Edge Davao Vol 12 Issue 12 | Tuesday, March 26, 2019

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INTELLIGENTLY DUMB Mayor Sara slams De Lima over honesty remark

D

ADAM B. MORRELL

avao City mayor Sara Duterte on Monday retaliated to earlier remarks made by detained Senator Leila de Lima with a scathing open letter describing the latter as intelligently dumb.

In the Open Letter, released to media on Monday, Mayor Duterte referred to Senator De Lima as the 'worst' for being intelligent but dumb for

not accurately comprehending her recent statement over 'honesty' remark.

"You are the worst because you are intelligent and dumb all in one head. You are the only person from the Black Hole (opposition) who said it right, dapat ang botante ang nagsasabi kung ano ang hinahanap niya sa kandidato.

But you are dumb as well, for attacking me without reading the entire transcription of my statement and comprehending what I said," she said.

The outspoken daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said: "If I am an example of what is wrong and what could be worse for our government, you just described yourself as well."

On Sunday, March 24 De Lima attacked Sara calling her a representa-

INTELLIGENTLY, P9

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF POTATOES

FROM SORGONO, ITALY TO MARILOG

► HEALTH P8

► INDULGE A1

PADRE NINNO:

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

CAMPAIGN RALLY. President Rodrigo Duterte chats with the guests at the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday night.

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

After Ironman, Davao girds for Senate, House to Palaro, PRISAA National Games discuss 2019 budget

By ADAM B. MORRELL

A

fter the successful staging of Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao which concluded on Sunday, it’s on to the bigger and extensive Palarong Pambansa and the National PRISAA Games slated in the next two months in Davao City.

The national sports conclave among student athletes in the elementary and secondary levels will even be more challenging considering its bigger �ield, number of venues and length of the competitions.

But after pulling off the foreign-�lavored triathlon that drew some 1,800 and nearly 4,000 spectators, the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC)

deputy head Angel Sumagaysay, said they are completely ready for the weeklong Palarong Pambansa on April in terms of security and safety and it’s only a matter of �ine tuning.

“Being able to execute our security plans that we have planned for almost a year was superb. We have implemented almost everything and the security plans we envisioned was materi-

Pag-IBIG Fund releases highest-ever P47B multi-purpose loans in 2018

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ag-IBIG Fund released P46.96 billion in multi-purpose loans or MPL last year, the highest ever released in a single year and posting growth of P1.58 billion or 4 percent higher than the amount released in 2017.

The amount assisted 2,268,715 members with their immediate �inancial needs, 11 percent more than in 2017.

“Pag-IBIG Fund’s performance in 2018 is outstanding. Among our record-breaking feats is the amount we disbursed as multi-purpose loans which many of our members rely

on. The amount of cash loans and the number of borrowers have been steadily increasing since 2016 because more and more members are turning to Pag-IBIG Fund for their �inancial needs. And we intend to help more members in 2019 as we continue to heed the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to provide social services to more Filipinos,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario, who heads both the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

PAG-IBIG, P10

alized,” Sumagaysay, after the City Hall �lag ceremony held at the Rizal Park in San Pedro St. on Monday morning, said.

Sumagaysay said maintaining the safety of everyone during the country’s biggest triathlon race for the second straight year won’t be possible without the coordination of counterpart security implementing agencies like the Davao City Police Of�ice, Police Regional Of�ice-11, 10th Infantry Division, Task Force Davao, Coast Guard Station Davao and Eastern Mindanao Command among others.

Just like the Alveo Iron-

man, the security plan for the Palarong Pambansa was also a year of preparation.

City Transport and Traf�ic Management Of�ice (CTTMO) head Dionisio Abude, on the other hand, said they have maintained �low of traf�ic and avoided congestion by opening locked areas like the Daang Maharlika Highway in Agdao and F. Torres St. in exact time.

Abude said there were no road accidents reported but there were four vehicles towed from the no parking lanes.

“Maayo gihapon kay

AFTER, P9

N

egotiators from both the Senate and the House of Representatives meet on Monday to discuss the contentious issues in the proposed 2019 national budget.

The Senate contingent, composed of Senators Loren Legarda, Pan�ilo Lacson, and Gregorio Honasan II, will meet with the House team - composed of Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora - in a bid to end the budget impasse.

Andaya said both chambers would present their positions on the budget issue, as he expressed hope that they could pass the spending bill before March 29.

“Ang �irst siguro (The �irst thing) is we will come up with an understanding that we will really have a new budget... Hopefully before the 29th, magkaroon na tayo ng budget (we will have an approved budget). Hinahabol natin yung (We’re trying to reach the) good weather window for the infrastructure projects.

I think we will begin there in understanding that we need to pass a new budget,” Andaya told reporters.

“That’s why we want to just sit down and talk �irst and discuss what really happened,” he added.

Andaya, however, stressed that the House did not introduce amendments to the rati�ied version of the

According to the DILG chief, another signi�icant change in the manual is the authority given to local chief executives to conduct pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation when necessary, even if the local government unit (LGU) is still at the alpha or bravo alert level.

“Even if the LGU is only at the alpha or bravo alert level, the mayor could already carry out pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation based on his assessment of the prevailing situation on the ground,” Año said.

Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie are the three categories

assigned to LGUs, based on how prone they are to typhoons, and each category has corresponding preparations and actions to be undertaken under Operation L!sto.

Charlie means the most critical areas, where the breadth of the storm is.

These places are exposed to high risks and have the need for forced evacuation during strong typhoons.

Bravo alert is given to medium-risk areas located one to 50 km. away from Charlie areas. During typhoons, the declaration of

SENATE, P10

DILG enhances manual on disaster preparedness

T

he Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has launched an enhanced version of the “Operation L!sto Manual” that contains minimum actions to be undertaken by local governments in preparation for the rainy season.

Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said Operation “L!STO Disaster Preparedness Manual Volume 3” includes a preparedness guide for governors, which contains general and minimum preparatory actions for provinces when preparing for disasters.

“We do not want to take the provincial governors out of the equation because as head of their respective provincial disaster risk reduction and management councils, they can help cities and municipalities in their disaster preparedness efforts,” Año said in a statement Monday.

The previous edition of the manual only focused on the preparedness checklist of city and municipal mayors, DILG �ield of�icers, chiefs of police of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

DILG, P8

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Cleanup yields 200 sacks of trash in Brgy 23-C

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WORST AND DUMP. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio calls Senator Leila De Lima in an open letter worst and dump for attacking the mayor without reading the entire transcription of her statement and comprehending what she said. De Lima on Sunday Duterte-Carpio an example of what is wrong and what could be worse for our government. Lean Daval Jr

El Niño destroys P161-M crops in Davao del Sur

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rop damage due to El Niño in �ive municipalities of Davao del Sur has reached P161.2 million as of March 20, 2019, according to the damage assessment report of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 11 or the Davao region.

Roy Jose Pascua, focal person for the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of DA-11, told Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on Friday that the rice and corn farmers in Bansalan, Matanao, Hagonoy, Kiblawan, and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur have already felt the impact of the onset of the El Niño.

Pascua said the province reported a total of 3,582.7 hectares of rice partially damaged and 75 hectares totally dam-

aged, and a total of 310.7 hectares of corn partially damaged and 10.5 hectares totally damaged as of March 20.

The entire province of Davao Del Sur has been placed under a state of calamity due to El Niño, he said, even as the forecast from the state weather bureau – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) — says El Niño would peak from April to June. He said this

788 PNCOs get promotions

is because the province borders Region 12 (South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and the cities therein), where the onset of El Niño was felt as early as November 2018.

Pascua said DA-Davao is bracing for the effect of the El Niño, including cloud seeding and deployment of open source pumps for irrigation in the province, to cushion the impact of El Niño, as “any changes in temperature will surely affect the production of the agricultural sector.”

Cloud seeing, he said, has been scheduled tentatively from March 25 to May 25 to save the remaining half of the 13,000 hectares of rice

farms in the province that have yet to be harvested, as well as high-value crops like mango, coffee, cacao, and other fruit trees in the upland areas in the province.

He said Tropical Depression Chedeng, which had weakened into a low pressure area when it made landfall in Malita, Davao Occidental last Tuesday, had somewhat helped to increase the discharge levels of the dams in the province, bringing water to the dried up areas in the province.

Pascua said DA-Davao is closely monitoring other parts of the region for the possible impact of El Niño. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

coastal cleanup organized by the Environment Management Bureau in Davao Region (EMB-11) yielded two hundred sacks of solid waste in Barangay 23-C in this city.

Alnulfo Alvarez, of�icer-in-charge and chief of the Environment Management and Enforcement Division of EMB-11, observed that there was a problem with the generation of wastes coming from and going into the barangay.

