Edge Davao | Vol 11 Issue 247 | Tuesday, March 5, 2019

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

P 15.00 • 16 PAGES

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DAVAO, MATI, CDO IN JOURNEY OF SAINT’S INCORRUPT HEART RELIC

EDGE DAVAO

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Serving a seamless society

CLARKSON KEYS SPORTS CAVS’ WIN PAGE11

INDIAN CULTURAL NIGHT. Indian students from Brokenshire College perform variation of modern and traditional Indian dance during Sunday night’s Indian Cultural Night at Rizal Park along San Pedro Street in Davao City. The event is part of the 82nd Araw ng Davao’s Pasundayag sa Rizal Park. Lean Daval Jr

CRIME DRIVE Cops seize firearms, ammo from village chief

By ADAM B. MORRELL

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n intensi�ied anti-criminality campaign of the Police Regional Of�ice (PRO) -11 focusing on illegal drugs, terrorism, loose �irearms and internal security operations has reaped initial accomplishments.

PRO 11 Director Sr. Supt. Marcelo Morales, in a press conference held at the Camp Sgt. Quintin Merecido, Buhangin in Davao City on Monday, announced that they continue

to intensify their anti-criminality campaign which began in January in relation to the forthcoming midterm election in May. “From January to this date, we have already ac-

counted several accomplishments on loose �irearms involving incumbent local of�icials and former local of�icials,” Morales said.

On Friday, March 1, the joint forces of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, the Regional Intelligence Division of PRO 11 and the Kapalong Municipal Police Station served search warrant no. 20-10 dated

February 2019 to Barangay Captain Edgar Quillo of Mabantao, Kapalong, Davao del Norte for for violating Republic Act 10591.

Quilla was forced to yield several unlicensed guns and assorted ammunition during the police operation at around 9:00 pm.

Authorities arrested Quilla after �inding one 45 caliber colt MK IV; 45-cal-

iber Norinco 1911; six 45-caliber magazines; 47 45-caliber ammunition; 45 ammunition for 9-mm; three M16 ammunition; three 38-caliber ammunition; four 22-caliber ammunition and one 380-caliber ammunition.

Operatives also arrested Rolando Sombilom Pamat, a barangay tanod, after he was caught in

the act of possessing one .38-caliber revolver loaded with seven live bullets.

Morales, however, assumed that Quilla might be an avid gun collector and is not involved in any illegal activities.

“We don’t discourage them from doing that (collecting guns), ang gusto lang namin is follow the

CRIME, P10

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

OPAPP to apologize to BTA list‘victims’

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CAMPAIGN RALLY. President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally at the Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City on Sunday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Davao, Mati, CDO in journey of saint’s incorrupt heart relic T he incorrupt heart relic of St. Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of the sick, doctors, nurses, and other health workers, will visit the cities of Davao, Mati, and Cagayan de Oro this month as part of the 57-day Journey of the Heart 2.0 in several cities and provinces in the Philippines from February 2 to March 31, 2019.

The heart relic will be brought to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City on March 13 from Bacolod City, according to the itinerary posted on the Facebook page of The Camillians.

The relic will be at the San Pedro Hospital on March 14 and San Pedro

Cathedral on March 15 for Eucharistic masses and public veneration for the devotees.

The heart relic will depart for Mati City where it will be displayed at the Cathedral of San Nicolas de Tolentino on March 16; St. Camillus Hospital on March 17; and St. Camil-

Duterte approves law on Sarangani Sports Center

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resident Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law a bill establishing a primary sports development and training center for the province of Sarangani.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11224 on Feb. 22 but a copy of which was released to media on Saturday (March 2).

“The Provincial Government of Sarangani and municipal government of Alabel, in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), shall take the necessary steps to upgrade, improve, and modernize existing facilities, equipment and personnel and integrate them into the newly created sports training center,” the law reads.

"The provincial government of Sarangani and the municipal government of Alabel, in coordination with the PSC, shall create the necessary training programs, appropriate tournaments, and competition, as well as the system by which the facilities shall be maintained and managed

in order to accomplish the objectives and purpose of this Act,” it added.

Under the law, the provincial government of Sarangani and the municipal government of Alabel will fund the construction, establishment and operation of the Sarangani Sports Training Center.

Funds will be granted by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). In addition, grants and endowments may be obtained from local or foreign sources and intended for sports development.

This act will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Of�icial Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

This Act was passed by the House of Representatives as House Bill 6130 on Aug. 23, 2017 and adopted by the Senate as an amendment to Senate Bill 1712 on Nov. 28, 2018.

On Feb. 14, Duterte signed RA 11214 otherwise known as Philippine Sports Training Center Act estab-

DUTERTE, P10

lus Chaplaincy Community in Davao City on March 18.

In 2013, the heart relic arrived in the country and the cities of Davao and Matiwere also part of its journey.

This year, Cagayan de Oro will be added to the Mindanao journey.

The relic will leave Davao City for Cagayan de Oro City onf March 19 where it will be venerated at the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral until March 20.

The relic will return to St. Camillus Provincialate,

Loyola Heights in Quezon City on March 21.

The nearly two-month journey of the heart relic will conclude on March 31 at the Manila Cathedral.

Enshrined at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, the relic will return to Rome, Italy on April 1.

In October 2018, Filipino devotees welcomed the heart relic of Padre Pio, an Italian priest and a mystic known to have received the gift of stigmata or the wounds of Christ. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

PANABO CITY TURNS 18. The City of Panabo City created by a law sponsored by Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. turns 18 years old this month. Panabo City Tourism officer Cher Bastida and Information Officer Michael Angelo Resueno

residential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr. on Sunday said his of�ice will issue a written apology to Tawi-tawi professor and civil society leader Arlene Navales-Sevilla who took her oath as member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) on February 22 in Malacanang but whose appointment paper was not among those released by Malacanang on February 27.

“We will make a written apology to her and the others for the unfortunate incident. Undersecretary Glo Mercado is trying to communicate with her and currently working to meet her as soon as practicable,” Galvez told MindaNews in a text message.

He said Sevilla is back in Tawi-tawi. “We are �ixing our schedules now,” he said.

Sevilla, an Associate Professor and Director of External Affairs Scholarship Coordinator of the Tawi-tawi Regional Agricultural College and Executive Director of the Tawi-tawi Alliance of Civil Society Organizations, and a core member of the Anak Mindanao Provincial Team, told MindaNews on Saturday that Galvez or other of�icials of the Of�ice of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (formerly Of�ice of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process or OPAPP), had not communicated with her since February 27 when she asked Assistant Secretary Acel Papa why her name was not on the list of BTA members reported by the media.

The media reports

based the list of 76 members from the appointment papers dated February 22 but released by Malacanang only on February 27. Sevilla’s appointment paper was not among the 76 released. Instead, the appointment papers of four new members were released along with 71 of those who took their oath in Malacanang and the 41st nominee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who was unable to attend as she was recuperating from an ailment.

Seventy-two members of the BTA – 40 of 41 nominated by the MILF and 32 of 39 nominated by government, including Sevilla, took their oath in Malacanang on February 22.

The 80-member BTA will govern the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MIndanao (BARMM) during the threeyear transition period until June 30, 2022.

Sevilla said Papa assured her on February 27 that she would look into the matter of her appointment paper but since then, no one from the OPAPP had communicated with her.

“Only silence,” Sevilla told MindaNews in Davao City on Saturday before leaving for Tawi-tawi via Zamboanga. Sevilla attended a conference in Davao City on monitoring mining operations in Mindanao.

“I deserve an explanation,” she said.

“Others” When Galvez said they will “make a written apology to her and the others for the unfortunate incident,” the “others” he was referring to are the 10 govern-

OPAPP, P10

discuss the highlights of the anniversary celebration from March 8 to 31 during yesterday's staging of Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM Annex at Ecoland. The current Panabo City Mayor is engineer James Gamao. EDITH T. ISIDRO | PIA

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Ms. Earth PH-S. Mindanao talent show set Tuesday

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GINOONG DAVAO 2019 WINNER. Ginoong Davao 2019 Kyle Emmanuel Gino-o Gaite and his court Cyril Laurence Hilbich Rosil, first runner-up and Abraham Yahya, second runner-up. The first ever pageant for men in Davao City was successfully staged on Sunday night at Davao City Recreation Center. Lean Daval Jr.

PEF puts wildlife T of Davao in focus

he Miss Earth Philippines Southern Mindanao Talent Show Competition will be held on Tuesday at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center.

18 of the region's best bets from various cities and municipalities of Southern Mindanao vie for the right to advance to the coveted Miss Earth 2019 pageant. They will showcase their talents in the competition set at the Indoor Basketball Court at Arcadia's third level. The so-called eco-warriors were presented to media in a press conference on Saturday.

Vying for the title are Mary Bless Araño of Panabo City, Maria Christine Joy Anter of Digos City, Jolyka Casan of Cotabato City, Jayvee Lyn Lorejo of Municipality of Mawab, Siham

Darkouch of General Santos City, Shaira Mae Pontines of Kidapawan City, Gertrude Louise Gundino of Municipality of Caraga, Steffany Bazar of General Santos City, Khean Marie Rosales of Minicipality of Baganga, Jade Dyll Asis of Municipality of Midsayap, Patricia Mae Hoffman of General Santos City, Giselle Manayaga of Davao City, Renarose Balneg of Davao City, Vevey Gwayne Laylo of Mati City, Mary Joy Evangelista of Digos City, Eloisa Monique Yepez of Panabo City, Jessa Mae De Guzman of Island Garden of Samal, and Denise Galvez of Mati City.

Miss Earth Philippines Southern Mindanao Search 2019 Grand Coronation Night will be held at RMC PetroGazz Arena this March 9, 2019.

