols for our celebration of Christmas, like the Christmas tree,” Rellon said.

The Christmas tree in Tagum has been an attraction to the local residents since the 90s.

“It has a concept of Christmas tree in the wonderland.

The structure and all the lights including accessory structures on the ground will cost a total

P2.4 million,” he bared.

He said it has now 10 layers to represent the 10-point agenda of Rellon’s administration.

As in the past, thousands of multi-colored small lights and beautiful lanterns are strewn around it while the apex star on top is eight-pointed. The structure is being finished by a city engineering crew.

The height of the city’s giant Christmas tree varied in time. It was former Mayor Rey Uy who started the tradition of putting it up during his one term as mayor in 2001-2003.

The Holiday tree was shorter and smaller then.

The tallest height that the old giant Christmas tree had reached per record was 153 feet in 2007. In 2008 its height was lowered to 100 feet but in 2010 it was taller by six feet then made shorter at 105 feet last year.

In keeping with the city’s tradition, city streets, the Freedom Park, Rotary Park and E-Park, where a jamboree of the local boy scouts jamboree will be held in December, will be decked with dancing lights and lighted lanterns The ceremonial lighting will be one of the activities of Tagum City which is set to honor its patron saint, Christ the King, on November 20. (PNA)

REPARATIONS are in high gear for the Davao del Norte Provincial Anti- Drug Abuse Council Convergence of services for drug surrenderees this coming November 14, 2016, in Kapalong town, this province.

During the PADAC meeting last November 7, 2016, at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Governor Anthony del Rosario stressed the need for the right intervention for drug dependents to be able to quit their toxic habit.

“My administration is bent on helping the flood of users pledging to kick their habits. We shall not leave the victims to battle addiction largely on their own”, the governor said Through the Aksyon, at Gabay tungo sa Repormasyon (Action and Guidance to Reformation) Program of PADAC, the provincial government is pilot testing the PADAC Information Manangement System (IMS) to profile, evaluate and provide intervention to all 15,000 drug surrenderees in Davao del Norte, who submitted themselves to authorities.

After undergoing the PADAC-IMS, the surrenderees will be given interventions in the form of Spiritual & Moral Recovery Program, Veterinary Assistance, Farm Manage-

ment Skills Training, Livelihood Training and Scholarship, Basic Education (Alternative Learning System), Social Services, Legal Services, Sports Development Program, PDRRMC Responder Training, Medical and Hygiene Services, and Dental and X-Ray service depending on what the individual decides to avail.

There will also be a free haircut, half-body massage and manicure-pedicure services during the event to help de-stress the participants.

Out of all the total number of surrenderees in Kapalong, only 400 individuals are identified to participate in the pilot testing to make sure that they are all accommodated.

Governor Del Rosario said that while the compliance of the victims is a welcome sign, it is the job of the government to provide them with the effective mechanism to recover and ensure that they are reintegrated to the mainstream of society.

“I ask your all-out support and unequivocal subservience to our commitment to the President’s campaign against drugs, as well as to our thrust of rehabilitating the victims and bringing them back to the mainstream of society.”, the governor asked the member of PADAC. (PR)

Regional Festival of Talents on in Tagum City

EXERCISE. Members of the Maitum Rescue Team join the Simulation Exercise and Competency Test for Landslide and Flooding Incident (SIMEX) held at Camp Bagwis, Malandag on November 8. They were part of the first

batch to compete in the competition together with 10 other provinces and cities in Region 12 -- Maasim, Kiamba, Alabel, Malapatan, Glan, Malungon, Polomolok, Tampakan, General Santos City, and Koronadal City. (Maitum Info)

DavOr training on screening, assessment of drug reformists

A

MIDST the huge number of drug reformists who surrendered to the authorities seeking help for rehabilitation, a training has recently been conducted which aimed at capacitating and equipping health workers and personnel from concerned agencies in the proper screening and assessment of drug reformists.

