Edge Davao Vol 12 Issue 9 | Thursday, March 21, 2019

VOL.11 ISSUE 9 VOL.12 250 • THURSDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 21,MARCH 2019 8-9, 2019

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RED HOTSPOT Comelec tags Mindanao, including Davao City

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he Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday declared the entire Mindanao as “Category Red Election Hotspot” in the run-up to the mid-term elections in May. Mindanao, which has been placed under martial law since May 23, 2017, comprises 27 provinces, 33 cities, 4 2 2

towns a n d 10,084 barangays. It has a population of 24.1 million as of 2015 and its voting population in the 2016 Presidential polls was 12.6 million, the second vote-richest island in the country (Luzon’s was 30.4 million and Visayas’ was 11.3 million) Mindanao’s m a c ro e c o n o m i c performance map in 2017, courtesy of the Mindanao Development Authority. Mindanao has 27 provinces and 33 cities.

MindaNews asked Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez how the decision was reached that the entire Mindanao – and that includes Davao City, the city of President Rodrigo Duterte — be classi�ied under Category Red. As of 10

p.m., he had yet to reply.

MindaNews also asked Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal why the entire Mindanao is under Category Red. As of 10 p.m., he had yet to reply.

In its press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the Comelec said it placed “Mindanao Island Group,” Jones town in Isabela; Lope de Vega town in Northern Samar; and the entire province of Abra, under Category Red, a classi�ication that “may warrant the motu proprio declaration of Comelec Control over the affected area, and the Comelec En Banc may direct the augmentation of personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as the need arises.”

It said the Comelec, the military and police identify and classify election hotspots into four categories: Green, Yellow, Orange and Red: Green for relatively peaceful and orderly areas with no security concern; Yellow for those with a history of election-related violence or the existence of intense partisan political rivalry, but without the participation of domestic terror groups; Orange for areas where, in addition to conditions that would qualify an area as Category Yellow, there are likewise serious armed threats posed by domestic terror groups and other analogous armed groups; and Red for areas where, “while being under Category Orange, the relevant government agencies declare the existence of con-

RED, P9

RODY MEETS NUR. President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Moro National Liberation Front Founding Chairman Nur Misuari at a meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

EDGE DAVAO Serving a seamless society

Compostela, Nabunturan shine in Bulawan Festival ► SUBURBIA RISING P5

SPORTS MANNY STILL

P11 WANTS FLOYD

DAVAO HORSE CLUB SHINES IN FIRST HORSE SHOW IN GENSAN ► INDULGE A1

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

TRAFFIC ADVISORY. A City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) enforcer distributes leaflets printed with traffic advisory for this weekend’s Alveo Ironman 70.3 to motorists along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr

Governor visits reb, calls NPA to give up

By ADAM B. MORRELL

D

avao Oriental Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang reiterated his call for New Peope’s Army (NPA) rebels in the province to return to mainstream society after he paid a visit to a wounded rebel at the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center on Tuesday, March 19.

This was bared by Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesperson Major Ezra Balagtey, on Wednesday, March 20.

Balagtey said the wounded rebel is identi�ied as Randy (not his real name), a member of CPP-NPA Terrorist Group (CNTG), who was rescued by the troops

of 28th Infantry Battalion (IB) in coordination with the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental on March 18.

Balagtey said the New People’s Army (NPA) was wounded during the encounter with the Kamagong battalion in the periphery of Sitio Washington, Barangay Las Arenas in Pantukan,

Compostela Valley Province.

Randy, 28, suffered a gunshot wound on his left knee was abandoned by his companion when they scampered to different directions after they were subdued by the government troops.

This came after the troops received information from the community about the presence of the CNTG in the area.

Balagtey, however, said the Dayanghirang vowed to take care of the rebel’s hospitalization and will also facilitate his processing and turn-over to the proper au-

thorities.

Dayanghirang further assured that the Provincial Government will welcome the members of the NPA who desires to return to the mainstream society.

In a recent interview with Ednar Dayanghirang, the Governor’s chief of staff, said they have begun their immersion in various marginalized areas of the province.

The top aide said the governor is much focused on making programs in some areas where rebels are prominent.

rom March 11 to March 21, to March 25, to March 29.

On its third week in of�ice, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has yet to inaugurate the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and hold the inaugural session of the Bangsmoro Parliament, a schedule that has been moved four times as its leaders await the availability of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The BTA, the body that will govern the BARMM in

the three-year transition period until noon of June 30, 2022, had actually decided during its caucus on March 9 that the inaugural will be on March 21, whether or not President Duterte would be present.

But during the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) meeting held in Davao City on March 14, Ebrahim said the President wants to attend the inauguration but can’t make it on March 21. He con�irmed his availability on March 25, Ebrahim said.

BTA members were

GOVERNOR, P9

PH committed to address illegal drugs problem

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he Philippine government is committed to address the illegal drug problem in the country, an of�icial of the Presidential Communications Operations Of�ice (PCOO) told members of the international community.

“This is an appropriate avenue for us to explain to our partners in the international community that the Philippine government is wholly committed in addressing the illegal drugs problem in the country,” PCOO Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III said in a statement during the opening of the exhibit on the Philippine Anti-Drugs Strategy at the 62nd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) held in Vienna, Austria on March 14.

Cualoping said the an-

ti-illegal drug campaign of the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte is a long-term investment for the country.

“We must bear in mind that the illegal drug problem is a familial and societal problem, and that these efforts are investments for the future in ensuring a comfortable life for every Filipino,” he said.

The Philippine delegation to Vienna articulated the comprehensive, balanced and holistic approach in addressing the Philippines’ drug problem.

Using the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) as the overarching framework of action, the delegation emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to address the demand for and

noti�ied on March 15 that the inauguration will no longer be on March 21 but “Monday, March 25, with President Duterte.”

Ebrahim informed the BTA during its caucus Tuesday (March 19) in Cotabato City, that the inauguration will be moved again to March 29 because that is when the President would be available.

“Gusto ni PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) mag-attend” (The President wants to attend), Ebrahim told MindaNews Tuesday night.

He said they were earlier informed the date would be on March 25 but he received a message from the PMS on Monday that the President’s availability would be on March 29.

A BTA member was reported to have said during the caucus that the BTA’s affairs “should not depend on the presence or attendance of the President.”

Malacanang has so far released the appointment papers of 76 members out of the supposed 80-member MILF-led body.

PH, P9

PRRD signs law on BARMM inauguration reset, new date is March 29 occupational therapy F

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resident Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law a measure regulating the registration, licensure, and practice of occupational therapy (OT) in the country.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11241 or the “The Philippine Occupational Therapy Law of 2018” on March 11 but a copy of which was released to media on Tues-

day.

“The State recognizes the importance of occupational therapists in nation building.

Hence, it shall develop and nurture competent, virtuous, productive, and well-rounded occupational therapists whose standards of practice and service shall be excellent, world-class and PRRD, P9

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Tboli to develop housing project as tourism facility

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housing project in a remote village in the municipality of Tboli will be turned into a community-managed tourism site, a local government of�icial announced.

Highlighting the opening of 45th Foundation Anniversary and 21st Seslong Festival on March 5, Mayor Dibu Tuan, South Cotabato 2nd District Representative Ferdinand Hernandez, and NHA 12 Of�icer-in-Charge Zenaida Cabiles led the inauguration of the housing project, of�icially named Sitio Kule Cultural Village.

Mayor Tuan said the 100-unit project, which aims to address the needs for shelter of the residents in the area, was constructed with P10-million funding from NHA. The site is about one-and-a-half hour motorcycle ride from town center.

In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency, Rodel Hilado, head of the Municipal Tourism Development and Promotion Unit, noted that the housing project will be established as a community-based homestay tourism facility catering to tourists who are interested in experiencing the Tboli way of life and for visitors in need of lodging on their way to Lake Holon, one of the most popular eco-adventure destinations in SOCCSKSARGEN Region.

“Before the turn over of the houses, bene�iciaries were trained on managing a homestay program,” Hilado said. “The training and the establishment of the cultural village will add economic value to their houses as secondary homes for tourists.”

Like Tboli’s already established homestay facility in Barangay Lemsnolon, the village in Sitio Kule will offer tourists get a taste of how Tbolis live such as sleeping on a kafuk mattress under

a traditional mosquito net, eating food prepared in the indigenous way, drinking organic coffee from a bamboo mug and many other experiences unique to the largest IP group in South Cotabato. Visitors may also be treated to performances and other art forms of the Tboli people as hunters, Hilado added.

Although on the exterior, each housing unit looks like a traditional single-storey Filipino house, the interior is patterned after the traditional Tboli dwelling, “gono,” which does not have walls dividing living room, kitchen, and sleeping quarters.

Many of the recipients of the housing units have already been working as frontline service providers such as porters, tour guides, and drivers.

Hilado explained further that the designation of Sitio Kule Cultural Village as a tourism site is in line with the commitment of LGU-Tboli to promote sustainable community-based tourism and make the project a model in the ASEAN. As a tourism site, Sitio Kule Cultural Village will be managed entirely by the community dwellers under the guidance of Municipal Tourism Development and Promotion Unit, he said.

“Sitio Kule and the Kule trail to Holon is the sole entry of the Philippines to the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards (ASTA),” Hilado revealed.

ASTA, according to its website, aims “to draw attention to the value, diversity and shared characteristics of ASEAN tourist destinations and, every two years, to promote two products and their destination (areas, small cities, districts, villages), for each of the ASEAN country, where the

TBOLI, P9

AGRO-ECONOMIC ZONE. Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Development Management officer Yvette Valderia (left), together with Project Development Division head Joan Barrera, talks about the agency’s agro-economic zone project where independent firms are grouped together to gain economies

of scale and positive externalities by sharing infrastructure and taking advantage of opportunities for bulk purchasing and selling, training courses and extension services during Wednesdays @ Habi at Kape at Abreeza mall. Lean Daval Jr

Ampatuan compound raid yields explosives, ammos C

OTABATO CITY -- Police raided on Tuesday the compound of the late Maguindanao governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao and seized explosives and ammunition.

Maguindanao police director, Col. Ronald Briones, said combined elements of the Maguindanao police force and Shariff Aguak police of�ice, armed with eight search warrants issued by a local court, swooped down on the Ampatuan compound in Barangay Satan at about 7 a.m. to implement the order.

Seized by the raiding team were two ri�le grenade projectiles and 240 rounds of 5.56 live ammunition mainly used for M16 ri�les.

“Unfortunately, we missed the six principal suspects of the operation,” Briones said.

A police report identi�ied the targets as Kamsa

Salik, Kuryano Usop, Babai Mama Usop, Nasri Salik, Benjar Salik, and Pangandaman Salik, whose af�iliation to the Ampatuans have yet to be fully determined.

Briones said the suspects are facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition) and RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives).

The remains of Ampatuan Sr. was buried in the same compound in 2015.

The clan’s patriarch was one of the principal suspects in the infamous election-related Nov.23, 2009 massacre of 58 persons, 32 of them newsmen.

He died due to liver cancer at a hospital in Manila in July 2015.

More than a dozen other members of the Ampatuan clan, including main massacre suspect Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan Jr., are currently being detained at a maximum-security prison facility in Taguig City. (PNA)

Comelec conducts VCM demo

By ADAM B. MORRELL

T A volunteer inserts a mock ballot in a Vote Counting Machine (VCM) in the ongoing Roadshow and Voter’s Education of the Comelec at the Annex of SM City Davao on Wednesday afternoon. Adam B. Morrell

he Commission on Election (COMELEC) in Davao City conducted a Vote Counting Machine (VCM) Roadshow and Voter's Education at the Annex of SM City Davao on Wednesday afternoon.

Election of�icer Jerry Mujal, in an interview with Edge Davao, said the main purpose of the mock voting is to educate the �irst-time voters the procedures of the election as well as to inform the public of about the VCMs which will be used this midterm election slat-

ed on May 13.

Mujal also said VCMs were �irst used during the 2016 elections and only Davao City and Davao Del Sur, being the pilot areas of the Davao Region, have been able to use the system for vote counting.

In related development, Mujal said they also introduced the VRVM or Voter Registration Veri�ication Machine, a device used to identify the real identity of a person through his/her thumbmark.

Mujal said each precinct within the city

will have this device to avoid ‘�lying’ voters.

Passing through the VRVM, explained Mujal, is the �irst step to acquire a ballot.

If a voter's �inger print will not match the data registered in the COMELEC, he or she will not be provided with a ballot and obviously not able to vote.

Earlier, the COMELEC conducted the same mock voting at the Ateneo de Davao University in Jacinto.

COMELEC's next stop will be in Abreeza slated March 25.

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Nickel industry stakeholders push for investment roadmap

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P42 billion for the seven agro-economic zones.

Rubber and coconut are the potential crops in Basilan; abaca and coconut in Lanao del Sur; coconut and oil palm in Maguindanao; cacao, rubber and banana in Agusan del Sur; rubber and coconut in Zamboanga del Norte; cassava, coconut and banana in Zamboanga del Sur; and rubber, coconut and seaweed in Zamboanga Sibugay, she said.

MinDA has identi�ied 12 catalytic programs for Mindanao, including the 2,135-km Trans-Mindanao High-Speed Railway System worth P753.5 billion and other infrastructure projects. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

he Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) is pushing for the creation of a roadmap for the local nickel mining industry to promote investments and enhance its competitiveness in the world market.

This, as the business group urges the government to create policies that will result in the establishment of more mineral plants that can process raw materials from nickel into �inished products in the country.

“If we have the right policies, we can guarantee investments then we can provide competitive advantage. In putting out the roadmap, we are just opening the possibility to have a valuable environment to put up value-added processing,” PNIA President Dante Bravo said in a press brie�ing on the sidelines of the 2019 Nickel Initiative Conference held in Taguig City this Monday.

He urged the government to review policies that restrict mining operations in the country such as the ban on open pit mining and the limitation on areas to be mined depending on the volume of production.

“If you put up a value-added processing plant, it's capital-intensive. You have to guarantee there is a suf�icient reserve to support the plant and it requires exploration not just for one year but for a number of years and you can only do that through exploration. It has to be open," according to Bravo.

The industry leader stressed that one of the major bene�its that can be derived from mining nickel is the production of electric vehicles in the Philippines.

“Nickel is going to make electric vehicles cheaper; it’s going to be safer and ef�icient. That is the potential but for us to be ready towards that we need to have the right policies,” Bravo said.

The PNIA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Electric

Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) on the research and development of a nickel industry roadmap.

The e-vehicle industry is seen to be one of the leading industries that will drive the increase in demand for nickel in the country.

“Electric vehicles are the future. Our projection is an annual growth rate of 8-12% per year and this we should start talking about how we can utilize opportunities in this growing market. Battery technology is very crucial and we are thankful for this partnership as this supports the industry’s needs,” EVAP President Edmund Araga said.

For her part, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said that the nickel industry roadmap will lead to an upgrade from lower-valued nickel ore and concentrates to higher value products that will enable the country to move along the global supply chain.

“The roadmap is important in order to understand what the barriers are and what the solutions should be. Strong collaboration between government, academe and industry would be needed for us not only to formulate the roadmap but more importantly once we start implementing it,” Aldaba said.

The PNIA is hoping to �inalize the nickel industry roadmap within a year.

The Philippines is the second-largest producer of nickel in the world as it exported more than 90 percent of nickel ore to China and the rest to Japan from January to November last year according to the International Nickel Study Group.

However, nickel production is expected to decline this year due to a regulation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources limiting the areas for mining operations. (PNA)

more stringent and expanded mechanism to prevent human traf�icking will be implemented very soon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports, Immigration Port Operations Division chief, Grifton Medina, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday.

Medina said a scam has recently resurfaced.

The scam involves documents that are fraudulently acquired.

"It is different from counterfeit documents.

The documents are real, but the details are wrong," he said.

He cited as an example, a 21-year old Filipi-

na who was supposedly bound for Saudi Arabia last Wednesday. Authorities discovered that the Filipina is only 21, while her passport showed she is 25.

Apparently, she only learned about the changes in her birth date when her recruiter gave her travel documents on the day of her �light.

According to Medina, the of�icers knew that it was a scam because it involved an agency known for such fraudulent act.

"We have a technique to determine if the interviewee tells the truth," Medina added.

He said that while the Philippines considers 18

years old as legal age, Saudi Arabia's rule is that a person should be at least 23 years old to work in a household.

"We do pre-screening. We interview. When there is doubt, the traveler is being referred to the TCEU (Travel Control and Enforcement Unit) for secondary inspection," Medina said.

Medina noted that the expanded anti-traf�icking measures that Immigration of�icers will implement were already drafted.

"The draft measures was already amended and is now in the �inal touches.

It just needs to be signed," he said. (PNA)

FIRST. JIB International Schools vice president for education and chief executive officer Nicole Hao Bian discusses the awarding of Joji Ilagan Bian School as the first event management institute in the Philippines by the Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management (APIEM) during Wednesdays @ Habi at Kape at Abreeza mall. Lean Daval Jr

Agro-economic zones eyed in 3 BARMM areas

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he government is looking for investors for seven big-ticket agro-economic zones in three regions in Mindanao through a public-private partnership scheme, Joan Barrera, division chief of the Project Development Division of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), said.

Speaking during “Wednesdays at Habi at Kape,” Barrera told reporters they have already completed the conceptual framework for the agro-economic zones, which are among the catalytic programs of MinDA. She said they plan to locate the projects in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao in the Bangsamoro Region; Agusan del Sur in Caraga Region; and Zamboanga del Norte,

Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

She said the agro-economic zone model “adopts an integrated area development approach” in that the manufacturing areas located in the economic zones will be supported by nearby agro trading centers, which will consolidate the products needed for manufacturing.

“It will also be supported by an infrastructure

that will connect the production areas, up to the agro-trading centers, up to agro-economic zone, so it’s an integrated area development,” she said.

She said the provinces will decide on the location of the agro-economic zones.

Lamitan City in Basilan has 25 hectares for the agro-economic zone; Picong in Lanao del Sur 25 ha; Buluan in Maguindanao 35 ha; Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur 45 ha; Irasan, Roxas in Zamboanga del Norte 52 ha; Rebocon, Dumanilao in Zamboanga del Sur 40 ha; and Palomoc-Culasian, Titay in Zamboanga Sibugay 409.47 ha.

Barrera said the cumulative indicative cost is

Dominguez cites reason for Stricter anti-tracking measures at airports better terms of Chinese loans A

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f�icials of the Philippines and China agree that amid the countries’ differences there remains a scope to strengthen tie-ups on trade and tourism.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said this is the reason for the increase in the number of infrastructure projects that China is �inancing under the Duterte administration.

“I believe that China and the Philippine leadership have come to the realization that despite the unresolved issues between us, there is much room for expanded trade, tourism cooperation,” he said.

The Duterte admin-

istration has been questioned the rise in the number of infrastructure projects that China is �inancing, with some claiming that the government is falling into a debt trap.

However, Dominguez earlier said terms of the loans extended by China to the current government are "at least 30 percent better" than those under previous administrations.

“The terms of the loan obtained by the Duterte Administration are at least 30 percent better than the loan secured by the Arroyo Administration and wholeheartedly accepted by the Aquino administration,” he said.

One of the projects that is now being scrutinized is the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project, which will be constructed in the village of Pagsangahan in General Nakar and the village of Magsaysay in Infanta, both in Quezon province.

Of�icials of both countries exchanged documents for the USD211.21-million project in November 2018 during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Philippines.

Dominguez explained that DOF’s International Finance Group (IFG) has found out that the loan for the Kaliwa dam project

DOMINGUEZ, P9

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

SUBURBIA RISING

5

Compostela, Nabunturan shine in Bulawan Festival

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ompostela Valley Province – The Department of Education (DepEd) bring out their all for the Comval Educators’ Night at the 12th Bulawan Festival on March 5, 2019 at the capitol mega tent, attracting the audiences to witness the performances of educators from different municipalities within the province.

Spectators of the event were able to observe presentations of different tales from Philippine epics with corresponding mascots that represent the concept and plot of the stories.

From a welcoming message by Board Member Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, he made mention that it would be the last Edu-

cators’ Night under Compostela Valley, as the next one will be held under the new name of the province, Davao de Oro. 1st District Representative Hon. Maria Carmen S. Zamora also gave a message of praise for the educators who worked hard in preparation for the night’s event as well as giving gratitude to the people involved with the groundwork and the of�icials who were present for the night, and to the audience that were to witness the night’s celebration.

The event is a celebration of educators within the province from different areas, each area uniting from different schools to perform in representation for their sector. The event

has two competitions, the Dance Theatre Competition and the Mascot Competition. The Dance Theatre Competition highlights the stories presented by each sector that are from classic Philippine epic pieces, and the Mascot Competition represents the main characters of the stories.

Each set of competitors showcased different stories for their performances: Montevista represented the story “Aliguyon”, Mabini with “Tuwaang”, Nabunturan with “Ullalim”, Pantukan with “Ibalon”, Compostela with “Indarapatra at Sulayman”, New Bataan with “Darangan”, Maco with “Maragtas”, Laak with “Kudaman”,

Mawab with “Biag ni Lamang”, Monkayo with “Labaw-Donggon”, and Maragusan with “Alim”.

For the Dance Theatre, Compostela won the night as champions with their presentation for the Epic of “Indarapatra at Sulayman”, followed by Maco, who performed the epic of “Maragtas”, winning as the 1st runner up, and Monkayo with their performance of “Labaw-Donggon”, winning as 2nd runner up.

As for the Mascot Competition, Nabunturan’s representative was able to win as champion with their mascot from the epic of “Ullalim”, followed by the representative for Laak for “Kudaman” and winning

1st runner up, and Pantukan’s representative who won as 2nd runner up with their mascot for “Ibalon”.

Former Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao, who also hails from the province, also guested on the night’s event and gave a speech of praise to the educators and his endorsement of being MAY PAGASA’s Party List Representative, as well as Filipino celebrity Matteo Guidicelli, who gave excitement to the audience as he performed a couple set of songs, including a classic cover of “What’s Up”, a song by American rock band 4 Non Blondes.

This year’s festivity highlights the private-public partnership with big

and reputable companies as well as of�icials supporting the event: Co-presenters Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy, Senior Board Member Arturo T. Uy, Congressman Maricar S. Zamora and Vice-Governor Manuel Zamora, Congressman Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga, Apex Mining Company Inc., Torre Lorenzo Development Corp, MARINO Party List, HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO, Dumper Party List and Beautederm. For Diamond Sponsorship: Krishael’s Events and Concept while for Gold Sponsorship, SUMIFRU Philippines, Phoenix Fuels Inc., Cong. Antonio Floirendo, Jr. and HEXAT Mining Co., Inc. (Sean Seismundo, IDS Comval)

he Philippine Earth Data Resource and Observation (PEDRO) Center established a second Ground Receiving Station in Davao City. The Davao Ground Receiving Station will have a larger moving antenna with 7.3 m diameter which is capable of receiving higher frequency data, and a 40-foot container van which serves as the control room.

The ground facility is designed to communicate with Earth Observation satellites deployed in space by receiving, processing, exploiting and distributing space-borne imagery and derive information from remote sensing satellites

for various applications such as disaster mitigation, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, pollution control, energy exploration, intelligence and emergency response management.

The project is part of a multi-agency research and development effort of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), along with University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, DOST-ASTI and two Japanese academic institutions: Tohoku University (TU) and Hokkaido University (HU), under the Philippine Scienti�ic Earth Observation Micro-satellite (PHL-Microsat) Program.

Harold Bryan Paler, Senior Science Research specialist at DOST-ASTI and operations team lead of the PHL-Microsat Ground Receiving Station Project, conducted an orientation to the DOST XI personnel on the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of the Davao Ground Receiving Station last January 30, 2019. This is in preparation for DOST XI’s monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting of the system.

PEDRO targets to start operations of the Ground Receiving Station in time for the DOST Regional Science and Technology Week in July 2019.

Largest ground receiving station in PH operates this 2019 T

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

EDITORIAL Satisfied As they say, you can’t put a good man down.

While critics of the administration continue to pound on President Rodrigo Duterte relentlessly across all imaginable platforms and avenues, majority of Filipinos remain satis�ied with him at the helm.

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Monday showed three out of every four Filipinos are satis�ied with the general performance of the administration of President Duterte. According to SWS, the Duterte administration’s net satisfaction rating rose by one grade in all areas and that is very impressive when compared to previous administrations.

The fourth quarter 2018 survey showed that 76 percent of Filipinos are satis�ied while only 9 percent are dissatis�ied and 15 percent are neither satis�ied nor dissatis�ied, for a net satisfaction rating of +66 classi�ied by SWS as “very good”. Explained, the +66 is 16-point higher compared to “very good” +50 rating obtained by the administration in September 2018.

The Duterte administration scored “excellent” ratings in promoting women’s rights and building and maintenance of public works with +71 and +70 net satisfaction ratings, respectively. The administration scored “very

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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

good” ratings in helping the poor (+68), protecting human rights (+62), reconstructing Marawi City (+60), �ighting terrorism (+55), transparency in government activities (+54), and deciding quickly (+50). On the other hand, the administration scored “good ratings” in �ighting crimes (+44), reconciling with Muslim rebels (+43), eradicating graft and corruption (+42), defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+40), reconciling with communist rebels (+39), ful�illing commitments in international treaties (+39), and foreign relations (+38).

Signi�icantly, net satisfaction rating in Mindanao rose from very good to excellent, up by 8 points from +67 to +75 while it jumped from good to very good or up by 21 points from +42 to +63 in Visayas; from good to very good (from +40 to +60) in Metro Manila; and, also from good to very good (+48 to +65) in Balance of Luzon.

The overall net satisfaction could mean positive implications for President Duterte’s programs as well as the chances of his chosen candidates in the coming May mid-term polls. That is the The ratings are a stark re�lection of what is being painted by his critics of his down sloping popularity and satisfaction grade.

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 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

JOHN CARLO B. TRIA MY TWO CENTS’

THOSE MISLEADING CLAIMS ON CHINA LOANS Frankly it is irritating to hear people who pretend to be �inance and economic exports spew misleading information.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and false information is spread by those who know little yet portray themselves as knowing much more.

Take the case of the oft repeated claim that we are drowning in a Chinese debt trap. For one, there are people who believe or want us to believe that we are securing all our loans from china.

False. Japan remains to be our biggest lender, and has been so even more than the United States over the last 30

years.

The second is that the interest rates of China are so high that we will drown i it forever and give up our territory as payment.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III debunked these misleading claims by explaining that we were able to secure better �inancing from China for its big-ticket water infrastructure projects with lower interest rates and fees as well as longer grace periods compared with those obtained by past administrations.

He said that the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project, which China

is helping fund with a USD 211-million loan was secured by the Duterte administration with a low interest rate of 2 percent per annum.

This is lower even than what the previous Arroyo administration was able to obtain under her government’s USD 116.6 million-loan from China for the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project Phase II with a higher interest rate of 3 percent per annum.

So how can our interest rates be higher? For starters, our investment grade ratings allow us to negotiate with better terms from our creditors,

which include lower rates and longer repayment schemes than previous governments.

As we have maintained them well, expect better terms for future loans.

Likewise, despite our growing budget de�icit which is common for countries seeking to improve on infrastructure by spending more to build, our debt to gdp ratio actually is getting better since our economy continues to grow, which enhances our capacity to pay these loans.

Our situation is markedly different from the early 1980s when our in�lation was hitting 40% and our economy

at almost negative growth.

Any loans made under such circumstances did allow us to drown in debt.

What co founded the problem was that the Marcos regime obtained behest loans on behalf of cronies which were either corrupted or squandered. These formed a big part of the national debt back then.

What is worse is that when the Cory Aquino government took over, they decided to honor all the debts, even those owed by the Marcos cronies.

We continued to pay for items like the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which we never used.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

LOOMING WATER CRISIS That bad boy named El Nino is already around us.

We have already felt its claws and fangs through the dry spell some areas are already undergoing.

Soon, drought will be reported in various parts of the country. Such is the forthcoming scenario.

Just recently, Senator Grace Poe – who is running again for the Senate – issued a statement regarding the looming water crisis. She asked the government to “be more proactive in addressing the problem by adopting a radical approach in tackling existing problems or shortcomings” in the water-supply system.

“We are an agricultural country and that says a lot regarding the importance of water supply,” she pointed out. “We have provinces that have year-round suf�icient water supply, enabling their farmers to plant and harvest year-round, as well.”

But not all provinces have the same luck. There are some provinces that are unlucky when it comes to water supply, thus leaving huge tracts of agricultural lands idle during the time when there is no water.

Poe considered water literally as “the lifeblood of an agricultural country like the Philippines.”

As such, stating in Filipino, Poe explained, “Enough attention and funding must be devoted to this, because this is what sustains our farms, and the livelihood of our farmers. This will ensure our food supply is adequate not just in some places, but in the entire country.”

She urged the government to “look into better technologies and infrastructure to harness all our natural water supplies.”

Every Filipino know that the more than 7,000 islands are surrounded by bodies of water. Each year, an average of 20-25 typhoons visit our area of responsibility. These typhoons bring heavy rains.

“We can hit two birds with one stone – prevent �looding and somehow redirect rainwater to arable agricultural lands or to treatment facilities, turning said water into home-friendly public utility for all our households.

There should really be a meaningful discourse, planning and funding towards these types of projects to improve our water systems,” Poe suggested.

“Water isn’t just a commodity. It is a source of life,” says Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project.

Ideally, a person should have at least 50 liters of water

each day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning.

Postel believes water problems will trail climate change as a threat to the human future. “Although the two are related, water has no substitutes,” she explains.

“We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. But there is no transitioning away from water to something else.”

Most of those affected with water crisis are those living in the cities. “Water is going to be the most hotly-contested urban issue facing the world community in the 21st century,” Waly N’Dow observed during the UN human settlement conference in Istanbul some years back.

But water is not only for drinking, bathing, or cooking but also for producing food for the masses. In the past, more rice was produced because of irrigation. But in recent years, it was found out that improper irrigation practices could worsen the water problem by turning fertile land into deserts.

It’s lack of water – and not land – that will cause food production to drop.

“The main constraint in agricultural production in many areas in the near future will be the availability of water, not land,” points out the United Nations.

After all, water is most critical in food production. “The link between water and food is strong,” says Lester R. Brown, president of Washington, D.C.-based Earth Policy Institute. “We drink, in one form or another, nearly 4 liters of water per day. But the food we consume each day requires at least 2,000 liters to produce, 500 times as much.”

For instance, to raise a ton of rice, you need a thousand gallons of water, according to the International Rice Research Institute. Some studies show that 89% of Filipinos consume rice on a daily basis. “Agriculture is where future water shortages will be most acute,” commented Time’s Michael S. Serrill.

Food production is just one of the several parts of the equation in water problem. Another is health. The UN Children’s Fund estimated some nine million people, mostly children, die annually from water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, schistosomiasis, malaria and intestinal worm infections.

“The toll is equal to 75

large airliner crashes daily,” said Elizabeth Dowdeswell, former head of the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

“And yet the subject of freshwater is too often crowded off the world media agenda.”

The UNEP also reports that 1.7 billion people have no sanitary waste disposal facilities. “Access to safe water is a fundamental human need, and therefore, a basic human right,” said Nobel-prize awarded Ko�i Annan.

“We live in a water-challenged world, one that is becoming more so each year as 80 million additional people stake their claims to the Earth’s water resources,” decried Brown.

Water is a limited non-renewable resource: of which a �ixed amount exists on the planet: some 1,400 million cubic kilometers, which can be neither increased nor decreased. Most of this, that is, 97.4 percent, is salt water; another 2 percent is locked away in ice caps and glaciers.

This leaves only 0.6 percent, or 8.4 cubic kilometers, of which some 8 million cubic kilometers are stored underground.

Put in another way, if all the earth’s water were to �it in a gallon jug (4 liters), the available fresh water would be just over one tablespoon.

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EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

DAVAO HORSE CLUB SHINES IN FIRST HORSE SHOW IN GENSAN

By GEORGE WALTER MISA

THE Barangay Council of Lagao in General Santos City did not want to miss the golden opportunity. It was the 80th Founding Anniversary of the Barangay and a most fitting highlight of the celebration must include a horse show, they thought. Rightly so.

Barrio Lagao, as it was called in older times, was the site of the first settlement occupied by the pioneers led by General Paulino Santos in what was then the town of Dadiangas.

From there, other settlements spread out and not long after, cattle ranches mushroomed in the vast pasture land. One stood out, the Saranggani Cattle Ranch. There, horse breeding took root.

As the town grew, so did its reputation as a cattle and horse outpost. Cattle hands-turnedcowboys were aplenty, so much so that as late as the 60’s, when cowboys came to town for supplies and a bit of R and R, they tied their horses on posts created for the purpose outside commercial establishments.

Yes, much like what the cowboys did in Western movies.

And so on March 3, 2019, the Barangay Council of Lagao, in cooperation with the newly-formed General Santos Horsemen’s Association, brought back to life in its own unique way, the golden days of Dadiangas, since then renamed General Santos in honor of the Father of the City, by organizing a horse show as it celebrated its 80th Year.

Horsemen from both near and far came together for a horse spectacle the likes of which had never been seen in the City.

Horsemen’s associations from VIHA (Visayas Horsemen’s Association of Cebu), Malaybalay, MOBHA (Misamis Oriental/Bukidnon Horsemen), South Central Mindanao (Digos, Malita and Kidapawan), ASHA (Agusan Sur and Davao Horse Club – they all came to support the very first horse event in the

Members of the Davao Horse Club setting the pace.

Chase Powers Tan, the youngest rider in the competition at three.

On horseback, Davao Horse Club President, Chelo Tan. SOCCSKSARGEN Region.

Though not the standard 2-day affair as how the major horse shows and competitions go in the Philippine Horsemen’s Federation, the event managed to squeeze in the usual games on horseback such as the Barrel Race, Obstacle Race and Oval Race in one dust-laden day (blame it on the kind of soil Gen San is also known for) – all to the delight of the first time horse show spectators. In the opening program after a colorful Parade of Horses, Mr. Tito Santos, President of the Sons and Daughters of Pioneers of General Santos City and Barangay Chair Rolito Blando fittingly spoke of the relevance of the horse show in Barangay Lagao.

Awards Night brought pride and joy to the large Davao Horse Club contingent. Led by its newly-installed president, Rachel “Chelo” Tan, the Club took center stage by garnering fifteen (15) trophies won from across various categories of the competition.

The Davao winner that received the warmest applause was Chase Powers Tan, 3 years old, who, even as the youngest and smallest competitor, won third place in the Kiddies’ Barrel Race. Other winners in the Barrel Race were: Enzo Asentista, second, Youth Division; Monica Chu (mother of Chase Tan), second place; Chelo Tan (grandmother of Chase), third; Melody Gonzales, Champion, Royal Division; Dean Gon-

zales, Champion, Executive Division; Jeric Olaguer, third, Executive Division; Nikki Boy Gonzales, Champion, Intermediate Division. In the Obstacle Race, the Davaoeno riders took home more trophies, as follows: Monica Chu, 2nd place and Chelo Tan, third, Ladies Division; Melody Gonzales, Champion, Royal Division; Andrew Tan, Champion, Executive Division followed by Dean Gonzales, second place; Nikki Boy Gonzales, Champion, Intermediate Division and Jason Manguilimotan of the Auxiliary (horse grooms) Division, Champion.

It is worthy to note that Davao had a couple of backto-back (Barrel and Obstacle Races) champions as well as back-to-back second and third placers, namely: Champions Nikki Boy Gonzales and his

mother, Melody Batu Gonzales in the Royal Division (strictly for 45 years old and above, men and women who ride only occasionally); second placers Monica Chu and Dean Gonzales and third placer, Chelo Tan. Comebacking Andy Tan who was champion in the Obstacle Race, missed a record three back-to-back championships after solid performances in Misamis Oriental in January and in Cebu in February.

The Davao Horse Club had long awaited the General Santos horsemen to organize such a horse show, considering the former’s affinity with the latter, Davao members having had long ties with horse enthusiasts in the cattle and horse country. As Philippine Horsemen’s Federation President Jeric Olaguer of Davao said: It was high time!

EDGED

A2 INdulge!

FOOD

Take it to the strEAT at V WHEN IN DAVAO, we urge you to eat… like a true Viking.

Over the years, the metropolis has seen the boom of dining places.

From international food chain brands to home-grown local favourites, the city is blessed with a plethora of choices on a daily basis.

Now, what you need to do, is make a choice.

If you are up for comfort, then the city is laden with rustic cafes and bistros to satisfy your yearning.

But if what you are after are palate familiar local cuisines then the city, like elsewhere, has a number of hole-in-the-wall diners that will surely up your eating game. The two together? Oh yes.

Vikings Luxury Buffet at the SM Lanang Premier takes you on a ‘Bankerohan Special’ binge this March. Executive Chef Anton Abad, Executive Sous Chef Keenan Gran and Junior Sous Chef Aldrian Sarana prepares an array of childhood orgasmic dishes that will surely encourage you to eat like Viking.

Served ‘street style’, the luxury buffet features palate acquainted dishes that are normally served, yes, on the streets. Typical of karenderyas, the dishes are very Dabwenyo to the core. Each dish prepared uses locally grown and produced ingredients that makes the dishes even more delish.

The curated menu includes green mango and pomelo salad (it’s acidity of the green mango complements with the neutral taste of pomelo), street food bouquet (or so I would like to call it) -- crispy and grilled isaw (chicken instestine), crispy pork belly, crispy salmon skin (the best cracklings ever!), crispy spicy milkfish skin, pork bbq, and skew-

Hit the jackot with a slice of durian and mango r

Feast like a true viking! ered crispy squid served with local vinegar.

Also part of their repertoire is inihaw na tuna belly, sinampalukang kambing (very pinoy the lasa), kilawing kambing and kalderetang kambing that’s packed with all the kaldereta goodness. They also have crispy pata and lechon macau.

Dessert need not be complicated as they have langka turon topped with durian ice cream and ube durian turon with durian ice cream, suman at mangga and biko. Adding

to that, their durian drip cake (with ube filling in between soft sponges), durian and mango roll , Viking’s tablea chocolate moist cake and their intriguing pomelo brulee.

Guzzle down with a glass of musk melon melon and strawberry punch (with a kick of alcohol).

Get your palate groove on and explore the streets of the metropolis. Eat, indulge and temporarily say goodbye to your calorie counting ways. And yes, eat like a true Viking.

Kalderetang kambing pairs well with a hungry palate.

Start your quest with a green mango and pomelo salad.

ENTERTAINMENT

“YELLOW ROSE” TO OPEN 35TH LA ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FEST ONE OF THE FIRST two winners of ABS-CBN Cinematografo Originals, “Yellow Rose” starring Broadway icon and Tony awardee Lea Salonga and nominee Eva Noblezada, will have its grand world premiere by opening the prestigious 35th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) on May 2.

“Yellow Rose” tells the story of headstrong but talented Rose (Eva), a Filipina teen from a small Texas town, dreaming to leave and fighting to pursue her country music dreams while facing the threat of deportation.

The film is written and directed

by Filipino-American award-winning film documentary and commercial director Diane Paragas and co-written by another awardwinning writer Annie J. Howell.

“Yellow Rose” also features a top tier cast including Tony Award winning actress and Grammy nominee Lea Salonga, Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada, country music star Dale Watson, Liam Booth, Gustavo Gomez (“The Walking Dead”), Libby Villari (“Boyhood”), and Princess Punzalan.

“Yellow Rose” becomes the first film by a Filipina American director to be selected as Opening Night presentation at the LAAPFF. It is also the award-winning

director’s first attempt to do a full length feature.

The Cinematografo International Film Festival is an annual film exhibition series that aims to showcase emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, focusing on issues of representation and inclusivity.

“Yellow Rose” screens on Opening Night at the Aratani Theatre at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles on May 2 (Thursday) at 7 pm. The LAAPFF will present films in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles, and the L.A. Live Entertainment Center from May 2 to 10.

EDAVAO

Vikings

roll.

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VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Junior Sous Chef Aldrian Sarana, Executive Chef Anton Abad and Executive Sous Chef Keenan Gran.

Go lokal with suman and fresh mangga.

UP AND ABOUT

Sony’s REC and Play Promo gives you what you want for less

WITH the summer season almost in full swing – get your OOTDs ready and your summer playlist updated. Pursue brand-new summer experiences by finding your happy place in a new destination, or even jumpstart your adrenaline just by doing something for the first time. Make this your summer to remember with Sony cameras and lenses to capture your best moments yet.

Just don’t forget to bring the perfect sound trip buddy for the long idle moments and beach bumming days -- Sony’s headphones and portable speakers. Make your best summer ever possible with Sony’s REC and Play promo as you score up to Php 30,000 discount on select cameras and 15% discount on headphones and personal audio products.

Turn your photo pegs to .jpeg with Sony cameras Summer is one of the best seasons to hone your photography and cinematography skills. Take advantage of the fiesta season to take amazing shots using Sony’s Alpha cameras which you can have for less this season. Save up to Php 30,000 and get more memory space with the free SD cards! If you’re look-

ing into expanding your gear, Sony also offers a wide range of lenses for less. Love taking photos, but hate bringing big cameras? Sony’s line of compact and light weight cameras, the RX series, is perfect for you.

Get discount for every purchase and premium items from the offer bundle! Can’t live without the action? You can take Sony’s Action Cam with every dive, every ride, and every climb. Powered by 4K Ultra HD recording and balanced optical steady shot, it provides trueto-life quality videos. Save up to Php 5,000 and get free SD card and leather case when you buy Sony’s FDR- X3000R and HDR-AS300R.

Energize the Summer Vibe with Sony personal audio products Good energy, good vibe. Sony’s Extra Bass line of headphones and portable speakers is your go-to summer companion. Party anytime, anywhere with its deep punchy bass that can take your EDM tracks to a whole new level. Worried about delayed flights and bad traffic? Let it be and just take yourself to an eargasmic adventure with your favorite beats. You can also trust these gadgets for their long battery life that can last up to 24 hours long. Get up to 15% discount on select headphones and portable speakers. Go wireless with noise canceling in-ear products like the WF-SP700N or try the WH-1000XM3 if you’re into over-ear wireless headphones. Be extra bass ready anytime, anywhere with SRS-XB Bluetooth speakers series, and fuel that hike with the MDR- XB510AS washable in-ear headphones featuring an extra bass sound that would make your summer the best for less .

Make the best summer happen with Sony this 2019! Check out these amazing deals and discounts Sony’s REC and Play promo https:// www.sony.com.ph/microsite/RecordAndPlay/ Promo is now available in all Sony Centres and Sony Authorized Dealers until June 15, 2019.

Mari invites kids and parents to Boot Camp

TEACH your young ones to embrace mindfulness and creativity this summer and enroll them in Mari Yoga & Dance Studio’s Kids Boot Camp.

Who doesn’t live for a slice of grilled tuna belly.

The three-day activity starting April 5 will immerse kids 4-12 years old in movement and the arts through thoughtful yoga, dance, theater exercises. Kids will also learn how to make snacks and assemble bento boxes; there will also be painting and film experiences.

“Through the Dancer and proprietor of Mari Yoga & Kids Boot Camp, we Dance Studio Alyssa Capuno believes want to give impor- that movement and playtime are keys to children’s holistic development. tance to playtime and how this is key to a child’s holistic development,” said Alyssa Capuno, dancer and proprietor of Mari Yoga & Dance Studio. “Our movement and creative activities teach kids to be focused and mindful, allowing them to discover new friendships, skills, talents. This is also a good way for parents to spend time with their children.”

Yoga with parents and kids; and yoga animal theater presentations are among the highlights of the Kids Boot Camp.

Registration is P2,500, inclusive of the Boot Camp kit and snacks and drinks for three days. For registration and inquiries, call 0956 967 2096. Mari is located across the Ateneo Matina car park building, Acacia Street, Juna Subdivision. Follow Mari in Facebook. com/MariYogaDanceStudio.

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RED... FROM 1

ditions which may constitute grounds for the declaration of Comelec Control.”

The Comelec said the declaration of Category Red “developed in the wake of suspected election-related incidents in the last two elections, together with serious armed threats” posed by the New People’s Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and/or Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other analogous groups.

The last electoral exercise in Mindanao was the peaceful and orderly conduct of the plebiscite on January 21 and February 6 to ratify RA 11054 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Last year, Comelec Minute Resolution 18-0085 issued on January 31 allowed elections to proceed as scheduled in Mindanao despite martial law, “with the exception of Marawi City, the rehabilitation of which is ongoing.”

The Resolution also directed the election and Barangay Affairs Department to “conduct a physical/ocular/structural integrity study or assessment of the polling precincts in Marawi City and recommend whether or not to conduct election therein three months after the scheduled May 14, 2018 BSKE elections.”

The barangay election in Marawi was held on September 22 and except for a few �ist�ights and misunderstandings and a few arrests for vote-buying, “not a single person was killed,” Col. Romeo Brawner of the Joint Task Force Ranao, said.

He described the elections as “a big leap towards genuine democracy.”

“Rescind the blanket declaration” In a statement, Akbayan Party List Rep Tom Villarin said Comelec should “review and rescind such blanket declaration in the soonest possible time.”

The Comelec, he said, is now being ‘weaponized’ by the Duterte administration “to subvert the electoral process to assure its favored candidates victory in the national and local elections. “ Villarin said the so-called election related incidents in the past two elections and armed threats from the NPA, BIFF and extremist groups “are not serious enough as to warrant the declaration of the entire island as a category red election hotspot. “ He recalled that the opposition had earlier warned of possible electoral manipulation when martial law was extended “even without factual basis of rebellion or invasion.”

“Now this unilateral Comelec declaration of Mindanao as a code red hotspot �inally reveals the whole intent of Duterte to dictate the outcome of the May elections,” Villarin said He found it “highly sinister and speculative to say that election-related violence has engulfed Mindanao or that peace and order has broken down as to warrant Comelec control over the entire island.”

“Was there a failure of barangay elections in Mindanao? Was there failure in the holding of the recent BARMM plebiscite? Both the answers to these questions are in the negative. Comelec should never become an unwitting tool to subvert our democracy and it does not bode well for the conduct of free and fair elections,’” he said. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

GOVERNOR... FROM 2

Meantime, Lt. General Felimon Santos Jr., according to Balagtey, reminded his units to ensure the protection of

communities after the leadership of the CPP openly directed the NPAs to conduct atrocities.

supply of dangerous drugs as a global plan of action and a shared responsibility under the concept of the whole of nation approach.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. delivered the Philippine national statement at the Ministerial Segment of the event.

Locsin emphasized the Philippines’ zero-tolerance policy and whole of nation approach against ille-

gal drugs, noting the gains achieved by the country, thus far, in such �ight.

Locsin cited the more than 1.4 million Filipino drug users who have voluntarily presented themselves for rehabilitation and the corresponding 30 percent decline in the nation’s crime rate as a result of the Philippines’ sustained and relentless war against illegal drug campaign. (PNA)

economic objective is pursued in such a way as to ensure the social, cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism.”

Sitio Kule is the jump-off point for trekkers going to Lake Holon via what is popularly called as “Kule Trail” or the “Hunters’ Trail.”

has an annual rate of two percent, lower than the three percent per annum rate that the Arroyo administration secured for

the USD116.6 million loan for the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project Phase II. (PNA)

scholarships for Matigsalug youth.

Lady entrepreneur and civic leader Montemayor is a multi-awarded private sector leader who received the ASEAN Woman Entrepreneur Award at the ASEAN Women’s Conference in

2018 as well as the Inspiring Filipino Entrepreneurs Award given by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. She is one of the leading mentors to local micro-entrepreneurs under the “Go Negosyo” program of the Department of Trade and Industry.

PH... FROM 2

TBOLI... FROM 3

DOMINGUEZ... FROM 4 ARCADIA... FROM 10

PRRD... FROM 2

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globally competitive through inviolable, honest, effective and credible licensure examinations and through regulatory measures, programs, and activities that foster their continuing professional growth,” the law read.

Under the proposed measure, there will be the creation of the professional regulatory

board of occupational therapy under the administrative supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

The board will be composed of a chairperson and two members appointed by the President within six months from the enactment of the law.

date the township’s rain water runoff, a landscape drip irrigation system, bike lanes, central material recovery facility, pocket gardens and tree parks, as well as vertical gardens in various buildings around the township.

The township will feature Fiber Optic Cabling System, and it will also have its own Transport Hub, chapel, as well as other leisure and recreational facilities.

“The whole idea of Maple Grove is to make it walkable and environmentally sustainable. This will so far be our greenest township,” explains Tan. In 2017, Megaworld launched the 35-hectare Maple Grove Commercial District that offered 363 prime lots for sale, ranging from 360 square meters to 1,008 square meters, with a total inventory value of around P9 billion. This district within the township has a masterplan similar to the Makati Central Business District (CBD) with careful-

ly planned wide road networks surrounded by several green and open parks.

The commercial lots have been sold out in just less than six (6) months.

Last year, the company also launched its �irst residential development, the 10-storey The Verdin, and its �irst of�ice tower with saleable units, the 17-storey One Corporate Place, in Maple Grove.

“General Trias is a key growth city in Cavite. We look forward to building its own ‘green’ CBD, and this is happening in the next 5 to 7 years,” adds Tan. Maple Grove is easily accessible via the Coastal Road and CAVITEX, with an estimated travel time of only 30 to 45 minutes from Makati CBD and Fort Bonifacio, and less than an hour to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Soon, it will also have a direct link to the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

MEGAWORLD... FROM 10

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Republika Ng Pilipinas Lalawigan ng Compostela Valley PAMAHALAANG BAYAN NG COMPOSTELA TANGGAPAN NG SANGGUNIANG BAYAN

19th COUNCIL 95th Regular Session October 15, 2018

Arcadia Event Center hosts Datu Bago Awards

A

rcadia Active Lifestyle's Event Center hosted the conferment ceremony of the prestigious 49th Datu Bago Awards on March 8, 2019.

Arcadia, a multi-purpose complex built by the Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco), was picked as of�icial venue of the event which served as one of the cultural highlights of the 82nd Araw ng Davao celebration.

City Mayor Inday Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio along with members of the Datu Bago Foundation councilor Pilar Braga and University of Mindanao President Mr. Guillermo Torres Jr. led the conferment rites to this year's laureates lawyers Koronado B. Apuzen and Antonio B. Partoza, Jr., Ines P. Mallari, Datu Rodolfo

M. Mande, and Mary Ann Maceda Montemayor.

Apuzen was recognized for his service to the marginalized and vulnerable sectors of Davao City. He developed ways to boost his clients’ incomes and improve their lives through community-based, organically grown, and multi-cropping farming methods for banana plantations owned and managed by farmers’ cooperatives.

Partoza was feted for having pioneered durian farming in Davao and is the man behind the famous Partoza Durian Farm. His premier variety of durian was recognized nationally and internationally. He was one of the pillars of the Mindanao Fruit Industry Development Council.

Mallari, who is a third

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

A Matigsalug tribal leader from Marilog, Datu Mande used his education degree to promote literacy in the remotest Matigsalug villages and is considered as one of the pioneer teachers of the Foundation Learning for Indigenous Children (FLIC) of the Tribal Mission Foundation International.

He contributed to the development of a culture-speci�ic curriculum for indigenous people’s education as well as in securing educational

ATTENDANCE: Present: Hon. Reynaldo Q. Castillo, Presiding Officer Hon. Alan M. Calalas Hon. Levi S. Ebdao Hon. Wilfredo C. Ang Hon. Danielo B. Pelegrino Hon. Rogelio P. Econar Hon. Miguel G. Vargas, Jr. Hon. Myrel V. Bangcasan Hon. Elmo A. Estandarte Hon. Ernesto C. Bondan, IPM Representative On Official Business Hon. Alejo O. Luzano, Liga ng mga Barangay President Hon. Brigil Rey G. Lorono, PPSK President Absent: None Municipal Ordinance No. 2018-512 Sponsored by: Hon. Rogelio P. Econar

Vice Mayor SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member SB Member

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE PROPOSED BORROWING OF MUNICIPALITY OF COMPOSTELA, COMPOSTELA VALLEY TO FUND THE ACQUISITION OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE HUNDRED ONE MILLION PESOS (P 101,000,000.00) Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Bayan of Compostela, Compostela Valley in session assembled that; SECTION 1. The Municipality of Compostela, Compostela Valley represented by Hon. Lema P. Bolo, Municipal Mayor, is hereby authorized to enter into a loan agreement with the Land Bank of the Philippines, in accordance with Section 297 of the Republic Act No. 7160 othwerwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, in the amount of ONE HUNDRED ONE MILLION PESOS (P101,000,000.00), under the terms and conditions set forth therein, and subject to the requirements stated under Section 123 of the Republic Act no. 7653, as implemented by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular No. 402; SECTION 2. The Municipal Mayor shall have the authority to represent the Municipality of Compostela, Compostela Valley by signing, executing and delivering such agreements, contracts, deeds and other related documents pertaining to the borrowing that are deemed necessary and proper for the full implementation of intended priority project; SECTION 3. The ACQUISITION OF VARIOUS BRAND NEW HEAVY EQUIPMENT referred hereto as priority project is included in the LGU’s Annual Investment Plan for 2018 and its Local Development and Investment Plan; SECTION 4. The municipality hereby appropriates the entire proceeds of the following brand new heavy equipments:

ARCADIA, P9

Term: Seven (7) years inclusive of two quarters grace period on principal.

Repayment: ■ Principal: Payable in twenty six (26) equal quarterly amortizations, inclusive of two quarters grace period.

■ Interest: Quarterly, in arrears, to start at the end of first quarter from date of initial drawdown.

Interest: At prevailing LBP Lending rate at the time of availment, subject quarterly repricing (as of July 05, 2018, 4.0% p.a) Collateral: Assignment of IRA ■ Fees and Charges: Waiver of the following charges. √ Processing Fee √ Handling Fee (1% of the approved amount) √ Appraisal/ Inspection Fee √ ½% Commitment Fee √ 2% Prepayment Fee except in case of loan take-out by other Banks.

SECTION 5. The Municipality hereby appropriates the entire proceeds of the borrowing in the amount of P101,000,000.00 for the purchase of heavy equipment.

SECTION 6. Any ordinance or parts thereof, inconsistent with this enactment is hereby repealed or amended accordingly; SECTION 7. This ordinance shall take effect upon its publication and compliance with all procedures required under Republic Act. No. 7160 of an ordinance for its validity, including the affixations of signatures of the Sangguniang Bayan memebers, in concurrence thereto, composing at least a majority thereof, out of the total of twelve (12) members, on all the pages of this Ordinance.

SECTION 8. That copies of this Ordinance be furnished to the Honorable Governor of the Province of Compostela Valley, the Municipal Accountant, the Municipal Treasurer and the COA Auditor stationed in the Municipality of Compostela and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for their information and appropriate action.

Enacted by the Sangguniang Bayan of Compostela, Compostela Valley this 15th day of October, 2018.

Megaworld hikes township capital spending to P15-B

M

egaworld, the country’s largest developer of integrated urban townships, is increasing its 10-year capital spending to build the 140-hectare Maple Grove township in General Trias, Cavite to P15-billion. The company is starting the land development and commencing the construction of its �irst Megaworld Lifestyle Mall in Cavite this year.

“We are fast tracking the developments in Maple Grove as we see a growing demand from both residential and of�ice market in this area,” says Kevin L. Tan, chief

strategy of�icer, Megaworld.

The two-level ‘sustainable’ mall, which will have around 24,000 square meters of gross �loor area, will have several retail and F&B outlets, four cinemas, indoor events area, and an anchor supermarket.

Inspired by the design of a ‘greenhouse,’ the mall will be equipped with exceptional light-transmitting architectural systems that maximizes the use of natural sunlight while maintaining comfort cooling condition inside the building.

It will also be designed with grey water recycling

facilities, perceived cooling design for air-conditioning, and provisions for roof solar panels.

“We will complete the construction of the mall within two years alongside the land development, as we expect the Maple Grove community to grow fast in the next �ive years,” adds Tan. Dubbed as the ‘Green City of the South,’ Maple Grove boasts of several sustainability features that include a Rainwater Park, which is a two-hectare tree park designed to accommo-

MEGAWORLD, P9

Certified true and corrected:

Attested:

SANGGUNIANG BAYAN CONCURRENCE:

Approved By Her Honor:

Validated As Consistent With Law:

11 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

PRACTICE. The De La Salle University Green Archers hold practice at their official training facility at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Basketball Center. The Green Archers are leading the way in the ongoing Araw ng Davao Collegiate Basketball League.

Ironman event not cancelled: Organizers

By ADAM B. MORRELL

T

he City Government of Davao and Sunrise Events said the Alveo Ironman 70.3 Triathlon is pushing through as scheduled on Sunday, March 24.

Golden State guard Klay Thompson scores on a dunk.

Warriors turn back Wolves

S

tephen Curry scored 36 points, 22 points in the third quarter, and Klay Thompson added 28 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 117-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

A night after scoring just 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the �ield in a loss at San Antonio, Thompson scored 15 points in the �irst period, going a perfect 5 of 5 from the �ield and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.

Minnesota trailed 59-47 entering the third quarter before going on a 14-2 run, tying the game at 61-all.

That's when Curry took over, scoring eight points in a 94-second span as the Warriors wrested control of the game.

In the middle of his proli�ic third-quarter scoring spree, Curry connected on his 300th 3-pointer of the season to put the Warriors up 80-68. He wound up 8 of 14 on the night from long distance.

The Warriors opened up a 91-75 lead to start the fourth quarter and pushed their advantage to 101-81 on Thompson's fourth 3-pointer of the game.

However, Minnesota cut the de�icit to 11

on a Josh Okogie layup with 4:06 left. Tyus Jones sank two free throws with 2:27 remaining, and Minnesota trailed 112-103.

The Warriors turned to Curry, who connected on another trey, and Golden State's lead was 12 points.

Curry and Thompson combined to make 12 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc.

For the 30th time this season, Golden State recorded more than 30 assists. The Warriors assisted on their �irst 19 baskets of the game and �inished with 39 assists on 44 made buckets.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 26 points and grabbed 21 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who saw their six-game home win streak end.

Minnesota came out hot, going on a 20-2 run to take an early 13-point lead on a layup by Andrew Wiggins.

But the Warriors stormed back, going on a 16-3 run to tie game at 25 on Kevon Looney's dunk. Curry's 24-foot, 3-point jumper gave Golden State the lead with 1:56 left in the opening quarter, and the Warriors remained on top until Minnesota tied the game early in the third period.

This after posts circulated on social media that the event was cancelled.

A statement released by the City Government of Davao City on Wednesday, March 20, said that the cancellation yarn that was spread around the internet is indeed a hoax.

“The advisory was

M

clearly meant to undermine the staging of the event and sabotage the preparations made by the participants organizers, partners and the City Government of Davao,” the statement read, adding: “All parties involved in the preparations leading to the race day are fully

committed to the success of the event safety and security of the participants.”

Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Of�ice (SDD-CMO) chief Mikey Aportadera, in fact, spearheaded the �inal security and safety meeting as well as the walk through for the hosting of the biggest triathlon event in the country.

Sunrise Events manager Princess Galura, meanwhile, posted in his

Porter (WBC).

Sternburg, who was with Pacquiao in Dallas, said it’s no cinch that “Money” wants another go-round.

He said it’s Pacquiao’s impression that (Mayweather) “seems to be enjoying his retirement.

He may not want to come back and �ight younger �ighters like me. I want to stay active and �ight again

this summer. Real �ights against real �ighters.”

Mayweather, now 42, beat Pacquiao in May 2015, then retired after out-pointing Andre Berto four months later. He beat boxing novice Conor McGregor in a pay-per-view circus in 2017 and recently returned to stop a Japanese MMA �ighter in a highly-publicized exhibition. He’s been coy about

social media account, saying: “Guys, there is a malicious rumor going around that the Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao is cancelled.

It is a fake news. Super fake.”

The City Government of Davao and the organizers of the event which includes Sunrise Events have identi�ied the people behind the damaging fake advisory and legal actions are being strongly considered against the culprits.

Manny still wants Floyd

anny Pacquiao is a man with options.

He was ringside at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night and cordially engaged potential opponent Errol Spence Jr. after the IBF welterweight champ pitched a scorecard shutout over Mikey Garcia.

That �ight could happen as soon as July, given Pacquiao’s liberty from the Filipino senate around that time and Spence’s willingness to make it convenient for his would-be blockbuster marquee foil.

But all indicators suggest Pacquiao wants something else.

“Floyd would be the preference, un�inished business,” said Fred Sternburg, Pacquiao’s long-time publicist at Top Rank and now that the 40-year-old is af�iliated with Al Haymon.

Trainer Freddie Roach told Boxing Scene in December that a rematch with Mayweather is indeed his famous charge’s �irst choice, even amid a promotional stable that includes Spence and fellow champions Keith Thurman (WBA) and Shawn

plans with Pacquiao, but was also in Dallas and sat ringside for Pacquiao’s defeat of Adrien Broner in January.

Sternburg says he saw some cracks.

“Floyd’s body language betrays him,” he said. “He clearly did not like what he saw at ringside when Manny blitzed Broner.

He seemed stunned.”

While Manny Pacquiao enjoys many options for his next fight, it is obvious he wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

12 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL.12 ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

CLOSE SHAVE DLSU thwart Lyceum 98-95 in finals preview

By ADAM B. MORRELL

I

n what was a dress rehearsal for today’s �inals showdown, De La Salle University edged Lyceum University of the Philippines 98-95 on Wednesday night in the Araw ng Davao Collegiate Basketball League.

Don Lim quashed a last ditch rally by the Pirates as he hit a clutch trey to break a 87-87 standoff. That proved to be the go ahead basket to give the Green Archers the morale boost going into the championship game of this tournament organized by the City Government of Davao in partnership with Matina Enclaves and The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Francis Gabriel Escandor sank a step back triple midway in the third as DLSU broke free from a tight 44-40 lead at halftime to take. 77-70 cushion in the third. The Pirates tied the game at 87all after a �ierce 9-2 run led by Marcelino Bros.

Encho Serrano led La Salle with 13 while Justin Baltazar and Andrei Caracut added 11.

The tournament features the ‘Big Four’ cast that includes De La Salle University (UAAP), University of the East Red Warriors (UAAP), National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, and

TEAM STANDINGS W

L

DLSU

3

0

Lyceum

2

1

UE

0

2

UC

0

2

the University of Cebu (UC) from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) backyard.

University of Cebu and the University of the East are still playing as of Errol Bongay of the De La Salle University (DLSU) presstime and will battle Green Archers drives past a Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) defender in yesterday’s virtual finals for third tonight.

preview of the 82nd Araw ng Davao Invitational Basketball Tournament held at the Davao City Recreation Center. SBP 11 PHOTO