Edge Davao9 Issue 191

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

BADJAO’S AND UKAY-UKAY. Ukay-ukay vendors pick up a sack full of secondhand ready-to-wear clothes at a Badjao community in Matina Aplaya, Davao City yesterday. Ukay-ukay products are peddled by Badjao vendors along the main streets of the city.

Lean Daval Jr.

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

GRADUATION-BOUND LADY CLAD IN HER TOGA DIES IN CAR MISHAP A EDGEDAVAO Sports 25-YEAR old lady wearing her toga and bound for graduation died when the vehicle she and

members of her family rode was struck from behind by a wayward truck yesterday morning somewhere in Katipunan, Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte.

The victim was identified as Chrisilyn “Kring-Kring” Andamon, a resident of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.

Andamon and her family were aboard their black trooper vehicle on their way to her graduation at the RDR gym in Tagum City when a Forward truck coming from

the opposite lane lost its left front wheel at the driver’s side, causing it to swerve to their direction.

Kring-Kring’s father Pablito attempted to evade the truck but their Trooper was still hit on the rear left side, where Kring-Kring was seated. She was dead on the spot while the rest of the family sustained minor injuries, said a post of netizen Niel Diaz and reposted by netizen May Rose Timonio.

Many netizens who knew her found it hard to believe what happened to her cried in disbelief who just graduated with a degree of masters in public administration.

Kring-Kring posted last on her FB on Tuesday. It was a selfie photo with her sister with words “Elow there, sissy!!” with three laughing, smiling emojis.

Kring-Kring, 25 years old, was graduate of political science from the same school and was dreaming to become a lawyer someday as her FB cover photo showed it.

As Kring-Kring’s FB timeline is not restricted from friends’ posting, it is overflowing with mixed feelings of great loss, disbelief, sadness and condoling rest in peace expressions wishing eternal rest and peace to beloved Kring-Kring. CHA MONFORTE

BEST START P15

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

BAMBOO STICKS. Young boys work as porters of dried bamboo sticks to help their families earn extra money near Bolton bridge in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

San Mateo, Rizal proposes sisterhood ties with Davao

T

HE municipality of San Mateo in Rizal province has proposed to establish a sisterhood relationship with Davao City to foster friendship and to share good local government unit practices.

Davao City Councilor Victorio Advincula, Jr. revealed this in his privilege speech even as he welcomed representatives from San Mateo who paid a courtesy call to members of the city council.

Chorribel M. Nakata, OIC Sangguniang Bayan Secretary of San Mateo, Rizal, said their council wanted to foster

friendship with Davao City in terms of sharing good local government practices and programs.

“We believe our practices are capable enough to partner with Davao,” Nakata remarked.

She added that their council found Davao’s risk reduction management program admirable.

The representatives stayed in the city for two days for the Philippine Councilors League hosted in Davao City.

Nakata shared that decided to propose the sisterhood re-

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte might visit the wake of former Provincial Board Member Arleigh Sitoy in Cebu City, according to Arleigh’s father and Presidential Legislative Affairs and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office chief Adelino Sitoy.

The older Sitoy, who was vice mayor of Cordova town in Cebu prior to his appointment to the Duterte cabinet, made these announcement during his eulogy for his son who, he said, really fought hard for his life.

Sitoy talked about his son in a eulogy at the Capitol Social Hall on Wednesday morning where family, friends

and provincial government officials gathered to remember the former PB member, whose remains were brought to the Capitol this morning for the Mass and necrological services.

Governor Hilario Davide admitted he was not close to Arleigh but considered him a friend even if Arleigh, who used to be with Liberal Party, opted for another political party, the PDP-Laban that backed now President Duterte, during the elections. Davide, the LP provincial chair, has opted to stay with the party even after most of his partymates have jumped to

F SAN MATEO, 10

DCPO asks Roxas blast witnesses to help search for more suspects

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

T

HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has continued to encourage witnesses in the of Roxas Night Market blast to cooperate in the search for additional suspects for the eventual closure of the case.

According to DCPO Chief Senior Supt. Michael John Dubria, the case has not been closed yet against the suspects and that all information regarding the incident is considered crucial.

Dubria said additional information would help them build a very strong case against the suspects.

“Just because the suspects were caught does not mean that they will not be able to escape,” he said, pointing out that the authorities still need many inputs for the case to push through.

He added that authorities have to assume that other witnesses were around at the time that they were with the persons of interests during the incident.

He said the new witnesses would also validate the statements from other witnesses.

Dubria also assured that the police will give protection

to witnesses who will voluntarily give their knowledge about the incident.

“Recently, I was able to talk personally to a new witness who is willing to give statement on what happened before the incident,” he said, adding that the authorities will be helping the witness in filing a formal complaint.

Meanwhile, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Tuesday’s meeting on City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) that they are waiting for the advice from City Legal’s Office (CLO) as to when they will be releasing the reward

money for the informants.

“We are also waiting for CLO’s advice to the office for the charges to be filed against other suspects,” Duterte-Carpio added.

She explained that they will be discussing the guidelines as to how the City Government will give the reward money to the informants once the case against other suspects will be filed in the court.

Duterte-Carpio also assured that the police will be having more security patrols in the city with the Joint Task Force Haribon to ensure the safety of the public.

Duterte likely to show up in Cebu exec wake Exec urged to conveneTWG to draft P F DUTERTE, 10

IRR for anti-discrimination ordinance

By RIA VALDEZ

M

AYOR Sara Duterte-Carpio has been urged to convene the technical working group that would draft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to pave the way for the implementation of the anti-discrimination ordinance.

“We are imploring the kind indulgence of the city chief Executive Department to set into motion the drafting of the IRR of the ordinance,”

Davao City Councilor Halila Sudagar in her privilege speech at the 18th regular session of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

According to Sudagar, the provisions in the ordinance mandate the convening of a technical working group that would create the IRR, and at the same time to convene the anti-discrimination mediation and consultation board.

“We would like to use the

anti-discrimination ordinance as a remedy to address the concerns of our constituents,” Sudagar stressed.

The councilor pointed out that discrimination in the city is still rampant and the sectors affected would want the ordinance to be implemented.

She said this was not possible because of the absence of an IRR. “The role of the city council is to remind and to fol-

low-up with the executive department for the need to draft the IRR,” she remarked.

She noted that many lobby groups have visited her office and she had only advised them to wait for the approval of the executive branch.

“The Muslim sector is the most affected,” she said. She added that she had received complaints regarding Muslim job applicants who were

F EXEC, 10

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

House set to pass Indigenous People’s education measure

T

HE House of Representatives was poised to pass the Indigenous Peoples Education Act or the IPED Act, according Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat.

Baguilat, himself an indigenous person has re-filed it as House Bill 4415. During the last Congress, it was filed as HB 4220, which was favorably endorsed by the House Committee on Indigenous Peoples (IPs), the deliberations of which was however, regrettably unfinished by the end of the 16th Congress.

Baguilat said indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples comprise at least a third of the country’s population.

“They are the nation’s social capital, they are our link

to the past that defines our cultural identity and enables our country to see itself as a separate entity, enables our leaders—the entire Filipino Nation—to distinguish the country’s interest against those of others,” he said.

He added that Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge of the environment is unsurpassed by any scientific study, their management strategies proved to be lasing solutions to many modern problems, their art forms continue to inspire modern creations with functional and aesthetic values, sadly, their intellectual and creative wealth is only known in the surface. More importantly, the rich and distinctive position of IPs as the nation’s

F HOUSE, 10

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

CHRISTMAS IS HERE. A vendor works to complete the display of colourful lanterns that re for sale near the Central Bank in Davao City as the whole Christian world prepares for the celebration of Christmas 2016. (Alexander D. Lopez)

DCPO to intensify security as the holiday season nears T

Five arrested, one killed in joint Agusan Sur buy-bust

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

W

ITH only 37 days before Christmas, the Philippine National Police has intensified its anti-crime campaign by fielding more police patrols and deploying more personnel in public places.

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Catherine dela Rey revealed that

police director Michael John Dubria has directed station commanders to intensify patrolling and to deploy administrative personnel to augment beat patrol personnel.

“We will still intensify the police operations by deploying more security personnel for foot, vehicle, and bike patrols,” dela Rey said.

Dela Rey added that the police will be providing information materials at the public places on the do’s and don’ts of the people.

The station commanders, according to dela Rey, have also coordinated with the mall authorities to provide civilian security to look out the vicinity.

“We also told the mall security to man their Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) to monitor the safety of the public,” dela Rey said.

She added that the churches will be provided more security because thousands of civilians are expected to attend the traditional 10-

10-wheeler truck owned by Mr. Jun Yi. The second arson incident transpired on the same day at Barangay Manga, Matanao, Davao del Sur when an Elf truck owned by Municipal councilor Melanie Maniapao was torched by 10 unidentified members belonging to an armed group near her house.

The third incident revealed that the truck, owned

by Yellow Bus Line, with body number A-77 was heading toward General Santos City was set on fire by seven unidentified armed lawless elements who fled east after the attack.

The fourth incident involved an armed group of 50

F DCPO, 10

PA cites spate of burning of vehicles in November

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS and RIA VALDEZ

A

SPOKESPERSON of the Philippine Army said the burning of vehicles by lawless elements appeared to have been widespread in the month of November in Mindanao.

Capt. Rhyan Batchar, chief of the Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the

Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said they have received four burning cases in Davao del Sur, Saranggani, South Cotabato, and General Santos City.

The first incident happened on Nov. 9 at Sitio Ulas, Barangay Alegria, Alabel, Sarangani where 10 fully armed men burned a backhoe and

F PA, 10

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE army’s 25th Infantry Battalion on Wednesday reported five suspected drug pushers were apprehended and one killed during a joint buy-bust operation with the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted last Saturday in Puroks 4 and 7, Barangay Poblacion, Trento, Agusan del Sur. In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday, 1st Lt. Michael Jay Mana, civil relations officer of 25th IB said firearms, ammunitions and suspected sachets of shabu were also recovered by authorities from the possession of the suspects.

Mana identified the five suspects as Marvin Espanya Supertran,Tejie Lumampao Dimavivas, Rolando Samuel Antiga, Sarah Jane Roze Adline and Rico Gapate Caballes.

Another suspect, Jiseca Albaran alias Vanessa was later proclaimed dead on arrival at the Franco Medical Hospital in Agusan Sur. Authorities were able to confiscate from the possession of the suspects Caliber

.357 pistol loaded with six live ammunitions; ten pieces of live ammunitions of caliber .357; one fired cartridge case of 9MM; three fired cartridge cases of caliber .45; and one fired bullet of unknown calibre.

A total of 31 pieces of unsealed transparent plastic sachets; 21 pieces small heat sealed plastic sachets; and 3 pieces big heat sealed plastic sachets containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as “SHABU” were also recovered from the suspects.

The army and the PNP also confiscated from the suspects two pieces of digital weighing machines; one piece disposable lighter; several folded cramped aluminum thin foils; three pieces one hundred peso bills and two pieces five hundred peso bills used as buy-bust money; and cash money amounting to P6,360.00.

Mana said the suspects were brought to Trento Municipal Police Station while

F FIVE, 10

Campaign for zero hunger to be launched in a forum

M OBSTRUCTION. A junk shop owner makes the sidewalk as extension of its establishment near Sta. Ana Avenue in Davao City which caused inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists in the area. Lean Daval Jr.

ORE than a hundred local and national organizations will launch Wednesday a national campaign to end hunger in the Philippines through a forum to be held at the Talamban Campus of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.

The idea is to push for more attention to be given by the present administration to the country’s hunger concerns, said Pamela Baricuatro, executive director of the SimplyShare Foundation Inc., one of the initiating organizations.

With the forum, the organizers intend to kick off a series of activities all related to what it called the Philippine

Initiative for Zero Hunger (PIZH) that they hope would lead to the passage of a law creating a Zero Hunger Commission.

“If the hunger problem can be given attention at a level similar to the one given to the illegal drug problem, better conditions could definitely be expected for Filipinos experiencing the lack of food all these years,” Baricuatro said.

Hunger, according to the Manila-based Stop Hunger Now–Philippines (SHNP), is a serious health concern. The organization cited a 2013 report that linked the 31,000 deaths among children under

F CAMPAIGN, 10

EDGEDAVAO

4 ECONOMY

Energy dept. wants Agus-Pulangi capacity for impoverished areas

E

NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi revealed his department has requested the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) to allocate the capacity of the 982-megawatt (MW) Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex to poor communities and economic zones in Mindanao.