According to the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), the vital first step in the drug rehabilitation process is to identify the proper intervention that would be beneficial to a drug reformist.

Dr. Herminigilda B. Nartates who heads the Provincial Health Office, said that admission to a rehabilitation facility will depend on the severity of the drug user’s condition.

In some cases, they may not be admitted but instead catered in an out-patient rehab facility.

Spearheaded by the Provincial Government, the training held on November 7was participated in by health

workers, action officers of Barangay and Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, and personnel from other concerned agencies such as the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The participants during the training received lectures on the ill effects of drugs, establishing therapeutic communication and creation of a management plan.

Putting the participants’ knowledge and skills to the test, an actual screening and assessment of drug reformists in Barangay Sainz in the City of Mati was conducted.

Meanwhile, as the num-

ber of drug users who surrendered to the authorities is quite staggering — which emphasizes the gravity of the problem that has already penetrated deep into the society, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang bared plans about putting up a rehabilitation center here to cater the large number of drug users.

He said this is already making headway as the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce from Davao City offered to shoulder the construction of the rehabilitation facility in a lot that will be provided by the Provincial Government.

He said this is a welcome

opportunity for the province.

However, the challenge is left on the maintenance of the facility.

“We need to work together on this,” he said, adding that the concerted effort among government agencies and local government units is needed in order to fully help drug reformist.

“Solving the drug menace in our society today needs multi-concerted efforts from various agencies and needs a participatory approach,” he added.

In addition to the screening and assessment, representatives of various civic society groups and faith-based organizations were given an orientation on their roles in the intervention process for drug reformists.

During the activity, the representatives of these civic society groups and faithbased organizations signed a pledge of commitment, solidifying their support to the movement on the eradication illegal drugs and in holistically helping drug reformists. (PR)

T

HE three-day 2016 Regional Festival of Talents (RPOT) of the Department of Education (DepED) kicked off on Thursday with some 5,000 secondary students with technical-vocational and artistic skills in Davao Region competing in ten fields of skills exhibitions.

Skills and talent competitions are being held in the sprawling Atrium Hall of the New Tagum City Hall at Apokon.

The opening program was graced by City Mayor Allan Rellon who welcomed student participants, teachers, coaches, regional officers of DepED and provincial officials of Davao del Norte.

The on-going skills competition is hosted by DepED Tagum City Division in partnership with the Tagum City Government and the DepED Davao del Sur Division for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) competitions.

It carried the theme, “Artistry at its Best by Harmonizing Talents: Maximizing Skills.”

The activity is the region’s run-up to the National Festival of Talents (NFOT) National Musabaqah scheduled on January 22-25, 2017 as stipulated in DepED’s 2016-2017 school calendar.

The upcoming event will be held together with the National Schools Press Confer-

ence (NSPC).

The fields of skills exhibitions in Davao Region’s RPOT include Technolympics (Technology and Livelihood Education), Sining Tanghalan (MAPEH & Arts), National Population Quiz and On-theSpot Skills Exhibition on PopDev (Araling Panlipunan), Filipino, Foreign Language Skills Showcase (Special Program in Foreign Language), SciMath (Science and Math), Com Arts (English), Alternative Learning System (ALS), Values Education, and MTB-MLE. The NPOT, first launched in 2012, is like a counterpart competition of tech-voc students to NSPC which mainly tests on student writing, journalism and critical thinking NFOT challenges those with technical-vocational and artistic skills in the light of the K to 12 program being implemented by DepEd. NFOT include painting and dancing competitions as well as the Technolympics, which is a series of competitions that test tech-voc skills such as landscaping, commercial cooking, welding, and web design, among many others.

The NFOT covers both the tech-voc and arts subjects in K to 12’s four tracks in senior high school which are: academic, technical-vocational, sports, and arts & design. (Cha Monforte, Correspondent)

13 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

BUSECO chooses Hedcor’s renewable energy supply B

UKIDNON Second Electric Cooperative Inc. (BUSECO) chose AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor to supply 5 megawatts to its franchise area in 2017.