PhilHealth warns vs ID, record‘fixers’

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interactive exhibit on Sunday that will feature species of birds, beetles, butter�lies and marine animals found in the Davao Region. The exhibit will run until March 9 at SM Lanang Premier.

Other activities include the Public Talks at the Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MCM) Auditorium on March 5 with discussion on the Green and Blue Spaces of Davao City by Marigelaine Arguillas, DENR-11 chief of Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Section; forest restoration by Rich Paul Cosio, the watershed management of�icer of the Energy Development Corporation; Ecological Importance of Wildlife Species by Dr. Jade Badon; Martin Pineda on Birds; Dr. Analyn Cabras on Beetles; and Jose Ricky Biyo on marine animals.

PEF is also hosting the "Nature Contact" from

March 6 to 8 at the Philippine Eagle Center.

Marzo said the PEF created "Nature Contact" to offer to the youth a �irsthand experience with nature through fun learning experiences to instill conservation values.

She said the activity is open to students from Grade 6 to senior high school with a registration fee of PHP250 per participant. The fee will go to the PEF's Open Classroom Program fund to develop educational materials and activities for public school students in Malagos, Baguio District.

The 2nd Regional Wildlife Summit will also be held at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao spearheaded by the University's Alpha Phi Omega-Lambda Nu Chapter in partnership with PEF on March 9.

It will feature the 5th Regional Wildlife Quizbowl; a wildlife photography contest among students; and a short �ilm-making competition for high school and college students. (PNA)

Once these details are stolen, the fraudster now has access to your account and is free to do money transfers to his/her account.

Outsmart fraudsters with these tips: 1. Never give out con�idential information such as internet banking username, password, or one-time passwords (OTP). Banks never ask for these.

2. Do not change passwords through an email request sent by suspicious senders. The change of internet banking passwords should be done only after customers have successfully logged on to their secure online banking site.

3. Do not click on website links included in suspicious emails. They may redirect to a different site that looks like

the of�icial bank website. Tip: Check if the website address begins with “https,” which means that information provided will be encrypted.

4. In relation, never click on any link provided by emails to change bank account details.

5. If you suspect that an email is attempting to phish your information, please report it immediately by forwarding the email to ReportPhish@bdo.com.ph.

6. If you think that you may have responded to a suspicious email, change your account’s password by logging on BDO Personal Online Banking at www.bdo.com.ph as soon as possible.

7. Do not hesitate to call your branch and inform them of the type of incident.

Together with BDO, say no to phishing!

he Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) will spearhead “Wildlife is Here” to cast a spotlight on the unique wildlife species found in Davao Region's forests and marine environment.

In partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region 11 (DENR-11) and the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), PEF said it will hold a series of events from March 4 to 9 that will showcase the importance of often overlooked species of birds, beetles, butter�lies, and marine wildlife found in the Davao Gulf.

PEF Communications Of�icer Nelizza Marzo said "Wildlife is Here" is in line with the United Nations (UN) World Wildlife Day celebrated globally every March to commemorate the signing date of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Flora and Fauna.

The convention unites 169 countries in the protection of the world's wildlife.

Marzo said PEF and partners will also unveil an

he Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Saturday warned the public against individuals offering assistance to present and prospective members to secure identi�ication (ID) cards and member data records (MDR) for a fee.

In a statement, PhilHealth said these people use social media platforms

to market their modus operandi, targeting unsuspecting members who pay fees and issue authorizations to facilitate the processing and shipping of their IDs and MDRs. "Such act is considered '�ixing' and strictly prohibited under the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007. We reiterate that we do not charge any fees for the printing and issuance of PhilHealth

ID cards and MDRs," the statement read.

PhilHealth advised concerned members to proceed to the nearest PhilHealth regional of�ice, local Health insurance of�ice or PhilHealth Express in their localities, and to transact with the agency's frontline personnel.

It also urged the public to report any incidence of '�ixing' to them. (PNA)

Beware of your personal account info being phished

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s the year 2019 gets underway, don’t forget to protect yourself and your money against fraudsters and their deceitful activities.

Fraud comes in various forms. Shockingly, fraudsters are becoming more and more sophisticated in tricking bank clients into revealing their personal information and account details.

One of the methods these fraudsters have been using is called phishing. Phishing is the criminal intent to obtain a person’s sensitive bank information to steal their money.

It usually involves sending an email or text message that appears legitimate but will contain links to a fake website requesting sensitive information like username, password, account details, mobile number and one-time passwords.

ACHIEVEMENTS. Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) director Chief Superintendent Marcelo Morales says the agency is preparing a tighter security measures for the upcoming events in the city and for the mid-term elections on May 13.

Morales also talked about PRO 11's achievements during a news conference at Camp Quintin Merecido in Buhangin, Davao City on Monday. Lean Daval Jr

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

Rice Tariffication Law gets rid of smugglers: Lambino

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RICE TARIFFICATION. Customers purchase commercial rice from a dealer at Agdao Public Market in Davao City on Monday. According to economic experts the Rice Tariffication Law will not help lower the prices commercial rice in the market. Lean Daval Jr

Cebu Pacific warns public vs fake websites, promos

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ocal carrier Cebu Paci�ic (CEB) has warned passengers against fake websites and promos.

The carrier has an ongoing seat sale in line with its anniversary this month.

Beginning March 1, however, many netizens were complaining that they couldn't access CEB's website, or that it is undergoing maintenance.

In its of�icial social media account's post late Saturday, CEB warned the public "against unscrupulous entities us-

ing Cebu Paci�ic and alleged promo fares to lure customers".

It added that these fake websites might put their data at risk or lure them to a scam.

Earlier, CEB provided alternative links to book, manage or check in for �lights while the carrier's home page and mobile app were "undergoing improvements".

CEB also reiterated that its promos are only announced through its of�icial social media accounts or via mass media. (PNA)

Plastics production cut vital to Manila Bay rehab

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arious environment groups are seeking a more comprehensive rehabilitation plan for Manila Bay. The rehabilitation must go beyond cleaning Manila Bay and its tributaries as there is also a need to promote environment-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics, which are among the bay’s top pollutants, the groups noted.

"This is, for us, a very serious problem that needs to be confronted head-on and with much urgency as we see the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia becoming hot spots for plastics pollution," Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director Yeb Saño said during a press conference aboard the environment group's iconic ship, Rainbow Warrior, at the Port of Manila on Friday.

He urged everyone to help address plastics pollution, noting that this problem can't be solved by one sector only.

"We need to hold hands, stand together with government and push all reforms we need to see, especially in the most important source of the problem, which is the corporate sector," he said.

According to Greenpeace, these reforms include reducing the production of single-use plastic products, such as packaging materials, by shifting to environment-friendly alternatives.

These alternatives may include installing stations where consumers can re�ill their reusable containers with goods they'll buy in quantities they want, Greenpeace noted.

"Corporations must also invest in alternative delivery systems for products," Greenpeace campaigner Abigail Aguilar said at the press conference.

The government's three-phased rehabilitation of Manila Bay covers the clean up of the water body and its tributaries,

PLASTICS, P10

ith the implementation of the Rice Tarif�ication Law starts on March 5, the national government has assured that there will be no more smuggling of the staple food as importation will be open to everybody.

"Rice tarif�ication will eliminate rice smugglers as anyone can now import rice, the importer just needs to get sanitary and phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under the new law," said Finance Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino at the Pandesal Forum on Friday.

Lambino said the main objective in opening up rice importation will bene�it more than 100 million Filipino rice consumers as prices are estimated to go down by PHP2 to PHP7 per kilo.

He also clari�ied that under the Rice Tarif�ication Law, importation needs no implementing rules and regulations (IRR) as importers need to get the necessary permits to ensure that the imported rice is of good quality.

Meanwhile, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) president Rosendo So said the National Food Authority (NFA) imported 1.96 million metric tons (MT) with no tariff in 2018.

In January this year, the NFA again imported 555,696 MT but So said "this did not bene�it the Filipino consumers as the price of rice was still high."

With the new law, he said, all rice importers will have to pay tariff and the money collected will be given back to the farmers in the form of interventions or

involved in screening, providing work permits and registering them here in the country.

These agencies include the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which screens and issues visas to foreign nationals entering the country; the Department of Justice (DOJ), which oversees the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that, in turn, grants shortterm special work permits (SWPs) to foreigners; the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which issues alien employment permits (AEPs); PAGCOR, which has a list of its licensed POGO operators; Department of Trade and

Industry (DTI), which oversees the country’s special economic zones (SEZs) where a few of these POGOs operate; and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which registers POGO agents.

“If we get all that (information), then it is possible that we can begin to collect taxes, enforcing the law on these foreign workers who are operating here. Isn’t that what we really want to do here, enforce the law?”

Dominguez said during a recent meeting he requested with the respective heads of these agencies to �ind ways of making foreign POGO workers’ pay income

RICE, P10

Foreigners working in PH must pay taxes: DOF

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he Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are working closely with other government agencies, including the justice and labor departments, to ensure that foreign nationals working in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) comply with the country’s tax laws, particularly in the payment of income taxes.

Under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 78-2018, all foreign and Philippine-based gaming operators, including those with offshore licenses, are now required to register with the BIR as a prerequisite in the renewal of their Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) licenses. This mandates the BIR to identify

and monitor tax payments including remittances of taxes withheld on foreign nationals working for them.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a statement on Sunday that the list of foreign nationals working for service providers of POGO operators should be consolidated and reconciled by the various agencies and of�ices

P2.77 BILLION. Phoenix Petroleum senior vice president for external affairs, business development and security lawyer Raymond Zorrilla says that their mindanao retail stations have big contribution to the company's net income of

FOREIGNERS, P10

P2.77 billion last year. Zorilla made the disclosure during a news conference at Go Hotels in Lanang, Davao City on Monday. Lean Daval Jr

5 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

Water service interruption in some Brgy. Baliok areas March 6, 2019

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avao City Water District advises of a water service interruption on March 6, 2019 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM affecting some areas in Brgy. Baliok in Toril.