“I wrote a letter to PSALM to allocate the output of the Agus-Pulangi power plants to the ARMM region and Maguindanao to develop the areas, and Philippine Economic Zone Authority sites to encourage manufacturing,” Cusi told reporters in an ambush interview Wednesday.

The ARMM is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

He noted that the hydroelectric power plants’ capacity is currently sold at PHP2.70 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to different electric cooperatives in Mindanao under the Independent Pow-

er Producer Administrators agreement, which is owned

by PSALM. Cusi added that PSALM has already started negotiations with the electric cooperatives as the power supply contracts have already expired. He however requested that they be given a one-year extension to find another power supplier.

The energy chief explained that he wants to allocate the capacity to the poorest areas in Mindanao.

He pointed out that the potential redirecting of the power plants’ capacity will not affect their privatization in 2017.

The Mindanao Development Authority had called on the previous administration to approve the legislation of the Mindanao Power Corp. to take over the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric complex. The power facility earns about PHP5 billion to PHP7 billion each year. (PNA)

LDT Home Fibr, the nation’s most powerful broadband from leading telco and digital services provider PLDT, now passes over 2.5 million homes from as far north as Ilocos Norte to southern Philippines in South Cotabato province, further extending its widest fiber coverage in the country.

“As a result of our aggressive rollout program, PLDT now has over 140,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, the most extensive fiber infrastructure in the country. This enables us to serve the increasing demand for high-speed broadband from homes across the country,” PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

The PLDT Group’s expanded nationwide fiber optic network will enable even more homes to enjoy seamless and lag-free internet access from as far north as Laoag, Baguio City, Vigan City, and Tuguegarao, all the way to central and southern Luzon, including Tarlac, Cabanatuan City, and San Fernando, Pampanga, and Puerto Princesa and El Nido in Palawan; down to the Bicol region to stretch to Sorsogon, Naga City, and Legazpi City.

Meanwhile, the major urban areas in the Visayas region are also fiber-ready with the most extensive footprint in the cities of Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Tagbilaran. In Mindanao, PLDT’s fiber has now reached key provinces and cities, including Cotabato, Davao, General Santos City, Koronadal, and Zamboanga.

“As the demand for highspeed connectivity escalates,

we are stepping up our efforts to make our most advanced broadband service accessible to more homes in the country,” Pangilinan pointed out.

In addition to being available in more areas, PLDT is making the Home Fibr service more affordable and enjoyable by introducing Plan 1899 which offers speeds of up to 50 Mbps.

PLDT Home Fibr delivers high-speed Internet of up to 1 Gbps, allowing ultra-fast browsing of multiple websites and the country’s first symmetrical speed service which provides equal upload and download speeds.

This allows families to better enjoy more entertainment from renowned digital partners like iflix, Fox Networks Group, Netflix, Roku, and iWant TV, as well as greater security at home with monitoring device FamCam that lets you watch over your family wherever you are and FamZone that allows parents to keep their children safe online.

“With Fibr’s unmatched broadband performance and compelling content offerings, the digitally connected Smart Home is even more powerful than ever, proving that the strongest connections are in our fiber,” Pangilinan added.

PLDT has invested P300 billion or $6 billion over the last 10 years to roll-out the country’s most expansive network infrastructure. For 2016 alone, the telco leader has set aside P48 billion or about $1 billion for capital expenditures, a significant portion of which was allocated for the domestic fiber infrastructure.

PLDT Home Fibr reaches 2.5M homes P

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

PLDT seeks consensus to boost broadband infrastructure in PH

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

ELECOMMUNICATIONS and digital services provider PLDT Inc. has called for a national consensus to support rollout of broadband infrastructure in the country.

In a statement to the media on Wednesday, PLDT saw the need to harmonize policies of the national government and the regulations of local government units (LGUs) to speed up the deployment of broadband infrastructure and support the vision to transform the Philippines into a digital nation.

“Echoing an industry-supported resolution, PLDT suggested that a standard permit system be set up to minimize bureaucratic delays and strengthen stakeholder support for the rollout of network infrastructure to more areas in the country,” the company said in the statement.

It also reiterated the statement of Mario G. Tamayo, senior vice president for net-

work services of PLDT and Smart Communications that presented the challenges in the rollout of wired broadband infrastructure.

The statement of Tamayo was delivered during the recent summit that was hosted by the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) for local government units and ICT players.

Tamayo pointed out that there are currently no standard fees in applying for permits, emphasizing that at the levels of barangays and municipalities, telecommunication companies face different sets of permit fees and processing timelines.

He added that PLDT has to deal with widespread cases of cable theft and fiber breaks due to digging activities for national and local public works.

Tamayo also reported that these third-party causes account for about 80% of service interruptions for the country’s

largest telecoms provider.

“We are calling for a national consensus to harmonize policies and regulations in support of building digital data infrastructure. We also hope to deepen understanding of our people, at the community level, on how vital telecoms infrastructures are to our lives. When these facilities are damaged or stolen, this harms our welfare as surely as when roads and bridges are washed away,” Tamayo said.

He also made a proposal for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to allocate space for telecoms infrastructures in public highways to reduce right-of-way issues and expedite deployment of fiber facilities.

PLDT also emphasized that in anticipation of the continued growth of data traffic and digital services in the country, it is planning to increase the capacity of its data infrastructure by ten times come 2020.

This year, the company has allocated P48 billion capital expenditure to fortify and expand its fixed and wireless networks, including the utilization of its recently acquired 700 MHz spectrum frequency.

PLDT’s fiber cable links currently spans to 140,000 kilometers and considered the most extensive fiber network in the country.

These support fiber and DSL connections, as well as provide vital transport for the mobile networks of Smart and Sun. The company has also poured in investments to landing stations and international cable links that connect the Philippines to the US, Europe, Australia and Africa.

“Having the most number of these in the country, the company says that these are important because 90% of Internet content accessed by Filipinos come from overseas, mostly from North America,” PLDT said.

SHOE REPAIR. Almost every day, this guy positions his working table at the Rizal Park in front of San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City to accept shoe repair and cleaning jobs from passersby. (Alexander D. Lopez)

Open Data PHL to promote transparency

P

RESIDENTIAL Communications Secretary Martin Andanar announced on Wednesday that Open Data Philippines will reintroduce data.gov.ph as the central database for all publicly available information with the implementation of the Executive Order on Freedom of Information (FOI), underscoring the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

The database aims to create an active exchange of information between the government and the public.

“While the FOI rogram enhances the public’s right

to government information, Open Data Philippines provides the central portal where requested and proactively disclosed data and information may be accessed,” Andanar said.

The FOI and Open Data initiatives will work harmoniously and simultaneously to manage and oversee government data collection and publication. The FOI program will also introduce Electronic-FOI (eFOI), a facility that will handle requests for data and information and will ensure that each request is properly received, reviewed, and answered.

eFOI is an online platform where citizens can lodge an FOI request, get updates on their requests, and receive their requested information.

The eFOI platform will initially be available for a few government agencies for its beta phase, including the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

PCO, in partnership with

DICT and the World Bank, conducted a series of workshops for national government agencies to introduce the eFOI. Consultations with civil society organizations were also conducted.

“It is hoped that when the eFOI platform is launched on November 25, citizens will be able to conveniently request for government data and information online,” Andanar said.

The eFOI platform aims to be available for the rest of the government offices covered by the FOI Executive Order by 2017 to 2018.

(PNA)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

PHP losses anew versus USD while PSEi ends losing streak

O

NGOING volatilities in the global financial market has weakened the Philippine peso anew to another nearly eight-year low Wednesday.

But the local equities market ended its losing streak, resisting the regional sell-off.

The local currency shed Php0.18 against the US dollar after finishing the day at 49.35, almost the same as its Dec. 4, 49.37 close.

A trader said sell-off in Asian equities market pushed currencies down during the day.

Strong mid-month demand for the US currency also pinned down the local unit, the trader said.

“Fed (Federal Reserve)

rate hike expectations for December also increased after sustained improvement in US retail sales,” the trader said, referring to the 0.8 percent month-to-month increase in US’ core retail sales last October on continued improvement in consumer sentiment.

Core retail sales is among the factors being used in computing US domestic expansion.

The local unit opened sideways against the dollar at 49.15 from day-ago’s 49.13.

It strengthened to 49.10 but also dipped to 49.36 bringing the average for the day at 49.21.

Volume of trade reached USD666.5 million, higher than the USD600.9 million a day

F PHP, 10

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Mayor Sara creates zoning review team

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

D

adlopez0920@gmail.com

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte issued Executive Order No. 24 on Monday for the creation of a Local Zoning Review Committee (LRZC).

The body will be responsible for the efficient and effective implementation of the city’s development plans, programs, objectives, and priorities.

Through the newly-cre-

ated committee, Mayor Sara wanted o determine the necessary revisions to the zoning ordinance of the city as introduced in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).

The LRZC is also mandated to identify provisions of the ordinance that are difficult to enforce or are unworkable and recommend such provisions for revision to the City Council and the

City Planning Office.

E.O. No. 24 said LRZC will be composed of the head of the heads of the Davao City Planning and Development Coordinator’s Office (CPDO), Davao City Health Officer, Davao City agriculturist, Davao City Engineer’s Office, and the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office.

Membership to the com-

BOC bares new import rules on tobacco and alcohol items

S

MEAT PRICES. A meat vendor arranges her display of pork meat inside Agdao Public Market in Davao City. The prices of meat products are expected to rise as more than a month before Christmas day. Lean Daval Jr.

Gov’t presses importance of sustainable rural development

T

HE government has set its sights on investing in the countryside to empower rural poor and encourage them to stay in these communities and avoid congesting the metropolis.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, who is also lead convenor of the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD), said the convergence aimed to lower poverty incidence, produce livelihood from rural areas, generate economic activities and uplift the lives of the Filipino peo-

ple.

“We will streamline the processes and make the turnaround time of every projects faster,” he further stressed.

NCI-SRD is a complementation strategy among the four rural development agencies under a common goal of poverty reduction and sustainable countryside development.

The four agencies are the Department of Agriculture,Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, and Interior and Local Government.

It aims to provide integrated delivery of services and programs to rural farming, fishing and upland communities of the country.

Through the enhanced framework, the NCI-SRD will undertake joint planning, programming and budgeting as well as monitoring and evaluation in the achievement of the sectoral goals and targets of the plan. One pilot area per region will be chosen.

Piñol stressed that it was very important for the four agencies to come together and work as one.

“These are trying times and we must unify our efforts and action plans,” said Agriculture Undersecretary Ranibai Dilangalen.

Success stories have already been made in convergence model sites in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, Javier Leyte, and Siayan, Zamboanga Del Norte.

Collaborating with Piñol are Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, Environment Secretary Regina Paz Lopez, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno as Co-Convenors.

(PNA)

and Food.

Under the measure, the Philippine Native Animal Development Center (PNADC) will be created under the Department of Agriculture (DA). ”This will develop and promote native animals as a reliable source of food for Filipinos and potential niche product of the Philippines. This will also generate additional income for small-scale and other rural dwellers,” Garin said.

She cited animal expert Veneranda Magpantay, associate professor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, about a study on the resilience of native animals in the face of calamities that define native animals. ”Since native animals are well adapted to their natural environments with minimum human intervention, it is no surprise that majority of the animals which survived ty-

phoon Yolanda were native animals,” the study said. ”Despite native animals’ valuable contribution in the economic status of farming communities, lack of adequate research facilities and appropriate technology in propagating local breeds hindered the development of native farming sectors for years,” Garin lamented.

When the bill becomes a

Promotion of native animal breeding sought in Congress

A

HOUSE of Representatives leader has filed a bill which seeks to promote scientific propagation of native animals in the country by introducing an effective animal breeding system.

House Bill No. 3540 or the proposed Philippine Native Animals Act of 2016, authored

by Deputy Speaker and AAMBIS-Owa Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin, is now pending before the Committee on Agriculture

F PROMOTION, 10

mittee includes the Davao City School Superintendent, President of Association of Barangay Captains, representatives from the City Chamber of Commerce, Housing Industry and Homeowner’s Associations/Urban Poor Community Associations and two representatives from nongovernment organizations considered by the CPDO.

MALL value importations of tobacco goods as well as wines and spirits are still subject to excise taxes under a new Customs Administrative Order (CAO) that raises to P10,000 the tax-exempt value of non-commercial imports.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, who heads the Revenue Operations Group of the Department of Finance (DOF), said the CAO also lists goods prohibited and restricted for importation.