BUSECO and Hedcor signed an energy supply agreement on Nov. 10 at the Mallberry Suites in Cagayan de Oro City. BUSECO General Manager Deiter Hoff Arellano represented the electric cooperative while Rolando Pacquiao, Hedcor VP for Operations in Mindanao, represented the power generation company.

During a speech, Arellano said that through Hedcor, BUSECO can achieve its goal to deliver adequate power to its customers using local and

sustainable resources. He said that he is glad that BUSECO and Hedcor have become partners in helping develop the province of Bukidnon and its people.

“We must have a reliable partner in order for us to deliver a reliable and sustainable power supply to our customers” Arellano stressed.

At present, BUSECO serves Malaybalay City, the towns of Lantapan, Cabanglasan, Impasugong, Sumilao, Malitbog, Libona, Manolo Fortich, Baungon and Talakag, and Barangay Lilingayon of Valencia City.

“Thanks to Hedcor for the opportunity, for giving us part of the power that will be generated from the hydropower plant. At the end of the day,

the ultimate beneficiary is our member consumer-owners” Arellano said.

Pacquiao thanked BUSECO for choosing Hedcor’s renewable energy to be included in their energy mix.

He said that AboitizPower is committed to explore better ways to integrate good social development and responsible environmental stewardship into their business operations.

“Manolo Fortich Hydro will enable us to further our commitment to support the energy needs of our country, particularly Mindanao.

We remain committed to provide reliable, ample and competitively priced power, generated with the least possible adverse effects on our environment and host com-

munities,” Pacquiao said.

Hedcor is set to finish its 68.8MW Manolo Fortich hydropower project by the second quarter of 2017, which will provide additional power to the Mindanao grid. The US$280.4-million project will be the latest addition to Aboitiz Power Corporation’s growing portfolio of renewable energy in the country under the Cleanergy brand.

BUSECO is the sixth electric cooperative to pick Hedcor’s renewable energy in Mindanao. Hedcor was also the power generator of choice of Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperatives 1 and 2, Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Misamis Occidental I Electric Cooperative and Siargao Electric Cooperative.

Members of the board of Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative Inc. (BUSECO) together with Hedcor representatives during the signing of renewable energy supply agreement on Thursday, November 10.

PLDT holds hackathon in VisMin region L

EADING telecommunications and digital services provider PLDT continues its search for the most innovative solutions in enhancing customer experience by bringing the #PLDT88 Hackathon Challenge to Visayas and Mindanao.

As part of its 88th anniversary celebration on November 28, the #PLDT88 Hackathon Challenge highlights the PLDT Group’s commitment to continuously enhance customer experience. It is also an avenue through which the Company can provide support for the local developers nationwide, finding innovative solutions designed to enhance customer experience for the millions of PLDT HOME and SME Nation subscribers.

“This hackathon is a fitting way to celebrate our 88th anniversary. Developing innovative digital solutions to improve customer service is fully aligned with our ongoing digital transformation,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Organized by PLDT Innolab and the Public Affairs Group, the VisMin leg will be held simultaneously in Cebu and Davao on November 1920 where teams from the Visayas and Mindanao regions

will pitch their ideas and solutions. The Davao hackathon will be held at the PLDT Innolab in Ponciano, Davao City, while Cebu hackathon will be held in PLDT Innolab in Mabolo, Cebu City.

During the two-day event, each group will be tasked to create a digital solution based on the suggested categories of customer experience concerns defined by experts during the pre-hackathon event. Each group is given five minutes to pitch their ideas and present their prototypes in front of the judges. Judges can ask their questions, and participants can demonstrate and expound on their solutions given the challenge.

The top three groups with the best ideas and digital solutions will be declared the winners of the VisMin leg.

