Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 17 | Tuesday, April 2, 2019

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Serving a seamless society

SPORTS TANCONTIAN SHOWS P11 WHO’S THE BOSS

ECO-BRICKS. A teenaged girl curiously checks out the ecobricks used to form the number 60+ symbol of the Earth Hour celebration’s turning off of non-essential electric lights for 60 minutes at the Annex of SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr

GUN BAN OPS 23 incumbent elective officials arrested for poll gun ban violation

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total of 23 incumbent elective of�icials were among those arrested by police authorities during the conduct of a one-time-big-time (OTBT) operations aimed at securing the mid-term elections in May.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, said the extensive operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from March 22 to 28, resulted in the arrest of 168 persons and yielded 137 �irearms, and 34 explosives.

Among those elected of�icials arrested was incumbent Mayor Romeo Vargas of Tubajon, Dinagat Island and incumbent

Vice Mayor Antonio Adlao of Tagbina, Surigao del Sur for illegal possession of �irearms.

Albayalde said the intensi�ied campaign against loose �irearms will help curb incidents of election-related violence as well as prevent criminals from carrying out their illegal activities.

“We verify all information regarding complaints that we receive. Once we con�irm that the informa-

tion is real, that is the time we conduct police operations,” he told reporters in a press briefing on Monday.

“We do not care whether it is about the incumbent of�icial or about a political rival or whoever. It doesn’t matter. We will implement the law no matter what,” the PNP chief added.

Albayalde also bared during the CIDG operations, two suspected sympathizers of the terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were arrested by joint police and military forces

GUN, P9

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR PHILIPPINES? ► COMP.EDGE P8

ELMO, COOKIE MONSTER AND BIG BIRD INVADE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE ► INDULGE A1

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

ALMOST SUMMER BREAK. Elementary students play “sipa” during lunch break at Rizal Park along San Pedro Street in Davao City on Monday. Students are already feeling the summer vibe as the school year is about end. Lean Daval Jr

Sabio 'hallucinating': Palace Construction of Davao M monorail to start in 2020

T

he Udenna Corporation, a company owned by business tycoon Dennis Ur Jr., hopes to start the construction of the country’s �irst monorail project in Davao City next year, a company executive said.

At the Mindanao Business Forum held at the Seda Abreeza Hotel on Friday, Engr. Manuel T. Jamonir, assistant vice president for Udenna Infrastructure Corporation, said the intra-city urban rail transport system called “Davao City Mover Project” would provide passengers a comfortable daily commute.

“In God’s grace, we hope to start the construction next year,” he said.

He said the company

is aggressively pushing for this project as its founder, Uy, one of the campaign funders of President Rodrigo Duterte in the May 2016 presidential race, wanted a “legacy project for Davao” which would address the traf�ic problem of the city.

He said the proposed 13-kilometer monorail, a straddle-type monorail pegged at a nominal cost of P80 billion, would start from Bangkal, passing along MacArthur Highway

all the way to Bankerohan then right to Magallanes Street, left to Claveria, and then to SM Lanang Premier.

The project would have 15 stations, serving an estimated number of 100,000 riders at its completion three to four years from start of construction, according to Jamonir.

Once pushed through, Jamonir said Davao would be the �irst city in the country to have a monorail as an urban mass transit system, similar to what they have in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China, US, and Europe.

He said the company is waiting for approval from

the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) before the “Swiss Challenge,” allowing other groups to submit counterproposals to match Udenna’s.

But as holder of the original proponent status (OPS) holder, Jamonir said Udenna would have the right to match counterproposal of a “challenger.”

He said 30-year concession would be granted to the operator.

Udenna and Chelsea Holdings, also owned by Uy, created a consortium with China Telecom known as Mislatel that was of�icial-

CONSTRUCTION, P9

alacañang on Sunday described Jude Sabio, the lawyer who �iled a communication before the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing President Rodrigo R. Duterte of committing crimes against humanity, as “hallucinating” after the former claimed he was being harassed by the Duterte administration.

Sabio, in a TV interview, claimed he was in “self-imposed hiding” after a Trece Martires court ordered his arrest for de�iciency in his Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE).

He also claimed that there is currently a “very serious threat” to his life after he went to The Hague to lodge his complaint.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, how-

he Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) encouraged the local government units (LGUs) to be its proactive partners in the conduct of nationwide immunization campaign to address the measles outbreak.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año made this call through Memorandum Circular 2019-47, enjoining the LGUs to encourage parents to have their children ‘immunized’ under the Department of Health's (DOH) nation-

wide immunization campaign.