Alvarez noticed that not all garbage emanated from the barangay since most of the wastes that accumulated in the area were brought in by the tide.

He said there was also a problem in the orientation of the informal settlers in the area who lack sanitary facilities in disposing their wastes.

“This is a big problem in the barangay since the informal settlers comprise two hundred families of Badjao community. If every household generates two kilos of garbage, everyday they generate four hundred kilos of garbage, and they have problems with the disposal,” he said.

Alvarez said the head of Barangay 23-C had expressed dif�iculty on how to discipline the villagers.

He said the situation entails intervention from the local government of Davao City and the national government.

“It will be a concerted effort on how to address this problem,” Alvarez said.

He said the barangay government proposed to cover a por-

tion of the community with land�ill after it found that the garbage underneath the houses measures as high as more than �ive feet.

Alvarez also cited the need for engineering interventions to address the garbage problem of the barangay.

Barangay 23-C Chair Alimodin Usman Al Haj said the local government was not negligent in its duty as it has regularly reminded the people to maintain cleanliness in their respective areas.

He even introduced the idea of exchanging garbage with a kilo of rice during the start of his term as barangay chair.

But Usman said the scheme did not work because it promoted a culture of laziness in the community as people cooperated in the proper disposal of their garbage only when rice was available.

Usman proposed the use of land �ill in the dirtiest portions of the barangay since garbage has accumulated there for decades.

“I ask the help of the local and national governments in addressing this problem especially the in the engineering aspect,” Usman said.

Alvarez expressed his appreciation to the support extended to the coastal cleanup.

Held in commemoration of the World Water Day, the “Davao Region: Walk on Waters” cleanup was conducted in cooperation with the local government of Barangay 23C, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Police Maritime Of�ice in Davao City. (PIA-11)

By ADAM B. MORRELL

A

fter years of devoted service to the community, a total of 788 Police Non-Commissioned of�icers (PNCOS) of the Davao City Police Of�ice (DCPO) stepped on to the next higher rank on Monday, March 25 at the DCPO Parade Ground.

Having their former patches replaced with newer and more signi�icant one, the newly-promoted PNCOS took their oath to a greater responsibility as a civil servant.

DCPO spokesperson Senior Inspector Maria Teresita Gaspan, said the oath taking and mass pinning of ranks was administered by no less than the City Director, PSSUPT Alexander C.

Tagum.

“This overwhelming numbers of promotees could be attributed to DCPO ‘s personnel outstanding performance based on the yearly periodic rating that largely contributed all administrative and operational accomplishments of the Of�ice,” Gaspan said.

Recently, the DCPO bagged the National Award for Best City Police Of�ice of the Year and Best City Mobile Force of the Year. The recognition was given for its series of successful security coverage in major activities both international and local events held in the City.

“This is so because we have produced the best,

788, P9

Newly-promoted Police Non-Commissioned officers (PNCOS) take oath to a higher rank on Monday morning at the Davao City Police Office Parade Grounds. DCPO PHOTO

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

UAE eyes closer agri cooperation with PH A

TAKING ADVANTAGE. A street vendor and his family sell ‘kwek-kwek’ and other street food as large number of people gather to watch Alveo Ironman 70.3 on Lanang, Davao City over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr

Listing of foreign POGO workers fast tracked

A

n inter-agency task force formed to monitor the number of foreign nationals employed in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) is fast-tracking measures to �inalize a complete list of these workers with the goal of collecting an estimated PHP22 billion or more yearly in income taxes from them, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced in a statement on Monday.

In a meeting presided by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III last week, the members of the inter-agency task force discussed several measures to complete the foreign workers’ list after they discovered gaps or inconsistencies in the respective �igures, they had initially submitted to reconcile their records.

The members of the task force agreed to meet again with the Finance chief on March 29 to come up with the complete list.

“There are still gaps in the numbers and we need to close those gaps. In our computations, there is at least PHP22 billion a year not being collected in the income taxes from these POGO workers who could possibly exceed 100,000 in number,” Dominguez said during the meeting, which was held at the DOF central of�ice in Manila.

He said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Department of Labor and Employment, Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Immigration and the various special economic zones need to come up with a comprehensive list of these foreign workers in POGOs. “We have to get a clear picture here,” Dominguez said. “If we do not have that, how can the BIR (Bureau

of Internal Revenue) do its job, which is to collect taxes from everybody so that we are being fair to all Filipinos who are paying their taxes?”

During the meeting, BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said an initial list of 64 out of 205 service providers of POGOs showed that they employ a total of 33,000 foreign workers or an average of 515 per service provider.

Thus, with 515 foreign workers employed in about 200 service providers, the government should be collecting income taxes from about 103,000 aliens working here, Guballa said.

Guballa said the BIR also came across a newspaper report in China stating that foreign workers in POGOs here receive an average of 10,000 yuan, equivalent to about USD1,500 or PHP78,000 a month.

Dominguez said with an average income tax of 25 percent of their salaries, this yields an estimated amount of PHP18,750 a month left uncollected by the BIR from each foreign worker -- or a total of roughly PHP22.5 billion a year in foregone income tax revenues.

This rough computation does not even include yet allowances and other fringe bene�its, which are also taxable, Dominguez said, He asked Pagcor to resolve this estimate and the claim by POGO service providers that these foreign workers are paid an average of PHP35,800 or about 5,000 yuan a month, representing only about USD700 a month.

“We have to go after these guys because they are not paying taxes. Simple,” Dominguez said. “We hope that everybody will be 100 percent cooperative here so

LISTING, P10

ranking of�icial from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is embarking on a two-day of�icial visit to the Philippines until Tuesday (March 26) to explore cooperation with Manila in agriculture and food sciences, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

UAE Minister of State for Food Security Mariam Al Mehairi is scheduled to visit the Philippines Rice Research Institute in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, and the International Research Rice Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.

During her stay in the country, the minister will be accompanied by Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn Quintana and is expected to meet senior of�i-

cials from the Department of Agriculture.

Mehairi was appointed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in October 2017.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Assistant Undersecretary for Water Resources and Nature Conservation Affairs at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

As early as 1981, the two nations sought ways to establish stronger ties anchored on agriculture with the signing of the Protocol on Agricultural Cooperation, inked in April 1981. To date, UAE’s top import from the Philippines is banana, including plantains, dried or fresh. (PNA)

DENR shuts down Diwalwal gold plants

T

he Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shut down more than 300 gold processing plants on Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo, Compostela Valley two weekends ago.

More than 200 personnel from DENR, the military and police were dispatched to Diwalwal to enforce the cease-and-desist orders.

As per DENR XI records, a total of 1,797 ballmills and 31 carbon-in-pulp tanks have been shut down.

Dubbed as “Lihok Alang sa Naboc,” the transfer of gold-ore-crushing and processing facilities to the Mineral Processing Zone in Barangay Mabatas, also in Monkayo, was necessary to staunch the pollution of the Naboc River with mercury and other contaminants, said DENR Assistant Secretary Ruth Tawantawan.

The Mineral Processing Zone in Barangay Mabatas has a tailings containment facility.

“We need to rehabilitate Naboc River from the contamination of pollutants particularly mercury and we also discovered presence of fecal coliform beyond government standard,” Tawantawan said.

Naboc River, an important source of water for farming in the province Monkayo Mayor Ramil Gentugaya has not issued business permits to the mining plants in support of the DENR closure orders.

“This year, wala ko naghatag ug permits sa tanang mga ballmill and CIP na planta because of the (notice of) violations issued by MGB and EMB,” Gentugaya said. (For this year, I did not give permits to all the ballmills and CIP

plants because of the notice of violations issued by the MGB and EMB.) Despite the start of enforcement of CDOs, some plant owners remained hopeful that the deadline for relocation would be extended.

“Mohangyo unta ko sa DENR na okay man mi mobalhin sa Mabatas pero kaning mga gagmay namong sinako, amoa sang i-clearing kay naa man pud nay bulawan na makuha,” Edgardo Bayawa, one of the gold processing plant operators in Diwawal, told the media. (Since I am amenable to transfer to Mabatas, I would like to request DENR to allow me to clear those small bags because we can still get gold from it.)

The requests, however, had no merit considering that they had been given enough time already since October 2017, according to Tawantawan.

“Pinagbigyan natin sila kasi we need to address also the basic services they would be needing in the transfer site,” she said. “So meron nang water. Meron nang roads. Meron nang electricity. Walang nang rason na dili magtransfer.”

(We had already given in to their requests because we had to address the basic services they would be needing in the transfer site.

Now, there is already water. There are roads. There is electricity. There is no more reason why they will not transfer.)

With the closure, Barangay Captain Pedro Samillano appealed to the national government to give assistance to the affected residents.

