Edge Davao 9 Issue 271

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

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EDGEDAVAO Sports

TWO TO TANGO. A handler from the Philippine Army K-9 Unit and his Belgian shepherd participate in yesterday’s Task Force Davao Ultimate K-9 Challenge 2017 at Sta. Ana Port in Davao City. Twenty entries from eight different government enforcement agencies competed in the said event. Lean Daval Jr.

SAVING THE DAY

Go saves day for Team Duterte in close 81-80 win over IBP P16

Pacquiao leads Elorde awardees P15

P2.5B Lanang hospital to take shape by 2018

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

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UNTRUST Properties, Inc. will hold the groundbreaking ceremony of Lanang Premiere Doctors Hospital, Inc. (LPDHI), a 250-bed hospital component within its 11-hectare Davao Park District township project on March 14, 2017.

Speaking during the DermPath bizforum at SM City Davao on Tuesday, PNS Land Development, Inc. president Lemuel R. Podador and also chairman of the board of LPDHI said it will be a medical resort-type facility which, at P2.5 billion is seen to be a high-end hospital in the city.

“It will have a spa and other wellness programs,” said Podador who added that the facility will also include a pool and helipad.

According to the LPDHI chair, the facility is expected to provide medical needs of Class A and Class B clients, especially those who reside at Davao Park District’s residential components, the One Lakeshore Drive and Two Lakeshore Drive.

However, he stressed a program will also be created for Class C type of patients.

“We should be able to support everybody, mapapobre ka man, mapadato ka man, naa na. (We should be able to support everybody regardless of their status in the society),” said Podador.

He said the construction will kick off at 2018 which will take one and a half year to two years to be completed.

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RAPE EVERY 62 MINUTES Research group says death penalty will not deter rape cases in RP

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

A

adlopez0920@gmail.com

WOMAN or a child is raped every 62 minutes in the Philippines.

This is the finding made by the Center for Women Resources (CWR) in a study they made on cases of rape in the country when the death penal-

ty was still in place and during the time when it was abolished.

“With or without death penalty, rape of a woman or

child every 62 minutes will continue,” the CWR said in a press statement on Tuesday.

CWR is a 35-year research and training institution for

women.

The group also provided the latest data from Philippine National Police Women’s Desk (PNP-WCPC) that revealed on

an additional 7,037 rape cases from January to October 2016 which led to the conclusion that rape cases occur every 62

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

FAREWELL SOLDIER. President Rodrigo Duterte condoles with Maricia, widow of the late Staff Sergeant Joseph Calimutan who is a member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) who succumbed to heart failure on March 3, 2017. The President visited the wake at the PSG Compound in Malacañan on Monday evening. ALBERT ALCAIN/Presidential Photo

4 top security officials arrive in Sulu to boost war v. Abus

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OUR top security officials arrived in this island province on Tuesday aboard the C-295 medium lift transport plane to oversee the ongoing military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año and Army Chief Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda immediately held a closed-door meeting with the ground commanders under Joint Task Force Sulu after their arrival at around 9 a.m.

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), said they will assess the ongoing “focus military offensive” against the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his visit here last week, ordered the troops to crush the remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf as well as to rescue the hostages held by the bandits.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, information officer of Westmincom, said the four top officials will also meet with the local chief executives to determine the needed assistance to the communities affected by the fighting.

At least 32 Abu Sayyaf members have been killed since January this year. Six have been reported wounded while 23 were apprehended.

The biggest fatalities incurred by the Abu Sayyaf is in this province, where 30 were killed, including two sub-com-

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IP rep belies bombing of mosque by ‘DDS’

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

A

MEMBER of the Kagan ethnolinguistic group belied the statement of self-confessed hitman of the Davao Death Squad, retired Police Arturo Lascaṅas that their mosque was bombed through the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte when he was still mayor of the city.

Indigenous People mandatory Representative Halila Sudagar said that she has been living in Camamara Mosque along Ma-a Diversion road for

more than 24 years already and she could not recall when the mosque was bombed.

“I’ve been raised in Camamara Mosque and there was never a time that our mosque was bombed,” Sudagar said.

Lascaṅas said during the senate hearing that Duterte ordered to bomb several mosques in the city in revenge to the bombing of the San Pedro Cathedral in 1993 that killed six civilians and injured 130 others.

During the senate hearing, Lascaṅas said that Duterte paid him and the members of the so called Davao Death Squad P300, 000 after they bombed several mosques in the city.

He said that they were divided into three groups and their group was assigned to bomb the mosque in Diversion Road, Ma-a – referring to the Camamara Mosque.

“He said that they bombed our mosque, it is not true. It’s a

lie,” Sudagar said.

In 2003, three mosques here were bombed by unidentified perpetrators hours after the bombing of the Sasa Wharf that killed 16 people and injured 57 others.

The first explosion was at the Muslim district of Tibungco, followed by the mosque in Toril and in Mini Forest, Boulevard.

No reported injuries were recorded during the three bombings.

HE military, police force and other policy-making bodies need more women, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said Tuesday urging the government to intensify programs that promote the participation and equitable representation of women.

“We call on all government agencies to take proactive steps to capacitate women employees to strengthen their qualifications and performance to compete for third-level positions,” Angara said.

“Competence and work experience should be main considerations for promotions and top positions, not gender,”

he added.

Angara made this call noting that data from the Philippine Military Academy showed that the number of female cadets is limited to not more than 5 percent.

The senator also congratulated Cadet First Class Rovi Martinez who topped this year’s PMA graduating cadets, and the other seven female cadets who landed in the top 10.

“They are proof that it is not only men who can excel in this. That is why we should make sure that we give equal opportunities to serve military,” Angara said.

Data from the Philippine

National Police (PNP) showed that female police officers compose 18 percent or 25,862 of the 168,897 police personnel.

Meanwhile, data from the Civil Service Commission showed that while there are more female than male of the total 1.86 million government workforce, the men still outnumber the women in top level or decision-making positions.

Of the 2,013 top level positions, 1,135 slots or 56 percent are filled by male while 878 or 44 percent are female. The top or third level positions include the Undersecretary, Assistant

Secretary, Bureau Director, Assistant Bureau Director, Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Chief of Department Service and other officers of equivalent rank, all of whom are appointed by the President.

Angara, during his days in the Lower House, was one of the authors of the Magna Carta of Women or Republic Act 9710 that seeks to eliminate discrimination by recognizing and protecting the rights of Filipinas.

In celebration of National Women’s Month, he noted a provision in the Magna Carta’s implementing rules and regu-

32 ASG bandits killed Solon bats for more women in police, gov’t posts in past 2 months: AFP T

A

TOTAL of 32 Abu Sayyaf Group bandits were reported killed in the past two months as the Armed Forces of the Philippines intensifies its campaign against the brigands in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces.

This is aside from the 22 ASG men reported wounded, 13 arrested, and two who voluntarily surrendered, said Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Capt. Joann Petinglay.

ASG attrition started last Jan. 27.

The bodies of the 14 of slain 32 bandits were also recovered.

Twenty-eight soldiers had also been wounded, mostly in the five major clashes that occurred in the past two weeks, Petinglay said.

The latest encounter, which occurred early Sunday at the boundary of Talipao and Maimbung towns of

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

SMFCF to fund housing project

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA & JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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AN Miguel Foods Corp.

Foundation, in cooperation with the National Housing Authority and the City Government of Davao will fund the construction of 5,000 houses in Davao City.

On Tuesday, during the Pulong pulong ni Pulong, Majority floor leader Councilor Bernard Al-ag announced that the project “Bahay sa Pagbabago” Memorandum of Agreement between San Miguel, NHA and the city government has been approved during their session on February 28.

Al-ag said that the council approved the MOA on its 3rd and final reading and is now ready to be implemented.

He said that the SMC will serve as the financier; the NHA will be the implementing agency while the city government will provide the lot for the houses.

“We already identified the area for the construction of the houses; we still have the Los Amigos in Tugbok that serves as the relocation

area of the Davaoeṅos and the one in Tibungco in the Northern Part of the city,” Al-ag said.

He said that the city will also provide the list of the beneficiaries of the housing project.

“We will prioritize those Davaoeṅos who were leaving near the danger zone and those who will be affected by the opening of roads,” he added.

Al-ag said that some streets in the city were occupied by the informal settlers and the local government is looking to re-open those areas to give way for road openings or other projects of the city.

Al-ag stressed that the beneficiaries will have a 500 or below monthly payment for more or less 20 years as their counterpart of the project.

Meanwhile, the City will start the construction of the continuation of the project of the National Housing Authorities that was left by the previous administration.

Al-ag said that the 200 housing units will be funded by the NHA while the city will be in charge of the construction of the project in Los Amigos Tugbok.

A single unit will cost P130,000, P100,000 of which will be allocated for the construction materials while the remaining P30,000 is for the labor cost.

He said that the City Housing is currently looking for the manpower for the construction of the said houses.

A total of 200 units were already been occupied by the Davaoeṅos. The entire project will cost P20 million.

The “Bahay sa Pagbabago Project” is a housing project which will provide low cost housing for those people who live in danger prone areas in Davao city.

The project, which will be located at Los Amigos and Tibungco relocation area, will cater to those families with no existing house property.

Gov AGR is new RDC-XI chair

By NOEL BAGUIO

T

AGUM, DAVAO DEL NORTE – Davao del Norte Governor Anthony G. del Rosario, the newly-appointed chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-XI, said he will focus on increasing the budget to fund the priority projects in the Davao region.

“We will push for bigger budget. It is important for us to really ensure that all our priority projects in the region are adequately funded,” the governor said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in a letter signed February 21, 2017, declared the appointment of del Rosario for the term of three years starting 2016 until 2019.

Grateful for the confidence given him by the president, the new RDC-XI chair vowed to fulfill his mandate to secure Davao Region’s lead role in national development, with greater emphasis on attaining sustainable development and engendering a more empowered and more resilient Dabawenyos.

The former decorated lawmaker set his sights on priority projects that are

aligned with the socio-economic agenda of the president, particularly in strengthening the connectivity of the region.

He batted for the implementation of some big-ticket infrastructure projects included in the Regional Deveploment Plan, which aim to turn the economy of the region around.

These include the urban mass transport for Metro Davao, Panabo City, Tagum City, Digos City and Sta. Cruz; Bypass Road Project from Toril, Davao City to Tagum City; the Davao-Samal Bridge; Davao City Coastal Road Project and the food terminal in Toril.

The official is also very much optimistic about the construction of the Mindanao Railway System, which is identified as among the priority projects of the Duterte administration.

He asked the government to start the first phase of the project in the Davao Region.

“We are hopeful that these projects will be funded within the term of President Duterte,” he said.

Del Rosario assured the continued prominence of Davao City in the advancement of the region, since the home city of President Duterte keeps its big role as the regional hub and important gateway to Southern Philip-

pines.