"The measles outbreak was fueled by a scare which can be corrected through intensive information dissemination. The nationwide immunization campaign is a vehicle for us to reverse the measles outbreak and we turn to our LGUs to be our partners in encouraging parents to have their children immunized," Año said.

Año said support of the LGUs and active participation of the health

workers are crucial to ensure successful conduct and implementation of the immunization program.

He said LGU of�icials should encourage their constituents to bring all suspected measles cases to the nearest health facility for early treatment and proper case management, among others.

"Let's not wait for another death. For the longest time, we have measles under control, and we can do it again through the LGUs' proactive in-

ever, denied that there was the existence of a warrant of arrest for de�iciency in MCLE and that the lawyer simply wanted exposure.

“He is hallucinating and just wants to publicize himself. There is no such animal as a warrant of arrest for a de�iciency in the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education,” Panelo said.

“I suggest you check the arrest warrant, it must be in connection with a criminal case �iled against him and not due de�iciency in the MCLE,” he added.

In 2018, Sabio �iled his certi�icate of candidacy to run for Senator through liaison of�icer Rogelio Doydora.

However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared him as a nuisance candidate. (PNA)

volvement and cooperation of the communities," he said.

Based on the of�icial data of the DOH, there are almost 23,000 cases of measles as of March 19 this year.

"These numbers are alarming even for our President which is why decisive actions must be instituted before it gets out of hand," Año said.

He said LGUs may utilize a percentage of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Poll gun ban ops net DILG urges LGUs to support DOH measles vac campaign 76 firearms in R12 T P olice units in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) con�iscated at least 76 �irearms in nearly three months in line with the implementation of the election gun ban.

Brig. Gen. Eliseo Tam Rasco, regional director of the Police Regional Of�ice (PRO) 12, said in a report on Sunday the assorted �irearms were seized in various operations in the region since the start of the election period on Jan. 13, 2019.

He said these include the implementation of search warrants, serving of warrants of arrest, conduct of checkpoints and chokepoints, and other law enforcement activities.

Such accomplishment was in compliance with the directive from the Philippine National Police (PNP) central of�ice “to strictly and religiously implement” the �irearms ban in coordination with

POLL, P8

DILG, P9

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

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4 NEWS

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

FVR cites Duterte, MWSS on sustainable water security

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OWNWARD. Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association, Inc. (MBFEA) managing director Gladys Membrano-Garcia says the group has steady markets for its banana but the problem is the demand of these markets in terms of quantity of

orders are on the downward spiral. Membrano-Garcia made the disclosure during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr

Pro-PRRD accounts taken down to weaken his support base

A

pro-Duterte communications strategist, whose Facebook account was recently taken down claimed that this act was a way of weakening the support base of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and diminishing the chances of pro-administration candidates from winning a seat in the May polls.

Nicanor Gabunada Jr., Social Media Director of the Duterte Campaign, said that he felt “singled out” when his account was taken down on Friday (March 29) because he expressed support for the President and his choice of candidates while the accounts of those who backed bets belonging to the opposition were not.

“There is a reason for me to suspect that they pulled down pages and groups associated with the President and the can-

didates of the President because they thought it will weaken the support base and also diminish the chances of pro-admin candidates. Big mistake,” Gabunada said in a statement.

Gabunada, who also manages a Facebook page called “Nic Goes Online”, pointed out that other pages taken down, which are pro-Duterte and pro-Duterte backed candidates, were not even associated with him.

“I have a feeling that I

Over 7,000 troops in Balikatan 2019

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round 7,550 Filipino, American and Australian troops will be participating in this year's "Balikatan" exercises which will formally start April 1 and end on the 12th.

This was disclosed by Philippine "Balikatan" public affairs of�icer, Lt. Cmdr.

Liezl M. Vidallon, in an interview with reporters Sunday.

Vidallon said this can be broken down into 4,000 personnel for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 3,500 on the United

States side and 50 from the Australian Defense Force.

He added that the Australian participation is possible as exercises are multilateral for this year.

Exercise venues will be in Northern and Southern Luzon.

Objectives for "Balikatan" 2019 are to enhance the inter-operability of participating forces aside from highlighting long-standing military relations between the Philippines and the US. (PNA)

was singled out whereas the pro-opposition pages were not. There are pages Like Pinoy Ako Blog, Changescamming, Now You Know, to name a few who are anti-Duterte that are quite vicious,” Gabunada said.