The winners for the VisMin leg will receive P15,000 each as a group, along with some exciting prizes. All winning groups will then compete at the Ultimate Pitch, along with the three winners from the Luzon leg.

The three winning teams from the VisMin leg will compete in the ultimate pitch event in Manila on November 24 against the winning teams from the Luzon leg for the

chance to win P100,000, other exciting prizes, and an opportunity to get their ideas fully developed and implemented.

The hackathon is being done in partnership with PLDT Home and PLDT SME Nation, and in cooperation with Smart DevNet, Voyager Innovations and IdeaSpace Foundation, and sponsored by IP Converge

and PayMaya. It is also co-organized by hackathon expert RedWizard Events Management.

Interested individuals and groups must register at www. pldt.com/88hackathon to secure their slot in the VisMin leg for Cebu and Davao. The first 100 to successfully register can participate in the event. (PR)

CHILDREN’S CONGRESS. Over 80 children from Pantawid families all over Davao region joined in various workshops during the Regional Children’s Congress held at the Grand Menseng Hotel in Davao City from November 9-10. The workshop topics include Ako at ang Aking Karapatan, Ako at ang

E-PLDT Inc.: Cloud computing leads to efficient data handling

E

-PLDT Inc. has partnered with Microsoft Philippines and PLDT Alpha in creating awareness on the advantages of utilizing cloud computing for efficient data management.

The local cloud solutions provider recently brought its ‘Reinventing Productivity in the New Field of Work’ event to IT experts in Southern Luzon at the Seda Hotel in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The event aims to empower thought leaders to be more aware of the New Field of Work – how businesses and business leaders can make insight-driven decisions with the help of technology.

Benedicto Perez, head of PLDT Corporate Relationship Management, discussed the role of latest business collaborating tools through enabling better collaboration to improve customer experience.

“We can help your organization enable better collaboration and foster insightful discussions through effective productivity tools.

In today’s enterprise digital ecosystem, it is imperative that your business adopts and reacts via relevant technology,” Perez said.

Meanwhile, Chet Alviz, head of SMACS (Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud and Security) stated that the event is vital in helping enterprise clients utilize digital resources to help get their job done in a more synergized manner.

“We are now living in the age of the ‘mobile-first’ consumer; where the customer’s experience of any product or service defines success or failure of a venture. In order to reach these mobile first consumers, digital tech adoption is key --- and collaboration is vital”, according to Alviz.

The event was joined in by key technology experts

from Microsoft Philippines including Tovia Va’aelua, Innovative Enterprises Lead, and Mae Moreno, Cloud Solutions Lead, to demonstrate how to utilize the cloud in enhancing customer experiences and how to thrive in the New World of Work.

Furthermore, Miguel Gonzalez of PLDT discussed the advantages of outsourcing IT services to businesses in different industries, particularly tapping ePLDT’s VITRO data centers for colocation.

The Microsoft team also highlighted its Microsoft Office 365, a top-of-the-line set of cloud-based productivity tools that improves collaboration—from e-mail and IM to social networking and video conferencing.

Alviz concluded: “This new age of technology offers us a lot of tremendous changes in the way we work and live. But the change is always good—we are able to collaborate better, work in a more synergized environment, and at the same time get optimum results that are far better than what we could have imagined.”

Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. Cloud computing and storage solutions provide users and enterprises with various capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centers that may be located far from the user–ranging in distance from across a city to across the world. ePLDT, Inc. is the leading Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider in the Philippines and the 6th in Asia Pacific. It is home to more than 70 Microsoft-certified professionals who work with different industry leaders to reshape their business. (PNA)

Aking Kakayahan, and Ako at ang Aking Pangarap. Awarding of winners of the Regional Search for Exemplary Child of Pantawid Pamilya was set on the second day of the event. (DSWD-XI Photo)

14 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Wildlife: Going, going, gone?

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

HE world is fast losing its animals and thousands if not millions may have already join the dodo into extinction. And human beings should be blamed for their disappearance, according to a biannual report released by the conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London.