RDC-XI, which is composed of the local government units, regional line agencies and the private sector, is the highest policy-making body and primary institution that sets the direction of all the economic and social development efforts in Davao Region.

National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-XI, headed by Regional Director Dr. Ma. Lourdes Lim, provides technical support and manages financial operations of the Council and all its committees.

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Drug den in barangay raided, dismantled

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FOR QUALITY DRIVING. City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) personnel Donald Estoquia gives a lecture during a public utility vehicle drivers’ education program held at the Davao City Recreation Center

yesterday. All PUV drivers are required to undergo a seminar on the traffic laws and regulations under the city’s traffic code before they could obtain new identification cards. Lean Daval Jr.

S the lead agency in the enforcement of the anti-drug law, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency fulfill its mandate as more drug perpetrators falls in the hands the law.

Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office XI led by DIRECTOR III ADZHAR A ALBANI, CESE implemented search warrant last March 3, 2017 at around 11:30 p.m. on a suspected drug den at Tavera Corner Avanceña Street, Barangay 9-A, Davao City.

The subject of the search warrant were Paul Oliver Wong and Andrew Ryan Wong both residents of the said place. More or less twenty five (25) grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as “shabu” with a street value of Php 375,000.00 and assorted drug paraphernalia were also recovered inside the residence Wong’s. During the implementation of search warrant, Lo-

reto Lacida, Nikko Von Paulo Niones and Jovelyn Jambaro were present during the implementation of search warrant and also arrested by the raiding team for visiting the said suspected drug den.

Earlier, another suspected drug pusher identified as Mondevid Vildoza was also arrested at Eagle Street, Marfori Subdivision, Davao City after selling one (1) sachet of suspected shabu worth Php 1,000.00. One (1) sachet of suspected shabu and the buybust marked money bill were also recovered from his possession.

The suspects are now detained at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office XI detention facility, while the seized suspected illegal drugs were submitted to Laboratory Service of this office for qualitative and quantitative examination. Cases for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as “The Compre-

Duterte presidency ‘totally good for Davao City’:survey Duterte to sign EO

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

A

RECENT study conducted by University of Mindanao - Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO) says that 62 percent of Davaoeños believe that the Duterte presidency is totally good for Davao City.

Conducted on February 14 to 22, 2017, the survey determined the perception of 1200 Davaoeños relative to the many changes they experienced since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

Guesting during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum, Prof. Adrian Tamayo said the public rated tourism and peace and order as two areas with high affirmative impact at 5.8 rating.

“Seven in ten (70 percent)

Davaoeños appreciate the impact of Duterte presidency to Davao tourism which is highly observable given the number of conventions and conferences both national and international being held in Davao City,” said Tamayo.

He added the impact created income multiplier in the economy of Davao City.

On peace and order, Tamayo said 67 percent of the respondents appreciate the more intensive police visibility and low criminality in the city. Also the concept of “Oplan Tokhang” being implemented by the local police replicated in the whole country is seen as “familiar and deemed effective” in the city.

Following tourism and

CA amends rules in ruling on nominees appointment

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HE Commission on Appointments on Tuesday formally amended its rules on the appointment of nominees.

One of the main changes to its rules is that an appointee or nominee, after being bypassed for three times, would require the CA to decide whether to confirm or reject him or her.

Senate Pres. Aquilino Pimentel III said that another rule introduced was a third mode of voting which is via ballot.

“Aside from ayes and nays, raising of hands, we introduced a third mode of voting, ballot, it will now be a recognized mode of voting in CA,” Pimentel told reporters in an interview.

The CA has also shortened the required minimum period to notify the members of a committee about its hearings

to 24 hours.

“Upon receipt of the commission of the nomination or appointment of President, the chairman can immediately refer it to the committee chairman so that they can start hearings,” Pimentel explained.

Before, the CA would still wait for the completion of the papers of the appointee or nominee. Now it will be the committee chair’s responsibility to remind the appointee or nominee to complete his papers.

Pimentel said that the new rules were decided based on the collective wisdom of the members of the CA. Sen. Vicente Sotto III said that the panel has retained the same members despite the reorganization that took place in the Senate last February 27.

(PNA)

peace and order, infrastructure development, employment opportunities (both at 5.6) and social services (5.5) also rated high as 60 percent of Davaoeños see positive impact on these areas since the beginning of Duterte administration.

Private investment also rated high (5.4) with 81 percent of Davaoeños indicating positive experience. Livelihood obtained high rating (5.3) with 78 percent experience.

Other areas such as media coverage, in-migration (people moving in to Davao City either for a living, business or other reasons), and general income situation obtained high ratings as well at 5.2 each with 74 to 79 percent of the population indicating positive experience.

Meanwhile, the survey revealed traffic situation, informal settlers and asset/ property values as among the critical areas which the public revealed to have experienced adverse changes with 63 percent, 75 percent and 65 percent respectively of the population experiencing discomfort.

In a per district analysis, the survey revealed that the worse traffic situation is felt in district 1 while Districts 2 and 3 rated modestly the traffic situation experienced in their places.

UM-IPO said informal settlers ratings seemed to be consistent across the three districts. As to asset values, it is

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banning smoking M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday said that President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign an executive order (EO) on a nationwide smoking ban that will follow the Davao model.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the revised draft of the EO prepared by the Department of Health has already reached the President’s desk on Tuesday morning.

“It will be signed as soon as the President comes to the office. The revision was already submitted at 8 a.m. this morning (Tuesday) to the Office of the Executive Secretary and then -- and then it will be signed as soon as the President comes

back,” Abella said.

The Palace official said that under the EO, smoking inside buildings would also be prohibited aside from public places.

“Basically, (Health) Secretary (Paulyn) Ubial was given the directive to make sure that part four of the existing EO would be revised and to follow the Davao model,” he said.

Davao City, where, Duterte was mayor for more than two decades, has been implementing a total smoking ban in public places.

“The Davao model does not include smoking indoors. And so that was revised and so there would be no smoking indoors,” Abella said. (PNA)

NUMBERED DAYS. A smoker takes a puff from a cigarette in Davao City yesterday. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said President Duterte is set to sign an executive order on nationwide smoking ban soon. Lean Daval Jr.

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CELEBRATION. Suntrust Properties, Inc. president lawyer Harrison M. Paltongan gives an inspirational message before the ‘Suntrustees’ during the company’s 2017 Kick-off, 4th quarter and annual awards 2016 dubbed Grand Ball at SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

P193 billion needed to build Leyte-Surigao-Samar bridges

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HE government needs at least P193.58 billion to build cable-stayed long span bridges that will link Leyte Island to Mindanao and Samar Island to Luzon.

The Department of Public Works and Highways came up with project cost as they seek endorsement of the five-year mega projects from the National Economic Development Authority for the kick-off of the feasibility study.

The study will be done

by Chinese experts through funding grants from Chinese government, said Ernesto Octaviano, chief of NEDA regional office project development investment programming and budgeting division.

“After the approval of technical assistance, the study will run for six months and hopefully construction will start

early next year,” Octaviano said The official is optimistic that budget for the study will be included in the availment of Chinese government financing in accordance with the 2016 Philippine-China Development Framework of Cooperation.

Of the PHP193.58 billion budget, PHP101.35 billion is intended for Leyte-Surigao Link Bridge Project and PHP92.23 billion for Luzon-Samar Bridge Project.

The two projects along with Panay-Negros-Guimaras Link Bridge are listed as priority under the “Nationwide Island Provinces Link Bridges for Sustained Economic Growth Development.”

The Leyte-Surigao project involves the construction of cable-stayed bridges with a length of 23 kilometers con-

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RP finds tool for reducing losses and managing disaster impacts

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HE government has launched the socioeconomic resilience assessment methodology meant to equip the country with the appropriate tools for reducing losses and managing the fiscal impacts of disasters crucial in preventing poverty and achieving economic growth.

The Philippines is the first among the 117 countries to customize the socioeconomic resilience methodology.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on

Tuesday underscored the impacts of disasters on the economy and people’s lives.

Pernia cited data indicating the cumulative impact of past disasters to the economy was estimated at 0.5 to 0.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually, which may reduce economic growth by 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points.

He said catastrophe risk modeling also shows that the long-term average losses from disasters amount to about PHP206 billion per year.

Suntrust honors 2016 top sellers

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

I

T was an evening of grace and elegance as the Davao and Tagum office of Suntrust Properties Inc. held its Suntrust Grand Ball Annual Awards Night 2017 Sales Kick-off March 4 at the SMX Convention Center.

“Tonight is the night we celebrate our victory,” said Atty. Harrison M. Paltongan, Suntrust president. He also expressed his appreciation to the sales workforce for

their contribution to the company.

With the awardees on their long gowns and tuxedos, awards were given to top-sellers of the months October, November, December of the year 2016 as well as the top sellers for the quarter who have performed outstandingly and have exceeded their sales target.

Plaques, cash, incentives as well as marketing support

and team-building budgets were given away as prizes.

The event also served as a pre-launch for the plan to construct Lanang Premiere Doctors Hospital, a joint venture with PNS Land Corporation, which will be located within Davao Farm District area.

Also present in the grand ball were the company’s first vice president for sales, marketing and BDD Mr. Jer-

ry R. Rubis, Engr. Leonora P. Guttierez, AVP for Regional Operations and Mr. Lemuel Podador, Chairman of (Podador Navarete Santiago) PNS Land Corporation.

Suntrust has garnered an estimated total of P3.2 billion target sales for Davao City and Tagum City for 2016, and P10 billion for the whole Philippines. This year, Suntrust targets to reach P12 billion total sales.

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference opened its own 5th Session of the National Committee last Friday both at the Great Hall of the People.

In China’s political landscape, the NPC is the country’s top legislative body and the supreme organ of state power composed of deputies elected from provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities under central government, special administration regions, armed forces and ethnic groups.

On the other hand, the CPPCC is the top advisory body

composed of representatives from the Communist Party of China, all democratic parties, personages without party affiliation, mass organizations, all ethnic groups and sectors of society.

Every year, NPC and CPPCC members gather in Beijing for a two-week full annual two sessions, also locally known as “lianghui”, to report what they have done the previous year and what they intend to do in the coming year to sustain the economic development.

This year ‘two sessions’ will have the world’s leaders

and observers watching how China handled it’s economy and its growing role in globalization despite grave challenges posed by many problems and interwoven risks and dangers here and abroad last year.

“Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we the Chinese people have risen to the challenge and worked hard to press ahead, driving forward sustained, healthy economic and social development,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said

China tackles globalization, economy in‘two sessions’

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HINA’S economy and support for globalization are up for scrutiny as Chinese top leaders started the top annual political meetings -- also known as ‘two sessions’ that officially kicked off last weekend.

