Edge Davao 9 Issue 203

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

MURAL PAINTING VS TRAFFICKING. An artist works on a mural during a community mural painting at the outside walls of Southern Philippines Medical Center-Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine initiated

by Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, in partnership with the city government of Davao, Habitat for Humanity, Philippine Women’s College and Davies Paints to commemorate the International Day Against Child Trafficking on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

NO MARTIAL LAW Duterte allays fears he is out to declare military rule

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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adlopez0920@gmail.com

RESIDENT Duterte dispelled speculations he is set to declare Martial Law in the country, saying that military rule will not contribute to the current efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos.

The President, who graced the 3rd Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Local Government Summit at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier in Davao City on Thursday, December 1, said declaration of Martial Law will not improve the lives of the Filipino people.

The event, which carried the theme: “Pagkamulat... Pagbabago! Pag-unlad”, was joined by top officials of ARMM including leaders of local government units in the

area.

“Martial Law for what?” the President stressed, adding that killing people will not bring in good to the country, as he hit the conjectures raised by other sectors, particularly in Manila on the issue.

The President said speculators thought he would declare military rule every time he would express anger over issues that greatly affect the lives of the Filipino people.

Thoughts of the declaration of Martial Law are being spread by some sectors, particularly those who stood critical over the administration of President Duterte.

The recent move of the Philippine National Police (PNP) placing the entire coun-

try under terror alert level 3 was also viewed by the President’s critics as a prelude to the declaration of Martial Law. The PNP said on Thursday that terror alert level 3 was meant to impose stricter security measures following the arrest of two suspects involved in the foiled bomb attack in Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Monday.

Malacanang, in a separate statement, also dismissed the fears that other sectors spread over the terror alert level 3, saying that the measure is consistent with the state of national emergency or the declaration of state of lawlessness declared by President Duterte last September following the deadly blast in Davao City.

“Martial Law? Kalokohan yan,” the President pointed out, adding that he is not building a country over the bones of the Muslims and Christians.

Federalism the only acceptable set-up for Mindanao President Duterte also told the participants to the summit that federalism is the only structured and acceptable system of government that will lead the country, especially Mindanao into lasting peace and development.

The President said efforts to divide Mindanao and its people are products of decades of displaced priorities and concerns and the lack of

Monster Kitchen opens in Davao

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

A

N award-winning and most trusted baking school in Mindanao has opened its doors to Davao City.

The Monster Kitchen Academy located along Elpidio Quirino Avenue in Davao aims to “monsterize” or to expound

the skills of the chefs and entrepreneurs who wanted to invest in food industry.

It was put up by a Cagayan de Oro-based culinary entrepreneurs, Jan and Maggie Uy. Monster Kitchen has been

F NO, 10 Photo taken from Monster Kitchen facebook page

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

DUTERTE BEFORE ARMM LGUS. President Rodrigo R. Duterte speaks before government officials of the 3rd Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Local Government Summit held at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center on Thursday night. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte says federalism alone can prevent rise of extremism

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to work for the realization of a federal form of government even if it requires him to campaign nationwide in order to prevent full-blown revolution or extremism from thriving beyond this generation.

Speaking before the more than 400 participants of the 3rd Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Local Government Summit at SMX Convention Center late Thursday afternoon, President Duterte said a federal set-up is the other acceptable structure especially in Mindanao.

The other - is extremism, which he said should be avoided by every Muslim “because

it is not our idea.” Otherwise, if extremism originated in Mindanao, he said, “I will be the first to call upon the Moro people to a total revolution.”

“Wag tayong pumayag ng ganito (We should not agree to this – extremism) whatever may, how long it may take, whatever are the costs kasi hindi ito talaga para sa akin (because this is not really for me).

The President vowed to campaign for the federal structure. “Maybe I’ll just campaign for it, for its approval among the Visayans,” he said. He said he will also campaign among the Moro people.

He recalled there have

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Solon seeks probe deal on civil registry system

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

B

adlopez0920@gmail.com

AYAN Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate filed a resolution in the House of Representatives on on Thursday that sought to direct the committee on government enterprises and privatization to investigate the implementation of the Civil Registry System – Information Technology Project Phase 2 (CRS-ITP II) deal between the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the US-based Unisys Corporation (Unisys).

Zarate, through House resolution no. 592, wanted the committee to look into the alleged gross violations and failures on the part of Unisys’ and its unbridled control of the country’s civil registry system.

PSA chief Lisa Grace Bersales and Unisys executive Juan Ingersol Castro signed the concession agreement for CRS-IPT II last October 3 this year under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.

Unisys is the same com-

pany who controlled the project’s first phase, the CRS-ITP I, known as “NSO Serbilis Centers”, Zarate said.

The party-list solon hit the awarding of the project to Unisys despite its glaring contractual violations and failures during the implementation of the first phase of the project.

Zarate cited the report made by the Commission on Audit (COA) in 2015 castigating PSA (then named national Statistics office) and Unisys for

violating the original contract or the CRS-IPT I. “The recent deal, in sheer disregard of the said audit, still proceeded with Unisys given again full control of all civil registry documents nationwide and Government getting a mere 45.5 percent of the revenues,” he said.

The original contract, with a timeframe of 12 years (CY 2000-2012), stipulated that Unisys shall transfer opera-

HE city government has allotted around P10 million for the expansion next year of the city’s newly-opened bicycle or bike and walk/run lane.

Ruel Tianchon, City Engineer’s Office head, said Friday they are currently working on a development plan for the project, which will extend the existing concrete bike and walk/run lane from Barangay Zone III to Carpenter Hill.

He said it will start in front of the new city hall complex and end at the entrance of the Region 12 government center site.

The city is the regional administrative seat and center of Region 12, which is also known as Soccsksargen.

“This is to encourage more residents, especially those employed at the regional offices, to use bicycles in moving around the city,” he said in a radio interview.

Tianchon said they have included the project, which was earlier endorsed by City Mayor Peter Miguel, in the city’s Annual Investment Plan for 2017.

He said they will immediately start the preparatory works upon the approval of

its budget by the Sangguniang Panlungsod or city council.

The local government initially opened in early October the initial component of the bike and walk/run lane, which is located beside the national highway.

It spent around P11 million for the project, which stretches from the new city hall complex to the city’s rotunda or round ball.

The city council had passed an ordinance for the use of the bike and walk/run lane that it officially named as “Tikang Sikad Lane.”

The measure includes prohibitions and corresponding penalties on the parking of motorized vehicles in portions of the lane.

Tianchon said that aside from the expansion of the bike and walk/run lane, they have proposed for the construction of bleachers and the beautification of its sides.

He said the beautification includes the painting of the lane and landscaping of some portions of its sides.

The initiative will be implemented in coordination with the Office of the City Architect, he said. (PNA)

Incoming AFP chief Koronadal City allots P10M for expansion of bike lanes eyes Israeli weapons T T HE successor of Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya, who is scheduled to step down next week, would consider the outgoing chief’s recommendations on modernization of the military, particularly on certain weapons systems.

“His (Visaya’s recommendation on certain weapons system) will be looked into by the new AFP chief. He (the replacement) will not be starting from zero,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo

said in an interview with PNA. Arevalo said Visaya’s recommendations along with the TWGs will be closely looked into prior to acquisition which might boost the military’s capability.

Last November, it was learned that Visaya and other ranking military officials visited Israel to look into possible weapons which might be acquired by the AFP. Israel weapons are considered among the best and sophisticated in the world

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EDGEDAVAO

UNITED FRONT. The Anti-trafficking campaign gets a boost through a community mural painting made possible through the pooled efforts of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking– XI, in partnership with the Davao City government, Habitat for Humanity, Philippine Women’s College and Davies Paints. The mural is painted at the outside

wall of Southern Philippines Medical Center-Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine on Friday. It will be unveiled on December 12, 2016. JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

Dabawenyos conduct mural painting against trafficking T

DSWD sustains relief aid to Lanao conflict refugees

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

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HE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, in partnership with the city government of Davao, Habitat for Humanity, Philippine Women’s College and Davies Paints, headed a community mural painting at the outside walls of Southern Philippines Medical Center-Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine on Friday.

In an interview with Edge Davao, Asst. Regional Prosecutor Atty. Karl Salcedo said

the event is the city’s initiative to commemorate the International Day Against Child Trafficking on December 12, 2016.

“This activity was conceptualized with the purpose of involving our community, to increase awareness against human trafficking and violence against women and children,” Salcedo explained.

Salcedo added that the event would not have been made possible without their partners who sponsored man-

power and materials.

The assistant prosecutor added that the painting materials were sponsored by Davies Paints and Habitat for Humanity while PWC provided student artists who made the sketches or the blueprint for the murals.

“Tapos yung community ngayon yung mag-fill sa colors (then the community will be the one to fill the colors),” said Salcedo.

He explained that they

have decided to paint positive images around the theme of child development to show the effects of a trafficking-free community.

The mural will be unveiled on December 12 during the program to commemorate the International Day Against Child Trafficking.

On the region’s anti-trafficking bout, Atty. Salcedo said that recently, through IACAT’s intensified campaign, three

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HE Department of Social Welfare and Development said Friday it has continued to provide relief assistance to families in Butig, Lanao del Sur who have been displaced by armed conflict between the military and a local terror group.

According to the latest report by the DSWD Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center, a total of 2,894 families or 14,470 persons have been displaced in eight barangays in Butig since the clash between government troops and the Maute Group started on November 26.

Of this number, 627 families or 3,135 individuals are

taking refuge in four evacuation centers in Butig proper and in Barangays Bayabao and Madrasah Raya Timbab, while 2,035 families or 10,175 persons are staying with relatives and friends.

Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said that to ensure prompt delivery of aid to the affected families, her department’s field office in the Soccsksargen region has activated its operations center in Marawi City with the prepositioning of 500 bags of rice worth PHP625,000. Each family will be given 10 kg. of rice.

The field office has also met with local officials of Mara-

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USM in North Cotabato is first ISO-certified school in Region 12

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HE University of Southern Mindanao (USM) here was recognized by the International Standard Organization (ISO) as the first state-run college to be ISO-certified in Region-12.

The university’s program includes the College of Veterinary, College of Agriculture and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Francisco Gil Garcia, USM president, said on Friday that the ISO recognition is expected to draw huge recognition for the institution “not only in the country but to the international community as well.”

The ISO 9001 quality standards also guarantees the level of proficiency in readying

graduates to stage in the international demand and competencies particularly to the ongoing ASEAN Integration.

The accreditation also improves the current system, procedures, management and instructions to ensure sufficient and quality education to its students.

USM is the third ISO University in Mindanao next to the University of Mindanao in Davao City and Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City.

USM is known for its promising performance in agriculture, veterinary and education in the region as it surpasses other colleges in passing licensure examinations. (PNA)

Expert airs concern over waste-to-energy projects

T

HE increasing bilateral interest on pushing for waste-to-energy projects in the Philippines has worried an international expert who said that local government units may find themselves shortchanged by the increased costs needed to operate the facilities.

