Edge Davao 9 Issue 99

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 16 PAGES

Serving a seamless society

2 THINGS AT THE SAME TIME. Having a five-month old child didn’t stop this mother from earning a living as she continue to work as a manicurist while cuddling her baby at a park in front of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City yesterday.

Lean Daval Jr.

MILF JOINING WAR ON DRUGS Rebels have list of local leaders into drugs: Sueno

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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WAR ON DRUGS. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Ismael Sueno gives the details on the result of a meeting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the group’s plan to help the government stop illegal drugs in its area. Sueno faced the press in a news conference at a hotel in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

NTERIOR Secretary Mike Sueno announced yesterday that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be actively participating in the current administration’s campaign against illegal drugs in Mindanao as governments’ informant.

“The MILF will be helping us in identifying suspected drug personalities and possible drug laboratories operating in ar-

eas that have the group’s presence,” Sueno said in a press conference yesterday morning at Hotel Elena in Davao City.

This was after the MILF and the Government of the Philippines (GPH) sealed an agreement in a meeting Tuesday night for cooperation and coordination of the two parties on the efforts of the government to reduce drug presence in areas where the rebel group has presence.

The agreement, written in a two-page document was signed by Ad hoc Joint Action

Group (AHJAG) and Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) chairmen Brig. Gen. Arnel B. Dela Vega and Brig. Gen Glen Macasero of the GPH and lawyer Abdul M. Dataya and Butch P. Malang of the MILF. “We saw the willingness of the MILF in helping us eradicate drug problems in their areas,” Sueno said The MILF earlier passed a resolution to take immediate action against drug problems a year ago because of the alarming growth in the number of

illegal drugs-related incidence it its area of presence.

“We got sincerity and commitment from MILF,” he added.

For his part, Catalino Cuy, spokesperson for security and police matters of the DILG, said the GPH and MILF agreed on five provisions.

Cuy, the former director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said the all the anti-illegal drug operations of GPH and MILF will be anchored to Republic Act 9165.

“The Philippine Drug En-

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

PARENTAL DUTY. Parents, armed with umbrellas as protection to the scorching heat of an afternoon sun, gather at the main gate of Magallanes Elementary School in Davao City to fetch their children during the end of the morning class yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

2 female teachers dead, 2 others hurt in Cotabato shooting incident

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WO female public school teachers died while two others were hurt after motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire at them Tuesday afternoon along Pagalamatan road in Purok Talainged, Barangay Tamontaka 1 here.

Police identified the fatalities as Sittie Usop Abdullah, 31; and Fahara Cabuntalan La, 29; both teachers of the Mokamat Elementary Public School at Barangay Tamontaka 4 here.

Another female teacher,

Aisah Karon Malugka, 34; and tricycle driver Fahad Abdul Wahid Abdullah, 20, were seriously wounded in the same incident.

The victims were on their way home around 4 p.m. onboard the tricycle when overtaken and fired upon by the gunmen.

Concerned citizens brought the victims to various infirmaries in the city following the incident.

Police are still establishing the motive behind the incident. (PNA)

DND chief hopeful China will comply with UN ruling

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ITH the Philippines winning its arbitration case, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana hopes China will comply with the ruling for the good of the entire region.

“I hope China will abide (with the ruling) because it will be good for the whole region if everybody will follow the rule of law, nobody can just cherry pick the laws that we are going to abide by it. We believe in a community of nations (that) exist side-by-side harmoniously,” he added.

However, Lorenzana declined to comment on the ruling’s effect on security of the disputed areas and whether the Philippines will now lift its construction moratorium at Ayungin Shoal, now that the United Nations Permanent

Court of Arbitration has ruled that the feature belongs to the country.

“I can’t answer that now because the government is still processing the decision of the tribunal which is more than 500 pages, the Solicitor General just went through it,” the DND chief stressed.

“Many things need to be studied first, the President said there is no rush in deciding what to do, study this and wait for other developments and consult with (our) allies first on what do,” he further revealed.

At 5:00 p.m. Tuesday (Manila time), the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration handed down its decision on the case which invalidated China’s claim over its “historic rights” to the disputed waters,

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51 soldiers dismissed due to illegal drug use

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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IFTY-ONE soldiers have been dismissed from the service since 2011 after they tested positive in illegal drugs, said 10th Infantry Division spokesperson, Captain Rhyan Batchar.

Batchar told reporters during the AFP-PNP press conference on Wednesday that even before the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte to suppress illegal drugs in the country in 3 to 6 months, the Armed Forc-

es of the Philippines (AFP) had already been conducting series of drug test to ensure that there are no members of the army who are into drugs.

“Prior to these series of drug test in the government security forces, the army has been conducting a series of surprise drug test in our ranks to see if there are soldiers who are into this illegal activity,” Batchar pointed out.

He added that the recent surprise drug tests conduct-

ed by the 10th Infantry Division manifest the army’s support to President Duterte’s advocacy of cleaning the government ranks from illegal drugs.

“This is to show to our president that the army is with him in suppressing illegal drugs in the country,” Batchar added.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC), there were no soldiers tested positive of illegal drug used

based on their last surprise random drug test.

EMC spokesperson Major Ezra Balagtey said that on July 6, the command conducted a surprise drug test, however no one was tested positive.

The National Bureau of Investigation in the region, on the other hand also conducted a surprise drug test in their ranks on Monday.

Results also indicated that no one in NBI Davao region is into illegal drug use.

have to undergo due process.

“Based on the policies and guidelines from higher office, they will be dismissed from the service,” Sifuentes said.

He said these cops can no longer return to any government service once decided that they are eventually out of the service.

Sifuentes said that the current campaign on illegal drugs by the police is calling for voluntary surrender.

He said most of those who responded this call comes from the lower level of the society since they can be seen easily while those involved in illegal drugs coming from the middle and upper classes of the society tend to be hesitant

to come out since they take drugs often unexposed from the public view.

“If they want to voluntarily surrender, they are also welcome anytime. We can also do their surrender discreetly,” Sifuentes said.

He stressed voluntarily surrender precedes real change in the behavior of drug users to reform.

Clodito Canada, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Davao del Norte revealed that Davao del Norte is classified as distribution point of illegal drugs where activities are limited to street-level pushing in the absence of identified secret laboratories.

He said illegal drugs come from other areas like the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Ozamis brought to Tagum City by land or through parcel and then distributed locally through street-level pushing.

Canada noted the problem like the limited number of rehabilitation centers for drug users. He stressed that first time offenders must undergo voluntarily drug rehabilitation.

“We are overwhelmed by the turn out of those who voluntarily surrendered as the campaign against illegal drugs is intensified,” Canada said.

Mayor Alan Rellon of Tagum City said that without

Two cops positive of drug use in Tagum City, due for dismissal

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AVAO del Norte Police Director Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Sifuentes confirmed two members of the Tagum City Police Office turned out positive in the use of illegal drugs in a random drug test conducted recently in his command.

Speaking to reporters at the Biz Talk @ Big 8 Hotel, he declined to name the two policemen but administrative charges are already filed against them which will be the basis for their dismissal from the service.

Sifuentes said even with the hard evidence lifted from the random drug test and the confirmatory test against these policemen, they still

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Police raid uncover drugs, arms inside Kidapawan provincial jail

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AIL officials, in coordination with the North Cotabato Police Provincial Office (NCCPO), unearthed illegal drugs and deadly weapons during a surprise raid Wednesday at the provincial district jail facility situated at the capitol grounds here.

P/Supt. Bernard Tayong, NCCPO spokesman, said the 10:00 a.m. raid dubbed “Operation Greyhound” was conducted following reports that illegal substances such as shabu and other contraband were clandestinely slipped into the facility over the past few months.

As a result, the raiding team recovered 13 shabu sachets and numerous deadly weapons from prison cells 1 and 3 of the facility.

“The reports are now confirmed not hearsays based on evidences recovered from the inmates”, Tayong said.

The provincial district jail housing some 900 inmates is situated about a kilometer away from the Office of the Governor and NCCPO headquarters in the capitol.

Supt. Erwin Roquillo, provincial jail warden, said the inmates were caught flatfooted when the raiding team, in full-battle gear, stormed inside the compound.

Tensions ran high when police personnel beat a certain alias “Yamuta”, an inmate, but later appeased as the operation continued.

Roquillo said an investigation is underway to determine the people behind the shabu operation at the prison facility despite a strict security protocol.

Last year, six jail personnel were relieved and probed due to alleged involvement in illegal drug operations inside the provincial jail. (PNA)

Parties, concerts not allowed in downtown Davao in Kadayawan

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CTING Mayor Paolo Duterte has prohibited the conduct of street parties and concerts in downtown Davao during the Kadayawan Festival celebration.

The order is consistent with the festival’s central theme this year -- that is to focus on the plight of the 11 tribes of Davao City. Events to be held in public parks and other public places should only highlight the culture and traditions of the Lumads and the Muslims, said Duterte.

For the first time, the executive committee of the Kadayawan 2016 convened Wednesday morning to plan out this year’s festival.

In a meeting with the

members of the execom, Duterte ordered them to organize events that would highlight the city’s various ethnic groups. He earlier described the Indigenous Peoples and Muslims as the heart and soul of Kadayawan.

“I want the Poblacion area free from loud noise -from concerts and parties,” he said. “Let us get away from these activities. Let us instead hold these events outside the downtown area.”

The city government intends to invite performers and artists who promote the culture of the people of Davao and Mindanao such as Popong Landero, Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios and other homegrown talents.

DOE: We will follow DFA lead in studying Arbitral Ruling

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NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi today said the Department of Foreign Affairs together with all other government agencies concerned will thoroughly study the verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines with regard to maritime entitlements in the South China

Sea. “The DOF will be assessing the over-all implications of the verdict in coordination with other agencies of the government among them the Department of Energy,” Cusi said.

“The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to pursue a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea and promote peace and stability in the region through diplomacy and consultations,” Cusi concluded.

OPLAN DOUBLE BARREL. Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Sr. Supt. Catherine Dela Rey (right) gives updates on the ongoing Oplan Double Barrel which resulted to 1,980 individuals surrendering to the authorities,

NEWS 3

83 arrests, 10 neutralized and 59 buybust operations. Dela Rey, together with 10th ID spokesperson Captain Rhyan Batchar, graced yesterday’s AFPPNP Press Corps media forum at the Ritz Hotel. Lean Daval Jr.

DILG: List of politicians into illicit drugs exposed by July 20

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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HE list of the narco-politics in the country is expected to be completed before July 20.

This was the statement made by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno to the media.

Sueno said that as of the moment authorities are validating their intelligence reports on the list of narco-politics in the country.

He said that the list will not only consist of chief exec-

utives of the cities and municipalities, but as well as those barangay chieftains.

“The list will not only be limited to the mayors. It will be everyone in the government involved in narco-politics from mayors down to barangay kagawad,” Sueno emphasized.

He told reporters that as of the moment, the numbers of the alleged narco-politicians are still changing as the authorities are verifying their reports.

He said they are expecting the list to be complete on or before July 20, or five days before the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Before July 20 we can have the list of names of the local government officials involved in drugs,” Sueno said.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary Catalino Cuy, assured the public that the list of narco-politics and police generals involved in illegal drugs will be thoroughly validated.

“It will undergo thorough validation before it reaches the hands of the president,” Cuy pointed out.

President Duterte has been pronouncing in public that he already had the list of the 32 mayors who are into illegal drugs.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald dela Rosa even told the mayors publicly that he will give them a hard headed chief of police that will not follow their illegal activities.

these authorized contributions include those made for Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), Anti-TB Fund Drive, Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), and school publication fee.

