Edge Davao | Vol 11 Issue 243 | Wednesday, February 27, 2019

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

P 15.00 • 16 PAGES

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2 LAWYERS, CHIEFTAIN, ENTREP, EDUCATOR WIN ‘BAGO’ AWARDS P2

EDGE DAVAO Serving a seamless society

LASTING PEACE. Young Muslims, who will benefit from the lasting peace and prosperity of the ratified Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), walk by a mosque on their way to madrasah school in Brgy. 23-C Mini-forest, Davao City over the weekend.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was officially changed to new Bangsamoro region as the 80-mem-

WORK THAT BUDDY! INDULGE A1

ber Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has assumed leadership in a ceremonial turnover and transition held in Cotabato City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr

PLASTIC BAN Councilors for gradual phaseout of plastic products

By RALPH LAWRENCE LLEMIT

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ome members of the Davao City Council believe the citiwide total ban on single use plastic should not be implemented immediately as it will have an economic implication.

“Let us not immedi- these plastics,” Councilor ately ban in an instant it Maria Belen Sunga Acosta because we also have to said on Tuesday during the think of our businessmen Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong who has still stocks of press conference at the

Sanggunian Panlungsod.

Acosta, an environment advocate, said that the implementation should have a gradual phase out as she believes it may have an impact on employment. She said that there are some manufacturers who will

cut down on manpower if they stop producing these prodicts.

Another councilor, Mary Joselle Villafuerte said the city should reinforce the Solid Waste Management ordinance that was passed in 2012.

Villafuerte is suggesting that there should be a separate day in the collection of plastic wastes so that residents and other establishments will be encouraged to separate their garbage.

The city government

has been mulling on the total phase out of the single-use plastics to protect the environment.

In August last year, the city government initiated the banning of all disposable plastic items such as

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

LIGA NG MGA BARANGAY. President Rodrigo Duterte waves to the guests upon his arrival at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for his attendance to the 1st National Assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas on Monday evening.

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

2 lawyers, chieftain, entrep, Commuters still wait long despite PHABS educator win‘Bago’awards

By ADAM B. MORRELL

By REY ANDREW ALONSAGAY

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wo lawyers, an outstanding lady entrepreneur, a tribal chieftain and an educator are this year’s “Datu Bago” awardees.

They are lawyers Koronado B. Apuzen and Antonio B. Partoza, Jr., Ines P. Mallari, Datu Rodolfo M. Mande, and Mary Ann Maceda Montemayor.

The list of the 2019 Datu Bago awardees was read in a privilege speech during the 8th regular session this year of the Sangguniang Panglungsod by Dr. Pilar C. Braga, a member of the Datu Bago Foundation itself.

Councilor Braga is a Datu Bago awardee herself.

Apuzen is a lawyer who used the law to serve the marginalized and vulnerable sectors of Davao City.

He developed ways to boost his clients’ incomes and improve their lives through

community-based, organically grown, and multi-cropping farming methods for banana plantations owned and managed by farmers’ cooperatives.

His commitment to social justice and sustainable economic growth extends to his advocacy for the environment by protecting selected slopes of Mount Apo to prevent erosion and enhance soil and water conservation.

Partoza was the man behind the famous Partoza Durian Farm as he was considered one of the pioneers in durian farming in Davao where his premier variety of durian was recognized nationally and internationally.

He was one of the pillars of

the Mindanao Fruit Industry Development Council.

He was also known for his more than 30 years of service to Balay Pasilungan, a privately-funded homeless shelter for street children of Davao City. He also used his entrepreneurial and leadership skills in the service of marginalized communities in the city through the Rotary, the Philippine Jaycees, the YMCA, Gawad Kalinga, and Couples for Christ.

Mallari, a third generation war-displaced Japanese descendant, dedicated her life in the restoration of the identity of Davaoeno Japanese descendants as war-displaced Filipino-Japanese descendants and orphans who are entitled to certain rights and benefits.

As an educator, she worked with young people

in the Philippines and in Japan and helped them provide alternatives through sports and other educational and skills training programs.

Her work was recognized during a meeting with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in 2016 and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife in 2017.

Datu Mande, a Matigsalug tribal leader from Marilog, Davao City, used his education degree to promote literacy in the remotest Matigsalug villages and is considered as one of the pioneer teachers of the Foundation Learning for Indigenous Children (FLIC) of the Tribal Mission Foundation International. He contributed to the development of a culture-specific curriculum

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fter the implementation of the Peak Hours Augmentation Bus Service (PHABS) which addressed the concerns of underserved commuters in particular areas of Davao City, many commuters, according to Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head Dionisio Abude, still suffer long waiting period during peak hours due to limited city buses.

At the sidelines of the launching Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT) for Mindanao held yesterday in the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the CTTMO chief said they recently conducted a survey in Toril and Catalunan Grande, the priority recipients of the Memorandum Circular No. 2019-009 issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), couple of days after the operations began.

However, the lack of city

buses and operators are limiting the potential of the service which was requested by the City Government of Davao.

Thus, the suggestion of permitting provincial buses, those huge ones’ that travel to far places, might be considered next which enables to address the lasting concerns of underserved commuters.

Technically, only seven city buses are currently operating with four of those plying Toril District and the other three units are serving Catalunan Grande routes, quite far from the 20 units opened by the LTFRB. LTFRB regional director Cattleya Acaylar, on the other hand, said the operation of provincial buses would be possible upon the request of the City Government of Davao.

CTTMO is also looking at the suggestion of expanding PHABS to routes of Mintal, Cabantian and Sasa.

lose to 600 members of the Obu-Manobo tribe in the far-flung village of Tambobong, Baguio District, Davao city declared the communist New People's Army (NPA) as "persona non grata" in their ancestral lands.

The "persona non grata" declaration -- literally meaning "unwelcome person" -- came during Monday's culmination activity of the threeday peace-building seminar attended by the tribe.

Datu Joel Unad, chairman of the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council of Elders, said the three-day seminar also resulted in the passing

of a joint barangay and tribal council resolution calling for the closure of an alleged NPA-supported school run by the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI) in the area.

Unad said the villagers also hailed the surrender of 30 members of the Militia ng Bayan, a mass-based support group of the NPA and its mother organization, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Unad said the

City tribe declares PMAP wants irrelevant academic Davao NPA 'persona non grata' courses abolished or integrated C

By RALPH LAWRENCE LLEMIT

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uman resources associates are saying that there are existing academic programs that are non-generating but abolishing it is not that easy.

People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) Davao chapter vice president Roland Suico said that it is difficult to abolish a certain program that is running based on a business perspective.

Suico, a former tertiary

education professor, said that although the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) conducts a national study on academic programs that based on demand, school owners ignore the findings as long as the course is still “profitable”.

“For as long as there are still many takers, enrolees and the program is still sustainable, they would opt to keep it, because they invested it already, especially those programs that are required

with laboratories and other machineries,” Suico said on Tuesday.

He also said that abolishing certain courses would also take time in the same manner as when these institutions applied for accreditation on a certain course. The abolishing and accreditation of a program must be coursed through CHED. “We suggest that school owners should sit down with us and with CHED to strate-

gize how to abolish or integrate certain existing courses and programs,” Suico said.

PMAP is a non-profit organization with over 1,800 member companies and individual practitioners engaged or interested in human resource/industrial relations work.

In a previous report, Dr. Raymund P. Arcega, president of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities

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VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

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PH-wide traffic program launched in Davao City

By ADAM B. MORRELL

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ISSUES. Councilor Ma. Belen Sunga-Acosta talks about the city government of Davao’s advocacy of banning single use plastic and its impact on the economy and her take on the planned bicycle lane ordinance during Pulong Pulong ni Pulong at Sangguning Panlungsod bldg. in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr

o address traffic congestion not only in Metro Davao but also in the entire Mindanao, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the InterAgency Council for Traffic (i-Act) Region 11 on Tuesday, February 26 at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Grandstand along San Pedro St., extension Davao City.

I-Acts' popular slogan "Magkaisang kabig sa tamang direksyon, dahil ang Trapiko, Trapik Mo" binds different government agencies together to bust the major traffic problem in the country.

After launching it first in Luzon and in Visayas next, i-Act has now reached the presidential region to spread its advocacy of reducing traffic congestion, illegal parking, colorum, out-of-line vehicles and illegal terminals among others.

Under the umbrella of i-Act are the Local Government Unit (LGU)s, Land Transpira-

tion Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) among others.

During the launch, DOTr assistant secretary (Asec) Manuel Gonzales, national i-Act chief and Asec Eymardo Diokno Eje, project implementation for Mindanao, explained the program.

MMDA chairman Danilo Delapuz Lim, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III, 10th Infantry Division Mgen Jose Faustino Jr., DCPO city director Pssupt Alexander Tagum, LTFRB regional director Cattleya Acaylar and Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head Dionisio Abude graced the launching with their presence.

Right after the launching, i-Act 11 began its immersion by conducting an operation in Davao City.

o whom do you turn over the government after a

ang gobyerno? Doon sa kalaban niya sa pulitika (To whom are you going to turn over the government? The rival politician)?" Duterte said.

“You better stop it. Kung ganun ‘wag kayong makialam (don’t get involved).

If that is your habit. What for?” he asked.

The President also urged both military and police to instead return the government to the Filipino people.

“Sabi ko sa kanila kung mag-kudeta kayo, mag-mutiny kayo, ‘wag mong isauli sa pulitiko, isauli mo sa Pilipino (I told them, if you’re going to attempt a coup d’etat or mutiny, don’t return it to politicians, return it to Filipinos),” he said.