“Investing in WtE plants commit local government units (LGUs) to these costly technologies for the long term that will require them to make more waste for incinerators to operate profitably,” said Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, who was chief technical advisor of the United Nations Development Program on global environment waste projects in 17 countries.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), earlier this month, said that the Philippines and Japan have been strengthening their waste-to-energy (WtE) cooperation with Davao and Quezon cities as potential sites.

Dr. Emmanuel, who will be in Davao City on Monday, December 5, 2016, to give a

public lecture on WtE technology, said that WtE will undermine the city’s environmentally sound approaches to managing wastes because it will drive up the generation of trash instead of encouraging citizens to segregrate.

“Furthermore, these technologies have a hidden costthey create extremely toxic substances that will remain in the environment for hundreds of years. Decision-makers must consider the grave impacts on public health and the environment for years to come,”he said.

Dr. Emmanuel will be joined by Von Hernandez, the 2003 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, who will talk about sustainable and ecological alternatives to waste incineration.

City Hall had earlier denied that the agreement signed with the Kitakyushu government was for the construction of the WTE facility. The city signed a memorandum of understanding for technology assistance on waste segregation

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SUENO REPORT TO PRESIDENT. Secretary Ismael Sueno of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reports to President Duterte the outcome of the two-day 3rd Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

(ARMM) Local Government Summit held at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center on Thursday night. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte pardons 4P convicted rebs RESIDENT DURERTE has signed an order granting presidential pardon to four communist rebels convicted of murder and kidnapping, the chief of the government peace panel said Friday.

“These rebels have long been recommended for pardon but the previous government did not sign the draft order to release them,” said Labor Secretary Silvestre ‘Bebot’ Bello III, who also heads the government panel holding peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The four prisoners who will walk free anytime today or Monday at the latest were

identified as Martin Villanueva, Bonifacio Suyon, Dindo Absalon and Rico Bodina. All of them are farmers. Villanueva and Suyom were convicted for kidnapping while Absalon and Bodino served time for murder.

Bello said the convicted rebels have already served at least 18 years and up to 26 years. “We are giving them the justice they deserve regardless of their guilt or innocence.

They deserve to be freed,” he said.

He said former President Benigno Aquino sat on the recommendation of the PCBREP over the release of Villanueva and company.

THREE SISTERS. Novelty items on display at a stall selling specialty merchandise catch the attention of three nuns as they roam around Abreeza Mall in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Bello likewise revealed that three more suspected communist rebels serving time but awaiting final entry of judgment are also due for release pending legal requirements from the courts.

“They cannot avail themselves of a presidential pardon or executive clemency while their appeals are pending and awaiting final entry of judgment,” Bello explained. But he said a draft order is already prepared for their pardon pending submission of their completed case folders.

As this developed, the government peace panel also revealed that the names of 200 detained rebels were already

submitted for review and approval by appropriate government agencies. “But we have recommended the immediate release of 21 sickly detainees, three other elderly suspected rebels and one woman detainee,” said Bello, a former human rights lawyer.

He explained that the releases take time because the old guidelines of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance, and Pardon (PCBREP) needed to be amended.

The old PCBREP guidelines only allowed releases on bail, recognizance or pardon for offenses committed on or before 1998, which would not

OCAL government units (LGUs) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) pledged a total of P4.196 billion to fund programs for their constituents in support of the ARMM Regional Development Framework 2016-2019.

Local officials from across the region drafted the programs, projects, services and activities (PPSA) during the 3rd ARMM Local Government Summit held from November 30 to December 1 at the SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center in Davao City.

Atty. Noor Hafizullah Abdullah, ARMM’s Interior and Local Government Secretary, said the development framework represents the aspirations of the ARMM constituents reflecting different concerns in every province and town.

The plans will be implemented in 2018 and 2019 and would be bankrolled by development funds from each LGU addressing issues of poverty, so-

cio-economic, security, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure.

The PPSA was aligned with the ARMM Regional Development Framework, which is anchored on six fronts: • agri-fishery development under rural development; • functional LGUs, improved regional government service delivery, and increased people’s participation under good governance at all levels; • anti-terrorism, illegal drugs, and crimes under public order and security; • health and nutrition, education, livelihood, water and sanitation, and social welfare and protection under basic services for all; • disaster preparedness, response and rehabilitation and environmental protection and management under climate change adaptation, and disaster resiliency; and, • infrastructure support for all

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ARMM LGUs commit P4.2B for program funds L

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6 ECONOMY

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

DOF says gov’t debt ratio T better with GDP growth

RP’s focus on agriculture brings closer ties with Israel -- envoy

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Department of Finance said on Friday that the share of debt to the country’s economy slid further as of September this year as the gross domestic product continued to grow faster than government liabilities.

In his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, DOF Undersecretary Gil Beltran said that the government’s debt-to-GDP ratio further improved to 44.2 percent by end-September from 44.7 percent in the same month in 2015.

“Debt management measures led to the continuing drop in the debt-GDP ratio to 44.2 percent as of September 2016, an improvement from end-2015 ratio of 44.7 percent,” Beltran pointed in the report.

Beltran, who also serves as the DOF’s chief economist,

also made a projection that the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to sustain the yearly decline until falling to about 35 percent by the end of the administration of President Duterte, as he also took note of the national government debt, as a proportion of GDP, had continually dropped from 52.4 percent in 2010 to 44.7 percent in 2015.

The agency’s chief economist is also expecting the debtto-GDP ratio to remain very manageable for the final three months of the year as the economy expands at a faster pace than government liabilities.

“Strong fiscal fundamentals will continue to underpin robust economic growth during the rest of the year,” he added.

In the same report, Beltran also emphasized that the increased public spending during the first three quarters

Davao to raise livelihood assistance for VAW victims

T

HE city government of Davao will increase its livelihood assistance to women victims of abuse and violence by their partners.

According to Davao City government head for Integrated Gender and Development Division Lorna Mandin, the assistance on livelihood in support to abused women is an important component of the Violence Against Women (VAW) campaign.

Otherwise, she said they are pushed back to the same relationship and get the chance of being victimized again.

She said sustaining their capacity on earning their income for a living is a must while they continue to strengthen advocacy campaign on VAW by going to the barangays including hard-to-reach areas.

She said women in remote areas must also know about this program to ensure of their rights as well as of their safety and protection.

She also noted that women in remote places are vulnerable and usually do not come out in the open because of fear.

“We have to go to the farthest barangays and conduct orientation on VAW,” she said.

IGDD has also organized a legal team whose task is to handle the increasing incidence of violence against women.

Mandin said VAW incidences continue to increase from the 600 cases last year from January to June to about 900 cases during the same period this year.

She attributed the increase to the rising number of women reporting their cases. (PNA)

DOT on Pacquiao as poster boy for tourism: it’s a KO win

T

OURISM Secretary Wanda Teo on Friday described the move of a House panel to turn boxer-senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao as the new face of Philippine tourism as a knockout win.

This comes after the House committee on Tourism on Thursday unanimously voted in favor of the motion of Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales to turn Pacquiao as the department’s official endorser.

His motion was in response to the proposal of 1-PACMAN Partlylist Rep. Enrico Pineda, who suggested

that the DOT designate Pacquiao as the agency’s face.

“That’s good for me. That’s welcome for him endorsing the Philippines. We won’t need to pay (him). That’s a knockout win for us,” Teo said in an interview with reporters.

“We could triple the number of tourist arrivals in the country, particularly Mindanao,” she quipped.

Teo said Pacquiao, who hails from General Santos in Soccsksargen, has personally expressed his desire to promote tourism being a worldwide boxing icon and politician.

F DOT, 11

of the year contributed 0.87 percentage points or 12.4 percent of the 7.0 percent GDP growth, adding that the large bulk of the expenditure growth went to public works construction, which rose 30.5 percent in real terms.

He also took note of the decrease on the proportion of the government’s interest payments to its total expenditures to 13.4 percent during the period from 13.9 percent in the same quarter last year.

He said the government’s expenditure exceeded nominal GDP growth with heightened public spending during the first nine months of the year.

Data presented in the report added that the country’s GDP grew by 7.0 percent in January to September, but government expenditures increased by 14.1 percent

during the same period.

The report also mentioned the tax effort of the national government that remained at 14.21 percent at end-September, while revenue effort slid to 15.9 percent from 16.83 percent last year.

“Excluding oil and rice taxes, revenue effort would have declined by only 0.16 percentage point,” Beltran said, adding that tax effort stood still at 14.2 percent as oil revenues continued their downward plunge.

Netting out the effects of the oil price decline and rice, tax effort rose by 0.11 percentage point, he added.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s tax effort improved to 11.31 percent from 11.27 percent, while the Bureau of Customs’ figure slightly fell to 2.78 percent from 2.81 percent.

HE Duterte administration’s focus on the agriculture sector is seen to firm up closer ties between Manila and Jerusalem, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau said.

In an interview, Matityau has welcomed the administration’s initiative to further boost the agriculture sector to increase its contribution to the economy as well as to address poverty.

“What is really highlighted here is the importance of agriculture in the economy.

There’s an emphasis in agriculture as a significant player in the Philippine economy.

That makes us to bring closer to more tangible cooperation,” he said.

The envoy said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol expressed his interest to adopt here the expertise of Israel in dairy farming and production.

The Philippines is dependent on importing milk, with 99 percent of the commodity in the market are outsourced.

Israel, on the other hand, is a world leader in dairy technology.

Matityau noted the improvement in the dairy industry of China and Vietnam after adopting Israel’s technology.

“We have some very good modalities in neighborhood, starting in China. The Chinese dairy farming is very modern after the Israeli system; Vietnam, also,” Matityau said.

“So, we are looking at dairy farming and dairy production as area of cooperation with the Philippines,” the Israeli envoy stressed.

Even in the previous administration, the Philippines and Israel is closely looking into partnership in agriculture technology that will help enhance the country’s agriculture sector.

“We are going to see a lot of continuity and expectations are very much the same track,” said Matityau.

“We were in a kind of transition, especially waiting for the new government to take shape,” he added. (PNA)

DÉCOR PEDDLER. A hawker peddles colorful handcrafted lambs which can also be used as Christmas decorations along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

BSP keeping TDF volume for now -- Tetangco

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HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is keeping the current level of offering for its Term Deposit Facility (TDF) despite the under-subscription in this week’s auction, said BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco.

TDF offering for the weekly auctions in the first three weeks this month amounts to Php180 billion but total tenders in this week’s auction amounted to Php129.079 billion.

Offering for the auctions from December 1 up to December 14 has been raised to Php180 billion, from Php130 billion in the previous month.

Volume offering for the seven-day facility was in-

creased to Php30 billion from Php10 billion, the first time since it was introduced last June.

Scheduled offering for the 28-day TDF in the first three weeks this month is Php150 billion, up from Php120 billion last month.