Over 3,000 national and local leaders, deputies, businessmen and celebrities including Hollywood action star Jackie Chan and former NBA star Yao Ming attended the opening of the 5th Session of the National People’s Congress .

The NPC’s 5th Session started last Sunday while the

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Inflation rises within RP target in February 2017

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NFLATION in February 2017 rose to 3.3 percent from 2.7 percent in the previous month due to upward price adjustments in both food and non-food items, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

“The inflation outlook for 2017 remains within the government’s target of 2.0 to 4.0 percent However, risks to the inflation outlook appear to be tilted to the upside. This could drive inflation towards the higher end of the target,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

Faster price increases in rice, meat, fish, and vegetables

pushed up the food subgroup inflation to 4.3 percent in February 2017 from last month’s 3.6 percent.

For meat products, the country’s temporary ban on poultry imports from South Korea, Germany, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Kuwait in response to the Avian Flu outbreak may have contributed to the limited supply.

Also, the higher rice prices can be attributed to lower rice stock inventories, which fell by 17.9 percent in January 2017 to December 2016, due to the contraction in palay production in the fourth quarter of 2016. (PNA)

dence to pin down this cigarette manufacturer on such charges,” Dominguez said.

“We must make sure the charges stick not only to haul the guilty parties, including their possible cohorts in the government, into jail but to send a clear message to bigtime tax dodgers that the Duterte administration is dead set on putting an end to their nefarious activities and sending all of them behind

bars.”

Dominguez issued this statement on the heels of his call on the BIR and BOC last week to file soon enough the appropriate charges against persons and companies proven to be the owners of P2.2 billion-worth of smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products, shoes and clothes that government agents had seized in a series of raids.

Among the seized goods

were cigarette brands manufactured by Mighty Corp. with fake tax stamps that BOC operatives had seized in raids in Pampanga and the cities of General Santos and Zamboanga in Mindanao.

“They (BOC and BIR) should speed up their investigations and also look into the possible involvement of bureaucrats acting as protectors of these large-scale tax evasion attempts,” he said.

and Industry (DTI), Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Leonor Briones of the Department of Education (DepEd) were one in saying at a House ways and means committee hearing that the CTRP is an indispensable tool in implementing the sweeping reforms that President Duterte has pledged to make growth truly inclusive under his administration.

Pernia said the “NEDA has full and unqualified support for the tax package.”

“In fact, we were closely consulted by the Finance Department when it was crafted.

So there’s really no misgiving or any kind or reservations we would have on the tax package,” Pernia said.

Diokno said tax reform is crucial “in order to make us competitive and in order to make the Philippines an attractive place to invest in.”

He pointed out that the Philippines cannot compete under a high-tax regime, if its neighbors like Hong Kong are offering corporate tax rates at only 15 percent, and Singapore at only 17 percent.

“Also, we want to reform the personal income tax system because it’s long overdue, we’re taxing one-third of the income of our people, and that has to be adjusted for fairness,” Diokno said.

Briones, who is a former

National Treasurer of the Philippines, said that raising additional revenues through the CTRP is the best way to deal with deficit spending.

“It is said, Mr. Chairman, in the books that if a deficit is impending, there are three ways to treat it. One is to reduce expenditures. We would not recommend reduction of expenditures because of the demands for development services, Briones said.

“The second is to borrow, and the third is to increase revenues. We are opting for increase in revenues to be able to cope with the increased levels of expenditures, which the development plan of the government is aspiring for. as well as the Filipino people,” she added.

She said that the 25 million students under the care and responsibility of the DepEd, which employs 700,000 employees, including 674,000 teachers, require “increased levels of funding support” especially now that the Department is introducing Grade 12 in the public high school system.

Villar said the CTRP has his “full and unequivocal support,” given that it is a necessary instrument in sustaining the high spending of the DPWH and other agencies for infrastructure, which for this year, is equivalent to around 5.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“It would not be prudent or sustainable to spend at this rate without a corresponding

tax measure,” Villar said. “I hope that the Congress would likewise see that this tax measure is something that we must pursue in order to reach our next level of economic growth.”

Tugade told lawmakers during the hearing that the DOTr “manifests its unconditional support to the comprehensive tax program.”

“Napag-aralan ho, pinasadahan namin sa madaming repaso at pag-aaral. Ang masasabi ko lang po, kagalang-galang na members of Congress, kailangan po natin ito (This was studied and reviewed many times. And what I can say, our highly respected members of Congress, is that we need this,” Tugade said of the CTRP. Lopez said the DTI “fully support[s] the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.”

“We’ve been conferring with the Department of Finance to reflect only certain fine-tuning of the contents of the tax reform program,” Lopez said. “But in general, we fully support the provisions in the tax reform program.”

On behalf of the Department of Health (DOH), Undersecretary Dr. Lilibeth David expressed the agency’s support for the CTRP and said that more than a tax reform package, it is also “one of the healthy policies for our built environment because it will help us to reduce or manage the number of automobiles on the roads and the carbon emissions.” (PR)

ARCHITECT’S PERSPECTIVE. Lanang Premiere Doctors Hospital, Inc. (LPDHI) is seen to support the city’s medical tourism industry. It will rise within Megawold’s 11-hectare Davao Park District township project and set for groundbreaking on March 14, 2017. Photo by Ar. Raphael Tayactac.

GM crops seen to help RP meet its nutritional needs

G

ENETICALLY-MODIFIED crops can help the Philippines meet its nutritional requirements, said visiting nutritionist Dr. Milton Stokes, director of Monsanto’s Global Health and Nutrition Outreach.

At a press briefing in Sulo Hotel on Tuesday, Stokes said there were more than 75 different studies conducted to demonstrate each new GMO and at least 90 government bodies that reviewed and approved the products.

He said crops like the golden rice which has beta-carotene biosynthesis genes to combat Vitamin A Deficiency can help prevent 1 to 2 million deaths and 500,000 cases of ir-

reversible blindness annually.

Contrary to claims of GMO critics, Stokes said it has been 30 years since GMO crops have been researched and developed, which indicates those are just as safe as crops developed through traditional breeding.

“GM crops are also the most studied crops which explains its record of safety,” he said. “On the average, a GMO crop takes 13 years and USD130 million of research and development before it gets into the market.”

The Philippines is working on corns as GMO crops which was approved in 2002 and made available in the local market in 2003. (PNA)

BSP says no need to change government’s policy stance

B

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. on Tuesday said there is no need to change the central bank’s monetary policy stance despite the faster inflation rate in February 2017.

Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday showed that rate of price increases in the second month this year went up to 3.3 percent from 2.7 percent last January.

This latest monthly rate is way higher than the 0.9 percent in February 2016 and brought the two-month average to three percent, in the middle of the government’s two to four percent target for 2017 to 2020.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile items like food and oil, also registered a faster rate of 2.7 percent from monthago’s 2.5 percent bringing the average to date to 2.6 percent.

Citing the PSA report, Tetangco, in a text message to reporters, said faster annual increments in food and non-alcoholic beverages fueled the increase in domestic inflation rate.

“This puts the average for the first two months of the year right at the middle of the Government’s target range, and confirms our expectations that

the monthly path of inflation will move up, and that the average for the year will be within target,” he said.

The BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB), during its meeting last Feb. 9, raised the central bank’s inflation forecasts for 2017 and 2018 after noting the risks from oil price increases and weaker peso, among others.

Forecast for this year was revised to 3.5 percent from 3.3 percent last December while next year’s projection was changed to 3.1 percent from three percent previously.

Tetangco, on the other hand, stressed that “as the uptick is in line with forecast, there appears to be no immediate impetus to adjust the stance of monetary policy.”

“But we will remain data dependent in our assessment and forthcoming decisions,” he said.

Tetangco said Philippine monetary officials will be “closely monitoring areas of possible price pressures, including petitions for utility and fare rate adjustments, the impact of the Malampaya shut down, the near-term impact of the CTRP (comprehensive tax reform program), as well market reactions to the Fed and its assessment of the US economy.” (PNA)

BIR, BOC to file charges v. Mighty for tax evasion F

INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that “the Bureaus of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs are in the thick of gathering evidence for submission to the Department of Justice, preparatory to the government’s filing of an air-tight case against Mighty Corp. for tax evasion and other possible charges.”

“The government needs to first establish strong evi-

Cabinet execs bat for speedy passage of DOF’s CTRP in Congress

M

EMBERS of the Duterte Cabinet have appealed to the Congress to swiftly pass the proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) that will empower government to overhaul the country’s obsolete tax system to make it simpler, fairer and more efficient while raising funds for its unprecedented public investment program.

Seven department secretaries and five undersecretaries have joined Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in expressing their support for the speedy congressional passage of the CTRP’s first package, as featured in House Bill No. 4774 that was introduced

by Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua, the chairperson of the House ways and means committee.

The first package of the CTRP was drawn up by the Department of Finance (DOF) and refined by Cua and his House committee, retaining its key features of lowering personal income tax rates, and offsetting the revenue losses from this progressive restructuring by adjusting the excise tax system for automobiles and fuel and expanding the Value Added Tax (VAT) base but retaining exemptions for seniors and persons with disabilities.

Secretaries Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Planning Authority (NEDA), Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Ramon Lopez of the Department of Trade

7 SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

Promoted employees GSC to vaccinate 50,000 dogs of DavOr take oath T G

OVERNOR Nelson L. Dayanghirang facilitated the oath taking ceremony of twenty-four newly promoted and appointed employees on Monday, March 6, 2017, at the Provincial Capitol in Mati City, Davao Oriental.

The newly appointed and promoted employees from the Provincial Administrator’s Office and Provincial Accountant’s Office include three Administrative Assistant I, one Administrative Assistant III, one Administrative Assistant V, and two Administrative Aide VI. Also, among the promoted and appointed employees are from the Provincial Health Office-- including those who were assigned in Cateel, Governor Generoso, and Lupon.

They include two Administrative Aide III, five Nurse I, and one Nurse V. Also promoted are four Medical Officer III, one Medical Officer IV, one Medical Technologist I, and one Pharmacist I. Last month, nine employ-

ees under the Provincial Governor’s Office and two employees under the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center also took oath before the Governor.

One employee was promoted to Administrative Aide IV, two were promoted to Adminis-

trative Aide III, while eight of them were promoted as Administrative Aide I. Governor Dayanghirang congratulated the newly promoted and appointed employees and wish them luck on their new respective posts.

In his brief conversation with the employees, the Governor emphasized to them the value of attitude towards work. He reminded them to continually deliver effective and efficient services to clients. (PIO DavOr)

T’S a new dawn, a new day, a new life as runners flock and are all set for the gun start for the “Bayani Run: “One ComVal. One Vision.”

More than 8,000 runners and registrants joined the fun run on March 5, 2017 as the province celebrates its 10th Bulawan Festival and 19th Founding Anniversary from March 4-8, 2017.