Meanwhile, Duterte

DATA pushes for DC “T as next film, tv hub

PRRD scolds military, cops for coup attempts

By RALPH LAWRENCE LLEMIT

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he Davao Tourism Association (DATA) is pushing for Davao City as the next hub for major film and television productions which is seen to boost the city’s tourism and economy.

DATA president Gatchi Gatchalian said DATA recently created a film tourism council that will push for potential prospects both from national and international film and TV outfits to make Davao City as their production location.

“We wanted Davao to be promoted as a location for big productions,” Gatchi said.

DATA recently appointed Davao writer-reporter Rudolph Alama as vice president for film tourism, who is also the festival director for the Mindanao Film Festival (MFF).

For his part, Alama said his group is pushing for the Davao City Film Council to train its efforts not only in the city but in the entire region. He added that the film tourism council could

Ballot printing 'at full capacity': Comelec

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he printing of ballots to be used in the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections (NLE) at the National Printing Office (NPO) is now averaging 1.1 million per day, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported Monday.

The total number of ballots to be printed is 63,662,481.

With this, the poll body noted that they have already completed the printing of 1.7 million overseas absentee voters’ ballots last February 16.

The voting for overseas voters will begin on April 13, a month ahead of election day in the country.

Aside from the OAV ballots, the poll body said ballots for other priority areas have also been completed, which include provinces formerly comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Region 13 or the Caraga Administrative Region, and Region 12 or Soccsksargen.

“Printing of ballots for these areas will be followed by

those for the Visayas provinces, Luzon provinces, and lastly the National Capital Region (NCR),” the Comelec said in a statement.

At present, the total number of ballots already printed stands at 11,346,352, or 17.82 percent of the total number of ballots to be printed.

There are 61,843,750 registered voters for the May 13 polls, but more than 1.1 million ballots will be printed for use in the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) process, while the rest are demonstration ballots allotted for vote-counting machine (VCM) roadshow and demonstration purposes.

On the other hand, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they are on track to hit their target of finishing the printing by April 25. Ballot printing started on February 9.

Meanwhile, the poll body will create the Comelec Controlled Committee (CCC), in case an area will be declared under its control.

help local filmmakers.

“Aside from employment and revenue generation, we could also learn from their (international filmmakers) best practices, including technology transfer,” Alama said citing that the city has been previously set as location for various film projects.

In 2007, the thriller-movie “I Come with the Rain” was shot in the city.

The film stars American actor Josh Hartnett, Japanese actor Takuya Kimura and Korean actor ByungHun Lee.

In 2013, South Korean sports film, “No Breathing”, which starred Lee Jong-suk, Seo In-guk and Kwon Yur, was partly shot in Davao City.

Notable TV series were also shot in the city including ABS-CBN’s “Maria Mercedes”, starring Jessy Mendiola, and GMA 7’s “I Heart Davao”, staring real-life couples Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez.

Alama said that DATA wanted to maximize the city’s potential to host huge film and TV produc-

FDATA, P10

coup?”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte raised this question to military and police officers during the first national assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas in Pasay City on Monday night.

The event coincided with the commemoration of the 33rd People Power Revolution where both military and police played a huge part in removing dictator former president Ferdinand Marcos from office.

Duterte specifically scolded military and police officers for joining coup attempts to return the power of the government to political rivals.

“Kanino mo i-turn over

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DATU BAGO AWARDEES. Councilor Pilar Braga announces the five awardees of this year’s Datu Bago Awards during a regular session at Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday. Braga said the awardees were chosen for their outstanding and selfless contribution to the growth and development of Davao City. Lean Daval Jr

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Moody’s hails rice tariff law, BSP Charter amendment

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SNACK. A young hawker peddles snack food outside Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday where foot traffic is heavy. Lean Daval Jr

oody’s Investors Service considers both the rice tarrification law and the amendment in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Charter as “plusses” that will further strengthen the central bank’s capacity.

The two measures were among those signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last February 15. “(These) will enhance macroeconomic and financial stability, a credit positive for the sovereign,” the debt rater said in a report dated February 23, 2019.

Economic managers pushed for rice tarrification to liberalize rice importation, ensuring adequate supply in the country and thus, prevent shortages. The law, which is expected to become effective on March 5, is seen to help prevent a

repeat of last year’s inflation surge.

Prior to this, the government used the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme.

Authorities project the tarrification to reduce inflation by around 0.7 percentage points.

Rice, which is the Filipino’s staple food, accounts for about 9 percent of the consumer price index (CPI).

“We expect the expected increase in the volume of rice imports will diminish the price volatility of rice, helping insulate Filipino households’ consumption to adverse agricultural shocks,” it said.

Meanwhile, the amendment of the BSP Charter expands the central bank’s supervisory oversight over non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) The report

angko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. helped boost people’s confidence on the banking industry despite his “brief yet substantial” tenure.

This was pointed out by the Security Bank Corporation (Security Bank) Monday as it cited Espenilla’s contribution despite his short stint as BSP chief.

Espenilla died Saturday after battling cancer, which he was diagnosed in November 2017.

In a statement, the bank explained that “as a public servant, Governor Espenilla led the banking industry into the unchartered waters of technological innovation and transformation.”

“His 40-year experience as a central banker brought confidence from the industry to be unafraid in innovating itself for the unbanked and the general public,” it said.

“Indeed, Governor Espenilla fought the good

fight and finished the race in completing his vision to the banking industry. Security Bank will continue to support the BSP in its goal to fulfill his vision,” it added.

Espenilla succeeded former BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. whose two six-year terms ended in July 2017.

He adopted a “Continuity Plus Plus” theme on monetary and financial policies.

He also pushed for increased usage of technology in payment transactions, which paved the way for the establishment of real-time electronic payment systems called InstaPay and PESONet. These two are automated clearing houses under the National Retail Payment System (NRPS).

Monetary officials expressed hope that with the help of NRPS electronic payment transaction, the country will account for 20 percent of the total by 2020. (PNA)

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Espenilla strengthened‘public confidence’on banking industry

Smokers to decrease 17% B with P60-tobacco tax hike

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imulations jointly developed by the Departments of Finance (DOF) and Health (DOH) along with the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that the proposal by Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao to increase excise taxes on tobacco products to P60 per pack will bring down cigarette consumption by 16.8 percent and lead 3.2 million adults to quit smoking.

Pacquiao’s measure -- Senate Bill 1599 -- is similar to the DOF-DOH proposal of increasing the excise tax on cigarettes, regardless of brand or price, to PHP60 per pack in the first year of implementation and an additional 9 percent per year thereafter, the DOF said in a statement on Monday.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua

said during a recent hearing of the Senate ways and means committee on the proposal that simulations show that the threshold in which the cigarette consumption would prove elastic is to tax it “above PHP73 per pack. This means that incremental revenue begins to fall if the excise tax rate is beyond PHP73 per pack.”

But Pacquiao’s pro-

Growers call for 40% tariff on deboned meat

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n alliance of poultry growers is urging the government to revert the 40 percent tariff on mechanically deboned meat (MDM) as mandated under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement which the Philippines recognizes.

The 40 percent tariff on MDM was temporarily adjusted to 5 percent in 2012 as a concession to the quantitative restriction imposed on rice importation.

This rate would revert to 40 percent by Jan. 1, 2021 as stipulated in WTO rules.

“Since we already have a rice tariff law signed by President (Rodrigo) Duterte, it is high time that the government slap 40 percent tariff on MDM,” said Rosendo So, chairman of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), in a radio interview over the weekend.

“Dapat ibalik na ang 40 percent na taripa sa MDM bilang proteksyon sa mga poultry growers natin (The 40 percent tariff for MDM should be returned as protection to our poultry growers),” he added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), in an earlier statement, said it would still write a memorandum to the Office of the President to express the position of the agency and agriculture stakeholders on the matter.

DA Undersecretary Segfredo R. Serrano disclosed that the Tariff Commission found that reverting tariffs on MDM imports to its 2012 level of 40 percent would not have a “substantial” economic impact.

The government slashed the tariff on MDM to 5 percent as a concession to the country’s trade

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posal of PHP60 per pack would also be beneficial because it would prompt “the youth, the poor and other price-sensitive cigarette users to stop smoking,” Chua said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told senators evidence shows that the Sin Tax Reform Law of 2012, which raised taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, was effective in reducing smoking among Filipinos.

“The effects, however, have plateaued; making the Philippines the third highest among ASEAN countries in terms of smoking prevalence,” Duque said during the same hearing by the committee chaired

by Sen. Sonny Angara.

Duque said results of a simulation exercise developed jointly by the DOH, DOF and WHO estimates that the PHP60 per pack proposed tax rate will “avert approximately 713,000 deaths, and will result to 3.2 million quitters in adults.”

“This rate will also bring down smoking prevalence to 16.8 percent and help reach our non-communicable disease target,” Duque added.

On top of cigarettes, the DOF and DOH are also asking lawmakers to increase the excise taxes on alcohol and impose a unitary tax system on fermented liquors, which make up the bulk of consumption. (DOF PR)

ANOTHER OIL PRICE HIKE. A pump attendant refills a motorcycle at a gasoline station along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City on Tuesday. Oil firms implemented a bigtime price hike on Tuesday morning pushing up the price of gasoline by P1.45 per liter and diesel by P1.65 per liter. Lean Daval Jr

5 SUBURBIA RISING EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Davao Or gears up for agri, eco-tourism industrialization

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12th Bulawan festival to kick off on March 3

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ABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley—A kickstart of events were announced for the opening of the upcoming 12th Bulawan Festival, to be held on March 3, 2019 at the provincial capitol. These events are among the highlights for the annual celebration as the province celebrates its endowment as the “province of gold.”