Speci�ic affected areas are Apo Gulf Relocation, Sitio Bagahai, Ramonena Relocation, Purok 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, left portion of Libby Road (from Purok 1 to Nalum Bridge), Velarde Compound, Tabigue Compound, Sitio Nalum, and Villa Kareena Subd.

DCWD needs to temporarily shut off water supply in the affected areas to give way to the tapping of the newly installed pipeline to DCWD’s existing pipeline for the mainline improvement at Purok 2 Dallas Relocation in Brgy. Baliok.

Once completed, this project will allow for the accommodation of additional service connections.

On behalf of the DCWD

management, general manager Engr. Edwin V. Regalado asks for the understanding and cooperation of would-be affected customers and advises them to store enough water prior to the schedule.

Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

The general public may visit DCWD website (www.davao-water.gov.ph) and of�icial Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ davaowater) or call the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24hour hotline 297-DCWD (3293) and press “1” on their phone dial for the latest daily water updates.

Contact 0927-7988966, 0925-5113293, and 09084410653 for other updates, complaints, queries, and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Alexan Lynette L. Cabeguin)

DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol consults rice farmers and other rice industry stakeholders on the proposed Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Rice Tariffication Law. Photo by: CELSO C. VERGARA, DA11

DA Chief assures support to rice GSIS is lone PEACE farmers amid liberalized trade awardee among GOCCs

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he Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) recently received Metrobank Foundation’s Partner in Empowerment, Advocacy, and Commitment to Excellence (PEACE) Award for supporting the foundation’s advocacy to reach out to teachers across the country. The pension fund is the only government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) that earned the recognition this year.

GSIS has been a partner of the Metrobank Foundation in mounting various activities for the annual National Teachers’ Month celebration from September 5 to October 5.

During the yearly observance, GSIS sets up a service desk, holds an art exhibit, and sponsors a free three-day national conference for teachers.

“We are both humbled

and honored to receive the citation. The personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) comprise more than half of our members so we make them the focus of our corporate social responsibility programs,” GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint Aranas said.

The 39 other PEACE honorees include the Of�ice of the President, House of Representatives, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education, DepEd, SM Supermalls, CNN Philippines, and DZRH. Raymundo Andres Palad, manager of GSIS’s Corporate Social Advocacies and Public Relations Facilities Department, received the award on behalf of the pension fund at the Le Pavillon in Pasay City during Metrobank Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration last February 21.

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n a consultative meeting with the Mindanao rice farmers, seed producers and millers on the proposed Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Rice Trade Liberalization Law held on February 28 in Davao City, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol asked the public to participate in �inding solutions to address the ‘adverse effect’ of the Tarif�ication Law. “The price decrease in rice right now is not because of the Tarif�ication Law. It is a product of mere speculations of the traders and millers borne out of their fear that we will be �looded with imported rice from major rice exporting countries,” said Piñol.

He added that the DA under the Law’s proposed IRR is mandated to make sure that all importers of rice shall be registered with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and be part with the DA trade system for purposes of application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC).

“The impression that anybody can just sell imported rice here is not in line with this Law. DA still have the power to monitor and oversee the importation of rice in the country and even President Duterte has the power to issue up to 180 percent tariff to non-ASEAN exporter countries if we will be �looded with rice, making their produce way expensive than the local market, meaning it’s not constant except for ASEAN countries with 35 percent tariff,” said Piñol.

Citing the world market situation, he said such hearsays are impossible to happen pointing the projected decrease in Thailand’s rice

exports from 10.8 million metric tons (MT) to 9.4 million MT. Vietnam exported 7.3 million MT but will not be able to export the same amount due to some agricultural issues.

“There is nothing to fear because if there would be an adverse effect of this law, it would only be temporary.

The world market exports and imports on rice are almost equivalent. Our farmers should not be discouraged to plant rice because our country is growing by 1.7 percent every year, increasing the need to plant and harvest more,” he said.

Piñol said there is still a vast potential for the rice industry citing the growing rice imports of China and Africa.

“We cannot rely solely on the world market for our needs—we need to continue helping our rice farmers and the domestic rice industry,” he added.

Under RA 11203 or the Rice Tarif�ication Law, P10

billion will be allocated as the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

“P5 billion will be allocated for farm mechanization to reduce production losses from 14 to 12 percent of harvest. P3 billion will be allocated for seeds to reduce farm production cost by 30 percent and help increase the average yield to 6 MT per hectare in high-yielding provinces and 5 MT per hectare in medium-yielding provinces. P1 billion for credit and P1 billion will also be allocated for technical skills training,” he said, adding that DA will also promote solar powered irrigation system and will soon make it accessible to rice farmers.

Piñol is con�ident that with the advancement of researches on rice such as Hybrid Rice and Next Generation Rice varieties, Filipino rice farmers can compete in the rice market amidst the liberalization of rice imports, exports and trade. (Celso C. Vergara, DA11)

reducing our carbon foot print The opening of Lanang Warehouse, to serve the southern market and the recent opening of LBC’s Kapayapaan Warehouse in Pampanga, to serve the northern market, solidi�ies LBC’s commitment to scale up its operations in the entire Philippines. By building strategically located warehousing facilities, LBC is moving as briskly as possible to become the leading complete supply chain solution for businesses in the Philippines.

Beyond warehousing, LBC also offers other business solutions including: Cold Chain services, which offers a dedicated, fully monitored and temperature-controlled movement of sensitive products anywhere in the Philippines for volumes of Container or Full Truck Load (FTL); Specialized Logistics, which helps businesses ful�ill

their quality service promise to customers nationwide; and, NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier), which makes maximum use of LBC’s extensive logistics expertise to import and export domestic and international cargo – moving container shipments to gateway ports.

“LBC endeavors to always be a step ahead in making sure that all logistical concerns of businesses are fully met” says Jerome S. Santos, LBC Vice President for Corporate Sales.

“It is only in investing and enhancing with appropriate tools and software can we continuously be the leader of the various segments of the chain.

We are in the process of changing the rules of engagement in order for us to be ahead in the industry.” says Dinna B. Tiongson, LBC Vice President for Corporate Operations.

LBC strengthens its foothold in the south with new Davao warehouse

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BC continues to expand its reach and operations to meet the growing demand of its various markets. To cover the southern part of the country, the opened its new Davao Lanang Warehouse, designed to improve LBC’s Visayas and Mindanao operations. The warehouse is strategically located 5.3 kms. or mins. from the Davao International Airport and only 3.7 kms. or 10-20 mins. from the seaport (Sasa Wharf).

The warehouse sits on a 8,215 sqm lo with a covered area of 4,570 sqm. It houses LBC’s various units like Business Solutions, Systems and Warehousing with elevated loading bays with up to 12 doors and soon solar panels will be installed, making the warehouse environment-friendly and cost-ef�icient which is inline with our commitment to

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

EDITORIAL Debt trap diplomacy

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s the Philippines falling into China’s debt trap diplomacy?

A very scholarly article came out from Forbes magazine’s website written by contributor Panous Mourdoukoutas and it made a very graphic explanation of why China cannot do to the Philippines what it did to Sri Lanka which is to use the “debt trap” to acquire key sea outposts. The plain and simple reason? The Philippines economy doesn’t resemble Sri Lanka’s and that the country is way smarter and prudent in debt servicing.

The ‘debt trap’ argument came out as those opposing the Duterte administration criticized the loans with China as virtually ‘selling’ the country to the Asian powerhouse.

Debt trap diplomacy thinkers also fear that the country’s indebtedness could lead to the country surrendering the disputed territory in the West Philippine Sea as well as many other ‘strings.’ China has a pattern of funding infrastructure projects in poorer countries in exchange for better relations and regional access, a trend called debt-trap diplomacy.

One of the biggest culprits has been China’s Belt and Road initiative, a trillion-dollar project to link 70 countries in Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Europe with railway lines and shipping lanes. To fund the infrastructure projects – which are attractive to poorer and underdeveloped countries that struggle to secure traditional �inancing – China offers their own loans. The loans can have exorbitant interest rates or natural resources are used as collateral that China can control if a country defaults on its payments.

The Philippines has fought with China for years over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. But President Rodrigo Duterte has overseen trade growth between the two countries, and China is now the country’s biggest trading partner.

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However, China itself made a bold pronouncement just this weekend that their government does not plot any debt trap for developing countries, where it extends loans to fund infrastructure projects.

As reported in the Philippine News Agency, Guo Weimin, spokesperson of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said extending Chinese loans to developing countries aims to facilitate infrastructure projects that are expected to bring development and boost the economic growth of these nations.

China is �inancing the USD62 million Chico River Pump Irrigation Project in the Philippines, targeting to water around 8,700 hectares of agricultural land and bene�iting more than 4,300 families in the northern part of the country. Data from the Philippines’ Department of Finance (DOF) also showed that the country’s projected debt to China by 2022 will only account for 4.5 percent of the total debt. This is lower compared to the debt to Japan at around 9.5 percent of the government’s total debt by 2022. The DOF also said the Philippines’ stable �iscal condition will be able to pay its obligations.

Mourdoukoutas said in the Forbes article the bottomline is that China cannot turn the Philippines into another Sri Lanka, because its economy is large and growing fast.

Filipinos live within their means. And the country’s central bank has the foreign currency reserves to deal with the prospect of a debt crisis.

Coming from an international �inance expert and observer, the Philippine government has earned a reputation of sound �iscal management which is crucial in the international community and its humble strides in economy is a positive indication of steady growth.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

Era of right-hand drives

D

riving an automobile in prewar Davao was British in orientation; meaning, cars were driven on the left side of the road because the vehicle had steering wheels on the right. In automotive parlance, the transports were right-hand driven.