Before the run, the crowd joined the warm-up exercise as they sweat it out with a Zumba.

The event has two categories, the 3-Kilometer and 5K run starting and ending at the

provincial capitol.

The winners for the 3K male category were: 1st place Leo Anthony Alanan, 2nd place Mark Daig, 3rd Jayson Brent Constantino. For the Female category: 1st place Nova Queen Moralde, 2nd place Carrie Taray, 3rd place Lovella Christy Butad. Both categories were below 12 years old.

For the 5K category winners for men: 1st place is Arlan Arbois, 2nd Elmer Bartolo, 3rd Joerge Andrade and for the women category: 1st place Judelyn Miranda, 2nd Anne Mary Depone, and 3rd Purification Porras.

HE city government of General Santos is targeting to vaccinate around 50,000 dogs until yearend in line with its expanded campaign against the deadly rabies virus.

Dr. Antonio Marin, chief of the City Veterinary Office, said the move is part of their continuing efforts to prevent the spread of the disease among dogs as well as possible cases of human infection in the area.

He said such target is around 80 percent of the more than 60,000 estimated dog population within the city’s 26 barangays.

The World Health Organization has recommended that at least 80 percent of an area’s dog population be vaccinated annually for rabies.

“We’re currently doubling our efforts to ensure that we meet such target,” Marin said.

In 2016, Marin said they were able to vaccinate a total of 27,399 pet dogs in their house-to-house rabies vaccination activities.

He said they increased their target for this year as the city remained a “hotspot” in the entire country in terms of rabies cases.

The city specifically land-

ed in the top five two years ago for rabies cases among highly urbanized cities.

Last year, the local government did not record any case of rabies infection among humans but 22 dogs were found positive of the disease based on data released by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Barangay Lagao.

A total of 7,259 cases of dog bites were reported to the City Health Office’s Animal Bite Center in the same period.

Since January 1, Marin said two pet dogs in the city have already tested positive of rabies infection.

He said they immediately conducted massive dog vaccination activities in the affected areas to prevent the disease from spreading further.

In the last two months, the official said they already vaccinated a total of 1,854 pet dogs in different parts of the city.

Meanwhile, in line with the observance of the Rabies Awareness Month, Marin said they have set a series of information and education activities in local schools and communities. (PNA)

The winners for the 3K and 5K run received cash prizes and medals. For the 3K categories the first prize is P4,000, 2nd P3,000 3rd P2,000 for both male and female while the 5K categories are: 1st prize is P5,500, 2nd P4,000, 3rd P2,500 both men and women.

Aside from the cash prizes for the fastest runners and special awards, a raffle draw was also held with lucky winners bringing home mobile phones, watches, tumblers, mountain bike and other giveaways. Plus the awarding of special prizes for the youngest

runners, oldest runners, for both male and female participants.

Gracing the occasion were Cong. Jericho “Koko” Nograles- PBA Partylist, Gov. Jayvee Tyron L. Uy and the municipal mayors of the 11 municipalities and heads of the national agencies.

The proceeds of the event will be fund the school feeding program of the province especially on the newly launched “Bayanihan Para sa Kalusugan, Kusina ng Kalinga” and for additional school facilities for the children. (Rey Antibo, PGO-IDS Comval)

Lake Sebu implements ComVal’s Bayani Run on 2nd day of Bulawan fest aquaculture zone limit I

T

HE municipal government of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato has given local fish cage operators until the end of the month to voluntarily remove their excess fish cages and other related structures or face forced demolition and possible charges.

This, as Lake Sebu Mayor Antonio Fungan vowed on Monday to strictly implement the 10 percent utilization limit for the critical lake as part of the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the recent massive fish kill that destroyed around P126.5 million worth of tilapia.

Such move was provided for in Executive Order No. 2017-19 issued by the mayor that declared the “10 percent aquaculture zone in the municipal waters of Lake Sebu.”

The order was dated March 2 but officially released by the municipal government on Monday, March 6.

Fungan said the allowable area for fish cage operations will only be 10 percent of the lake as agreed during a consultation meeting called by the local government last Feb. 27.

During the meeting, he said some 464 fish cage operators signified full support to the move, which in compliance with government fishery regulations.

Under Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fishery Code of 1998, only 10 percent of the

total area of inland waters is allowed for aquaculture development.

“Under the strict order of 10 percent utilization of the municipal waters, all fish cages and other structures that exceeds 10 percent shall be dismantled,” Fungan said.

Lake Sebu, which is the largest of the town’s three lakes, spans 354 hectares and covers barangays Bacdulong, Takunel and Poblacion.

With the implementation of the 10 percent utilization limit, the area’s fish cages and related structures should only cover 35.4 hectares.

Records showed that fish cages presently cover 23.19 percent or 82 hectares of the entire Lake Sebu.

The mayor gave fish cage operators an “allowance” of 20 days to demolish their excess structures voluntarily.

“Failure to follow this directive after a lapse of 30 days shall compel the municipal government to conduct its own demolition activity, subject to the corresponding confiscation of the construction materials or the filing of appropriate cases in court per mandate of RA 8550,” he noted.

Aside from this, Fungan said the local government will also strictly monitor and prohibit the trading and/or stocking of fingerlings “until such time that the lake’s condition stabilizes.” (PNA)

BAYANI RUN. More than 8,000 runners and registrants join the “Bayani Run: One Comval. One Vision.” fun run on March 5, 2017 as the province celebrates its 10th Bulawan Festival and 19th Founding Anniversary from March 4-8, 2017. (M. Lasaca/IDS ComVal)

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

EDITORIAL

The case of Lascanas

R

ETIRED policeman Arturo Lascanas’ second testimony before the Senate floor on Monday might have turned up bursting right on his face.

It is an interesting case for students of law, as many people, including members of the Senate believe the retired officer had nothing to back up his claims, citing the numerous inconsistencies in his recollection of events.

He was considered a dud in the Senate floor the second time when it was most expected of him to be more convincing in his recanted statement.

Prior to that, the point made by Senator Panfilo Lacson in laying down the predicate of Lascanas’ statements nailed it for the ex-cop.

Lacson cited the rule on res inter alios acta which provides that the rights of a party cannot be prejudiced by an act, declaration, or omission of another. Jurisprudence provides that an extrajudicial confession is binding only on the confessant, is not admissible

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against his or her co-accused and is considered as hearsay against them.

The reason for this rule as laid down in Tamargo v. Awingan (Jan. 19, 2010) is that: “On a principle of good faith and mutual convenience, a man’s own acts are binding upon himself, and are evidence against him. So are his conduct and declarations. Yet it would not only be rightly inconvenient, but also manifestly unjust, that a man should be bound by the acts of mere unauthorized strangers; and if a party ought not to be bound by the acts of strangers, neither ought their acts or conduct be used as evidence against him.”

This means that in case no other piece of evidence is presented to prove the alleged conspiracy, direct or circumstantial, which the extrajudicial confession could corroborate, the recanted confession has no probative value and was inadmissible as evidence.

With the Senate throwing out Lascanas’ testimony out of the floor, it is time to put premium on strengthening the law against perjury.

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EDGEDAVAO

T

HE Lord God, the Bible tells us, created man “in his own image.” He had given Adam – the first man – the power to control all His other creations. But God observed that Adam was lonely – he was alone.

Genesis 2:21-23 chronicle how the first woman came to be: “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.’

The first marriage took place after that. In fact, Genesis 2:24 is perhaps the most-often quoted verse during weddings: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

The Bible story came into my mind when I heard a little girl who was asked during a Sunday school if she knew the story of Adam and Eve. “Of course, I do,” she replied. “First God made Adam and then looked at him and said, ‘I think I can do better,’ so He created a woman.”

Here’s another version: A small child came home from Sunday school and told her mother: “The teacher told us how God made the first man and the first woman. He made man first, but

F

OR all we know, the practice of embedding journalists in military campaign did not start with the 1990 Gulf War; rather, it dates back to World War II when American military publications enlisted stingers who were actual soldiers tapped to cover the war for them.

In the months leading to the liberation of Davao City, YANK, the Army weekly, tapped Sgt. John McLeod, who provided first-hand accounts on what really transpired inside the campaign to free the city from Japanese hold, which fell on the shoulders of the 24th Division, and the resistance poised by the enemies as they ambushed the Allied Forces while entering the city.

In his July 27, 1945, report, Yank staff correspondent Sgt. McLeod, who was with a photographer, on entering the city’s territory, wrote: “As we neared Davao Gulf there were more reports about Jap snipers.

Assistant drivers pulled their rifles out of their wrappings and held them on their laps.

“The countryside changed from the rolling pastures, rice and cane fields of Central Mindanao to plantation country where dark groves of abaca (from which comes Manila-hemp fiber), kapok and banana trees come right down to the road.

“We finally caught up with the front a day before the division entered Davao

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

VANTAGE POINTS

The subject is woman

the man was very lonely with no one to talk to, so God put the man to sleep, and while he was asleep, God took out his brains and made a womanout of them.”

Then, troubles start. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” Joseph Conrad contends: “Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men.”

With women, there are always two choices. Will Rogers advices: “There are two theories to arguing with a woman.

Neither one works.” Ihre Freundin said: “There are two kinds of women in the world: those who take a man’s strength and those who give a man strength.”

Now talking about two types of women, a psychoanalyst shares: “My women patients can be divided into two categories: the ones who work and the ones who stay at home. The former suffer from a guilt complex, the latter from frustration.”

Have you ever wondered why there are few women in combats? Elaynse Boosler replies: “We have women in the military, but they don’t put us in the front lines. They don’t know if we can fight, if we can kill. I think we can. All the general has to do is walk over to the women and say, ‘You see the enemy over there? They say you look fat in those uniforms.’”

This story contradicts, however. A

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

foremost anthropologist supports the idea of coed conscription, but draws the line at letting the ladies be battleaxes. Her reason: “I do not believe in using women in combat, because females are too fierce.” Military generals, are you listening?

Here are some words of wisdom about women from noted personalities. Oscar Wilde: “Woman begins by resisting a man’s advances and ends by blocking his retreat.” Aristotle Onassis: “If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

In 1966’s The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, Mignon McLaughlin wrote: “Women are never landlocked: they’re

always mere minutes away from the briny deep of tears.” In 1933’s ‘Literature in My Time,’ Compton Mackenzie penned: “Women do not find it difficult nowadays to behave like men, but they often find it extremely difficult to behave like gentlemen.”

Are men and women really different? Elissa Melamed noted: “Men look at themselves in mirrors. Women look for themselves.” Oscar Wilde differentiates: “Womenare never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes.”

Will Rogers contends: “Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better, but every time a man leaves off something he looks worse.” Elayne Boosler argues: “When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping.

Men invade another country.” Yul Brynner quips: “Women have an unfair advantage over men: if they can’t get what they want by being smart, they can get it by being dumb.”