The opening day will start with a Prosperity run with an expected 10,000 registrants to be followed by an opening program. Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy and other guests and officials will also formally open the weeklong displays such as: the Bulawanong Tabuan (Mindanao Trade Shows and Exhibits), Tribal Village, Jewelry Fair,

De Oro Tsibugan, Sugbahan sa Bulawan, and the "Yes to Davao de Oro" Exhibit as a campaign for the province’s exciting re-naming.

On the same day, the “Kasikas sa Kapitolyo”, also known as the Drum and Bugle Corps or Marching Band competition will be held to be participated by the public and private high schools

within the province.

Another event is the LGU Night: Las Fiestas de Oro, where Municipal Local Government Units will be able to showcase their talents through a theatrical play as they portray the socio-cultural bounties of the respective municipality through songs, chants and dances. With the jam-packed schedules for the week-long occasion, the opening for the festival would surely be not one to miss.

This year’s festivity highlights the private-public partnership with big and reputable companies as well

as officials supporting the event: Co-presenters Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy, Senior Board Member Arturo T. Uy, Congressman Maricar S. Zamora and Vice-Governor Manuel Zamora, Congressman Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga, Apex Mining Company Inc., Torre Lorenzo Development Corp, MARINO Party List, HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO, and Beautederm. For Diamond Sponsorship, we also have Krishaels. And for Gold Sponsorship, we have SUMIFRU Philippines, Phoenix Fuels Inc., and HEXAT Mining Co., Inc. (Sean Seismundo, IDS Comval)

area of responsibilities.

With governance felt on the ground, we can perhaps abate if not eliminate presence of the left,” the governor told local leaders.

Provincial information officer Karen Lou Deloso said the resolution was also signed by (1st District) Rep. Corazon N. Malanyaon, Liga ng mga Barangay President and Board Member Rustan Castillones, and all 10 municipal mayors of this province, in a peace and order meeting last week.

Deloso said the governor has emphasized the importance of the involvement of local chief executives in effectively preventing and suppressing criminality.

Deloso said the resolution was issued in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70

which calls for a whole-ofnation approach in ending local communist armed conflict.

Maj. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said Saturday it is high time for the NPA to heed the call of the people because they are already tired of coercion and intimidation by the insurgents.

Santos said more and more communities and LGUs are declaring the NPA “persona non grata" in their respective communities.

"The people believe in the government's resolve to address their issues and concern and socio-economic changes that are being pushed and they do not want this to be hampered and stalled,” Santos said.

The Eastmincom reported that the latest villages which declared the CPP-NPA as persona non grata include Barangays Caburacanan, St. Peter, Silae and Indalasa of Malaybalay and Barangay Canangaan, Freedom and Dalacutan of Cabanglasan, all of Bukidnon province; the villages Camam-onan and Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte; Compostela Valley province; and, the 21 barangays in Malaybalay, Bukidnon and the Municipality of Sibagat, Agusan Sur. “This is a good development which shows that the communities are prepared and willing to participate in the implementation of Executive Order 70, particularly in the implementation of the cultural, socio-economic programs of the government," Santos said. (PNA)

DavOr execs urged to improve services

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avao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang has called on local leaders to relentlessly pursue improvement of services and development for the people.

This, after the provincial government declared the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) persona non grata, citing its presence as a threat to the province and its residents.

Dayanghirang, who led the signing of the resolution of the Provincial Peace and Order Council declaring CPP-NPA "persona non grata" anywhere in Davao Oriental, said the province has been putting efforts to eliminate the problems of communist insurgency.

“It is imperative that these should be felt in your

AVAO ORIENTAL – Armed with the ambitious goal of transforming Davao Oriental’s agriculture and tourism sectors into full-blown industries, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang is bullish in gearing up the Provincial Government departments and offices to become more equipped, adaptive, and responsive with the demand needed to bring the province to its envisioned “industrialization”.

During the Institutional Strengthening Committee Interfacing (ISC) on February 18-19, Governor Dayanghirang has given the department heads a six-month challenge to reengineer their respective offices and departments. He enjoined them to come up with strategic plans, programs and activities that are aligned to his new thrusts which bids to develop these two sectors being considered to have massive potentials that if tapped properly will usher the province to further progress and development.

Governor Dayanghirang emphasized the need for the province to “think outside the box.” He said that by tapping the province’s natural wealth and human resources and by creating effective policies, the province is one step closer to its goals.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES THROUGH INDUSTRIALIZATION Among the many reasons that triggered the province to take this bold step stems from the province’s bid to address the present challenges on the coconut industry – an issue considered by the provincial leadership as a major concern since the province’s population is largely composed of farmers and workers who directly depend on the coconut industry for a living.

Based on the data from the Provincial Planning and Development Office, Davao Oriental’s coconut production has significantly dropped by 54.6% in 2013 resulting from the devastation caused by Typhoon Pablo in 2012. The plummeting yield of coconut was aggravated by poor pest and disease management, lack of fertilizers, and senile trees, among many others.

However, Governor Dayanghirang points at the unstable price of copra as a major downside of the industry. He underscored the importance of addressing the coconut farmers’ clamor on the government to address problems on the volatile copra price.

Among the solutions the Governor mentioned is organizing farmers to cooperatives to enable them to access financial assistance through loan facilities. He also mentioned investing in the right technology for the industrialization of agricultural commodities and the production of value-added products as possible solutions to help coconut farmers. The Governor says “this would help maximize the value of products and services as means of improving farmers’ income, generating more and better employment to ensure stable and progressive economy.”

Meanwhile, Governor Dayanghirang also recognized the need to boost eco-tourism as a strategic

priority to contribute to the socio-economic development. Having the greatest number of tourist destinations in the region, the Governor wants to maximize this potential to create a vibrant local economy.

Based on data, the provincial tourist arrivals has significantly increased from 91,165 tourists in 2012 to 801,479 tourists in 2015 or a 780% increase in five years.

However, the tourism industry has also its fair share of challenges. Among them is the lack of standard accommodations and amenities for tourists, infrastructure facilities, and investors, among other bottlenecks in the industry.

Major steps to boost tourism has already been taken. Aside from the existing provincial government- initiated world class eco-parks, the present administration is also making efforts to boost the industry. Among them is the P650 million loan agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines which is set for the construction of high-impact projects that include the improvement of the Provincial Tourism Complex project which would not only address the shortage of accommodation facilities for tourists but would also generate income for the province.

Moreover, Governor Dayanghirang has also secured P2.5 billion budget from the House of Representatives for the construction of sports complex and opening of road from the City of Mati and Municipality of Governor Generoso and other strategic areas with still undiscovered tourism gems.

STRENGTHENING HUMAN RESOURCES With enthusiasm and optimism, the department heads who are considered the key actors to realize the Governor’s thrusts have signified their full support to the Governor’s bold plan.

During the interfacing, the department heads have pitch-in ideas and listed strategies that will contribute to the province’s pursuit for economic prosperity as they committed to beef up their programs and services.

Among the listed strategies identified in order to push for these new thrusts is the strengthening human resources of the Provincial Government organization – one that is well-equipped to carry out the administration’s mandate.

“Now is the right time to set our direction especially now that we have already experienced a lot of positive changes, particularly on our peace and order. Our investments on development have also started to bear fruits,” Governor Dayanghirang said as he enthused his department heads to join his cause of creating change for the people of Davao Oriental.

The Institutional Strengthening Committee will conduct a series of meetings and workshops in the ensuing weeks to further discuss the listed strategies. The said committee is chaired by the Provincial Administrator and co-chaired by the Provincial Human Resource Development and Management Office. (Karen Lou Deloso)

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Plastic ban now or later?

I

t’s simply surprising to hear one of the staunch advocates of the environment in the City Council say let’s give time for businesses to sell all their single use plastic bags before we ban them.

This boils down to the debate on the urgency of the issue and what really weighs more. Economy or environment?

The proposal to totally ban single use plastic in the city could be derailed if some of the city’s legislators think it is important for business not to lose their capital spent on these plastic bags than eradicating these top pollutants in the city. Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta, a staunch environmentalist, is for the gradual phaseout to give way for businesses to recoup capital.

Going by studies and experience in other jurisdictions, plastic use has an environmental cost that is much higher than the economic cost. The fact remains that the world recycles only a fraction of the $200 billion worth of plastic that it produces every year, the rest is discarded carelessly, cluttering every corner of the earth from remote tropical islands and the farthest corners of the oceans to mountain peaks. The trash, which is virtually non-degradable, is endangering aquatic life and entering our water and food in the form of fibres created by the breaking down of larger pieces of plastic.

The same experience in other countries is also happening in Davao City. If we go by this argument, the urgency of environmental protection far outweighs

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economic backlash.

But will banning the single use plastic end the problem? Or are we creating another problem? Councilor Acosta may have a point in delaying the total ban.

Perhaps it can give them a little more time to polish the proposal and consider the fact that where something is banned here, there will be something else people will think off as innovations to simply go around the ban.

Looking at the issue closely, the problem with plastic is not its use but the way it is discarded. Many environmentalists have argued that using alternatives to plastic, like paper, could damage the environment more. Alternatives such as paper or canvas bags have environmental impacts of their own. A paper bag would need to be re-used at least four times, and cotton bags at least 173 times, to have a lower environmental impact than single-use plastic bags in terms of resource use, energy and greenhouse outcomes.