The contribution per learner for the BSP and GSP is PHP50, PHP35 for the PNRC, and PHP5 for the Anti-TB Fund Drive.

The Department stressed that an excessive amount for the PTA contribution must be avoided. ”This contribution may

only be collected after the PTA presents to their members and to the school head/ principal a report on the utilization of the previous school year’s collections and their proposed budget with program of activities,” DepEd said.

For the school publication fee, no more than PHP60 may be collected from elementary pupils and not more than PHP 90 for high school students.

The publication of the school newspaper, although not compulsory, is encouraged to bolster the journalism program at the elemen-

tary and secondary levels. ”DepEd maintains that contributions should not become monetary constraints for parents and learners, and acknowledges the many expenses they incur just to send their children to school,” it said.

DepEd also reiterated that failure to settle these voluntary school contributions must not be used as a basis for non-admission, non-promotion, or non-issuance of clearance to a student.

This Order is available online at http://www. deped.gov.ph/orders/do41-s-2012. (PNA)

ing them a return on investments in the form of goods and cash every 15 days after a certain period of time. One of the packages assured a victim of at least 150 percent increase in return on investment.

The acting mayor has ordered the chief of the city’s special anti-scam unit, Dionesio Abude, to assist the victims. He said an investigation will be conducted and it will also cover other alleged fraudulent activities in the

city.

Abude’s group -- called Task Force Bulatik, a Visayan dialect for fraud -- will be the body designed to crackdown on companies or groups duping unsuspecting victims.

Lawyer Arnold A. Rosales, director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 11, said that they will be aiding the victims in the filling of appropriate charges against Jacama. (CIO)

DepEd reminds schools on‘No Collection Policy’

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HE Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday reminded public schools nationwide that the collection of authorized contributions is purely voluntary.

In a statement, the DepEd reiterated its goal to provide all Filipino learners with free basic education in public elementary and secondary schools.

This is pursuant to DepEd Order No. 41, s. 2012 which includes the implementing policies on the collection of voluntary contributions.

Under the guidelines,

Jacama‘scam’victims seek Duterte’s help

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NUMBER of alleged victims of a local multi-level marketing company Jacama have sought the help of Davao City acting Mayor Paolo Duterte.

Around a hundred victims met with Duterte at the City Hall recently and asked for assistance after losing a huge amount of money they ‘invested’ in the company that was ordered closed in January this year.

Jacama’s alleged modus is to attract victims by offer-

EDGEDAVAO

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Comval Bayanihan kicks off in Compostela Valley M A

JOINT undertaking aimed to build houses for the beneficiaries of the Modified Shelter Assistance Program (MSAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was started in the province of Compostela Valley.

Called “Comval Bayanihan”, the project, which will be part of the Gawad kalinga Build 2016 (GK Build 2016) was jointly kicked off by the provincial government of Compstela Valley, the DSWD and the Uswag-Gawad Kalinga

in the region.

The opening ceremony was held in Poblacion Laak inside the parcel of land is donated by former-Governor now Board Member Arturo T Uy. Board Member Uy, during the ceremony, reminded the participants on his gratefulness for the continuation of shelter provision for the victims of Typhoon Pablo.

The former governor also emphasized the importance of unity through voluntarism that, he said already became

the legacy of the province in helping its constituents especially during the time of disastrous calamities such as the typhoon Pablo.

After the typhoon struck the province in 2012, series of activities were facilitated in the area that provided homes to survivors whose houses were destroyed.

This time, the board member asked the new administration of Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy to continue building houses through volunteerism.

Data from the provincial

Far-flung villages in ARMM to receive water projects

government said around 722 houses still need to be built in the entire province of Compostela Valley, summarized as follows: 150 houses in Laak town; 50 in Mabini; 100 in Maco; 150 in Maragusan; 41 in Mawab; 30 in Montevista; 51 in Nabunturan; and 150 in Pantukan.

The opening ceremony in Laak was also graced by the members of the provincial board of Compostela Valley and the municipal and barangay officials concerned. (Honeylyn Sayson,IDS/Comval)

ORE water project facilities will come even to the farthest towns and villages in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the next three years, officials said Tuesday.

In the next 35 months, more than 100 water supply facilities are to be constructed in far-flung communities, according to Sec. Don Loong of the ARMM Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

From 2012 to date, about 46 water supply projects have been completed across the region which is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

“That is a feat this administration can talk about proudly, so unprecedented,” said Loong.

“All projects are open to media scrutiny or civil society organizations monitoring

infrastructure projects in the region,” ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said on Tuesday.

Loong said the water projects are already in the pipeline for implementation.

“We will ask the communities in areas where these projects are to be implemented to help monitor the construction works based on implementation programs and funding schemes,” Loong said.

The ARMM government has allocated PHP745 million for its 72 water supply projects that were programmed in 2015.

“We are confident, barring all undue circumstances, such as bad weather and security issues, we can accomplish more during the second term of Gov. Hataman,” Loong said in a statement released to the press here.

Hataman was reelected to his second term in the recent May polls. (PNA)

16 Ordinances, 1,570 resolutions approved by ComVal’s 6th SP

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SoCot steps up crowd management, security measures at T’nalak fest T

HE provincial government of South Cotabato has strengthened its crowd management and security-related arrangements as it expects more spectators in various events of the province’s ongoing 50th foundation anniversary celebration and 17th T’nalak Festival.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said Wednesday she directed local law enforcements to adopt tighter security measures to ensure the safety of visitors as well as the smooth and orderly conduct of

the festivities.

She said around 10,000 people showed up on Monday for the festival’s opening ceremonies and they expect the figures to swell in the remaining activities.

Organizers earlier estimated around 300,000 foreign and local visitors in this year’s festivity, which runs until July 18, the province’s 50th or golden foundation anniversary.

The festival’s activities are centered in Koronadal City, the province’s capital and component city.

“We’re very overwhelmed with the thousands of spectators that have been coming in and the support from our stakeholders,” the governor said.

Abner Navarro, provincial planning and development office head, said they expect a bigger crowd at the culmination of the festivities on July 18, which is a regular holiday in the entire province.

He said the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office has already deployed additional police personnel to secure the activities and festival venues.

It included teams from the explosive ordnance disposal or EOD unit of the South Cotabato police, he said.

As an additionaal security measure, he said the festival’s security committee requested the tagging of all equipment of photographers and media workers who are covering the festivities.

Navarro said the move was based on a recommendation from the publicity and promotions committee.

“Aside from police person-

61.34 square-kilometer Lake Buluan, which it shares with Buluan town in Maguindanao and President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat.

The town could develop its lakeside areas along with its tilapia and bangus industries to attract local and foreign tourists, she said.

“We have available resources that could prime us to become a top eco-cultural tourism destination, when

properly developed,” the mayor said.

Aside from the lake, she said the town hosts vast fruit plantations as well as livestock and agricultural farm areas.

She said their watershed and forest areas have diverse wildlife and other related resources.

“We have vast resources for potential ornamental ferns production,” Sakaluran

said.

The mayor said the establishment of a sustainable tourism industry and good governance could anchor the town’s economic development.

She said they will complement those moves by engaging in sustainable poverty reduction programs through linkages the national government and the private sector.

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Sultan Kudarat town set sights on eco-cultural tourism dev’t

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FFICIALS are pushing for the development of this lakeside municipality as an alternative eco-cultural tourism destination in Region 12.

Mayor Bai Princess Mangudadatu Sakaluran said Tuesday they are set to begin soon the crafting of the town’s tourism development plan, which will center on its natural attractions and resources.

She specifically cited the

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N its official report to the constituents of Compostela Valley, members of the 6th Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of the province said they were able to pass 16 ordinances and approved 1,570 resolutions.

The report was read by SP Secretary Thelma Yumang during the recent turn-over ceremony held at the SP Session Hall at the provincial capitol building in Nabunturan town that was witnessed by top provincial officials and the news members of the 7th SP of the province.

A total of 136 sessions, 134 of which were regular and 2 special was also conducted by the old SP members, as prescribed by the Local Government Code (LGC) stating that SP members, during their term shall conduct session once a week.

The legislative measures passed by the 6th SP complemented the programs, rojects and activities of the executive department of Compostela Valley to address the cluster issues stipulated that were previously approved as the Executive-Legislative Agenda of the province, that include administrative governance, economic governance, social governance and health governance.

The report said eight measures were approved by the old SP to address the concerns of administrative governance during the previous administration; five for economic governance; one for social governance; and one for health governance.

Among the paramount legislative measures enacted by the 6th SP include the Provincial Ordinance No. 20-2013 or the Local Investment and Incentive Code of the provinces that was enacted last July 15, 2013; the updated Provincial Ordinance No. 23-2014,

or the Revenue Code passed last December 4, 2014; and the Provincial Ordinance No. 332015 or the Gender and Development Code of Compostela Valley approved last December 4, 2015.

Yumang also recognized the iconic legislative measures passed by past SP in Compostela Valley, such as the Provincial Ordinance No. 12-2012 or the Environmental Code of Compostela Valley that was approved last May 16, 2012 by the 5th SP; and the Provincial Ordinance No. 09-2009 or the Code for Children in the province enacted last October 4, 2009 by the 4th SP. The Health and Sanitation Code of the province is still on process by the technical working group (TWG) and expected to be passed during the incumbent members of the SP. Special mention was also highlighted when the 6th SP enacted Provincial Ordinance No. 29-2015 or the “COMVAL i-RICE ORDINANCE” last April 9, 2015 that addressed the problem on malnutrition and provided the mechanism for the production and use of Iron Fortified Rice in Compostela Valley.

It was also during the term of the 6th SP that Provincial Ordinance No. 32-2015 or “RABIES CONTROL ORDINANCE” was passed in December 2, 2015.

Vice Governor Manuel Zamora, who led the 6th SP said he will continue supporting the leadership of Compostela Valley through the enactment and approval of ordinances and resolutions needed to pursue programs, projects and services that are intended for the benefit of the people of the province.

Zamora won another tern as vice governor of Compostela Valley last May local and

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5 ECONOMY World’s biggest coco plant Group calls for implementation soon to open in Davao Sur of Davao-GenSan-Bitung RORO M EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

ORE opportunity is seen for coconut farmers in Mindanao as the coconut-based products manufacturer Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines will set up the world biggest manufacturing plant in Darong in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur in the next five years.

“It will be the third plant of the company which will be involved in manufacturing of food-based coconut products,” Cesar Q. Galves, vice president for operations of Franklin Baker, said during yesterday’s weekly edition of Habi at Kape at the Abreeza Mall in Davao City.

Galves said the P2.5-billion facility will be utilized for the production of desiccated coconut, virgin coconut oil, coco water, coco milk, coco flour and coco cream.

“The plant has the capacity to process 2 million nuts per day, higher than the current 550,000 nuts per day capacity for each of Franklin Baker’s existing plants in San Pablo in Laguna and in Coronon in Davao del Sur,” he added.

With increasing requirements for coconuts, he said, the company is eyeing to source out its supply from coconut production areas as far as Basilan, Zamboanga and the peripheral areas of Davao.

The company is eyeing to expand its global market in Europe and continue to supply its existing export market.

He said 55 percent of the

current manufactured products of Franklin Baker go to the US while the remaining 45 percent are shipped to some areas in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Galves added that Mindanao-based farmers should tap this opportunity to increase their income.

Franklin baler, he said is pursuing efforts to help coconut growers and eliminating the participation of traders and middlemen in the value chain.