The longer-term TDF was initially offered for Php20 billion from July to November but was hiked to Php30 billion in December due to strong demand for the facility.

TDF auction this week was done Thursday instead of Wednesday due to the holiday that commemorates the birth anniversary of hero Andres Bonifacio.

Tetangco traced the below-offered bids in this week’s auction to seasonality as banks want to hold more liquidity ahead of the Christmas holidays and the exclusion of trust accounts to the TDF and other overnight deposit facilities.

He said the central bank is “keeping it (the offering) at Php180 (billion) for now.”

“We’ll see later if there’s need to adjust depending on the liquidity in the system. Right now, because it’s Christmas season, banks would want to have sufficient liquidity buffer to address sudden demand from their clients, or they can respond to that demand. I think that’s the

main reason,” he added.

The TDF facility was introduced as part of the Interest Rate Corridor (IRC), which the central bank implemented starting June this year.

IRC, in turn, is being implemented to help the central bank better manage inflation and promote long-term sustainable growth as well as enhance the link between the central bank’s policy stance and the real economy.

Asked whether monetary officials have set plans to cut banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) as the BSP continues to mop up liquidity, the central bank chief said “that would be part of the possible policy response.” (PNA)

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ECONOMY 7

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Coke to invest $1 billion in PH

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Department of Trade and Industry said Coca-Cola FEMSA was set to invest $1 billion in the Philippines over the next five years with the aim of expanding its supply chain and operations in the country.

The announcement was made after DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez met with Coca-Cola FEMSA director general and CEO John A. Santa Maria during launching of “Trabaho, Negosyo at Kabuhayan-Employment and Livelihood Summit” in Taguig City on Thursday, December 1.

DTI added that Santa Maria previously met with President Duterte at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Lima, Peru last November.

FEMSA is a Mexico-based

company and considered as the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world, serving around 314 million consumers.

Data from its website says the company started its business in the country last

January 2013 upon acquiring the 51% of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Incorporated from the Coca-Cola Company.

At present, FEMSA is operating with 19 plants, 54 sales offices and 10,000

workers in the country.

“Gearing towards longterm investment and placing strong investor confidence in the Duterte administration, Coca-Cola FEMSA’s capital infusion will go towards expanding and strengthen-

ing the company’s supply chain and commercial footprint throughout the country, therefore generating substantial employment and creating more micro-business opportunities,” the DTI said in a statement to the

media on Thursday.

The agency added that the objectives of Coca-Cola FEMSA’s new commitment are in line with the government’s poverty alleviation and inclusive growth agenda.

people.

“We have rolled out the use of the Project and Contract Management Procedures and Application (PCMA),” Secretary Villar said.

He added that the new feature will enable the adding of geographic identification data to photos, videos, and other posts which allows other content from the same geographic location to be found.

PCMA will be fully implemented in the DPWH next year, he pointed out.

“By 2017, with the full implementation of the PCMA

– we expect to detect any ghost project real-time, as they are posted in the system,” the secretary said.

The new system will also serve as a tool for inspection and reflect the accomplishments of DPWH projects real-time.

“The right to information does not end in the provision of data. There is a need to ensure that the public has access to quality information,” he said, adding that the use of geo-tagging will provide a more accurate measurement of project accomplishments and at the same time determine whether certain

infrastructures have been duplicated or if there are any instances of infrastructure overlap in the country.

PCMA is also expected to improve transparency and accountability of physical and financial outcomes through use of online geographic based status reporting and geo-tagged photos required for Contractor Claims processing.

“This administration is committed to the optimum use of people’s money. Safeguards will be put in place to ensure complete elimination of ghost projects,” Villar said.

ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

to credit to farmers, SMEs

He claimed that from his awarded land, he produced an average 200 boxes, giving him a gross PHp60,000 or PHp70,000 in 15 days’ billing but “the company only gave me PHp2,500 or PHp3,500 net earnings.”

He added he did not know how he ended this up with all the many deductions made against his gross earnings like 32 dollar cents for the infrastructure, the PHp4,000 every two weeks for the segatoka pest control, expenses for aerial spray and others while they shouldered the costs for fertilizers, labor and others.

MFMC board member Paulina Lusanez said if they would be out of “Unifrutti’s control, we could earn so much, times 2 or times 3 of our gross.”

“It’s possible each of us once freed can earn PHp40,000 a month more than my present PHp3,000 net,” she added.

MFMC members’ banana production from the aggregate 252 hectares is estimated to

reach at least 5,000 boxes per day.

During the hearing Thursday by Provincial Adjudicator Noel Condez of Compostela Valley’s Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB), the 114 individual banana growers said “no” when asked individually if they wanted that their cavendish banana produce would still be solely bought by the Unifrutti Growers Service, Inc. (UGSI).

The hearing was held following an order from the Supreme Court for DARAB to conduct fact-finding hearing to settle the six-year-old case once and for all.

Some 160 ARBs under their mother coop, Mampising Carp Beneficiaries Cooperative (MCBC) raised their case with DARAB starting in 2010 to Court of Appeals to Supreme Court questioning the EOPBA and the attached memorandum of agreement of it.

The growers said they can stand on their own without

Unifrutti.

MFMC consultant Arnold Gomez said that the MFMC ARB-members are “just consistent” in not wanting any compromise agreement with Unifrutti.

There was no representative from Unifrutti who attended the hearing even if it was the one who set the date of the hearing to put finality of the case already resolved and remanded by the Supreme Court for DAR to resolve it.

Gomez said he and MFMC members are confident on PARAD Condez ruling that would “finally set free the Mampising ARBs for their economic prosperity.”

He said that the MFMC is not fighting but making peace with the other ARB group, the Mampising United Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (MUFMPC), which is the new though smaller MBC, whose members would also benefit from the favorable DARAB ruling. (PNA)

New monitoring system to eliminate ghost projects at DPWH LandBank expands access

T

HE Department of Public Works and Highways is introducing a new system in project monitoring that will help institute reforms in the agency particularly on its fight increase transparency and eliminate graft and corruption.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said the new monitoring system will have a builtin geo-tagging feature and its implementation within the department is in line with the mandate of President Duterte to end graft and corruption to increase competence and effectiveness in rendering services to the

114 banana growers in Comval reject 20-year EOPBA

A

TOTAL of 114 banana growers in Mabini, Compostela Valley rejected the 20-year Exclusive Option to Purchase Bananas Agreement (EOPBA) they entered in 2009 with a firm identified with multinational Unifrutti company.

The banana growers are Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) who are members of Mampising Farmers Marketing Cooperative (MFMC), each of whom was awarded 2.8 hectares of land and whose aggregate area comprised 252 hectares inside the former 707-hectare banana plantation of Lapanday firm in sitio Mampising, Barangay Tagnanan, Mabini, Compostela Valley.

MFMC president Victoriano Aliniabon said they have been suffering economic hardships for so many years now by the low buying price of their banana produce set at 3.20 dollars only per box under the agreement.

L

AND Bank of the Philippines (LBP) is continuously expanding access to micro-credit to small farmers and fishers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“We at LandBank are committed to reach out to more Filipinos in the countryside, especially the poorest of the poor who have no credit access,” said LandBank President and Chief Executive Officer Alex V. Buenaventura.

The Bank currently offers a menu of credit programs for conduit banks and micro-finance institutions which in turn re-lend to various micro-enterprises.

As of Sept. 2016, the Bank has approved Php9.2 billion in loans for micro-enterprises, channelled through 17 cooperatives, 12 finance companies, 12 non-government organizations and foundations; and 11 rural banks spread across the country.

These helped finance various economic activities such as hog farming, duck and poultry raising, retail trade, tricycle and other land transport operation, among others.

In addition to lending through micro-finance conduits, LandBank also implements direct lending programs to assist those unable to secure loans from lending institutions on their own.

Earlier this year, the Bank launched a new loan facility to help address the financing needs of around 1.2 million farmers, fishers, micro and small enterprises in unserved areas across the country.

Dubbed as EMBRACE or Empowering Barangays in Remote Areas through Credit and Enterprise, the program has more relaxed features and requirements, and lower interest rates for farmers to engage in eligible projects like agricultural crop, livestock, and fishery production, as well as agri-enterprise and other livelihood activities.

Also covered in the program are micro enterprises with asset size of not more than Php3 million and small enterprises with asset size of more than Php3 million but not more than Php15 million.

LandBank also works with the Department of Agriculture on micro-credit programs that channel financial support to the agricultural sector.

As of August this year, Php3.53 billion in loans was released to 11,636 farmer-borrowers in 37 provinces across the country.

Another retail lending program the Bank implements with DA is the Agricultural and Fisheries Financing Program, which makes credit and other necessary interventions accessible to small farmers and fishers registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

LandBank has so far released Php307.05 million in loans, benefiting more than 2,272 farmers nationwide, financing projects such as production of rice, corn, vegetables, potato, hog/swine, cattle, and fishing. (PNA)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

EDITORIAL

Teach them how to fish

“Y

OU give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him how to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.”

There had been a lot of interpretations of that passage. But it comes squarely relevant to the 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

The 4Ps was launched by the Arroyo administration and sustained by the Aquino administration is to say bluntly a doleout system aimed at alleviating poverty.

There is the general notion that giving money to the poor is not the best way to help since the poor may become dependent on that assistance.

A study pointed out that the 4Ps have encouraged parents to work to compensate for loss of income from children who attend school. It stressed that when people publicly recognize the importance of education, families are convinced to keep their children in school. Households also respond by exerting more effort.

While school participation and attendance increased with the 4Ps, it did not affect the incidence of child labor according to some research.

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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

While there are records that show positive outcomes for 4Ps, what could be its impact on poverty conditions in the country in the long run?

Will it promote mendicancy and dependency instead of encouraging industry and hardwork by families to improve their lives?

The cost of the 4Ps, where the Philippines is up there with the highest budget globally, could weigh down on the government in the long haul.

On the social aspect, this dole-out system does not promote good values and encourages a culture of mendicancy.

Now, for the “teach them how to fish” solution, the government is making available starting next year an initial P1 billion funding for micro and small enterprises.

The P1 billion fund is part of a planned P19 billion financing which the government wants to provide the country’s micro and small businesses in the coming years. That is just the start. The fund could increase after its maiden sail.

The project called “Pondo Para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso” (also 4Ps) aims to provide startup funds for the micro entrepreneurs.

This new 4Ps effectively teaches Filipinos how to fish and not just feed them for a day.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

VANTAGE POINTS

9

We are getting a better Debt-to GDP ratio. Why it matters to us

A

S the Department of Finance (DOF) today reports a lowered Debt-to GDP ratio, thoughts race to recall exactly what this means and why it is an important measure to consider when tracking the development of a particular economy such as ours, given the governments ambitious goal of reducing poverty of 15% by 2022, and other aspects of the 10 point socioeconomic agenda.