Simply banning a certain type of bag, while this may be a good idea in itself, could result in other knock-on impacts that are harder to manage. The focus of action should be plastics in general, not just shopping bags. Plastic bags are just a small part of a much bigger problem. Many other plastic items are entering the litter stream too.

With this in mind, it pays to ask exactly why we are banning plastic shopping bags alone.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE Richard C. Ebona | Product Development officer LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts.Address: 04 Orilla St. Purok 4B Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Specialist Cellphone number: 09472652969 General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Email Address: edgedavao@gmail.com Mobile: (Smart) 09382022120 Tel: (088) 852-4894

EDGEDAVAO

S

ince the Commonwealth, the number of eminent judges who made it to the halls of the Court of Appeals (CA) has been far and between.

In fact, only eight guys, three of them ladies, can rightly claim as having been recognized or given the equivalent of an appellate justice.

First on line was Leopoldo M. Abellera, founder of Rizal Memorial Colleges, who was appointed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, a classmate at the UP School of Law. After the war, he served as three-time appointed Davao City councilor, and, decades later, chosen to head in the 1960s the Bureau of Transportation, forerunner of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

In 1990, he was honored with the Datu Bago Award, the highest honor given to Davao’s sons and daughters.

Half a century later, Romeo F. Barza, a native of Lupon, Davao Oriental, earned the distinction as the first post-Marcos CA justice from Davao region.

He was elevated to the CA on May 4, 2006following his appointment by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Prior to his CA selection, Barza worked as a legal assis-

T

he obnoxious plastics are not only a blight on the plain sight, they also kill marine or sea turtles (locally known as “pawikan”).

I was writing an in-depth report on why our marine turtles have become endangered species. According to the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), five of the seven species of marine turtles known to man can be found in our waters.

The identified five species found in the country are green sea turtle (known in the science world as Chelonia mydas), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate), olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), leatherback turtle (Dermocheyls coriacea), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).

All of them are considered “threatened species.”

This means they are vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. In other words, they may soon join the dodo into extinction if nothing is done to save them.

After a thorough research and interviewing marine biologists and other experts, I have come up with an eye-opening feature. I shared the finished article to Dr. Arnel “AA” Yaptinchay, founder and director of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, a non-government organization advocating for the conservation and protection of marine wildlife and their habitats.

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

Davao’s court of appeals tant at the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1975 before deciding to go into private practice. In 1995, he returned to public office as judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Batangas City. He also became president of Region IV RTC Judges Association, RTC judge of Makati, national president of the Philippine Judges Association (PJA) and trustee of the Philippine Judicial Academy.

On December 8, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte promoted him to presiding justice of the appellate court, replacing Jose Reyes who was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Barza finished elementary and high school education at the Ateneo de Davao and took up Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and Law at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. He also completed a program of instruction for lawyers at the Harvard Law School.

He is married to Dr. Marilyn Cabal.

The third Davao lawyer to make it to the appellate court in 2009 was Davao-born associate justice Socorro B. Inting, who obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree, cum laude, from

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa the Ateneo de Davao University in 1980.

Before joining the CA, Inting served as presiding RTC judge in Manila, presiding Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) judge in Makati, prosecutor and public attorney. Outside the government as a practicing attorney, she was former treasurer of IBP, Davao del Sur chapter, and the Philippine Judicial Academy.

On April 17, 2018, Inting was appointed as commissioner of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) by President Rodrigo Duterte. She was confirmed by Congress on May 18, 2018.

Three years after her CA appointment, her brother, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, also a law graduate from Ateneo de Davao University, cum laude, followed her in the appellate court as associate justice. He took his prelaw course, a degree in Psychology, from the University of San Carlos in Cebu, and his elementary and secondary education from Ateneo de Davao.

After passing the Bar, Inting worked as senior corporate attorney with the National Housing Authority, senior CA supervising staff attorney, public attorney at the Public Attorney’s Office, and in succession as assistant city public prosecutor, presiding MTC judge and RTC presiding judge, all in Quezon City. In October 2012, he was appointed associate CA justice.

The Inting siblings are the children of retired RTC judge Enrique Inting and Ursulina B. Inting.

Six years later, following the election of President Duterte, three more lady judges from Davao region were promoted to the appellate court.

On June 11, 2018, Duterte appointed Davao City RTC judge Evalyn Arellano-Morales as CA associate justice, replac-

ing former justice Melchor Quirino Sadang who retired early in 2017.

Eight days later, on June 19, 2018, Davao del Norte RTC judge Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga assumed as new CA associate justice, replacing Barza who was promoted to presiding justice. She is the same judge from Panabo City who issued the arrest warrant against Davao Death Squad confessed hitman Edgar Matobato for kidnapping.

On October 10, Duterte appointed Bansalan, Davao del Sur RTC judge Loida PosadasKahulugan to replace former justice Socorro Inting, who was transferred to the COMELEC. Though not part of the CA, Leo Tolentino Madrazo, a seasoned judge, was appointed in September 2018 by President Duterte as deputy court administrator for Mindanao with the rank and privileges of a justice of the Court of Appeals.

A native of Davao City, he attended San Beda College of Law, Ateneo de Davao University and Manuel L. Quezon University. He was a prosecutor in Davao City for thirteen years, Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) judge for eight years, and presiding judge of RTC, Branch 11, in Davao City.

than 1,000 turtles are dying a year after becoming tangled up, but this is almost certainly a gross underestimate. Young turtles and hatchlings are particularly vulnerable to entanglement,”rof. Godley added.

The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics, a 2016 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, showed that the world produced 20 times more plastic in 2014, around 311 million tons, than it did in 1964 at 15 tons.

“At this rate, oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish (by weight) by the year 2050,” the report stated.

A report from the Ocean Conservancy ranked the Philippines third (after China and Indonesia) among the countries with the highest source of plastic ocean pollution, generating 1.88 metric tons of mismanaged plastic garbage annually.

A survey conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace Philippines in 2006 discovered plastic bags and other synthetic packaging materials to comprise 76% of garbage retrieved from Manila Bay. In Laguna de Bay, plastic bags made up 25% of the solid waste that is polluting the lake.

“Plastic bags end up as litter as it makes its way to landfills, drainages and bodies of water, taking decades to decompose and damaging marine life when dumped into the sea,” said Senator Loren Legarda in a statement.

“Discarded plastic bands encircle mammals, fish, and birds and tighten as their bodies grow,” reminded the Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute. “Turtles, whales and other marine mammals have died after eating plastic sheeting.”

This problem should be addressed sooner than later. “Our society’s addiction to throwaway plastic is fueling a global environmental crisis that must be tackled at source,” decried Louise Edge, an oceans campaign coordinator at Greenpeace.

Achim Steiner, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, suggested: “The plastic bags, bottles and other debris piling up in the oceans and seas could be dramatically reduced by improved waste reduction, waste management, and recycling initiatives.”

Steiner, who is now with the United Nations Development Program, further proposed: “Some of the litter, like thin film single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere – there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere.

“Other waste can be cut by boosting public awareness, and proposing an array of economic incentives and smart market mechanisms that tip the balance in favor of recycling, reducing or re-use rather than dumping into the sea,” he added.

Plastics kill marine turtles

Dr. Yaptinchay did read the article because he sent a private message asking me to include the issue that’s been all over the world: plastics. “I will look into that,” I replied.

How I can I missed that? Three years ago, my friend, Darrell Blatchley – yes, the owner of D’Bone Collector Museum – told me that some fishermen found off the coast of barangay 78 a dying green sea turtle. It was turned over to him and tried to save it but he failed to do so. In exhuming the body, he found plastic bags which were extracted from the turtle’s stomach.

And so, I conducted another research. Ingesting even a single piece of plastic can be deadly for marine turtles, according to a global study done by researchers from the University of Exeter. There is one in five chance of death for a turtle who consumed just one item of plastic, it said.

Now, that’s very alarming, indeed. “It really is a great shame that many or even all of the world’s sea turtles have now ingested microplastics,” Dr. Brendan Godley, leader of the study, told Plastic News.

But more marine turtles die from entanglement. “A worldwide survey covering the major oceans where turtles live discovered that 91% of the entangled turtles were found dead,” said Science Daily, whose report was based from the said study. “They also suffered serious wounds from

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Others that survived were forced to drag discarded rubbish or debris with them.”

Among those the things that tangled marine turtles were lost fishing nets, plastic twine and nylon fishing line, six pack rings from canned drinks, plastic packaging straps, plastic balloon string, kite string, plastic packaging and discarded anchor line and seismic cable.

Marine turtles were also discovered entangled in discarded plastic chairs, wooden crates, weather balloons and boot mooring line.

“Plastic rubbish in the oceans, including lost or discarded fishing gear which is not biodegradable, is a major threat to marine turtles,” said Professor Brendan Godley, director of the Centre for Ecology & Conservation at the University of Exeter.

“We found, based on beach strandings, that more

8

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Championing Bolder UPMin CommGuild Innovation and Sustainability sets Speak Up! 2019 at WORLDBEX 2019 Seminars T

N

ow on its 24th edition, the Philippine World Building and Construction Expo or WORLDBEX is back to host another high-yielding trade event geared towards enriching limitless business-to-business opportunities. Heralding the theme of “A World Built Bolder”, WORLDBEX 2019 ultimately aims to level up the standards of excellence for the industry. That is, by turning the spotlight on products and services that uphold a commitment to innovation and sustainability as well as by acquainting the audience with the latest and most relevant insights and trends from the global construction and design scene.