Galves underscored the importance of educating coconut farmers to become entrepreneurs and teach them with trader’s skills.

To assist farmers, he said, the firm is giving premium to nuts that are organic. “Farmers automatically get 50 centavos per nut on top of the P11 regular buying price.”

Traders are buying nuts for only P7 each, leaving farmers with small earnings from coconut farming.

“Traders manipulate the supply and price of coconut,” he added.

Seen to be one of the key sectors that will allow the promotion of inclusive growth and inclusive business, Galvez emphasized that farmers should increase their productivity by improving farm management.

He also encouraged farmers to apply organic fertilizer to their plantations to improve productivity. CHENEEN R. CAPON

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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crc@edgedavao.net

HE two governments of the Philippines and Indonesia should pursue a bilateral agreement for the implementation of the long-stalled Davao-GenSanBitung (DGB) Roll-on, Roll-off (RO-RO) shipping route, a follow-up study for Asia RO-RO shipping network revealed.

“We need to talk some more and do it bilateral. We need to have bilateral agree-

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Carlos Dominguez III

PPP ventures already in the pipeline, saying the new government would never commit the mistake of the past administration in suspending this vital public infrastructure program for two years while it reviewed all then-pending projects.

“We have noted that a typical PPP project takes 29 months from the average to get started, and definitely we’ve been discussing with the NEDA, which is in charge of the PPP Center, as well as with the Budget Department that this process has to be speeded up and brought down to probably below 20 months,” said Dominguez at the question-and-answer portion of BusinessWorld’s 1st Economic Forum at BGC’s Shangri-La at the Fort Hotel in Taguig City.

Dominguez said, “We’re going ahead with all of them, we will just assume that the previous administra-

the project to push through because the business sector has already done its own part in the proposed project which will become the gateway of the Philippines to the rest of BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines – East Asean Growth Area) sub-region.

Sison said the issues on the project involved sovereign laws which are not within the

power of the private sector.

The recommendation came from the result of a follow-up study which was commissioned last May. The study was aimed to identify the issues and problems that prohibited the sea route from being used for shipping services and for tourism purpose.

He said the proposed sea

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DURIAN IS HERE. Durian fruit is starting to flood the market in downtown Davao City as harvest season is fast approaching in time for the the city’s celebration of Kadayawan sa Davao festival. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte admin to speed up PPP projects: Dominguez HE Departments of Finance (DOF) and of Budget and Management (DBM) are teaming up with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on finding ways to accelerate the implementation of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects by cutting from an average time of 29 months to below 20 months the time for proponents to actually start their infrastructure projects.

DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III also assured around 600 business leaders during a recent economic forum there would be no “hiatus” in the implementation of

ment as soon as possible,” said Ronald G. Sison, team leader of the study team from ALMEC Corporation, a research firm contracted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), during the stakeholders meeting on the survey yesterday at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites in Davao City.

There should be government-to-government talks for

tion did the right thing and then we will push ahead, so there will be no hiatus in time for the PPP projects that are already in the pipeline so we’re not going to review them.”

“We’re going to review the process of the approvals, and cutting down the red tape for getting all the approvals for all these projects,” he said.

Dominguez also said, “We have lined up quite a number of (infrastructure) projects or implementations either through PPP or through government budget methods.”

He noted that one of the Duterte administration’s key priorities is to ramp up spending on infrastructure development, particularly outside of Metro Manila, to generate employment opportunities in the countryside, help decongest the nation’s capital, and achieve progress and inclusive growth for all.

In his speech at the BusinessWorld event, Dominguez said, “What we plan to do is to improve the efficiency of delivering basic services and infrastructure to benefit our communities. To accomplish this, we will need to cut redundancy in our procedures.”

Said Dominguez: “Among the things we aspire for in the

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6 ECONOMY

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

New hydropower to operate in 2017

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

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ESPITE some delays, a new source of hydropower for Mindanao will become operational by the third quarter of 2017, according to Boy Jabonillo, Vice President for Business Development and the official spokesperson of the project.

The run-of-river hydropower project in Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon is now halfway to completion. The ground work of the project started in April last year.

“Despite continuous rain, excavation works within the 74-hectare construction area are due for completion in few months,” said a press statement released during a media tour by journalists from the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Valencia and Davao.

“The installation of pipelines is scheduled to finish within this quarter while concreting works which are focused at the weirs and desanders are on time,” the statement added. “The two powerhouses are on soon to start rising.”

Hedcor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, is managing and operating the hydropower project which will generate an additional 68.8 megawatts of renewable energy to Mindanao grid.

Hydropower, a renewable energy, produces electricity by water movement. In the case of Manolo Fortich project, Hedcor uses the run-of-river method of producing electricity.

The British Hydro Corporation explains the scheme in

this manner: The water is taken from the river by diverting it to through an intake at a weir (a small structure built on the river bed to divert water to the main pipeline). In medium or high-head installations, water may first be carried horizontally to the forebay tank by a small canal or sometimes by a conveyance pipe.

Before descending to the turbine, the water passes through a settling tank (called “forebay” or “desander”) in which the water is slowed down sufficiently for suspended particles to settle out.

The forebay is usually protected by a rack of metal bars (a trash rack) which filters out water-borne debris; in some

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Dominguez reiterates goal BSP, PCHC sign pact for electronic cheque clearing for efficient gov’t fund use I

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INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez on Thursday stressed the Duterte administration’s goal on the efficient use of government funds to improve delivery of basic services and infrastructure. ”To accomplish this, we will need to cut redundancy in our procedures,” he said in his speech during the 1st BusinessWorld Economic Forum held at Shangri-La at The Fort in Taguig City Tuesday.

Measures planned to achieve this goal include revision of the procurement law to simplify and streamline the process, simplifying permit requirements for infrastructure projects, creation of prioritization list and delineating delivery responsibilities between national and local projects, and improving absorptive capacity of government agencies through better planning and project execution.

The current government also targets to cut income and corporate taxes, which Domin-

guez said was not only political in nature but “makes economic sense” since it would make the country more competitive in Asia.

He said the high tax rates in the country was counter-productive since the government collected lesser the longer this system was in place, thus, the need for more rational, equitable and competitive tax system. ”No amount of public shaming could reverse this.

The higher the tax barrier, the more conducive it becomes to evade tax due,” he said.

The Finance chief said the current tax system in the Philippines “could hardly be called sustainable” and “not progressive” since “it relies on collective from less and less people.”

He noted that 98.47 percent of tax collections come from voluntary tax compliance and only about three to five percent come from audit and enforcement activities.

F DOMINGUEZ, 10

T will not be long before people who transact using cheques need not wait for three or more days to get their funds.

This, after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Clearing House Corp.(PCHC) signed Tuesday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) operationalizing the Check Image Clearing System (CICS).

BSP Deputy Governor Vicente S. Aquino, during the MOA signing, dubbed as “momentous” the signing of the MOA since it paved the way for

the use of truncation technology, which fast-tracks the processes to enable the fund beneficiary to get his money the next day eventually. ”The Philippines will not be at par with other countries that have successfully implemented cheque truncation system,” he said.

PCHC Chairman Abraham T. Co said the new system provided enhanced security for cheques through watermark on logos and the design pattern.

He said the new system would use technology for faster cheque clearing.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., in his speech during the event, said this development in cheque payments and settlement system was a big help since it was an important factor on financial stability and the dynamic and growing economy. ”This is a pillar of business operations that fuels the network of transactions in the real economy. Absent this pillar, stakeholders are literally forced into bilateral means of settlement which take different forms across different counterparties,” he said.

The central bank chief disclosed that PCHC processes about 700,000 cheques daily, with average value of Php 135 billion.

With this volume, Tetangco said that one can see that people still rely on cash and cheque payments, which is also proven by the 2014 study by Better Than Cash Alliance that shows that only one percent of monthly transactions in the domestic economy are done electronically. ”At a time when technology has become scalable, portable

line payment to encouarge more Filipinos to use online payment transactions.

Lapez mentioned a recent study that Filipinos make about 2.5 billion payment transactions worth USD74 billion every month.

However, only 1 percent of the figures is transacted electronically as consumers prefer the traditional pay-

ment platforms due to financial safety risk.

“This huge volume and the preference to transacting business the traditional way thus present a big opportunity for reliable payment gateways to come into the picture and offer a more efficient, frictionless experience for business and consumers,” said Lapez.

“There’s really a need to advocate a more democratized ecosystem for online payment gateways to enable communities to start using technology and e-commerce as a level for sustained progress,” he added.

Ureka is a consortium led by Unionbank that eyes inclusive e-commerce in the country. (PNA)

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Filipinos demand safe online transactions to boost e-commerce

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USINESSES should look into improving safety for online transactions in order to boost the local electronic commerce.

At the Ureka’s Kapihan on Wednesday, UnionBank of the Philippines Executive Vice President Genaro Lapez said there is the need to demistify and democratize on-

Audit of operating mines to raise awareness on responsible mining

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TUNA VENDING. A fish trader prepares special cut tuna meat an hour before consumers flock to Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City yesterday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on Wednesday said the new round of audit of all operating mines in the country ordered by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Paz Lopez is being implemented to raise the bar on responsible mining.

MGB Director Leo Jasareno, in an interview with the media, said they would impose a stricter set of criteria in their audit, which covers some 105 metallic and non-metallic mines nationwide -- including quarrying and small-scale mining.

“The comprehensive review will focus on the companies’ compliance with the requirements of the Mining Act of 1995, Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), Forestry Law, and other laws pertaining to mining. We want to see whether an spe-

cific violation would entail suspension of operations,” he said.

Jasareno said the new round of audit will look beyond regulatory requirements, but also on social and economic impact of the mining operations nationwide.

Citing the results of their initial review on mining companies, the MGB chief confirmed that there are frequent violators of mining rules and regulations.

“You’ll be surprised with the number of companies violating the conditions of their contract… majority of which were slapped with equivalent amount of penalty depending on the discretion of who conducted the review,” he said.

“With the new round of audit, there will be a list of criteria they need to comply with, otherwise they may face

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7 COMPETITIVE EDGE Smart fires up over 2,000 sites using new Hunter Ultrasonics bares a better frequencies, expands network nationwide way to clean diesel engine filters P EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

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EGULATIONS, ranging from the 2015 Paris Agreement’s wide ranging guidelines to mandates on nonroad vehicles, have all aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But as Ken Hunter , Founder and CEO of Hunter Ultrasonics, points out in a recent article, the measures to reduce pollution exclude a key part of the process – regular, thorough cleaning of engine

filters.

Diesel vehicle owners, operators and manufactures should call on governments around the globe to not just require Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) on all diesel engines, but also provide guidance on proper maintenance and cleaning of those filters in all future standards.

This is an essential part of the equation to ensure transportation related carbon emis-

sion reduction goals are met.

Active regeneration, an increasingly common way to clean clogged DPF filters, is inefficient because it burns off particulates at high temperatures, which puts pollutants back into the air and defeats the purpose of having the filter in the first place and leads to increased downtime and lost productivity while the engine is rendered inoperable during the process.

It also increases fuel usage and costs.

Unless proactive cleaning guidelines and less harmful methods like Ultrasonic Cleaning are adopted, pollution will only continue to increase.

To learn more about the Ultrasonic Cleaning process and how it can reduce DPF maintenance costs, extend engine life and lower fuel costs through improved efficiency, visit hunterultrasonics.com

Ambassadors with any purchase of top or bottom denims from the SM Men or SM Youth on July 15.

For shopping convenience, mall hours are extended from 10am till 11pm on July 15 to 17.

For event updates, check outSM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

a better connected world.