“The proposed CAO provides that de minimis importations of tobacco goods, wines and spirits shall still be subject to excise tax pursuant to the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended,” Tionko said in her memorandum to the Finance Secretary recommending approval of the CAO. This CAO on de minimis or small value importations was approved recently by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to implement Section 423 of Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Tionko said the CAO excludes for immediate release importations, even if within the de minimis threshold, that are: declared as ‘without commercial value’ or ‘of no commercial value’ of with specific amount but qualified by the phrase ‘for customs purposes’ or other analogous phrases; tobacco and liquor products carried by passengers in excess of the allowable limits; goods subject to requirements or conditions imposed by regulatory agencies, unless for personal use and within the limits allowed by regulations; prohibited and restricted importations; and importation to be entered conditionally free, for warehousing, for transit and/or admission to free zones.

Under the CAO, which is the first one pertaining to de minimis importations under the CMTA regulations, prohibited items for importation include adulterated or mis-

branded food products and goods; instruments, drugs and substances designed, intended or adapted for producing unlawful abortion; and representations of any form of an obscene or immoral character.

Prohibited items include written or printed goods in any form containing any matter advocating or inciting treason, rebellion, insurrection, sedition against the government, or forcible resistance to any law of the Philippines, or written or printed goods containing any threat to take the life of, or inflict bodily harm upon, any person in the Philippines.

Imports of items manufactured in whole or in part of gold, silver or other precious metals or alloys and the stamp, brand or mark does not indicate the actual fineness of quality of the metals or alloy are also banned.

Infringed goods as defined under the Intellectual Property Code and related statutes, and all other items or parts whose importation are explicitly prohibited by law or rules and regulations are likewise prohibited under the CAO. This is the first of the series of CAOs that will be issued to flesh out the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the 200-page CMTA, Tionko said.

The CAO also enumerates restricted goods, which, except when authorized by law or regulations, are also prohibited.

These include narcotic drugs and illegal substances; opium pipes or their parts; dynamite, firearms, gunpowder, ammunitions, explosives and other weapons of war; roulette wheels, gambling outfits, loaded dice, marked cards, machines, apparatus, or mechanical devices used in gambling or the distribution of money, cigars, cigarettes or other goods when such distribution is dependent on chance, including jackpot and pinball machines or similar contrivances or their parts.

Lottery and sweepstakes

F BOC, 11

EDGEDAVAO

6 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Tagum Coop Board of Directors and Key Management personnel led by Chairperson Monica L. Salido together with Bigay Pugay Awardee, TC Immediate Past Chairperson Norma Pereyras stand along with ICA Asia & Pacific Regional Director Balu Iyer, NAPC Coop Sectoral Representative Gadwin Handumon , and CDA Chairman Orlando Ravanera.

civil society pushes A Fruitful Journey: Tagum Coop Moro for a four-party meeting in 13th Nationall Coop Summit C

T

AGUM Coop Board of Directors and Key Management personnel led by Chairperson Monica L. Salido were in complete attendance to the 13th National Cooperative Summit on October 24 and 25 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

Some 4,500 cooperators around the country gathered in the coop summit jointly organized by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC).

Regional Director of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in Asia-Pacific Mr. Balu Iyer, as keynote speaker, provided an international perspective, saying Filipino co-ops have much to share and can also learn from co-ops in Asia. He admired the theme of the event, “Philippine Co-ops: Exceeding Limits; Sustaining Excellence” because it is a “bold and forward-looking statement of purpose.”

He also highlighted that “cooperatives are key partners for achieving the agenda

for Sustainable Development” as he urged for the Co-ops to leverage attention to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including the wiping out of poverty, among others.

The Summit was aimed at mobilizing cooperatives and advocates to address the urgent and strategic issues confronting the cooperatives as a sector which was given emphasis when the speakers discussed different issues at hand.

Issues discussed were the Bills filed in the House of Representatives threatening to repeal the tax exemptions enjoyed by co-ops, as stipulated in the Cooperative Code of 2008. However, AGAP Partylist Rep. Rico Giron, who chairs the House Committee on Cooperatives, was quick to assure that he, together with COOP-NATCCO Representatives Anthony Bravo and Sabiniano Canama, will oppose such Bills.

CDA Chairperson Orlando Ravanera said that while co-ops are not taxpayers, they are “actually tax makers” because they directly or indirect-

ly employ 2.5 million persons, generated P313.8 Trillion last year, and manage P250 Billion assets owned by the co-op members.

There are currently 25,610 cooperatives registered with the CDA and these co-ops have a combined 14 million individual members who deposit funds, obtain loans, plus many other services.

PCC Chairperson Hamilcar Rutaquio reported that at the Cooperative Show of Force in October 2015, thousands of cooperators pushed for the recognition of genuine electric cooperatives owned and controlled by its member-customers, market vendor cooperatives to operate market, increased budget for the CDA, and fight against the repeal of tax privileges of co-ops.

Several other discussions and reports were tackled in the Summit including reports on the International Cooperation Update of ICA, ACCU Forum, Congresses, Credit Information System Act (CISA), and many more.

Meanwhile, TC Immediate Past Chairperson Norma Pereyras was recognized as one of the Bigay Pugay Awardees in 2016 which honors living icons of cooperativism in the Philippines.

The award was handed

by CDA Chairperson Ravanera, PCC Chairperson Rutaquio, and ICA Regional Director for Asia and Pacific, Balu Ayer who was guest speaker in the summit.

In the summit’s creative Solidarity Night, Dir. Miriam Baloyo and Dir. Eduard Amoguis also took home the Best in Headdress with their personalized and nature-inspired headdresses.

Considered the biggest gathering of cooperatives, the summit drew enhanced solidarity and unity among cooperators to work for the common and shared goal of “Philippine Co-ops: Exceeding Limits; Sustaining Excellence” as reflected in the summit’s theme this year. (Tagum Cooperative, with news reports from NATCCO Network)

IVIL society leaders from Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi (ZamBaSulTa) batted for a quadripartite meeting involving the government (GPH), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “to help fast-track track the unity of the Bangsamoro Fronts towards a unified Bangsamoro enabling law.”

In a statement, participants of the ZamBaSulTa CSO-Leaders Assembly held in Zamboanga City on November 7 – 9 also urged President Rodrigo Duterte “to bring the Bangsamoro Fronts together for a dialogue towards forging a consolidated enabling law.”

At present, government is dealing with the MILF and MNLF faction under Nur Misuari, separately. The Duterte administration’s peace and development roadmap initially envisioned that the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will have all factions of the MNLF represented in the BTC. The BTC’s membership

was in fact increased from 15 to 21 to ensure a more inclusive body and the convergence of the peace pacts.

The MILF faction under Muslimin Sema will have three seats in the BTC. The MNLF under Misuari will not participate in the BTC but will instead have a five-member panel that will deal with the government on amending RA 9054, the law governing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), to incorporate the unimplemented provisions of the GPH-MNLF’s 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA).

Under the GPH-MILF’s Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed in March 2014, the parties agreed to set up a new autonomous political entity called the Bangsamoro, that would replace the ARMM once the BBL is ratified.

The Assembly participants came from various Bangsamoro sectors and organizations — the Sultanates, Moro fronts, religious, civil society organizations, youth, women, academe and community from the provinces of Sulu, Basilan,

matagaan sila ug tent para kung mag ulan dili sila mabasa”, he added.

DOLE Regional Director Atty. Joffrey Suyao stressed that this is another livelihood project for Panaboans, each cart cost Php 10,000 with a total procurement amounting to 420K for 42 beneficiaries.

Rosievie Agripo, PCNMA President and one of the beneficiaries expressed her gratitude to DOLE, PESO and to Mayor Gamao for their support, “Usa ni sa pinakadakong panalangin nga matagaan mi ug cart para nindot ug limpyo tanawon ang among mga baligya”, she added.

Chair Committee on Labor Employment and Manpower Development Councilor Renante Bangoy said that “the project aims to make their food carts attractive that’s why I sponsored a resolution in the council two years ago to follow-up this project together with my friend from DOLE Tagum”.

Also present during the ceremony were; Provincial Director Erlinda Mamitag, CEEMDO Head Nemesio Rasgo, PESO Manager Cherelle Espinosa, among others.

By: Jasmine Paras; Photo By: June Geraldo – CIO Panabo

F MORO, 11

DOLE XI and LGU Panabo turn over 42 food carts to night mart vendors

T

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region XI and Local Government of Panabo

turned over 42 Food carts to the Panabo City Night Market Vendors Association (PCNMVA) last November 9, 2016 at the central market, this city.

The Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and City Economic Enterprise Management and Development Office (CEEMDO) spearheaded the project.

Mayor Gamao said that the realization of the project has finally come true since uniform carts are appealing to the eyes that can attract more customers and this will also help increase their sales.

“Salamat sa DOLE ug paningkamutan nato na

7 HEALTH

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Peritoneal dialysis: What is it?

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

H

EALTHY kidneys clean our blood by removing excess fluid, minerals, and wastes. They also make hormones that keep our bones strong and our blood healthy. But if the kidneys are damaged, they don’t work properly.

Medical science tells us that harmful wastes can build up in our body. Our blood pressure may rise. Our body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells.

Doctors call this kidney failure.

Records from the Department of Health show at least one Filipino dies each hour from kidney failure, which is considered the ninth leading cause of death in the country.

“If your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work they normally do,” says the National Institute of Health in the United States. “Before dialysis was available, total kidney failure meant death,” notes the US National Kidney Foundation (NKF). “Today, people with kidney failure can live because of treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplant.”

According to medical experts, dialysis is a way of cleaning our blood when our kidneys can no longer do the job. It gets rid of our body’s wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control our blood pressure.

Actually, there are two kinds of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. “In hemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine, and returned to your body by tubes that connect you to the machine,” NKF explains. “In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid called dialysate, which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.”

The Mayo Clinic says your doctor can help you decide which type of dialysis will work best for you and when you should start, based on several factors: overall health,

kidney function (as measured by blood and urine tests), personal preferences, and home situation.

Peritoneal dialysis may be the better option if a person can’t tolerate the rapid changes of fluid balance associated with hemodialysis. “During hemodialysis, your blood is pumped into a machine to be filtered and then returned to your body,” the Mayo Clinic says.

Another reason for having a peritoneal dialysis is when the person wants to minimize the disruption of his daily activities and work or prefers to travel more easily.

On the other side of the coin, peritoneal dialysis might not work for a person if he has extensive surgical scars in his abdomen, has a large abdominal hernia, has a limited ability to care for himself or lack caregiving support at home, and has inflammatory bowel disease or frequent bouts of diverticulitis.

The Mayo Clinic also points out that peritoneal dialysis may be done only to manage kidney failure until a kidney transplant is possible.

Here’s how peritoneal dialysis work: “A soft plastic tube (catheter) is placed in your belly by surgery. A sterile cleansing fluid is put into your belly through this catheter.

After the filtering process is finished, the fluid leaves your body through the catheter.”

The NKF says there are two kinds of peritoneal dialysis: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). “The basic treatment is the same for each,” it says. “However, the number of treatments and the way the treatments are done make each method different.”

The NKF shares the following information: “CAPD is ‘continuous,’ machine-free and done while you go about your normal activities such as work or school. You do the treatment by placing about two quarts of cleansing fluid into your belly and later drain-

ing it. This is done by hooking up a plastic bag of cleansing fluid to the tube in your belly. Raising the plastic bag to shoulder level causes gravity to pull the fluid into your belly.

When empty, the plastic bag is removed and thrown away.

“When an exchange (putting in and taking out the fluid) is finished, the fluid (which now has wastes removed from your blood) is drained from your belly and thrown away. This process usually is done three, four or five times in a 24-hour period while you are awake during normal activities. Each exchange takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Some patients like to do their exchanges at mealtimes and at bedtime.

“APD differs from CAPD in that a machine (cycler) delivers and then drains the cleansing fluid for you. The treatment usually is done at night while you sleep.”

“Which form of perito-

neal dialysis is best for you depends on your lifestyle, personal preferences and medical condition,” the Mayo Clinic says. “You may also customize your program by combining the two forms.”

But like most treatments, peritoneal dialysis has also its shares of complications. The Mayo Clinic enumerates the following: Infections: The most common problem for people receiving peritoneal dialysis is peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). An infection can also develop at the site where the tube (catheter) is inserted to carry the cleansing fluid into and out of your abdomen.