Here’s another advantage of being a woman. “I’d much rather be a woman than a man,” Gilda Radner remarks.

“Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are the first to be rescued off of sinking ships.”

If a man is looking for attention, don’t expect it from a woman. David Garnett reminds: “Women, it is said, do not concentrate. They can attend to the subject in hand, but their attention has

not the wholeheartedness of a man’s.

If so, it is just possible that since women have been cooking the supper, mending clothes, listening to half a dozen children talking at once, and keeping them good-tempered and amused since before the dawn of history, they have learned to be able to attend to several things at a time. A man, on the other hand, focuses his mind.”

British actor Michael Caine has a different tale: “One of the most important things for a woman, I think, is to respect herself. ‘Cause a woman usually gets from men the same amount of respect she has for herself, almost to the ounce. Men have a second sense about women and when they sense that a woman has no respect for herself, they’re very quick to follow in her footsteps.”

As much as possible, never ask a woman how old is she. You’ll never know: “Women have a passion for mathematics. They divide their age in half, double the price of their clothes, and always add at least five years to the age of their best friend,” Marcel Achard points out. Why is this so? “Age to women is like Kryptonite to Superman,” says Kathy Lette.

At one time, a thirty-something woman applied for a job. The receptionist gave her an application form and one of the queries was about age.

The woman wrote: “Nuclear.”

gun into the bush.

“We’d gone right into an ambush.

Snipers and machine gunners opened up all around us. The men up front all crouched and opened up with their tommies. [Pfc. John] Holt whipped his .50 around and fired bursts on all sides.

So did the other gunners in the column.”

The unit managed to escape this second ambush and headed for a third alternative route leading to the aerodrome. Again, like the previous two experiences, the liberation of the city met enemy resistance. McLeod chronicled the ordeal as follows: “It was the same story—another road between high banks, another roadblock, another hornet’s nest, and the lead track drew the fire. This time though we stayed longer, and every gun in the troop plastered the hillside from which the most Jap fire came, so the doggies could try to flank it. We had to finally pull out of there, too, when the Japs opened up with mortars. The armored sides of half-tracks are [of] no help when the fire is coming through the tops. Again we pulled back to the main road.”

When the reconnaissance team neared the poblacion, they received news a company of the 19th Infantry had reached the city before they did, passing through the west side of Davao River the night earlier. Nevertheless, the arrival of Mcleod and colleagues was

met happily by local residents carrying American flags, offering bananas as gifts, and shaking hands.

But, again, the victorious American troops remained on the crosshairs of the Kempetai, the Japanese military police, which was making its last defense.

The correspondent wrote: “As the first infantry crossed [Bankerohan] bridge and started up a rise into the town, the Japs opened up with what sounded like dual-purpose 75s, 20-mm pompoms and woodpeckers.

“We dived down to the cover of the river bank; the civilians scattered frantically in all directions, amazement on their faces. The infantry got in about 200 yards from the river bank and were pinned down. They didn’t get any farther until the next morning.

“But the Japs do funny things. None of their guns was trained on the bridge.

The big guns were shooting across the river behind us, their smaller stuff on closer targets. Company after company ran across the bridge without losing a man. On the river bank we seemed to be in more danger from our own artillery, firing in close support, than we were from the Japs. Occasional pieces of shrapnel splashed into the water a few yards from us.”

After this last encounter, the city was, from the southwest, was started to be cleansed of Japanese threat and then fully liberated from the invaders’ claws.

Embedding scribes in WW2

City. There was a blown-up bridge, and on the far side of it were three Jap trucks riddled with bullets and a dozen Jap carcasses. We had moved to fast that the Japs, headed from Davao City toward some hill refuge, hadn’t known we were there. Waiting for the bridge to be fixed were the jeeps and half-tracks of the 24th Recon Troop. They said they had to reconnoiter some roads leading out to an airfield, but that they probably would be the first into Davao City.”

The airfield, the first before entering the city, could have been the Libby aerodrome at Toril area. It did not take long for the damaged bridge, presumably at the boundary of of the town of Santa Cruz and Davao City, to be repaired and became accessible. Sgt. McLeod continued: “We joined them [24th Division] and started out an hour or so later across the new bridge. The road was closely lined with abaca trees. It was dark by now and you couldn’t see a thing except cat-eye lights of the vehicles ahead and behind you.

“About 12 miles beyond the last ford, we came into a roadblock of tangled, felled trees that was impassable.

The infantry had reported the road was clear, but the Japs sneaked in behind them and put in this road-block.”

Sensing an ambush was about to happen, the jeeps took a timely turnaround and headed to where they first

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa started in order to evade being trapped.

Upon reaching Toril, they headed for an alternate route but met a mine along the way. It was an aerial bomb planted nose up, which the machine-gunner failed to explode. To elude the undetonated mine, they took another road and had another near-death experience. Sgt. McLeod took note of this incident.

“The other road was worse. The Japs had already blown a huge crater in it. There was a sheer bank on either side [with] no [other] way to get around the hold. The men in the jeep got out to look. Our half-tracks nosed up close.

Suddenly the driver looked to his left and started pumping his Buck Rogers

9

10 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

AboitizPower conducts health symposium T I

N its continuous mission to promote a safe and healthy environment around its host communities, AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South, Inc. (TSI) and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (AFI) in partnership with the Davao City Health Office and the barangay councils of Binugao and Sirawan in Davao City conducted a series of respiratory health symposia in Barangay Binugao and Barangay Sirawan last February 28 and March 1, 2017, respectively.

Around 300 participants attended the discussions composed mostly of mothers and senior citizens from the host barangays.

A team from the Davao City Health Office led by Toril District Doctor-in-Charge Dr. Margie Roa-Rubio discussed various respiratory health topics, including tips on how to avoid common respiratory

diseases, and observance of proper basic sanitation and good hygiene.

Representatives from the City Health Office shared that in an independent baseline health study conducted in 2016, among the most common bad practices that contribute to respiratory diseases were cooking with charcoal, burning trash, and smoking.

“Respiratory diseases have always been common.

Even before TSI began operating, residents here have already been cooking using charcoal or firewood inside their houses and burning their waste, thus producing harmful smoke. Respiratory diseases can easily be prevented if we can correct these bad practices,” explained Dr. Rubio to the participants.

In addition to the talks from the resource speakers, TSI also handed out comics

Dr. Margie Rubio and posters promoting respiratory health and access to safe drinking water.

“TSI shall continue to organize and support information-dissemination activities, such as this health symposium, as a way of supporting the local government’s thrust of promoting a healthy community around the plant”, said TSI Reputation and Stakehold-

er Management Head Jason C. Magnaye.

A similar health symposium will also be held in Barangays Inawayan and Darong in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur in April 2017.

The health symposium aimed to raise awareness on respiratory health and to identify leading causes of respiratory health issues.

Residents of Binugao

Cybercriminals could take over critical infra, cause disasters

K

ASPERSKY Lab has raised the alarm on the escalating number of malicious attacks against Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and critical infrastructure. The global cybersecurity company warns that threats against these highly important facilities can catastrophically endanger both business networks and people’s lives.

Industrial and critical infrastructure serve as the backbones of a nation or a state.

The major critical infrastructure sectors are energy, transportation, aerospace, oil and gas, chemical, automotive and manufacturing, food and beverage, government, financial and medical services.

When cybercriminals take over such ICS facilities in any of these sectors, they can use them to effectively undermine a nation’s economy, safety, peace, or all of the above.

“As more critical and industrial facilities are being automated and connected to

the internet, government and private sectors should also pay attention to the cybersecurity of these vital infrastructure. These networks require tougher defenses as successful attacks against them can result to virtual and physical harm,” warns Sylvia Ng, General Manager Southeast Asia, Kaspersky Lab. In 2015, Kaspersky Lab has unmasked the highly sophisticated Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor named the Equation Group which targeted diverse industrial and critical facilities.

The hacking group has been discovered to be infiltrating and spying into networks of infrastructures in sectors such as telecoms, aerospace, energy, nuclear research, oil and gas, military, nanotechnology and transportation from more than 30 countries worldwide since 2001.

In December of the same year, the successful malware attack using BlackEnergy mal-

CYBER THREATS. Vikram Kalkat, Kaspersky Industrial Cyber Security Global Business Development at Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific, discusses the escalating cyber threats against industrial and critical infrastructure in a recent media briefing at the Makati Diamond Residences, Makati City. (Kapersky Lab Asia Photo) ware resulted in the massive unscheduled power outage in Ukraine which left more than more than 230,000 residents without electricity for up to six hours.

Experts from Kaspersky Lab has found out that the BlackEnergy APT have been actively trying to control ICS,

energy, government and media in Ukraine as well as ICS/ SCADA companies and energy companies worldwide.

ICS Threats in the Philippines Kaspersky Lab’s ICS-CERT Report revealed 30% or three

FCYBERCRIMINALS, 12

DepEd eyes solar-powered computers to public schools HE Department of Education (DepEd) is set to distribute computer packages and solar panels to about 6,000 elementary and secondary public schools in areas without electricity.

“The innovation in this effort is that the computer package includes a solar panel that will support the provision of electrical energy. We hope that these computers will help improve their teaching and learning activities despite their remote location,” Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua said in a news release issued Monday.

The computer package includes one laptop and a 7-in-1 tablet.

“This is the government’s initiative to promote tech-savviness in rural barangays and let them cope with the technological advancement of their counterparts in the urban area,” Pascua added.

According to the department, 4,000 of the beneficiary public schools will be from Luzon and Mindanao, and the remaining 2,000 from the Vi-

sayas.

With a P1.4 billion funding under the DepEd 2015 Computerization Program (DCP), the procurement is underway through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the budget department’s procurement service.

Under the computerization program, the government has allotted P6 billion under the 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to procure about 188,000 computers for public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

The DCP is in response to the computer backlog in public schools, where DepEd will provide hardware and software packages, including training on simple troubleshooting.

The program aims to provide computer laboratory packages to public secondary schools, including Senior High Schools (SHS), and e-classrooms to elementary schools; laptop units to mobile teachers; and integration of ICT in the classroom system while raising the literacy of learners on new technology. (PNA)

HE Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) welcomes President Duterte’s signing of the Paris Agreement as a step towards the Philippines commitment to the 1.5 degree aspirational goal laid out in the Paris Agreement. However, signing the Paris Accord still will not ensure a world beyond the climate crisis and the Philippines climate- proofed from extreme weather events. However, the Philippine Government will once again lead the various countries in demanding the historical responsibilities of rich countries and the higher commitments in polluter countries in mitigation action.

As of now, the NDCs submitted by all countries which ratified the Paris Agreement falls short of preventing catastrophic climate change.

With this, PMCJ stands firm that the Paris Agreement is not enough to enact effective and genuine climate actions.