In response, the Department of Social Welfare and Development committed to implement food for work program in Diwalwal.

(PIA-11)

tion partner.

“Acceptance ofPESO Fund payments were included in the Globe GCash facility so that members can regularly remit their contributions, thereby securing an extra layer of protection for their future needs,” Ignacio said.

SSS PESO Fund is a voluntary provident fund which offers an additional layer of social security protection to actively-paying members on top of their regular SSS bene�its. The provident fund offers three types of accounts such as retirement and disability, medical expenses, and

other �inancial needs such as business capital, tuition fees, among others. Enrollees also have the liberty to select their bene�iciary.

Meanwhile, the GCash facility is a free mobile application exclusive to Globe or Touch Mobile prepaid users and postpaid subscribers. To start paying PESO Fund contributions using GCash, members should register either by downloading the GCash app or dialing *143# to access the self-service menu using their Globe or TM mobile accounts.

To proceed with PESO Fund payments, dial

*137# and select 2 for “National Government A g e n c y ”. C h o o s e “ S S S PESO Fund” from the list of biller names, then enter the 10-digit SSS Number.

Ignacio noted that users should select 1 or “Proceed” once they have provided all the necessary information.

In the next �ield that will appear, they should enter the four-digit GCash PIN. “GCash users will receive a text con�irmation for every successful transaction,” Ignacio added.

From December 2015 to present, SSS recorded a

SSS links with Globe GCash for PESO Fund payments

M

embers of the Personal Equity and Savings Option (PESO) Fund of the Social Security System (SSS) may now pay their PESO Fund contributions via Globe GCash, the staterun pension fund said over the weekend. Dubbed as the second savings for pension, PESO Fund has more than 17,000 members to date.

SSS Acting President and Chief Executive Of�icer Aurora Cruz-Ignacio said memberswho want to topup their retirement savings will bene�it from the operation of the additional collec-

SSS, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

COMPETITIVE EDGE

5

Close to a thousand Tagumenyo teachers avail of the free 12-unit CPD training offered by the City Government of Tagum in compliance with the provisions of the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 that required them to have 15 units of CPD training prior to the renewal of their professional license held last March 16-17, 2019 at the Atrium of the Tagum City Hall. PEESO Photos

Tagumenyo teachers undergo free professional development training

T Mayor Allan L. Rellon give an inspirational message to close to a thousand Tagumenyo licensed professional teachers attended the Seminar-Workshop on the Modern Research Practices in Education held last March 16-17, 2019 at the Atrium of the Tagum City Hall. Mayor stated that the LGU, through the PEESO, will be conducting another training in June 2019 to complete the 15 units of CPD training which is what has been required by the newly released Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) to the 3-year old law. PEESO Photo

AGUM CITY - Close to one thousand licensed professional teachers in Tagum attended the Seminar-Workshop on the Modern Research Practices in Education held last March 16-17, 2019 at the Atrium of the Tagum City Hall.

The implementation of the 2-day event which was spearheaded by the Public Education and Employment Services Of�ice (PEESO) of the local government of Tagum (LGU) was the answer of the city’s local chief executive, Mayor Allan Rellon, to the calls

made by the Tagumenyo teachers for aid in relation to their compliance of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training which is a mandated requirement for the renewal of their licenses.

The training, which had an equivalent of 12 CPD units, was offered for free by the LGU and the ground breaking initiative was facilitated by the Young Educators’ Convergence of SOCCSKSARGEN, Inc. (YECS).

Comprehensive discussions during the training were related to the current trends in re-

search practices in education and were handled

by Jonathan Madronero of Philippine Science High School – SRC, and Dr. Priscilla Marayag, the Dean of College of Teacher Education in General Santos City’s Holy Trinity College.

Mayor Rellon stated that the LGU, through the PEESO, will be conducting another training in June 2019 to complete the 15 units of CPD training which is what has been required by the newly released Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) to the 3-year old law.

The IRR provides that in-house trainings and capacity-building activities of government agencies and corporations, including LGUs and private employers shall be credited and considered as CPD compliance.

The requirement of CPD training units prior to the renewal of licenses of the professionals is enshrouded in Republic Act No. 10912, otherwise known as the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016. Richi Gulle/ CIO-Tagum, with reports from Justine Catalan

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

EDITORIAL Realizations from the Ironman Two down, one to go.

After Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 staging, Davao City’s three-year run for the hosting of the country’s biggest triathlon race has by far been nothing short of impressive. If not superb.

Let’s take the vital points. First, security was excellent. Undeniably, Davao City’s consciousness for security was overemphasized and the results re�lected a careful and meticulous preparation. Safety, too, was evidently prioritized. The route was closed down to traf�ic and secured from pedestrians. The crowd? Awesome. Thousands lined up the streets along the route to cheer on every participant.

Was it perfect? Not just yet.

There are some things that need to be improved or perhaps it’s just the reality of things that is out of control.

EDGEDAVAO

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ADAM B. MORRELL Reporter

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO Social Media Manager/Lifestyle KENNETH IRVING K. ONG MEGHANN STA. INES NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN Lifestyle

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. JAN MIKKO CANARIAS CHA MONFORTE Correspondent

DR. MAURO L. PUYOD LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. Cartoonist Photography Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBONHENRYLITO • MARY ANN “ADI”• GREGORIO C. QUISIDO LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: D. TACIO G.•DELIGERO • JOHN CARLO TRIA • VIDAGOTIANSE-TAN MIA S. VALVERDE•• NICASIO FRED C. LUMBA • ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO• DENNIS “GICO” R. G.GORECHO DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ MUJAHID NAVARRA • HAROLD CAVITE

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JASPERSOLANI V. BACSAL General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist VP Operations General Manager JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

This year’s winner Markus Rolli of Germany admitted to having ditched his pre-race workouts because he could not ride his bike on the streets. The city’s normal traf�ic prior to the race was just too heavy for him to squeeze through. Although we cannot give the German roads as wide as their autobahn, maybe there could be some concessions for participants to use some road sections or even just a part, a meter of temporary bike lane will do, for training prior to the race.

And then there was the poor air quality due to smoke and dust on the road which also forced Rolli to stay inside his apartment. On race day when there were no cars and trucks, he noticed the big difference.

Some bits here and there but overall, it was a smashing success and proved to all and sundry that Davao City is capable of pulling it off.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

JOHN CARLO B. TRIA MY TWO CENTS’

I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EARS Has Vice President Leni Robredo, who her supporters believe is a champion of human rights and press freedom, proposed legislation that seeks to regulate the freedom of expression of ordinary citizens on social media?

In a statement caught by media outlets including Rappler during a campaign sortie in Dagupan City for the opposition senatorial slate, she described the kind of controls she believes should be put in place.

“Kailangan talaga iyong Kongreso magpasa ng mga batas na kahit paano may control saka regulation iyong mga post sa social media. Kailangan iyong mga social media networks gaya ng Facebook, ng Instagram, pati nga YouTube,

kailangan magkaroon ng regulation,” Robredo said on Wednesday, March 20.

(Congress really needs to pass a law that would somehow control and regulate posts on social media.

There must be regulation for social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube.)

“Kasi kung anybody can post anonymously, ang daming nabibiktimang hindi naman dine-deserve na siraan (Because if anybody can post anonymously, there would be so many victims who do not deserve to be attacked),” she added. (https://www.rappler. com/nation/226245-robredo-wants-social-media-regulation-stop-disinformation) If indeed the state-

ment is true, she and her supporters ought to be reminded that the constitution is clear on matters pertaining to speech freedoms.

Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Correct me if i am wrong, but at no time in history has there been law passed to regulate media.

There is no licensure exam nor identi�ication system required to determine “legitimate” from legitimate media.

These freedoms even

guarantee our rights to speak out against institutions. Yes, even against press agencies who we believe are fooling or misleading us. Even against social media posts that malign us.

Likewise, any Filipino can establish a media entity, and the use of online tools has made this a possibility for more people, even those who lack the �inancial resources of our big conglomerates. These same big networks, by the way have also entered social and online media channels and have gained millions of followers on these platforms. Will they be regulated as well?

Thus, the thesis of media regulation on a national scale is anathema to the concept of free expression

prescribed in the constitution. Yes this covers social and online media as well.

Can we actually do it? Is it proper to do it?

By regulating such an establishment, the media practitioner falls under the authority of the regulating power. How then, can you speak truth to it?

I believe such a statement should be reconsidered given her status as a government of�icial.

It also threatens to turn off many who struggle to �ind reason to support the candidates she campaigns for. The survey rankings of her opposition candidates and the crowds have not improved despite vigorous campaign efforts and massive exposure.

Statements like this turn off the crowd.

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

SENATE’S GARGANTUAN MONSTROSITY Gargantuan means, colossal, prodigious.