Weight gain: The fluid

used to clean your blood in peritoneal dialysis contains sugar (dextrose). You may take in several hundred calories each day by absorbing some of this fluid, known as dialysate. Weight gain may follow. The extra calories can also lead to high blood sugar especially if you have diabetes.

Weakening of the abdominal muscles: Holding fluid in your abdomen for long periods may strain your belly muscles which may result to hernia.

Aside from doing the regular peritoneal dialysis, there are other things you can do to improve the dialysis results and overall health.

“Eat the right foods, including foods low in sodium and phosphorus,” the Mayo Clinic suggests. “A dietitian can help you develop an individualized meal plan based on your weight, your personal preferences, your remaining kidney function and other medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.”

In addition, “taking your medications as prescribed also is important for getting the best possible results,” the Mayo Clinic further notes.

“While you’re receiving peritoneal dialysis, you’ll likely need various medications to control your blood pressure, stimulate production of red blood cells, control the levels of certain nutrients in your blood and prevent the buildup of phosphorus in your blood.”

Here’s a word of caution from NKF: “Peritoneal dialysis is not for everyone. People must receive training and be able to perform correctly each of the steps of the treatment.

A trained helper may also be used.” (Photos from the net)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

EDITORIAL

P

Social media and teenage pregnancy

RUDENCE and thorough research must be applied in drawing research conclusions.

Recently, the Philippine Pediatrics Society-Davao Southern Mindanao Chapter came out with its latest research showing the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in Davao City. It said that one out of five teenaged women suffer teenage pregnancy as of its latest study.

The increase in teenage pregnancy cases was linked to social media and access to digital communication. The study showed that 78.3% of the teenaged women own cellular phones and 58% has access to internet and email.

The conclusion is that the increase in teenage pregnancy is related to exposure to social media.

This conclusion ran contrary to the studies made in the United States and Great Britain where social media was found to have caused the decrease of teenage pregnancy cases.

Studies in the US and UK reported that exposure to social media like Facebook and Snapchat helped stop teenagers having sex. New figures show teenage pregnancies plunging to record low since social media explosion in these countries.

Latest profile on teenage pregnancy cases said the numbers have almost halved since the birth of social media as a global phenomenon.

The rate of pregnancies among girls under 18 in England and Wales has dropped by 45 per cent since 2007 and now stands at the lowest level since

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

JIMMY K. LAKING Associate Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ KENNETH IRVING K. ONG JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS MEGHANN STA. INES RIA VALDEZ NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN Reporters FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle CHA MONFORTE LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents Cartoons Photography Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • EDCER C.B. ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO JOHN CARLO TRIA • BORBONCARLOS • MARYMUNDA ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO•AGUSTIN • EMILY VIDA S. VALVERDE C. LUMBA • HENRY J. SCHUMACHER • VANESSA KATE MADRAZO• JONALLIER Economic Analysts: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZENMIA CHUA • CARLOS• FRED MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG M. PEREZ

the national association of newspapers

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance RICHARD C. EBONA Marketing Supervisor

records began almost 50 years ago, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the US, the same phenomenon was noted according to official figures.

According to their studies, the startling decrease has prompted a host of theories including sex education classes paying off, changing attitudes to young motherhood and the impact of immigration.

Others also speculated that it could be that young people are simply spending less time physically in each other’s company because of social media – a phenomenon which went global around 2007, the year after Facebook expanded beyond university campuses.

It is quite surprising that the Davao City research pointed otherwise. Instead of the social media explosion generating awareness, it has theorized that social media prompted teenagers to engage in sex if we are to follow the theory of the PPSD-SMC. Whatever led the study to this conclusion of linking the increase of teenage pregnancy cases to social media should be explained further and not just link the cause to the social media outburst.

Details and behavior towards exposure to say, Facebook, or Snapchat, must be explained thoroughly if we are to be guided in educating young people.

The bottomline is for research people to be very prudent of linking one set of data to another.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0948-823-3685 Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

G

LOBE Telecom has just released the nominees for this year’s Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA). Out of the 444 total submitted entries, EDGE Davao got six nominations in various categories. And this columnist got four nominations.

Our column on “Water vs. Dengue” was nominated for Columnist of the Year. I talked with Dr. Richard Mata about how to manage dengue fever which snatch the lives of many children. And he told me that the disease can be curtailed by water.

Last year, I was nominated in the same category but I lost it. But two years ago, I won the same award for a discussion I did whether Davao City is ready for the consequences of global warming brought about by climate change.

Last year, I joined a group of Davao media personalities in touring around Davao City to get first-hand information on why Davao City is different from the rest of the cities in the country. After the said tour, I wrote “What makes Davao City exceptional” which earned me a nomination for Reporter of the Year for Print.

I won already two awards in this category.

The first one was on a feature on “A season of floods” which was published then in “Sun.Star Davao.” Last year, I won it again for my feature on the growing of HIV/AIDS cases in Davao City. In that story, I incorporated the learning I got from the international conferences I attended in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Melbourne (Australia) and Durban (South Africa).

Last year, the other award I won was for Explanatory/Investigative Story for Print.

I was cited for my two-part series on how Davao City was transformed from being a Murder City in the past to one of the safest cities in the world today.

This year, I am again nominated in the same category. And it was for my two-part series on dengue entitled “Dengue: Hope in the Horizon.” I was one of the first journalists to write an in-depth report on the subject for the

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Media excellence

Asian edition in “Reader’s THINK ON THESE! Digest.”

My editor, Peter Dockrill, helped and guided me to shape the story. I had to interview several experts on it from Malaysia, Singapore, Henrylito D. Tacio Thailand, In- henrytacio@gmail.com donesia and the Philippines (where the regional office of the World Health Organization is based).

The fourth nomination – new for this year – is Reporter for Online News Portal. Some of the articles I wrote were published in the website of EDGE Davao. My series on the vanishing harvest of fish in Davao Gulf and other parts of the country, “Where have all our fish gone?” was shortlisted.

The two other nominations for EDGE Davao were for Explanatory/Investigative Story for Print (for Armando Fenequito Jr. who wrote “Beyond 4Ps: What ails the country’s education programs?”) and for Photojournalist of the Year (for Lean Daval for his photograph entitled “Bayanihan”).

Other entrants shortlisted for Columnist of the Year were Jun Feliciano for “Let’s bite the bullet as La Nina rears its ugly head” (Zamboanga Today), Rev. Berlie Yap for “Our sympathy to the slain soldiers” (Zamboanga Today), Nef Luczon for “Climate change and social bonds” (Sun.Star CDO), and Herbie Gomez for “Endangered statesmen” (Mindanao Gold Star Daily).

Also nominated were Vic Marion Madriaga for “Digitally Stressed? How to Protect Thyself from Online Threats” (Mindanao Gold Star Daily), Stella Estremera for “When Youths Empower Each Other” (Sun.Star Davao), Reuel John Lumawag for “Don’t be

VANTAGE POINTS

9

fooled, to share or not” (Sun.Star Davao), Melencio Mauricio for “Who has the US$100M laundered in RP now?” (Mindanao Bulletin), and Fred Lumba for “Narco-politics threat” (Mindanao Bulletin).

Also shortlisted for the Reporter of the Year for Print were RG Antonet Go for “DSWD: Government’s 4P produces 218 college graduates in Region 9” (Zamboanga Today), Hader Glang for “4 Indonesian hostages freed by Abu Sayyaf” (Zamboanga Today), Nonong Santiago for “CHO acts on complaints vs. mall waste water disposal” (Zamboanga Today), Mike Baños for “Sowing the seeds of lasting peace in the mountains of Iligan” (The Philippine Graphic), Jigger Jerusalem for “Global water shortage seen in next 10 years” (Sun. Star CDO), Nitz Arancon for “Protesters accuse CA of taking bribes” (Mindanao Gold Star Daily), Rhealyn Pojas for “The state of the toilet 2015” (Sun.Star Davao) and Yas Ocampo for “Upon which is water: Lessons from the marsh” (Mindanao Times).

In the Explanatory/Investigative Story for Print, the other nominees were Mike Baños for “City Extension may be constrained by US military facility at Lumbia” (Mindanao Daily News), Lina Reyes for “Different parties, different strokes” (BusinessWeek Mindanao), and Jesse Boga for “Food safety series” (Mindanao Times).

The nominees for Reporter for Online News Portal is fully-packed. The other contenders were Mart Sambalud for “Building a disaster-resilient communities thru Oplan Andam” (Davao Today), RA Colina for “Datu: leave the lumads alone” (MindaNews), Mike Baños for “Of a Promise Kept: A Higa-onon’s Walkabout” (Kagay-anon), Bobby Lagsa for “Plight of the Badjao” (Rappler), and Erwin Mascariñas for “Nomad’s Lens: National Scientist calls for protection of Misamis Oriental town Sailfin Lizard” (Interaksyon).

Also nominated in the same category were Hader Glang for “Zambo City leaders reiterate stands on Bangsamoro in last SOCA”

(Zamboanga Today), RG Antonet Go for “Zambo City jail installs visitor tracking system” (Zamboanga Today), Nonong Santiago for “DTI: School supplies with high lead content dangerous for children” (Zamboanga Today), Edwin Espejo for “Tawi-tawi takes pride in its marine trade” (Brunei Times), and John Felix Unson for “The peculiarity of ARMM’s bloody politics” (Philippine Star).

Aside from Daval, the other nominees for Photojournalist of the Year were as follows: Remus Ong for “Another mentally-ill man sits in the middle of the street in downtown Zamboanga” (Zamboanga Today), Erwin Mascariñas for “Bakwit School” (Sun.Star CDO), Nitz Arancon for “Salvage” (Mindanao Gold Star Daily), Lito Rulona for “Mendicants” (Mindanao Gold Star Daily), Robinson Niñal for “Almost Gone” (Mindanao Daily Mirror), Bing Gonzales for “What flood?” (Mindanao Times), and Edwin Espejo for “Muslims pray during the first day of Aidil Fitri at the Grand Mosque” (Brunei Times).

According to the press release, “all submitted entries touched on any or a combination of the four sustainability focus areas: care for the environment, innate care for our people, positive societal impact, and digital nation.”

It added that the competition this year “is anchored on the company’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as part of its advocacy to help create a Wonderful Philippines.”

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications explained, “The critical role of media organizations and online communities in forming and shaping public opinion makes it imperative for technology organizations like Globe to encourage excellence in this field as we all aspire to effect societal change.”

The GMEA is now on its fifth year. The awards night will be held on November 22, 2016 at the Marco Polo Hotel.

See you there!

change. The nature of our world now dictates that this conversation is not bound by ethnic, national, religious, ideological, gender, or other boundaries. I am afraid that this reality just makes it more likely that the voices of those who actually experienced the greatest harm for past violence are either suffering in silence or silenced by suffering.

America has been exposed in this election for the deeply flawed place many of us already knew it to be. America’s flaws, by nature of it’s position, have caused great damage in many places around the world, and so the United States bears greater responsibility for those on account of its history, power, and place in the world. Yet similar flaws are shared by many other nations, to greater or lesser extents, and they also are responsible to repair the harm caused.

Thus, to start addressing this means to reach across borders, identities, and religions to listen together to those who bear the brunt of these realities. Authentic listening is therefore the first act of resistance to evil, hatred, and despair. It is time for people of good will, compassion, and justice to establish a new global

discourse of respect and dialogue in order to construct creative, restorative and non-violent responses to injustices that affirm and protect the humanity and dignity of all people.

Let us do this, not by pointing at the deficits in the other, but let us together affirm, strengthen, support and multiply what is good in each person and every community. Let us take responsibility for our actions to work for justice, healing, and to restore what was lost.

In these collective acts, large and small, may we dream that what is deplorable will be overwhelmed and subsumed in an assertion and celebration of the good and just.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Jeremy Simons was born and raised in the Philippines and has been a resident of Davao City since 2008 working as a peace and reconciliation advocate. He teaches conflict transformation at a variety of institutions and NGOs. He spends the majority of his time in restorative justice and peace accompaniment with Lumad First Nations and Muslim communities in Mindanao. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of any institution or group.)

In elections near and far, a distant hope in a dialogue of restorative just

L

AST week, I re-posted the comment of a Muslim friend here in Mindanao, Philippines, with his critical perspective on the decision by the Supreme Court last week to allow the burial of Ferdinand Marcos (FM) in the Philippines’ National Heroes Cemetery. This was based on his personal experience of the injustices that occurred under the Marcos dictatorship. Additionally, not only has a former dictator been recognized as a hero by the current administration, but nearly 5,000 people have been murdered in drug-related violence over the past four months, juxtaposing the current context of impunity with the perpetuation of historical injustice. Yet this grave injustice has hardly elicited a public outcry.