Through this donation, we hope to give an opportunity to teachers and students in different parts of the Philippines to enjoy high-quality educational materials right at their fingertips,” said Jacky Gao, Huawei Philippines Chief Executive Officer.

Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship said: “Globe believes in the power of technology to forward 21st century learning in public schools nationwide. We want to improve the digital skills among the teachers and students particularly in using technology and computer software, thus, this donation from Huawei would be of great help in increasing student engagement in the classroom and in enabling them to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.”

There are currently 20

public schools across the country which have been transformed into GFS centers of excellence even as Globe continues to forge partnerships with the regional offices of the Department of Education to scale the program and cover all 221 school divisions nationwide within a five-year period. So far, GFS has benefited 41,038 students and 7,227 public school teachers who have been trained as Global Filipino Teachers.

AFI serves as the implementing arm of Globe this year for eight schools under GFS which include the beneficiaries of the donation such as Sta. Cruz Elementary School in Albay and Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (CENTEX) Batangas, among others.

“We wish to thank Globe and Huawei for this valuable partnership which will enable us to serve more young peo-

ple through various tools and techniques. Technology is indeed a great enabler and with these gifts from Huawei, more young minds will enjoy the wonders of information and creative learning,” said Ruel Maranan, President of AFI. Aside from providing support to the education advocacy of Globe, Huawei also adopted the latter’s Project 1 Phone electronic waste recovery and recycling program that aims to recover e-wastes from mobile phones and portable devices to promote proper disposal. Proceeds of P1P will also help build more Global Filipinos Schools across the Philippines.

Huawei has already turned over to Globe approximately 2000 kilograms of assorted e-wastes coming from old and decommissioned corporate assets and personal donations from employees since January this year.

Denim Fashion Show at SM Lanang Premier

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HIS July 15-17, 2016, SM Lanang Premier’s 3-Day Salebecomes more fashionably exciting with a runway show that celebrates the wardrobe staple that never goes out of style.

Dubbed “#DenimCitizen,” the runway show is part of The SM Store’s celebration of July Denim Month. It is set on July 15, 6 pm at The Atrium, SM Lanang Premier. #DenimCitizen showcases the latest denim collections and how denim can epitomize high fashion while maintaining great comfort, and timeless style.

Walking the runway are SM Youth Ambassadors Tommy Esguerra and Richard Juan of Pinoy Big Brother, LA Aguinaldo, Janna Tee, Kyle Perry, and Kaila Estrada.

Mallgoers can grab great deals on denim wear at the SM Store or at the Atrium selling areaand get the chance to meet and greet the SM Youth

Huawei turns over 100 laptops to Ayala Foundation for Globe Telecom’s Global Filipino Schools program

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LOBAL information and communications technology solutions provider Huawei Technologies Philippines, Inc. supports the Global Filipino Schools Program of Globe Telecom, Inc. and Ayala Foundation, Inc. as it turns over 100 laptops for use of public elementary schools under the program.

While Globe provides internet access to both teachers and students in GFS schools, additional devices such as the donated laptops are needed to allow more students to explore the internet and learn applications which are critical in ushering 21st century learning in public schools.

“It is Huawei’s commitment to bridge the digital divide where everyone can link up and openly collaborate. At the same time, we continue to work with our customers and partners like Globe to build

LDT subsidiary and wireless leader Smart Communications (Smart) is rapidly expanding the capacity of thousands of its mobile phone cell sites in 73 provinces of the country using the new radio frequencies that it has recently gained access to.

As of end-June, Smart has beefed up the capacity of 2,035 cell sites in 581 cities and municipalities in different parts of the country using the 1800 MHz frequency spectrum formerly assigned to the telecoms businesses of San Miguel Corporation (SMC).

Smart is initially using the 1800 MHz to enhance the ability of its GSM or 2G network to handle more calls and text messages, particularly in dense urban areas in Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, in the Visayas, and Mindanao. This enables the telco to improve the mobile phone experience of the roughly 70 million Smart, TNT, and Sun subscribers nationwide.

Smart has fired up added facilities using the 1800 MHz frequency in 264 cell sites in Metro Manila, 743 in North Luzon, 629 in South Luzon, 118 in the Visayas, and 281 in Mindanao.

The 2G network expansion complements Smart’s growing use of the 700, 2300, and 2600 MHz frequencies also previously assigned to SMC, to strengthen Smart’s mobile data service throughout the country, particularly via LTE

(Long-Term Evolution). LTE is the fourth-generation (4G) mobile phone technology that currently provides the fastest wireless data service commercially available.

Smart recently announced it has fired up eight LTE cell sites using the 700 MHz spectrum. Five of these cell sites are in Davao City, with one each in Tanay, Rizal; Bacoor, Cavite; and Manggahan area in Pasig City.

Smart plans to activate 360 cell sites with 700 MHz this year, initially in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.

Smart’s rapid network rollout using the additional frequencies is being undertaken to comply with the directive issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) last May 27, 2016. The NTC ordered PLDT to immediately use the frequencies formerly assigned to the SMC telecoms businesses in order to improve its services within a year. It also required PLDT to prepare a three-year plan to cover the entire country.

Smart’s drive to boost data coverage and capacity across the country forms a major part of the PLDT’s capital expenditure program. PLDT has set aside about P43 billion in total capex for 2016. It has allocated an additional US$100 million to utilize the additional frequencies from the co-acquisition of SMC’s telecoms business.

PetroSolar gets COC-FIT from ERC

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ETROSOLAR Corp. received its certificate of compliance for the feed-in-tariff (FIT) of its 50-megawatt Tarlac solar power facility.

According to a statement from the power firm, the certificate was approved on Tuesday. The ERC backed the power plant last March 30, granting it the provisional authority to operate as a FIT eligible power plant.

Petrosolar is owned by PetroGreen Energy Corp.

(PGEC), a subsidiary of PetroEnergy Resources Corp., at 56 percent and EEI Power Corp. at 44 percent.

PetroEnergy Resources Corp. president Milagros Reyes said the certificate testifies to their “satisfactory compliance to all technical, organizational, legal and financial requirements to operate a solar power plant.”

Francisco Delfin, vice president and chief operating officer of PetroGreen Energy

Corp., also said the FIT certification will also allow it to remit to the national wealth royalty and ER 1-94 payments for the host communities. It is located at Central Technopark, Tarlac.

He further noted the project started exporting power to the Luzon grid earlier on Jan. 27, ahead the solar race deadline on March 15, 2016.

It reached 80 percent electro-mechanical completion last Dec. 23.

Its renewable energy payment agreement, effective for 20 years at PHP8.69 per kWh, started on May 10.

The project was allocated a funding of PHP174.67 million.

The solar farm was built

by Syntegra Solar as engineer, Conergy as designer and supplier of solar panels and related equipment, Media Construction for initial site civil works, Phesco Inc. for the solar farm construction and Philcatech Enterprises for substation and transmission lines. (PNA)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

EDITORIAL

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Is there something to celebrate?

S expected, the Philippines received a favorable decision of the arbitration case it filed against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) of the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The favorable decision gave the Philippines the right over the disputed West Philippine Sea or South China Sea territory.

The Tribunal concluded that, as between the Philippines and China, there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources, in excess of the rights provided for by the Convention, within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’.”

After the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) handed down the decision on Tuesday, netizens rejoiced over the legal and moral victory over superpower China.

The decision favored the country’s rights over the territory and frowned on the fishing restrictions to Filipino fishermen in the area as well as China’s construction of artificial islands which the Tribunal regarded as harmful to the environment and natural habitat.

Moments after the decision, a group of Filipino-Chinese community cautioned over the celebratory mood and instead called for sobriety as the country ponders on the next move. China, for the record, had said it will not recognize the decision anticipating a non-favorable verdict.

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Likewise, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay appeared somber when asked of the decision. He took the ire of netizens after referring to the disputed area as South China Sea instead of West Philippine Sea, although these two referential names are one and the same depending on which part of the territory you are coming from.

Which leads us to the question—is there something to celebrate about this decision?

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had said that whatever the result of the arbitration case, his position would be to hold bilateral talks with China instead of strong assertion knowing fully well China is not recognizing the verdict.

Let us look at things this way. From President Duterte’s standpoint, the country can now use the favorable verdict as a leverage in the discussion table when we meet China.

Any effort to battle China head on, at this point, may be regarded as heroic but suicidal. Duterte knows that too well. Which means, the theatrical run to the border aboard a jet ski and planting the Philippine flag is just for scripted effect, no less than cinematic.

The President may not be celebratory as people would expect of him jumping over his pants, but you can be assured, he will be cerebral.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

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

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

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VANTAGE POINTS

9

China’s loss a bigger challenge for all of ASEAN

HILE we may all exult the ruling of the Permanent Commission on Arbitration as a win for the Philippine case against China on the disputed waters, the outcome definitely opens a new chapter in Fil-Sino relations, and in our relations with the other interested parties within ASEAN. Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and the rest have doubtless been waiting in the sidelines for the “Philippine outcome”. Their common interests with China are about the same as ours, being major training partners as well as we are. The chess game has intensified, with the other players making their move. How will China respond to its more formidable adversaries? Can the Philippines take advantage of the movements of the other players?

These are the titillating questions.

Winning is sweet, and What now?

The nagging question for us is what do we do now? China has already built its structures and positioned equipment and personnel. We have likewise rebuilt key components of our naval capability. I

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

HEN it come to prayer, nothing is impossible. The Holy Bible points out, “What is impossible to man is possible to Him.” God always answers our prayers!

That is the main reason why world’s boxing champion Manny Pacquiao always prays before his fights. I usually pray, too: before and after sleeping, before eating, when I travel, and even when I am alone.

Prayer is my way of talking with my God. World famous evangelist Billy Graham said prayer is more than asking from God. “Prayer is more than verbally filling in some requisition blank,” he explained.

“It’s fellowship with God! It’s communion with the Lord through praising Him, rehearsing His promises, and then sharing our needs.”

“The prayer power,” says J. Hudson Taylor, “has never been tried to its full capacity… If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and might things which thou knowest not!’”

Christians around the world ought to pray. Jesus Christ Himself taught us how to do it. More often than not, we reason out that we don’t have enough time to pray – to talk with Him and to listen to what He wants us to do.

“How strange it is that you have time

hope this does MY TWO CENTS’ not mean we are going to war. Indonesia has recently flexed its own naval muscles near the region.

We will not be surprised of Malaysia, John Tria Vietnam and Brunei will do ecisouth@gmail.com the same.

Having said that, it is assumed that things are going to be a bit more complicated. A lot more thought will now be waged in dealing with the situation.

More and deeper thought will be needed to fortify the Philippine position as it surely needs to assert its rights to the exclusive economic zone vis-a vis the other interested parties. More common cooperation among these same players with shared interests.

The ruling should welcome a new dawn for ASEAN partnership in our common waters It is therefore time we explored other shipping lanes to bring our products out, in order to shield our trade routes in case China attempts anything drastic to enforce whatever sovereignity it claims in light of its legal defeat. This also has the collateral benefit of developing our export capabilities and industrial muscle in regions other than Central Luzon and CALABARZON. The ports of general Santos and Davao, and their RORO and cargo links with Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and Kota Kinabalu need to be revitalized and established. Perhaps this is the opportunity to take advantage of.

Maybe the terms SUDOPARIM and BIMP EAGA will become the new “buzznyms.”