The finance and economics website investopedia defines it as such: “The debt-to-GDP ratio is the ratio of a country’s public debt to its gross domestic product (GDP). By comparing what a country owes to what it produces, the debt-toGDP ratio indicates the country’s ability to pay back its debt. Often expressed as a percentage, the ratio can be interpreted as the number of years needed to pay back debt if GDP is dedicated entirely to debt repayment.

Economists have not identified a specific debt-to-GDP ratio as being ideal, and instead focus on the sustainability of certain debt lev-

D

R. MAE CONCEPCION J. DOLENDO dreamed of becoming a physician when she was only 9 years old. She was 17 when her dream became stronger – that was when her mother died of breast cancer. “It was a difficult, life-changing experience that maybe led me to where I am now,” she told us.

To make the long story short, she became a doctor, got married, had two children and came to Davao City, the home place of her husband, Engr. Gabriel de la Cruz Dolendo (she was from Iloilo). In 1995, she did her pediatric residency at Davao Medical Center (which is now known as Southern Philippine Medical Center) and completed her training in 1998 as chief resident.

“Davao Medical Center at that time was just like most public hospitals: dark, dirty with lots of patients and inadequate facilities and resources,” she recalled. “It was very daunting and if not for my father in law, I would not have chosen to go there. He convinced me that I would get the best training from DMC and it will make me a very good doctor.”

Then, Singapore beckoned. “I never had plans of leaving the country,” she said. “I just wanted to stay here and help. Working with marginalized families as a pediatric resident in a public hospital further cemented this determination to help others.”

However, her husband thought it would be best for the family to be together. “Singapore had the best schools in Asia and it would be good for the children,” she said. “I was also contemplating of going into pediatric subspecialty training and thought that maybe i would get very good training in Singapore which is in the forefront of medical care.”

Dr. Dolendo spent another year of pediatric rotation at the National University Hospital in

els. If a country MY TWO CENTS’ can continue to pay interest on its debt without refinancing or harming economic growth, it is generally considered to be stable. A high debt-to-GDP ratio may make it John Tria more difficult ecisouth@gmail.com for a country to pay external debts, and may lead creditors to seek higher interest rates when lending.” (www.investopedia.com/terms/d/debtgdpratio.asp) As defined, the debt to GDP ratio is the share of debt to the It only means that government is better able to generate the right revenue and reduce its reliance on borrowings to finance its expenditures. This makes it more

credible to plug financing gaps and may boost our credit ratings further.

The department of Finance through Undersecretary Gil Beltran recently announced in a report that our ratio has improved from to 44.2 percent as of September 2016, an improvement from end-2015 ratio of 44.7 percent.

Furthermore, the government adds that the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to sustain the yearly decline until falling to about 35 percent by the end of the Duterte administration.

This is a vital measure noting that the annual national budget is poised to hit the 3-4 trillion peso mark over the next few years, with infrastructure spending being a key expenditure hitting upwards of 7-8 trillion over the next five years.

After all, you cannot claim to boost this important spending on roads, ports, schools and hospitals if you are only borrowing to finance it, since these items do not have a direct return unlike, say, a company borrowing to boost marketing and sales activities.

As we have written previously, this expenditure spending will be necessary to drive further economic growth, by engaging direct employment and businesses during construction, and spurring economic activity such as travel and transport, manufacturing and other enterprises during operations.

The University of Asia and the pacific also notes that this increased expenditure may drive our Gross Domestic Product to about 8-10% up from our current best of 7.1%.

We look forward to seeing what new infrastructure activities are in the pipeline, and how these will impact our local economies, quickly creating jobs and opportunity that we can all be part of at the local level. More people with work in the short term, and more means to attract investment in the long term is good for the economy. Its time to take note of these measures more closely, as these matter to us.

For an archive of these and other columns, visit my fb page at facebook.com/johntriapage/

Singapore. “My THINK ON THESE! initial interest was in gastroenterology but after spending time with the pediatric oncology team I decided it was the kind of doctor I would like to Henrylito D. Tacio be,” she said. henrytacio@gmail.com She was captivated by what Prof. Quah Thuan Chong -- whom she describes as “my inspiration and role model” -- was doing. “I was very impressed to see children with cancer being cured and I was inspired by the compassionate, intelligent and hard-working team looking after these children,” she said. “I wanted to learn how to be a pediatric oncologist so I can help children with cancer in Davao.

I did not know pediatric cancer was curable.

Most of the children with cancer I cared for back home died and to me, being able to save these children was something worth doing.”

In 2004, she decided to return to Davao. When her friends – who were mostly Chinese – learned that she was going back to her native land, they threw her a farewell party. “Actually, there were several parties,” she says. “And for each party, they gave me a red envelope or hongbao.”

Dr. Dolendo accumulated a significant amount from the said gifts. Instead of spending it on material things, she decided to use as seed money for the Davao Children’s Cancer Fund, Inc., which she registered the same year she returned.

“Childhood cancer is curable,” says Dr. Do-

lendo, who is the head of SPMC’s Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases Unit (CCBDU) “But the treatment may take several months and even years for some. I think one of the major stumbling blocks in the treatment and cure among children with cancer is the lack of access to health care institutions that can provide multispecialty care.”

Despite the fact that there were two very good specialists before 2004 at the SPMC, there was no dedicated infrastructure for pediatric cancer. “Diagnostic facilities were pretty basic,” Dr. Dolendo said. “Treatment was paid mostly out of pocket; patients and families stay in the ward for long periods of time due to lack of places to stay in Davao; and even if patients were diagnosed most of them dropped out of treatment because of the length of treatment.

“Families were exhausted financially and emotionally,” Dr. Dolendo added. “Survival was less than 10% because of financial incapacity and treatment abandonment.”

Something must be done somewhere. So, Dr. Dolendo helped convince SPMC to convert an old dorm within the compound into what is now known as the House of Hope. It was renovated to serve as a transient home for children with cancer. “Every year, almost 150 new patients from all over Mindanao come to seek treatment at SPMC,” she reported.

In 2007, the House of Hope, a single-floor facility with seven rooms, was launched. Since then, more than 2,000 patients and 4,000 caregivers have benefited from its clean and wholesome environment. Two caregivers are allowed for each patient; the caregivers help keep the house and its environment clean in exchange for a free stay.

Those who stay at the House of Hope are not only from the far-flung places of Davao re-

gion; some come from provinces as far as Zamboanga, Cotabato, Saranggani, and Surigao. “In fact, there are those from the Visayas and even from Luzon who came here for treatment,” Dr. Dolendo said.

“We monitor our patients closely after treatment,” she said. “Chances of relapse is higher during the first two years and we sigh with relief after 5 years but we consider ten years without relapse as cure.”

Its data for six years (2008-2014) showed that for acute lymphoblastic leukemia alone, the overall survival is 59% over 6 years. “This is quite good considering majority of our patients come from marginalized families and would not have a chance at all for cure taking into account the total cost of treatment,” she said.

Pediatric solid tumors require more resources inasmuch as they entail surgery, chemotherapy and even radiotherapy; average overall survival is about 50% across tumor types. Late stage presentation, treatment noncompliance and abandonment are still major challenges but providing cure for children with cancer does not happen overnight even in the best places.

“We have patients from 2004 who have passed the 10-year mark but we are still in the process of going back now that we have better data management support to collect data so we can get the total picture,” Dr. Dolendo said.

Most people believe that being diagnosed with cancer is a death sentence. This is the reason why “Survivor’s Day” is being held every December 8.

“We asked those who completed treatment and survivors of child cancer to return to provide inspiration for other patients undergoing treatment,” Dr. Dolendo said. “They are living proof that childhood cancer is indeed curable.”

Childhood cancer is curable!

10 NEWS NO... FROM 1

cohesiveness between the Moro people and the central government in the country.

He added that the only option seen today is federalism and that he is asking leaders of Congress to go on and hasten their moves to commence the shift to said system of government.

The President however admitted that certain prepa-

rations must be done, particularly in the grassroots levels to prepare the people to the proposed shift and to ensure that the new system is acceptable to all sectors.

Among the priorities that he would push through prior to the shift to federalism is the massive distribution of lands especially to the ordinary Moro residents in Mindanao.

with Israeli munition companies capable of designing and producing a variety of missile systems.

Visaya is scheduled to retire on Dec. 7 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

He is a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983 and he started his term as AFP chief last July 1.

As this develops, all three star rank officers in the AFP are included in the list for Visaya’s replacement. (PNA)

Both Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh/Hanoi registered the same figure (9%) while Beijing had the lowest: 4%.

In its conclusion, the paper said: “Conservation agencies could play a role by working with governments to set up trust funds in which public funds could be deposited with confidence.” It also said: “As incomes rise and governance improves, Asia’s ability to pay for conservation will increase.”

Marine turtles, whose origins are steeped in antiquity and known locally as “pawikan,” are considered “living fossils.” Marizal Calpito and Lourdes P. Calacal, in an article published in Canopy International, wrote: “Some 200 million years ago, marine turtles develop as the earth throbbed with dramatic geophysical changes surviving as their living conditions changed, adapting to the natural rhythms of pre-historic life. Down through the ages, they thrived, remaining much the same as their hardy ancestors.”

Of the eight species of marine turtles known to man, five of them can be found in the Philippines. These are the Green Sea (known in the science world as Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Leatherback (Dermocheyls coriacea).

The three others, which can’t be found in the Philippines, are the Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi), Flatback (Chelonia depressa), and Black Sea (Chelonia agassizi).

Unfortunately, all eight species are listed under the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which means the trade of these species and subspecies is strictly “prohibited except for educational, scientific or research and study purposes.”

The Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has also classified the eight species as endangered. This is so because “their populations are in danger of extinction and whose survival is unlikely if the causal factors continue

to operate.”

Since 2001, hunting, sale and killing of marine turtles have been banned in the Philippines. The Wildlife Conservation Act, or Republic Act No. 9147, penalizes violators with a fine of up to P100,000 and one year in jail.

Despite sincere efforts by the government and environmentalists to save marine turtles from extinction, the decimation of the endangered species continues unabated.

The main primary reason for the decline of marine turtle population is catching the reptiles alive. They are valued for their precious shells. “It was beauty that all but killed the Hawksbill turtle,” wrote one environmental journalist. “Polished and carved, the black-and-yellow plates on its back were long sought for tortoise-shell jewellery and combs.”

The gathering of pawikan eggs, which are considered

by Chinese as aphrodisiac, has contributed to the rapid disappearance of marine turtles. The eggs, which look like ping-pong balls, are also prize as energizing protein.

But marine scientists dispel the myth. They said pawikan eggs are just like chicken eggs and nothing more.

Pollution has been cited as another prime factor why pawikan are on the verge of extinction. Included in the millions of tons of garbage dumped annually into the sea are plastic materials which marine turtles mistake for jellyfish, squid, or some other food. Once digested, plastic wastes can block the turtle’s digestive tracts, causing starvation and ultimately death.