That decision to allow Marcos’s burial was made the day before Trump was elected in the United States. Thus, the rehabilitation and ascent to power of violent demagogues is now “trending” globally (except in Canada perhaps, kudos to you our cold-weathered friends).

Democracy as it has developed in various contexts over the years is facing a crisis, and America, which has been seen as the beacon of this political discourse, is turning to a man whom

MINDAVIEWS

BY JEREMY SIMONS

many fear is a dictator at heart and for whom respectful dialogue seems anathema. Trump, like the president of the Philippines, based his campaign upon the perceived grievances and dissatisfaction of many people with mainstream political bureaucracy. Both have a penchant for misogynous rhetoric and actions that call into question the integrity of their leadership, yet again, many appear unperturbed for it is seen as “necessary” to shake up the status quo.

This poses serious questions for us all, about the nature of how we live, govern, and interact together as individuals, communities, nations. In particular, I believe we need a deeper conversation on how to deal with the perceived and real conflicts, frictions, harms, and atrocities that arise in the course of human history. These chosen harms and traumas are used and manipulated to advance political and social agenda for both positive and negative

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

San Mateo... FROM 2 lationship with Davao while they were already in the city to hit two birds with one stone.

“We expect more growth,” Nakata said regarding their expectations with partnering with Davao.

She said her group planned to observe and to study the law-making policies and the good governance of the city that instilled discipline among Davaoenos.

“We would also look at some policies that we may implement in our city,” she pointed out.

She said that ever since

President Rodrigo Duterte, who hailed from Davao, won, almost all municipalities nationwide wanted to visit Davao to study the city’s policies.

According to Nakata, the sister cityhood Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing would depend on both Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and San Mateo mayor Cristina Diaz.

San Mateo is a first-class municipality that borders Quezon City and the cities of Antipolo and Marikina. RIA VALDEZ

refused of job applications because they were Muslim.

She added that some industries require Muslim women to remove their hijab when working.

Most industries who lead this discrimination are malls and condominium units. She said that some malls do not accept Muslim applicants while some condominium units and other subdivisions reject pro-

spective residents once they knew they were Muslim.

“There is also discrimination to women and the Lesbian-Gay- Bi-sexual and transgender community,” said Sudagar.

She assured the lobby groups and other sectors that the city council has been doing their best to discuss with the executive department regarding the urgent issue.

day Simbang Gabi.

The PNP is also preparing for the heavy influx of balikbayans and tourists who will celebrate the Yuletide season in Davao City.

“The assistance hubs in the airport, seaports, and transport terminals are still maintained,” dela Rey pointed out, adding that these help centers will operate 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Dela Rey said accredited non-government organizations and radio groups will also assist the police in providing public assistance and

traffic management in the city.

However, she could not disclose the number of police personnels to be deployed in the city for the holidays.

The intensified police operations will last until January to ensure public safety during the season.

“The PNP vows to keep the nation safe as Christians celebrate the Yuletide season.

We will intensify all police operations and will use all our resources and manpower just to make sure that the holidays will be peaceful and merry,” dela Rey said.

ago.

The currency pair is seen to trade between 49.10 and 49.30 Thursday.

The November 2016 issue of the joint monthly market research by First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) entitled The Market Call said depreciation bias is up for the local currency until the end of the year.

It, however, sees remittance inflows for the holiday season supporting the peso and help limit the unit’s weakness.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended its losing streak and

gained 1.59 percent, or 109.13 points to 6,966.28 points.

The All Shares rose 1.16 percent, or 48.12 points, to 4,211.45 points.

All the sectoral indices posted hikes, led by the Property with 3.34 percent increase.

The Holding Firms went up by 1.39 percent; the Services, 1.10 percent; Industrial, 0.75 percent; Financials, 0.47 percent; and Mining and Oil, 0.14 percent.

A total of 1.27 billion shares, amounting to Php6.5 billion, changed hands.

Gainers led losers at 104 to 75 while 45 stocks remained unchanged. (PNA)

law, the DA shall link existing small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs who would want to venture into native animal farming to the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, and financial cooperatives for loans, grants, and incentives.

The Department of Science and Technology, Bureau of Animal Industry and some state colleges and universities will also provide farmers training and latest technology to

ensure high yield.

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), meanwhile, shall enforce standards on propagating, processing, and transportation of native animals.

Infrastructure like postharvest, storage, distribution and facilities, and transport services will be provided to qualified farmers or cooperatives using the existing facilities of the NMIS and attached bureaus under the DA. (PNA)

Exec... FROM 2

DCPO... FROM 3

PHP... FROM 5

Promotion... FROM 5

FORCE AS CAPITAL. Laborers at the Bangkerohan Market in Davao City are the reliable transporters of newly delivered farm products from dropping points to display centers, using their strength as their only capital to earn. (Alexander D. Lopez)

Duterte mulls clemency for all elderly prisoners

A

FTER granting actor Robin Padilla executive clemency, President Rodrigo Duterte was also contemplating on giving similar presidential pardon to elderly prisoners “if they still want to go home.” ”I am contemplating. They are preparing it,” President Duterte said when asked if he will grant similar executive clemency to the ageing detainees in the country. ”All the elderly and those

who have illness, those with rheumatism, they can no longer run, those 80-years-old above. If they still want, if they still have family to go, I will grant them pardon also so that they can return home,” he added.

President Duterte said the prisoners serving sentence for 40 years already “deserved the chance to be out.”

The President said it is also one way to “decongest jails” in the country amid his all-out war

PDP-Laban after the elections.

Lawyer Leighna Sitoy, daughter of Arleigh, thanked the province of Cebu for accepting her father and letting him serve the Cebuanos despite the latter’s physical condition. Arleigh suffered from acute pulmonary embo-

lism and was ailing for most parts of this year before he succumbed to the ailment on November 14.

After the Mass and necrological service, the remains of Sitoy was brought to the Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapel in Nivel Hills, Lahug, Cebu City.

social capital notwithstanding, IPs are struggling against grim realities and continuing challenges that leave deep cleaves in core and fiber of indigenous culture.

Culling the collective experience of indigenous peoples and their advocates it is believed that the recognition and respect of the IP Education System as an integralpart of the National Education System will reduce dysfunctions arising from unendingclashes of western and indigenous value systems. Experience likewise show thatrespecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of peoples to cultural integrity will revitalize and enrich the intricate tapestry of the Philippines’ cultural diversity.

The Bill seeks to realize the mandates of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, PhilippineEducation Act of 1982, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1987 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples which provide

that the state shallgive priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports to fosterpatriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress and promote total humanliberation and development.

Giving life to the State policies, the bill aims to establish IP-Centric EducationSystems and institutions by providing education in the IP’s own language and in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning and by taking into account regional and sectoral needs and conditions. This will enable the creationof programs in the context of IP cultures, customs, traditions, interests and beliefs that will help the IPs to not only participate in national development but also to strengthen national unity, which is the key to the eventual attainment by the country the Social Development Goals by 2030.

Duterte... FROM 2

House... FROM 3

against illegal drugs and criminality.

President Duterte granted Padilla with absolute pardon following their meeting last Tuesday night at Malacanang Palace.

The President explained that the executive clemency would restore all of the actor’s political and civil rights, including the privilege to travel abroad. ”The pardon is restoration of all of his political and civ-

il rights since he has suffered enough,” the President said.

Padilla was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in 1994 but was released three years later after former President Fidel V. Ramos granted the actor conditional pardon.

With the executive clemency granted on Padilla, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the actor “may now run for any public office and may also exercise his right to vote.” (PNA)

individuals who set on fire a road grader owned by Engr.

Tyco Tan from T-Square Construction from General Santos City.

According to Batchar, initial investigation of the PNP disclosed that a foreman of the T—Square construction, Mr. Ismael Liamelo revealed that a group of armed persons

suddenly appeared in the area while they were during their night shift.

The armed group told the workers to assemble after which the armed men set the equipment on fire.

“We don’t want to speculate the affiliation of the one responsible for the series of burnings,” Batchar remarked.

charges for violation to the provisions of Republic Act 9165 also known as Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002 and Republic Act 10591 or Comprehensive Fire Arms and Ammunition Regulation

Act were already filed against the suspects.

Last Saturday’s raid was led by Police Senior Inspector Nelven Tuan Rufon of Trento PNP and Lt. Col. Ismael P. Mandanas Jr. of 25th IB.

five years old in the country to being underweight, which is the result of malnutrition.

SHNP also cited the increasing number of Filipinos experiencing hunger in the past 15 years. It noted that a Social Weather Stations report found that 18.3 percent or about 21 million Filipinos have rated themselves to have experienced hunger in 2014, a big jump from just 8.3 percent in 1999.

In contrast, SHNP said in its paper, countries in the ASEAN region saw the reduction of the chronologically hungry in their respective areas. Laos, it added, reduced its hunger rate by 9.2 percent, Vietnam by 75.1 percent, Indonesia by

43.8 percent, Thailand by 79.8 percent, and Cambodia by 37.8 percent.

Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the forum’s guest speaker, is expected to link hunger to the peace problem of the country and present the proposed solution to the twin concerns.

Dr. Mario Capanzana, director of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, will touch on the details of the hunger problems in the country, while Dr. Armando Parawan, health and nutrition adviser of Save the Children, will tackle the economic cost of hunger. (PNA)

PA... FROM 3

Five... FROM 3

Campaign... FROM 3

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

BORMAHECO INC.

Twin milestones

* Launches Phase I of real estate Project * Holds groundbreaking of Phase II

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ BORMAHECO INC., a trusted name in business in Davao for decades, is now making waves in the current real estate property development boom. Bormaheco just launched its first real estate project, the four-storey BI Zone Phase 1, at J.P. Laurel Ave. last September 24, 2016. The inauguration was preceded by the ground-breaking ceremony of the second phase of the venture also located in the one-hectare Bormaheco compound.

The twin milestones were graced by the company’s owners headed by its Chairperson, Modesto N. Cervantes and son Jonathan Cervantes who is the General Manager of Logicall. Inc. and one of the Board of Directors at Easycall Communications Philippines, Inc. and Bormaheco, Inc. Company president Francisco N. Cervantes, wife Cynthia and daughter Danica, were also present in the events.

Also in attendance were officials of the company namely, Executive Vice President for Business Development Hernane P. Losanes, and Bormaheco Inc. Legal Counsel Atty. Alarico Mundin, and company branch managers and staff from Davao, Butuan, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro. Giving more glitter and significance to the occasion were To-

moko Dodo, Director and Consul of the Consular Office of Japan in Davao, Security Bank Senior Bank Manager Janice B. Tan, and representatives from China Bank, Sky Medical & Dental Clinic, Labigar Cuisine, Mystic Electronic Repair Center, SES Davao Diagnostic Inc., HDMF-PAGIBIG FUND, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp., Pulse85 Fitness Playground, and FWD Life Insurance who are among the lessees of BI Zone Phase 1.

The contractor of the real estate project, Engr. Mendrado Canusa III, was also present in the ceremony along with Engr.

Mendrado L. Canusa of Riezl Landcare and Construction and Architect Rudy Navotas.

According to Chairperson Modesto Cervantes, the company will invest substantial funds on the development of the project.

Founded in 1950, the machinery and equipment business had been operating for 50 years until 20 years ago when company owners decided to venture into the real estate business “We did not expect that much demand,” said Cervantes as he explained why the firm has increased the height of the second phase as compared to the initial phase that was only four storeys high.

He said the six-storey commercial building will offer more spacious areas to its lessees.

However, he added the company has no plans of expanding its real estate business in Mindanao as

of the moment.

Cervantes also recalled the humble beginnings of BORMAHECO. He said the company was established at the Manila-Makati border where the Border Machinery and Heavy Equipment Co. Inc. (BORMAHECO) took its name.

Founded in 1950, the machinery and equipment business had been operating for 50 years until 20 years ago when company owners decided to venture into the real estate business, and since then has mainly leased out offices, factory space, and warehouses.

Bormaheco remains to be one of the trusted leading brands in machinery and heavy equipment services in Davao City and other parts of the country as it continues to be a dynamic player in the arena of real estate business.

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOV

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

FOOD

Cotabato City foo HOME. PLACE YOUR FEET MAY LEAVE BUT YOUR HEART WILL ALWAYS BE. A bit melodramatic, yes, but with substantial truth. That anybody can relate to. Specially those who live away from home but calls another home, home.

Proud Cotabateῆo.