In line with these objectives, WORLDBEX 2019 is thrilled to return with this year’s installment of the highly-anticipated WORLDBEX Seminars. A signature event highlight, the WORLDBEX Seminars feature CPD-accredited seminars that are especially conceived for architects, engineers, interior designers, and other peers from the industry. This year, the WORLDBEX Seminars

vows to sustain the same caliber of distinction that has informed its past iterations with a stellar roster of guest speakers from across the globe and a finely-curated selection of topics that will aim to address the most pressing issues of urban design and planning.

Commencing the series of seminars at this year’s WORLDBEX is the Vice President for Technical of the Philippine Green Building Initiative, Architect Emelito Punsalan who will be presenting an enlightening talk entitled “Green Building in the Philippines and The Way Forward”.

This will be followed by Design 103 International’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Architect Toon Virochpoka’s session entitled “Inspire. Innovate. Integrate.”; Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines’ Executive Director Architect and Environmental Planner Ramon Abiera with his discussion about “Excellent Design for Greater Efficiency”; and lastly, GIBMA Engineering Service’s General Manager Geodetic Engineer Gilbert Magbutay’s lecture on the

2018 edition of the National Structural Code of the Philippines.

On the second day of WORLDBEX Seminars, leading the insightful series of discussions is Undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways and first female National President of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Dr. Ma. Catalina Cabral with her talk on “Sustainable Development in Urban Cities” which will be followed by R A W Architecture’s Design Director Architect Realrich Sjarief’s compelling talk on “Sustainable and Conscious Architecture, Exploration of Alpha Omega, and the Philosophy of Suwung”; Head of PGAA Creative Design, registered and licensed architect Amado De Jesus with his topic about “It’s All About Sustainability” and interior design sister duo Ivy and Cynthia Almario’s “The Practical Feng Shui of Interior Designers by A Non-Fengshui Practitioner”.

On the third and last day of this year’s WORLDBEX Seminars, not to be missed are talks which include high-

ly sought-after conference speaker Architect Daniel Lichauco’s “Sustaining an Architectural Practice: Starting at the Board Room”; internationally-practicing Architect Miguel Sousa’s “New Trends in Architecture”; National President of Philippine Society of Plumbing Engineer Abner Pahilanga’s “Design of Hydro-Pneumatic Water Supply”; and APEC-Registered Architect Ernesto Antonio Nasol’s “Continued Professional Development - Its Relevance to the Profession”.

Organized by Worldbex Services International, the WORLDBEX 2019 Seminars will happen on March 15 to 17, from 9:00am to 4:45pm during the 23rd WORLDBEX at SMX Convention Center Manila. For more information, you may contact Kim Dayo at (02) 656-9239 loc.

134 or email seminars@ worldbexevents.com.

For more information about WORLDBEX 2019, email inquire@worldbexevents.com, visit www.worldbex.com/ seminars, or follow @worldbex on Facebook and Instagram.

classrooms thereby reaching more learners, even in far-flung areas. Games, in particular, help keep children’s minds active and their imagination going.

The app titled BrainVentures puts the player through a series of activities with the help of a digital sidekick. These activities let players explore and develop their skills and creativity along the way. The concept was developed by Derek Joshua Altuna, Alexandria Jillian Braga, and Aniela Jenina Lesaca, collectively known as “Team BrainVentures” from De La Salle Santiago Zobel.

Power Mac Center Director of Product Management and Marketing Joey Alvarez is all praises for the winners. “Kids nowadays are woke. They understand what’s happening, they know what’s needed, and they help create simple but impactful solutions. And because

they’re digital natives, they know how to leverage technology to their advantage.”

Apart from the iPad units they received, the kids of Team BrainVentures also get to attend free workshops by Power Mac Center’s Apple Certified Trainers, who will help create and upload their app in the App Store. It is expected to be up and running within the year.

Meanwhile, first runner-up winner Team Earth Hero (composed of Cameron Sanz, Rebecca De Veyra, and Hannah Mallinllin) designed an app for Climate Action, which got them Php 45,000 worth of Power Mac Center Gift Certificates in prizes. Team Clean ‘Em All (composed of Kaia Mikayla Diola, Enrico Joaquin Abella, and Sofia Annika Ysabel Pagilagan) won Php 30,000 worth of Power Mac Center Gift Certificates for an app on Climate Action

and caring for Life Below Water and Life on Land. emPOWER UP! Design a Better World: App Development Challenge was staged in cooperation with KIDS CAN! Innovation Camp, Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST Asia), De La Salle College of Saint Benilde HiFi (Hub of Innovation for Inclusion), Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, and I Am VR Panda.

An Apple Authorized Training Provider, Power Mac Center continuously empowers and enhances the technical and creative skills of the youth through annual training programs such as the Summer Workshop. For details and reservation of seats, interested clients may contact the Training Team at (0908) 885 6277 or email pbsi@powermaccenter. com.

Grade school students, big winner in Power Mac Center app contest

A

game app that will help toddlers and grade school students build their passion for learning bagged the grand prize in Power Mac Center’s recently concluded “emPOWER UP! Design a Better World: App Development Challenge” for kids.

The winning app concept aims to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education by integrating valuable lessons during gameplay.

According to the UN, more than 265 million children are currently out of school, 22 percent of which are of primary school age. Moreover, 617 million youth all over the world lack basic mathematics and literacy skills. By integrating lessons into something ubiquitous like smart devices, providing quality education doesn’t stop at traditional venues like

he Communicators’ Guild (CommGuild) and the BA Communication and Media Arts (BACMA) Program of the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Mindanao) will be holding the 7th Region-Wide Inter-High School Speak Up! Competition with the theme, “Youth, #SpeakUp: Empowering Communities by Promoting Participatory Health Communication” on March 2, 2019 from 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM, and for the first time, will be held at the UP Mindanao Atrium, Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City.

The Speak Up! Competi-

tion will feature the Oratorical and Extemporaneous Speaking Contest, and the returning Radio Broadcasting-Script Writing Contest. Fifteen (15) students will be competing for the Oratorical and Extemporaneous Speaking Contest and seven (7) teams will be competing for the Radio Broadcasting-Script Writing Contest.

The competition will be participated by Senior High School students from Davao City, Digos City, and Tagum City.

The competition is also endorsed by the Department of Education (DepEd) Davao City Division under Memorandum No. 00000011 s. 2019.

A safe and prepared Marco Polo Davao team

S

afety and security is always the first and foremost priority in any hospitality establishments.

Davao’s premier hotel, Marco Polo recently conducted and Emergency and Evacuation Drill last February 17, 2019. The drill was facilitated by MPD’s Security Department using the Incident Command System (ICS) format and was evaluated by its local partner agencies such as the Public Safety and Safety Command Center, Task Force Davao, Central 911, Office of the Civil Defense, Philippine Red Cross, CB Bangoy Sr. Fire Station and Davao City Police Office.

“We invest not just money of our stakeholders to hire quality and well-trained security personnel and equipment but we also have invested time to train everyone to be prepared in times of calamity or man-made disaster,” said Marco Polo Davao’s Director of Security Francis Suan.

While prioritizing the safety and security of the establishment, Marco Polo Davao also makes sure that guests will feel at ease whenever they enter the premises.

The hotel has multiple levels of security to make sure to screen people especially those who intend to inflict danger or harm to others.

The hotel employs all various forms of security from metal detectors to security cameras, walk through and

frisking.

“Emergencies may happen anytime of the day especially when we least expect it. This drill aims to train our Associates to be prepared and respond to emergency situations any time of the day,” said Director of Rooms Glenda Magallanes.

PSSCC Head Officer Angel Sumagaysay Task Force Davao Head Col. Nolasco Mempin expressed their appreciation to the management of Marco Polo Davao for its initiative to conduct emergency drills annually since there are a lot of upcoming big events in the city.

They also rated the drill as very successful.

Marco Polo Davao conducts at least 2 major drills aside from the regular training in firefighting, armed attack, basic first aid, and earthquake.

Marco Polo Davao is the first hotel in Davao to acquire a baggage security scanner and Under Vehicle Inspection System (UVIS) as an addition to its heightened security measures for its guests.

Also last year, the hotel had its first batch of graduates of the Basic K9 Dog Handling and Explosives Detection In-house Training. To date, Marco Polo Davao has a total of eight efficient K9 Dog Handlers since 2004 and five K9 who are still active in service. One of hotel’s Labrador retriever named Tabasco, topped the Mindanao-wide K9 examination in 2016.

INdulge!

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

HEALTH

EDGEDAVAO

WORK THAT BUDDY!

By NEIL BRAVO

BOREDOM KILLS. So does loneliness at the gym.

Working out alone can be the fastest way to quit going to the gym. Imagine waking up early, packing that gym bag and battling the traffic. But with a buddy at the gym, things could change.

You see, if you could only do two things to improve your health, try exercising and hanging out with friends. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter may be even more important than you’d think.

Loneliness is as harmful to one’s well-being as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, study says.

So why not combine the two?

Exercise with a friend. Not bad.

Besides killing two birds with one stone, you’ll be reaping a whole host of benefits. Let’s rattle them off.

1

You’ll enjoy your workout more. In a study of 117 adults, those who worked out with friends (or a spouse or co-worker) said they enjoyed the exercise more than those who got sweaty solo.