According to Gabunada, since the start of Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign, he had already been joining groups and was even included as member, moderator or admin of these groups.

“I am also participating in several FB chat groups and in these groups, I share with people my personal views, thoughts and comments on issues affecting our country,” Gabunada said.

“And I also encourage

them not only to continue supporting the President and its administration but also encourage others to do so,” he added.

Gabunada, however, said he wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook may have snooped on Messenger exchanges as well.

He noted that in many instances, his account/s were added even without approval, in pages and groups during and after the 2016 campaign.

He said that in the past, Facebook automatically allowed anyone to join a group without asking for consent which explains why he was a member of several groups.

“Before, FB automatically makes anybody a

PRO, P9

tressing that Metro Manila’s water supply system was in much worse shape in the 1990s compared to its condition today, former President Fidel V. Ramos lauded the Duterte administration and the current Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) of�icials for addressing with dispatch the water shortage problem and for seriously putting on track several major water supply sources projects for sustainable water security.

Ramos made the statement following a courtesy call by MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco -FVR’s �irst Special Action Force commander and veteran EDSA 1 and 2 hero including quelling coup attempts against President Cory Aquino -- who briefed the former Chief Executive on the various executive actions undertaken by MWSS to solve the water shortage that affected consumers in the east zone concession area of Manila Water.

Admitting that the MWSS is on a catch-up mode due to failures of past leaderships to develop new water sources, Velasco also discussed with FVR the short-term, medium-term and long-term water sources projects as well as the progress on the 600 million liters a day (MLD) PHP12.2 billion Kaliwa Dam under China of�icial development assistance (ODA); the 500 MLD new Wawa Dam proposed by business tycoon Enrique Razon and Oscar Violago in partnership with Manila Water; the 1,850 MLD “ABC Projects” as well as 350 Laguna Bay projects by Maynilad and Manila Water.

Angat Dam which supplies 96 percent of Metro Manila’s water supply with 4,000 MLD was last constructed in 1967.

It will be recalled that water privatization in Metro Manila began when then President Fidel Ramos, instructed the government in 1994 to solve the water crisis in Manila by engaging with the private sector.

Until August 1997, water services in the Metropolitan Manila were ran

by MWSS that was saddled with myriad problems: 1) USD880-million debt; 2) non-revenue water (NRW) was around 69 percent; 3) infrastructure such as pipes and distribution systems were old; 4) inability to provide water to onethird of the households or 53 percent coverage; and, those connected to the service had an intermittent supply of 17 hours a day on the average.

Under the concession agreement, Metropolitan Manila was divided into two areas: the east zone ran by Manila Water Company Inc. with 1,600 MLD allocation and the west zone, ran by Maynilad Water Services Inc. -- formed initially by Benpress (Philippines) and Ondeo Water, a Suez subsidiary (France), until it was taken over by Manny Pangilinan’s Metro Paci�ic Investments in 2007 with 2,400 MLD allocation.

According to Velasco, 22 years after the Public Private Partnership (PPP) was started, water coverage is now 98 percent in Metro Manila and serviced areas like Rizal and Cavite while NRW was reduced dramatically from a high of 63 percent now down to 11 percent by Manila Water and less than 30 percent by Maynilad.

On the �iscal side, Velasco who along with his fellow Board of Trustees only assumed of�ice in February 2017, reported that MWSS is on the black as dividend remittance

protection of civilians.

Lorenzana also remarked on the Philippines’ position that success in peacekeeping operations must be measured by how well peacekeepers protect civilians, especially children, and prevent sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse.

He noted that the Philippines employs rigid standards of conduct and behavior in the performance of the peacekeeping duties of its personnel deployed to PKOs, and has adopted more stringent criteria in the selection of peacekeeping candidates.

The Philippines also recognizes the role of skilled and trained female peacekeepers to the success of PKOs. The DND chief added that the Philippines

commits to deploy more female peacekeepers in the future, supporting the holistic approach of the UN in peacekeeping missions.

Lorenzana said the country’s more than 50 years active participation in peacekeeping efforts illustrates the Philippines’ readiness to respond to the UN’s call, noting the country’s renewal of commitment to the Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations along the Action for Peacekeeping or A4P initiative of the UN Secretary-General.