Popular among car cognoscenti of the period, including the noveau riche of Davao, particularly plantation owners, wealthy traders, and the alta sociedad, was the Cadillac in its V12 and V16 editions.

There were also a few 1923 Milburn Electric autos and heavy-duty pick- ups which dated back to the 1913 Studebaker but became in vogue only in the 1930s.

It was in the last decade of American rule when lefthand-driven cars (steered on the right side of the road) started showing up, creating confusion for chauffeurs.

Changing the status quo was quite dif�icult because even farmers riding carabaos oriented to the old norm had to adjust.

There is, however, a reason why vehicles were driven on the left in early times; it had something to do with the feudal system. Given that majority of the people are right-handed, the need to free

“T

he 3 C’s of life: choices, chances, changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.” – Quoted *** Those who have read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, the scene below is rather very familiar: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where…” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. It simply means life is a matter of choice. Every day, we make choices; sometimes, the choices we make are great and, in some instances, they are awful. In The Light in the Heart, author Roy T. Bennett pointed this out: “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you.

Choose wisely.”

When we were born into this world, we are given which direction we want to follow. Our parents are our role models. Our teachers give us some speci�ics and instructions. Our friends and colleagues provide us some inputs and insights. But the �inal choice is ours. They can share their thoughts but the choice we make are up to us.

Even in the name of

the right hand to fend off an opponent became the imperative. Left-hand mounting also mimics the act of a horseman riding from the left of a charger.

Right-hand cars during this period were already in use in Japan, United States, Britain and its former territories (i.e., Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, and India, to name a few). Later, the importation of right-hand-drive cars was discouraged due to economic reason because of the added cost involved in re�itting them.

When war broke out, the United States sent to the country right-hand driven military vehicles which the Japanese wanted to ban when they brie�ly occupied the Philippines. When the con�lict ended, thousands of these American jeeps were left abandoned, becoming war surplus that gave rise to auto calesa (AC) that became the chief mode of transport in population centers.

Driving left-hand-driven cars was legally mandated on March 10, 1945, when second Commonwealth president Sergio Osmeña, Sr. issued Executive Order No. 34, titled ‘Amending Traf�ic Regulations for Vehicles,’ directing Filipino motorists to drive on the right

love. There are those who stay single, and there are those who go for love – despite all the pains and struggles the person has to experience. Most people prefer to follow the path of love. Veronica Roth, author of Allegiant, speak for all people in love when she put these words into one of the characters: “I fell in love with him. But I don’t just stay with him by default as if there’s no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we �ight or lie each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.”

Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder of the Stress Institute and the Mindful Living Network, is right! “In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices.” To which Hollywood actor Graham Brown also stated about our life’s choices: “Some we regret, some we’re proud of. Some will haunt us forever. The message: We are what we chose to be.”

But it doesn’t mean that we have to be stuck with the choices we make. There is always a second chance. “How can we expect people to change, if we don’t give them the chance to?” asked Marissa Meyer in her novel, Renegades.

Bestselling American author Adam Silvera pinpointed this out, too, in his novel, They Both Die at the End: “Yes, we live, or we’re given the chance to, at least, but sometimes liv-

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa side of the road. The edict reads: “WHEREAS it is deemed advisable to change the existing regulations providing for the driving of vehicles on the left side of the road so that the vehicle traf�ic in the Philippines shall conform with the practice of driving on the right side of the road obtaining in most countries of the world; “WHEREAS such a change would bring about certain economic advantages to the people of the Philippines in that it would reduce the price of motor vehicles imported into the Philippines from the United States; “WHEREAS during the

The 3 c’s of life

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

ing is hard and complicated because of fear.”

But I like most the words of American author Kelseyleigh Reber. The author wrote in If I Fail: “That is life, isn’t it? Fate. Luck. Chance. A long series of what-ifs that lead from one moment to the next, time never pausing for you to catch your breath, to make sense of the cards that have been handed to you. And all you can do is play your cards and hope for the best, because in the end, it all comes back to those three basics. Fate. Luck.

Chance.”

Chances are, we have to change if we want to be better. “Your life does not get better by chance,” American author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said. “It gets better by change.” Another wise man said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

present emergency, the great majority of the motor vehicles of the United States Army used on the roadways in the Philippines are right-handdriven and the drivers thereof are accustomed to driving on the right side of the road; and “WHEREAS the present affords the most propitious opportunity to effect this desired change; “NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, particularly Commonwealth Act No. 671, I, Sergio Osmeña, President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, do hereby order; “1. That section 60 of the Revised Motor Vehicle Law, Act No. 3992, be amended, as it is hereby amended, to read as follows: “’SEC. 60. Drive on right side of road. Unless a different course of action is required in the interest of the safety and security of life, person, or property, or because of unreasonable dif�iculty of operation in compliance herewith, every person operating a motor vehicle or guiding an animal-drawn vehicle on a highway shall pass to the right when meeting persons or vehicles coming toward him,

and to the left when overtaking persons or vehicles going the same direction, and, when turning to the left, in going from one highway into another, every vehicle shall be conducted to the right of the center of the intersection of the highway.’

“2. That all other sections or parts of the said Revised Motor Vehicle Law and amendments thereof shall be considered as amended or modi�ied as they are hereby amended or modi�ied accordingly so as to conform with the provisions of the Executive Order; and all other provisions of law inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Executive Order shall be considered repealed as they are hereby repealed.

“Done at the City of Manila, this tenth day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty-�ive, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the tenth.”

Another reason cited by some historians for the issuance of the Osmeña order was supposedly to accommodate the American motor vehicles that were already plying the streets of Manila. Today, seventy-�ive percent of the world have adopted the left-handdrive.

The permanent thing in this world, so goes a saying, is change. We should not be afraid of change. We should not stress ourselves too much because no matter how bad the situations are, they will change. We may lose something good when we try to change things but, in the end, we may gain something better.

Eric Roth, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Screenplay, has reminded us: “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it.

“I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you �ind that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

Sometimes, we are contented of what we have. We live within our comfort zone. We don’t want to venture. We don’t aim to go beyond the horizon that has to be explored. We fear of the consequences that it may bring if we change our daily routines. Holding onto something that is good for us now maybe the very reason why we don’t have something better.

The world becomes a better place to live because

of the people who those people who try to change our banal perceptions about life and living. The words of Rob Siltanen, founder and chief creative of�icer of advertising agency, Siltanen and Partners, come to mind: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The mis�its. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The one who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.

“You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the one who do.”

Change starts from our minds, from ourselves. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself,” Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said. German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein thinks so, too. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed if without changing our thinking,” he said.

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said it all: “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things �low natural forward in whatever way they like.”

8 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

IPC Announces Winners of the 2018 Dealer of the Year Awards

I

suzu Philippines Corporation held its 14th Dealer of the Year Awards (DOYA) on February 22 at the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Manila in posh Newport City in Pasay City.

Through the DOYA, which IPC has been holding annually since 2004, the outstanding performance of Isuzu dealers and its sales force, both in sales and aftersales operations, are recognized.

The 2018 edition of the DOYA has been especially meaningful for the leadership and the tireless men and women of IPC. Despite the challenges faced by industries in 2018 resulting in the dip in sales for the automotive

industry, IPC still emerged as the country's leading truck brand, extending its winning streak to 19 years, prompting IPC Executive Vice President Shojiro Sakoda to declare, "We are all here, standing, and celebrating our success."

In the presence of dealer principals and operators, branch, sales, and service and parts managers, supervisors and sales executives, IPC President Hajime Koso said in his welcome speech, "Now that Isuzu has already 43 dealerships operating nationwide, we know that all of you are doing your best to achieve our goals each year, and we appreciate each one of you. We are

working as one team, we are one Isuzu."

The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the main awards.

Hailed as the 2018 Dealer of the Year Champion was Isuzu Iloilo, with Isuzu Cabanatuan and Isuzu Cagayan de Oro 1st and 2nd runner up, respectively.

The Most Improved Dealership of the Year award was handed to Isuzu Bulacan.

The Sales Team of the Year was the Isuzu Pasig.

The Sales Executive of the Year in the LCV Category was Mr. Gabriel Joshua Corro Jr. of Isuzu Iloilo, while the Sales Executive of the Year in the CV Cate-

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

gory was Ms. Caren Pearl Gaspar of Isuzu Pasig.

2018 DOYA Awards were also given to Isuzu Pasig for being Best in Sales Operations, Isuzu Bulacan for being Best in Parts Operation, Isuzu Alabang as Best in Service Operations, and Isuzu Sto. Tomas Batangas as Best in Customer Service Operations.

IPC President Hajime Koso congratulated the winners and reminded them of their special roles in IPC: "We couldn’t have done it without you. This is the night of becoming an inspiration—an inspiration to do something different, something bigger, and something remarkable."

PLASTICS... FROM 4 relocating informal settlers, and educating the public about solid waste management.

Aguilar said Greenpeace welcomes the government's initiative to rehabilitate Manila Bay but thinks “it's not totally solving the problem, which must be addressed at source."

She said Rainbow Warrior's visit to the Philippines this month is part of its 2019 “Ship the Plastic Back” international tour to promote Greenpeace's campaign against plastics pollution.

"The tour aims to emphasize corporations' role in plastics pollution," she said.

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Asia Paci�ic regional coordinator Froilan Grate said the corporate sector must start looking into the problem.

He said although plastics pollution is very visible in the country, this crisis "started in boardrooms of companies that made the decision to dump products packed in single-use plastics."

However, there's no infrastructure to manage those plastics, he noted.

"We can't address the problem unless corporations that make products do their part as well," he said at the press conference.

Several LGUs in the country are already undertaking their respec-

tive zero waste projects, Grate said, adding that LGUs are able to manage up to 80 percent of wastes through the segregated collection of trash, composting, and recycling.