“Nearly three-fifths of all animals with a backbone – fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals – have been wiped out since 1970 by human appetites and activity,” said news dispatch Agence France Presse (AFP) quoting the report.

Using the Living Planet Index, the WWF observed there was an average decline of two percent with no sign of slowing down. “If this downward trend persists, species populations could decline on average by 67% by 2020, within

happen – is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government,” pointed out American biologist in an article he wrote for Harvard Magazine. “As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.”

Biodiversity – coined from biological diversity – is most often thought of as the variety of organisms on earth. Yet it also includes two other factors: ecological diversity (the variety of ecosystems and ecological communities) and genetic diversity (the range of genetic differences found within and between species).

“Biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests, rivers and oceans,” Lamberti-

Philippine tarsier (Photo

by Paolo Lim) only half a century,” the report pointed out.

According to some experts, the world is now entering what they termed as sixth “mass extinction event” – when species vanish at least 1,000 faster than usual – in the last half-billion years.

There is no mystery as to why they are fast disappearing.

“Our very own ever-expanding species – which has more than doubled in number since 1960 to 7.4 billion – is simply eating, crowding and poisoning its planetary cohabitants out of existence.”

Their disappearance is indeed very alarming. “Wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate,” deplored Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International.

Once they are gone, they are gone forever. “The worst thing that can happen – will

ni pinpointed. “Take away the species, and these ecosystems collapse, along with clean air, water, food and climate services they provide us.”

The Philippines is the world’s second largest archipelago country after Indonesia. It comprises more than 7,100 islands covering 297,179 square kilometers in the westernmost Pacific Ocean. It has been dubbed as “Galapagos times ten” due to its rich biodiversity.

“The Philippines is one of the 18 mega-biodiverse countries of the world, containing two-thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and between 70% and 80% of the world’s plants and animal species,” notes the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), of which the Philippines is a signatory, has

Crocodile

Brahminy kite listed several wildlife species in the country that are rare, threatened, or endangered.

Among these are the Philippine eagle (the country’s bird icon), tamaraw, calamian deer, Palawan bearcat, Mindanao gymure, Philippine tarsier, Panay flying fox, Cebu black shama, Philippine cockatoo, “bungang ipot,” “tagbak,” and Sander’s glocacia.

“A few decades ago, the wildlife of the Philippines was notable for its abundance; now, it is notable for its variety; if present trend of destruction continues, Philippine wildlife will be notable for its absence,” deplored Dr. Lee Talbot, a wellknown ecologist and geographer.

The threats to the country’s once lush and diverse wildlife are many. But the primary culprit is the loss of its natural habitat, particularly the tropical rainforests. “In the Philippines, forests are disappearing fast,” reports Sanda Volpp in an article which appeared in Handbook Philippines.

“An alarming comparison reveals that while 95% of the Philippines was covered by forests a hundred years ago, in 1982, it was down to about 40% and in 2006, not even 20% is left. Of the remaining forest lands, only 800,000 hectares are still primary forests (3% of the total land area),” Volpp noted.

Studies show that a pair of Philippine eagle needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forests as a nesting territory.

“With the forest, the species cannot survive over the long

term,” said Dennis Salvador, the executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Inc. “Without the forest, not

only the Philippine eagle will go extinct, but so will the dreams and aspirations of millions of marginal income families who rely on the forest to survive.”

“Protection of biodiversity should be one of the top priorities of any meaningful strategy to safeguard the world’s biological heritage,” suggests John C. Ryan, author of Life Support: Conserving Biological Diversity.

As Dr. James Kirchner, an American professor of earth and planetary science at University of California, puts it: “The planet would be biologically depleted for millions of years, with consequences extending not only beyond the lives of our children’s children, but beyond the likely lifespan of the entire human species.”