Born and raised in one of Mindanao’s rich, multiethnic city, Cotabato is my home away from home.

Though living in two different zip codes, it is at Cotabato that I find solitude and happiness and where my family is at. Like so in Davao. Of which I also call home.

Aside from the obvious, Cotabato City is also booming with cafes, restaurants and food finds.

Old and new, at every nook and corner, a gastro adventure awaits. Despite the size, you’d be surprised of the many hidden gems all over the city.

Glamour Resto Location: Gonzalo Javier St. RH 7, Cotabato City This is the pinnacle of good food in the city. I grew up with their dishes and until now, am always craving for any of their dishes whenever I’m home. Theirs is comfort food beyond your comfort zone. Known for their crabs (crabs buffet in Davao), what I love is their local dishes prepared and cooked according to your taste. They always get it. Always the right season-

ing, crunch and everything else you can think of.

My fave? Everything.

Thank you, Glamour for always making me busog when I’m home.

Reese Resto Location: N.Herrera Bldg., Pob, Quezon Ave, Cotabato City I’d be biased -- this is a fave resto in Cotabato.

Located downtown, I love that this resto is cozy and homey at the same time.

Food wise, their dishes are simple, cooked well and of course, seasoned just right. I love their big bowl of Arroz Caldo and feast on their Seafood Platter with my Dad and Mama. Their Fresh Lumpia tastes nice too.

Best way to enjoy a gastro feast at Reese is with family and friends. And, no, don’t limit your palate on dishes you’ve already tried. Have fun and discover the rich flavours of their menu every time you visit. You’d thank

me later.

Sugar Rush Empanachos Contact details: Contact Nina thru fb: sugarrushcandies26@gmail.com or text her at 09298270464.

My cousin recommended this -- and boy, was she right. It’s an empanada and nachos in one. All you need is salsa and you’ll be in Mexico wonderland. Sugar Rush is an online store that sells sweet and savory nibbles. Nina, the owner and co-alma mater alumni (Albert Einstein School) makes Halal empanachos - made of pure beef, spices, egg, cheese and raisins. Perfect on the go snack or even as an ulam, I adore these empanachos that you can order fried or frozen (P150/ dozen for frozen and P15 each fried).

On how she started with this addictive triangles, she said: “A close friend called me if I know how to make empanadas. I vaguely recall that I can make empana-

da sa Ic in th sta fo ch it ch pe fri do pe

OVEMBER 17, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ood finds

as but gutsy that I was, I aid yes. :) I thought that if came up with a Mexicannspired empanada then hat could be a big hit. I arted tasting Mexican ood like enchiladas, nahos and burritos and took from there. The biggest hallenge was the wraper because empanadas are ied and I only knew pastry oughs. It took me 5 wraper recipes to finally perfect

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

the combination of it being salty, sweet, savoury, and a bit spicy to satisfy all your taste buds.”

Simply Sweet by Iris Belle Cheese Bars Location: c/o Beng’s Store, #2 INT. A Mabini Street, Brgy. Bagua 2 Cotabato City First bite was the sweetest. Not exaggerating. This box of soft, chewy and not too sweet cheese bars always hits the spot. Every so often, when I am home, my tita’s would spoil me and give me a box of this to take back to Davao. And I love it every single time. PS I am yet to try something else from their repertoire of sweet treats.

There are other gastro food finds in the city. Many are raving of ChefMel’s Resto, Cheraf’s (delicious pasta dishes),

Sugarpappi (cake overload) and Hashy’s (love the karekare). What’s your Cotabato food find story?

Want to know my latest food finds? Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and I’ll make you hungry in a snap. For missed features, you can read them on my blog theroyalchefeats. wordpress.com.

Happy munching, #royalistas!

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

Serving a seamless society

EDGE DAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS

A4 INdulge!

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Kristoffer Martin and Joyce Ching bring love to Davao this Friday IT WILL BE A VALENTINE’S DAY IN NOVEMBER as one of the most sought-after love teams of this generation—KrisJoy or Kristoffer Martin and Joyce Ching—spreads love and kilig as Hahamakin ang Lahat goes to Davao del Norte this Friday (Nov. 18).

Davaoeños and Tagumeños are sure to be in for a treat as Joyce and Kristoffer banner the Kapuso Mall Show in Robinsons Place Tagum in Tagum City. The show starts at 4 p.m.

“We are excited to bring KrisJoy to our Kapusong Davaoeños and Tagumeños because we know how much they missed one of their favorite love teams,” says Oliver Amoroso, Officer-in-Charge of GMA’s Regional TV Department. “And every time our Kapuso artists are in Davao, they always get a warm welcome from their loyal fans and supporters. This is why the Kapuso Network continuously brings our programs and artists in the regions despite their busy schedule,” he adds.

A compelling love story, Hahama-

kin ang Lahat aired its pilot episode two weeks ago and is headlined by three of Philippine television’s respected actors— Eula Valdez, Ariel Rivera, and Snooky Serna.

Also joining Joyce and Kristoffer in the GMA Afternoon Prime series is another multi-talented Kapuso artist, Thea Tolentino.

Hahamakin ang Lahat features the repeating fates of a mother and her child— both of whom had to bear the agony of being away from the man they truly love because of the struggles and conflicts they encounter in winning the approval of their family.

Hahamakin ang Lahat also brings together Chinggoy Alonzo, Marc Abaya Jett Pangan, Marina Benipayo, Renz Valerio, Mona Louise Rey, and Bruno Gabriel. It is directed by Don Michael Perez.

To know more about the Network’s regional events, follow GMA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gmanetwork and GMA Regional TV at www.facebook. com/GMARegionalTV and on Twitter and Instagram via @GMARegionalTV.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

11 COMPETITIVE EDGE

Gift Ideas Bazaar opens at SM City Davao November 19 S M CITY Davao, NCX and Gatchi events are pooling purveyors from around the city in one roof to offer gift ideas to SM shoppers on November 19 to 24. The Christmas Bazaar at the Annex will be composed of over 40 concepts offering various products and services which are perfect as gifts to just about anyone!

While gift shopping at the bazaar, mallgoers can enjoy live Christmas carols performance on November 19, flair tending tutorials and exhibition on November 20, mime

presentation on November 21 and meet & greet Santa on November 22.

The mall’s centerpiece which was launched last November 5 now serves as perfect backdrop for everyone’s holiday photo keepsakes. Snap a photo with your friends and family, post it on Instagram, tagging SM City Davao and use #RoyalChristmasatSMDavao to get a chance to win exciting prizes!

Share the gift of love this Christmas! The SM Cares Bears of Joy are available at the ground floor of the main

mall. For P200, a shopper gets to take home one cuddly bear and another to donate to the mall’s chosen charity.

To give mallgoers more time to shop, SM City Davao is extending its mall hours until 10PM, beginning November 25. Enjoy more shopping time until 12MN on December 9-10, 16-17 and on the 23rd.

Celebrate a Royal Christmas Holiday at SM City Davao!

For inquiries, call 297.6998 local 126. Like them on Facebook or follow them on Instagram for event and promo updates.

Representative Jesus Sacdalan, Valdez said, “We are very conscious of the sentiments of Congress to really help the working class and we appreciate them for these efforts to push for meaningful pension reforms.”

He told the House Committee members that the SS Commission was inclined to a Php 1,000 initial pension increase while he urged Congress to pass impact legislations to shore up the pension funds.

The SSS Chair, a noted Constitutionalist, said that without a funding support, Congress may be appropriating funds that is private in nature. According to him, the current fund has already been obligated to current members.

Valdez said that a law ap-

propriating a private fund may be questioned as to its Constitutionality by SSS members for whom the current funds are obligated.

“As trustees of the pension fund, we have a contractual obligation to our members to ensure that they would receive the benefits they are entitled to at any time during their membership with the pension fund,” Valdez said.

During the said House Committee hearing, Valdez said that SSS is committed to address the gaps in the implementation of its benefit program.

Based on several consultations of SSS, some sectors are amenable to the implementation of a Php 1,000 ATBP. (PNA)

SSS presents option on proposed pension hike

T

HE Social Security System (SSS) presented to the House of Representatives a proposal to implement the Php 2,000 pension increase starting with an additional Php 1,000 across-theboard pension (ATBP) in 2017.

Another P1,000 ATBP in 2022 or earlier, with corresponding legislative interventions in place.

Newly-appointed Social Security Commission (SSC) Chair Amado D. Valdez said the agency’s highest policy-making body expressed support to the initiatives to grant the pension increase for more than two million SSS pensioners.

During the hearing of the House Committee on Government Enterprises, chaired by North Cotobato 1st District

NOW SHOWING BOC... FROM 5

November 17 – 22, 2016

THE UNMARRIED WIFE Angelica Panganiban, Dingdong Dantes, Paulo Avelino Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

R13

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

THE ACCOUNTANT/ *FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

R13/*PG

Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck/ *Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston 1:15 | 3:50 LFS / *6:35 | 9:15 LFS

FALLEN Addison Timlin, Lola Kirke Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG

1:20 | 3:25 | 5:30 | 7:35 | 9:40 LFS

FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG

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

TOURISM PEAK. A foreign tourist, together with his son, waits for his wife at the Davao City International Airport in Davao City. November and December are the

busiest months for the tourism industry in the country due to the rise of domestic and foreign tourists arrivals.

Lean Daval Jr.

tickets, except advertisements and lists of draws, and all other goods whose importations are restricted, are likewise included in the import ban.

“The restriction to import [the prohibited or restricted] goods shall include the restriction on their transit,” the CAO stated.

Violations of the CAO shall be penalized under the provisions specified in the CMTA and other applicable laws.

The CAO raises the value of small importations that are exempted from taxes from the current P10 to P10,000.

Under the CAO, de minimis or small value importations shall be subject to non-intrusive examinations, such as x-rays or other equivalent devices on a random basis “based on an existing selectivity scheme used by the Bureau of Customs (BOC),” according

to Tionko.

Under the CAO, the customs examiner, may, “based on internationally accepted customs administration risk management principles,” physically inspect the imported goods.

The CAO states that the de minimis value “shall be adjusted by the Secretary of Finance every three (3) years after the effectivity of the CMTA to its present value using the Consumer Price Index, as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority.”

On the de minimis importations brought in by passengers to the country, as postal parcels, or sent through balikbayan boxes, the CAO states that their treatment “shall be without prejudice to the application of the CMTA’s provisions on conditionally free importations.

The CAO implements Sec-

tion 423 of the CMTA, which provides that no duties and taxes shall be collected on goods with an FOB (free on board) or FCA (free carrier) value of P10,000 or below.

The CMTA or Republic Act 10863 is designed to modernize BOC rules and procedures to facilitate trade, cut red tape and corruption, and improve the delivery of BOC-related services.

The drafting of the CAO was the result, in part, of public face-to-face and online consultations done by the DOF and the BOC to fine-tune the IRR of the CMTA. Tionko said the DOF gathered inputs and comments from a DOF microsite where the public could input their comments and suggestions about each topic involving IRR provisions of the CMTA. The DOF microsite also

contains information about, and templates to suggest recommendations on, the proposed IRR of the CMTA. For inquiries, comments and suggestions on the proposed IRR of the law, one can email the CMTA Project Management Office and Secretariat at cmta.irr.pmo@customs.gov. ph an d cmta_irr@dof.gov.ph.

Last August 17, the DOF and the BOC held the first of a series of public consultations on the CMTA’s IRR at the Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros, where some 100 stakeholders from the private sector attended the meeting.

The easy-to-navigate microsite contains the drafting process, timelines, and guidelines on the crafting of the IRR, and also includes a list of priority concerns on the CMTA and the point persons assigned to each topic.

Tawi-Tawi and the city of Zamboanga.

The Assembly also called on the MNLF and MILF “to religiously abide (by) the solidarity framework enunciated by the OIC through the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) in order to achieve the longterm goal of the MNLF-MILF agreement” and to “rise above tribal differences towards helping unify the MNLF and the MILF to synergize their ef-

forts to achieve the peace and development that the Bangsamoro rightfully deserve.”

Misuari, who was received in Malacanang by President Duterte on November 3, following a court order granting him temporary liberty to allow him to participate in the peace efforts with the government, called the MILF and the other MNLF factions as “traitors.”

The Assembly called on the leaders of the MNLF and

the MILF to “refrain from issuing statements detrimental to the Unity and Cooperation of the Bangsamoro.”

Duterte sat with MILF leaders Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF chair and MILF peace implementing panel chair Mohagher Iqbal during the signing of the Exectuive Order on the BTC in Malacnanag on November 7.