Developing marine resources and joint patrols This also means having a deeper respect for our marine resources, hectares of which have already been bludgeoned

by China in reclaiming land near the Ka-

layaan isles. Our air and sea monitoring capabilities need to also be strengthened, and our resolve and unity along with the rest of ASEAN needs to be ironclad. These freedom of these sea lanes will and should be a common ground for all of Southeast Asia, as it is in their best common interest to enrich and protect, being at their doorsteps.

Perhaps the agreement made with Indonesia on the management of border waters is a template upon which joint respect for our common marine boundaries and resources can be forged. We can have the same arrangements with Malaysia and Taiwan, with joint patrols against poaching, illegal fishing, terrorism and piracy. These need not be limited to the disputed waters, but for all ommon maritime borders: the Celebes sea, and the northern waters off Batanes.

This time, we need to study our geography more and get to know our frontier provinces a little better. Likewise, we will now have a better understanding, and respect for what is ours.

to eat, to enTHINK ON THESE! tertain guests, to visit people, and to do many other things, but you cannot find time to pray,” wrote Watchman Nee in A BalHenrylito D. Tacio anced Chrishenrytacio@gmail.com tian Life. “Last night, for instance, you acknowledged that a day had passed without you having really prayed.

And hence you decided you would find time the next day to give yourself to pray.

“But on the next day, at the appointed time of prayer, someone turns up knocking at your front door and someone else is looking for you at the back door. How strange that at other times everything is quiet, but at the time of prayer, many odd things begin to happen. If you want to find time for other things, you have the time. It is only when you attempt to find time to pray that you cannot find it.”

In fact, don’t start you day without a word of prayer. Listen to the words of a poet: “I started early with my chores, but even so I started wrong. My labor yielded me no gain, I should have started with a song. I batted time this trying day to find my efforts were a loss. I had to leave

some plans undone, tasks multiplied and I grew cross. Tonight, I ponder while I rest – all day I fought rebellious tares. Yet that has always been my lot, when days do not begin with prayer.”

Someone once told me that he quits praying because God does not answer his prayers. He does! “There are four answers God can give to a prayer,” wrote Robert Schuller. “When the request is not right, God says, ‘No!’ When you are not right, God says, ‘Grow!’ When the time is not right, God says, ‘Slow!’ When everything is right, God says, ‘Go!’” Yes, God answers all our prayers.

There was this story of a little boy talking with a church pastor. “In the church, I heard different men praying,” said the puzzled boy. “It must be awfully hard for God.” The pastor asked gently, “Why? What do you mean?”

The two were walking in the town’s park. “Well, the businessman is praying for a mild weather,” the boy said. “The rice farmer is praying for rain. The corn miller is praying for a sunny day. Now, all three are godly men. How does God know how to answer all their prayers?”

“How is the weather now?” the pastor asked. “Cooler and mild,” the boy replied.

“And last week?” the pastor again asked.

“Let me see – on Monday and Tuesday it rained, and on Thursday , it was hot all day,” the boy answered.

Hearing the boy’s answers, the pastor

asked the little boy to stop walking for the meantime and sit in one of the park’s benches. “See how the Lord answered all their prayers?” Without saying a word, the boy nodded.

What does prayer mean to you? Allow me to quote Kenneth L. Wilson and tell me if his words are your own, too: “There’s something exquisitely about room service in a hotel. All you have to do is pick up a phone and somebody is ready and waiting to bring you breakfast, lunch, dinner, chocolate milkshake, whatever your heart desires and your stomach will tolerate. Or by another languid motion of the wrist, you can telephone for someone who will get a soiled shirt quickly transformed into a clean one or a rumpled suit into a pressed one.

“That’s the concept that some of us have of prayer. We have created God in the image of a divine bellhop. Prayer, for us, is the ultimate room service, wrought by direct dialing. Furthermore, no tipping, and everything charged to that great credit card in the sky. Now prayer is many things, but I’m pretty sure this is not one of the things it is.”

Again, prayer is not just asking something from God. But it is also asking something for Him. One night, a little girl surprised her mother when she concluded her prayer for her family and friends by adding, “And now, God, what can I do for You?”

Where everything is possible

10 NEWS MILF... FROM 1

forcement Agency (PDEA) and other anti-drug units of the AFP, PNP, NBI, BOC and BID shall coordinate with AHJAG and CCCH,” the document reads.

Cuy said the two agreed that there will be information exchange and sharing as well as submission of the MILF of a list of drug personalities identified in all provinces in Mindanao.

Drug-related information from the MILF should be relayed to anti-drug units through the AHJAG and CCCH of the government, he added.

He also pointed out the MILF is allowed to conduct information drive on the ill-effects of illegal drugs in the MILF affected areas as part of its demand reduction activities.

“Such information drive may be conducted in coordination with the barangay, municipal, city or provincial and-drug abuse councils,” Cuy added.

Cuy said the agreement also encouraged other forms of cooperation between the GPH and MILF to complement the effort of the Duterrte administration against drugs.

“We wanted to be careful.

We don’t want the Mamasapano incident to be repeated,” Sueno stressed, adding that

the death of 44-SAF members was a result of the lack of coordination on the ground.

Sueno also emphasized that there was an initial exchange of information between the two parties on Tuesday night and validation will be the next move on the line.

“They have the list of local chief executives and other elected officials in Mindanao involved in illegal drugs,” he said.

When asked if the MILF will include its members involved in illegal drugs, Sueno said, the rebel group is supportive of the Duterte’s move and is willing to cooperate.

The MILF and other law enforcement agencies will start joint anti-illegal drug operations against drug personalities in Mindanao, with focus in ARMM and Central Mindanao by the end of the month.

“Six months will be too long. We will start our operations by the end of the month,” he said. “We wanted this to be a religious activity.”

He said usage of illegal drugs is against the teaching of Islam.

Sueno said reports revealed that supply of drugs in Central Mindanao and ARMM are mostly coming from suppliers in Manila and Cebu.

nel, additional force multipliers have been deployed at the festival venues,” he said.

At least 20 events were organized by the provincial government for this year’s festivity, which has been dubbed as the biggest and grandest celebration in the province.

These are the T’nalak Food Garden and T’nalak Strip; AgriFair; Bahay-Kubo and Plants and Product Display; Regional Agri-Industrial, Technology

and Trade Expo; Mutya ng South Cotabato; LGBT Freedom Night; Mindanao-wide All-Star Cheerdance Competition; Awit Dula at Sayaw: Fun rides and circus; Musical Pop Solo Voice Competition; Hip Hop and Team Ballroom Competition; Motocross; Practical Shooting Competition; T’nalak Marathon and Fun Run; Golf Tournament; Governor’s Charity Ball; and. the T’nalak Festival Tri-People Grand Parade. (PNA)

route was identified as one of the priority routes, aside from the Dumai-Malacca and Belawan-Penang-Phuket routes, which can be formalized in three years as planned by the ASEAN committee on connectivity.

However, the operation cannot be started because interested shipping lines cannot secure permits from the Indonesian government, Romeo Montenegro, director for investment promotions and public affairs of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) earlier said.

Sison said seven shipping line companies from Indonesia and Philippines had expressed willingness to service the route since 2012, when it was proposed.

But regulatory constraints hold the project from pushing forward.

If implemented, the sea route is seen to expand trade, tourism, investment, employment, income due to its close proximity, viability and long history of trading.

Sison added the sea route will open economic opportunities because of the better movement of goods and ser-

vices between the two nations.

Respondents of the survey for follow-up study said the DGB sea route is “more cost effective alternative for Mindanao-based businessmen who are currently using the circuitous Davao-Jakarta/ Singapore-Surabaya routes in transporting their goods in North Sulawesi and neighboring areas.”

Results also revealed that the sea route will provide shorter transit time and faster trade which will reduce transport cost. This will entice more exporters and importers and improve trade activities.

The sea route is expected to “encourage investments with the free flow of intermediate products and raw materials as production inputs” and “strengthen economic cooperation and bilateral relationship with Indonesia.”

Sison said most of the infrastructure problems in the ports in two countries are being addressed by both governments.

He said even businessmen from Luzon and Visayas are waiting for the sea route project because of its viability in market expansion.

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NEW NBI GUY. Newly-instaled National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 11 director Arnold Rosales says the agency is currently monitoring six investment scammers in the region. Rosales was among the guests of yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at the Ritz Hotel. Lean Daval Jr.

Two... FROM 2

the effort of President Rodrigo Duterte, the drug menace is like termites that are gradually eating the moral fiber of our society.

He said the drug problem results in broken family ties “We can only thank God that we have President Dute-

rte leading the way and thank God the people are supporting the campaign,” Rellon said.

He said 4,500 residents surrendered voluntarily during the first meeting conducted by authorities Saturday in Tagum City. (PIA 11Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

national elections.

The 6th SP of Compostela Valley was composed of Honorables Ramil Gentugaya, Paul Galicia, Atty. Arvin Dexter Lopoz, Joseph Jauod, and Neri Barte for the 1st District; and Sr. Board Member (now Governor) Jayvee Tyron Uy, Atty.

Ruwel Peter Gonzaga (now Congressman), Cesar Richa,

Moran Takasan, and Macario Humol for the 2nd district.

Ex-officio members of the council include Indigenous People Representative Augusto Blanco, Philippine Councilors League president Raul Timogtimog and Association of Barangay Captains president Randy Opisan. (Honeylyn Sayson, IDS-Comval)

“We’re looking at eradicating poverty by supporting human resource development through improved education, training and decent work, and the development of our tourism sector,” she said.

Lutayan, which is a sec-

ond class municipality of Sultan Kudarat province, is located north of Koronadal City, Region 12’s regional center and seat, and is predominantly inhabited by Maguindanaoans and Iloko settlers.

(PNA)

”This is not a very encouraging figure, especially when set against the actual number of taxpayers in this country,” he pointed out.

With these, the government plans to expand the electronic filing saturation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from the current 62.5 percent , the large taxpayer service (LTS) and the taxpayer segmentation.

On the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Dominguez said they had realized the urgency to rationalize the import permit requirements since having too many requirements slowed the flow of trade and unnecessarily burden business operations. ”Must of what ails the Customs Bureau is self-inflicted.

The sooner we address the problem of a flawed corporate culture at the Bureau, the better off we will be,” he said.

Dominguez said he had proposed the conduct of new

processes in ports other than the Port of Manila to address crowding in this particular port.

Also part of the reform program is the improvement of organizational capacity of both the BIR and the BOC through exemptions from the salary standardization law (SSL), increased fiscal autonomy, relaxing bank secrecy laws and making tax evasion as predicate crime to money laundering.

Dominguez said he would also appoint Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran as Anti-Red Tape Czar to help in the government’s anti-corruption drive.

Beltran will be tasked to reduce the number of steps and documentary requirements in transacting business with the DOF and all attached bureaus and these include paying taxes, getting tax refunds, and acquiring tax exemption certificates. (PNA)

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stressing that its ‘Nine-DashLine’ claim has no legal basis.

The ruling also added that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone through meddling with Philippine fishing and oil exploration in the region, allowing the illegal entry

of Chinese fishermen into the disputed waters and causing harm to marine environment in the region through its massive reclamation activities.

Such actions, according to the tribunal, had also caused the escalation of tension between the two parties. (PNA)

short term are: revision of the procurement law to simplify and streamline the process; simplifying the permit requirements for infrastructure projects; creating a prioritization list and delineating delivery responsibilities between national and local projects; and, improving the absorptive capacity of key government agencies through better planning and project execution.

He announced in the same event that he has picked hold-

over Undersecretary Gil Beltran to be the “anti-red tape czar” in charge of speeding up processes at the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies, in keeping with President Duterte’s very first directive for all government offices to provide hassle-free frontline services to the public.