Where have all our biodiversity gone? “Of all the global problems that confront us, (loss of biodiversity) is the one that is moving the most rapidly and the one that will have the most serious consequences,”

deplored Dr. Peter Raven, director of Missouri Botanical Gardens in the United States.

Saving biodiversity, however, is very expensive but it’s worth it. “Biodiversity is the basis of everything we do in agriculture, everything we do in health,” Brazilian Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, BCD chief, told Reuters. “So the development of new vaccines, the development of new cultured varieties of plants is based on biodiversity, genetic resources.

If we lose biodiversity, we lose the options for future development in these areas.”

The Philippines should heed that warning. “Our country is remarkably rich in biodiversity, from coral reefs to forests, rivers and lakes. Conservation of these resources is most critical to species survival, stable ecosystems and economic development on the Philippines and the world as well,” said Dr. Perry Ong, director of the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

Ravena makes it T to NBA D-League

SPORTS15

3 Chinese teams want‘The Blur’

ment for the year.”

“They have taken great interest in him and will be developing him for this season,” said Scott.

Ravena, however, is not part of the active roster but Scott expressed hope that the former Ateneo star will make it to the Legends lineup and, eventually, the NBA summer league roster of the Dallas

Mavericks.

In his own post on Twitter, Ravena called the move a ‘baby step,’ but expressed to do ‘whatever it takes’ to realize his NBA dream.

“He’s on the Legends team, just not the active roster till he’s ready,” Scott said when asked about the status of the former UAAP MVP in the D-League side.

“Hopefully for summer league with Mavericks in 2017 if all goes well and then back next season with the Legends as a starter and continue the journey to next level,” Scott added.

The Legends drafted another Filipino, Rayray Parks, last season where the son of

the former PBA import Bobby Parks averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 32 games.

However, Legends chose not to bring Parks back this season.

Parks, also a former UAAP MVP, was eventually drafted by the Westchester Knicks but failed to make the final cut for the D-League season.

Ravena will have to tackle a tougher road than Parks since, as a developmental player, he will have to work his way to the Legends active roster.

Developmental players also can’t be called up by the D-League team’s NBA affiliate at any time during the season.

On the Legends opening night roster are returning players Andre Dawkins, Deng Deng, Manny Harris, Patrick Miller and Satnam Singh.

Also listed as a developmental player was David Allen, while one player, Courtney Fells, made the 12-man roster through tryouts.

after 12 minutes of action. The reigning MVP sank three of his seven triples in the period as Golden State set the tone of the rout early with a 38-19 lead.

Denver put up some fight in the second period to trim the gap to 14, 65-51, at the break.

But Curry had another shooting clinic in the third quarter, sinking four more three-pointers as the Warriors built their

biggest lead at 31, 97-66, near the end of the frame.

Malik Beasley then led an early run by Denver in the fourth quarter to get the lead down to 20, 99-79, but the Warriors bench managed to put away the Nuggets for good.

Curry finished with 33 points, including seven of his team’s 14 triples, to lead the Warriors. Klay Thompson and

Kevin Durant added 19 and 18, respectively, to push Golden State’s record at 7-2.

The Nuggets were led by rookies Jamal Murray and Beasley, with 14 and 12 points, respectively, off the bench. Danilo Gallinari and Gary Harris each had 11 in a losing cause for Denver, now with a 3-4 card.

time).

In his first game against the Heat in Miami, Wade played 32 minutes and scored 13 points, pulled down seen rebounds and made four as-

sists.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls in scoring with 20 points, while Rajon Rondo had a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago notched

its fifth win in nine outings.

Hassan Whiteside had a huge double-double of 20 points and 20 rebounds but not enough to halt the Miami skid, now at three games.

28 points and nine rebounds, and Rudy Gay had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game win streak snapped. Sacramento had won the last seven meetings with the Lakers.

D’Angelo Russell had 17 points and Nick Young 16 for the Lakers. Julius Randle had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Timothy Mozgov added 10 points.