Something that is awesome ang incredibly huge.

This is how I size up the prevailing mood in the Upper House of Congress as the groundbreaking rites have begun for the construction of - hold your breath – the palatial new Senate building at the Bonifacio Global City.

The 11-storey “clubhouse” will sit on a very expensive 8.5-hectare property and will probably cost the citizens of this country up to P15B when construction is �inished.

Isn’t this simply whimsical?

Life in this country is becoming “hilariously” paradoxical.

Today, as more than 22% of our more than 100M countrymen are living below the poverty level, 24 “special” and “privileged” people are more concerned about providing themselves luxurious comfort.

How can our lawmak-

ers stomach this big economic gap and still have the gall to roll out a huge funding?

Is there a great felt need?

I repeat. Only 24 senators will use the premises as their “clubhouse”.

Shouldn’t they be considering more seriously that the Duterte administration is still scrounging for funds to �inance its gigantic and huge infrastructure program designed to uplift the lives of the people?

I think this is a great injustice to all taxpayers.

The P15B funding can well be reserved for other more impactful purposes that will bene�it the greater number of Filipinos such as the delivery of public social services (universal health care, agricultural inputs, cooperative development in the barangays, housing and settlement, education and scholarships, anti-illegal drugs, etc.).

Something �ishy is go-

ing on.

Is it morally correct for the government to construct a new edi�ice for only 24 legislators when the bulk of their lawmaking duties have remained the same?

We know of one senator who employs so many consultants as if his lawmaking duties are more herculean than his peers and yet has not contributed signi�icant laws to solve the peace and order problems of the country.

Again, let us ask ourselves: Do the senator deserve a new building?

Nothing has improved, if you ask me.

Why should taxpayers spend more to feed the bloated egos of these senators who are considered “public servants” who should be �irst thinking of public interest and not of themselves?

Where are the militant sectors who should be out there protesting this wanton display of pro�ligacy?

Filipinos know that

when such a huge expenditure go to the construction of such a very expensive government edi�ice, some “monkey business” must be involved.

The so-called “S.O.P” never ceases to become the operative word in such undertakings. Contractors are “geniuses”. They know how to take care of people who have the say.

Percenters – smooth operators who make sure everybody is happy - are never far away.

We cannot help to think negatively this way.

The culture of corruption in this country has made us one of the most corrupt-ridden governments around the world.

What a shame.

This notorious label has driven away foreign investors looking to do business in our country.

Wow, how can we shake off this tag when the senators themselves lead the way to pro�ligate and wanton spending?

Which is why Duterte

has made it his primary campaign promise in the 2016 presidential campaign.

P15B is just way much too much to accommodate the “need” for 24 senators to enjoy luxurious of�ices and comfortable work places.

Is there any way to stop this?

Has the senate converted itself into a “boys club” that wields so much clout it cannot be controverted anymore?

No wonder the Filipinos are suffering from poverty.

The senators who should ideally be turning out anti-poverty bills as their priority jobs and duties are the very �irst persons to circumvent them.

The new Senate building at the BGC is a white elephant. ### (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ yahoo.com.) Deuteronomy 27:25: “Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.” GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

8 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

THE HEALTH BENEFITS of

I

n the United States, they’re boiled, mashed or stuck in a stew. In the Philippines, however, they are more popular as French fries. Some Filipinos use it as an ingredient of nilagang baka and pochero (if banana is not available).

They’re called potatoes, locally known as patatas. But the question is: are they good for your health?

But before answering that crucial question, what’s in a potato, anyway?

According to the Medical News Today (MNT), a 100-gram potato – with its skin still unpeeled – contains the following: 0.15 grams of fat, 21.08 grams of carbohydrate, 2.1 grams of dietary �iber, 2.10 grams of protein, 10 milligrams (mg) of calcium, 0.64 mg of iron, 27 mg of magnesium, and 75 mg of phosphorus.

There’s more: 544 mg of potassium, 12.6 mg of vitamin C, 0.211 mg of vitamin B6, and 38 micrograms (mcg) of folate. In addition, potatoes also contain niacin, choline, and zinc.

There are those who discouraged people to eat potatoes as they are fattening. Actually, it’s a myth. Recent nutritional studies revealed that the potato is 99.9 percent fatfree as it contains no cholesterol.

The potato falls in the category of starch carbohydrates (sugar is another one). Starch, or polysaccharide, contains around 2000 glucose units taking a long time for the body to break down into glucose, unlike the insulin reaction in simpler sugars. Thus, unlike sugar, the potato is not fattening.

“By itself, potato is not fattening (and the feeling of satiety that comes from eating potato can actually help people to control their weight),” said the Romebased United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

However, preparing and serving potatoes with high-fat ingredients rais-

es the caloric value of the dish. “Since the starch in raw potato cannot be digested by humans, they are prepared for consumption by boiling (with or without the skin), baking or frying,” FAO points out.

Potatoes may be known in the past as “poor man’s food” but today, they are always a favorite at the dinner table in the United States. French fries are a best-seller among fast food outlets.

Dr. Jackie Puhl, an exercise physiologist who once worked with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado, and Nancy Clark, author of The Athlete’s Kitchen, chorused that the disdained potato is one of nature’s perfect foods and that eating this is the excellent way to get your carbohydrates.

According to Megan Ware, author of the MNT report, some varieties of potatoes contain sodium, alpha-lipoic acid, quercetin, antioxidants and �iber.

“Whole, unprocessed potatoes contain very little sodium, only 10 mg per 100 grams, or less than 1 percent of the suggested daily limit,” it explained.

But then, it is not true of processed potato products, such as French fries and potato chips.

Potatoes also contain a compound known as alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which helps the body to convert glucose into energy. “Some evidence suggests that ALA can help control blood glucose levels, improve vasodilation, protect against retinopathy in diabetic patients, and preserve brain and nerve tissue,” Ware wrote.

Quercetin is a �lavonoid found in potato skin. “(It) appears to have anti-in�lammatory and antioxidant effect that protects the body’s cells from damage by free radicals,” Ware said, adding that “�lavonoids are a kind of phytonutrient, organic compounds that are believed to help protect against disease.”

As stated earlier, po-

POTATOES Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

tatoes contain vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant. Ware stated: “Antioxidants may help prevent cell damage and cancer and promote healthy digestion and cardiovascular functions.”

As for the �iber they contain, it can help a person maintains a healthy digestive system and circulation.

But there’s more to potato than just food. In the past, the potato has been considered as a medicinal plant. To carry a raw potato in the pocket was an old-fashioned remedy against rheumatism that modern research has proved to have a scienti�ic basis.

Ladies in the olden times had special bags or pockets made in their dresses in which to carry one or more small raw potatoes for the purpose of avoiding rheumatism. Successful experiments in the treatment of rheumatism and gout have in the last few years been made with preparations of raw potato juice.

In cases of gout, rheumatism and lumbago, the acute pain is much relieved by fomentations of the prepared juice followed by an application of liniment and ointment.

Sprains and bruises have also been successfully treated by the potato-juice preparations.

Hot potato water has in years past been a remedy for some forms of rheumatism. A popular potato remedy for rheumatism was made by cutting up the tubers, infusing them together with the fresh stalks and unripe berries for some hours in cold water, and applying in the form of a cold compress.

The potatoes were not

peeled.

Starch from potato is also widely used by the pharmaceutical, textile, wood and paper industries as an adhesive, binder, texture agent and �iller, and by oil drilling �irms to wash boreholes.

Potato starch is a 100% biodegradable substitute for polystyrene and other plastics and used, for example, in disposable plates, dishes and knives.

The name “potato” is believed to be derived from the Inca name papa.

The association with Ireland is thought to be responsible for the name “Irish potato,” which is retained even though potatoes are grown almost all over the world.

Just who was the man who discovered the glorious �ind of the �ields? He was Francisco Pizzaro, who conquered the Incas in South America in 1530 (the potato was a principal crop there for as early as 500 BC). But this “sinister-looking” vegetable was viewed with suspicion, associating it with leprosy and syphilis.

Scots abhorred it because it was not mentioned in the Bible, Swedes regarded it as abominable and un�it for humans, and Russians in the 18th century died of famine rather than eat the lowly repugnant potato. Disdain for it caused the monarchy of Prussia to issue a directive ordering the cutting off of peasants’ ears and noses if they refused to eat it.

When Scotch-Irish immigrants started to settle in Maine in 1791, they brought potatoes along into what was to become one of the United States. However, it was American president

Thomas Jefferson who introduced pomme frites to his people after his return from a trip to Paris. Now as American as apple pie, they are promoted as “American

DILG... FROM 2

evacuation in these areas will depend on the chief executive. Meanwhile, Alpha is for low-risk areas that are 51 to 100 km. away from Charlie areas.