"Even with those best efforts, however, we're still left with 20 percent to 30 percent of really problematic products, which are mostly plastics that can't be composted," he said.

Break Free from Plastic Movement Asia Pacific regional coordinator Beau Baconguis said assuming that people are able to reduce the use of plastics, there's still about 20 percent residual waste that must be addressed accordingly.

"That's the responsibility -- supposedly -- of the corporate sector," she said, citing the need to examine the entire cycle of plastics production and not just its disposal aspect.

Earlier, Greenpeace said Rainbow Warrior will be at the Port of Manila on March 2-3 to accommodate the public.

Rainbow Warrior will also sail to Cebu, where it will be open to the public on Friday (March 15) and Saturday (March 16), noted Greenpeace.

People can board and see Rainbow Warrior for free, meet its crew and hear their stories, Greenpeace added. (PNA)

INdulge!

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

Exploring Nusa Penida:

My photographer was too afraid to go to the edge to get the usual Instagram shot but this is still beautiful.

KELINGKING BEACH

The view to the side of Kelingking Beach’s cliffs, felt so surreal seeing it in person.

ONE would think that spending 10 days in Bali would be enough for you to say that you’ve seen everything and there would be no need to come back for another visit. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There is just so much that desires to be explored in Bali.

Let alone the whole of Indonesia, especially the Nusa Islands.

Among the three islands, we chose to go to the bigger Nusa Penida to stay one night after five nights in Canggu where I’ll share the story in another article.

From Canggu, we hired a private driver, Mura, to take us to Sanur which is the port or jump-off point from the mainland to the Nusa Islands.

Similar to Samal Island in Davao City, the Nusa Islands take around 45 minutes by boat, and the trips are hourly up until 4:30pm.

Compared to other ports in the Philippines with smaller marine vessels, this was ontime. We boarded by 10:00am and found ourselves in quiet,

unpopular Nusa Penida, the biggest island of three. The most popular is Nusa Lembongan since it’s closest to Bali, followed

by Ceningan which is connected to the former by a cute yellow bridge.

Thanks to Instagram, our primary goal was Kelingking Beach (Secret Point) in Nusa Penida. This majestic work of nature enchanted me the first time I saw it on Instagram, and I knew, I really want to see this for myself.

Kelingking Beach is a hidden beach in the village of Bunga Mekar, on the southwestern coast of Nusa Penida island.

It’s been told to have one of the most breath-taking views over

the hills, with a small strip of white sand from atop a hill of the same name.

The view offers a limestone headland covered in green, against the deep blue waters of the open Indian Ocean. This unique formation is reminiscent of a Tyrannosaurus Rex head, hence its nickname ‘T-Rex Bay’ though for me you’d have to

How dreamy is this view?

Can you spot the people down at the beach? refresh yourself on what a T-Rex looks like once you do, you could easily see its mouth and tail wrapping the whole point!

Those who aren’t fond of heights should ready yourselves for this view because getting the desired photo means having to dangle to the edge of the 400m cliff and it is quite a long drop down. There were safety pre-

cautions in place like bamboo railings, but I would strongly suggest you don’t go crazy for the Instagram shot of perfection if you can’t handle heights.

It is a 30-minute to an hour downhill hike to get to the Kelingking’s beautiful secluded beach. I thought I could handle the steep hike, but upon seeing the conditions, this is definitely recommended only for the fit and adventurous. I am adventurous, but I had to admit I wasn’t that fit for something extreme like this. Instead, I took it upon myself to make sure that my next visit to Bali would allow me to go down the cliff and enjoy the purity of this island’s wonders.

I’d go back again and stay maybe half a day in Kelingking and wait for the sunset. It rained after were taking photos from the cliff viewing deck and there were a lot of tourists that day but still, the view alone was too beautiful, it left me speechless. I am definitely going back and to make a point, this place is not overrated because it got famous on Instagram, you have to check it for yourself.

EDGED

A2 INdulge!

EVENT

China and communities in SM Lana

Film, dance and interactions mark Lunar New Year cele THE MONTH of February in SM Lanang Premier was about celebrating FilipinoChinese heritage and intercultural exchange with Davao’s sister city in East Asia.

Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off in the mall on February 5 with a film screening by the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University and the Consulate General of China in Davao.

The film, Seeking Sulu Sultan, traces Filipino-Chinese history.

The screening happened in SM Lanang Premier’s Cinema 6 and was attended by students, educators, city officials, diplomats, and members of the Filipino-Chinese community. Guests included: Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, Director of Ateneo Confucius Institute Dr. Ellen Palanca, Special Envoy to China Ambassador William Lima, Consul General Li Lin, Chinese Director of Ateneo Confucius Institute Dr. Liang Guanghan, UP Islamic Studies professor Darwin Absari, Sultan of Sulu HM Muhammad Fuad Kiram 1, and Mindanao Development Authority chair Datu Abdul Khayr Alonto.

The documentary explored the history both countries through the long standing friendship sparked by the visit of the Sultan of Sulu, Paduka Pahala (aka Padura Batara) to Beijing 600 years ago.

“The Ateneo Confucius Institute would like to bring the story of the sultan of Sulu and the Ming Dynasty Emperor Yongle back to popular consciousness through a full length documentary produced

Mr. Igue Doromal; Chinese Director of Confucius Institu Investment Governor Mr. Napoleon E. Concepcion; Phi Hon. Li Lin; Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio; H.M. Sultan Fua Manila University Director Dr. Ellen H Palanca; SM Supe

The Chinese artists mounted a gala show in SMX Davao: the hour long show featured opera, folk and celebratory performances.

by Beijing-based Caixin Media Group and the Confucius Institute staff,” said Dr. Ellen Palanca, Confucius Institute director.

The Sulu sultan’s China voyage is notable for cultural and economic exchange during the South East Asian trade then. This marked an episode in history where the TausugChinese flourished in Sulu and Muslim Filipino-Chinese grew in different parts of China.

Today, Chinese communities in the country are important parts of development in business and in culture.

“SM Lanang Premier supports cultural learning and understanding through insightful activities that bring countries and identities together. We celebrate the Phil-

ippine history and heritage and our meaningful relationship with China,” said Russel Alaba, AVP for marketing in Mindanao, SM Supermalls.

Apart from the film, the Confucius Institute and Consulate General of China in Davao also mounted activities in SM Lanang Premier’s mall atrium. There were dragon and lion dances, flute performances, costume displays.

Mall goers also enjoyed Chinese workshops on calligraphy, mask painting, and knot making.

Davao’s sister Adding more color to the mall’s cultural landscape were the February 27 performances and interactions. The first new year full moon activities were brought to Davao by the

Consulate General of China in Davao and the China Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s culture and tourism department and drama academy.

Artists from the province showcased calligraphy and painting; there were also musical and dance numbers in colorful attires.

Mall audiences also experienced traditional new year Guangxi activities: they played lantern riddle games and ate sticky rice delicacies and ginger soup.

During the evening, the Chinese artists mounted a gala show in SMX Davao. The hour long show featured opera, folk and celebratory performances.

Davao’s partnership with Nanning, capital of China’s Guangxi province, is geared towards boosting economic

development and progress among the Philippines and China. And SM Lanang Premier contributes to meaningful participation in this by creating spaces for cultural understanding and experiences to the people of Davao.

Artists fro Chinese p showcase and paint

SM Lanan mall goer of traditio delicacies

PhilSci, UM tops UPMin’s Speak Up! 2019

THE PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL - SOUTHERN MINDANAO CAMPUS championed the Oratorical and Extemporaneous Speaking contest while the University of Mindanao championed the Radio Broadcasting - Script Writing contest and bagged the special awards for Best Anchor, Best International News Presenter, Best Local News Presenter, and Best Infomercial in the 7th

Region-Wide Inter-High School Speak Up! Competition of the University of the Philippines Mindanao Communicators’ Guild (CommGuild) last March 2, 2019, at the UP Mindanao Atrium, Mintal, Davao City.

Jessant Louie Garferio from Philippine Science High School- Southern Mindanao Campus beat 12 other participants from schools in Davao, Tagum, and Digos. He was followed by Ma. Patricia Jus-

tine Veluz from Philippine Academy of Sakya Davao Inc. as 1st Runner Up and Alliya Kim S. Panes from Davao City National High School as 2nd runner up.

Among the six contenders for the Radio Broadcasting - Script Writing contest, UM bested Calinan National High School, who placed 1st Runner Up and won the special award for Best Script, and Davao City National High School who placed 2nd Runner Up and won the special award for Best in Technical Ap-

plication. Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School, while not in the top three, won the special award for Best National News Presenter and Best Sports News Presenter.

CommGuild’s Speak Up! 2019 themed, “Youth #SpeakUp: Empowering Communities

by Promoting Participatory Health Communication,” aims to educate the youth in communicating appropriate information on current health issues in the country and foster health awareness among Filipinos.

“The Communicators’ Guild and the BA Communication and Media Arts program believe that the youth have the capacity to enable themselves to be knowledgeable and to take part in the discussion on the current issues that the health sector is facing today,” Jerico Ian Villaver, Scholarch of CommGuild, said during the program.

The event was endorsed by Davao City’s Department of Education through Memorandum No. 00000011 s.2019.

Oratoric School S Chiongs

EDAVAO

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ang Premier

ebrations in Davao

ute at the Ateneo de Manila University Dr. Liang Guanghan; DTI- Board of ilippine Special Envoy to China Ambassador William Lima; Chinese Consul General ad Kiram I; Crown Prince Al-Mezzheer Kiram; Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de ermalls AVP for marketing in Mindanao Russel Alaba; and Ms Joy Wu.

ENTERTAINMENT

An intriguing tale of luck and love in GMA Network’s Dragon Lady

Headlined by Janine Gutierrez (center) and Tom Rodriguez (third from right), Dragon Lady is the first team-up of two of the Network’s sought-after and top-caliber actors to date. Joining them are (from left) Maricar De Mesa, James Blanco, Diana Zubiri, Joyce Ching, and Edgar Allan Guzman.