The rapid development of beach resorts for the tourism industry has destroyed the nesting beaches of marine turtles. Sadly, they often travel huge distances only to find human development on or near their nesting sites.

“Unless we, Filipinos, seriously take on the task of protecting the much-endangered marine turtles, these ancient creatures will soon be gone (from our waters),” Haribon Foundation, a local environmental group, said in a statement. (To be concluded)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

Incoming... FROM 2

ENVIRONMENT... FROM 12

FRIED BANANA, ANYONE? A sidewalk vendor arranges her display of fried banana outside a shopping mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao city yesterday.

Lean Daval Jr.

Monster... FROM 1

considered to be a trendsetter and a trailblazer in the culinary world, as the baking and culinary arts school has become consistent in Mindanao-wide yearly competition, Kumbira.

According to Monster’s Kitchen general manager, Dexter Yorac, the owners invested their business in Davao City due to the growing demand in culinary industry in the city.

“We have clients from all over Visayas and Mindanao and that most of our clients are from Davao – they have to travel in Cagayan de Oro to learn from us,” he said; hence the management reached out to the Dabawenyos.

Monster Kitchen was born out of a simple baking supplies and packing needs store, the manager said.

“It started offering lifestyle classes in 2008, inviting chefs from Cebu and Manila, and in 2010, opened its doors to students for Fundamentals in Baking and Pastry Arts,” he said.

He added that they remain committed to give our students, partners and valued clients from different parts of the country the quality service and they give their very best in teaching them to become efficient and better in their passion for baking and cooking.

tions and control of the civil registry system to PSA five years before the contract’s expiry in 2012.

“Unisys did not abide,” Zarate said in the resolution, as he also hit PSA for perplexingly not mustering any initiative to take over controlling the civil registry system and its failure to impose sanctions to said company despite violations on its contractual obligations.

He added that COA also observed in its 2004 audit on CRS-IPT I that Unisys had not trained PSA personnel to operate the system, in the same manner, the PSA has neither possession nor took part in the monitoring of records on actual purchases and inventory of items to be turned over to PSA. The isolation of PSA from the implementation of NSO Serbilis Centers eventually led to the anomalous contract extension of Unisys, Zarate said.

Had PSA took over control of the country’s civil registry system, the government would not have needed the rollout of CRS-ITP 2, thus saving Government billions of pesos and revenues would have been solely realized by the government, he added.

With the failure to sanction Unisys, PSA even allowed the said company to secure two contract extensions that ran from 2012 up to 2015, apparently with the go-signal of

a ‘higher authority’, the solon said.

In its reply to COA report, Zarate stressed that PSA did not name who specifically that ‘higher authority’ was, a fact, he added showed the project was so lopsided in favor of Unisys.

He also took note that COA, for the longest time, raised apprehension over a foreign company having full and unbridled control over the country’s civil registry system, indicating that it is compromising to public interest and security.

“Having foreign companies Unisys and Price Waterhouse Coopers (who shall supervise the project) control the country’s civil registry system would permit them to collect and retrieve stockpile of information about Filipino citizens and share the same with their other clients, such as various branches of the U.S armed services and possibly, U.S intelligence agencies,” he said.

Zarate added that Unisys is in a rolling contract with the U.S government for clear path defense systems that support American Air Force logistics and operations, such as missions in Syria.

“What is more alarming is that PSA could not even disclose safeguarding measures to monitor how troves of information would be kept and managed by these foreign companies,” he emphasized.

Solon... FROM 2

Duterte... FROM 2 been many proposals in the past to solve the dynamics of Mindanao like separation and autonomy, but nothing has come out of it and instead of unifying the Moro people, these have become divisive measures against the Moro tribes or groupings.

“And all these years, lahat dito nagsa-suffer (everybody here suffered). We are suffering because there seems to be no cohesive action on the part of the Moro people and the central government,” said the President, adding that there have been a lot of meetings and attempts including the creation of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD).

The SPCPD was created by the government and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It was supposed to be an avenue for a political settlement of the 24-year Bangsa Moro armed struggle.

Some people believed that the SPCPD was the best way of arriving at a conclusion to the armed struggle.

“Hindi ko malaman kung saan talaga ako papunta (I re-

ally don’t know where to go).

But I think the only acceptable arrangement, as of today, this moment of our generation, and of the lives of the Moro people is federalism. Other than that, bakbakan ‘to (there will be fighting),” he said.

Mr. Duterte said the time is now for the Moro people, including the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army (CPP-NDFNPA) to seize the opportunity that he is the president.

“I am not saying I am the indispensable factor in this island. But what I’m saying, the most, maybe not really golden but the most appropriate opportunity at this time of our generation, tayong buhay ngayon (we who are still alive), will be now,” he stressed.

According to him, it is only the Filipino people who can solve the country’s problem without foreign influence or intervention.

“Then by the grace of Allah, you might find a good solution for this land. But right now, we have to act,” he said.

(PNA)

wi City on the participation of villagers in the repacking of relief goods.

“It is important to ensure that families caught in the crossfire are still able to meet their basic needs, especially for food. They were forced to abandon their regular sources of livelihood, and they now face a situation full of uncertainty.

The least that the DSWD could do as the government’s lead welfare agency is to attend to their immediate needs,” Taguiwalo said.

As of Friday, the DSWD has an available stockpile and standby funds at the central of-

fice, the Soccsksargen field office, and the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) amounting to PHP588.34 million, including PHP400.23 million in standby funds at the central office and family food packs and food and non-food items worth PHP159.94 million and PHP28.17 million at the NROC and the Soccsksargen field office, respectively.

The DSWD DROMIC said it continues to coordinate with the Soccsksargen field office for the latest developments on the armed conflict and for the provision of relief assistance to the evacuees. (PNA)

have already been convicted while 45 more cases are in the court.

The anti-trafficking campaign is conducted yearly in commemoration of the signing of the Protocol to Prevent, Sup-

press and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, also known as the Palermo Protocol.

DSWD... FROM 3

Dabawenyos... FROM 3

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

The southernmost jewel of the Philippines:

TAWI-TAWI

Part 2 of 2

By OLAN EMBOSCADO

FROM THE CHARMING ISLANDS AND ISLETS DOTTING THE SEAS OF TAWI-TAWI to the breathtaking peak of the province’s tallest mountain, from the flavorful traditional cuisines to the colorful lively music and dances of the tribe, from the busy piers of Bongao to the bustling barter trade of Panglima Sugala, from the stilt houses of Badjao to the peace loving town of Simunul – amazing things that are truly and uniquely Tawi-Tawi’s.

For many, when they hear about Tawi-Tawi, what come instantly to their minds are those negative impressions they hear about the Province. Some still fear. While others are wondering what’s in this Island province that some are lured to visit. The fact is there are people who despite the negative things they hear about these group of islands, they still find their way to face their fears, travel for miles and discover the many wonderful things about this southernmost jewel of the country. They are the brave, the adventurous, and the thrill seekers – people who love to explore the unexplored, to tell stories about places and people that are often neglected, people who love off-the-beaten-path journey.

So those who are brave, adventurous and thrill-seekers, they are the luckiest for they are favored to see and experience a different kind of destination where nature and culture are both at their best – the best of Tawi-Tawi.

Having said that, I considered myself as among the luckiest as I got the rare opportunity to experience the simple yet commendable lives of its people, savored the mouthwatering flavors of their tribe that reflect the richness of their culture, marveled at the many pristine natural wonders that have stuck in my head even until now.

PANGLIMA SUGALA. Panglima Sugala used to be the capital town of Tawi-Tawi long before it was changed to Bongao. It is endowed with wide and fertile agricultural land making it as the province’s food basket. Such paved the way for the town’s traditional way of barter system called Pagtabuhtabuh where agricultural products are offered in exchange for marine products or seafood, and vice versa.

This bustling trade is popular not only in the town of Panglima Sugala but even in the other towns of Tawi-Tawi. Every Saturday, farmers and fisher folks would converge in the Batu-Batu’s public market for Pagtabuhtabuh. Even merchants from nearby towns of Bongao and Sapa-Sapa would come to buy the local’s product sold at very low prices.

Local delicacies are also available at some sari-sari stores in Batu-Batu Market. If you’re lucky, you’ll find some stores selling bawlo, junay, putli mandih and other traditional delicacies of the Tawi-Tawi.

The province’s biggest mosque is also situated in the town. It is called Masjid Kapunan.

SAPA-SAPA Beautiful islands and gorgeous islets abound in the waters of Sapa-Sapa. Most of these islands remain untouched, some

are even uninhabited. Sea beds of the shallow waters are pure white sand. When hit by the sunlight, the waters turn blue to green. At one glance, it looks like a large magnificent swimming pool. Cruising onward, groups of islets that seem to sprout from the seas are sights to behold. If only I had the luxury of time, I would hop from one islet to the other just to relish these southern jewels of the country.

The most famous island in en-

tire town is the Panampangan Island. It is a small island surrounded entirely by fine white sands. Adjacent to the Island is a white sand bar. During low tide, this sand bar serves as a way to access the gorgeous islets nearby.

Adding to the gorgeousness of these islands are the stilts houses of the Badjao that have stood still and sturdy against the tides of Tawi-Tawi crystal clear waters. Since time immemorial, the seas of Tawi-Tawi have been the

Badjao’s sacred home providing them everything they need. I wish one day, in one of my visits to Tawi-Tawi, I will have the chance to live in one of these stilt houses even for one day. I think it is beautiful.

There are other countless amazing destinations to discover in Tawi-Tawi. Sadly I only had a very little time. Three days are not enough to explore more

Tawi-Tawi A4

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EVENT

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

PAL launches more flights from Cebu hub JUST MONTHS FROM THE LAUNCH OF THEIR HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL CEBU-LOS ANGELES DIRECT FLIGHTS, Philippine Airlines once again reaffirms their promise to bring the trademark Filipino hospitality, care, and comfort to more travellers with the launch of their Cebu-Singapore direct flights in a colorful launch event at the ballroom of the Radisson Blu Cebu.

The four times weekly Airbus 321service to Singapore from Cebu, which starts on December 18, departs at 10 in the evening and arries at Singapore at 1:45 in the morning the following day. The return service leaves Singapore at 2:45 in the morning and touches down in Cebu at 6:40 in the morning.

“The Cebu hub allows passengers from other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao to hop to the Queen City of the South and fly direct to Singapore without having to fly to Manila.” said PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista. “Passengers will also get to experience our trademark service with the Heart of the Filipino, on top of modern amenities of our 199-seater A321s.”

With the launch of the new route, this means Dabawenyo travelphiles can now take advantage of PAL’s Cebu hub with international flights from Davao that connect to Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, Nagoya, Incheon (Seoul), Los Angeles, and now Singapore.