Año noted that the improved L!sto Manual also has more detailed progressive actions on preparedness and response. The monitoring and coordinating functions were also emphasized and a more comprehensive set of tools and policy guidelines on disaster preparedness were added.

“The new manual contains a set of critical preparedness actions categorized into Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie that were enhanced and further divided into four timeframes: upon alert, before, during, and after typhoons,” he explained.

The DILG, through the Local Government Academy (LGA), deemed it �it to revise the manuals guided by the National Disaster Preparedness Plan and based on the actual experiences of various stakeholders who were consulted in improving the manual.

“We updated the latest edition of the manual to capture the actions needed at

fries” at MacDonald’s and similar eateries in other parts of the world. (But in the Philippines, they are still called “French fries”.)

Potatoes, anyone? various levels of preparedness, including a more comprehensive set of pre-hazard actions,” LGA Executive Director Thelma T. Vecina said.

The enhanced checklist for mayors also encourages them to invest in a partnership agreement with civil society organizations and private sector groups on the training of local DRRM staff and volunteers and in acquiring equipment for security, search and rescue and after clearing operations.

Año stressed that failure on the part of the local chief executive to comply with the manual, like physical presence during disasters, may lead to disciplinary action from the DILG. “The manual is a stepby-step guide for local execs during typhoons and all that they have to do is execute the detailed preparedness and critical actions speci�ied in the document. If they fail to carry out such actions, they may face disciplinary actions from the DILG,” he added.

The manual was �irst developed and used when Typhoon Ruby hit the country in 2014. (PNA)

INdulge!

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

PADRE NINNO:

FROM SORGONO, ITALY TO MARILOG

By ADDIE BORBON BUDA, for me is Davao’s Little Baguio…a piece of heaven on earth. My family and friends have been regular visitors since the early 2000. The first time my kids and I went was in 2004 to a place called Island in the Sky, owned by a fellow BLD (Bukas Loob sa Diyos) Solo Parent batch.

We kept coming back over the years…

Island in the Sky, South Woods, Cicada Hills, Wildberry Resto (formerly known as Nowhere Café), most recent was at Alice Log House (rumored to house a foreign ghost!) then a number of times to Padre Ninno’s Gourmet to taste their farm-to-table cuisine.

We were given the good fortune of meeting Fr. Pietro Francesco Uras, commonly known as Padre Ninno during one of our visits to Buda.

He was born in Sorgono, Italy, belonged to the Salesian Congregation of St. John Bosco and came to Buda in 2004. He has been working for poor Filipino youth for 50 years, processing gourmet food to sustain his mission of providing livelihood and training for Indigenous People. His mission: To help

train with skills and form IP (Indigenous People) Youth.

Our recent visit to Padre Ninno’s Gourmet was a blessing…such an inspiring and moving experience.

We came on a Sunday with our four children and ordered his best-seller dishes a day ahead. 3 kinds of pasta: Vegetarian in Tomato Sauce (you can almost taste the sauce just by inhaling the aroma!) Garlic Aglio Olio ( which I have a hard time pronouncing) and his latest recipe: The Katipunero’s…yum! Made with Daing sauce, not the typical sweet Filipino style, he said it was blend of Italian, French and Filipino. He described it by beginning the leadership of the Katipuneros, who were “Tisoy”. The Daing to the pasta represents the Filipinos, which is overpowering and combats the sweetness.

He says that he wanted to contribute to the Philippines especially a pasta dish because there is no real Filipino pasta.

Jollibee could not be the only Filipino pasta just because it’s sweet. He wanted to persuade Filipinos not to engage in too sweet food and create a generation of diabetic people. That truly produced a hearty laugh from me! He says it is only human to go for sweet.

We had his farm-to-table fresh green salad and sadly (re-

pentantly) ordered his specialty, the four-legged chicken… he uses this term to disguise “Rabbit Stew”. Cheenee and Cas were also both sad about that…as was Padre Ninno..

My consolation there was, a revered priest would know what he was doing. The thick tomato-based stew with carrots, bell pepper and potatoes was really good!

Padre Ninno then sent for his service crew and laid 6 shot glasses. He says a normal Italian meal is not complete without a Limoncello. L imoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi, and islands of Procida, Ischia, and Capri. This Limoncello is now being produced in Buda together with all of his bottled Gourmet products. The Limoncello serves as something to cleanse the palate with right after a tasteful dish.

Minutes after, small cups of steaming chocolate were served before us. Padre Ninno requested us to take a sip, to taste, he then poured his Limoncello with cream this time.

You have to taste it for yourself.

I cannot find the words to describe it. Hot chocolate with Limoncello and cream! Only at Padre Ninno’s!

During all of these food and

drink-tasting, we had one very meaningful conversation I will remember all my life.

Here I am rattling on about our dining experience but that was only secondary to the underlying reason behind all that drive to create, innovate, serve…Padre Ninno educated us that afternoon..he started by saying that these indigenous people were forced out of their lands, comfort zones. They were hunters and gatherers.

But in the event of advanced industrialization, modernization and cultural changes, they got lost along the way. They do not know where to go, there are no more food to gather, no animals to hunt… They are stuck in that mindset. What Padre Ninno wants to achieve is a change in that mindset, to get them out of the streets, to put a stop to the begging...because they can be more. They CAN be “self-sufficient”.

He showed us what his plans were. In addition to selling his gourmet food, he wanted to make wine from fruit trees, cultivate land, find partners. In

turn, creating livelihood for his family of Indigenous people.

We can just imagine how many families can be fed and benefit from this venture. He is a priest with a mission-turned entrepreneur for a reason…for a cause. I took out my calculator to compute the number of fruits per tree and how many bottles it can fill..Wow! My thought was we could not allow this to remain a dream…

I am amazed at this 74 yearold man of God. The energy, the passion, dedication…

Such an endearing vision, a big dream..and he said, “I am only one person” My heart cried out to him… that’s why I said. “ I want to help you, Father.” I will do what I can in my little way. But I am only one person,too..

Time just flew that Sunday afternoon…with our stomach and hearts full…but our minds in awe of what a difference one man can do!

Let us be that one person and join him in his cause.

Look for Padre Ninno’s Gourmet place in the net. It’s

EDGED

A2 INdulge!

TRAVEL

THE PANCAKE DON’T EAT PANCAKES.

Seriously.

Yesterday, March 17, 2019, was supposed to be a typical Sunday back at home in Davao City. I was set to visit my lovely ladies from my small group in church for a christening and then spend the remainder of the afternoon hanging out and catching up with life.

I’ve been gone for almost half a year and was terribly too busy to even catch up with the people I’m supposed to keep close in my life. So ideally this Sunday was supposed to be the start of the catching-up-with-people-whomatter week.

A note of caution, I’m writing this narrative in recovery mode.

At the time of writing this, it’s barely been 24 hours since I was rushed to the emergency room (ER) so please bear with me—the drugs are really potent.

9:00 AM I ate two pancakes that my Mom made. In the perfect world, this shouldn’t have been a problem. We’ve been eating that brand of pancakes since I could remember and I am a strong, healthy woman—rarely do I get sick and I’ve never gotten admitted to the hospital. I have no known allergies too!

Ten minutes after ingesting the pancakes, I felt my throat itch and become constricted. I thought I was going to get sick with the flu or cough because it felt like that. Afterward, I couldn’t breathe properly at this point, I was already in an outdoor ceremony waiting for the baptism to start.

The IV injection doesn’t seem so bad though.

10:00 AM I felt unlike myself. I felt tired and wanting to lie down, but since I haven’t met these girls (Kwin, Mara, Isabel, and Eyh) in the longest time, I didn’t want to leave. My mind also kept think-

First time in the ER. ing of the lunch feast that was supposed to happen at Kwin’s house after the ceremony. Seriously, who doesn’t love food? I was sure that I could stay longer.

I messaged my brother that I didn’t feel well and if I couldn’t handle it anymore, he should come to pick me up. I remembered to message my best friend who already is a licensed medical doctor about what I was experiencing. She’s the best, really!

Never failed in giving me the right instructions and meds to pop. These are the times that I’m so grateful for her and for God allowing her to become the doctor that she dreamed of becoming.

Unfortunately, the oral medicines didn’t do much good as the allergic reaction I was experiencing was severe. Anaphylactic shock or anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to something. In my case, the only thing I ate was pancakes from a ready-mix that my mom prepared at home. It was freshly opened and supposed to be safe.

Googling this post-ER, my friend Claudine shared this article about the “pancake syndrome” and it was an exact match to what I experienced.

Note that my mom prepared pancakes like she always used to and it was a fresh batch of newly opened pancake flour.