THIS MARCH, GMA Network unfolds a captivating story about love, revenge and the intriguing legend of Dragon worship set in a bustling Filipino-Chinese community via the original Afternoon Prime fantasy drama— Dragon Lady.

Headlined by Janine Gutierrez and Tom Rodriguez, Dragon Lady is the first team-up of two of the Network’s sought-after and top-caliber actors to date.

Janine breathes life into Celestina Sanchez, a young lady who is born with dragon-like features.

Her physical traits and mystical power unleash the independent and fierce lady boss in her, the om the Dragon Lady that she is province destined to be. ed calligraphy ting.

Tom is the FilipinoChinese Michael Chan.

Adventurous and a nonng Premier conformist, he refuses to rs had a taste meddle with the family onal Guangxi s. business. Forced to prove his mettle to his Chinese family, he allows himself to become instrumental in the downfall of Celestina who later on he falls for so passionately.

Playing vital roles in the lives of Celestina and Michael are James Blanco as Bryan Atienza, Celestina’s father figure; Diana Zubiri as Almira Sanchez, Celestina’s mother who loves her unconditioncal & Extemporaneous Speaking Contest Champion - Philippine Science High ally and protects her at all Southern Mindanao Campus (Student - Jessant Louie Garferio; Coach - Janice Joy W. costs; Maricar De Mesa as son) Vera Lim-Chua, a Chinese heiress who looks down on people not of the same stature as her; Joyce Ching Radio Broadcasting- as Astrid Chua, Vera’s Script Writing Contest Champion daughter who will be Celestina’s greatest rival in - University of business and in love; and Mindanao.

Edgar Allan Guzman as Goldwyn Chen, a business tycoon who came from a rich Chinese family who criticizes Celestina’s capability to run a business.

Also starring in this fascinating series are Odette Khan as Doray, trusted assistant of the Lim’s; Dexter Doria as Philippa Chua, a formidable Chinese woman and Vera’s mother-in-law; Lovely Abella as Ginger Garcia, funny, freespirited and loyal best friend of Almira; Julie Lee as Lotus, Vera’s sophisticated friend; DJ Durano as James Liu, right-hand man of Vera.

The pilot week of Dragon Lady features Bea Binene as young Almira; Derrick Monasterio as young Charles; and Kristoffer Martin as young Bryan; together with Mr. Leo Martinez as Wilson Lim, Vera’s father and a ruthless businessman who is a descendant of a family of dragon worshippers; Isabelle De Leon as young Vera; Denise Barbacena as young Ginger; Mosang as young Doray; Carlene Aguilar as young Philippa; and Lorenz Martinez as young Wilson Lim. Rafael Rosell will have a special participation as Matthew Chan, the responsible and hardworking older brother of Michael with a secret of his own.

The series highlights that life can be led by luck, hard work and misfortunes. How can a man unlock a woman’s potential and liberate her spirit by unravelling a family’s deeply guarded secret?

The series is a product of the visionary minds of John Kenneth U. De Leon, Erwin Caezar Bravo

(Brainstormers); John Borgy Danao, Christine B. Novicio (Writers); Renato Custodio, Jr. (head writer); under the tutelage of the Creative Team headed by Aloy Adlawan (Creative Director); Dode Cruz (Creative Head); Kit Langit (Creative Consultant); under the capable supervision of the Production team headed by Ms. Lilybeth G. Rasonable (SVP For EG), Ms. Redgie Magno (VP For Drama), Ms. Cheryl Ching-Sy (AVP for Drama), Ms. Hazel Felizmenio Abonita (Senior Program Manager), Mr. James Manabat (Executive Producer).

At the helm of this upcoming series is respected

film and TV director Paul Sta. Ana. He was known for his well-loved films such as Oros, Huling Pasada, Mayohan and #Walang Forever. Direk Paul was the director of the longest-running soap for 2018, The Stepdaughters.

Don’t miss the highlyanticipated world premiere of Dragon Lady this March 4, Mondays to Saturdays, on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Kapuso viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite Kapuso shows via GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International.

A4 INdulge!

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9 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

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EATING LESS MEAT IN THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“P

reventing catastrophic warming is dependent on tackling meat and dairy consumption, but the world is doing very little. A lot is being done on deforestation and transport, but there is a huge gap on the livestock sector. There is a deep reluctance to engage because of the received wisdom that it is not the place of governments or civil society to intrude into people’s lives and tell them what to eat.” – Robert Bailey, lead author of the report on climate change and livestock production Should we cut our meat consumption in order to minimize the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere? Some believe we should; skeptics, however, disagree. So, what’s the real score?

Greenhouse gases are those that trap heat in the atmosphere. Examples include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and �luorinated gases (which include ozone-depleting substances like chloro�luorocarbons and halons).

These greenhouse gases make our planet Earth habitable to human beings. “Without greenhouse gases,” Wikipedia contends, “the average temperature of Earth’s surface would be about −18°C rather than the present average of 15°C.” But too much emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is bad for our planet. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, human activities have produced a 40% increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide from 280 parts per million in 1750 to 406 parts per million in early 2017.

Michael E. Mann, writing for Scienti�ic American, noted: “At current emission rates, temperatures could increase by 2°C, which the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change designated as the upper limit to avoid “dangerous levels by 2036.”

So, how come meat consumption comes into the

picture? In a country where super typhoons have become frequent and more devastating and droughts that make Filipinos starving, now is the right time to have a serious look at animal agriculture.

A “pressing global crisis” is how David Yeung, founder of Green Monday, has described the livestock industry. “I think when we talk about urgent, the most pressing global crisis when it comes to sustainability, (the) livestock industry is most probably the most overlooked industry that people do not know about,” Yeung was quoted as saying by CNBC. The world is home to more than 7 billion people. The population is expected to reach 9 to 10 billion in the near future. Now, add the need to feed any livestock that humans are raising, and the crisis becomes all the more challenging, he pointed out.

According to Yeung, the world has 2 billion pigs, close to 2 billion cows, and over 20 billion chickens. “Industrial meat production produces large amounts of greenhouse gases,” declares the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The Philippines is home to 149.69 million chickens, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Swine trailed in number with 13.13 million head while cattle has the least population (2.55 million).

Curiously, pork is consistently the most produced meat, followed by chicken, chicken eggs, beef, and carabeef.

“The Philippines is one of the fastest growing in the world as meat eaters,” Jamie Plotnek, Carbon Trust corporate communications manager told Inquirer. “It includes the statistics on the top 10 of the fastest growing meat consuming nations, of which the Philippines has one of the highest continuing growth rates.

Compound manual growth rate from 2011 to 2021 was predicted to be over 30% a year for pork, chicken and beef.”

In the past, the per capita consumption of meat among Filipinos was less than 15 kilograms per person per year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “Now, it’s 35 kilograms per person per year, and it’s continuing to grow,” Plotnek pointed out.

Those who eat meat can be partly blamed for the rising of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Based on the �indings of the World Resources Institute, Eillie Anzilotti explains it this way: “Beef, for instance, creates 220 tons of carbon dioxide emissions for every million calories consumed. That’s around 30 times the amount of emissions required to produce the same caloric quantity of beans. And that’s not even considering land-use implications – because producing beef requires both land to grow feed and land upon which cows can graze or pasture, it’s radically less ef�icient than just using that land to grow produce that humans can consume. The same log-

ic applies to animal-derived products.”

Aside from carbon dioxide, the raising of livestock also results in the emission of methane and nitrous oxide as well as from chemical nitrogen fertilizers used to produce the feed livestock, UNEP points out in a recent statement.

“Agriculture, through meat production, is one of the main contributors to the emission of greenhouse gases and thus has a potential impact on climate change,” the UN agency explains, adding that most studies attribute 10% to 35% of all global greenhouse gas emissions to agriculture.

Recent studies have shown that if current global consumption of meat products continues to grow, emissions of methane and nitrous oxide would more than double by 2055 from 1995 levels.

According to one estimate, emissions from livestock constitute nearly 80% of all agricultural emissions. “Globally, about 9% of emissions in agriculture consist of carbon dioxide, 35% to 45% of methane and 45% to 55% of nitrous oxide,” UNEP claims.

Nitrous oxide as well as carbon dioxide are released during production of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. Some carbon dioxides are also produced on farms from fossil fuels and energy usage and, as some studies highlight, by the exhalation of animals, which is generally not taken into account.

Livestock production is also an important driver of deforestation. “We burn forests to make space for raising livestock,” decried Virginia Benosa-Llorin, food and ecological agriculture campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

The Bogor-based Center for International Forestry Research, in a report, has identi�ied the expansion of cattle

raising as “one of the factors responsible for the recent increase in the destruction of the Brazilian Amazon forest.”

Once the trees are cut and burned, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

“By most accounts, deforestation in tropical rainforests adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world’s roads, according to Scienti�ic American.

The US publication quoted World Carfree Network, which said that cars and trucks account for about 14% of global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15% to deforestation.

“The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees are felled, they release the carbon they are storing into the atmosphere, where it mingles with greenhouse gases from other sources and contributes to global warming accordingly,” the publication pointed out.

“Livestock are also responsible for almost twothirds (64%) of anthropogenic ammonia emissions which contribute signi�icantly to acid rain and acidi�ication of ecosystems,” UNEP said.

UNEP identi�ied cattle as the largest contributors to global enteric methane emissions, “as they are the most numerous and have a much larger body size relative to other species such as sheep and goats.”

The journal Science reported that atmospheric concentration of methane has more than doubled during the last 300 years and is increasing at annual rate of about one percent each year.

“Methane emissions from the livestock sector are projected to rise by 6% over the next decade,” said Dr. Helen Harwatt, who is a farmed animal law and policy fellow at Harvard Law School.