Beltran is DOF undersecretary for policy development management and the department’s concurrent chief economist. (DOF)

cases, these are filtered out at the intake.

A pressure pipe (“penstock”) conveys the water from the forebay to the turbine, which is enclosed in the powerhouse together with the generator and control equipment.

After leaving the turbine, the water is discharge down to a “tailrace,” a channel to which the diverted water is returned to its river of origin.

In Bukidnon, the new hydropower is the company’s first project. “It is the biggest capacity undertaken so far,” the statement said, adding that three rivers of the province are being harnessed: Tanaon, Guihean and Amusig.

So far, Hedcor manages and operates 22 hydropower plants and supplies the country with 184 MW of clean and renewable energy.

The Bakun AC Hydro in Alilem, Ilocos Sur produces 70

MW while the Sabangan Hydro in Mountain Province has a capacity of 14 MW. The four hydropower plants in Bineng, La Trinidad has a combined capacity of 10.45 MW. The other seven hydropower plants in Benguet, including those in Tuba, Sabian and Itogon produce 23.70 MW. In Mindanao, Hedcor has also hydropower plants in Davao City and Davao del Sur. In Davao City, the five Talomo plants are located in Mintal (1.55 MW), Calinan (1 MW) and Catalunan Pequeno (1.92 MW).

In Davao del Sur, four hydropower plants are located in Sta. Cruz: Sibulan Hydro A (16.50 MW), Sibulan Hydro B (26 MW), Tudaya Hydro 1 (6.60 MW) and Tudaya Hydro 2 (7 MW).

In Mindanao, more than half of its power comes from hydropower.

and affordable, this apparent reluctance to parlay the benefits of technology can only translate to further inefficiencies via foregone opportunities,” he said.

Tetangco said the bank would continue to work with industry stakeholders to promote modernization in payment system, among others.

(PNA)

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INdulge!

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FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

Vikings Bringhe Negra.

SINCE THE BEGINNING, the Vikings chain of restaurants is known for their luxury buffet spread of massive proportions featuring gastronomic delights that allow guests to, as the company’s slogan says, “Eat like a viking.”

Proof of Vikings commitment to culinary excellence is their recent participation at the Davao Culinary Cup help last month at SM Lanang Premier where the Vikings Lanang team bagged a total of four golds and three bronze medals and to celebrate this achievement, Vikings Lanang held a

Nutty and savory Chicken Pianggang.

Vikings chefs serve gold medal dishes.

Vikings’ GOLD private luncheon for media friends and food bloggers last July 6 for a taste of the winning dishes.

A competition where the best culinary creations are judged by the top chefs of the Philippines, this year’s Davao Culinary Cup was more competitive then the last. According to Vikings’ Executive Chef Anton Abad, a lot of preparation and hard work was done by the Vikings culinary team just for the event.

Lunch started with the bronze medal winning entry for the creative breakfast category where the Vikings team decided to serve My Own Version of Eggs Benedict. A creation of Chef Ray Angelo Galcira, the breakfast platter is a Filipinized version of the classic eggs Benedict with a pan de sal taking the place of the English muffin, beef tapa taking the place of the sausage, and a sous vide egg drenched in Hollandaise sauce infused with local spiced vinegar. A side dish of tempura fried kangkong and salted egg dip completed the hearty breakfast.

The next dish served was Vikings’ Lasagna Mignon. Competing in the pasta category and also taking home the bronze

URBANISSIMO A4

The Ginataang Sitaw, Kalabasa at Sigarilyas also had shrimp as well as pork floss for sweet and salty flavor pops of flavor.

Mangosteen Barbecue Crusted Parrotfish in briny and rich Sea Urchin Butter Sauce.

EDGEDAVAO

A2INdulge!

FOOD

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Easy snacks on a

LAZY AFTERNOON

RELATIONSHIPS ARE LIKE FOOD PAIRINGS – either you hit or miss it. The only difference? Food pairings holds no commitment...no strings attached. In short, easy to let go. Plus, you can always have a change of gastro taste without hurting another. <insert grinning emoticon> Committed to a certain taste and pairing? Experiment. Add a new flavour and enjoy your faves with a new flare. That’s what I did. My taste for food varies .. every so often that I’ll need a new notebook to write my gastro adventures on.

Peanut Butter & Peanut Pancakes By now, you probably know that I love my pancakes and not so much of peanut butter. But. . . we can always have a change of heart, right? Here’s one snack that’s easy to prepare healthy snack you can munch on all throughout the series of The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones.

1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder ¾ cup milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 2 egg whites 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large banana, diced ¼ cup smooth peanut butter ¼ cup roughly chopped peanuts In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Can be done manually or with an electric mixer. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients. Do not overmix the batter.

Gently fold in the banana pieces, peanut butter and chopped nuts. Mix. Lastly, gently fold in the whisked egg whites. Do it gently.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add some oil. Pour cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook on both sides.

TIP: Transfer pancake batter to a squeeze bottle for easy pouring.

Spiced Nuts I stock on these babies.

The best thing? You can play with flavours pairing thus making it unique every single time. Try using pecans, almonds, walnuts over moistened nuts. Toss in sesame seeds.

Spread flavoured nuts on prepared pan. Spread nuts on prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to keep the nuts from charring.

Do not burn the nuts.

Store in an airtight container.

or a combination of everything. Tip: add some chopped up dates and dried fruits too.

1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon water 2 cups nuts (option is yours to keep it whole or halved) ½ cup white sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon cumin powder ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup chopped pitted

dates sesame seeds (fried or not) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet.

Line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat egg white with the water until frothy. Add in nuts and mix well. Use a spatula to coat and moisten the nuts.

In another bowl, mix sugar, salt, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and ground nutmeg. Incorporate well. Sprinkle

Flavoured Potato Wedges This simply screams freedom on my dictionary.

Well, I normally prepare this when I’m at home and do not have any plans for the rest of the day.

Boiled potatoes, skin on, cut in wedges Melted butter 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp cinnamon powder In a clean baking sheet, add potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Just enough to taste.

In a small bowl, mix melted butter, curry powder, turmeric powder and

cinnamon powder.

Coat potatoes with seasoned melted butter. Toss to coat evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned.

For the dip Japanese Mayonnaise Capers, chopped lemon juice salt and pepper In a clean bowl, mix all ingredients. Chill.

Waffles Staying in and drowning in some Karim & Omran (yt:Karimchii) videos is so much fun with these.

I love mine plain, with butter and honey – just like pancakes.

2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups milk ½ cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon white sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat waffle iron.

In a bowl, beat eggsuntil fluffy. Add in flour, milk, oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract.

Mix well; do not deflate the air in the eggs to have fluffier waffles. Make sure to get rid of lumps. For added flavor, you can add some cinnamon powder and ground nutmeg.

Spray preheated waffle iron with cooking spray (oil).

Pour waffle mix onto iron. TIP: Transfer in a squeeze bottle for easy pouring).

Cook until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Might be late but still Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim brothers and sisters.

Make #TheRoyalChef your Thursday habit. Follow my messy foodaffairattheroyalchefeats.wordpress. com and on Instagram at @iamleebai.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

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Kasalang Filipino returns to Abreeza Mall SOON-TO -WED COUPLES WILL BE DELIGHTED TO KNOW that the biggest annual wedding expo in Davao City once again finds its way to Abreeza Mall’s Activity Center from July 15 to 17, 2016.

Abreeza Mall teams up with wedding information resource Kasal.com and the ABS-CBN Regional Network Group to bring Kasalang Filipino 2016, the premier Philippine wedding tourism fair roadshow, to Davao City. Entrance to the event is absolutely free.

Now on its 11th year, Kasalang Filipino tours key cities in the Philippines with the objective of promoting the local wedding and tourism industry. True to its mission, this year’s Davao leg is set to be a showcase of the most notable wedding suppliers, tourist spots, and hotels in the city and in nearby vicinities.

Participating this year are All of Us Cakes, Atelier de Marco, Bottoms Up, Big 8 Corporate Hotel, Camp Holiday Resort and The Venue Party Boat, Cocktails & Dreamsz Mobile Bar, Dazzle Event Planning & Design, D’Leonor Hotel, Eden Nature Park & Resort, Eight Productions, Ever Bilena, Floral Pink Designs, For the Love of Prints, Imagine

Fotofun, Knots Forever, Leticia by the Sea, Marlon Advincula Photography, MJ Mejoeve

Photography, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, September Blooms, The Organic Studios,

Tiny Pinili Hair and Makeup, and Waterfront Insular Hotel.

In addition to the threeday exhibitor extravaganza, Kasalang Filipino 2016 will entertain guests with daily musical sets by local performers. The fair will also give local makeup artists the opportunity to show off their skills with a bridal makeup contest sponsored by Ever Bilena.

The Davao leg of Kasalang Filipino 2016 is made possible with the support of national sponsors Ever Bilena and Wedding and Portrait Photographers of the Philippines, as well as local sponsors Pearl Farm Beach Resort and Eden

Nature Park & Resort Davao.

Media partners are ABS-CBN Regional Network Group, Lifestyle Network, My Only Radio, Metro Weddings Magazine, Metro Home and Entertaining Magazine, Food Magazine, The Manila Times, and Business Mirror.

For more information on Kasalang Filipino 2016, visit www.kasal.com. For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall news and events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook.com/ AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

Sneaker fest, street dance showdown and Rayver Cruz at SM City Davao SNEAKERHEADS ARE IN FOR AN EXCITING TREAT as SM City Davao mounts its first Sneaker Fest on July 22 to 24 at the Annex Event Center. The event will be highlighted with a hip-hop showdown and an album tour pit stop by Rayver Cruz.

An extravagant array of the most fashionable sneakers from leading brands will be available for grabs. Rare and limited edition kicks will also be showcased by the city’s most fervent sneaker collectors.

To kick off the fest, sneaker fans can marvel in a visual art experience and get kicks-inspired at the Digital Art show. Street Dance Battle eliminations will commence on July 23 with the finals happening on July 24. A highly energetic convergence of the region’s best dance crews

is expected to take place at the event center on Saturday and Sunday. Capping off the 3-day festival is Rayver Cruz’s album tour on Sunday, 6PM. Admission to the events is free. For inquiries, interested parties may call the Marketing Department at 297-6998 local 126. Like SM City Davao on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and Instagram for event and promo updates.

July 13-14, 2016

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Although the dishes presented were made specially for the Davao Culinary Cup, the culinary team of Vikings Lanang promise that the dishes will be perfected some more and the flavors and skills learned from the competition will make its way to the dishes they serve at Vikings.

Congratulations to the culinary team headed by Chef Abad, and more power for the upcoming national competition for the gold medalists.

URBANISSIMO A1

medal, the dish that is a brainchild of Chef Edwin Manabat was a cross between a Lasagna and a Fillet Mignon with the noodles, rib-eye steak, and bacon forming the familiar layers of a lasagna.

The flavors of this creative spin on a lasagna were meatier, accentuating the flavors of each individual component.

For his Local Fish dish which also won bronze medal, Chef Vincent Gerope served a Mangosteen Barbecue Crusted Parrotfish, the expertly grilled parrotfish fillet was flaky and meaty which paired well with the tangy, sweet and salty mangosteen barbecue sauce. The addition of a Sea Urchin Butter Sauce together with some mashed potato added some richness to the dish but too much of the rich and briny butter sauce can make the dish a bit too salty.

The golden stars of the lunch arrived in quick succession. Interestingly enough, all of Vikings’ gold medal dishes come from the much competed Filipino Cuisine category.