Makes sense: you like hanging out with your friends, you (mostly) like exercising—combine the two and you double your fun.

2

You’ll less likely to get injured. The gym mirror can only tell you so much. When you have a friend with you, she’ll be able to give you quick form checks and tell you when your back is sagging during your plank or if you’re leaning forward too much while squatting. And that can save you lots of pain later on.

3

You’ll feel even less stressed. People who exercised on a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes with a friend said they felt calmer after the workout than those who cycled alone. For even more relaxation, share a drink--coffee or shake--for post-workout.

4

You’ll push yourself harder. Worried that your exercise buddy is fitter than you? Good.

People with exercised with someone they thought was better than them worked out up to 200 percent harder and longer than others. That’s because you’re naturally competitive— when you’re with a fit friend, you find it easier to really push yourself to keep up.

5

You’ll quit quitting.

When you’re just dragging yourself to the gym in the morning or after work, it’s easy to talk yourself out of it—less so when

you know you’ll be meeting a friend there. The same is true for slacking off during your workouts: You’re not going to stop for so many Facebook and Instagram breaks when you’ve got a friend there to call you out.

6

You’ll meet your goals faster. This goes along with the two previous points: when you’re

being consistent and pushing yourself harder, your performance will improve faster than when you’re only attending the gym sporadically and slacking off when you do manage to get there.

Next step, get a buddy with you to the gym. It starts with a free workout, one day at a time.

Good thing, Arcadia Fitness Gym inside the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center offers a free

workout for a non-member friend every Thursdays of the week. It’s called “Buddy Thursday” Buddy Thursday enables non-members to do their workout at the Arcadia and get a real feel of the best available gym equipment in the city. Nonmembers only have to find a member to take them along to a workout every Thursdays of the week from 6 am to 10 pm.

Just that and they’re good to go.

Arcadia is the epitome of every fitness buff’s dream facility. It is equipped wth the best gym equipment in the market today in Technogym, tagged by fitness gurus as the Rolls Royce of gym equipment. The fitness gym is designed to suit group and individual workouts.

Its basketball center is located at the third level and is also fitted with FIBA-standard goal system and has a 1,000-seat bleachers for spectators of corporate and club tournaments.

To complement these facilities, it also has a 25-meter 4-lane lapping pool, a kiddie pool and playground.

But Arcadia is not just fitness. It is also about food and function. Arcadia features function rooms ideal for the meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions (MICE) market. Realizing how to reward a good workout, Arcadia offers feel-good, healthy food prepared in its restaurant and The Lobby Cafe. Arcadia’s menu is a collection of the finest Asian and international cuisine.

For inquiries on Buddy Thursday, interested parties may contact (0917) 146 4304 or (082) 327 8471. Get that buddy to the gym now.

EDGED

A2 INdulge!

EVENT

Star Wars-themed PGH Pediatric Hem Oncology Clinic brings joy to children

SOMETIME IN 2016, the doctors at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the PGH Medical Foundation Inc. saw the need to renovate the Hematology – Oncology Clinic at the Cancer Institute. While PGH is recognized as the national university’s hospital, the facilities were far from being conducive for healing.

“When I came in 2013, the clinic was in disarray - sira sira ‘yung sahig ng clinic (the clinic’s floor was dilapidated) at madumi siya (it was dirty),” related Dr. Ana Patricia Alcasabas of the PGH Cancer Institute and the section head of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. “After visiting other hospitals, even here in the Philippines, I saw the need to renovate our out-patient clinic. However, it seemed impossible as we did not have any budget for this.”

According to Dr. Alcasabas, the out-patient clinic sees around 400 children with cancer each month.

The most common diagnosis are leukemia, brain tumors, eye cancer and bone cancer. Of these, about 300 children have to undergo procedures such as IV chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirations and lumbar taps in the clinic.

“Natatakot ang mga bata ‘pag pumupunta sila dito, kasi tutusukan sila sa likod (the children are scared when they come to the clinic because of the injections). We wanted a clinic environment that promotes wellbeing and positive energy,” she said.

After consulting with the PGH Medical Foundation headed by its President, Dr. Telesforo Gana Jr., it was decided that they would pursue the project and solicit the help of Globe Telecom. At that time, Globe was already actively participating in the foundation’s gift-giving activities.

Together with its various partners

The procedure area

(L-R) Dr. Carmencita Padilla, Chancellor, UP Manila; Dr. Jorge Ignacio, Chair, Cancer Institute; Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, Director, Philippine General Hospital; Veronica Cabalinan, Country Head, The Walt Disney Company - Philippines; Yoly Crisanto, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Chief Sustainability Officer, Globe Telecom; Rossy Anne Yabut Rojales, Creative Director, Hurray Interior Design Group; and, Dr. Lorna Abad, Chair, PGH Department of Pediatrics.

Yoda or Chewbacca? D

and customers, Globe was able to raise and donate P1.4 million for the rehabilitation of the Hematology – Oncology Clinic. The project concept started in December 2016 in line with the company’s Create Courage Star Wars-themed campaign which strongly demonstrated the resilience of children in the face of adversity and encouraged the public to help via donations through prepaid load or charges to their postpaid bill.

“We are proud to have our partners, employees, and customers step in to participate in this worthwhile undertaking. We hope that through this project, we can all bring hope to the patients at the PGH Pediatric Hematology - Oncology clinic,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.

The newly renovated clinic was “Luke Skywalker’s” cubicle for check-ups and consultations. turned over to the PGH management team recently. During the turnover ceremonies, partners were awarded certificates of appreciation for their invaluable contribution to the project and were given jars of atchara (pickled papaya) specially prepared by the parents of pediatric cancer patients.

Guests were also treated to a special dance number performed by a select group of pediatric cancer patients.

The Walt Disney Company - Philippines contributed to the project by sharing their Star Wars designs and sponsoring the printing of all wall sticker artworks. The designs were carefully chosen and customized by artists from Globe Creatives and Visual Management team to fit the overall look and feel of the clinic.

The names of the consultation rooms were also patterned after key

Meet Darth Vader an

Star Wars chara Vader, Hans So There is also a h various charact were made very “happy distract who undergo tr Hurray Inter partner of PGH also did their pa the interiors an clinic are aligne and the founda At the same tim Corporation sp medical equipm were Amdocs a Dr. Alcasaba to see the smile faces when they “The clinic has is the consultati

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ENTERTAINMENT

matologyn with cancer

Dividers providing privacy to the consultation rooms.

ABS-CBN has made it easier for mobile subscribers to watch their favorite movies and shows on iWant, the first streaming service developed by Filipinos for Filipinos, through its partnerships with Smart Communications and Globe Telecom.

By availing their telco providers’ respective promos, mobile subscribers can stream iWant’s original shows and movies, including its latest 2019 offerings, the sexy comedy movie “Allergy in Love,” erotic-drama anthology series “Hush,” action-suspense series “High,” teen romance movies “The Gift” and “S.P.A.R.K.,” edgy romance “Project Feb. 14,” and romantic drama “Apple of My Eye.” Sports fans can also look forward to the one-stop section iWant Sports, which will house various sports content offerings such as livestreaming of games, documentaries, and specials on professional leagues and collegiate leagues, boxing, and national tournaments.

Smart, TNT, and Sun subscribers can stream video content on iWant via Smart Gigasurf 99 with Video Every Day for only P99, which comes with 2 GB data for surfing and all apps and an additional 1 GB per day to watch up to one hour of videos every day, valid for seven days.

Globe mobile customers can also enjoy streaming of their favorite Kapamilya movies and TV shows on iWant for as low as P29 with GoWATCH. To register, just text GOWATCH29 to 8080 and get 2 GB or up to five hours of streaming for iWant and other video apps and sites valid for one day.

iWant, which kicked off 2019 with 11.3 million registered users, boasts the largest library of video content on any streaming service in the country that can be streamed by users for free, including original movies and shows such as “Glorious,” “Spirits Reawaken,” “Ma,” “Alamat ng Ano,” and “Laureen on a Budget,” as well as currently airing and old ABS-CBN shows, films, documentaries, Asianovelas, thousands of songs, One Music’s live digital concerts, and the livestreaming of “Camp Star Hunt,” “iWant ASAP,” DZMM TeleRadyo, ABS-CBN Channel 2, and ABS-CBN S+A. Smart, TNT, Sun, and Globe subscribers can also use their postpaid or prepaid accounts as their payment method to stream premium content such as foreign and digitally restored Filipino classic films and access the latest hit local movies via pay-per-view.

Cinema One Full Frame spotlights ‘Alone/Together’

nd the Stormtroopers.

acters like Rey, Darth olo and Princess Leah. height chart with ters in it. The designs y colorful to serve as tions” for the children reatment at the clinic. rior Design Group, a H Medical Foundation, art by ensuring that nd overall vibe of the ed with what Globe ation envisioned. me, SBS Philippines ponsored the clinic’s ment. Other partners and Singtel. as said they are happy es on the children’s y step into the clinic. two parts. The first ion area where we

iWANT PARTNERS WITH SMART AND GLOBE FOR STREAMING OF FREE SHOWS, MOVIES

discuss the cancer diagnosis with the family; and the other is the procedure area. This is where the patients get their chemotherapy infusion while they watch television or read books. There is also a part where procedures done. The space ship designs on the ceiling provide a positive distraction for them (from anxiety and fear), as they await the anesthesiologist and oncologist. The doctors too and some adult patients are also happy with the way the center turned out. It’s a happy place that gives comfort,” she said.