With these possible scenarios, the best way is to stop eating meat and meat-products. “Changes in human diet may be a practical tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” UNEP suggested. “As a large percentage of beef is consumed in hamburgers or sausages, the inclusion of protein extenders from plant origin would be a practical way to replace red meats.”

A switch to less “climate-harmful” meat may also be possible, as pigs and poultry produce signi�icantly less methane than cows. “They are however more dependent on grain and soy-products and may thus still have a negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions,” UNEP said.

But there are those who believe that giving up on meat won’t save the climate. “Even if Americans eliminated all animal protein from their diets, they would reduce US greenhouse emissions by only 2.6%,” contends Frank M. Mitloehner, professor of animal science at the University of California, Davis.

Another reason: “Technological, genetic and management changes that have taken place in US agriculture over the past 70 years have made livestock production more ef�icient and less greenhouse gas-intensive,” Prof. Mitloehner explains.

He cites a report from the FAO, stating that “total direct greenhouse gas emissions from US livestock have declined 11.3% since 1961, while production of livestock meat has more than doubled.”

The American professor also cites economic reason why livestock production should continue. “Raising livestock also offers much-needed income for small-scale farmers in developing nations,” he writes. “Worldwide, livestock provides a livelihood for one billion people.”

10 EDGEDAVAO CRIME... FROM 1

rules and regulations, follow the law, para yung kanilang mga hawak na mga baril ay ma-rehistro at mapa lisensyahan natin.”

A case will be �iled against the barangay of�icial, who is currently placed under the custody of Kapalong Municipal Police Station, for violating RA 10591, a comprehensive law on �irearms and ammunition and providing penalties for violations.

Following the latest accomplishment, PRO 11 is also conducting background checking and validation to various incumbent of�icials and personalities running for election.

“Dahil gusto natin ng safe

and secure election,” Morales underscored.

He also calls out unlicensed �irearms owners to deposit their guns to police of�ices for safekeeping.

“H’wag nyo na hintayin na mag conduct pa kami ng operation bago nyo palisensyahan unlicensed �irearms.”

In related developments, the troops of 1103rd MC, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) of PRO 11 recovered alleged improvised explosive device (IED) materials from two suspects bathing in a stream nearby Barangay Maglahus in Cateel, Davao Oriental on Sunday, March 3.

lishing a state-of-the-art and highly-scienti�ic sports complex to be known as the Philippine Sports Training Center (PSTC).

The proposed PSTC will have a budget of PHP3.5

billion for the construction of the sports training center which will serve as “of�icial home and primary venue” of the national teams and its correspondent training pools. (PNA)

taxes to the BIR. Dominguez said “a good starting point” would be to trace the employers of these foreign workers so that a portion of their salaries could be withheld and turned over to the government as partial payment of their income taxes.

Besides ensuring that foreign nationals comply with tax laws, Dominguez also said it is imperative for the government to �ind out who and where all these alien workers are, given the national security implications of their large presence in the country. (DOF PR)

DUTERTE... FROM 2

FOREIGNERS.. FROM 4

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OPAPP... FROM 2

ment nominees who, like Sevilla, had been vetted and cleared and were supposed to be on the “�inal” list. The 10 were stricken off the list barely four hours to their 2 p.m. call time in Malacanang.

Some of them were already on their way to Malacanang or were preparing to leave for Malacanang when they were told not to proceed anymore.

Sevilla said that when she learned three of her fellow nominees were taken out of the list, she thought of changing her cultural attire into casual clothes and just spend the afternoon with her daughters but she received a text message to proceed to Malacanang.

Sevilla learned from a colleague in the peace advocacy circles who got in touch with Galvez that the Presidential Peace Adviser was informed only in the morning of February 22 or hours before the oathtak-

ing, that 11 nominees did “not pass the �inal vetting” in Malacanang and that they were able to inform “all the other ten individuals but we made some lapses of informing Ms Sevilla.”

President Rodrigo Duterte himself told reporters after the oathtaking that there were changes made. He told reporters he was late because “may hinabol sila na late. May in-exchange” (They were trying to include some people. They exchanged).

He was not referring to the Galvez’ of�ice but the Of�ice of the President.

Last Friday, exactly a week after she took her oath as BTA member, and two days after Malacanang released the BTA appointment papers without hers, Sevilla posted on her Facebook page a message requesting “the person responsible (for) the alleged ‘mistake’” committed against her “to have the de-

cency to of�icially write me directly.”

Asked to comment on Galvez’ statement that his of�ice would issue a written letter of apology to her and the “others” who were dropped from the �inal BTA list, Sevilla replied: “I have been waiting for a written explanation as to why my name was not included in the list that the OP released last Wednesday, February 27, 2019 and for them to man up for their mistake, if ever a “mistake” was unconsciously committed, much more if the mistake was intentionally done to accommodate political nominee who didn’t undergo the vetting process but was appointed because of commitment to deliver votes, even if they knew the documents of the appointee were Quiapo-made” and there were allegations the nominee was a pusher of illegal drugs.

Sevilla said it is “very

impossible” that this vital information about this nominee “would go unnoticed under their strictest supervision” considering that the nominees were supposed to have gone through the scrutiny of �ive committees.

Sevilla also asked if the OPAPP would issue a “generic apology letter.”

“Why would they (issue) a written apology to me and others when the others’ case was far too different from my case? Will it be a generic apology letter?” she asked.

The “others” were supposed to be in Malacanang for the oathtaking but were told not to proceed shortly before noon. Sevilla was told to proceed to Malacanang and in fact took her oath and even stood beside Galvez and President Duterte in the photo session of Batch 3 of the BTA members. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

assistance.

On the other hand, Lambino said despite lifting the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice, the most important role of the NFA under the new law is on "emergency buffer stocking" to ensure rice availability in calamity-hit areas.

"The NFA has an important role under the new law which is the emergency buffer stocking role, para

kung may masalanta sa kahit saang lugar sa Pilipinas ay mayroong emergency stock," he said.

"The challenge for the NFA is to manage the (emergency) buffer stock well and to be logistics expert, meaning dapat makarating ang bigas doon sa mga lugar na pinaka nangangailangan (the supply should reach those who need them the most)," he

added.

Lambino also admitted that the rice trade was "mismanaged" and this resulted in debt of PHP145 billion by the NFA. "The inef�iciency in the rice trade has resulted in two things -- one, our farmers have not been supported to the level that they shoud be. Second, nagkautang ang taongbayan (the country was in debt) as of

the latest count PHP145 billion due to NFA's inef�icient management of rice trade," he noted.

Because of the Rice Tarif�ication Law, Lambino said, the regulatory functions of the NFA was removed except for the emergency buffer stocking.

He, however, clari�ied that the NFA can still procure rice from local producers. (PNA)

RICE... FROM 4

5, P8

11 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

Phoenix Open tees off March 16 at RPV

Fil-Am guard Jordan Clarkson goes 5 for 9 in 27 minutes of action for the Cavaliers. AP

By ADAM B. MORRELL

W

hat makes the annual Phoenix Open Golf Tournament truly special?

Apart from providing local and national golfers a prestigious competition that promotes camaraderie and gives stunning prizes, it aims to generate funds that will bene�it its chosen foundation.

This year, the 11th Phoenix Open which tees off at the height of the 82nd Araw ng Davao celebration on March 16 at the Ranchos Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club promises a whopping P1 million, a Harley-Davidson 2019 Sportster Iron 883, two Tata Manza Petrol cars, and P100,000 worth of Phoenix Petroleum fuels and lubricants to the holein-one winner and winners of the annual golfest presented by the only homegrown petroleum company in the Philippines.

With over 200 participants from all over the country joining, this year’s edition is no different from the previous as its proceeds will bene�it more than 30

adopted schools of Phoenix Philippines Foundation.

“We are not gaining much but it is enough to support the sustainability of our program which focuses on education,” Beethoven Sur, Phoenix Petroleum manager, in a press conference held in Go Hotels on Monday, March 4.

Also present during the presscon were lawyer Raymond Zorilla, senior vice president for external affairs, business development and security, and Phoenix Open organizer Liloh Evangelista.

The golfest will feature three major divisions including team, partner and individual with each winners receiving a Royal Selangor Pewter Plate and Phoenix Petroleum fuel cards.

Champions will also bring home limited edition Phoenix signature golf bags.

The registration is pegged at P7,500 (per player) inclusive of Rudy Project golf shirt and cap, a special edition Phoenix golf bag, travel cover, and a Phoenix golf umbrella.

Clarkson keys Cavs’win

C

LEVELAND — Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points, Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic, 10793, on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time).

Nikola Vucevic scored 28 points for Orlando, which was coming off wins over Golden State and Indiana. He was 13 of 16 from the �ield and had 13 rebounds.

D.J. Augustin added 19

B 11TH PHOENIX GOLF TOURNEY. Phoenix Petroleum corporate affairs manager Beethoven Sur provides details of the 11th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament slated at Racho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club on March 16 during a news conference held at Go Hotels in Lanang, Davao City on Monday. Lean Daval Jr

I

points for the Magic, who hold a very slim lead over Charlotte and Miami for �irst place in the Southeast Division and the �inal playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland took over after the game was tied at 81 midway through the �inal period. The Cavaliers hit seven 3-pointers in the quarter, including two each by Clarkson and Cedi Osman.

Love returned after being held out of Saturday’s 36-point loss to Detroit.

The �ive-time All-Star is still progressing from foot surgery in November and has yet to play on back-toback days.

Playing his seventh game since returning, Love made two free throws and hit a 3 from the top of the arc during Cleveland’s game-clinching run.

Rookie guard Collin Sexton had 17 points and Osman scored 14 for the Cavaliers, who have won �ive of eight. Larry Nance Jr. and Matthew Dellavedova each added 11 points.