The parade of gold started with a rich and creamy Ginataang Sitaw, Kalabasa, at Sigarilyas

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT

Breakfast in a roll, Bangsilong Spring Roll.

Lasagna Mignon.

followed by Vikings’ version Chicken Pianggang, a Mindanao chicken dish which utilises coconut meat and tumeric to flavor the chicken giving it a nice nutty taste.

Wanting to bring the

Filipino dining experience to other corners of the archipelago, the gold medal winning team composed of Ramil Solano, Aldrian Saraña, and Wilhelm Quirrante served their version of a Pampangeño

delicacy, Bringhe Negra.

Bringhe is a localisation of the Spanish Paella and taking it one step further, Vikings’ version added squid ink as well as copious amounts of squid, crabs, and shrimp for a true seafood feast.

Lastly, the team played with a deconstructed version of Bangsilog, stuffing the bangus, garlic rice, and egg into a spring roll and frying everything together. Served with vinegar and a bright tomato salsa, the Bangsilog Spring Rolls were a creative and fun way to enjoy simple Filipino fare.

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Audit... FROM 6

suspension,” he added.

Meanwhile, a coalition of organizations and groups who acts as guardians of environment on Wednesday welcomed the call of the DENR chief of a new mining law.

“ATM (Alyansang Tigil Mina) welcomes the pronouncements of DENR Secretary Gina Lopez on mining issues. Particularly, we support the moves to immediately conduct an audit of all mining project, a moratorium on mining applications, and her personal position against open-pit mining. Our alliance also believes that Secretary Lopez made the correct call in stating publicly that we need a new mining law,” the group said in a statement.

According to the group, the mining audit and the moratorium on mining applications are provisions under Executive Order 79 of the Aquino administration, and so these administrative priorities are well past due.

“We commend Secretary Lopez for fast-tracking these audit and putting in place the moratorium within the first 30 days of the Duterte administration. We recommend to Secretary Lopez to ensure that the audit is not limited to technical and operational matters of mining projects but also look into social, economic, political, health and gender impacts of these mining projects to the host-communities,” it said.

ATM said it is also critical that pending/live legal cases or complaints against mining companies and their operations are investigated as part of the audit.

“We categorically support the ban on open-pit mining policy, particularly in areas designated and identified by the DENR-MGB as ‘No-Go Zones’,” they said.

These no-go zones have been reflected in maps produced by MGB, and should be strictly implemented, it added.

ATM believes that responsible mining remains to be a myth, and it has no legal definition yet.

The proposed Alternative Minerals Resources Bill (AMMB) otherwise known as the Philippine Mineral Resources Act (PMRA) pending in Congress is the group’s proposal to frame the legal and operational definition of responsible mining.

“We challenge both the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) and the DENR to seriously consider the AMMB as a starting point to discuss the concept of responsible mining,” it stressed.

“We assert that responsible mining cannot be reduced to ISO certification, as earlier proposed by DENR-MGB,” it added.

The group also expressed support to Lopez’s attempt to bring change to DENR. “The mining-affected communities, their support groups, and even LGUs (local government units) are more than willing to submit reports, evidence, affidavits, petitions, testimonies, case studies and other relevant information to push forward with her change agenda within the DENR, in alignment with the instructions of President (Rodrigo) Duterte,” it said. (PNA)

NEWS 11

Solon seeks to raise pay of public school teachers A

RE-ELECTED lawmaker has appealed to his colleagues in the 17th Congress to support the country’s public school teachers by increasing their basic monthly salary to at least P36,000.

Rep. Raul Del Mar (1st District, Cebu City) said public school teachers are among underpaid workers in society. Despite the fact that they are heralded as molders of children’s future, they receive only less than twenty thousand a month each for their basic salary.

Del Mar filed a bill that seeks to upgrade the salary grade level of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools from the present Salary Grade (SG) 11 to SG 20.

“Teachers are considered to be the prime mover of the

education system; hence, the government needs to give priority to their interest and welfare,” Del Mar said.

Del Mar said based on the third phase of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL 3), public school educators currently receive a minimum salary of P18,549. Government employees under SG 20, meanwhile, have a basic monthly rate of P36, 567.

Del Mar pushed for the measure citing Article XIV, Section 4 [1] of the Constitution, which provides that the State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of education institutions.

Article XIV, Section 5 [5]

of the Constitution also states that The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through the adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Under Del Mar’s measure, the upgrade in the teachers’ salary shall be adjusted in accordance with their qualifications and length of service and shall not be prejudiced by across the board adjustments.

The bill mandates the national government to allocate the necessary amount to fund the salary increase of educators, provided, that the salary increase of public school teachers shall take priority

over other non-educational and non-agricultural budgetary allocations.

It also requires the Department of Education (DepEd) to immediately come up with the specific programmed budget needed to cover the expenses for the upgrading in salary levels for all the corresponding teacher plantilla positions over a period of five years.

This is to allow the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to make the necessary budgetary adjustments to facilitate the smooth implementation of this Act. The DepEd and the DBM are directed to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. (House of Representatives)

passing a comprehensive law that will cover all branches of government, including the legislative and the judiciary,” said Angara, who has filed anew an FOI bill among his top priority measures.

The FOI bill mandates all government agencies to make available to the public for scrutiny, copying and reproduction all information pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as government research data used as basis for policy development.

The proposed measure, however, provides for some exemptions including information that: directly relates to national security or defense; pertains to foreign affairs that would seriously jeopardize the diplomatic relations of the Philippines if revealed; were obtained in executive session; pertains to personal information that would clearly constitute an unwarranted invasion of one’s privacy if disclosed; pertains to trade secrets; and, were classified as privileged

communications in legal proceedings.

Angara, who has been pushing for the enactment of FOI since his days in Congress, pointed out that the biggest challenge for FOI champions is convincing the grassroots that it is a much-needed measure.

“How do we convince a person living in a far-flung area, which has no Internet access, that a piece of information would make his life better.

That’s the fundamental challenge we have. (Senate)

Angara says EO won’t stop Congress from passing FOI Law

S

ENATOR Sonny Angara has stressed that the Congress should still prioritize the passage of a Freedom of Information (FOI) law despite the plans of the Duterte administration to issue an executive order that would enforce FOI within the executive branch.

“President Duterte should be congratulated for implementing these very important rules on transparency. He is walking his talk. This shouldn’t, however, stop Congress from

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EDGE DAVAO is in need of 2 reporters for immediate hiring. * College degree holder (Communication Arts graduate preferred, but not required) * Capable of writing English news and feature stories on business and governance * Has potentials of becoming editor

Submit application letter and curriculum vitae to: Antonio M. Ajero Editor-in-Chief Edge Davao ajero_antonio@yahoo.com 09274733467

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NEWS 13

ePLDT bolsters enterprise cloud adoption through Cloud Professional Services

I

N the era of cloud computing, where most IT practitioners have become familiar with the meaning of cloud and the benefits of scalability, flexibility, and potential cost savings it brings, there are enterprises that are still hesitant to make the move. A common objection is the lack of industry-level skills needed to manage the cloud. Enterprises encounter possible staffing and training hurdles since newly hired IT personnel may initially lack cloud experience or may go through a learning

curve before becoming a cloud expert. This is apart from the tedious migration and management tasks that take up much of the IT department’s time instead of allowing them to focus on strategic areas of the business.

In line with its commitment in enabling enterprises to maximize the potential of cloud technology, ePLDT has expanded its portfolio of solutions to include Cloud Professional Services.

The new service line from ePLDT, the digital enter-

prise enabler of the country’s leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT, Inc., provides enterprise customers access to expert consulting and support for their cloud environments. It is also introduced on top of the PLDT Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service offering, allowing customers to get the expertise when and where they need it. ePLDT’s Cloud Professional Services focuses on three main areas: Expert Cloud Consulting, with ePLDT handling the creation of a cloud strategy roadmap and evaluating systems for migration so top-tier customers can optimize the cloud’s benefits; Expert Cloud Deployment and Migration, which lets customers outsource the transition of select enterprise applications and services to the cloud for improved efficiency and scalability; and Expert Cloud Systems Operations (SysOps), which includes managing and monitoring customers’ daily cloud functions such as capacity, network, backup and storage, maintenance and troubleshooting.

The introduction of these services aims to further boost cloud adoption in the Philippines.

14 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

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New Modulo variants for 2016 Civic I

F there’s one thing noticeably missing during the 2016 Honda Civic’s April launch was the availability of Modulo styling kits. Well, the wait is over as Honda Cars Philippines has officially launched the Civic Modulo variants.

With over 2,300 reservations thus far, the allnew Civic is enhancing its sporty appeal with the new Modulo variants. Each of the three Civic Modulo variants come equipped with a Front Under Spoiler, Side Under Spoiler, Rear Under Spoiler, Exhaust Pipe Finisher, and of course, a Modulo emblem. Inside, they all get a Side Step Garnish.

Further differentiating

the three variants, the 1.8 E CVT Modulo adds a deck lid spoiler while the RS Turbo Modulo Sport receives a set of matte black Modulo alloy wheels in a 17-inch diameter.

Honda is now accepting reservations of the Civic Modulo variants with the following SRP: P 1,143,000 (1.8 E Modulo); P 1,445,000 (RS Turbo Modulo); and P 1,510,000 (RS Turbo Modulo Sport).

These three variants join the rest of the Civic line-up whose prices remain unchanged: P 1,088,000 for the 1.8 E CVT and P 1,398,000 for the RS Turbo.

Review: 2016 Porsche Macan

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OMPACT crossovers are characterized by four general characteristics: five doors, five seats, higher ground clearance, and a commanding seating position. The devil is in the details though as every carmaker, whether mainstream or premium, has put their own unique stamp on this proven formula. For a brand such as Porsche though, there’s extra scrutiny involved; after all, this is the carmaker that’s renowned the world over for creating poster-worthy flights of fancy. All eyes are set on the Macan—a compact crossover that blazes its own trail and doesn’t follow the lead of others.

The design brief of the Macan is fairly simple: cre-

ate a genuine Porsche in everything from design to driving dynamics while delivering what’s required of a class-leading premium compact crossover. In that regard, it delivers beautifully.

It’s all about sporty style and performance engineered for the racetrack injected into everyday driving.

It starts with the Macan’s exterior which lays bare the

dominant sporty genes of Porsche’s hereditary line.

Compared to other crossovers, it’s much more curvaceous with a strong 911-like silhouette. It’s characterized by the integrated headlights with four-point LED daytime running lights, the large imposing air intakes, and the stretched hood that flow onto the wheel arches. The side profile itself is muscular while the roofline slopes distinctively down the back.

Overall, it draws a customary sports car profile that designers call the Porsche flyline.

Inside, the strong lineage continues. Porsche has always emphasized that the driver and car must form a single entity, and the Ma-

can harks back to that tradition. As the creator of the iconic 911, the ergonomic architecture integrates one into the vehicle. The essentials are all seen at a glance.

The instrument cluster has a three-tube design with a central tach—just like a sports car. The ascending center console looks imposing and requires some time to master, but it allows easy

access to the most important vehicle functions while looking somewhat aeronautical inspired. Every surface too speaks of high quality with soft-touch plastics, padded leather inserts, and brushed aluminum accents.

One area where the Macan splits from its familial roots is in its packaging. It offers ample space not just for the pilot and co-pilot upfront, but it allows two (three in a squeeze) more friends to tag along for the ride.

Compared to some compact crossovers, the rear quarters are a bit tight, but the seats themselves are comfortable.