“The Philippines stands in solidarity with the community of nations in fostering shared responsibility for the success of peacekeeping operations,” he added. (PNA)

FVR, P9

PH always ready to respond to peacekeeping missions

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he Philippines is always ready to deploy its peacekeeping forces in any part of the globe regardless of threat levels.

“The Philippines is ready to increase its engagement in peacekeeping operations. The Philippine Government has decided to allow the deployment of military and police in any area, regardless of the security threat level,” Defense Secretary Del�in Lorenzana said as he delivered the country's statement to the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting on Uniformed Capabilities, Performance, and Protection held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, last March 29.

Lorenzana also added the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is currently enhancing its

capabilities in support of future peacekeeping deployments.

As of this posting, the Philippines has committed 90 military observers and peacekeeping staff, one force headquarters support unit, and one aeromedical evacuation team to the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System.

In addition to highlighting the progress made by member-countries in their commitment to UN peacekeeping missions, the meeting also served as a venue for the ministers to announce their respective pledges and concrete plans that are geared towards strengthening the capabilities and performance of uniformed personnel deployed in peacekeeping operations (PKOs) and ensuring the

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Air Asia PH to open Manila-Osaka route A

FLY TO HONG KONG. SM Supermalls group brand manager Aron Dalaza, together with Camille Rosales (center) of Cathay Dragon, Streetby senior marketing officer Grace Maylos-Abadesco (right), explains the mechanics of SM Supermalls’, in

cooperation with Cathay Dragon and Streetby, Shop, Dine and Fly to Hong Kong promo during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday. Shoppers will have a chance to win five (5) roundtrip tickets from Davao to Hong Kong. Lean Daval Jr

P4.35-B worth of crops lost to El Niño

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gricultural losses due to the “weak” El Niño now affecting the country are estimated to have reached PHP4.35 billion with an estimated volume of 233,007 metric tons (MT) of crops and damaged 149,494 hectares of farmland.

Total number of affected farmers and �isherfolk are 138,859 in the Cordillera Administrative Region (Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province); Ilocos Region (Pangasinan); Cagayan Valley (Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino); Central Luzon (Bulacan); Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon); Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro); Bicol Region (Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Masbate); Western Visayas (Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental); Eastern Visayas (Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Sa-

mar); Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte); Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental); Davao Region (Davao del Sur); Soccsksargen (Cotabato); and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao).

For rice alone, some PHP269 billion worth of losses were recorded as of Sunday (March 31), which is equivalent to 125,590 MT volume production loss affecting 111,851 hectares of farm lands.

On the other hand, corn

has recorded PHP1.66 billion worth of losses with volume production of 107,417 MT. Total areas affected were 37,643 hectares and 30,014 farmers in 13 provinces nationwide.

According to the data released by the Department of Agriculture Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DA-DRRM) Operation Center, a total of PHP95.875-million �inancial assistance from Agricultural Credit Policy Council had been allotted under the Survival and Recovery Assistance Program that bene�itted some 3,835 affected farmers.

It added that the processing of documents for areas declared under state of calamity due to El Niño -Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cotabato, Magu-

P4.35-B, P9

Around 138,000 foreigners now working for POGOs, other industries

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n interagency task force now checking the number of foreign nationals working for Philippine online gaming operators (POGOs) has come up with an initial list of 138,000 workers employed in these internet-based operations as well as in other businesses, an apparently untapped sub-sector that could yield for the government an estimated PHP32 billion in additional income taxes annually, the Department of Finance (DOF) revealed in a statement on Monday.

In their report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III during a meeting last week, the Department of Labor and Employment

(DOLE) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) came up with a reconciled list of 138,001 workers, of which 54,241 were issued alien employment permits (AEPs) and another 83,760 granted special working permits (SWPs).

Assuming that each foreign national is earning an average of $1,500 a month and taxed at 25 percent of his or her gross income, Dominguez came up with a rough calculation of PHP32 billion a year in income taxes to be collected from these workers.

Dominguez said he noticed that the names in the submitted list have no Taxpayer Identi�ication Num-

bers (TINs) and their corresponding salaries reported was only around PHP20,000 each per month, which was “ridiculously low” for skilled foreign workers for POGOs. Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said the agency will start working on the list to check how many years these workers have been here in the country and whether they have paid taxes for the last two taxable years.

Guballa said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has so far submitted a list of 126 out of 205 POGOs, which employ a total of 53,239 foreign work-

AROUND, P9

irAsia Philippines has just announced it would launch daily �lights between Manila and Osaka, Japan starting July 1.

"This will be our �irst operation to Japan.