The group calls for stronger and concrete policy actions that can directly address and develop programs towards Philippine economy achieving growth not tied with increased consumption of coal. We demand the president’s full support in implementing policies to reduce the dependence of our country to the use of dirty fossil fuels and spearhead the transition towards 100% renewable energy. Moreover, we call on the President to use its mandate to ensure that government agencies will be working hand-in-hand and will serve and protect the interest of the people who are

being directly hit by the impacts of the exacerbating global climate change.

So far, the Philippines energy consumption exhibits an increasing CO2 emission due to undesirably increasing number of existing coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) in the country—counting 26 operational and 36 more CFPPs in the pipeline. In fact, President Duterte himself has inaugurated 3 CFPPs in his term The Philippines still remains as one of the most vulnerable countries. According to the 2016 Global Climate Risk Index, our country ranked 4th globally after being visited by strong typhoons, like Yolanda for the past decade Typhoon Yolanda and the succeeding typhoons. As a result it exacerbated further poverty, massive inequality due to the extent of damage and dislocation. The continued burning of coal and other fossil fuels globally will be detrimental to most climate vulnerable countries like the Philippines where economic growth are being eaten up by destruction and devastation.

Typhoon Yolanda’s effects and impacts include high percentage of destruction of framed homes, total roof failure and wall collapse, isolation of residential areas due to fallen trees and power poles and power outages (NOAA, 2013c), and left the country with 6,201 dead, 1,785 missing and 28, 626 injured. All of these resulted to P296 million total damages in agriculture and infrastructure which caused a 1% total decrease in gross domestic product (GDP). (PR)

Group lauds signing of Paris Agreement T

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EDGEDAVAO WOMEN

Art and coffee collective

A NEW LATTE HUB located within Davao City’s bustling food district is sparking the interest of art and coffee enthusiasts. Born out of a creative collaboration among cousins, Spark Coffee + Crafts takes its charm and appeal from a combination of creative and functional space, stimulating atmosphere and coffee aroma, its noteworthy art corner, as well as unique food and beverage selections.

“All five of us have lived in Japan for a certain period in our lives, and all the culture and scenes we experienced and witnessed there became our inspiration in putting together this coffee shop,” says part-owner Karina Melissa Cadiogan, who is also the café’s Social Media and Marketing Manager. “We were greatly in-

“The menu is very straightforward,” explains Karina. “We offer sandwiches, waffles, freakshakes and lasagna. One of our bestsellers if the Spark Sandwich --- which is composed of beef tenderloin tips and caramelized onions in between a pair of ciabatta bread, and topped with melted cheese, special sauce and fried egg. Our regular cus-

“ fluenced by the Japanese minimalist lifestyle and aesthetics.

Inside our café, you will see the walls awash with white and the whole space displaying clean lines and neutral tones.”

The Japanese influence is also evident in their menu.

Match lovers are sure to enjoy a number of varieties available in the selection, from brews to refreshing sips and filling treats.

tomers also love our Frenchees (deep-fried cheese sandwich), Matcha Freakshake and Iced Caramel Macchiato.”

Karina is happy to share this new venture with her sister, Katrina Munar, and cousins John Lawrence Galang, Kenji Caday, and Jimmu Yoshida.

“All of us handle different re-

METRO MOM A2

Born out of a creative collaboration among cousins, Spark Coffee + Crafts takes its charm and appeal from a combination of creative and functional space, stimulating atmosphere and coffee aroma,

EDGEDAVAO

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WOMEN METRO MOM A1

sponsibilities. John is our star barista and he oversees daily operations. Kenji is head of procurement and logistics, while Jimmu is our culinary head. My sister, Katrina, assists Jimmu in managing the commissary and she is also in charge of sourcing craft and art materials which we sell at the café.”

“My sister and I have always wanted to have our own physical store, since we started selling Japanese craft materials and stationeries online, maybe about two years ago. Opportunity came with the opening of Sparks Coffee + Crafts, wherein we have our own little craft corner brimming with unique and limited finds.”

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“Not only do we sell art materials here, we also feature one local artist every month,” Karina adds. “We have a steel rack in one corner, which we use to display paintings, photos, crafts and other artworks. We want to tap on the creativity of our customers. Our service philosophy is to satisfy not only the tummy and coffee cravings, but also to fill everyone’s appetite and enthusiasm for art.”

Spark Coffee + Crafts is located at Paseo Uno Bldg. along Ruby St., Marfori Heights, Davao City. For reservations or inquiries on event packages, email sparkdavao@gmail. com. You may also follow https://www.facebook.com/SparkDvo and @sparkdvo on Instagram for more photos and information.

EDGE DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

EVENT

EDGEDAVAO

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Asia CEO Forum returns to Marco Polo Davao NOW SHOWING

March 8, 2017 only

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MARCO POLO DAVAO partners with Asia CEO as the official hotel venue for the Women’s Summit in Davao City. One of the largest business forum in the Philippines, ASIA CEO Women’s Summit highlights the country’s women leaders from different sectors and their journey and challenges as a woman, leader and as agents of change.

Marco Polo Davao General Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin was among the presenters in the summit who shared her story on “PurposeDriven Career. “The key to success is to know your purpose. Setting your goal is crucial to create the direction for your career and your team—which is true to all organizations”, says Ms. Dottie during her presentation.

Chalre Associates CEO Richard Mills together with inspirational speaker and Asia

Asia CEO Forum President Rebecca Bustamante, Healthway Medical Vice President of Sales and Marketing Carmie de Leon, JLL Regional Director Sheila Lobien, Rider Levett Bucknall Philippines Chairman and President Cora Ballard, I Am S.A.M. Foundation Founder and President Sam Melchor-Santos, Marco Polo Davao Director of Sales and Marketing Pearl Maclang, Arco Group Managing Director Cathy Saldana, SPi Marketing and External Affairs Senior Vice President Global Celeste Ilagan and Aspen Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ace Itchon CEO President Rebecca President, I Am SAM and Kate Bellosillo ( GM, Bustamante hosted the Foundation), Cora Bal- Kyani Philippines). event and introduced lard (Chairman, Rider Previous Asia CEO in other presenters during Levett Bucknall Phils.), Davao presenters Carmie the forum including Ace Shiela Lobien (Regional de Leon (VP, Healthway Itchon (CEO, Aspen Phil- Dir., JLL), Celeste Ilagan Medical) and Lars Witippines), Cathy Saldana ( SVP- Marketing and tig (Country Manager, (Managing Director, Ar- External Affairs, SPi Regus Philippines) were coGroup), Sam Melchor- Global), Alexa Gentry also present as panelists Santos (Founder and (COO, Sprout Solutions) for the women’s forum.

Marco Polo Davao General Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin.

Regus Philippines Country Manager Lars Wittig and Asia CEO Awards Chairman Richard Mills.

IBEX Global Davao Sr. Director Resi Cayabyab, IBEX Global Davao Sr. Manager Jedi Sudaria, Aspen Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ace Itchon, Corazon Duterte and IBEX Global Davao Site President of Asia CEO Forum Asia CEO Director Philjohn Trinidad.

Forum President Rebecca Bustamante.

JLL Regional Director Sheila Lobien, Arco Group Managing Director Cathy Saldana, I Am S.A.M. Foundation Founder and President Sam Melchor-Santos, Rider Levett Bucknall Careen Lim-Hai Bian of Stockbridge Philippines Chairman and President Cora Ballard and International School and Nicole Hao Bian Healthway Medical Vice President of Sales and Marketing of JIB. Carmie de Leon.

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EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

Advertise with

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

Rape... FROM 1

minutes in the country.

CWR added that for a decade, from 2005 to 2014, the number of recorded rape cases total 52,453 (including incestous and attempted rape).

Of the total number, 75% of the victims are children, the group added.

“The execution of a convicted rapist in 1999 did not stop abusers from raping women and girls,” the CWR said, adding that in 2016, a total of 2,842 children were reportedly victims of rape.

“Given a corrupt system and a culture of impunity where the rich and the powerful can go scot-free, death penalty will always be a contentious method to curb criminality in the country,” Jojo Guan, executive director of CWR pointed out.

Guan added that women from the lowest wealth quintile face more violence like rape.

“Their indigent condition makes them vulnerable to abuses and sexual exploitation. With lack of economic resources, they could not afford the expensive, long, and tedious judicial process. Thus, justice remains elusive to the marginalized victims.”

The bill on death penalty will only further violate women’s rights, Guan says.

“There is a great possibility that this will be used as an additional instrument to curb political dissent and punish human rights activists. As it is, there are still more than 30 women political detainees who are languishing in jail with trumped up charges. An-

other criminal charge of drugs can be fabricated against them,” Guan stressed.

The group also emphasized that death penalty, in the present system, will only be beneficial to the powersthat-be.

“Social justice is denied as long as a quarter of our country’s riches only belong to a few elite,” CWR concluded.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday is on the way to approve on 3rd and final reading House Bill Number 4727, a legislative measure that will pave the way for the re-imposition of the death penalty in the country.

If approved and finalized, the proposed bill will be transmitted to the Senate.

The Senate has yet to come up with its own version on the re-imposition of death penalty in the country.

But the version at the lower house was questioned by some quarters particularly the non-inclusion of other crimes such as Plunder and rape to the proposed measure.

President Duterte also commented on the non-inclusion of rape as punishable by death in the proposed measure.

But House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez told reporters in Manila on Monday that he will file another bill that will include rape and other heinous crimes punishable by death.

The narrowing of the list to drug-related crimes was aimed to speed up the process of approving the HB 4727, Alvarez, explained.

manders.

“This will greatly affect their capability to conduct atrocities,” Petinglay said.

So far, no government troopers have been killed, although it registered 28 wounded.

Task Force Sulu is employing a “focus military operation” to ensure the safety of the hostages.

To date, there are 31 kidnapped victims who are still in Sulu, 26 of them foreigners.

The calibrated military operation was ordered following the spike of atrocities launched by the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

President Duterte on January gave the military at least six months to eliminate, if not significantly reduce the strength of the Abu Sayyaf. (PNA)

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lations that seeks to increase the quota to 20 percent for female admission into schools and institutions in the military and police.

The Magna Carta further states that women in the military and police force shall be accorded the same promotional privileges and opportunities as men, including pay increases, additional remunerations and benefits, and awards based on their competency and quality of performance.

Apart from equal employment opportunities, Angara stressed that the Magna Carta of Women mandates the government to ensure that women are provided with equal access to formal sources of credit and capital, equal share to the produce of farms and aquatic

resources, livelihood opportunities for returning women migrant workers through entrepreneurship development, among others.

Angara said the number of women in third level or supervisory positions in government must be increased to achieve a 50-50 gender balance as mandated under RA 9710.

He said that it has been almost eight years since the comprehensive women’s rights law was enacted and yet, gender gap in economic and political participation persists.