10:40 AM My brother finally arrived, and when I got in the car, to my surprise he also said he was experiencing the same symptoms that I had! Our airways felt narrower, breathing was slowed and short—I couldn’t breathe properly and felt like I had an asthma attack (where I only had one ever in my life).

Literally felt like drowning on land! We rushed home and another plot twist in the story, my cousin, who also ate some pancakes, was also experiencing the same allergic reaction! I had

it worst, I don’t know why but it was decided then that we all needed a trip to the emergency room as Anjel advised over the phone.

I knew I needed quick relief.

I saw my hands turn lobster red and rashes started appearing on my skin, particularly my arms and my face felt too puffy. I’ve never had my face so inflamed in my whole life!

Changing into more comfortable clothes, we headed to the nearest hospital. It was a good thing I was home, and my parents were in town. My mom accompanied me, my brother and my cousin to the ER, it was painful to see how some of the hospital staff were unsympathetic to our plight. I guess if they see we could still walk, we were okay?

Anyway, I was already irritable because everything was not feeling good. I was still having a hard time breathing, it was itchy

everywhere, and I felt like the skin on my face was exploding.

We were then ushered to the ER beds, and finally, the good doctors arrived.

Around 12:00nn They did the standard procedure and advised injections (I can’t remember what it was, but it was two shots) for the itch to go away and one probably an antihistamine? I can’t remember anymore, but it was perhaps epinephrine or something similar.

I declined being admitted because I didn’t think it was necessary, but I agreed to have the injections done immediately. I was warned that one of the drugs would make me dizzy and it sure did. To amuse myself, I kept taking photos to remember this moment because it was my first time to visit the ER. The drugs worked immediately! It was administered directly to

the ve stanta dizzy. myself liked i type o Sinc afford due to portun really and m (I lost again.

Aroun We ER, an told to diet w minus vegan tion fo hated ing wh a diffic eat.

EDAVAO

INdulge! A3

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

GMA Pictures and Michael V. team up for ‘Family History’

KAPUSO Comedy Genius Michael V. and wife Carol Bunagan of Mic Test Entertainment, Inc. seal their partnership with GMA Pictures for the co-production of the upcoming film “Family History” in a contract signing held last Friday, March 15.

Pancakes are seemingly harmless as long as you make sure you know the ingredients used are clean.

We went home, and I slept the whole afternoon and evening, probably just waking up at 8:30 pm to drink the meds that were prescribed and checked my phone to update the people who cared about me that I was fine and recovering.

It was the pancake flour mix that we ate that made us have that severe reaction.

eins, and the effect was inaneous! I felt really high and I actually enjoyed a little of f being drugged but disit after realizing I couldn’t on my phone anymore. ce sleep wasn’t always ded at this stage of my life o work, I welcomed the opnity to doze off. The drugs helped relieve everything maybe after almost an hour track of time), I felt normal .

nd 2:00 PM e were discharged from the nd I was famished. We were o stick to a hypoallergenic which meant vegan food s nuts. Glad that I enjoyed food, it wasn’t a big transior me, but my brother who being prohibited from eathatever he liked was having cult time choosing what to

In conclusion This is probably the worst writing I’ve ever published in my whole life, but I wanted to get this story out, so I don’t have to keep repeating myself. Also, I promised myself to publish more often—so here’s the vulnerable side of what I write and I’m sharing it to you.

To my family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers that are now family—thank you for caring! It wasn’t a lengthy ordeal, but it was an ordeal nonetheless.

To all those who gave me wellwishes, prayed for me, messaged me directly to tell me all the good things in life, THANK YOU. You know who you are and I’m grateful to have you in my life. From my saltwater heart, thank you so much! Daghang salamat! Terimakasih! Maraming salamat!

What happened was a great reminder of what and who truly matters in this life—the only life we get to live. I’m still all sorts of bits and pieces from what happened, but I am glad to be alive and happy to have things normalized faster than I expected.

As of this writing, I have fully recovered, able to work productively and hit the beach because the waves wait for no one!

The award-winning comedian and TV host has been in the industry for many years but this is the first time that he’ll be wearing different hats for a project. He will not be only one of the main actors for this much awaited film but also the director, writer and producer as well.

Bitoy is very happy and excited with his latest collaboration with the Kapuso Station, “As with the past contracts and projects that we did, walang problema. It’s good na parang feeling ko deserve namin ang isa’t isa. Ang Mic Test Entertainment, Inc. and GMA Pictures deserve nila ang isa’t isa kasi very compatible. Marami kang bagay na natutunan before na maaari mong i-apply dito sa partnership na ito, I think hindi lang ito magtatagal ng isang project lang, hindi lang dalawa, it will spawn multiple projects,” he said.

His wife/manager Carol, who is the Executive Producer (Mic Test Entertainment, Inc.) of Family History, shares it’s a breeze working with GMA 7 for this film, “Everything is going as planned. We are very happy kasi we are partnering with GMA. We are being taken care of.

Hashtag happy set nga kami. The artists are enjoying. Bitoy is parang naglalaro lang siya. At the same time, yung mga artista naman they are really having fun doing the film. Good vibes and good people talaga,” she said.

GMA President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. revealed the management were quick to green light Family History and they fully trust and support Bitoy on his latest endeavour where he will have full creative control,

“Hindi naman kaila sa ating lahat ang kahusayan ni Bitoy sa lahat ng aspeto ng kanyang craft so nung huling contract signing ni Bitoy hindi namin siya tinigilan na pag-isipan na gumawa ng pelikula.

Sa kagandahang palad sa unang pagbasa pa lang ng kwento, I’m speaking for myself, sabi ko, ‘This is one story that has to be made into a movie.This is one of those very, very rare instances. Nasisiyahan tayong lahat na si Bitoy bukod sa gaganap, at magdidirek ay siya ang sumulat at magpoproduce ng pelikula. It is very rare na I see a story, na isang basa pa lamang ay kailangan na maisapelikula ang kwentong ito.

This is one of those,’” he said.

GMA Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong, in turn, is looking forward to the tie-up that will excite the moviegoers, “We are excited kasi it will be co-produced between Bitoy and GMA and this will be a full project under the control of Bitoy in terms of script, he wrote it, it terms of directorship siya ang nandiyan. So everything talaga will be controlled by Bitoy as a co-producer of GMA. And we are so excited that after several years ngayon lang ata babalik si Bitoy sa big screen and this is a project na we co-owned.

Nasa kanya lahat ang bagay para maging very successful ang movie. It was written straight from the heart of Bitoy. That’s something the viewers will watch. It’s a different kind of Bitoy that they will see, even the line-up of artists that we have. So we are excited about the comeback movie of Bitoy as producer and as an ac-

tor,” he said.

Family History is a heart-warming movie which celebrates the value of life, family and marriage. Joining Michael V. are John Estrada, Paolo Contis, Bianca Umali, Miguel Tanfelix, Nonie Buencamino, Ina Feleo, Kakai Bautista, Mikoy Morales, Nikki Co, Vince Gamad, Jemwell Ventinilla and Ms Dawn Zulueta. Primetime King Dingdong Dantes and multi-awarded comedienne and TV host Eugene Domingo play special cameo roles.

Present during the contract signing and press interview were GMA President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., GMA Executive

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong, GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA Chief Risk Officer and First Vice President for Corporate Strategic Planning and Program Support Department Regie C. Bautista, GMA Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, GMA Vice President for BDD2 Janine Piad-Nacar, GMA Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz, GMA Assistant Vice President for BDD2 Bang Arespacochaga, GMA Senior Program Managers Nini Matilac, Cecille de Guzman, Mildred Natividad, and Enri Calaycay

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

INTELLIGENTLY... FROM 1 tion of what is wrong and how things could be worse for the government.

"Bago pag-usapan kung magaling o edukado ang kandidato, ang unang tanong dapat ng ating botante: Nagsasabi ka ba ng totoo? Naglilingkod ka ba ng tapat?," De Lima, who addressed her statement to Duterte who is the campaign manager of Hugpong ng Pag-babago (HNP) Senatorial candidates who are running for the 2019 midterm elections.

Duterte, however, an-

swered that the opposition should not determine the quality of a candidate and honesty is not an issue as it is not part of the requirements to become a candidate.

"Therefore, Black Hole candidates, who are themselves liars, should not attack a candidate in that manner. I used the same argument on the issue of a college degree or inclusion in the narco list," she said.

Mayor Duterte suggested for the Senator to make a law that would under-

score honesty as part of a candidate’s requirement.

"You are a senator, honesty about your involvement in the illegal drugs business under scrutiny by the courts, how about you make a law adding honesty as a requirement for all Filipinos before they can run for public of�ice? Maybe then you can save the government from yourself, Inday Sara, Leni, Digong, Panelo, Alejano, Hilbay, and the all the De Limas of the universe," Duterte said.

mas daghan pa atoang na tow atong Araw ng Dabaw compared aning Ironman, so maayo jud ang response sa mga katawhan sa atoang gibutang nga guidelines,” he said.