We chose Osaka to give �lyers the option to connect to AirAsia X which offers �lights between Japan and Honolulu," AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Saturday.

Comendador added that the airline is still working on getting slots and permits so it could offer services to other Japanese destinations.

The carrier is offering a promotional fare

until April 7, for travel period from July to October. The Manila-Osaka promotional fare starts at PHP1,990.

"There are no winter schedule available yet," he added.

Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines currently offers �lights between Manila and 13 international destinations: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Bali, Seoul, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau and Ho Chi Minh City.

The launching of services to Osaka would help contribute to the government's 8.2 million target visitors for this year, the carrier said. (PNA)

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

EDITORIAL Political manipulations on Facebook Is Facebook politically-manipulated?

After his personal account and several other pages associated to him one way or another, President Rodrigo Duterte’s former online strategist Nicanor Gabunada believes he is being singled out by Facebook in another political manipulation.

Facebook this week took down pages and accounts linked to President Duterte in another crackdown on what it considers as inauthentic accounts. For Facebook to be at it on pages and accounts with political messages, reminds of how the very powerful social media platform was manipulated by a campaign strategist hired by US President Donald Trump, Cambridge Analytica. The latter claimed responsibility for Trump’s triumph in the US Presidential elections using Facebook algorithm.

It is no secret now that President Duterte’s campaign made up for its budget de�iciency with a massive barrage on social media particularly Facebook. Now, the opposition are trying to block, diminish and obliterate that advantage built upon by the pro-Duterte accounts by pounding on the social media platform to crack down on the pro-Duterte pages. Poor Gabunada was singled out in the process.

Reports showed that around 200 Facebook pages, accounts and groups operating in a network built by him have been taken down for involvement in what Facebook calls as a “coordinated and inauthentic behavior.” Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher said that investigation, in partnership with a US-based

EDGEDAVAO

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ADAM B. MORRELL Reporter

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

third-party data and cyber-investigator, con�irmed that the coordinated behavior is linked to a network organized by Gabunada. Facebook explained that Gabunada’s network was removed for misleading people using a network of fake accounts and not because of its content.

Gabunada said that he felt “singled out” when his account was taken down on Friday (March 29) because he expressed support for the President and his choice of candidates while the accounts of those who backed bets belonging to the opposition were not. He thinks that the objective is to not only weaken the support base but also diminish the chances of pro-administration candidates in the May elections this year.

Let’s face it. Facebook may be a free social media platform but it still is, at the end of the day, a business and people behind it are expected to treat it that way--a business. In the same manner that Cambridge Analytica was able to make its way through the Facebook users’ accounts, Facebook can do the same way to make political impact on users, among them are cracking down against one side to the advantage of another. It boils down to whoever can make the best business proposition.

If indeed Facebook is seriously, as in seriously, ridding itself of fake accounts, it could end up shutting down more than half of its users.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

GENERALDE SANTOS MANILA MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN OROCITY MARKETING OFFICE MARKETING OFFICE LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager RICHARD C. EBONA EDMUND D. RENDON Product Development officer Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Marketing Specialist Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City General Santos Cagayan de Oro CityCity (Smart) 09382022120 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe) Tel: Mobile: (088) 852-4894

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

JOHN CARLO B. TRIA MY TWO CENTS’

YES, WE NEVER DEFAULTED ON OUR LOANS News again of the “debt trap” seems drivel out of the mouth of pseudo economic experts who like to share fake news on the economy using dubious data sources.

First of all, a debt trap happens not because you borrow money per se, but it happens when you are unable to pay your loans and default, causing the lender to sieze your collateral to secure his interest.

Collaterals are thus a standard requirement for any loan agreement. They are not an exchange for the loan. To think that way is obviously an uninformed, fear mongered and dumbed down position.

We and many other

nations have been borrowing money to �inance important expenditures since the time our republic was formed, especially for those projects that require large funds that cannot be provided by taxes.

The United States borrows money as well,dear reader. Let us not think for a moment that it does not.

In an March 27,2019 article by Kimberely Amadeo on the website the balance, “The U.S. debt to China is $1.13 trillion as of January 2019. That’s 28% of the $3.97 trillion in Treasury bills, notes, and bonds held by foreign countries. The rest of the $22 trillion national debt is owned by either

the American people or by the U.S. government itself. “ (https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-debt-tochina-how-much-does-itown-3306355) If the article is as true as it claims, that’s a whopping 5% or so of its total debt. On the other hand, China can claim only 1% of our total debt.