“Gains have definitely been made but there’s still more that we can do to finally close this gap and fully realize women’s role as agents and beneficiaries of development,” Angara said.

(PNA)

NEWS 11

AT EASE. Task Force Davao commander Colonel Erwin Bernard Neri (right) shares a light moment with Task Force Haribon commander Brig. Gen. Gilbert I. Gapay while watching the TF Davao Task Force Davao Ultimate K-9 Challenge 2017 at Sta. Ana Port in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

House panels okay creation of Mindanao Power corporation As well as Mindanao Railways Corporation

T

HREE panels of the House of Representatives have jointly approved measures seeking to create the Mindanao Power Corporation and the Mindanao Railways Corporation in a bid to spur economic development in the Mindanao region.

In joint hearings, the House committees on Government Enterprises and Privatization, and on Energy have approved the consolidation of House Bills 122 and 357, both of which seek to create the Mindanao Power Corporation.

HB 122, authored by Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, seeks the non-privatization of the Agus and Pulangui Hydropower Complexes, which bring low power rates in the

Southern Philippines.

Lobregat also pushes for a viable way for government to operate and maintain these sources of cheap power.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., author of HB 357, expressed confidence the Mindanao Power Corporation will serve as the solution to the recurrent power crisis in Mindanao.

“Privatization will not happen because the people of Mindanao always oppose it.

And even the President of the Republic has enunciated his favor to retain the Agus-Pulangui Complexes,” said Rodriguez.

The National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management, Corp. (PSALM)

“The first four floors will be fully operational by 2019 so that it will cater to initial services including laboratory, pharmacy, outpatient,” Podador explained in vernacular.

Podador also disclosed LPDHI operation will generate 1000 initial jobs and 5000 upon full operation.

Suntrust Properties, Inc. a 100 percent wholly-owned subsidiary of property giant Megaworld Corporation.

Pioneering LIVE-WORK-

PLAY-LEARN township concept, Megaworld has allocated P15-billion in the next five to seven years to build and develop Davao Park District located at S.P. Dakudao Loop in Lanang, Davao City which used to be the Lanang Golf and Country Club. Davao Park District is envisioned to be Davao City’s central business district (CBD) and a major center for information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) in Mindanao.

not a problem in district 1, but a cause for concern in districts 2 and 3.

With Duterte presidency, Davao region will remain to be the fastest-growing economy in the country in terms of gross

regional domestic product (GRDP) at 9 percent, as projected by Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Inc. (DCCCII) business development director John Carlo B. Tria.

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have expressed support for the passage of the substitute bill, with the latter noting that the proposal should be consistent with the EPIRA law.

The Energy Regulatory Commission also backed the bill as it is consistent with the administration’s thrust to ensure that the marginalized-end users will benefit from the complexes.

In a separate hearing, the House committees on Government Enterprises and Privatization, and on Transportation jointly approved five measures creating the Mindanao Railways Corporation.

Transportation committee vice-chairman Samar Rep. Edgar Sarmiento said the proposed creation of the Mindanao

Railways Corporation is included in the legislative agenda of the House this 17th Congress.

Sarmiento said that while the bill had languished in the previous congresses, he is confident that the 17th Congress will push for the construction and operation of the Mindanao railways system.

Lobregat said his HB 123 aims to “complement government projects that will address the lingering problems of poor quality of roads and incomplete road networks” in some parts of Mindanao.

The 2000-kilometer railway system is expected to connect major cities such as Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, Davao, and General Santos. (PNA)

Sulu, happened as soldiers spotted a group of ASG bandits holding six to 12 kidnap victims in a mangrove area.

In the same incident, around nine bandits were killed in the series of encounters.

This is aside from the 10 reported killed in Barangay Igasan, Patikul town, Sulu last March 3.

The military has been intensifying its operations against the ASG bandits following the beheading of German captive Juergen Kantner last Feb. 26 after his government refused to pay his P30 million ransom.

As this develops, Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who is in Jolo, Sulu for a meeting with local officials,

noted an increase in ASG kidnapping incidents.

As of this posting, an estimated 31 hostages are still in ASG hands.

Despite the increase, Lorenzana said the government remains on track on its sixmonth deadline to eliminate the bandit group.

The DND chief stressed that government forces are still working to rescue the hostages.

During his visit to Kutang Heneral Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Lorenzana pinned Gold Cross, Silver Cross, and Military Merit medals to two soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Battalion and seven from the Marine Special Operations Group who figured prominently in the most recent clashes with the ASG. (PNA)

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12 COMPETITIVE EDGE

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PHL, China conclude 28th JCETC

A

DA-PRDP ROAD. Department of Agriculture 11 OIC- regional director Ricardo Oñate was joined by Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas (Center) and Magsaysay Mayor Arthur Davain (Left) in the ground breaking ceremony of the P140-M PRDP farm-to-market road project in Magsaysay, Davao del

Sur. The 12-kilometer FMR will be funded under DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and is expected to benefit the development of priority commodities in the province particularly rice, cacao, and coconut, among others. (DA 11 Photo)

Public urged to lead healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity, kidney disease A KIDNEY that fails does not regenerate.

The warning came from Dr. Victor Doctor, president of the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN), as he and PSN board member, Dr. Ronald Perez, encouraged the public to help raise public awareness on the link between obesity and Chronic Kidney Disease, during a health forum held at Annabel’s Restaurant in Tomas Morato Ave. Tuesday.

The forum marks the celebration of World Kidney Day on March 9, which is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology and Inter-

national Federation of Kidney Foundations, in cooperation with PSN, under the Philippine College of Physicians.

According to the two doctors, obesity, which often starts during early childhood, leads to ‘hyperfiltration’ or the overworking of the kidneys.

Obesity is the result of taking more food or calories that are more than needed for physical activities and growth. With obese bodies, kidneys tend to overwork in an effort to meet the metabolic demands of the increased body weight, resulting in premature kidney aging.

Dr. Doctor pointed out that

diabetes and hypertension are also risk factors of Chronic Kidney Disease. He explained that these non-communicable diseases start during early childhood but go undocumented until adulthood because the child doesn’t show symptoms.

“Early on in the life of an individual, the kidneys are already subjected to stress, and wear and tear. This does not show until you are at early adulthood. More so, chronic kidney disease occurs, manifests during adulthood,” he said.

Increased food intake, too much sugar, salt, fat or proteins

in food, as well as an inactive lifestyle are the primary culprits of obesity, which increases the risk of developing major risk factors of CKD, Doctor said.

The proliferation of different fast-food chains in the country, which leads to poor diet, as well as the advent of technology and gadgets resulting in inactive lifestyle among children nowadays are also to blame, said Dr. Perez.

Some 22.3 percent of Filipino adults are overweight and 6.1 percent are obese, according to a 2011 survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Institute (FNRI). (PNA)

in 10 ICS users in the Philippines were saved from malware attacks during the second half of 2016.

The report said removable media like USBs, CDs, disks and drives were the main sources of compromise for ICS networks in the country.

Kaspersky Lab’s Industrial CyberThreats Real Time Map also showed globally, the Philippines is the 46th most attacked country in terms of ICS and critical infrastructure.

facilities. There is an urgent need for specialized solutions to combat these type of threats,” said Kalkat.

Only cybersecurity companies that understand the differences between industrial systems and standard, business-oriented enterprises are able to deliver security solutions that meet the unique needs of industrial control systems and industrial infrastructure owners.

To secure ICS and critical infrastructure, Kaspersky has developed Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity, a specialized security solution designed to protect complex industrial environments that contain a diverse range of proprietary systems.

This solution provides effective security at all industrial layers — including SCADA servers, HMI panels, workstations, PLCs and network connections — from cyber-threats, without impacting on operational continuity and consistency of the technological process.

Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity delivers a combination of protection types. It’s a highly flexible and unified security solution that can be tailored to each facility’s unique needs.

In addition to the technologies and services that support every stage of the security cycle, Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity delivers protection in support of integrity control, intrusion prevention and detection, anti-malware and anomaly detection, among others.

Kaspersky Lab also has its own non-commercial project called Industrial Systems Computer Emergency Response Team (known as Kaspersky Lab ICS-CERT). It is a global CERT entity that welcomes the collaboration of critical infrastructure operators, vendors and government institutions.

The Kaspersky Lab ICSCERT is a special project that offers a wide range of information services, starting from the intelligence on the latest

threats and security incidents with mitigation strategies and all the way up to incident response and investigation consultancy and services. It shares information and expertise to its members free of charge.

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Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity Kaspersky Lab has developed a comprehensive portfolio of technologies, solutions and services to help customers tackle and manage many of these risks.

“Operation technology of critical infrastructure should focus on infrastructure availability of automated systems rather than only data confidentiality. Kaspersky Lab has been improving its security portfolio and threat intelligence to secure these vital

About Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

FTER a five-year hiatus, the Philippines and China have revived the Joint Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation -- the bilateral mechanism for trade, investments, and economic discussions between the two countries.

On Monday, Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan concluded the 28th JCETC and signed various agreements that were discussed during the bilateral meeting.

Among the agreements reached by the Philippines and China during the JCETC include the following: • signing of the Six-Year Development Program for Economic and Trade Cooperation (SYDP) this month; • exchange of notes on the operational procedures to utilize China’s concessional loans to support Philippine government projects; • utilization of available credit facility to finance feasibility studies and construction of infrastructure projects in the Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular Service

Case No. 2006-XI-00471 VIRGINIA CADIGAL NAVALLO, Petitioner x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular service on the route: MINTAL and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on March 14, 2017. In the petition filed on February 28, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 22, 2017 at 9:10 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Chief Transportation Development Officer/Officer-In-Charge, this st 1 day of March 2017 at Davao City.

MARIE JEAN A. JARALBA Administrative Officer IV Acting Administrative Officer V

Philippines through available credit facility; • providing grants for construction of two bridges over Pasig River; • conducting capacity building programs for rice experts and aquaculturists; • establishing alert mechanism and undertaking prompt notification on the incidence of plant and animal diseases; • developing of a protocol governing the handling and resolution of cases of detection and non-compliance; • expanding the scale of agricultural trade; • identifying possible locations of the proposed Philippines-China Industrial Park; and • endorsing complementary areas for further studies and private sector participation in various sectors “The re-activation of the JCETC mechanism coincides with our celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China and marks a milestone in our bilateral relations,” Lopez said.

(PNA) Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service

Case No. 2012-XI-00182 HOMER M. AMACIO, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a FILCAB Ordinary Regular service on the route: CIRCULATION ROUTE 4 with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on December 31, 2017.

In the petition filed on February 23, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 20, 2017 at 09:40 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Chief Transportation Development Officer/Officer-In-Charge, this 24th day of February 2017 at Davao City.