With the Lakers trying to hold on, Young drove the lane

and was fouled while making an off-balance shot. He converted the free throw for a three-point play and a 97-88 lead.

The Kings led by double digits in the first half but their offense grew stagnant in the third quarter and continued halfway through the fourth, when they were outscored 28-21.

Both Young and Russell had eight points in the third quarter, when the Lakers outscored the Kings 23-18 and

pulled within 73-70 heading into the fourth.

BABY STEP. In what he called a ‘baby step’ towards realizing his NBA dream, Kiefer Ravena has made it to the Texas Legends’ roster.

K

IEFER Ravena will be part for the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League as part of the development roster this season, his agent Patty Scott confirmed on Friday.

“Yes he is,” said Scott, when asked if Ravena is part of the Legends team this season. “He just flew there today and got checked into his apart-

Curry sizzles in another GSW win

G

OLDEN State rode another hot start, this time from Stephen Curry, as the Warriors demolished the Denver Nuggets, 125-101, at the Pepsi Center on Thursday (Friday, Manila time).

A day after Klay Thompson outscored the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter, Curry almost replicated the feat in scoring 14 against the Nuggets’ 19 points

HREE teams from the Chinese Basketball Association are seriously courting TNT Katropa star guard Jayson Castro, sources said on Thursday.

Hailed as one of the top point guards in Asia, Castro, sources said, has received feelers from Chinese teams which want to utilize him as Asian import for the coming 3-month season of the CBA - a league that of late has attracted some former NBA stars like Josh Smith and Carlos Boozer.

According to a source, one Chinese team, once it got wind that Castro has yet to sign a new contract with TNT, has dangled a US$300,000 or P14 million for a three-month deal.

Contacted for comment, Castro’s longtime agent, Danny Espiritu, confirmed that the Gilas Pilipinas has yet to sign a new contract with TNT, ten days before the start of the new PBA season.

Espiritu also confirmed there have been feelers from some Chi- nese teams, b u t said they are

Wade leads Bulls in return to Miami D

WYANE Wade played a solid game in his return to Miami, helping lift the Chicago Bulls to a 98-95 victory over the Heat on Thursday (Friday, Manila

L

Lakers rally past Kings 101-91

OU WILLIAMS scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to help the Los Angeles Lakers rally for a 101-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.

The Lakers took control by breaking away from a tie game with 10 straight points, the final five by Young, to go ahead 92-82 with 3:36 left.

Los Angeles has four wins in a five-game stretch for the first time since November 2013.

DeMarcus Cousins had

TIP-INS Lakers: The Lakers opened the game making their first five shots, then missed 12 of 14 the remainder of the quarter and trailed 30-16. ... Larry Nance Jr. entered the game in the first quarter. He missed Tuesday’s game against Dallas due to concussion symptoms. .. Los Angeles committed 21 turnovers that led to 27 points.

only giving the three Chinese teams until Thursday evening to make a concrete offer or they will start negotiating with TNT on a new contract.

“May alok nga sa China.

Kaso walang formal offer kaya di ko masyado pinapansin. Hindi naman tayo hao ciao (peke). Kung gusto nila si Jayson, mag-offer sila,” said Espiritu who also revealed that the teams courting Castro belong to the bottom half of the standings in last CBA season.

“Basta I am giving them (CBA teams) until today to send us an offer,” he added.

Bottom teams in the CBA are allowed to sign one Asian player to go with other foreign reinforcements whose stints in games are restricted under league rules.

Castro is no longer new to playing overseas as he once donned the Singapore Slingers jersey before he joined the PBA draft in 2008.

It is also not the first time news of a possible Castro move to China has cropped up, the TNT star playing down the chances back in July.

Castro did not join TNT in a tune-up game versus the Mahindra Enforcers on Thursday, with one person close to the former PCU Dolphin saying he has just come from a family vacation in Abu Dhabi.