The CTTMO chief said they are gearing up for the staging of the Palarong Pambansa which is expected to draw some 10,000 delegates and their families.

He said the traf�ic plan

of this upcoming event is not as demanding as the Ironman, perhaps, they already prepared for it as well as the National Private School Athletic Association (Prisaa) slated on May.

spit�ire guard has made a lot of headway in his career since, averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds while exploding for a number of big games in his second season with the Sun Devils.

No wonder Guiao is interested to bring him over.

"We hope to invite him

to the country so we can take a closer look," said Guiao, who is also open to visiting the Fil-Am guard in the US. Either way, a personal meeting, Guiao said, will also allow the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to validate if Martin has indeed acquired

a Philippine passport, as claimed in previous reports.

"We need to validate that, too," said Guiao, who said he plans to make 'one or two changes' at the most to the Team Pilipinas 14-man pool for the sixth window of the 2019 Fiba World Cup quali�iers.

tough, hardworking, disciplined and committed Davao’s Finest worthy for a well-deserved promotion,”

she said.

With this development, Tagum and the rest of the Command Staff congratu-

lated all promoted PNCOS. “We are truly proud of you. Indeed, hard work pays off,” Tagum said

AFTER... FROM 2 UP... FROM 11

788... FROM 11

9

10 EDGEDAVAO

EDGE DAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

NOW HIRING!!!

Kindly address application letter ASAP to

ELLA P. TINGZON | 0918 383 1511

3 REPORTERS For additional inquiries, please email us at: zion.davao@gmail.com

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City

CASE NO R-DVO-19-00320-SP

AGDAO MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE (AMPC), Mortgagee, -versus-

EJF-REM CASE NO. 17, 167-19

AMBROSIO S. LOBRIGAS, married to ANICETA R. LOBRIGAS, Mortgagor/s.

IN THE MATTER OF CORRECTION OF ENTRY OF DATE OF MARRIAGE FROM 09 JANUARY 2018 TO 29 JANUARY 2018 IN THE CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE OF MINORU YOSHIDA AND GUNA PONIACAO DELOS SANTOS, MINORU YOSHIDA AND GUNA PONIACAO DELOS SANTOS YOSHIDA, Petitioners,

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee against AMBROSIO S. LOBRIGAS, JR., married to ANICETA R. LOBRIGAS, with postal address at PUROK 8, TUNGKALAN, TORIL, DAVAO CITY, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 28, 2019, amounted to ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY NINE PESOS & 55/100 (Php=1,697,159.55), Philippine Currency, inclusive of interests and penalty charges, Attorney’s Fees and plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on APRIL 4, 2019 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder for CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property/ies mentioned and described below together will the improvements found thereon, to wit; TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 146-2015006574 “A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 2-A, PSD-11-052486, XXX, SITUATED IN THE BARRIO OF TORIL, CITY OF DAVAO, ISLAND OF MINDANAO. XXX, CONTAINING AN AREA OF THREE HUNDRED FORTY TWO (342) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS.”

time and date.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION Branch 54, Davao City

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on MAY 2, 2019 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the abovedescribed real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, MARCH 4, 2019.

-versus-

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF DAVAO CITY, Respondent.

X------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

ORDER By this verified petition and for the reasons therein stated, the above-named petitioners, assisted by counsel, seek for an Order of this Court, after due notice, publication and hearing, directing the Local Civil Registrar of Davao City to correct the erroneous entry of the date of marriage from 09 January 2018 to “29 January 2018” in their Certificate of Marriage.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the petition is hereby set for hearing before this Court, sitting at the Hall of Justice, Candelaria St., Ecoland, Matina, Davao City, on May 13, 2019 Monday, at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, at which place, date and time, any interested person may appear and show cause, if any, why the same should not be granted.

Let this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner once a week for three (3) successive weeks in a newspaper published in the City of Davao and of general circulation in the said City and the Provinces of Davao as determined by raffle in accordance with law.

Furnish, each, with a copy this order the Local Civil Registrar of Davao City the City Legal Office for the City of Davao and a copy of the petition with this Order to the Office of the Solicitor General.

SO ORDERED.

For ATTY. FRANCISCO M. CAMPANER – The OIC Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff

March 4, 2019, Davao City, Philippines.

(sgd.) TERESITA M. CEBALLOS Sheriff IV

Mar. 12, 19 & 26, 2019

Mar. 19, 26 & Apr. 2, 2019

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City LYR LENDING CORPORATION, Mortgagee,

-versus-

(sgd.) MELINDA ALCONCEL-DAYANGHIRANG Presiding Judge

EJF-REM CASE NO. 17, 173-19

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS), Mortgagee,

-versus-

FOR: EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135 as amended

NIMFA M. JUMAMOY, represented by Atty-in-fact Analiza Jumamoy Davidson, Mortgagor/s.

EJF-REM CASE NO. 17.177-19

GENEROSO D. BULADACO, married to MELITA BULADACO, Mortgagor/s.

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

X----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee against NIMFA M. JUMAMOY with given address at Blk.20, Lot 20, Lake Alonto St., Gulf View, Davao City represented by Atty-in-fact ANALIZA JUMAMOY DAVIDSON, a resident of Falcon St., St. Michael Village, Ma-a, Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of January 28, 2018, amounts to ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 1,000,000.00), Philippine Currency, for the satisfaction of all outstanding obligation, including attorney’s fees and liquidated that may then be due and remaining unpaid, but in no case to be less than 25% or Two Thousand Five Hundred (2,500) whichever is higher; the undersigned Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on APRIL 4, 2019 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder for CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property/ ies mentioned and described below together will the improvements found thereon, to wit;

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS) against the mortgagors/s GENEROSO D. BULADACO married to MELITA BULADACO, with postal address at Lot 1, F-4-A, Block 2, #17, Greenland Subdivision, Dumoy, 8000 Davao City to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of MARCH 1, 2019 amounted to One Million Two Hundred Forty Seven Thousand Seventy Pesos & 16/100 (P1,247,070.16), Philippine Currency, including interest thereon, penalties and other charges incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on April 25, 2019 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder to CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following property with all its improvements found thereon particularly described below, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-394582

“A parcel of land (Lot 1-F-4-A, Psd-11-011140, being a portion of Lot 1-F-4, Psd-11-010321), situated in the Barrio of Dumoy, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx Containing an area of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY (220) Square Meters, more or less.”

“A parcel of land (Lot 20, Blk. 20 of the consolidation-subdivision plan Pcs-11-001793, xxx), situated in the Barangay of Bago Aplaya, Talomo, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on MAY 2, 2019 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the above-described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-90643

time and date.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated

That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 16, 2019 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the above-described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, March 12, 2019.

Davao City, Philippines, April 4, 2019.

For ATTY. FRANCISCO M. CAMPANER – The OIC Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff

For ATTY. FRANCISCO M. CAMPANER – The OIC Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff (sgd.) IRVIN PAUL L. CUBELO Sheriff IV

Mar. 12, 19 & 26, 2019

(sgd.) ROSARIO L. MIGUE Sheriff IV Mar. 19, 26 & Apr. 2, 2019

SENATE... FROM 2 budget bill, contrary to the senators’ claims that post-rati�ication changes were made by the lower chamber.

“Let me clear it, walang amendment na ginawa. Everything that was printed was all within the rati�ied version.

There’s just one version to talk about, there’s no other version na pinag-usapan (to talk about),” Andaya said.

“That’s why we have to talk about it and explain what it really contains and what it means, yun ang kailangan

namin ipaliwanag sa bawat isa (that’s what we need to discuss),” he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has maintained that he will not sign an enrolled copy of the budget bill for the President’s signature if the lower chamber insists on its last-minute amendments.

The government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January this year after Congress failed to pass the 2019 General Appropriations Act before 2018 ended. (PNA)

Pag-IBIG Fund also released P2.28 million in calamity loans (CL) to 160,203 members for them to recover from the effects of calamities in their area. In total, the Fund released P49.23 billion under the MPL and CL programs for the bene�it of 2,428,918 borrowers in 2018.

“In Pag-IBIG Fund, we always �ind ways to serve our members better. So in 2018, despite our transition to a new system, our Multi-Purpose Loan Program was able

to assist nearly 2.3 million members with their immediate �inancial needs. This year, we expect to process loans faster with this new system.

This is a testament to our commitment to deliver nothing less than the Lingkod PagIBIG Brand of Service. Ang pangangailangan ng bawat miyembro ay aming tinutugunan ng mahusay at tapat na serbisyo, mula sa puso,” said Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Of�icer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti.

that these guys can get their taxes collected.”