MARIE JEAN A. JARALBA Administrative Officer IV Acting Administrative Officer V

VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

NEWS13

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Drug... FROM 4

hensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002” are being prepared against the suspects.

DIRECTOR III ADZHAR A ALBANI, CESE, Regional Director, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional

Office XI commends the community particularly to those who are giving information to our PDEA Text Hotlines for their untiring support in the fight against illegal drugs in the country. This collabora-

tive effort of the PDEA and the community serves as a warning to all drug perpetrators operating in the country that we are working hand in hand to suppress the supply of illegal drugs in the country.

in his government work report.

Li said China’s GDP reached 74.4 trillion Yuan, representing 6.7 percent growth which was within the 6.5 to 7 percent target.

“China contributed more than 30 percent of global growth. Economic performance improved markedly in quality and returns,” he said.

He said 13.14 million new urban jobs have been created while living standards of the Chinese people have been improved after number of people

living in poverty in rural areas have been reduced to 12.4 million.

“We have safeguarded China’s economic and financial security,” Li said.

Last year, Li said government opened China wider to the rest of the world, pushing ahead the Belt and Road Initiative and other international coordination and cooperation to boost friendship and diplomatic relations with more countries.

He said China utilized more than USD130 billion of

overseas investment, continuing to rank first among development countries.

“China was actively involved in reforming and improving the global governance system,” he said.

In 2017, Li said China will continue to actively expand its opening up to the world by pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, hoping to entice more countries to join the initiative to build overland economic corridors and maritime cooperation hubs in Asia, Africa and Europe. (PNA)

necting San Ricardo, Southern Leyte and Lipata in Surigao City, crossing the Surigao Strait.

The Sorsogon-Samar project has a combined length of 25.4 kilometers. It consists of three long span bridges – Allen to San Antonio in Northern Samar (4.9 kilometers), San Antonio to Capul in Northern Samar (8.5 kilometers), and Capul, Northern Samar to Matnog, Sorsogon (12 kilometers).

Both projects are four-lane cable-stayed bridges, a perma-

nent solution to the perennial problem of stranding during weather disturbances and port congestion during peak season.

A cable-stayed bridge has one or more towers, from which cables support the bridge deck. Distinctive features are the cables, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fanlike pattern or a series of parallel lines.

The Regional Development Council executive com-

mittee approved the resolution by referendum this week.

The project is expected to bring more economic opportunities between the country’s three island groups – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

For decades, roll-on rolloff (RoRo) ferries cross the San Bernardino Strait, transporting passengers and vehicles to and from Allen Port and Matnog Port in Sorsogon. With a distance 28 kilometers, the average travel time is one hour and 30 minutes. (PNA)

China... FROM 5

P193 billion... FROM 5

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

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CHIP. Jing Gavino of Apo Golf and Country Club chips from the fringe during the 70th PAL Men’s Interclub at the Apo Golf and Country Club. Apo finished 7th in the Founders Division.

Boy Lim

STRONG FINISH. Davao City Golf Club players Rodolfo Luna, Edipolo Caturan, Junjun Grandeza, Elvie Naranjo and Mark Oropesa whoop it up after finishing a strong third in the Aviator Division of the recent 70th Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub hosted by Apo Golf and Countrt Club and Rancho Palos Verdes. Boy Lim

Pacquiao leads Elorde awardees F

IVE current and former world champions will etch their names into immortality in the “Casting of Fists,” a major highlight of the 17th Gabriel Flash Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards and Banquet of Champions on March 25 at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel.

On hand for the rites, which will honor three Boxer of the Year awardees for 2016, are WBO welterweight and former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, former WBO world bantamweight champ Gerry Penalosa, former WBC light flyweight titleholder Rolando Pascua, former IBF light flyweight king Tacy Macalos and former IBF world flyweight champion Dodie Boy Penalosa.

The fists cast in stone will be permanent fixtures in the Elorde Boxing Hall of Fame, a museum of the Philippines’ world champions, from Pancho Villa in the pre-war era, to the post-war from Flash Elorde and other greats who have already passed away or have retired, to the present generation of active world titleholders.

“The images cast from the fists of world champions still alive form part of a permanent collection of the pictures, records and memorabilia the sport of boxing has contributed to the development of the sport and make us proud of Filipino achievements on the world stage,” said Laura Elorde, wife of Da Flash, the first Filipino also enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his feat as the longest-reigning world junior lightweight champion, from 1960-67.

Taking center stage in the awards night, to be presented by the Elorde family, are Boxer of the Year co-awardees John Riel Casimero, the IBF world light flyweight champion, Jerwin Ancajas, the IBF world flyweight king and Marlon Tapales,

Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

The 54-hole championship, presented by Champion, also serves as the third leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and the first two TLPGA tournaments, the other being the ICTSI Champion Tour at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa City, Batangas, next week.

Superal finished joint third in last year’s inaugural staging of the event won by Lee Jeong-hwa, who nipped Fumika Kawagishi by one in a thrilling finish. Though the Korean and Japanese won’t be around this time, the depth of the field remains as talent-laden as ever with Chen Yu-Ju, currently No. 4 in the TLPGA Order of Merit ranking, leading the foreign challenge.

Also in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tour-

naments, Inc. are Thais Saruttaya Ngam-usawan, winner of last year’s LPGT Royal Northwoods, and former LPGT champions Wannasiri Sirisampant and Amolkan Phalajivin, along with veteran campaigners Ai Asano of Japan, Michelle Koh of Malaysia, Mookharin Ladgratok of Thailand, Taiwanese Lee Chia-pei and Jessica Lydia of Indonesia.

Others tipped to contend in the event, backed by ICTSI, BDO, Champion, Custom Clubmakers, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Titleist and Event Captain, are last year’s Orchard leg winner Chihiro Ikeda and former leg champios Fil-Am Cristina Corpus, Jayvie Agojo and Sarah Ababa.

The same field is ex-

the WBO bantamweight champion.

Also to be honored are 2016 international, regional and Philippine champions, best promoter, trainer, judge and referee, best fight of the year, most promising boxer, and best male and female amateur boxers.

Citations and special awards will be presented to individuals and institutions who have contributed to the growth of the sport.

The Awards Night, held in conjunction with the 82nd birth anniversary of the legendary world champion, is sponsored

by COBRA, Hapee Toothpaste, Philippine Amusements & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Southpaw Bar & Grill, Cast & Frame, Elorde Sports Center & Bai & Mig Party Favors.

Pinay parbusters in ICTSI Tour

M

ENTAL toughness and course management will key the shotmaking of four Pinay parbusters who will be seeing action in the ICTSI Champion Tour which fires off Wednesday (March 8) at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.

Dottie Ardina, Cyna Rodriguez, Mia Piccio and Princess Superal lead the locals’ bid in their quest for top honors against a field of seasoned players.

Ardina, set to play in a number of LPGA events starting late this month, and Symetra Tour-bound Rodriguez, Piccio and Superal go up against a stellar cast led by the mainstays of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and a slew of Thai aces in the USD75,000 event kicking off this year’s ICTSI

pected to compete in the next LPGT leg, also offering USD75,000, at Mt. Malarayat on March 15-17.

After Mt. Malarayat, the LPGT resumes with the ICTSI Luisita Ladies Challenge on April 18-20 to be followed by the Orchard Ladies Invitational on May 30-June 1.

Action shifts back to Baguio on June 28-30 for the Baguio Ladies Classic then the circuit heads back to Mt. Malarayat on July 25-27.

Southwoods will host the seventh leg on Aug. 15-17 then the tour goes to Sherwood Hills on Sept. 12-14 and Wack Wack will stage the penultimate leg on Oct. 24-26.

The Phl Ladies Masters will again wind up the circuit on a date still to be finalized late this year. (PNA)

S

Lewton wins PH Open golf title

TEVE Lewton pulled off a nail-biting win by edging Johannes Veerman in a sudden death with a par on the finishing hole at The Country Club to capture the coveted title in the 99th Solaire Philippine Open held Sunday in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

“I’m very, very happy for my victory. This is my first here and I will never forget it. This is memorable,” said Lewton, who also became the first Englishman to win the fabled championship, Asia’s oldest National Open.

“I didn’t expect to win because I am not familiar with the course. I just played my game and luckily made it,” added Lewton, who turned in an impressive 70 and two 71s to lead in the middle rounds of the USD400,000 event sponsored by Solaire Resort and Casino.

Veerman, who rallied from two down to force a playoff at

one-under 287, took the runner up USD72,000 purse in the event held in cooperation with Meralco and PLDT. Thai Rattanon Wannasrichan, three down at the start of the final round and missed joining the playoff by one, settled for third with a 288 and USD25,000.

American Blake Snyder matched par 72 for the second straight time and took solo fourth at 291 while Miguel Tabuena bounced back with an eagle on No. 10 but bogeyed No. 16 and holed out with a double-bogey for a 74 to end up tied with three others for the fifth to eight places.

Tabuena, The 2015 winner in the rain-shortened Open at Luisita. finished tied for fifth at 292 with American Brett Munson, who also made a 74, Singapore’s Mitchell Slorach, who carded a 73, and Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai, who also shot a 73. (PNA)

PAL INTERCLUB. Jorge Martinez of Apo Golf and Country Club blasts from the bunker during the recent 70th Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub. Boy Lim

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SAVING THE DAY

Go saves day for Team Duterte in close 81-80 win over IBP I

BULLSTRONG. Ateneo center Josh Barrientos gets his way through heavy traffic against Davao City National High School defenders durring Sunday’s action in the 4th Emilio Escandor Cup at the Davao City Recreation Center. Lean Daval Jr.

T was like another day in the office for Secretary Bong Go. From being President Duterte’s man Friday, the spitfirish Go took to the basketball court and saved the day for Team Duterte which won via a 81-80 squeaker over IBP on Sunday at the Genesis 88 Gym. Bouncing back after a not so-Bong Go-ish performance in Game 5 of their friendly series, the cabinet’s busiest body shot 11 triples all the way to 45 points in a scintallating Game 6 performance.

The win gave the Duterte hoopsters a perfect 6-0 record over the Legal Eagles.

Go found his mark at behind the arc early and sustained his hot-shooting to lead his team as he recovered from an anemic three-point outing the previous game with only 3 treys after averaging close

to seven in the first f o u r outings.

A r mand Dioso paced the IBP with 41 baskets. Gil Ciudadano had 20.

It was another heartbreaking loss for the Davao Lawyers who came closest to taking one game in the series.

IBP had a chance to end its losing skid but once again blew it out with breaks of the game went the other way.

Eugene Labor contributed 14 points for Team Duterte which also got help from Rep Lord Allan Velasco, Warren Cloribel and John Flores.

IBP lost four games in the series with the game decided by less than six points.

BACK IN DEADLY FORM. Secretary Bong Go exploded for 45 points in Game 6. Lean Daval Jr.