Together with the new international link, PAL also launched their Cebu-Caticlan-Clark triangulated Q400 service which connects travellers using the Cebu hub closer to the island of Boracay and further to Central Luzon. Linking Visayas and Mindanao directly to North Central Luzon.

The launch of the new routes also coincided with the introduction of more perks and opportunities to earn miles on Philippine Airlines’ loyalty program.

“For the launch of the Singapore flights, we are now offering double miles for travellers who book the CebuSingapore from Decem-

ber 16 to April 16.” said PAL AVP for Loyalty Program Marietta T. Cassanova. “You can now also convert your credit card points from 13 banks into Mabuhay Miles, that way you can earn more flights and travel to more destinations.”

Aside from earning miles on every Philippine Airlines flight, members can now earn miles on flights with PAL’s code-share airline partners as well as travel and accommodation partners.

Ann Olalo, director of Sales and Marketing of Raddison Blu Hotel announced the partnership between Philippine Airlines and Club Carl-

son, the global rewards program of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

“Starting October 1, 2016, Mabuhay Miles and Club Carlson members can earn Mabuhay Miles for stays at over 1,400 hotels within the Carlson Rezidor Group’s portfolio globally.

Mabuhay Miles members that stay at Carlon Rezidor Hotels worldwide under the Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blue, Radisson, Radisson Red, and Park Plaza brands can earn 500 Mabuhay Miles for each eligible

stay and 250 Mabuhay Miles for eligibles stays under the Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson brands. Club Carlson members can also convert their Gold Points into mIles at the standard of 10 Gold Points to 1 Mabuhay Mile.

“Mabuhay Miles is continuously driven to give members a global travel network. With Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, our members enjoy a world of travel conveniences and special promotions while earning miles.” added Marietta.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Afternoon drama ‘Ika-6 Na Utos’ begins this December GMA Network opens December with an intriguing masterpiece that discusses love in different forms with the Afternoon Prime series Ika-6 Na Utos.

It tells about the story of Emma, the rightful wife who fights to keep her husband from leaving her for his mistress.

Sunshine Dizon is Emma, a sweet and cheerful souvenir merchant who falls deeply in love with a pilot and marries him. According to Sunshine, she appreciates how GMA Network continues to give her challenging and offbeat roles all these years.

“I’m just really blessed and happy because through the years, hindi naman tumigil talaga ang GMA with giving me characters that are always unforgettable. Talagang naalagaan nila ako sa aspeto na ‘yun. I’m very happy and grateful for that,” the Kapuso actress said.

“Also, what’s nice about Ika6 na Utos, it’s a story of most women out there who are suffering silently. We hope that with this show, we will be able to help them somehow to realize that marami pa silang pwedeng gawin. Marami pang options sa buhay. Marami ring mga babaeng makakarelate dito, not

only because may pinagdadaaanan sila but also, kwento ito ng babaeng isang anak, isang ina, isang asawa, isang kaibigan,” Sunshine added.

Gabby Concepcion is Rome, a refined pilot and Emma’s husband who fights for his love for her despite his mother’s approval. The seasoned actor shares that the show is one of his new milestones as an actor because it enabled him to experience different things.

“This show is a new thing for me. Ang dami kong firsts dito.

First time na gaganap ako na piloto. First time ko na magkakaroon ng isang Afternoon show.

Maganda ang story and I’m up for a change. First time kong makakatrabaho for a soap sila Sunshine and Ryza.”

“Also, at this point in my career, gusto ko naman na bawat teleseryeng gagawin ko ay may message at pwedeng may maibahaging aral sa viewers natin. I feel na mayroon akong responsibilidad sa audience ko.

So, sa bawat papanoorin nilang mga teleseryeng gagawin ko, sana mayroon akong message na iiwan sa kanila at kung papaano ako makakatulong sa experience ko or sa experience ng ibang tao sa kanilang sariling buhay.” he further added.

Rome and Emma is the per-

fect combination of a happy couple everyone dreams about.

But just like any other relationships, problems and issues arise that put their marriage in jeopardy. Jerome widens his circle with his career success while Emma focuses on taking good care of their family.

Because of this, Rome meets

Georgia, portrayed by Ryza Cenon, a sexy and ambitious interior designer. She flirts with Rome and eventually becomes his mistress.

Ryza considers playing the role of Georgia as an avenue to showcase the other story of a kept woman. “Ang maganda dito kasi ipapakita namin ‘yung

side naman ng kabit kung bakit niya ginagawa yun. Hindi naman namin sinasabi na tama ‘yung pagiging kabit. Kumbaga mayroon ding siyang emosyon, tao lang din siya. Nagmamahal lang,” the Kapuso actress said.

Joining them are Mike Tan as Angelo, Flor’s older brother who plans to help Emma and eventually develops feelings for her; Rich Asuncion as Flor, Emma’s liberated best friend who the latter considers her sister; Daria Ramirez as Lourdes, Emma’s weak mother who she loves and understands the most; Carmen Soriano as Margarita, the sophisticated mother-in-law of Emma who belittles her because of her social class; Marco Alcaraz as Chandler, Rome’s copilot and confidante; Mel Martinez as Zeny, the right-hand man of Margarita; and Arianne Bautista as Selma, Georgia’s friend.

Will Emma be able to find out about Rome’s infidelity caused by her old friend Georgia? Will she let this betrayal break their marriage?

Ika-6 Na Utos is under the helm of esteemed director Laurice Guillen.

Find out how a wife’s love will fight for what is right in Ika-6 Na Utos beginning December 5 after Eat Bulaga! on GMA Afternoon Prime.

EDGEDAVAO

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TRAVEL Tawi-Tawi A1

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

fact, I will run out of words to describe the things that I saw and experienced the whole time that I was here.

I even told myself how lucky I am to be given this great opportunity to be in this place seeing and doing

of what this gorgeous group of island has to offer. Wandering around seeing these unblemished splendors is something that my heart rejoices even to this time of writing. In

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all these things that truly speak the beauty and culture of Tawi-Tawi. I wish everyone has the opportunity to see and experience Tawi-Tawi the way I do.

It is beyond beautiful.

So fear not my friends.

Come to this southernmost part of our country and be charmed by the splendor and beauty of this amazing Province.

*** My heartfelt gratitude to the awesome people who made my trip to TawiTawi very remarkable.

Shouting out my thousand thanks to Secretary Ayesha Mangudadatu Dilangalen of Department of Tourism - ARMM for this invitation to experience the

vibe and life of Tawi-Tawi.

Same goes to her awesome DOT-ARMM team who works hard to promote ARMM as an amazing destination to explore.

Also, to other Regional Secretaries of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao I met during this trip, thank you so much. You are all #ARMMazing.

Magsukolto the Provin-

cial Government of TawiTawi headed by Governor Rashidin Matba. Thank you for sharing to us your precious time and for letting us see and appreciate the beauty of TawiTawi. Thank you for your warmth and hospitality.

May your tribe increase.

Tawi-tawi is truly a jewel of the south waiting to be discovered.

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11 PROPERTY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

Esdevco holds SellersWorkshop

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

“U

njb@edgedavao.net

NLEASH the potential that is in another and you unleash the potential that is in you” is a hackneyed line in the changethe-world setting of human resources.

But even that remains a very potent tool in harnessing business. Especially when the competition is getting stiffer each day.

Afterall, good business starts with having the right people. And because re-

cruitment seeks attitude, training sharpens skill.

That in a nutshell sums up the backdrop for real estate development firm Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco) to hold a Sellers Workshop for its Matina Enclaves sales team.

The day-log workshop was held at the Clubhouse at Matina Enclaves (CAME) last November 26 with 120 participants from several accredited realties and brokerage firms in Davao City.

Matina Enclaves project head Gerald Kent Garces said the participants enjoyed and actively interacted with the speakers as they share their expertise and experiences in selling Matina Enclaves.

“The sales people are our frontliners in this business and even with their experience from years of being in this industry, a workshop like this one is a sort of refresher on their part where they can polish

their skills further,” said Garces.

Matina Enclaves is a sprawling residential estate located in Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland in Davao City.

It is a mixed use development adjacent to Davao City Golf Course with the backdrop of the picturesque of Mt. Apo in the horizon and the vicinity of nature at the doorstep.

(NJB)

Matina Enclaves project head Gerald Kent Garces delivers his message to the participants.

Expert... FROM 4 management.

The Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM), a network of environmental civil society and peoples groups, are concerned that there are initiatives at the national level to amend the Clean Air Act to allow more WTE facilities in the country.

SDM member and Ecoteneo director Mylai Santos said there are a lot of concerns on this technology which need to be answered before a final decision can be made.

“This is why the SDM, together with the Ateneo University Council for Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (Ateneo-UCEAC) and the Ecowaste Coalition, is organizing this public forum so

the Dabawenyos will be given the opportunity to understand the implications and risks of adopting this technology.”, she said.

“There are no shortcuts towards ecological waste management. It would be prudent to exercise caution in adopting technology and/or processes which are not appropriate in our local context and not consistent with our national environmental laws.”, she added.

Some 100 participants from government agencies, civil society organization and schools are expected to attend.

The forum will be held from 1:00 – 5:00 pm on Monday at F213, 2nd Floor, Finster Hall of the Ateneo de Davao University. The public is invited.

Duterte... FROM 4 cover those detained during the Arroyo and PNoy administrations.

Under the new guidelines, all offenses committed as of July 1, 2016 are now covered by the PCBREP guidelines. Bello said the release of the four

pardoned detainees is part of the continuing commitment of President Duterte to free detained communist rebels. To date, there are 434 NDF members being held in various detention centers throughout the country.

components.

“The framework is a key instrument for the LGUs to properly and equitably allocate development funds to ensure improvements of welfare of communities,” Sec. Abdullah said.

Most of the development funds, he added, were concentrated on alleviating poverty in region, being the poorest in the country.

In the first quarter of 2015, ARMM’s poverty incidence was tracked at 53.4% with Lanao

del Sur and Sulu posting 70.2 percent and 61.8 percnt poverty incidences, respectively.

In the past years, the bulk of funds of the ARMM annual budget went to infrastructure with roughly P20 billion allocated to that sector in 2015.

“In the last three years, nag-focus po tayo sa infrastructure, and in the next three years, we will focus on anti-poverty programs,” ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said. By

ARMM... FROM 4

DOT... FROM 6

The Secretary, however, said that all Filipinos should strive to be ambassadors and promote Philippine tourism in their own ways.

Last year, DOT acquired a total of 5.36 million foreign tourist arrivals and expects to meet its target of recording

6 million tourists by yearend by introducing more destinations particularly in Mindanao.

A Mindanao Tourism Agenda (plan under the DOT-Mindanao is expected to go on full-scale next year.

(PNA)

2019, the region’s poverty incidence will be reduced to 30% through a convergence of government efforts.

For 2017, a total of P111.209 million development funds of LGUs across the region were allocated to four major sectors, namely general services, economic services, social services and environmental services.