He said a foreign worker, say from China, would not leave his country to work here if he would just get --as Pagcor reported -USD700 a month or around PHP35,800, which is just a

third above the minimum daily wage, given that they have special skills, which is the reason they were hired as POGO employees in the �irst place.

Guballa said the BIR is now starting to validate the list given by Pagcor. (DOF PR)

monthly average of 1,424 SSS Globe GCash users who are also SSS members with average monthly collection amounting to P1.5 million.

“This is to encourage our paying members to use Globe GCash for a more convenient, easier, and safer means to pay their obligations with SSS,” Ignacio concluded.

Aside from paying PESO

Fund contributions, SSS members can use Globe GCash in paying SSS contributions, salary loans and real estate loans. Further, business and household employers can use Globe Telecom’s virtual wallet facility in paying their employee’s contributions using the system-generated Payment Reference Number(PRN).

image of the country,” he added.

Aside from New Clark City, some of the 56 sports and 523 events will be held in Metro Manila, Batangas, Subic and Tagaytay.

The last time the Philippines hosted the SEA Games was in 2005 when the country

emerged as the overall champion.

At least 10,000 athletes from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Philippines will compete in the 12-day meet. (PNA)

PAG-IBIG... FROM 2

LISTING... FROM 4

SSS... FROM 4

CONSTRUCTION... FROM 11

AFFIDAVIT OF ADJUDICATION OF SOLE HEIR Salvacion B. Familiar hereby adjudicate unto herself being the only surviving compulsory heir of the real property/ estate covered by TCT No. P-20530 under the name of Salvacion B. Familiar and her late husband Isagani Familiar who died inestate at Purok 4, Panglaw, Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte is solely owned by the same persons mentioned and is the subject of the AFFIDAVIT OF ADJUDICATION BY SOLE HEIR per Doc. No. 185 ; PageNo. 37; Book No. LIV Series of 2017, of the NOTARY PUBLIC IRA CALATRAVA-VALENZUELA.

11 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

Team Aeon Luxe’s Miguel Aldeguer nearing the finish.

the Asian Elite

Dabawenyo urologist Oscar Escudero at the podium.

Shining moment for Davao urologist

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

I

n a galaxy of stars, six Filipinos shone just as bright. One of them a Dabawenyo urologist.

Davao City’s ageless wonder Dr. Oscar Escudero joined the Philippines’ top bets Maria Hodges and August Benedicto as the country’s �inest performers in Sunday’s Alveo Ironman 70.3 race that ended in Azuela Cove.

Escudero clocked 7 hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds to rule the 65-69 age category of the premier triathlon event in the country hosted for the second time by Davao City.

Hodges set a personal standard of 4 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds

to top the overall women’s age group category.

The Cebu-based triathlete bested Italy’s Giulia Bossi who came in second at 5:02:44 while Rie Watanabe of Japan was third in 5:11:45.

Based on her bio, Hodges competed in her �irst triathlon in 2011.

Despite having no athletic background, she won her �irst event and fell in love with the sport. Six years later, �inishing on the podium of major races is something her fans have grown accustomed to. Hodges entered 2017 with a ticket to the Ironman World Championships in October and ranked �irst in her age

Up close and personal on Remy Martin: Guiao

G

ilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao wants to have a closer look at Fil-Am prospect Remy Martin Guiao admits he has seen enough highlight reels of the US NCAA Division I player to pique his interest. But he also needs to see the boy up close and personal.

"You can't recruit a player based on what you see in a YouTube video," said the Team Pilipinas coach when asked about possible changes to the Team Pilipinas lineup ahead of the 2019 Fiba

World Cup in China.

However, Guiao has been impressed enough with that he has seen so far from the six-foot sparkplug to want a closer look at the player who has been making waves as Arizona State's starting point guard.

Martin, whose mother, the former Mary Ann Macaspac, is Filipina, was previously recruited by former national coach Chot Reyes to be part of his '23 for 23' pool for the Fiba World Cup which the country will host in 2023.

But the 20-year old

UP, P9

group in the Ironman All World standings – something she looks to repeat this year.

Benedicto, on the other hand, came through with a strong 6th place in the tough Men’s Pro category and crowned himself as Asian Elite champion.

Benedicto clocked 4 hours 19 minutes and 58 seconds to �inish behind �ifth placer Sam Betten who was running second midway into the bike stage.

The Filipino triathlete negotiated the swim stage in 31:30, bike stage in 2:18:05 and run stage in 1:27:52.

Three other Filipinos

�inished in the Top 10 with Jorry Ycong winding up behind Benedicto at 7th in the Pros clocking 4:33:01, Banjo Norte at 8th in 4:33:02, and Raymond Torio at 9th in 4:59:35.

Miguel Aldeguer of Team Aeon Luxe clocked 4:55:06 to �inish 38th overall in the men’s division and 6th in the 18-24 age category.

Mervin Santiago topped the 25-29 category in 4:37:39 and Jefferson Valdez ruled the 40-44 category in 4:46:23.

Maria Carmina Ilagan was the other Filipina winner in the 55-59 category �inishing the race in 7:23:17.

Back-to-back women’s champion Radka Kahlefeldt.

Construction of SEAG venues on target

P

hilippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) chairman Alan Cayetano said the New Clark City Sports Complex is now 60 percent done.

"We are ahead of target," Cayetano said in a press conference on Saturday at Max's Kabisera in Taguig.

Cayetano then denied rumors that the construction of the 20,000-seater sports stadium is slowing in pace.

"Wala pong katotohanan (There is no truth) that the major venues ay may (has) delay," he further

said, adding that the ones behind the construction are doing �ine regardless of the weather.

He said the new sports complex, the main venue of the 30th SEA Games slated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year, is expected to be completed by September.

Last Friday, Cayetano denied reports that the Philippines might lose the rights to host the biennial regional sports meet due to lack of funds to �inish the sports venues.

“We at the Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) would like to

assure our athletes, the sports community, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the rest of the Filipino people that all preparations for the 30th South East Asian games are in full swing,” Cayetano said.

The PHISGOC has asked for PHP7.5 billion for the country’s fourth hosting of SEA Games but the Senate cut it to only PHP5 billion.

"Despite the budget cuts and various challenges confronting the Philippine hosting of the 30th SEA games, we are unfazed and determined to make this successful,” Cayetano said.

He said the PHISGOC

has been tapping private companies to sponsor the Games and augment its budget.

“There is no stopping the Philippines from hosting the 30th SEA games.

It may be apparent that there are personalities who are eyeing to sabotage the preparations for the Philippines’ hosting of the SEA games,” Cayetano said.

“We at PHISGOC would like to reiterate our openness to listen and address their concerns on various issues. We will not tolerate fake news or misinformation that will damage the

CONSTRUCTION, P10

12 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL.12 ISSUE 12 • TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

THANKS , DAVAO

German Ironman champ impressed at racetime

Markus Rolli cross the finish.

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

M

arkus Rolli is the Rolls Royce of the Alveo Ironman 70.3.

The smooth dynamo was impressed at race day with the way the race went. Only a few days ago, he rued the traf�ic and decided to skip his bike workouts.

“Thanks, Davao,” the German champ said. In his ten years running triathlons, he said there was not as much crowd lining the route as it is in Davao.

Is he coming back next year?

A quick “yes” was his way of appreciating.

Rolli, who turned pro two years ago, ran a very tactical pace to rule the 2019 Alveo Ironman 70.3 on Sunday which ended at the Azuela Cove in Davao City.

Moments after crossing the �inish, Rolli said he was surprised to see himself win over a very tough �ield and on very tough conditions.

“It was tough out there, it was very hot.

I’m surprised to see myself win over those guys,” he told reporters.

After a blistering bike leg, the wire-towire winner admitted he was struggling in the

run stage.

“My legs were stiff after that bike stage,” he said.

Rolli, winner of the 2017 edition of the Ironman 70.3 in Thailand, negotiated the distance in 3 hours 49 minutes and 29 seconds besting Australians Craig Alexander (3:52:21) and Tim Van Berkel (3:53:05).

Rolli took over the reins in the swim stage then erected a sizeable gap in the bike stage with a torrid pace that gave him enough headway over Sam Betten and Van Berkel. He clocked 2 hours and 50 seconds in the bike lap.

By the time, he hit the Run stage, Rolli had a good four-minute advantage over �ive-time world champion Alexander which he kept to the �inish taking the run lap in 1:22:19.

Defending champion Mauricio Mendez, who was �ifth after the swim stage, ran into mechanical trouble with his Cube bike along Tagum City and faded out of contention.

Radka Kahlefeldt topped the women’s Pro in 4:16:52 to complete a back-to-back win.