The Assembly also urged government to implement

the recommendations of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) “in addressing the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro, correcting the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro and other indigenous peoples, and addressing human rights violations and marginalization of the Bangsamoro due to land dispossession.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Moro... FROM 6

12 PROPERTY It’s Sweet November for Esdevco’s Matina Enclaves I EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

T’S a sweet November to remember for homebuyers and sellers of the Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco) as the real estate firm threw another Open House recently.

The Esdevco’s “Sweet November” Open House for its initial venture Matina Enclaves attracted prospective homebuyers for its remaining condominium inventory.

Esdevco has closed out sales of its first four condominiums belonging to Matina Enclaves’ The Residences segment. A fifth, Building 5, is down to its few remaining units.

Esdevco project head Gerald Kent Garces led the Open House event and feted the firm’s sellers for another

productive season.

“Once again, it was a successful Open House and much of that was made possible through the untiring efforts of our sales people,” Garces said.

Esdevco feted sellers Charity Furog, Rebecca De Leon, Reynold Barber, Belinda Morales, Gilbert Monecillo of Leuterio Realty,Cecille Ramirez of Property Depot, and Ryan Sayson of Leuterio Realty.

Matina Enclaves is a mixed use development project located adjacent to Davao City Golf Course in Quimpo Boulevard. The sprawling residential estate provides a majestic view of picturesque Mt. Apo and is designed with the concept of a natural greenery. (NJB)

COMPETITIVE EDGE 13

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

McDonald’s Philippines partners withTwitter; first in SEA to launch Promoted #Stickers

M ABOITIZPOWER, AEV HONORED AT PSE BELL AWARDS. Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) and Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) were once again recognized by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) for their exemplary performance in good corporate governance at the PSE Bell Awards last Nov. 10.

“AboitizPower is committed to good governance and we are convinced that it is the sensible, appropriate, and only sustainable way to move forward as a business enterprise. Good corporate governance practices create value for the company, our team, and our businesses,” Antonio R. Moraza, AboitizPower President and Chief Operating Officer, said.

AboitizPower was a PSE Bell Awardee in 2014, while AEV was a PSE

Bell Finalist this year and Awardee in 2013 and 2015.

Receiving the award for AboitizPower were Jasmine Oporto, AEV SVPChief Legal Officer, and Susan Valdez, AEV SVP-Chief Corporate Services Officer (second and third from left, respectively), joined by Teresita J. Herbosa and Jose T. Pardo, SEC and PSE Chairmen, respectively (far left and right, respectively).

One of the PSE’s initiatives to promote corporate governance standards in the country is the PSE Bell Awards for Corporate Governance. The PSE Bell Awards responds to the growing calls for higher corporate governance standards and more corporate social responsibility by recognizing companies which are benchmark role models of good corporate governance.

Civil Service Commission conducts forum on good governance

T

HE Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Wednesday conducted the “Forum on Good Governance for Excellence” at the Sunset Pavilion of Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay, Manila.

Attended by more than 300 participants from different government agencies, including local and international speakers, the forum opened with a welcome message from CSC chairperson Alicia dela Rosa, who cited the forum as an opportunity to expand learning about good governance.

Prof. D. Brian Marson, a faculty member of the Public Management Development Program (PMDP) of the Development Academy of the Philippines, discussed about good governance as the foundation of performance excellence.

Marson also cited the key role of human resource organizations in promoting good governance and achieving public sector performance excellence.

He said good governance is characterized by voice and accountability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, existence of the rule of law, control of corruption, political stability and lack of violence.

He also shared the United Nation’s five principles of good governance wherein there is a presence of the following conditions: legitimacy and voice (through participation and consensus orientation); direction or strategic vision (leaders and public have a broad and longterm perspective; performance (responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency); accountability with transparency; and fairness (there is equity and rule of law).

Dr. Edna Estifania Co., University of the Philippines vice president for public affairs and executive director of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, discussed the challenges of good governance to professionalism and commitment to service in a

changing Asia.

Dr. Ehsan Latif, director of the Department of Tobacco Control of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, meanwhile discussed upholding integrity and the role of Civil Service in Promoting Accountability for the Protection of Tobacco Control Measures.

Latif lauded the country’s performance in creating anti-tobacco measures through the sin tax law, the implementation of the Graphic Health Warning Law, and the issuance of the Department of Health (DOH) and CSC Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2016.

“The Philippines’ Joint Memorandum Circular is a very good step because it bars the civil servants, departments from interacting with the tobacco industry unnecessarily,” he added.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Latif said the JMC is commendable because it promotes limit-

10 percent.

Tanya Chikritzhs, leader of the alcohol policy team at the Curtin University, said the research should prompt health professionals to rethink their stance on low-level alcohol consumption.

“The risk begins with the first drink, or even the first half of a drink, so there’s no point at which we can say there is zero risk of cancer, or prostate cancer,” Chikritzhs said on Wednesday.

“Even as low as one drinks every 10 days, up to about two drinks a day, your risk is increased by about eight percent, compared

to someone who has never drank alcohol.

“By the time you get to five standard drinks or more a day, then your risk increases to about 18 percent, compared to someone who has never drank alcohol.

“It’s pretty clear, there’s a strong relationship between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer.”

The study found that it took as little as 1.3 grams of alcohol per day on average to increase the chances of developing prostate cancer by eight percent.

Prostate cancer is the most

ed interaction between the tobacco industry and government officers, and allows transparency as civil society representatives should be present in the meeting between the two.

He added that danger sets in when the tobacco industry interferes with public policies on tobacco control.

The Philippines is one of the signatories to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

According to CSC commissioner Robert Martinez, the commission takes part in tobacco control measures because support for the tobacco campaign is also a reflection of good governance that they want to promote.

The forum was held with back-to-back meetings, such as the 3rd Joint Technical Working Group Meeting of the ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and the meeting of heads of civil service of the ACCSM. (PNA)

Study says even moderate alcohol intake seen to increase chances of prostate cancer A

USTRALIAN scientists have discovered that even moderate alcohol intake increases a male’s chance of contracting prostate cancer.

Researchers from the Curtin University in Western Australia (WA) said there was a “clear link” between moderate alcohol consumption and the cancer which kills 3,000 Australian men every year.

The study, published on Wednesday, revealed that a single glass of beer or wine every two weeks can increase a man’s chance of developing the cancer by up to

common cancer among men in Australia and the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

“Past and future studies which demonstrate protection from diseases due to low level drinking should be treated with caution,” Chikritzhs told News Limited.

“We now have a whole range of cancers which are on the list now in relation to being caused by alcohol, including mouth cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, probably gastric cancer, breast cancer, and now, prostate cancer. (PNA)

CDONALD’S Philippines has just partnered with Twitter, and was the first in Southeast Asia to launch Twitter’s latest ad product – the Promoted #Stickers.

The partnership also made McDonald’s Philippines the first McDonald’s in the world to try this new innovative feature of Twitter.

Under McDonald’s Philippines McDoBonFries campaign, it will share eight custom stickers in support of the UAAP cheer-dance competition set on Nov. 19. The campaign will run until Nov. 28.

How does this work?

Stickers feature some of McDonald’s Philippines’ signature designs created to help consumers cheer the players and teams using two of the most popular means of visual communication – stickers and photos.

These stickers will also act as “visual hashtags”, allowing people to collectively integrate the McDonald’s designs into their photos on Twitter. Those who will tap on any sticker will see a timeline of public photos from around the world that used that same sticker.

McDonald’s custom stickers will be featured in the #Stickers library and offer consumers a form of creative expression to make their photos more fun and engaging.

”#Stickers have been hugely popular with consumers, and we are thrilled to now include brands like McDonald’s to spark the trend in the Philippines,” said Tina Pang, Twitter’s head of Sales, Southeast Asia.

She added that with this feature, people would be able to share their passion for basketball, and McDonald’s can make the brand come alive in a powerful new way on this platform.

“Filipino Twitter users, known to be passionate and highly active on the platform, are also McDonald’s customers who are enthusiastic about their support and love for the brand,” said Margot Torres, executive vice president and deputy managing director, McDonald’s Philippines.

Meanwhile, Twitter said the Promoted #Stickers will allow McDonald’s to create local relevance at global scale, giving consumers access to different locally and globally relevant stickers.

The #Stickers will provide a huge opportunity for brands to drive brand affinity and raise awareness of their message at a larger scale, it added.

Aside from the customized #Stickers, the partnership will also include a dedicated Promoted Trend on Twitter to amplify the #McDoBonFries campaign. (PNA)

Abreeza Mall rings in Christmas with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and a mall-wide sale

T

HE most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner! Abreeza Mall invites shoppers to celebrate as it ushers in the season of gifts and giving with its annual Christmas Launch and much-awaited pre-holiday sale.

From November 14 to 20, Abreeza Mall lets shoppers kick off their holiday shopping at the Pre-Christmas Big Sale, a mall-wide discount extravaganza where merchants offer up to 70% off on great finds— perfect for shoppers looking to complete their holiday gift lists before the December rush.

On the culminating weekend of the Pre-Christmas Big Sale, November 18-19, Abreeza Mall hikes up the shopping enjoyment by treating mall-goers to extended mall hours of up to 10pm.

The Christmas Launch— Abreeza Mall’s annual activity that heralds the holidays through a grand musical performance and the lighting of the Christmas tree—takes place on November 19, 5pm at the Activity Center. This year, the musical guest is a double quartet from the acclaimed Manila Symphony Orchestra, which will be treating the audience to a free concert as part of the group’s 90th anniversary celebration.

The year 2016 is a landmark year for the Manila Sym-

phony Orchestra, Asia’s first symphony orchestra which was founded in 1926 by Dr. Alexander Lippay. Through to its reorganization in 2001 by the late Prof. Basilio Manalo and up until today under the baton of Prof.

Arturo Molina, the Manila Symphony Orchestra has continued to live out its mission: “to enrich the Filipino’s vibrant cultural life through fine orchestral music and to enable more people to experience the power of music.”

Giving customers more reason to do their early holiday shopping at Abreeza Mall is the Lakwatsa Ta! promo, which launched in March earlier this year and is ongoing until December 31, 2016. Customers who make a minimum single receipt purchase of P500 at any Abreeza Mall store or Robinsons Department Store or P1,000 at Robinsons Supermarket on weekdays and paydays get the chance to win travel-perfect prizes—including group getaways to fantastic Philippine destinations!

For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall news and events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook. com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

EDGEDAVAO

14 MOTORING

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

2018 MazdaCX-5 unveiled

M

AZDA is ready to push the compact crossover envelop even further with the unveil of the second-generation CX-5 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Not much technical details were given during the launch, but it’s said to roll out as early as February 2017 in Japan with other markets to follow thereafter.

With a tagline of “an SUV all customers will enjoy”, Mazda is aiming to improve driving pleasure that everyone, not just the driver, will enjoy.

To achieve this, the CX-5 is engineered around human sensibilities and will prioritize passenger comfort with a quieter cabin and a more pleasant ride while not compromising the responsive performance that the CX-5 has been known for.

The design moves further away from the likes of the Mazda3 and Mazda6 and is now closer to the CX-3 and CX-9 crossovers. This evolution of the KODO – Soul of Motion design language remains both sensual and bold while a new color, Soul Red Crystal, highlights Mazda’s aim for beauty and quality. Inside, the 2018 CX-5 promises a premium and upscale interior.

The 2018 CX-5 will remain powered by two Skyactiv-G (gasoline) engines in two displacements: 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter while a sole Skyactiv-D (diesel) with 2.2-liters of displacement comprises the diesel-fed line-up. No power figures were given, but it’s safe to assume that all powerplants will receive tweaks and enhancements to provide a more

linear driving performance and outstanding fuel efficiency. The CX-5 will also receive the new Skyactiv-Vehicle Dynamics suite, the first of which is the G-Vectoring Control, something seen in the refreshed Mazda3 and

Mazda The 2018 CX-5 has a lot to live up to given its predecessor has won more than 90 awards and accolades worldwide including the 2012-2013 Japanese Car of the Year.

FotonToano redefines luxury U

NITED Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI), the exclusive distributor of Foton vehicles in the Philippines, presents a van that seeks to redefine luxury, the Toano.

Specially designed by the original Mercedes-Benz Sprinter car design team based in Stuttgart, G e r m a n y, the Foton T o a n o combines elegant and expansive interiors with a powerful, Cummins turbo diesel engine to provide a truly luxurious ride.