The bulk of the fund went to economic services, or 60.12 percent of the total amount,

equivalent to P67 million. General services received the least amount, or P7 million, comprising 6.36 percent of the total.

“Ito ang tutukan natin for the coming years; ‘yung LGUs because we believe that kapag nag-function ang local government units natin, it will address many of our problems na hinaharap ng ARMM lalong lalo na ‘yung sa security at poverty incidence,” Sec. Abdullah added.

(Bureau of Public Information)

EDGEDAVAO

12 ENVIRONMENT

VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

Saving marine turtles from extinction (First of Two Parts) Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

HERE was once a sailboat enthusiast who found himself alone, floating in the middle of nowhere after encountering a sudden sea storm. With his boat capsized, this shipwreck survivor was given a new lease of life by a benevolent marine turtle. A two-day piggy back ride brought this lucky fellow back to land and he lived happily ever after.

*** In terms of conservation, are Filipinos willing to pay for the protection of their endangered species?

To find out, the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) funded a comparative study that was conducted not only in the Philippines but also in China (Beijing), Thailand (Bangkok) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi).

The result of the study was published in the book, “Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Valuation, Institutions, and Policy in Southeast Asia.” The title of the paper was “Mobilizing Resources for Marine Turtle Conservation in Asia: A Cross-Country Perspective,” with Orapan Nabangchang-Srisawalak, Jin Jianjun, Anabeth L. Indab, Truong Dang Thuy, Deildre Harder and Rodelio F. Subade as authors.

“Respondents were provided information about the importance of marine turtles to coastal and ocean ecosystems and the threats and risks of extinction,” the researchers explained. “Once the hypothetical marine conservation program was introduced, respondents were asked whether they would be willing to contribute to the program by paying a monthly surcharge on their electricity bills for a period of 5 years.”

During the surveys, the respondents were informed that the electricity authori-

ty in their respective areas would simply collect and transfer the money to the Regional Marine Turtle Conservation Trust Fund and would not be involved in any way in the administration of the fund.

In the Philippines, the survey was conducted in Davao City which was described as “the smallest city” – in terms of population (with “about one million people”). In comparison, the most populous city was Beijing in China with “over 15 million people.”

“Respondents ranked ten public policy issues: economic problems, poverty, education, health, crime/violence/ inequality, government/good governance, infrastructure, environment, terrorism, and relations with other countries,” the paper disclosed.

“While environmental concerns do not feature as priority concerns, over 70% of the respondents in all four countries agree that environmental problems are not properly addressed,” the study noted.

Davao City ranked first among those people who were asked if they have seen a live marine turtle. At least 67% of the respondents said yes while Bangkok (57%) came next, then Beijing (53%) and finally Ho Chi Minh/Hanoi (24%).

With 9% of the respondents replied yes, Davao City also ranked among those who have eaten marine turtle eggs and meat. Bangkok registered 7% and Beijing had only 3%. Ho Chi Minh/Hanoi had the least: 2%.

Davao City, however, had the lowest rank among those respondents who were asked if they know that marine turtles lay their eggs on land: 77%. Beijing had 80%, Ho Chi Minh/Hanoi, 84% and Bangkok, 85%.

Now, on the highlight of the study. The respondents

Rescued marine turtle

were asked on why they would contribute money for the establishment of a marine conservation fund. Forty-one percent from Davao said that “the marine turtle is an important animal and should be protected.”

Beijing registered 48% while Bangkok’s was 39% while Ho Chi Minh/ Hanoi settled for 34%.

Only six percent from Davao City believed that “marine turtles can only be protected through the collaboration of several

countries.” In comparison, 10% believed in Bangkok, 19% in Beijing and 29% in Ho Chi Minh/Hanoi.

Sixteen percent of respondents from Davao City responded yes to this reason: “It is high time that the people in East Asia do something concrete about protecting the marine turtles since this is the center of illegal trade in the world.”

F ENVIRONMENT, 10

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

13 COMPETITIVE EDGE

SM eyes signing of 2 franchise deals DTI monitors prices for stand-alone cinemas by year-end of prime commodities T T HE lifestyle and entertainment solutions company operating under SM Prime Holdings Inc. expects to sign two franchise agreements before the end of the year for the establishment of standalone cinemas in the provinces, the world’s first franchised cinema model.

Edgar Tejerero, President of SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc., bared this to reporters at the opening on Thursday of SM City East Ortigas, its 60th mall and

the 58th cinema branch.

“We’re anticipating two contract signings in two areas before the end of the year. One will be in Bataan, and the other will be in Kalibo, Boracay area.

And the roll-out will continue as we have about 17 interested franchisees,” he said.

Tejerero noted that the basic two-cinema model is 100-seater each.

“We’ve noticed that the presence of piracy is quite high in the provinces because un-

(L-R, left photo) Vic Tria, Vice President & Head of PLDT’s Corporate Relationship Management; Chet Alviz, Marketing Head of Smart Communications’ Enterprise Business Group; Nico Alcoseba, Vice President and Head of PLDT’s Disruptive Business Group; Peter Moore, Regional Managing Director for Amazon Web Services’ Global Public Sector; Alberto Salvador, Officer-in-Charge of the Policies and Standards Division of the Department of Information and Communications Technology; Asia Cloud

derstandably, they don’t have access to movie-houses so we decided to put up stand-alone cinemas… For somebody living hours away from a mall, for you to watch a movie, it will be the last of your priorities. So we decided to bring cinemas closer to them,” he reasoned.

Tejerero estimated franchise fee for a stand-alone cinema at PHP25 million to PHP30 million.

In 2017, Tejerero further he said the company will construct

in SM branches various concept cinemas - café cinemas and children’s cinemas.

These will be located in SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM Manila, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Marikina, SM Cebu and SM in Clark, Pampanga, he said.

Tejerero added three new SM malls will be built next year, located in Palawan, Cagayan de Oro and Urdaneta, Pangasinan.

He said they expect to end 2018 with 75 malls. (PNA)

Computing Association representatives May-Ann Lim, Executive Director, and Bernie Trudel, Chairman; and Dennis Magbatoc, PLDT AVP and Head of Corporate Relationship Business for the Public Sector attend the recently concluded ‘Digital Transformation for Smarter Government,’ an event which aims to promote cloud and data center use in the country’s public sector. The event was also attended by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

ePLDT enables smarter government through digital transformation

G

OVERNMENTS around the world are now tapping digital transformations to speed up their core functions.

This is why ePLDT, Inc., with its ongoing initiative to enable customer success through its dynamic digital infrastructure, engaged in a strategic collaboration with the Asia Cloud Computing Association and PLDT En-

terprise to promote cloud computing and data center use in the country’s public sector.

Through its recently concluded Tech Brunch: Digital Transformation for Smarter Government event at the New World Makati Hotel, Jovy Hernandez— FVP & Head of PLDT ALPHA—emphasized that the government also needs to

SMART AND STARMOBILE UNITE TO BRING THE SMARTPHONE TO MORE PINOYS. Leading mobile services provider Smart Communications and local phone manufacturer Starmobile have renewed their partnership to bring richer digital experiences to more Filipinos via exciting smartphone and data bundles.

In photo are (from left) Smart Public Affairs head Ramon Isberto, Smart Mobile Business head Kathy Carag, Starmobile chairman and CEO Joey Uy, and Starmobile president Ulysses Lao. Under the partnership, Starmobile smartphones are now bundled with a FREE Smart LTE Prepaid SIM packed with FREE data of 100MB per month

beef up its processes with robust infrastructure just as businesses do.

“Similar to how enterprises are starting to shift their internal and external operations and services over to digital, the public sector has now realized that solving real-life problems with the use of technology is vital to serve today’s ever-changing citizen,”

Hernandez said. “We at the PLDT group have embarked on a similar journey. We have partnered strategically with both local and foreign organizations to advocate global best practices such as what we have today.” ePLDT, Inc. is the digital enterprise enabler of PLDT. It sets the pace for innovation in the telecommunications and IT industry.

for 12 months. On top of this, users can also enjoy additional 500MB data reward for an accumulated top-up of P100 load per month for 12 months.

Starmobile handsets that come with free data from Smart include the Starmobile PLAY Max, Starmobile KNIGHT Vision, Starmobile PLAY Boost (coming soon), and LTE-capable handsets Starmobile KNIGHT Elite, Starmobile KNIGHT Spectra, and Starmobile PLAY LiTE (coming soon), which also runs on 700Mhz. These handsets are available at Starmobile stores and major retailers all over the country. To know more about these offers, visit www.starmobile. com.ph and www.smart.com.ph.

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) closely monitors the prices of manufactured basic necessities and prime commodities following the depreciation of the Philippine peso.

Last week, peso hit a P50.00 to USD1.00 foreign exchange rate which raised concerns among business and consumers that this may affect prices of basic and prime goods to increase especially those made from imported raw materials.

DTI-Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua clarifies, “Based on our regular price monitoring activities in the past few weeks, there are no price increases in any of the products that the Department monitors.”

Although a weak peso can put upward pressure on prices of goods with imported components, the DTI does not see this as an immediate effect on the current prices of manufactured basic and prime goods due to the fact that

stocks being sold now in the market were manufactured using imported raw materials that were purchased prior to the depreciation of peso.

On the other hand, a positive effect seen by the DTI in this case is the possible increase in consumption resulting from increased inflow of dollar remittances from Overseas Filipinos.

“In terms of supply, the manufacturers assured the DTI that there is adequate supply of their basic and prime goods until the end of the year especially during the holiday season”, Undersecretary Pascua reports.

The DTI reminds the retailers that the list of Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs) of Noche Buena products that was released last 04 November 2016 still stands while consumers are advised to be guided by this when doing their purchases.

The DTI vows to not be complacent as it continues to intensify its efforts in ensuring reasonableness of prices of goods in the market.

SSS disburses P7.2-B for 13th month pensions

T

HE Social Security System (SSS) has announced the release of a total of P7.2 billion for this year’s 13th month pensions which SSS pensioners would receive in time for the Christmas season.

SSS Officer-in-Charge of Benefits Administration Division Normita M. Doctor said SSS pensioners under the Social Security (SS) and Employees’ Compensation (EC) programs, except those covered for partial disability whose pension duration is less than 12 months, are entitled to the 13th month benefit.

Recipients of dependents’ pensions, such as the minor children of pensioners, will also receive a corresponding 13th month benefit.

“Along with the early release of 13th month pensions, by the end of this year pensioners will also get their regular monthly pension for December in accordance with their contingency date. For instance, a pensioner who retired on July 19 will get his retirement pension for the month on December 19,” she said.

Doctor said the agency released the funds and checks for 13th month pensions to its partner banks and to the postal office, respectively, as early as November 14 so that pensioners can get their additional year-end benefits directly at their personal bank accounts or through checks sent via registered mail.

“Patterned after the 13th month pay given to workers in time for Christmas, the SSS 13th month pension is equal to the regular monthly benefit received by SSS pensioners. We are happy to continue granting this extra benefit, which is a cherished yearly tradition of SSS that started back in 1988,” she said.