Cleveland scored 17 straight points during a run that began late in the third quarter with Orlando leading 72-63. The Magic tied the game on Augustin’s 3-pointer midway through the fourth.

Vucevic scored 10 points in the third when the Magic pulled ahead after trailing by four points at halftime.

Orlando, trying to make the playoffs for the �irst time since 2012, has won eight of 11. The Magic went 6 of 26 on 3s.

5 title fights in DavNor

raulio E. Dujali town in Davao del Norte will host �ive Mindanao Professional Boxing Association (MinProba) title �ights on Tuesday.

Iligan City’s James Francis Buray (7-1-0) will face the undefeated Muhammad Ashiq (60) of Singapore for the MinProba super featherweight title at the Dujali gymnasium.

On the other hand, Kim “Bonecrusher” Ac-

tub (7-9-1) also of Iligan will trade punches with Nushahida Roselie (112-0) also of Singapore for the MinProba women’s super-bantamweight belt.

Former RP team member Charly Suarez (1-0) of San Isidro, Davao del Norte will �ight undefeated Justin Cabarles (4-0) of Digos City for the vacant MinProba lightweight title.

Marvilo “The King”

Aballe (7-1-2) of Braulio E. Dujali will take on Rocky Sardido (8-22-5) of Davao del Sur for the vacant MinProba featherweight title while Jhunrick Carcedo (3-1-0) of Gen. Santos City will �ight Romulo “Demon” Ramayan Jr. (7-16-4) of Valencia for the MinProba welterweight title.

The boxing promotion, dubbed as the “Redemption 2 Bakbakan” is promoted by Engr. Jilson

Basang of MB Sports Promotion in coordination with Braulio E. Dujali government headed by Mayor Leah Marie Moral-Romano.

The other bouts are Glenn Porras vs. Ramel Antaran; Jestine Tesoro vs. Stephen Bontoyam; Judy Flores vs. Joey Antonio; Guillaume Lorenzo vs. Rey John Indita; Jayarv Rubin vs. JR Cubillan; Arjay Recopecion vs. Jegear Bereno. (PNA)

Sports and Politics: Bong Go, the sportsman to politician

noticed in my two decades of interviewing coaches, specially in basketball, I often hear the words, “�inding the chemistry”.

When they achieved victory, they would say something like, “Suwerte mi Mo kay maayo kaayo ang chemistry sa among team karon” or “We found the right chemistry”.

My brother Merell John loves chemistry and even pursued higher education of that scienti�ic discipline. He is into “atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, properties, behavior and the changes they undergo during a reaction with other substances”.

Sounds complicated to sportswriters like us.

But in sports, you can say indeed there should be chemistry. When forming teams, coaches carefully choose the players who will occupy various positions. Ikaw ang center, ikaw ang point guard, forward, etc.

Murag chemicals pud noh?

Since this is the election season, mix sports with politics? Okay ba na?

If we review our notes from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Movement seminars, sports, just like what we read in the Constitution, is separated from politics. Murag sad ug separation of the Church and State (remembered this Atty.Randy F. Babao of Napolcom-XI during our political science class under Mr. Ricky Enriquez at Ateneo?).

But in reality, during the election season, sports and politics are mixed. Politicians use sports events as a tool to promote their names and platforms. In sports, you can easily gather children and their parents, who are voters.

That’s how it is in sports during election season.

If you are a member of the sports community, you would be glad that there are would-be or cur-

CLEAN SLATE Moses Billacura rent politicians who are engaged in sports or would include sports in their platform of government.

Why? Because not all politicians

love sports. They are into something else like housing the homeless, health care programs for the indigents, empowering the women or differently-abled sectors, etc.

Everybody knows in the sports community about former Special Assistant to the President(SAP) Bong Go who is running for Senator.

Prior to joining the Senate race, Secretary Bong was actually Davao City’s sports chief, in addition to his hectic job as executive assistant to then Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

He likes to play basketball and other sports like golf and jet ski. He loves to be in the sports community.

Truth is, he has been consultative with sportswriters, sports of�icials, referees and fans.

Despite his hectic schedule as Mayor Digong’s executive assistant, he has in his mind what he can do for sports.

He has closely coordinated with various sports leaders, including

the “badlongons” because they are part of the sports community.

So, our roles as part of the sports community is to provide him the right information. Dili botbot, intriga intriga, kay di ay gusto’g funding. Kay sa tinood, managad ra gyud ug naay tuyong funding nang uban diha. They forgot that sports is about being friends, helping each other, to keep the youth away from the wrong group who are involved in drugs, to keep our society healthy.

Ana ra ka simple mga higala.

Politics, we’ve heard, ang pasabot, poli poli ug tikas.

But not this Bong Go, not this Duterte administration.

So if you love the sports community, don’t forget Bong Go because he loves the sports community too. He is one of us.

Believe me, even if he is no longer in any positions in government, Bong Go will remain a sportsman for others.

12 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL.11 ISSUE 247 • TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

SWAPPING SIDES Davao’s Zaragosa suits up for Luisita after years in Canlubang

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

I

t would be another uphill battle for Davao’s parbusters when this year’s Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub tees off on Wednesday and a division title is de�initely a long shot albeit still a possibility.

Nevertheless, one single Dabawenyo golfer is getting most of the attention even before the �irst drives go off the tees of Cebu Country Club and Mactan Island Golf.

Rupert Zaragosa, the many-time national champion, is the man of the hour even without his golf clubs. The Laguna-based Zaragosa, son of a teaching pro from Apo, is swapping uniforms this year.

The long-hitter will be playing for Luisita for the �irst time after several years as a Canlubang Sugar Baron.

Lusita and Canlubang have been long-time rivals of the Interclub--both Seniors and Men’s.

Luisita played its of�icial practice round at Cebu CC on Sunday.

Rancho Palos Verdes, Davao City Golf Club and Apo Golf and Country Club will carry the �ight for the Davao contingent in the tournament backed up 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 (Mindanao), Fox Sports, Cignal TV, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG, Manila Standard, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Dusit Thani Manila, and Casino Filipino.

Of�icial hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

The Cabantian-based RPV swingers will �ield two squads in the Men’s tournament on March 6 to 9.

RPV 1 will be bannered by team captain Roderick Lo, Christopher Tan, Jaime Jong Tan Jr., Ronald Galicia, EJ Casintahan, Jose Briones, Leo Yap, Jorge Martinez, Jean Paul Marfori and Leo Abellera Magno.

RPV 2 will also be a formidable squad with Jerico Bajo as skipper and mainstays Ludwig Van Ledesma, Jessie Tan, Brian Davila, Oscar Rebosura, Regino Capa, Alejadro So, Wendell Adlao, Vincent Valdellon and Jaime Tan. Out to draw the best out of the �ield is the exclusive Cebu Country Club layout has been whipped to perfect championship shape, and the tree-lined layout will no doubt decide the Men’s Regular champion in the 72nd edition of the men’s side of the PAL Interclub.

Mactan Island Golf is the second venue which the �ield will play in the middle two

San Beda out, Arellano in

By ADAM B. MORRELL

S

hortly after the reign- best �its the concept of are the other of�icial ening National Collegiate putting up two teams from tries of the competition.

Athletic Association the Universities Athletic The of�icial game (NCAA) champion San Association of the Phil- schedule is yet to be anBeda University Red Lions ippines (UAAP) and two nounced but it will be open of�icially withdrew from NCAA teams in one com- free to the public courtesy the 82nd Araw ng Davao petition. of Presidential Adviser Invitational Basketball On the other hand, De for Sports and SBP Davao Tournament that gets go- La Salle University, Univer- Region director Glenn Esing on March 18-21, the sity of the East, Lyceum of candor and the Sports DeArellano University con- the Philippines University velopment Division-City �irmed its appearance and and Arellano University Mayors Of�ice (SDD-CMO). completes the four-team cast of the much-awaited annual hoopfest in Davao City.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) XI Executive Program Of�icer Ronel Leuterio, on Monday, March 4, said the Red Lions begged off from Araw ng Davao tournament to put more emphasis on the PBA Development League.

Arellano University, meanwhile, positively responded upon the invitation yesterday.

Before Arellano University expressed their interest, the tournament committee was scouting for either the University of Visayas or University of Perpetual Help Atlas to join the cagefest presented by Matina Enclaves and The Royal According to SBP 11 operations officer Ronel Leuterio, Arellano University will Mandaya Hotel. be taking the place of San Beda in the coming Araw ng Davao Invitational Arellano, however, basketball tournament.

rounds on Thursday and Friday, and the military-operated layout will also be no easy picking even if it measures just over 6,000 yards from t h e championship tees.

The �ield, led by �ivepeat seeking Manila Southwoods, has started sampling both courses and most of the skippers agree that Mactan Island is a risk-reward type of a course while Cebu CC will be, hands-down, a tough one to conquer.

“It will all be decided on how the teams play the Country Club,” Southwoods’ Thirdy Escano said in a recent interview as he parades a team bannered by proli�ic Japanese teener Yuto Katsuragawa in a bid to duplicate Can-

lubang’s �ive straight championships two decades ago.

“But you also cannot take Mactan for grant-

ed,” he said.

Mactan GC has some ridiculously short par-5s and long par-4s, and talented players can attack them off the tees with the risk of playing out sideways if they miss the fairways and �ind the tree-lined roughs.

The Country Club, on the other hand, already has length, narrowness of the fairways and super-fast greens and is not expected to yield a lot of low scores even with the high level of talent present in the centerpiece Championship division.

Luisita won the Senior title last Saturday and Jeric Hechanova has assembled a team that has experience and youth in a bid to complete a rare sweep of both tournaments.

Rupert Zaragosa will lead the fight for Lusita in this year’s PAL Men’s Interclub which gets going on Wednesday in Cebu City.