The hospital is also looking forward to partner with Globe in their future projects which include, among others, plans to further their research to improve treatment for cancer patients and coming up with standard operating procedures.

CINEMA ONE FULL FRAME features the exciting journey of Black Sheep’s upcoming Valentine’s movie offering “Alone/ Together,” starring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, in an exclusive behindthe-scenes special.

Director Antoinette Jadaone shared fun behind-thescenes snippets and trivia while making the romance drama in this Cinema One video uploaded on YouTube. She also revealed the reason behind the title, the various locations where the film was shot, and how its story was close to her heart, a walk down memory lane of her own college years.

Meanwhile, lead stars Liza and Enrique talked about how they prepared for their characters Christine and Raf. They also divulged details on the immersion they did to prep themselves up for their respective roles.

Stream your favorite shows and movies using your Smart, TNT, Sun, and Globe mobile accounts on iWant via its iOS or Android apps or via web browser on iwant. ph.

More subscribers can also get their iWant craving in the comfort of their own homes as they can already connect the streaming service to their TVs via Chromecast and Apple Airplay. iWant is one of the digital initiatives of ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company, which is rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company with the biggest online presence among all media companies, and a growing list of digital properties.

For updates, like www.facebook. com/iWant, and follow @iwant on Twitter and @iwantofficial on Instagram, and subscribe to www. youtube.com/iWantPH.

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9 SCIENCE

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Saving beleaguered marine resources from extinction

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

unas are migratory oceanic fishes, which are capable of attaining large sizes. Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, tuna flesh is pink to dark red, which could explain their odd nickname, “rose of the sea.”

According to health experts, tuna meat is rich in omega-3 (polyunsaturated) fatty acids that build up high-density lipids or “good cholesterol.” Consuming tuna is said to be effective in preventing heart attacks.

“Tunas are widely but sparsely distributed throughout the world, generally in tropical and temperate waters between about 45 degrees north and south of the equator,” says the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, which compiled a detailed scientific report on the state of global tuna stocks.

In the Philippines, twenty-one species of tunas have been recorded. “But only six species are commercially important,” says Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, a national scientist and former head of the Philippine Council for Marine and Aquatic Research and Develop-

ment.

Among the shallow-water/small tunas, the most commercial important are the frigate tuna (locally known as “tulingan”), the eastern little tuna (“kawa-kawa”), and the bullet tuna. Most of these tunas are consumed locally.

The important species among the deep-water/big tunas are the yellowfin tuna (“albacora”), the big-eye tuna (“tambakol”), and the skipjack (“gulyasan”). These are caught using commercial fishing boats with purse seines and ring nets.

“Tunas are caught throughout Philippine waters,” says Dr. Guerrero, “but the most productive fishing grounds are the Sulu Sea, Moro Gulf and waters extending to the North Celebes Sea. Viable tuna fisheries also exist in waters off Western Negros, as well as Northwestern and Southern Luzon.”

The Philippines is the second largest tuna exporter – after Indonesia. “Tuna is by far the largest seafood export commodity of the Philippines in terms of value and offers a livelihood to thousands of

fishermen,” reports the Seafood Sourcing and Investment Intelligence (SSII), a global website portal which provide information to those who want to engage business in the aquaculture and fisheries sector.

In 2010, the country shipped 106,449 metric tons of prime-grade yellowfin, skipjack, and other forms of tuna to the United States, United Kingdom and Germany, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

At that time, “about 52% of the country’s fish exports come from tuna, which are still abundant in Mindoro, Ilocos Norte, Negros and Sarangani,” wrote Gregg Yan in an article featured in the website of The Coral Triangle.

The Coral Triangle is a six-million kilometer expanse which covers the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The region generates 40% of the Western Central Pacific’s total tuna catch.

But the tuna industry is not as rosy as before in the Philip-

pines. “Landing figures from 2012 to 2016 start out with a slightly increasing trend which can be mainly attributed to increased fishing efforts. From 2015 onward numbers are decreasing,” SSII reports.

“Although fishing effort is likely to be further increased in coming years, it is expected that landing figures will maintain stable or decrease further as the stocks are still not properly managed and Philippine boats are restricted from Indonesian waters,” it adds.

Some years ago, the Philippines was granted a GSP+ status, which resulted in a 0% import tariff on tuna products destined for European Union. “Without this status, tuna products from the Philippines were not able to compete with more price competitive products from Thailand, Vietnam, Maldives and Sri Lanka,” SSII notes.

As of August 2016, the Philippines is the largest supplier of fresh yellowfin tuna products to the European Union. Italy and Spain are also importing the largest quantities. Japan, as the world’s largest sashimi market,

(Second of Five Parts)

is another big buyer of tuna from the Philippines; it imports mostly high-grade fresh tuna products.

The market may be bullish but the production is not. Most of the tunas delivered to General Santos City, touted to be the “tuna capital of the Philippines,” are caught at Sarangani Bay. Recent reports that bay is “largely fished out,” as are most of the surrounding waters in the Mindanao Sea. “Several tuna species (caught in the Philippines waters) are in peril,” Jonathan Watts writes for The Guardian, a daily publishing in United Kingdom. “Bluefin are critically endangered with just 2% of their 1950 biomass left, bigeye recently fell below the 20% level necessary for replacement, and yellowfin are also down more than 70%.”

In fact, the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the yellowfin tuna as “near threatened” as “their population is declining due to overfishing to meet human demands.”

Five years ago, the Philippines was given a

“Yellow Card” rating by the European Commission as the country was “unable to sufficiently manage illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

Because of the rating, the government passed a stricter fishing law. “But there is still no harvesting strategy and illegal and unregulated fishing remains commonplace,” reports Watts, who personally came to General Santos City to gather his data.

During his visit, Watts saw young yellowfin and bigeye tunas – “none more than 50 centimeters long” – on the conveyor belts from ships into General Santos City.

“There is a lot of illegal fishing in General Santos,” Vince Cinches, Philippine oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, told Watts. “They are taking out a generation of tuna.”

Something must be done before it’s too late. “Unless we closely manage and protect remaining populations, our tuna industry might collapse,” warns Joel Palma, the conservation program vice president for WWF-Philippines.

(To be continued)

10 EDGEDAVAO 2FROMLAWYERS...

2 for indigenous people’s education as well as in securing educational scholarships for Matigsalug youth.

He serves the City Government of Davao as the Local Civil Registrar Mobile Agent and Social Census Coordinator, making sure births, deaths, and marriages of Davao’s indigenous people are officially registered and recognized by the state.

As part of the Matigsalug Manobo Tribal Peoples Council of Elders, he manages their ancestral domain and livelihood projects for the benefit of their tribe.

Montemayor is a multi-awarded entrepreneur and socio-civic leader; she received the ASEAN Woman Entrepreneur Award at the ASEAN Women’s Conference in 2018 as well as the Inspiring Filipino Entrepreneurs Award given by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. She is one of the leading mentors to local micro-entrepreneurs under the “Go Negosyo” program of the Department of Trade and Industry.

She promotes and supports indigenous culture of Davao and Mindanao through their arts and crafts in fashion, visual arts, music and dances. As Honorary Consul of Hungary, she has forged stronger ties between the Philippines and Hungary and helped promote Davao to Europe.

The conferment of the Datu Bago awards will be as one of the activities of Araw ng Davao and will be held on March 8, 2019.

Koronado B. Apuzen

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DAVAO... FROM 2

peace-building seminar was attended by 71 tribal leaders from Davao City, North Cotabato and Bukidnon, who have all rejected the influence of the CPP-NPA in their communities.

He said the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council

of Elders organized the seminar "to let the IPs understand about the government’s peace and development program."

He said majority of the 600 seminar participants are former supporters of the NPA but have already pledged loyalty to the government. (PNA)

tions by tapping the private sector.

“Private sectors like hotels, resorts and restaurants, can give incentives, depending on the package that they will offer,” he said.

“For the LGU (local government unit), they can give incentives like tax

incentives and (in giving) permits,” he added.

Alama said that DATA is set to meet with Film Development Council of the Philippines chairperson Liza Diño-Seguerra on March 6 to discuss how the city will create its own film council.

also mentioned how the military and police have formed a “power movement” involving the rich.

“Ang sinabi ko lang nitong sa military pati pulis, kayo rin kasi, may power movement diyan itong mga mayaman (What I’m saying is the military and police have a power movement with the rich),” he said.

Duterte mentioned the “crowd of Roxas” as elitists but did not provide details who he was referring to. “‘Di ba ‘yung crowd ni Roxas. ‘Yan sila ang --- mga elitista. Tapos ‘yan sila ang mag -power-power movement (Those in the crowd of Roxas are elitists. And then you have a power

movement),” he said.

“Tapos kung kayo naman military pati pulis, sumasali kayo tapos sabihin niyo, 'O dito kami sa kampong ito' (And then you, military and police, join them and say, ‘We’re joining this camp'),’’he added.

Last year, Duterte expressed his “ill feeling” towards some people in the military who are allegedly communicating with the opposition Liberal Party to oust him.

However, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that Duterte still enjoys overwhelming support from the military despite these claims. (PNA)

DATA... FROM 3

Ines P. Mallari

PRRD... FROM 3

Antonio B. Partoza, Jr

Datu Rodolfo M. Mande

Mary Ann M. Montemayor

PMAP... FROM 2

Commission on Accreditation (ALCUCOA), higher education institutions (HEIs) in Davao and elsewhere in the country should revise their courses and retain only those that of-

fer greater chance of employment.