The truth is that we never defaulted on any of our loans, not even after the end of the Marcos regime that left us deep in debt due to onerous loans for cronies such as the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, and our economy in tatters with 20-30% in�lation.

We even have laws from then until now that require our government to automatically appropriate funds for debt service when we prepare our budgets.

Even then President Corazon Aquino agreed to keep paying for these loans despite public calls to cancel such crony debts.

Her and successive governments continued this automatic appropriations policy.

A number to monitor is our Debt to GDP ratio, which is a comparison of borrowings versus economic performance. A good economy means debts can be paid, since more taxes and other rev-

enues to pay these debts can be collected when an economy is strong.

Now that our debt to GDP ratios remain good, with government expecting to achieve a debt to GDP ratio of less than 40% in 2022 from the 44% in 2015 due to a strong economy. Thats even with new loans taken in.

Thus As long as we remain one of Asia’s economic powerhouses at about 6% GDP, our credit ratings are a notch above minimum investment grade, and remain at that level since 2016, many experts, even those critical of the government believe we can continue to pay those debts.

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

VISION + FORESIGHT = DESTINATION It is not what you want to be but where you plan to go.

The �irst choice is about ambition (or aspiration) while the second is about a destination after a long journey.

Call it luck or whatever circumstantial connotation but some people simply get to climb the Mt. Everest of their earthly journey without much ado.

Yeah, just like that. Oh, that expression (some have all the luck in the world) has become a household word, a common phrase as if, with a click of a �inger, success is always within reach.

I can relate to that.

I know of several people who have diligently risen the ladder of success and they attribute this more to hard work and determination. Sipag at tiyaga, you have heard it, right?

I would agree. But not without injecting the qualities of vision and foresight.

Some do not have to struggle and work doubly hard because they already see clear directions to follow leading to a successful destination. This is called vision.

Coupled with foresight, men who possess these personal qualities make dif�icult tasks easy to do.

Foresight is the ability to see something before it happens; a provision for the future.

Vison refers to having a dream; an aspiration and a goal to reach. One is called a visionary, thus.

Jose Rizal was one such visionary.

He knew the Filipinos were not militarily equipped to mount an armed revolution against the Spanish authorities despite a huge clamor to

do so. If they had fully prepared, the Katipuneros would have not wasted so many lives in their determined quest for independence.

Perhaps, even the Americans would not have dared occupy the islands if they had seen how militarily prepared the Filipino rebels were at the time.

In our present predicament where our leaders can’t seem to decide which system of government is best for the country, there is a felt need to gather the best political minds and forthwith cast away pseudo-politicians.

There aren’t many men and women in Congress who are even theoretically prepared to push the federalism concept to replace the current unitary system. There are some who are riding piggyback with the bandwagon mentality but are not wholehearted-

ly for it.

Otherwise, all Filipinos, lettered or unlettered, would have been educated on the merits of federalism versus the present corrupt and inadequate centralized system. There is a half-hearted support from political leaders despite the recognition of decades of unmitigated poverty stalking the country; despite the years of failed efforts to forge peace with the insurgents and rebels; despite the inef�icient and ineffective performance of the central government under the unitary system.

Because NONE so far pushed convincingly hard for a genuine constitutional change. Because then there was no visionary in our midst.

Until perhaps today.

Pres. Duterte has expressed, during the 2016 presidential campaign, his vision to amend the con-

stitution and shift to a federal form of government if elected.

He still has half of his six-year term to vigorously launch a nation-wide shift to federalism. He can begin by knocking on the doors of Congress – after the din and dust of the mid-term polls have settled - and strongly push for a constituent assembly. If not, a Con-Con election.

Our country can only move forward if Duterte continues to rule with his vision and foresight for a progressive Philippines.

There is no other leader that I see in the horizon who can capably implement signi�icant reforms in our corrupt-to-the-core society.

Paradoxically, as John Lennon said: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Look ahead, Sir. Godspeed!

8 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Who will be the next Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines?

By LEEBAI S. AMBOLODTO

R

ecognizing Filipino entrepreneurs who leverage on challenging old paradigms with innovative ideas and propositions in order to develop sustainable enterprises and help transform industries is the very core of the Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines (EOY).

This year, individuals who thrive in the age of technology to lead, inspire and empower are what the EOY Search is looking for.

Since launching in 2003, the EOY Philippines has become one of the most prestigious award-giving event in the local business community.

This year’s theme "Disrupt. