Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 120 | Sunday-Monday, August 25-16, 2019

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TURNING BARREN LAND INTO PRODUCTIVE FARM

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Sen. Go assures PRRD won't release Sanchez

By ADAM B. MORRELL

S

enator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go gave assurance on Friday that President Rodrigo Duterte won’t allow the release of convicted rapist and murderer ex-mayor of Calauan, Laguna Antonio Sanchez.

The Dabawenyo lawmaker told reporters during his visit to the fire victims of Punta Dumalag at the Matina Aplaya Barangay Hall covered court in Davao City, that he personally discussed the controversial issue with President Duterte.

"Napag usapan po namin yan Huwebes ng madaling araw, sabi nya, nag compute din siya sa sarili nya, kasi nabasa nya rin yun (Sanchez pardon issue), sabi nya "Di ako papayag na makakalabas si Sanchez"," Go said.

Sanchez was sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years imprisonment by the Pasig Regional Trial Court in 1995 for the rape-slay of University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her friend, Allan Gomez, in 1993.

"Tutol po si Pangulong Duterte lalong lalo na po sa mga heinous crimes o karumal dumal na krimen," Go added.

He reiterated his earlier statement saying: "Sanchez, mabuti pa dyan ka nalang sa loob, pagdusahan mo mga kasalanan mo kaysa lumabas ka pa, i-ikli lang ang buhay mo."

The Senator also advised the convicted mayor to put his fate in the hands of the saint.

"Si San Pedro nalang bahala sayo," Go said.

Go, meanwhile, vowed to review the Re-

NO CHANCE, P14

PAMULAK SA KADAYAWAN. Dancers perform atop Kisan Lu Land and Development, Inc.’s float while it rolls along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Saturday. The float is among the big category entries for the Pamulak sa Kadayawan 2019. Lean Daval Jr

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Tagapukaw Earth Music Collective wins 2019 Tunog Kadayawan tilt

By ADAM B. MORRELL

T

GRAND PRIZE. The float of International Pharmaceuticals, Inc. emerges as this year’s Pamulak sa Kadayawan big category grand prize winner after besting three other entries. Lean Daval Jr

he Tagapukaw Earth Music Collective earned the nod of the judges with their “Ang Yutang Mabungahon” piece to win the 2019 Tunog Kadayawan on Friday, August 23, at Taboan in Matina Times Square (MTS), Davao City.

Composed of two prominent cultural band Kuntaw Mindanaw and Sining Kamalayan, Tagapukaw pulled off a Moro and Indigenous People (IP)-inspired deep meaningful bisaya piece which strongly relayed a message of unity and cultural preservation incorporated to the 34th Kadayawan Festival celebration.

“Ang nanahimong inspirasyon sa pagmugna sa piyesa kay mao ang mga kaigsounan natong mga national minority including Moro people ug IP’s sa kabukiran nga padayon nga naga defend protect ug padayon nga nag amoma sa yutang kabilin,” said Gian Carlo Candia, Tagapukaw’s

vocals and guitars.

“Syempre in celebration sa Kadayawan nga nagreflect siya sa bountiful harvest ug sa panaghiusa sa katawhan sa Davao o Mindanao ug labaw sa tanan nagreflect pud sa pag lambo sa kultura,” Candia added.

The chorus of the song, goes: “Ang yutang mabungahon, bisbisan sa tiunay nga gugma. Panaghiusa ug pagpadayon ang yutang kabilin amumahon. Dali na dali na tikaron ang yutang tabunok, dali na dali na amumahon ang binhing gitisok.”

In a competition of displayed masterpiece and repertoire, Candia said making it to the top 10 was already worth a celebration.

“Win or lose nahimo ming malipayon tungod kay una pa lang pagdawat sa amoa as part ng top 10 finalist, dili na lalim,” he said Winning the title, however, was a fulfillment.

cabbage and potatoes.

Even the DA is distributing potatoes, which is a shortened crop and can enhance risk of landslide,” she said.

She said the bald part of the mountain is visible even from the highway as it is a trekking area going to Mt. Apo. She is hopeful that the DA in collaboration with DENR will address her concern.

“We are willing to assist and we are cooperating with the municipal agriculture kaya lang as an NGO

wala po kaming authority to enforce the law. These areas of gardens are owned by private individuals and businessmen. Wala ka ng makitang kahoy puro na vegetables gardens,” she said.

On his end, Dar cited an agency should implement the law not allowing farming in Mt. Apo as it is a natural park.

“Ang problema sa Pilipinas palagi may batas tayo, may regulasyon tayo

TAGAPUKAW, P14

Gardens of cabbage, potatoes pose threat to Mt. Apo’s protected area M

By MAYA M. PADILLO

iraflor Joy Austria, project coordinator of Kapwa Upliftment Foundation Inc., raised the alarm that Mt. Apo is now getting bald due to the commercial gardens of cabbage, carrots, and potatoes at the foot of Mt. Apo.

During the cacao summit’s Q and A with the cacao farmers held at Grand Regal Hotel with Agriculture Secretary William Dar Saturday (August 24), Austria asked Dar to balance the promotion of planting cacao trees over planting of cabbage, carrots, potatoes,

and bananas considering that Mt. Apo is a protected area and an ancestral domain of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe.

“Kalbo na po at ang makikita ngayon ay gardens of cabbage, potatoes at carrots. Five months ago during the launch of the

Labor union splits with KMU, forms new group

S

ome 220 members and officers of the Musahamat Workers Labor Union (MWLU) in Compostela Valley province withdrew from the leftist Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) to form their own organization, a military official said Thursday.

1Lt Jhocell Asis, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion (IB), said MWLU officers took their oath in Pantukan town on Tuesday after reorganizing under the new HKJ-3 Workers Union.

According to Asis, the MWLU members decided to bolt away from KMU because they felt being “used for selfish gains and being indoctrinated to go against the management of the company, resulting in different mass demonstrations.”

The KMU has long been

identified by military authorities as one of the legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and recruitment ground for its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA). The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

In fact, Asis said the former MWLU members surrendered to the 71IB three months ago for being members of the NPA’s underground mass-based organization.

“They are now free and they will no longer give monthly dues to KMU. Most importantly, they are no longer obliged to join rallies initiated by KMU,” the Army official said.

During Tuesday’s

LABOR, P11

potato project then Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol was there and he said okay lang magtanim kayo ng repolyo pero dapat naka-contour or naka hedgerows dapat repolyo-cacao-kape to balance lang.

Hindi naman natin maalis ang mga repolyo growers kasi may mga laborers na doon na dependent na sa mga pananim,” she said.

Austria said there is a need to balance the plantings of cacao and vegetables so not to degrade soil

fertility, since these vegetables are dependent to chemicals, it is also risk to erosion.

“Chemicals very no-no in the protected area and ancestral domain. It is in the law at alam ng DA at DENR yan. I was happy with sir Dar’s pronouncement that we can explore ancestral areas for the plantation of cacao. But the challenge in the context of Mt. Apo kalbo na po siya ngayon kasi mas marami ang banana plantations,

CULTURE OF SECURITY. A Task Force Davao personnel distributes leaflets written with security and safety reminders as part of the authorities’ “Culture of Security” campaign on public safety and peace and order

GARDENS, P11

during the 34th Kadayawan sa Davao’s floral float parade along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Saturday. Lean Daval Jr

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4 NEWS

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BIR chief files libel raps against Ramon Tulfo

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A mother pushes the wheelchair of his physically challenged son as they follow the 34th Kadayawan sa Davao’s Pamulak sa Kadayawan 2019 parade along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Saturday. Lean Daval Jr

ureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Caesar Dulay has filed libel and cyber libel charges against columnist Ramon Tulfo for three “undoubtedly false and defamatory” columns posted at The Manila Times’ online news website.

The complaint, filed before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office on Thursday, includes three counts of libel and seven counts of cyber-libel against Tulfo and The Manila Times editors and officials.

In Tulfo’s column “My Line of Sight: Conversations between two BIR execs reveals all," Dulay said he was accused of having "skeletons in the closet at the graft-ridden agency” while Tulfo’s second column dated August 8, which alleged that there was a giving of bribe in multibillion peso tax cases with

delinquent corporations, pictured him as an “insatiable greedy extortionist, a cheat and a corrupt official in (President) Digong’s government.”

The third column dated August 20 called for a corruption probe against Dulay over what Tulfo said was the Del Monte’s “compromised” payment of PHP65 million instead of the “huge delinquent tax amounting to PHP8.7 billion."

Dulay said the columns were “undoubtedly false and defamatory” and “not only directly pictured me as a corrupt official, an animal, a thief, minion of Satan, greedy bastard", but also "maliciously portrayed me as a criminal.”

Dulay is seeking PHP20 million in damages, and a precautionary hold departure order against Tulfo, a

he Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday said it supports the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision that former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez is ineligible to avail of Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) as he was “categorically excluded” from benefits provided under the law.

The DOJ made the clarification following reports that the ex-mayor, who was jailed for the rape and murder of college student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of Sarmenta’s friend Allan Gomez in 1993, would soon walk out of prison as one of the thousands to benefit under the retroactive application of Republic Act No. 10592 or the GCTA Law. “We support DOJ’s stand on the issue as the law is categorical in ex-

cluding recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees, and persons charged with heinous crimes from the benefits of its coverage,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.

The secretary said that by that condition alone, the Sanchez “inarguably does not stand a chance of being released anytime soon.”

“Sanchez committed rape and double murder.

He was responsible for the death of two bright university students. Allowing him to get out early is a mockery of the law and justice system,” Año said.

“Kailangan niyang panagutan hanggang sa huling minuto ang hatol sa kanya. He must serve his entire sentence. Kapag pinalaya natin ‘yan ng maaga, we would have punctured a hole in our own justice sys-

Malagos chocolate T to vie in Taiwan tilt

BIR, P11

DILG supports DOJ: No early release for ex-mayor Sanchez

T year.

he multi-awarded homegrown Malagos chocolate is again vying for the Asia Pacific Bean-to-Bar Chocolatier Competition this

Rex Victor Puentespina, sales and marketing director of Malagos Agri Venture Corp., said Thursday the company is set to send their entries to Taiwan this weekend in time for the judging from August 31 to September 5.

Puentespina said the company seeks to win the Asia Pacific competition to qualify in the world finals in Italy.

“It is important for us

to join in these competitions each year because this is also where we get feedback on our products, improve on it, and create new ones,” he said.

The Malagos chocolate firm has already won 32 international awards. Recently, the company’s line of chocolate products won a competition in Thailand.

Launched seven years ago, the local chocolate maker continues to in-

Dar: Mindanao can become food basket of the country

novate and has even embarked on a campaign to educate consumers on the benefits that can be derived from their products, Puentespina said.

Unlike big confectionery companies that use compound chocolate, he said, Malagos only uses “Grade A” chocolate beans that retain 50 percent to 54 percent plant fat of pure cocoa, making it a premium product.

Big companies extract the cocoa butter from the beans because this is also used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical and cos-

metics products, he said.

Puentespina also said the locally-made chocolate is comparable to the world’s best, “mainly because we produce our own raw materials right in our backyard; our production monthly is about eight tons.”

He said the company’s products are distributed in selected foreign markets, such as the United States, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

“Foreign consumers are really meticulous and we are learning from it.

MALAGOS, P14

DILG, P14

By ADAM B. MORRELL

D

epartment of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar aims to make Mindanao the "Food Basket" of the country.

Dar made the statement during the press conference held at the Grand Regal Hotel on Saturday, August 24.

"Mindanao, if properly developed in terms of irrigation systems, in terms of needed infrastructures, infrastructures needed for agri-industrialization, then we are unlocking the potential of Mindanao being the food basket of the country today and in the future," Dar said.

Enable to achieve their vision, Dar said, they will necessarily work with the people in Mindanao and appreciate all available resources in there.

"The potential areas must be strengthen and

help the people especially the farmers so that we grow together," he said.

He also vowed that the government will always be present in catalyzing development.

"The private sectors will be brought in with a much systematic fashion."

Another, said the secretary is to gather group associates and cooperatives, and joint corporations must be built.

"The investors and private sectors must work together with the farmers," he added.

Dar also said cacao industry must be developed strongly which would help strengthen the productivity of Mindanao.

"We believe in some potential areas where we can expand cacao industry," said Dar. Meanwhile, the new-

DAR, P14

OBEDIENT. A police officer obliges to the request of a festival goer to have her picture taken with the float of Air Asia during Pamulak sa Kadayawan 2019 along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Saturday. Lean Daval Jr

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5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

Boracay veteran to help in rehab of Davao resorts A

native Dabawenya who managed a resort in the world-famous Boracay Beach in Aklan for 13 years is willing to help in efforts to make local operators embrace sustainable practices in running Davao resorts.

BORACAY VETERAN. Liza Gamo, director of sales of the Park-Inn by Radisson who managed a resort in Boracay for 13 years until was ordered closed for massive rehabilitation, is willing to assist government should there be similar reforms introduced to Davao region's more than 100

Liza Gamo, director for sales of the Park-Inn

by Radissons at the back of SM Lanang Premier, told civic leaders and guests of the 81-yearold Rotary Club of Davao headed by former Councilor Diosdado “Dadz” Mahipus Sr., she has been impressed with the way owners and operators are managing their resorts in the region, specially the proper disposal of trash.

Gamo paid tribute to the management of Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort, owned by the family of the late Davao City Mayor Julian Rodriguez Sr., for being particular about cleanliness and the high quality of water in the resort.

However, should seaside resorts in the future. Gamo is accompanied in photo by Rotary there be a government of Davao presudent Diosdado Mahipus, retired Japanese consul general decision to improve the local resorts, through Tomoko Dodo, May Divino and past president Frank Buno sustainable practices, Gamo is willing to assist,

using the experience she had when President Duterte ordered the closure and massive cleanup of Boracay as it has become virtually a cesspool.

She said that the eventual return of Boracay to its pristine state and the people’s embrace of sustainable practices in the resort of the reforms introduced by the Duterte administration.

Gamo suggested that Dabawenyos visit Boracay nowadays to experience the changes done by the government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism.

There is need to cushion the negative impact of the changes to the livelihood of the people in the Davao resorts should there be a massive Boracay-style of reforms to be made.

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Piñol eyes barter trading for agri products in Luzon, Mindanao

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FACE PAINT. A street vendor paints a young boy’s cheek with Kadayawan sa Davao inspired design during the 34th Kadayawan sa Davao’s Pamulak sa Kadayawan along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Saturday. Lean Daval Jr

indanao Development Authority (MinDA) head Emmanuel Piñol is looking to implement barter trading for fruits and other agricultural products between Mindanao and Luzon to boost economic growth.

This, as the MinDA will lead a fruit festival in Baguio City on August 24-25 featuring products of Mindanaoan farmers.

“Baguio lacks on fruits and in Mindanao it is harvest season so the fruits there are sold cheap or not everything gets sold at all due to oversupply so it would be wise to sell it somewhere else,” he said during the Usapang Pangkapayapaan, Usapang Pangkaunlaran (UP, UP) Pilipinas of the Philippine Air Force Virtual TV on Friday.

The former Agriculture chief noted they can bring Baguio vegetables to vari-

ous areas in Mindanao.

“On the way back, titingnan din namin kung ano pwedeng dalhin mula sa Pangasinan or Nueva Ecija, sa Catbalogan magkakarga ng tuyo papuntang Mindanao (we will also look into what products we can bring from Pangasinan or Nueva Ecija, in Catbalogan, going to Mindanao),” he said.

Piñol considered the barter trade system a whole-of-nation approach in supporting the farmers in Mindanao, and among the solutions that will help address the chronic poverty in the island region.

“It’s also the best way to get rid of middlemen who ups the price yet leaves no profit for the farmers,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Baguio fruit festival will feature at least 15 tons of durian, marang, lanzones, and rambutan, among others. (PNA)

he Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is exploring the possibility of automating small-town lottery to address corruption, its general manager said Friday.

“We’re going into automation to be able to get the exact sales and we are studying the possibility [of] how we will implement this the soonest possible time,” PCSO general manager Royina Garma said during its agency’s budget briefing before the House Appropriations Committee.

"Ang issue dito is the paper because…the paper is more expensive than the bet na piso piso ‘yun yung inaaral din natin,” she added.

(The issue here is the cost of paper. The paper is even more expensive that the bet which is at P1.

That's what we're looking at) President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lifted the suspension on STL operations, which had been suspended in July citing “massive corruption,” provided that authorized agent corporations (AACs) would comply with the conditions set by the PCSO.

Based on PCSO’s rules: STLs must pay a bond equivalent to 3 months of the agency’s share in the guaranteed minimum monthly retail receipt, on top of their existing cash bond. Failure to remit guaranteed minimum monthly retail receipt will result in automatic forfeiture of the bond, Garma said.

Operators must also execute a written undertaking underpinning its intent to comply with its obligations. The said agreement will be terminated upon violation of the conditions, she added.

Operators that fail to comply with the conditions may lose their franchises, Garma said, adding that only 47 out of the 86 operators were compliant in terms of remittances.

“Yung mga may utang at di magbayad (those that will not pay their debts) I’ve given them 2 weeks actually to comply. If not, a termination order will be issued,” she said.

The PCSO will inform the Philippine National Police and the local government units of compliant operators that can be allowed to operate.

Despite travel ban, domestic tourists increase in Mindanao T

Gov't eyes automation of STL to address corruption: PCSO

By MAYA M. PADILLO

D

espite travel advisories, domestic tourists continue to increase in Mindanao, according to Department of Tourism 10 (DOT 10) Regional Director Marie Elaine Unchuan.

“Mindanao has its challenges because of its travel advisory. It’s unfortunate that we have some advisories but I supposed this came about of course because of reports of some isolated incidents,” said Unchuan in an interview during the opening of 5th Regional Travel fair held in Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City on August 23.

Yet, she said travel bans do not deter domestic tourists from coming to various regions in Mindanao.

“We have been getting an increase of domestic tourists so I guess social media also helps the people who have come here have a very good experience and share it. Maraming influencers, turista that have been promoting Mindanao at malaking tulong talaga yun kasi personal experience ang mahalaga sa tao.

We have a lot of people to thank especially yung mga turista na nag-share ng experiences nila encouraging yung iba kasi nakikita nila yung magagandang tanawin ng Midnanao,” Unchuan said.

Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann, the Canadian behind the vlog “Becoming Filipino” and who is touring around Mindanao in his scooter described Mindanao as a kind of destination for every educated tourist.

“A lot of people when they heard about Mindanao they are fearsome. But what I found is people are very positive,” he said in an interview.

Jennermann has been in almost 70 places in Mindanao showing in his vlogs a Mindanao that is a safe, happy, and peaceful place.

“It’s the connection I have here, the people, they

opened their lives and their homes for me. The communities here, the barangay, the people work very hard, I really appreciated that.

On top of that is the diversity and experiences and the personal connection I have with the people,” he said.

Unchuan cited Iligan City which is the closest to Marawi City has a 200 percent increase of domestic tourists.

“I think people have been seeing the beauty of Mindanao as a whole and Northern Mindanao as a region. You can see the beauty in social media and of course the aggressive promotions of the Department of tourism (DOT),” she said.

Unchuan said tourists come in Mindanao to experience white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro, halal food in Lanao del Norte, Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, Mt. Kitanglad, Dahilayan Nature Park, Divine Mercy Shrine, and the Seven Seas Water Park.

She said presently they

are now concentrating on experiences and will showcase the colorful and beautiful culture of Mindanao through the seven tribes of Bukidnon, the Subanens of Misamis Occidental and the Maranaos of Lanao del Norte.

“You have seen part of what we have to offer. We are very hopeful that we get more tourists,” she said.

The recently concluded 5th Regional Travel Fair organized by the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, will help expand the domestic footprint.

Attended by about 100 participants from different travel trade sectors, government agencies, and local government units, the event gave domestic exhibitors opportunity to transact business among sellers, buyers, and public consumers.

The event featured a two-day business-to-consumer (B2C) expo wherein

consideration payable for the acquisition of Mekong Wind is about USD46 million which may be subject to certain closing adjustments.

Dam Nai Wind is one of the first wind power projects in Vietnam to have been successfully brought online with commercial operations having started in late 2017.

The transaction builds on AboitizPower’s investments in the rapid growth of renewable energy and marks its entry into one of Asia’s most attractive

markets.

Vietnam, with its robust economic growth backed by strong government support, creates an attractive environment for AboitizPower to increase its commitment and contribution to energy supply security in Southeast Asia through its wide experience and expertise in the power sector.

“This transaction is a milestone for AboitizPower and sets the tone for our expansion in the international market. We have

DESPITE, P11

AboitizPower acquires wind power facility in Vietnam

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b o i t i z P o w e r, through its wholly-owned subsidiary AboitizPower International, announced Friday that it has signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 100-percent ownership of Mekong Wind Pte. Ltd. (Mekong Wind) from Armstrong Southeast Asia Clean Energy Fund Pte. Ltd. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The company said its acquisition captures all legal and economic interests in Mekong Wind, which in turn holds a 99.99 percent direct interest in Dam Nai Wind Power JSC (Dam Nai Wind).

Dam Nai Wind owns and operates the 39.4-megawatt (MW) onshore wind power facility in Ninh Thuan Province, Southern Vietnam. Ninh Thuan province boasts some of the most attractive sites for wind energy in the country.

The total purchase

announced our intentions to go international some time back and we have been prudent in looking for the right opportunity that will bring the best value for the company and our shareholders.

This is such a transaction,” AboitizPower president and chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said.

“We are excited for this opportunity not only to expand beyond the Philippines but to also bring our experience in the power generation sector, especially in the renewable

energy space, to Vietnam.

We are proud of what we have done with our Cleanergy brand in the Philippines and we will bring the same level of expertise and dedication to the Vietnam market,” AboitizPower chief operating officer Emmanuel Rubio added.

AboitizPower, together with its partners, generates some 1,200 MW of clean and renewable energy from its portfolio of hydro, geothermal, and solar power plants, forming its Cleanergy brand.

(PR)

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SUBURBIA RISING

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DINORADO. Women in the hills of Buldon, Maguindanao harvest the upland rice “Dinorado” the traditional way earlier this week. The women farmers said the harvested grains are not for commercial selling but family consumption only. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA

Security heightened for N special polls in GenSan T

NorthCot guv to abide by suspension order for graft

he city police has stepped up security measures in connection with the start of the election period next week for the scheduled special congressional polls here and nearby South Cotabato province on October 26.

Maj. Rexor Canoy, the local police spokesperson, said Friday they have laid down the necessary preparations for the election-related activities, which will start with the three-day filing of certificates of candidacy for aspirants on August 26-29.

Canoy said the election regulations, among them the firearms ban, will be implemented in the area

starting Monday.

The official said they adopted the same approach used in the local and national mid-term elections in May for their security preparations.

"That (approach) had been tested. It was the reason why we had a successful election period the last time," he told reporters.

Canoy said they are

Local employees elated after winning new houses

93

lucky city employees of the City Government of Tagum won low-cost housing financed by Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) during a raffle draw, Friday, August 16, 2019.

The said project is under the Community Mortgage Program of SHFC wherein the office caters to various registered associations that are lent the capital to buy the lots to build low-cost houses, and help the beneficiaries in processing their documents.

To realize these goals, the office created the Grassroots Special Action Team to assist the beneficiaries.

285 city employees applied to get their chance of winning a house and lot financed by SHFC. Eventually, 93 of them won house

lots located at barangay San Miguel.

The recently raffled lots are 80 square meters in size with the corner lots being 124 square meters.

SHFC will enforce a 6% per annum interest for the next 25 years on the city government employees.

Meanwhile, the local government unit ensured that it will help in the land development phase of the housing site. It will also facilitate the future coordinative meetings of the beneficiaries who already formed an association for this matter.

After the meetings, the association and SHFC will be able to identify their monthly payable amount which is expected to help city employees to have affordable homes registered under their own name. Ziyarah Manalo/CIO Tagum

also confident with the security measures since the scheduled election will only cover the congressional post.

He said they have been closely coordinating with Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel here for the necessary preparation.

The elections for the first district representative of South Cotabato was suspended by Comelec in April due to its reconfiguration into two districts as provided under Republic Act 11243, An Act Reapportioning the First Legislative District of the Prov-

ince of South Cotabato.

The newly-reconfigured first district of South Cotabato comprises the municipalities of Tampakan, Polomolok, and Tupi while the third district covers this city.

In line with the gun ban, he said authorities will do more random checkpoints and increase their presence in public places.

"As in the last elections, we will also intensify our monitoring and information campaigns against vote-buying and related activities," he added. (PNA)

Excited city employees take their chances on a house and lot raffle draw last August 16, 2019 facilitated by the City Housing and Land Management Office in partnership with Social Housing Finance Corporation

orth Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco said Friday she will abide by the order of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, suspending her for 90-day for corruption charges.

At 4 p.m. Thursday, the Provincial Legal Office received the suspension order served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Region 12.

“Being a part of the legal process, I have to follow and abide by it (order). I have to face this,” Catamco said in a press conference at the AJ Hi-Time Hotel in Kidapawan City.

The Sandiganbayan 6th Division suspended Catamco, along with her former husband Pompey Perez and former Poro, Cebu Mayor Edgar Rama, in connection

with the PHP5-million fertilizer fund scam that included her as among the respondents in the 2004 case.

Catamco, then the representative of the 2nd district of North Cotabato, and Perez allegedly collaborated with Rama for the purchase of 3,333 bottles of overpriced Vitacrop liquid fertilizer valued at PHP4.8-million.

The markup price per Vitacrop bottle was pegged at PHP1, 092 each.

“What is happening right now pains me but it is the law,” the governor said, referring to her suspension.

She said the suspension could delay her development plans for the province but that she has instructed Capitol officials to continue working on the lined up

NORTHCOT, P11

which would lend the city employees capital to buy and build their dream homes. Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 25-26, 2019

EDITORIAL

New threat to Mt. Apo

MASSIVE commercial planting of cabbage, potatoes and carrots within the Mt. Apo National Park continues unchecked to this day, according to an officer of the Kapwa Upliftment Foundation, Inc. During a press conference in connection with the cacao summit convened by newly-minted secretary of the Department of Agriculture, William Dar, business reporters and editors in attendance were told that the unabated planting of these commercial vegetable crops is aggravating the denudation of Mt. Apo, a protected area declared by law a long time ago.

Foundation project coordinator Miraflor Joy Austria raised the alarm that Mt. Apo is getting balder by the day due to the commercial gardens.

During the cacao summit last Saturday, Austria’s group appealed to Agriculture secretary Dar to balance

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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

the promotion of planting cacao over cabbage, potatoes, carrots and bananas, considering that Mt. Apo is not only a protected area but also an anchestral domain of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe.

“There is a need to balance the planning of cacao and vegetables so as not to destroy the soil fertility of the area, since vegetables are dependent on chemicals, aside from causing massive erosion of the area,” Austria argued.

This is a new challenge faced by Mt. Apo, which began its slide to desertification during the glory days of greedy loggers who wiped out the timberstands with wanton abandon thinking only of the dollars they were amassing as a result.

This new threat to Mt. Apo is real, and concerned citizens await the coming of a leader with political will who would put a stop to this madness.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Product Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 25-26, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

9

SERAFIN C. LEDESMA, JR. ( GUEST COLUMNIST FROM THE PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY ) LETTERS FROM DAVAO

BATO’S WAGGLY TONGUE Because of simple math that theoritically extrapolated numbers of rare days of good conduct by an inmate serving seven life sentences, the nation went agog when rapist and multiple murderer Antonio Sanchez was reported to be a candidate for release.

It would have just been a conjecture except that neophyte Sen. Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa advanced an opinion that Sanchez “deserves” a second chance. For his kneejerk reaction – repulsive

to many, especially critics, the Senator was subjected to public stoning from the social media and barbershop talks. That simple math applies only to a reformed convict but not for one who was sentenced to seven life imprisonment for heinous crimes.

Sanchez’s notoriety inside the reformatory is just too grave it is simply loathsome that he be given clemency. Add to that bestiality is what Director General Nicanor Faeldon of the Bureau of Prison revealed that the convict

was stocking up on illegal drugs. Such effrontery should instead cause the extension of his confinement. Was General. Bato not aware of this during his watch of the penitenciary? Was his statement taken out of context when he said “na-reform na yong tao”? That usually is the over-used line to cover up for one’s slip of waggly tongue. That should have a soft impact except that the convict is far from being reformed. Next time around look before you leap, and in this blunder

think what emotional breakdown it will cause to the kin of the victims of Sanchez and what damage it will do to the President who endorsed you.

The booboo could have been a veritable canon fodder for the opposition that had been incessantly on the lookout for issues to discredit Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. What obviously reined them in was the fact that the law that grants life-termers pardon for good behavior was, afterall, signed by former Pres.

Benigno Aquino III. San-

chez deserves death verdict not a seven life terms which under that law are served simultaneously. It’s incredible but true! In law seven is equals one (7=1).

It defies logic and algebra.

It will be wise for Senator Bato to pursue his pet legislation of reviving the death penalty. Steady the course because it was this promise and controversial advocacy that partly caused his election to the Philippine Senate. And by the way my friend, get yourself a good PR man.

You need one badly.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

CHRISTIANITY AND KARMA “Karma is nothing but the Law of Cause and Effect operating in the real of human life and bringing about adjustments between an individual and other individuals whom he has affected by his thoughts, emotions and actions.” – I.K. Taimni *** The permanent thing in this world, so goes a popular saying, is change.

In his social media account, a close friend posted this statement: “Change is necessary for a better life.

The same things will happen repeatedly until you learn this law. This is karma’s way of telling you that you have a lesson to learn before change will occur.”

What caught my attention was the word “karma.”

From the statement above, you get a gist that the philosophy of karma is “closely associated with the idea of rebirth; it is commonly taught in many schools of Indian religions (specifically Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism), Shintoism and Taoism” (Wikipedia).

Karma, which comes from Sanskrit word, is the executed “deed,” “work,” “action,” or “act.” It is also the “object” or “intent.” In her German book, Wilhelm Halbfass explains karma by contrasting it with another Sanskrit word “kriya.”

Wikipedia explains: “The

word ‘kriya’ is the activity along with the steps and effort in action, while ‘karma’ is the executed action as a consequence of that activity, as well as the intention of the actor behind an executed action or a planned action.

A good action creates good karma, as does good intent.

A bad action creates bad karma, as does bad intent.”

Editor-in-chief Antonio M. Ajero says that as a Christian, he doesn’t believe in “gaba,” the Bisayan term for karma. Cebu Dictionary defines gaba as “punishment which comes as a natural consequence of some transgressions, especially a moral transgression.”

Thus, we often hear someone saying: “Ang iyang sakit mauy gaba nga gihatag sa Ginoo.” (His sickness is the punishment which the Lord imposed on him).

Lillian C. Garcia, in a paper published by the University of San Carlos Publications, took a closer look at this gaba phenomenon among Filipinos. It is “a first, exploratory study of the content of gaba as it is understood among Cebuano speakers.”

When people talk about gaba, it centers on the concepts of “curse” or “divine retribution.” “Is gaba something brought on by a curse uttered by a person?” Garcia wondered. “And if we must

understand it as divine retribution, what brings it on?

That it does not mean ‘curse’ in the sense of an imprecation uttered by somebody is suggested by the fact that this is usually rendered by the Cebuano term ‘tunglo’ not ‘gaba.’ “‘Gaba,’ on the other hand, may strike people without anybody’s uttering a curse, as if by some law of nature, for any misdeed they may have committed,” wrote Garcia in her paper, “Some Observations on the Gaba Phenomenon.”

The Philippines is considered the only Christian country in Asia. So why does some Filipinos believe in karma? Is it because they subscribe to the idea that “what goes around comes around”? ary Jo Meadow says karma is akin to “Christian notions of sin and its effects.” She explains that the Christian teaching on a Last Judgement according to one’s charity is a teaching on karma.

Christianity also teaches morals such as one reaps what one sows (read Galatians 6:7) and live by the sword, die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). However, most Christian scholars pointed out that the concept of Last Judgement is different from karma. “Karma is an ongoing process that occurs every day in one’s life while

Last Judgement is a one-time review at the end of life.”

Reincarnation is taught by true believers in karma.

“Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul in a new body,” explains Jeff Shirley, a Christian pastor and author of “Are Karma and Christianity Compatible?” “Depending on the religion or particular philosophy, the soul can make an appearance as another person, animal or plant as it makes it way to an eventual escape from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

“Since every action must be rewarded and most do not get fully compensated in this lifetime, it makes it a necessity for a person to return again and again to satisfy the karma that is coming to them,” Shirley continued.

The Bible does not teach about reincarnation but resurrection. “We don’t have multiple chances to get it right if we don’t do it in this life,” Shirley wrote. “And when we die, we don’t come back as an insect or a cow.

Nor do we become a different person. The writer of Hebrews informs us: ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement (Hebrews 9:27).’”

Shirley also talked about the law of harvest (the reaping and sowing), from which most people equate the Christian worldview of karma. “The Christian teaching

is that God created all things and that He placed within nature and the spiritual realm a law that cannot be broken without consequences. That law is the law of the harvest,” he explained.

However, there are things that need to be clarified with this law. “The first is that you reap what you sow. If you sow apples, you don’t get pears. You will get apples. Negatively, if you plant thorns and thistles, that is what you will get as well.

“Secondly, you reap more than what you sow. You plant one apple seed and you will receive multiple apples.

“Thirdly, sowing and reaping are proportional. If you sow sparingly you reap sparingly. If you bountifully, you will reap bountifully.

“Finally, you reap later than you sow. A farmer cannot expect to get a crop a day after he plants the seed. It takes time and cultivation in order to reap an abundant harvest.”

Shirley’s conclusion: “When all is said and done, it is God who is the perfect and holy judge of all the earth.

He will see that righteousness is rewarded and that sin is punished. When we cite karma as the force that will do these things, we are taking the glory away from the One who alone deserves our fear and our praise.” – ###

10 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 25-26, 2019

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001219 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.05; Page No.02; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTESEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 1442017001220 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.02; Page No.02; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001217 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.07; Page No.02; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

-

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001216 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.11; Page No.04; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001215 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.10; Page No.03; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001214 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.09; Page No.03; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTESEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 1442017001213 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.08; Page No.03; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTESEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 1442017001212 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.03; Page No.02; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTE-SEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 144-2017001211 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.04; Page No.02; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

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LABOR... FROM2

BIR... FROM4 Special Envoy for Public Diplomacy to China.

He noted that Tulfo did not even ascertain the truth of his information.

He added that the Del Monte case has never reached the Court of Tax Appeals, and "there was no compromise" contrary to Tulfo's allegation.

"The collection was based on a series of assessments based on Revenue Procedures and delegated author-

ity. These assessments were based on documents submitted as part of the Revenue Procedures. Thus, we cannot just make up a collection amount without evidence to support it," Dulay said.

BIR executive Teresita Angeles, whom Tulfo alleged was the woman in a video recording who supposedly spoke of rampant corruption in the BIR, has denied she was the woman. (PR)

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late NELLY BUGANTESEPE who died inestate on February 13, 2017 at Poblacion Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Philippines, leaving a parcel of residential lot with Transfer Certificate Title No. 1442017001218 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.06; Page No.03; Book No.II Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FROILAN R. MELENDREZ.

11

oath-taking ceremony, Asis said the HKJ-3 Workers Union thanked Lt. Col. Esteveyn Ducusin, commander of the 71IB, for shepherding the group’s

transition from a KMU-affiliated organization into an independent workers’ union that only look after the welfare of its members.

Ducusin said the

union’s decision to break away from KMU reflects the level of cooperation among the Army, the local government units, and the national government.

“We will assure that we will continue to implement relevant activities for further development of the union,” Ducusin said.

(PNA)

hindi naman pinapatupad.

Yun ang problema ng gobyerno. National park yun, dapat walang farming. No touch dapat. Titingnan mo lang ang national park para ang kagandahan niya ya ma-maintain pero ang daming nagsasaka na at ang ibig sabihin hindi ginagampanan nung ahensiya na dapat nag protekta sa Mt. Apo,” Dar said.

Dar also recommended for cacao and other fruit tree crops to be part of the agro-forestry in the mountains.

Kapwa Upliftment

Foundation Inc. is a 40year old non- profit organization advocating for the promotion of agro-forestry in Mt. Apo protected area and ancestral domain. The group is also promoting cacao and coffee and abaca.

“Originally Kapwa is assisting Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe for their ancestral domain. We lobby to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, help them with formulation, and the production of agro-forestry. Halos lahat ng areas ng Davao de Sur naabot na namin and the latest is Ban-

salan,” she said.

She said currently, there are 1,000 farmers composed of Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe and the locals. Some of their farmers already converted from planting cabbage to cacao.

One of the organizations formed by Kapwa is the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association (BACOFA) from being coffee cherry suppliers to becoming post-harvest coffee processors and now they have become green coffee bean exporters.

“After planting we help

the farmers formed into a people’s organization like and we teach them collective marketing which means sabay silang mag harvest, hanapan namin ng buyers at walang piso na papasok sa Kapwa lahat ay sa kanila to generate individual income at the same time the organization will generate income,” she said.

Kapwa does not give financial assistance but more on technical, provide seedlings like cacao from DA, farm tools, and organizes farmers into a self-help group.

exhibitors offered exclusive and affordable tour packages that can ultimately increase the volume of domestic travellers to Cagayan de Oro City.

“This is very signifi-

cant because all the tour operators from different regions are here and they have already seen what we have to offer and they have been doing the B2B with our tour operators. Its re-

ally a big opportunity for us also showcase what we have and packages that we have. So more importantly they have cultivated relationships with tour operators. I think that is going

to be a very good connection for us so that the tour operators of the different regions can also sell their packages and also promote a destination,” she said.

programs.

She said these programs include the increase in salaries of job order employees in the local health sector, filling up of vacant medical worker positions in the district and provin-

cial hospitals, the upgrading of provincial health facilities, and several road projects.

Catamco said she is also looking forward to the operation of the mothballed provincial airport in M’lang

town.

"We all want that (M’lang) airport operational soon,” she said.

She said during her temporary absence, Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza will take

care of the affairs of the province.

Asked on what she would do during the threemonth suspension, she said “That is a secret and you would surely miss me”.

(PNA)

GARDENS... FROM2

DESPITE... FROM6

NORTHCOT... FROM7

12

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SPORTS TURNING BARREN LAND

VOL.12 ISSUE 120 VOL.12 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, ISSUE 78 • THURSDAY, AUGUST JUNE 25-26, 27, 2019

AGRITRENDS

INTO PRODUCTIVE FARM

EDGEDAVAO

M

ention Mindanao kids) came to the PhilipBaptist Rural Life pines. He had a degree Center (MBRLC) of Bachelor of Science in to farmers, development Agricultural Education workers, agricultural ex- and was a vocational agtensionists, and communi- ricultural instructor at the ty volunteers and you get North Forrest High School any or all of these replies: in Mississippi. sustainable upland farmBut he wanted more. ing systems, a year-round He decided to become a vegetable gardening missionary and was asscheme, raising goats and signed by the Internationdairying, organic farming, al Mission Board (IMB) in reforestation, and live- Mindanao whose weather stock and crop produc- was just like in his hometion. town in the United States.

Even before farm tour- At first, he worked as camp ism became a buzzword, director of the Mount Carthe MBRLC has already mel Baptist Assembly in a been a haven for those place not far from the footseeking for technologies hills of Mount Apo. they can adopt and adapt But he eyed of doing in their farms. Every year, something much better. thousands of farmers With the financial help of were sent by various gov- IMB, he bought a 19-hecternment agencies to un- are barren land just a dergo training at the cen- walking distance from the ter. Volunteers from the place where he and his United States, Japan, the family were living. NothNetherlands, Great Britain ing grew in the land except have come to the place to cogon grass, a proof that learn its varied farming the soil was infertile. techniques.

Despite this, Watson VOL.11 VOL.12 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6VOL.12 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MARCH 24-25, 17-18, 2019 ISSUE 51 •FEBRUARY TUESDAY, 21, 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 45 • SUNDAYMONDAY, MAYMAY 12 -13, But that’s going ahead believed he can grow VOL.12 ISSUE 21 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 26-27, food of the story. in the area that was once It all started in the contested by armed Musearly 1960s when Harold lim and Christians, New Ray Watson and his fam- People’s Army guerrillas ily (wife Joyce and three and Philippine Army bat-

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

EDGEDAVAO

NOT DONE YET A4 INdulge!

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EDGEDAVAO DAVAO 14 12 EDGE

Manny Pacquiao says even at 40, he is not finished yet.

SEE STORY ON P11

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VOL.12 ISSUE 120 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 25-26, 2019

talion combat teams. His desire to help Filipino farmers encouraged him to keep at it.

Today, the center is now teeming with trees, fruits, vegetable crops, livestock, tilapia ponds, and ornamentals. “The farm is a living example that the Garden of Eden can be restored,” a visitor quipped.

But it was hard work, perseverance and a lot of prayers. One thing Watson learned in the American university was that to be able to meet the needs of people, a person must first know them – in the case, the farmers themselves. This was the first thing he did. During a brainstorming session with his Filipino co-workers, he asked: “How can we really help the upland farmers in this country?”

The Philippine uplands, which constitute 60% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares, had started to buckle increasing population pressure when he posed that question.

For years, the uplands had been wantonly destroyed by loggers – both legal and illegal – and kaingin (slash-and-burn) farmers.

“The uplands farmer faces a bleak future unless something can be done for him soon,” he told his staff.

“He is the least educated, least paid, least healthy, least hopeful, and most neglected in agricultural development of all people in the Philippines.”

Talking with nearby farmers, he found out the primary problem in the uplands was soil erosion.

He believed that soil erosion didn’t only result in increasing the impoverishment of the upland farmers but also destroys thing below.

Some studies have shown that as much as 20% of eroded materials from the uplands ended up in rivers, reservoirs, and irrigation canals, thereby reducing lowland agricultural productivity.

Siltation likewise caused serious damage to coral reefs and coastal fisheries. Denuded uplands were also one of the main culprits of unusually devastating floods.

Watson said land can never be remade; once it is lost, it is totally gone.

“Soil is made by God and

put here for man to use, not for one generation but forever,” he said. “It takes thousands of years to build one inch of topsoil but only one good strong rain to remove one inch from unprotected soil on the slopes of mountains.”

That day of brainstorming, Watson and his Filipino counterparts came up with a simple and teachable farming system which they called the Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT).

The barren land, where only cogon grass used to thrive, was transformed into a sustainable farm that keep on producing throughout the year.

Although in the beginning the system is labor-intensive, it becomes more profitable as years go by.

In some instances, he has to hire extra labor to do the harvesting for him.

Basically, SALT involves planting of field and permanent crops in 3-5 meters bands between double-contoured rows of nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs to minimize soil erosion and maintain the fertility of the soil.

Examples of field crops are the legumes (bush sitao, string bean, and peanut), cereals (corn, upland rice and sorghum), and vegetables (cucumber, squash, eggplant and tomato). Permanent crops include cacao, coffee, banana, citrus and fruit trees.

A six-year study conducted at MBRLC showed that a farm tilled in the traditional manner erodes at the rate of 1,163.4 metric tons per hectare. On the other hand, a SALT farm has an erosion rate of only 20.2 metric tons per hectare.

“The rate of soil loss in a SALT farm is 3.4 metric tons per hectare per year, which is within the tolerable range,” said Jethro P. Adang, the new MBRLC director. “Most soil scientists place accept-

able soil loss limits for tropical countries within the range of 10 to 12 metric tons per hectare per year.”

In comparison, the non-SALT farm has an annual soil loss rate of 194.3 metric tons per hectare per year.

The success of SALT has opened for the creation of three more variants. In Simple Agro-Livestock Technology (SALT 2), goats – 12 does and one buck – are raised in one-half hectare farm.

Sustainable Agroforest Land Technology (SALT 3) is a combination of trees (one hectare) and agricultural crops (one hectare). Agrofruit Livelihood Technology (SALT 4) combines fruit trees and agricultural crops together in half a hectare farm.

The center also developed a sustainable vegetable gardening called Food Always In The Home (FAITH). It is called “the refrigerator in the farm” since it provides fresh, organic vegetable throughout the year.

In addition, it raises dairy goats and produces its own milk. In fact, the MBRLC is known as the goat center of Davao del Sur. Other livestock it raises include sheep, swine, and rabbits. There’s also a fishpond (where tilapias are raised) and poultry.

It has its own vegetable seed production and fruit nursery (ready to plant durian, mango, mangosteen, marang, lanzones, and guyabano) so that farmers who come to the MBRLC can buy what they want and can immediately start what they have seen at the center.

Not to mention is the vermicast fertilizer that come the African night crawlers. “We are one of the pioneers in this technology here in Davao del Sur,” Adang said. “In fact, Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, who popularized it, personally came to the center to see our project.”

MBRLC was officially opened to the public in 1971. Since then thousands and thousands of people from all over the country and even from other nations visit the center. It attributed its success to technologies which the center has developed through the years.

The center tries to keep a very low profile in all its projects, using local materials and many local varieties. It doesn’t use modern machineries like tractors. In all its programs and projects, it has followed four time-tested formula. These are: Prioritizing needs by identifying the most critical problems first.

Because of its limited resources financially, major emphases were determined first and foremost.

FAITH gardening is a case in point. FAITH follows simple, efficient ways to vegetable gardening so that any family can grow more food even on small plots.

“While working with farmers, we noticed that there was shortage of vegetables and legumes in their diet,” Watson told this author some years back. “They had a lot of sickness in their families.

Tribal groups, particularly in the hill-mountain sections of Mindanao, were characterized by malnutrition. We perceived that if farming was to get moving, then the farm family

needed better nutrition.”

From this need, FAITH gardening came into existence. “To have a good garden, two basic things are needed: good seed and fertilizer," said Watson, who received the 1985 Ramon Magsaysay Award for international understanding. "We developed the basket composting technology to provide fertilizer easily and cheaply started a seed production department to provide basic vegetable seeds.”

In addition, a simple, fully-illustrated FAITH manual was also produced so farmers can really make their own vegetable garden in their home yard.

“Our strategy is to identify key development obstacles (like poor family nutrition, vegetable seed source) and begin to develop a technology that can overcome these hindrances for the farmers, attacking a few crucial problems at a time as the financial and human resources permit,” Watson said.

Commitment to longterm research-development projects. The center has noticed in working with other non-government organizations and government agencies that most development projects and programs have timetable for only three to five years.

“We believe that development of small farmers cannot come about with short-term programs,” Watson said. “A 5-year dairy development or a 5-year soil conservation program, for instance, can hardly get started before it is phased out.”

Watson and even Adang now encouraged funding agencies to support financially crucial farm programs for long periods of time “in order to do the necessary research, promotion, evaluation and adjustment needed for success.”

Keeping development projects simple. MBRLC believes that small development can be beau-

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tiful. “If farms are small, equipment is simple, farm inputs are limited, capital is scarce, farmers’ educational is low, and farmers are poor, it stands to reason that agricultural development, agricultural research, agricultural communication, and agricultural education for farmers must likewise be simple,” Watson said.

The high-yield technology is an example. For a hybrid corn, for instance, the ground needs to be plowed three times; the fertilizer needs to be applied carefully – too close and the seeds are burned, too far away and it won’t reach the plant in time.

“The high-yield technology requires much time, because it is a complicated process,” Watson explained. “The danger: if it fails, the farmer may turn against the hybrid, the method, the fertilizer.”

The center believes that it takes people with more knowledge, a higher education, and more experience to make a project simple than to develop a complicated project.

“Anyone can make development and research complicated but it takes the highly-trained and skilled person to make the better chance it has for being transferred to farmer,” Adang pointed out.

Providing models for the farmers to see and follow. Again, people flock to the center because they want to see its model projects, which has also been used in teaching. Those who attend training seminars undergo what the center calls as HOE (hands-on-experience).

After each training, the trainees received a PHD (practical human development) diploma.

The MBRLC has come a long, long way. It continues to serve farmers and other interested individuals who come to the center. The center still believes in what Watson had quoted from the Bible: “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).

14 EDGEDAVAO NO CHANCE... FROM1

public Act 10592, which allows for good conduct time allowance of inmates which was enacted during the presidency of Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "Bibisitahin natin yung batas na naipasa nung 2013, dahil maraming dapat ayusin dito," he said.

He also said they will continue to push for the reviving of the capital punishment in the country.

Meantime, several party-list lawmakers on Thursday expressed their dismay over reports that convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez may soon be released from jail due to his supposed good conduct.

They said some amendments should be made on Republic Act 10592 to prevent persons convicted of heinous crimes from avail-

ing of the same.

Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap said he was so “saddened” by the development that he immediately wrote a letter asking Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to thoroughly review Sanchez’s case before releasing the latter.

“Nakakalungkot.

I wrote a letter to Justice Secretary Guevarra trying to convince him na pagaralan nya muna, huwag basta-basta ire-release (review it first, and not just release him). Pag-aralan nya muna mabuti bago sya gumawa ng isang malaking desisyon (He has to study it thoroughly before making a big decision),” he said during the weekly party-list forum at the House

3rd runners up - Mt. Matutum (Polomolok) Boys 14 Champion - Rovers FC 1st runners up - NUFC FC 2nd runners up - TCPU FC 3rd runners up - Davao Hyenas FC Girls 17 (FUTSAL) category

Champion - Comval FC (JPT Cafe Kat) 1st runner up - Dalagang Pilipino 2nd runner up - Ateneo HS 3rd runner up - RMC Women’s Open Futsal Champion - Dalagang Filipina (Cotabato City)

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of Representatives.

“While we believe that Guevarra is guided by his wisdom, we also believe that in convincing him to conduct a careful review of the matter, he will do the right thing, not just for the sake of the prisoners but also for the victims and would-be victims,” Yap added.

Yap said he will file a bill to amend RA 10592 so that persons convicted of heinous crimes would be prevented from securing an early release from jail due to good conduct time allowance (GCTA).

Senator Nancy Binay likewise cited the need for a full review of the procedures in granting Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) to prisoners to avoid “reckless errors”.

In a statement, Binay

A4 INdulge!

warned the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) that a simple math mistake in computing GCTAs can directly perpetuate wholesale injustice.

"Kaya, wag natin itong tingnan lamang sa simpleng credit o deduction dahil sa 'good behavior'.

Malaki ang implikasyon ng bawat araw at numero sa computation -- an error can be a criminal's ticket to freedom (Let’s not just look at it as a simple credit or deduction for ‘good behavior’. Every day or number in the computation has a huge implication -- an error can be a criminal’s ticket to freedom)," she said.

SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka, however, clarified that there is no order to release the former mayor from prison. (With reports from PNA)

TAGAPUKAW... FROM2

“Malipayon mi tungod kay satisfied mi sa among performance. Mapasalamaton mi sa Alampat Productions staff and crew, siyempre sa magbabaya, sa mga tao nga padayon nga nag suporta mga relatives, ug sa mga kaubanan, nga nakuha namo ang Jurors Award ug Grand Champion title,” Candia said.

Completing Tagapukaw

Earth Music Collective are Julius Bangot, Jea Lyka Cinco, Neil Cervantes, El Felicilda, Khaleel Buanjug, Jared Dawal, Romar Cinto, Arbel Jon Bataller, Roshell Royo, Michelle Royo and Rose Mantikinon.

Pinagpalang Lungsod

by Kent Charcos placed second while Sayaw ng Agila sa Kadayawan by Efren Maghinay Jr. was third.

ly-appointed agriculture secretary presided over the oath taking of Engr.

Ricardo Oñate, Jr., who assumed the regional director of DA 11 post.

We need to declare where it is coming from, the ori-

VOL.12 IS gin and the variety of theVOL.12 beans,” he said. (PNA)

DAR... FROM4

MALAGOS... FROM4 DILG... FROM4

tem,” he added. layain ang mga kriminal na The Interior secretary tulad niya,” Año explained. explained that the GCTA The DILG supervises 3rd runners up - Black Law “bans the convicted the Bureau of Jail ManageVOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE 9484 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 19-20, 5-6, 2019 rapistISSUE and murderer from ment andJULY Penology (BJMP), Knights FC being released early as the which oversees city, disCoaches Parents category stipulations of the same law trict, and municipal jails Champion - Koronadal FC prohibits his early release.” across the country.

1st runners up - Rovers FC “He cannot be released Detainees in facilities 2nd runners up - Southon the basis of GCTA. On the run by BJMP benefit from shield FC contrary, ang94 GCTA po mis- the provisions of5-6, the 2019 GCTA VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE 84 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY JULY 19-20, 3rd runners up - RMC bull-VOL.12 mo ang nagbabawal na pa- law. dogs.

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

1st runners up - RMC 2nd runners up - Ateneo HS 3rd runners up - Ateneo Senior high Men’s Open Champion - Polomolok FC 1st runners up - Gensan wave 2nd runners up - Crocs FC

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

UP AND FURNITURE A1 ABOUTa silly method but for EJ and

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A gym member works out at the Arcadia Fitness Gym which boasts of the state-of-the-art fitness equipment and training. The facility is located at the ground floor of the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center at Emilio Escandor Street, Ecoland.

55-year old Pinay karateka makes waves in Japan

By ADAM B. MORRELL

A

humble and determined lady from Sta. Maria, Trento, Agusan del Sur made a legacy for all Filipinos in Japan by showcasing her formidable skills in Karate despite her advanced age.

Jacqueline Cortez Baba, 55, inspired her fellow Filipino when she started to enroll in a Karate School in Tochigi Ken, Ozunomiya, Japan in 2011.

Baba was seen with huge Jacqueline Cortez Baba (third from left) with Master Takahasi Hirohide, Master Suzuki Taku, potential in the sport which and Takemoto Katuyuki in one of the competitions in Japan recently.

eventually paved the way for her to win various competitions.

She said she often get her strength and motivation from the people who believe in her.

"I do this not only for myself but also for our country and for the children of Indigenous Peoples in our province," Baba said.

She, who is now a black belter, said that the training enables her to teach the young children in their province as

part of her mission on this planet.

"A few years from now, my dream to help the young children will be materialized," Baba, who arrived here this week, added.

She then thanked her teachers Masters Takahashi Hirohide, Suzuki Taku, Takemoto Katayuki, Motoyashi Yushinari, and other people who became instruments for her success in Karate abroad.

CHARLY HOLGANZA THE ATHLETE’S FOOT

CONQUERING THE WILD, WILD WEST Last season, we witnessed how a proud dynasty called the Golden State Warriors was brought down. Not by a new elite team that would rule the land for another era, but mainly by an unfortunate spate of injuries that would decimate their tried and tested superteam.

Imagine the Warriors’ walking wounded on the final day of the season. With Kevin Durant out, and Boogie Cousins and Andre Igoudala still recovering and not 100% fit to play, Klay Thompson suddenly injures his knee. Four out of their top 7 players are down, and they are playing for all the marbles in the NBA Championship. How jinxed could the Warriors be at that time?

This offseason, there’s been a huge change in the NBA landscape with marquee players moving everywhere and contending teams being torn to shreds.

The Warriors will still contend, but the dominance they used to carry - and the swagger - will no longer be there. Three

other teams teams will be gutting it out with the Warriors for the Western crown, with three more not far behind.

The new-look Lakers, the upscaled Clippers, and the Russell-reinforced Rockets will be in the thick of the fight for the wild west conference flag. And then there’s the youthful Nuggets, the retooled Jazz and the steady Blazers just waiting in the fringes for a chance to insert themselves in the discussions.

Indeed, today’s NBA western conference will be so exciting, the season opener should be like the kids’ first day of school.

Consider the LA Lakers. With Lebron James and Anthony Davis, we have a duo combination that’s tops in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) for last season. Bolster that with a supporting cast consisting of Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Javale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Avery Johnson. This team will take it easy in the regular season, mix and match

the possible combinations, get Lebron to feel comfy as a point guard. But come the playoffs, this team will be revving it up with whatever was their best combination in the regular season. Expect them to be fighting it out in the playoffs.

With the LA Clippers, you have a team that made the playoffs and actually gave the Warriors a good fight.

But more than that, they upscaled audaciously with the addition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George! With 3 and D specialist Patrick Beverley, sixth man of the year Lou Williams, solid bigs Montrezl Harrel and Ivica Zubac, this team is a cinch to make the top four. And with that, a chance to finally erase the stigma as El-Ay’s second team.

The Houston Rockets were already a big threat last year minus Russell Westbrook. With Russell providing the badass attitude and more swagger, there is nowhere else to go for this team but up. With fellow MVP awardee

James Harden, you have a 1-2 punch that can rival the Warriors’ Bruise Brothers. Add to that the talented Eric Gordon, Clint Capela and PJ Tucker, and you have a solid first team. Unless, of course, good friends Russell and Harden don’t see eye-to-eye on ball touches.

And then the Warriors. The Warriors remain a threat with the tried and tested triumvirate of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and the injured Klay Thompson (though he’s due to report back to duty during the second half of the season). They added an elite guard in D’Angelo Russell. But their weakness really lies in the middle, not with the backcourt. With the arrival of tall hybrid players who can play small, the Warriors’ small-ball approach suddenly looks antiquated. Height has once again regained its place in basketball.

How do these four match up against each other? I see the Clippers being able to handle the Lakers, the

Rockets having the edge over the Clippers, the Warriors besting the Rockets, and the Lakers topping the Warriors.

In short, the playoff match-ups will be crucial as the these teams go head-tohead. Each team must have a ready foil for the type of weaponry employed by their adversary. Be it a long-range missile, a fast-firing machine gun, a big bad battering ram or a small silent bladed weapon up close, the defense must be prepared with an answer. And each must have a diverse array of offensive arsenal as well in order to contend for the trophy. No team has a distinct advantage over the others. This time, match-ups - and coaches - will matter much.

And the team that has the deeper, more versatile bench will have a better chance. The team that is able to adjust fast enough will come out on top. At this point in time, without other added names, it looks like the Clippers are it.

16 SPORTS

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CONQUERORS Provincial teams dominate Kadayawan Football Festival

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

V

isiting teams from Polomolok and Cotabato City dominated the 2019 Kadayawan Football Festival held at the Azuela Cove over the weekend.

Polomolok FC took home the premier men's title over Gensan Wave while Cotabato City's Dalagang Filipina edged the Rizal Memorial Colleges to win the women's crown.

JPT Cafe Kat representing ComVal FC tumbled over Dalagang Filipina of Cotabato City for the U17 futsal girls diadem while the Nabunturan United won the parents coaches plum for the second straight year.

The football festival served as one of the sporting highlights of the Kadayawan Festival organized by Sparcorp and Azuela Cove. The tournament attracted a record 155 teams from different provinces and cities in Mindanao. Chronos athletics backed the tournament as official outfitters of Sparcorp .

The complete results:

Mixed 6 category Champion - Southshield FC 1st runner up - RMC 2nd runner up - Ateneo GS 3rd runner up - Koronadal FC Mix 7 category Champion - Tamasak Panabo 1st runners up - RMC 2nd runners up - Rovers FC 3rd runners up - Southshield FC Mixed 8 category Champion - Tamasak Panabo FC 1st runner up - Rovers FC 2nd runner up - Nabunturan Yoyo FC 3rd runner up - Koronadal FC Mixed 9 category Champion - Southshield FC 1st runners up - RMC 2nd runners up - Tamasak Panabo FC 3rd runners up - Amigos United FC Mixed 10 category Champion - NUFC 1st runner up - RMC 2nd runner up - Hyenas FC 3rd runner up - Panabo

The Dalagang Filipina squad of Cotabato City won the women;s title of the 2019 Kadayawan Football Festival. At left is organizer Buboy Arrieta. united FC Mixed 11 category Champion - Rovers FC 1st runners up - Nabunturan United FC

2nd runners up - RMC 3rd runners up - Crocs FC Boys 12 Champion - TCPU FC 1st runners up - Koronadal

FC 2nd runners up - Maco FC 3rd runners up - Southshield FC Boys 13 category

Champion - Rovers FC 1st runners up - Nabunturan UnitedFC 2nd runners up - Maco FC

ď †CONQUERORS, P14