Arcega also urged to revise curriculums on certain courses in order to be “responsive to the needs of the economy.”

drinking cups and mineral bottles during meetings, conferences and official events.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, herself, is pushing for the plastic ban saying these products are the root causes of pollutants in the coastal areas in the city.

In a previous report, the mayor said that plastics bottles and sachets were among the items collected during the Bantay Dagat cleanup project.

Solid Waste Management is one of the 10-priority agenda of Mayor Sara.

said this “will enhance financial stability given the linkages between the banking system and these entities (NBFIs).”

The Charter amendment also gives the BSP authority to issue its own debt paper again, which Moody’s said will provide the central bank “another tool to finetune liquidity management and improve the effective-

ness of monetary policy.” It also removed money supply and credit levels as basis for determining monetary policy.

“Together, these measures will help supplement the BSP’s strong record of maintaining monetary and financial stability and help improve liquidity management amid capital flow volatility,” it added. (PNA)

partners for allowing the Philippines to extend its special treatment for rice.

Serrano said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has already factored in the 40 percent tariff on MDM in its inflation fore-

cast.

Citing the BSP’s study, he said the government would still achieve its inflation targets even if the tariff level on MDM imports would go back to its 2012 level which is 40 percent.

PLASTIC... FROM 1

MOODY’S... FROM 4

GROWERS... FROM 4

11 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) regional commissioner lawyer Francis Calatrava (center) with executive program officer Ronel Leuterio (left) and tournament commissioner Miggy Solitaria (right) announce the Matina Enclaves-The Royal Mandaya Hotel 82nd Araw ng Davao Invitational Basketball Tournament which gets going on March 18 to 21 at the Davao City Recreation Center (Almendras Gym). KOII CANARIAS

DLSU, Lyceum, UE, San Beda in‘Araw’hoops

By ADAM B. MORRELL

I

magine this. The country’s two top collegiate leagues.

Four of the country’s top collegiate squads. All in one tournament.

De La Salle Green Archers and University of the East from the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Pirates and San Beda Red Eagles from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) backyard will battle it out for the 82nd Araw ng Davao Invitational Basketball

Tournament which gets going on March 18 to 21 at the Davao City Recreation Center (Almendras Gym).

After a year of hiatus, the Royal Mandaya Hotel and Matina Enclaves in partnership with the Sports Development Division-City Mayors Office (SDD-CMO) bring back the city’s biggest basketball tournament which serves as the sporting highlight of the annual Araw ng Dabaw festivities.

Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP)11 executive program officer Ronel Leu-

terio and tournament commissioner Miggy Solitaria announced the four-day hoopla in a press conference held in Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center Davao on Tuesday.

Solitaria announced that former Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) Blue Knight Francis Gabriel Escandor, son of SBP 11 regional director and Presidential Adviser for Sports Glenn Escandor, will be suiting up for the DLSU Green Archers in his return to his home city. The younger Escandor played junior ball for

De La Salle Zobel.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) regional commissioner lawyer Francis Calatrava, on the other hand, explained that the format will be a single-round robin elimination with the top two teams moving forward in the championship game while the other two teams will battle for third.

Leuterio added that the tournament will be open free to the public. The gates open at 4:00pm while the games will formally begin at 5:00pm.

Not even Vince Petdeo Cuajao's explosive game was enough to overcome St. Mary's-Tagum in the finals. KOII CANARIAS

St. Mary's Tagum shocks Holy Child

By KOII CANARIAS

Hyenas FC bagged the 15 Under Boys title of the First Davao Strikers FC Football Festival. The team members proudly wear their medals along with Coach Murphy Jake Somosot of the Davao Strikers FC. Koii Canarias

Hyenas FC wins U15 title

By KOII CANARIAS

T

he Hyenas Football Club (FC) dominated the 15-Under Boys category of the first Davao Strikers FC Football Festival on Sunday at Deca Homes Tacunan Football Field.

The young Hyenas annexed the championship title after defeating the AC Vincere Team on a 3-2 penalty shoot-out after the championship

game ended in a 1-1 standoff.

“Happy kaayo ko sa results sa among first nga padula kay daghan kaayo nangapil” said organizer and founder of Davao Strikers Coach Murphy Jake Somosot.

The Davao Strikers FC is one of the biggest football clubs in the city with over 300 active members who regular-

ly conduct free training and opportunities to children and adults with interest and passion for the game.

In other games, Team Bukas Palad won the 12-Under Boys title after defeating Black Rose Amsai 2-0, Toril Crossers FC won over Calinan FC 1-0 to pocket the 15-Under Girls crown and Wayuk

Mountaineers FC annexed the top slot for the Mens Open over Hyenas FC. “Amo pang paningkamutan na sa sunod mapadako pa namo ni nga padula” said Coach Somosot.

The event was participated by 15 football clubs and teams from Davao City and Davao del Norte.

S

t. Mary’s Tagum Marians ended reigning DAVRAA champion Holy Child College of Davao's winning streak after defeating the Red Eagles 99-85 during the one-day regional championships of the National Basketball Training Center at the University of Mindanao – Matina Campus Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.

With little time to rest after defeating Mati City 99-80, the Red Eagles went all out against a well-rested Marians during the championship game. However, the run and gun attack of the Marians took a big toll against a Red Eagles squad which had little fuel left in the tank as the latter to a maze of turnovers resulting to fastbreak points for the Tagum boys.

“Sa sugod palang maklaro na gipangkapoy pa sila” said Coach Nestor Sorosa describing how his team played.

With barely an hour after surviving Mati City, the Red Eagles were back in the court against the Marians. The fatigued Red Eagles played lackadaisical in the first quarter and the Marians, sensing the Davao City champs have yet to catch second wind,

went on a blistering pace.

The ploy worked wonders for the Marians as the Red Eagles got winded out by the time the game changed ends. Main men Vince Petdeo Cuajao and Emiliano Escalera tried to keep their team afloat but their efforts were not enough.

Felix Magallon and Junie Perdido tore the Red Eagles' defense all throughout the match. The favored Holy Child side clearly did not have an answer to the Marians' quickness as their attempt to catch up in the fourth fell short. Magallon was awarded best player of the game after torching the hoops with 31 points.

“Murag blessing napud ni siya sa amoa siguro sa Ginoo, basig naa siya’y better na plano para sa amoa.” Coach Sorrosa narrated as he saw the defeat as an opportunity to strengthen his team even further as the quartering and practices for the Palarong Pambansa 2019 is projected to start on March.

The St. Mary’s College of Tagum City Marians will advance to National Championships in Manila on March 2225, 2019 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

12 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL.11 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019

EYES ON THE PRIZE Canlubang vs Luisita battle in PAL Seniors Interclub, RPV eyes repeat

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

W

hile Davao City’s Rancho Palos Verdes is hell bent on a repeat bid in the Sportswriters division, the main event will still be a tossup between perennial rivals Canlubang and Luisita as the 33rd Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf team championships hits the fairways on Wednesday at the Alta Vista Golf Club, a mountain course designed by Gary Player.

Both defending champion Canlubang and 16-time titlist Luisita made only one change in their respective lineups with Tommy Manotoc returning for Canlubang and former pro Demy Saclot debuting for Luisita.

Except for Dave Hernandez, Canlubang will be represented by the same team that beat Luisita by eight points last year in Bacolod City.

They are brothers Abe and Pem Rosal, Rolly Viray, Mari Hechanova, Abe Avena, Zaldy Villa and Damasus Wong.

Luisita, which last won the crown in 2017, also fielded the same players that played last year, namely: Eddie Bagtas, Benjie Sumulong, Rodel Mangulabnan, Raffy Garcia, Chino Raymundo, Edmund Yee and Chito Laureta.

With the addition of Manotoc, a fixture in many champion teams, Canlubang remains a formidable squad, but Luisita captain Jeric Hech-

anova is unfazed.

“In the end, it’s up to our team to perform and not worry about the other team,” Hechanova said.

Hechanova said all his players are playing well in the run-up to the Interclub, particularly Mangulabnan, the reigning national seniors champion.

Cebu Country Club and Del Monte complete the cast in the championship division.

Rancho Palos Verdes, meantime, are out to score back-to-back titles as the same champion squad returns to defend the title this year.

RPV will be captained by Randy Cadiogan with regulars Noe Taojo, Josue Tesado, Eugenio Serado, Ellias Arriba, Lito Dublan and Deo Cura.

IN Bacolod City last year, the team won the championship with Noe Taojo finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 86 points followed by Randy Cadiogan with 77, Eugenio Serado 76, Josue Tesado 74 while Deo Cura and Lito Dublan tied with 73 each, Abraham Dizon 65 and Elias Arriba 61.

“We’re ready to defend the title although we know that course and weather conditions will be vastly different,” said RPV club manager Tommy Inigo.

A record field of 108 teams is seeing action in the four-day event that will also

Rancho Palos Verdes will rely on Deo Cura and Abe Dizon in its repeat bid this year. be played at the Club Filipino de Cebu.

The field is divided into five divisions: Championship, Founders, Aviator, Sportswriters and Friendship.

The Molave scoring sys-

tem will be used in the fourto-play, three-to-count event.

Par is worth 3 points and regulation play is equivalent to 54 points.

This year’s Interclub is sponsored by Radio Mindanao

Network, Asian Air Safari, and Vanguard Radio Network. Also extending support are ABSCBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Min-

danao), Fox Sports, Cignal TV, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG, Manila Standard, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Dusit Thani Manila, and Casino Filipino. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.