Finished in a combination of leather and Alcantara, they’re supportive, supple, and perfect for long drives

out of town. Plus, when not in use, it folds down in a three-way split for added luggage space.

Equally impressive is the Macan’s generous list of standard features. Typically, Porsche wants customers to dig through its long list of options to feel satisfied, but even the base Macan comes reasonably loaded. Outside, it features automatic bi-xe-

non HID headlights, 18-inch alloys, power folding mirrors, and LED rear lighting.

Inside, the driver’s seat moves electrically, the tailgate has power operation, the climate control has three configurable zones, and the Porsche Communication Management or PCM now includes Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony. For safety and security, it even has front and rear proximity sensors with a rear parking camera. The only glaring thing missing is cruise control.

And speaking of drives, the Macan must have performance built in as standard; after all, it’s expected from the purveyors of the 911.

This starts with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cyinder motor that generates 252 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque.

There’s a subtle hesitation in power delivery, but once it delivers the goods, it delivers them with a knockout punch. The century mark arrives in just 6.7 seconds and terminal velocity is at 223 km/h. The entire experience actually livens up because of the lightning response of the Porsche Doppelkupplung or PDK. This dual clutch automatic features quick up- and downshifts letting the driver experience motorsport-style gear changes. It also incorporates a coasting mode which reduces fuel consumption.

And speaking of fuel efficiency, it does 6.02 km/L in the city (average speed 16

km/h) and 16.12 km/L on the highway (average speed 52 km/h).

The electromechanical steering is weighty and responsive; perfectly matching the sporty characteristics of the Macan’s suspension tuning. It still cannot negate the laws of physics when being thrown into a corner at high speed, but there’s a great degree of neutrality, balance, and willingness to rotate that’s unheard of in this segment. The

rear-biased all-wheel drive system also allow for increased driving dynamics and stability. It works its magic, sending power in an infinite split to the set of wheels that need it the most. Together with the mixed tires, it offers great traction and agility. Though not expected of it, there’s even a dedicated OffRoad mode that re-calibrates the drivetrain (throttle, gearbox, torque split) to maximize traction for temporary off the beaten path excursions.

JASKIN PAWNSHOP

Notice of Auction Sale All Jewelry and other items pawned at Jaskin Pawnshop San Perdo Street, Davao City during the months of January to February 2016 if not redeemed or renewed will be sold to the public on July 27, 2016 at our pawnshop premises.

July 11,12,13, 2016

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

PACQUIAO COMEBACK R Arum prepares for Pacman’s ring return

SPORTS 15

PH netters face Chinese-Taipei

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yet.

ANNY Pacquiao isn’t ready to give up his night job just

Pacquiao, who said before his last fight in April that he would retire, now plans to return to the ring in November against an opponent who has yet to be selected.

Promoter Bob Arum said on Tuesday (Wednesday, Mania time) that Pacquiao got permission to take a break from his new duties as a senator in the Philippines to take another fight. It will be held Nov. 5, likely in Las Vegas.

“He likes to fight and he likes the attention,” Arum said of Pacquiao’s return.

Pacquiao looked impressive in his last fight in April, returning from a layoff to

knock down Timothy Bradley on his way to a unanimous decision. After the fight he wavered on his previous plans to retire.

“If you ask me to come back I don’t know,” Pacquiao said. “I may be enjoying retired life. I’m not there yet so I just don’t know.”

Pacquiao, who was formerly a congressman in his native country, was elected to the Senate in May and there were fears that increased duties would prevent him from fighting again.

But Arum said the head of the Senate told Pac-

quiao he was free to fight after the country’s budget is settled on Oct. 15.

“He would train in the Philippines and leave on the 16th to come to the US, train for two weeks and then come to Vegas,” Arum said.

“The only issue is getting an arena for the fight.”

Arum said he is talking with MGM Resorts about an arena to host the fight. He had reserved the Mandalay Bay arena for Oct. 15, but Pacquaio can’t leave his Senate duties that early.

The fight also could be at the UNLV campus arena, he said, though UNLV would have to move a scheduled basketball exhibition from t h e date.

There were reports that Pacquiao might fight Adrien Broner, but Arum said he wanted the same money as Pacquiao, which was a non-starter. Another possible opponent would be Jesse Vargas, who fights for Top Rank, and holds a piece of the welterweight title.

Pacquiao was off for nearly a year after losing in May 2015 to Floyd Mayweather Jr., healing from a shoulder injury. But he seemed reinvigorated after beating Bradley in April in a performance that got good reviews from most, including trainer Freddie Roach.

“When I see Manny Pacquiao like that, this is the best Manny Pacquiao,” Roach said after the fight.

“He hasn’t missed a beat.

I would like to see him fight again.”

EVENGE will be the foremost motivation of the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team when it hosts Chinese Taipei in their Asia/Oceania Group 2 semifinal tie on July 15-17 at Philippine Columbian Association shell/clay courts.

Led by non-playing team captain Karl Santamaria, the PH Cuppers appeared as guests during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakeys Malate where they vowed to get back at the Taiwanese who beat them the past three ties.

“In our minds we prefer to use it as motivation. It’s about time we win against them,” said Santamaria who was joined by recent Wimbledon doubles semifinalist Treat Huey, recent ITF France Futures 13 doubles champion Ruben Gonzales, Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon.

“All of them here were part of the three setbacks,” said added Santamaria, who said the Philippines still holds a 4-3 edge over the visitors in all Davis Cup encounters.

“I would like to invite everyone to come out and watch the matches. Obviously it’s for our advantage,” said Gonzales who in the recent tie against

the Taiwanese played five setter against top gun Lu Yenhsun that lasted for four hours.

“I can’t guarantee a victory but definitely I will give my best, last year I played fourhour, five-set match in singles, I will give the same effort this time and hopefully get a good results,” added Gonzales.

Huey, who is ranked 24th in the world, assured the crowd of “some great tennis this weekend,” but maintained that Chinese Taipei is still the favorite.

“We lost to them last three times. It’s time to get our revenge,” said Huey who partnered with Belarusian Max Mirnyi in finishing in the semis at All England Clubs after bowing to top seeds and World No. 1 pair Nicholas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France.

“They are a little bit of a favourite going to the match and we hope to make an upset this weekend,” Huey added.

Santamaria is keeping his cards close to his chest and won’t reveal who are playing in singles and doubles, but added that, “we will do whatever we feel is best for our campaign.”

Drawing of lots will be on Thursday at 10 a.m. also at PCA.

NOT THIS YEAR. Manny Pacquiao says no comeback fight will happen this year contrary to reports.

DAVIS CUP. Treat Huey (middle) leads a Philippine team seeking to end a long losing streak against Chinese Taipei in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 2 semifinal tie.

500 contenders expected in 2016 PCA Minda Championships A

ROUND 500 participants are expected to see action in the 2016 PCA (Philippine Cubers Association) Mindanao Championships at the Felcris Centrale this coming August 13-14 in time for the annual Kadayawan Festival, which will feature 15 different categories as well as a number of side events.

According to Richert Jay Pinca, the Chief Admin Officer of the organizing PCA Davao Chapter, ‘Speedcubing’ or the international competition, which traces its roots from the old school Rubick’s Cube has already evolved by leaps and bounds and has found a number of enthusiasts here in the country, particularly here in Mindanao, who have found a new kind of thrill and excitement by incorporating some variety and time control in their practice.

‘This competition has gone a long way since the

conception of the Rubick’s Cube way back in the 80’s.

Now there are a number of shapes and sizes for cubes and there’s the part where speed and time control have been introduced to the whole practice or process of solving each specific pattern,’ Pinca said.

For the Mindanao Championships, there will be a multitude of events for the girls and boys divisions of this unique and fairly new kind of mentally charged competition namely, the 2X2, the 7X7, 3 X3, 4X4, 5X5, 6X6, the Pyraminx (triangle shaped), Megaminx (Octagon), the Rubick’s Clock, the Square-One, the 3X3 One Handed, 3X3 Blindfolded, the 3X3 Multiple Blindfold and the 3X3 and 7X7 Solve

By Feet.

‘We’re really hoping to break our record last year in Tagum City which was 300 participants. We’re inviting students from various

SPEEDCUBING, THE TRACK LEAGUE AND ONE BIG FOOTRACE. The guests during last Tuesday’s weekly SCOOP (Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines) Dabaw Sports Session at the Royal Mandaya Hotel (from left) TRMH Gen. Manager Benjamen Banzon, Hunat Dabaw 4 Chair Megzyl Rose Jolejole, Blue Knights Track League Season 2

Tournament Manager Airnel Abarra and Philippine Cubers Association Davao Chief Admin Officer Richert Pinca along with photographer Ricardo ‘Boy’ Lim, Beefit Gym’s Jimmy Javier, SCOOP president and Mirror Sports Ed Leonard Paul Palo and other members of the PCA. (Anna Calixijan/SCOOP DVO)

schools here in Davao City as well as other enthusiasts to join this event which will also be having an Art Competition based on Speedcubing, a Model Search Contest for Speedcubing, a Puzzle Exhibit, and a Product Launch

by China based cube makers Mofangge and Qiyi Toys. We will also be giving away special awards and prizes for the school with the most number of participants and the Youngest Cuber,’ Pinca said.

In closing he cited that some of the country’s national record holders for Speedcubing from Luzon and the Visayas will be gracing this affair which is also being held in partnership with A.P.P. Events UNLTD, Mo Fang Ge, X-Man Design, Qiyi Toys, the WCA, Guhit Pinas, the Valk, I Am A Cuber Enterprise and Felcris Centrale. For more info contact 09392980158 or 09169034148, 09778359800 or 09165518840.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 9 ISSUE 99 • THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

STRONG START O

Ella Nagayo fires her best round, tied for 29th, 9 strokes off leader

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

BIG EASY. Ella Nagayo of Davao City and Team Philippines relaxes before the start of her round as she watched the other competitors.

njb@edgedavao.net

N A day that was near perfect, Alessandra Christine Nagayo was in fighting distance in terms of scoring, if only there were not too many good ones in this level.

Brandishing a steady driver and putting with surgical precision, the 12-year old Nagayo fired her best ever round in international play finishing with a respectable six-over par 78 and just nine shots adrift of the leaders at the start of the 2016 IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego, California on Tuesday (Wednesday PH Time).

Nagayo, daughter of former councilor Rachel and businessman-nurse Danny Nagayo, started jittery in the frontside of Bernardo Heights Country Club opening with four bogeys and a double in the par 4 5th for a six over 42 coming out.

But on her return to the clubhouse in the backside, Nagayo waxed hot. She scored regulation pars from the 10th to 14th before hobbling with a bogey 5 on par 4 15th. She quickly recovered her touch in the hole with a birdie on the par 3 16th before downing pars in the par 5 17th and the par 4 18th.

Nagayo was fresh from an 8th place finish in a warm up tournament last week also in California.

Japan’s Tsubasa Kajitani and Fremont’s Borina Sutikto sizzled with identical 3 under par 69 to take a share of the lead. Three others broke par with Cheuk Yee Chloe Tan of Hongkong at two under (70), Alexa Pano of Florida and Phanarai Meesom-us of Thailand (71).

Over at the Carlton Oaks Country Club, another Dabawenyo Zeus Sara finished with a six over par 78 and tied for 36th.

The IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships is the largest international event in the world and is unique for its international representation and cultural diversity.

The tournament was first held in 1952 and in its inaugural year, 475 juniors participated in the event representing seven countries and 20 states.

Today, the tournament has grown to 1200 participants representing 56 countries and 42 states.

TEE OFF. Ella Nagayo tees off from hole no. 1.