SSS requested its partner

banks to release the 13th month benefit ahead of the disbursement schedule for the regular December pensions. It also asked the Philippine post office to prioritize the delivery of the 13th month pension checks so that SSS pensioners will enjoy their cash benefits before Christmas.

“The duration of check delivery depends on the recipient’s mailing address. Usually, it takes three to five days for Metro Manila and nearby areas, five to eight days for faraway Luzon provinces, and eight to 10 days for Visayas and Mindanao,” Doctor said.

Over 99 percent of more than two million SSS pensioners are registered under the SSS Pension Payment thru-the-bank Program, which offers them a faster means of receiving their monthly cash benefit through direct disbursement to their designated bank account.

“Meanwhile, less than one percent of SSS pensioners, typically those who reside in farflung areas, requested SSS to instead send their regular and 13th month pensions as mailed checks due to certain conditions such as the lack of automated teller machines in their immediate vicinity,” she said.

About 1.2 million retirement pensioners under the SS Program accounted for 63 percent or P4.5 billion of the total 13th month SSS pension disbursements for this year. SSS also disbursed P2.4 billion for SS and EC death pensions and P224.5 million for SS and EC disability pensions.

The pension fund recently welcomed its newly-appointed President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc, who served as Insurance Commissioner prior to his current role in SSS.

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 203 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016

Tecson rules PAL Mabuhay Golf J

ENZ Vincent Tecson returned this year to the PAL Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational Golf Tournament to claim the Overall Low Gross Championship trophy (gross 75, net 70), and the bragging rights for winning top prizes for two consecutive years.

The young Tecson – Premier Elite member – was Men’s Class A champion at last year’s Mabuhay Miles Golf tournament held at the Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club.

A total of 257 Elite, Pre-

mium Elite and Million Miler members of PAL’s Mabuhay Miles battled for the 24 trophies.

Bernabe Punsalan brought home the Low Net trophy, while Christine Marie Valdehueza Naidoo emerged Ladies division champion. The Seniors division was ruled by Tranquilino Magpantay.

Other division champions include: Class A – Louis Bartolome Borja; Class B – Joseph Owen Fulo; Class C – Elson Jose Dagondon; and Class D – Emeterio Dikitanan.

ASIAN FREESTYLE FOOTBALL. (left-Right) Eduard Aron Dalaza (SM Lanang Marketing Manager), Peter Lat (Communications Director, Maharlika Sports), Jehza Huelar (Ambassador for Children and Youth, Maharlika Sports), Edgar Te (Executive Director, Maharlika Sports) and Coach Dave Denano (Technical

Rodrigo Perez scored the most number of birdies while Vicente Solon had the most number of pars. Guest champion trophy was given to Rodrigo Perez.

The recent 24th PAL Mabuhay Miles golf was played at the two 18-hole courses of The Orchard Golf & Country Club in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

The presidents of PAL and PAL Express – Jaime J. Bautista and Bonifacio Sam – were joined by representatives of the tournament’s major spon-

sors at the ceremonial tee off.

Major sponsors for the 2016 Mabuay Miles Elite Invitational Golf Tournament include Master Card Philippines, Airbus, Omnipay, Unionpay, Petron, Philippine National Bank, myPAL Roam, Power Mac Center and the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Corporate sponsor is PNB General Insurers while Boysen Paint and Pacsports Philippines are minor sponsors.

Official hotels are Century Park Hotel and Pan Pacific Manila. A brand new Toyota

Director, Maharlika Sports) answer questions from the media during yesterday’s press conference of the Asian Freestyle Football Championship event on December 9-10 at SM Lanang Premier Fountain Court. Athena Jillian Bravo

Alcantara, Gonzales reach Aus Open Qualifiers QFinals F

ILIPINOS Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales downed separate rivals on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the 2017 Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off tournament at the Zhuhai Hengqin International Tennis Center in Guangdong, China.

Alcantara eliminated fourth seed Zhe Li of China, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to advance against fifth seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India.

Gunneswaran bounced back from a first-set loss to prevail over Chinese Xiao Gong, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Gonzales joined Alcantara in the next round after posting a 6-3,

6-4 victory over sixth seed Korean Soonwoo Kwon.

Gonzales will be up against second seed Korean Duckhee Lee, who struggled past Chinese Xi Qi, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Meanwhile, top seed Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan cruised into the next round following a 6-2, 6-0 win Chinese Sun Fajing.

Istomin will next face Chinese Hao Wu, who was leading 1-0 when seventh seeded opponent and compatriot Xin Gao retired.

Third seed Chinese Di Wu stamped his class over Taiwanese Tsung-Hua Yang, 6-2, 6-3, to advance in the quarterfinals against

ONE STEP CLOSER. Filipino netters Francis Casy Alcantara (left) and Ruben Gonzales (right) advanced to the ext round of the 2017 Austraalian Open Qualifiers in China.

No. 8 Indian N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth, a 7-6 (6), 6-0 winner over Chinese ZhaoTai Li. Top players from the Asia-Pacific region are competing in this tournament to earn a wild card in the main draw of next year’s Australian Open scheduled Jan. 16-29 in Melbourne. (PNA)

car was reserved for the golfer who scores a hole-in-one.

Donors include Vita Coco, Clarks Shoes, Bluewater Resorts, Pico Sands Hotel, BDO Credit Cards, Taal Vista Hotel, Hertz, The Bellevue Hotels & Resort, Aruga by Rockwell, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati, Be Grand Resort, Makati Shangri-la, Airspeed International Corp., Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar, Asia Brewery, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Boulangerie 22 and Resorts World Manila.

For almost 25 years,

Mabuhay Miles established itself as one of the most prestigious names in airline loyalty programs, known for its generous rewards and first-rate service.

Mabuhay Miles was launched in 1991 not only to delight frequent flyers but also to exceed their expectations. Last year, Mabuhay Miles was relaunched with a host of exciting program enhancements. Today, the new Mabuhay Miles stands out as a brand for the 21st century traveler.

AVAO City’s Engelbert Moralde of Sanman Pormotions will have his first overseas stint on December 11 when he faces Mexican Kenbun Torres at the L-Theatre in Osaka, Japan.

Sanman Promotions CEO Jim Claude Manangquil informed philboxing of this match-up. The 24 year old Moralde (9W-3L,6KO’s) bounced back from his split decision loss to Joyjoy Formentera last year with a unan-

imous decision victory against Jun Eraham in Tupi, South Cotabato last September.

The 29 year old Torres (11W-2L,9KO’s) was born in Celaya, Mexico but his last 12 fights were held in Japan after losing in his pro debut in Mexico in 2003. His boxrec record shows no activity from 2008 to 2015 but last April, he beat Thai Kaosaen Kaolanlekgym by first round TKO. Moralde vs Torres is an eight round non-title contest.

Davao’s Moralde to fight in Japan Dec. 11 D

Warriors, Cavs fall in another night of upsets

T

HE Houston Rockets shot down streaking Golden State on Thursday, ending the Warriors’ 12game NBA winning streak with a 132-127 double-overtime triumph.

Rockets guard James Harden posted his fourth triple-double of the season, scoring 29

points with 15 rebounds and 13 assists.

Harden connected on a three-pointer to put the Rockets up 126-123 with 3:12 remaining in the second overtime and added two free throws with 2:10 left.

Eric Gordon stretched the lead with a jump shot and the Warriors couldn’t find an answer after losing Stephen Curry less than two minutes into the second extra session when the NBA Most Valuable Player fouled out having scored 28 points.

The last time Curry fouled

out of a game was on December 13, 2013 — the last time the Rockets beat the Warriors.

Kevin Durant tied a season-high with 39 points and Draymond Green just missed a triple-double with 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Warriors, who fell to 16-3 — still the best record in the league.

The battle of two of the league’s best threepoint shooting teams saw a whopping 88 three-pointers attempted.

The Rockets finished 14 of 44 from behind the arc, while the Warriors made 12 of their 44.

It was a frantic race to the end of regulation, in which Durant tied the game at 113-113 with two free throws with 19 seconds left.

Golden State nosed ahead in the first extra session, but Curry then missed two three-pointers and Houston’s Gordon tied it with 1:25 remaining with a three-pointer of his own.

Sam Dekker then put Houston up with 45.4 seconds left before Golden State’s Klay Thompson tied it again with a short jump shot with 27.4 seconds left.

That set the stage for the second overtime, in which the Rockets out-scored the Warriors 9-4.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. VOL.99ISSUE ISSUE203 203••SATURDAY, SATURDAY,DECEMBER DECEMBER3,3,2016 2016

PICTURE PERFECT. A Davao City swimmer in.action in boys butterfly. event of the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Finals. Tomas Inigo Sr.

SPORTS TOURISM. Davao del Norte governor Anthony del Rosario says the province is ready for big ticket events.

SPORTS MECCA D

AGR: Bring on the big games

AVAO del Norte Governor Antonio Rafael del Rosario has expressed hopes of hosting more top-level tournaments that will make his province a sports center in the Mindanao region.

The youthful governor said sports is one of the priorities of his administration, the reason why he is keen on hosting the Philippine National Games, National Triathlon and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Games.

“I want Tagum and Davao del Norte as the center of sports activities in Mindanao. This is the reason I want to host these tournaments and I am serious in my intention.

Hopefully, we can host these events sooner,” said Del Rosario in a speech

he delivered on Wednesday during the dinner he tendered for the media covering the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Finals in Tagum City.

The Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum, which has a 5,000 sitting capacity, is the main venue of the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Games, which is the Philippine Sports Commission’s grassroots development program for students and out-of-school youths 17 years old and below.

“Sport is a priority of my administration because I am a true-blooded sportsman. I always give importance to sports being a major component in developing a sound mind and a sound body which is very important in running an institution government and private,” explained Del Rosario, a for-

mer congressman representing the second district of Davao del Norte.

He was head of the Sports and Youth Committee which comprised seasoned basketball coach Roseller “Yeng” Guiao, who was then Pampanga solon, and partylist Rep. Wes Gatchalian.

Del Rosario is also interested in hosting some of the sports when the Philippines stages the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games three years from now.

“We have the capability to host some of the sports of the SEA Games simply because we have a modern sports complex which is considered one of the best if not the best in the country,” said Del Rosario.

The Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex was the ven-

ue of the 2015 Palarong Pambansa, the first major tournament held in the province.

“We learned a lot in hosting the 2015 Palarong Pambansa. The experience we gained in the Palaro gave us the knowledge on how to handle big competitions,” the governor said.

During the 2005 SEA Games hosted by the Philippines, some of the competitions were held in Cebu, Bacolod and Subic where water sports held inside the former US Naval Base.

“Hopefully, we can ultimately realize our dream and give my constituents and those living in nearby provinces the chance to personally watch international competitions like the SEA Games,” said Del Rosario. (PNA)