“Pagod pa si Jayson eh. Nagrequest talaga siya na bigyan aiya ng extra time to rest kasi bugbog talaga katawan niya,” said the person who requested anonymity.

But a source bared the best-case scenario is for Castro to be allowed to play in the CBA for three months then rejoin TNT at the end of the deal in February.

The problem however is if and when Castro accepts the CBA offer, he will miss TNT’s campaign in the Philippine Cup which starts on November 20.

The development has reportedly prompted TNT team owner Manny V. Pangilinan to schedule a one on one meeting with Castro within the week to discuss the ballclub’s offer for a contract renewal.

Espiritu said he expects TNT to make counter offer on Saturday.

WANTED IN CHINA. Jayson Castro has three standing offers to play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

MAN... FROM 16

style proved too hard and demanding physically and mentally, but having experienced the same hectic schedule while still in the movie and television before, Pacquiao endured the sacrifices and survived through a well-char-

tered time management.

He even expressed willingness to undergo the same difficult experience two or three more times or for as long as his body would allow before finally retiring for good.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 9 ISSUE 187 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

MAN ON A MISSION Freddie believes Manny’s career not yet over

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

M

njb@edgedavao.net

ANNY Pacquiao is a man on a mission.

This is what trainer Freddie Roach thinks of the Filipino icon days after his title win over then defending belt-owner Jessie Vargas.

In a report by Philboxing. com on its website, Roach said there nothing matches to Pacquiao than the happiness boxing brings and the happiness he brings to people through boxing.

“Manny’s on a mission and that is to serve humanity by making people happy in the only way he knows how, through boxing. He’s been like that from the time he won the world flyweight championship 15 years ago. Each time he fought, he would tell us, his happiness is in serving people,” the 56-year-old seven-time ‘Trainer of the Year’ said in the Philboxing.com interview. “It has always been a mission he imposed on himself.”

“Of course, that’s besides

helping his family extricate from the extreme poverty they were in. And after he had earned enough to secure his and his family’s future, his mind remained focused solely to making people, not only his countrymen, happy,” Roach added.

Aside from dedicating his fights to the Filipino people, Pacquiao spent close to P48 million for tickets of his family and close friends in the Philippines to watch the fight in Las Vegas.

Among the beneficiaries of Pacquiao’s kindness is Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa who has always been invited by the fighting Senator in his past fights.

Dela Rosa admitted he received free tickets from Pacquiao and that got him into trouble as the Ombudsman was reported to be investigating him for possible impropriety as public official.

Dela Rosa said that he and

Manny were very close friends and that they both came from impoverished families.

Meantime, Roach admitted that in the long years he’s been training fighters, he hasn’t seen a boxer like the eight-division champion who finds satisfaction in trading punches with his fellow fighters, to give enjoyment to others.

“Manny’s a freak, I tell you, a real freak,” Roach said. “the reason I love him. He’ a rarity.

He’s a different kind of person,” he said. “That’s why I’m very happy he won that fight coming from retirement.

“I knew he needed that so he can continue with his mission. Had he lost, that could have been devastating,” he said. “He had lost many fights in his career. He can lose as many in the future, but not this one, which he wanted very badly so he can pursue further what he wants to do for he rest of his life.”

“This, in reality, was the reason he came back to box-

FIGHTING ON. Filipino WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will continue fighting according to trainer Freddie Roach. ing following a self-imposed retirement. He thought he’ll be happy making people happy through government service like the senate,” Roach noted.

“He felt sad and lonely staying in Manila all by himself and in the absence of his family.”

The report said that Pac-

quiao realized he cannot make people happy if he himself is not happy. Because of this, Pacquiao decided to take the chance of returning to the ring while doubling as a member of the Senate.

He did come back and a week after deciding on who to

battle next, Pacquiao was seen on the road in in the mornings of days following, sparring and punching the mitts, the heavy bags and speed balls in the evenings right after attending senate sessions.

The sudden change in life-

F MAN, 15