Ample and comfortable seating for up to 15 passengers is matched with a high ceiling, making standing upright inside the vehicle doable, while a long wheelbase (measuring at 3,750mm) makes for a stately, comfortable, and safe ride.

The Toano runs on Foton’s signature, and by-now familiar power plant, the 2.8-liter ISF Cummins CRDi turbo diesel engine outputting 160 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque. It’s the same unit found on the brand’s very capable Toplander SUV and Thunder pickup truck. A proven engine, it’s also Euro 4 compliant, meeting the government’s call for reduced emissions. Mated to a 6-speed manual, the Toano is best piloted by a chauffeur especially on long trips.

The spacious, high-ceilinged interior features light-colored fabric seats with individual head and back rests, AM/FM radio, CD player, aux and USB audio inputs, and re-

mote control power windows. And while the Toano offers what can be described as a comfortable living space, a new variant, the Executive, features a nautical-themed interior complete with an LED television and audio-visual suite.

Outside, there’s an automatic, electric footboard, reverse cameras and sensors, and a split vertical rear door. Standard are LED side-mirror signal lights, dual front airbags, and ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.

Available color variants are Aurora White, Metallic Silver, and Amber Bronze.

The Foton Toano starts at P 1,688,000 for the 15-seater variant.

Equally affordable, the Toano also comes with a 5-year, 150,000-kilometer warranty. This makes it a great value-for-money luxury van that’s affordable while being equivalently competitive against its rivals.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

BEST START

SPORTS15 BEST 10-GAME START. Lebron James fired 28 as the Cavs improve to 9-1, its bes ever 10-game start.

Cavs stop Raptors, rise to 9-1 start

T

HE Cavaliers are far more focused on how they’ll finish. They are not complaining about their start, though.

With Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson sitting courtside, LeBron James came up one rebound shy of a triple-double and Kyrie Irving scored 24 points to lead Cleveland to a 121-117 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, making the Cavs 9-1 to match their best start after 10 games.

James had 28 points and 14 assists as the Cavs improved to 2-0 this season against the Raptors, the team they beat in last season’s Eastern Conference finals and the one they could meet there again in 2017.

The Cavs last went 9-1 in 1976-77. ‘’I don’t really pay attention to the records,’’ said James.

‘’But I do pay attention to the teams we’re playing, and what they bring to the table.’’

The Raptors bring a lot, and are one of the only teams in the East capable of going to toe-to-toe with the defending NBA champions. However, Toronto came up short against Cleveland just as it did in last year’s playoffs. ‘’I’m not encouraged by any loss,’’ said Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who finished with 28 points and nine assists. ‘’We want to win every single game.

Every time we touch the floor we want to win games.’’

Channing Frye’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 59 seconds left put the Cavs up by one. Cleveland then buckled down on defense, holding the Raptors scoreless until letting Lowry make a layup with 2.8 seconds left.

Kevin Love added 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavs, who have already had their share of tight games. ‘’We’re one of the teams at the top that’s going to get every team’s best shot,’’ Love said. ‘’That’s a team we have history with. They’re well-coached.

They know how to play and you saw them fight back tonight. That’s the kind of tension in playing those type of teams early that’s going to be good for us. We’ve had certain lapses in our first 10 games that we need to clean up. But we’re getting teams’ best shots home or away and we’ll be a better team for it.’’

DeMar DeRozan added 26 for the Raptors, who complained about fouls called against Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas in the final two minutes and a possible goaltending vio-

Mindanao Peace Games leaves imprint to athletes

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

W

OMEN empowerment, peacebuilding and transformational leadership. These are the major gains of the 3rd Mindanao Peace Games held October 22 to 26 in Gen. Santos City.

Noli Ayo, the event’s organizer and athletics director of Ateneo de Davao University, said the event has produced a positive outlook among the participating athletes and coaches alike towards the chief advocacy of the novel. sports competition.

Guesting in Habi at Kape media forum yesterday, Ayo stressed that one of the highlights of the MPG was the all-women sporting events which sought to bring the message of “breaking stereotypes” among its participants.

“When we (organizers) were discussing this (MPG) in 2014, we realized that women in sports are not given the equal opportunity [than] their male counterpart”, said Ayo adding that given the chance to invest in something worthwhile, might as well invest in the sector that needs it the most.

“In fact, 60 percent of the medallists in Rio Olympics are women,” stressed Ayo. The Ateneo sports director also said that the initiative of empowering women has

influenced other sporting bodies such as the Jesuit Athletic Meet whose members are some of those participating in MPG. “If there will be more women in the middle, there will be more diversity in perspective,” said Ayo. Aside from women empowerment, Ayo explained that MPG aims to bridge gap between communities and mentor student-athletes to embrace the role of the community builders and peace advocates with the initiatives of conducting coaches’ forum and athletes gathering aside from the usual sporting events.

“It (MPG) hopes to emphasize to the sports leaders of Mindanao schools to have a transformational presence in their immediate communities,” said Ayo. Ayo said that the MPG has transcended from just sporting events into giving student-athletes, especially those Lumad participants, a chance to experience things beyond sports.

“Some of our Lumad participants and even those Muslims experienced going to a movie house for the first time,” said Ayo explaining that the MPG also offered film-showing to its participants.

Ayo stressed that these efforts could be small, even minute, but will have transformational impact on the lives of the students which could be seen in the near future.

MPG is an annual sporting event held every October participated by universities and colleges in Mindanao representing three ethnicities: Christian, Muslim and Lumad (indigenous people).

Hosted by Holy Trinity College of General Santos City on October 22 to 26, MPG gained participation from 12 schools namely Ateneo de Davao University, Xavier University Cagayan de Oro, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Holy Cross of Davao College, La Salle University of Ozamis, Holy Trinity College of General Santos City, Fr. Saturino Urios University, St. Joseph Institute of technology Inc., Datu Ibrahim Paglas Memorial College in Maguindanao, Sebucal High School of Misamis Oriental, Mindanao State University Marawi, and Cor Jesu College of Digos.

Formerly Mindanao Unity Games, the event was renamed Mindanao Peace Games during the Annual Leaders’ Meeting held on October 2015, “to highlight the value it will play in the change and peace process in Mindanao”.

lation

against the Cavs that wasn’t called in the closing seconds. Toronto came in 5-0 in games where Lowry and DeRozan combined for more than 50 points.

Lowry was also whistled for a technical in the final two minutes. ‘’The ball bounced of my foot,’’ Lowry said. ‘’I wasn’t trying to slam it. I dribbled the ball and it bounced of my foot.

It’s not like it went far. Coach (Dwane Casey) caught the ball.

Whatever, keep my money.’’

The Cavs made 13 3-point-

ers and have dropped at least 10 in all 10 games, extending their league record to start a season.

Djokovic gains semis, could be back as no. 1

N

OVAK Djokovic edged a bit closer to the year-end No. 1 ranking.

The second-ranked Serb beat Milos Raonic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) Tuesday to qualify for the semifinals of the ATP finals and improve his record against the Canadian to 8-0.

Djokovic is 2-0 at the season-ending tournament, and will retake the top ranking from Andy Murray if he does better this week. Murray is 1-0 so far, and plays his second match on Wednesday against Kei Nishikori.

Djokovic never looked at ease in his second match at the O2 Arena, but he was able to hang on through two tough tiebreakers to earn the victory.

“It really could have gone either way,” said Djokovic, who

completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open this year. “I was down very early in both tiebreaks tonight. But I just managed to stay committed and put pressure on his second serves.”

To get to the tiebreakers, Djokovic saved three break points in the first set. He then managed to go up a break twice in the second set, but Raonic responded each time.

Raonic, who reached the Wimbledon final this year, took the lead in both tiebreakers as Djokovic struggled for consistency, but he couldn’t hold on.

“I gave myself some chances there. He played well in most of those chances,” said Raonic, who can still advance to the semifinals

by beating Dominic Thiem on Thursday. “Sometimes us tennis players, we struggle to forget. But that’s the number one thing I’ve got to do right now.”

are six good fighters out there that Pacquiao would likely bring in good pay-per-view numbers fighting, and Arum hasn’t made those fights for some reason,” Williams said.

According to the boxing analyst, Pacquiao has a chance to bring back interest in him by fighting Mayweather in 2017.

He said there is no reason for Pacquiao to be fighting the likes of Bradley for a third time and the little known Vargas.

“Those were bad ideas. I would have never made those fights if I were Pacquiao’s promoter.

I’d have worked with other promoters to put Pacquiao in good fights against guys that the boxing public wants to see.”

Terence Crawford, who was mentioned as a possible next foe for the Filipino boxing legend, would also not be in-

teresting, noted Williams.

It will, in fact, be a step down to the Vargas and Bradley fights. Meaning, the numbers will be far worse.

“Sorry, I don’t consider Terence Crawford as being someone that the casual boxing fans are interested in seeing Pacquiao fight. I think Crawford would be a step down from Pacquiao-Vargas or Pacquiao-Bradley 3. Of course, I think Arum is going to put Pacquiao in with Crawford in 2017, and I see that fight doing poor numbers. I think Arum will say something similar about ‘the numbers are what the numbers are’ instead of coming out and saying, ‘I shouldn’t have made that fight.’

That’s what I would say. But then again, I would have never made those fights. I think

it was a crazy idea to try and sell Pacquiao-Vargas and Pacquiao-Bradley 3 to the boxing public. Those were not good fights. Vargas still had Bradley problems with his unfinished business with him. Bradley had already been beaten twice

by Pacquiao,” Williams said.

Williams suggested Arum could have opted for a Pacquiao-Khan fight instead of a Pacquiao-Bradley III. “Why try and sell a third Pacquiao-Bradley fight to the public. Arum could have selected Khan for Pacquiao’s fight last April instead of Bradley. Instead, Arum went with Bradley. Saul Canelo Alvarez snatched up Khan and fought him on HBO the next month in May 2016 and their fight brought in 600,000 buys,” he said.

PPV... FROM 16

The second-ranked Novak Djokovic beat Milos Raonic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) Tuesday to qualify for the semifinals of the ATP finals.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 9 ISSUE 191 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

PPV BUST

Only 300T buys for Pacquiao-Vargas fight

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

D

njb@edgedavao.net

espite all the hoopla of his resounding win over Jessie Vargas, Manny Pacquiao’s numbers in the Pay-PerView department dipped even low.

According to RingTV, Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (272, 10 KOs) has brought in less than monstrous pay-per-view numbers with Top Rank doing the broadcast in the absence of HBO which thumbed the fight down before it even happened.

Promoter Bob Arum said the fight card brought in a little over 300,000 pay-per-view buys.

Arum, according to reports, was pleased with those numbers, even though they represent a drop off of approximated 100,000 buys from the 400,000 pay-per-view buys from Pacquiao’s previous fight

against Tim Bradley last April on HBO PPV. That was a also huge drop off in buys from the 4.6 million buys Pacquiao’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. generated last year in May 2015.

According to boxing analyst Chris Williams of BoxingNews24.com, it’s really not all that surprising that the Pacquiao-Vargas fight brought in such low pay-per-view numbers. “Top Rank went it alone by not having the fight televised on HBO. It was also not a great fight, because Vargas wasn’t a well-known fighter with the casual boxing fans in the States. The hardcore fans were familiar with Vargas, as they know him from his one-sided 12 round unanimous decision loss to fellow Top Rank fighter Tim Bradley last year in June.”

Arum was quoted telling RingTV.com about the Pacquiao vs. Vargas pay-per-view results on Top Rank: “They’re

JACKET STORY. If this jacket will tell a story, you can guess who’s the nex opponent of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will be. still coming in,” Arum said about the PPV numbers. “It’s harder to get without HBO. But about where the Bradley numbers are, around the same. A little over 300 (thousand). The numbers are what the numbers are.”

“It’s true. The numbers are what the numbers are. I’m not

sure if that’s Arum admitting that the card failed to do the respectable pay-per-view numbers of the past or what. When you look at how Pacquiao was bringing in over 1 million buys on a consistent basis from 2008 to 2012, and compare to what he’s done lately in his last two fights, it suggests a dra-

matic drop off,” noted Williams in his commentary.

Williams, however, said he does not think Pacquiao had lost a ton of fans after his disappointing performance against Mayweather in 2015.

“I think it’s more of a case of stale match-making on Arum’s part. I’m talking about Arum

putting Pacquiao in with Tim Bradley in a third fight, which the boxing public weren’t clamoring for, instead of matching him against the likes of Keith Thurman, Amir Khan, Danny Garcia, Errol Spence Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. There

FPPV, 15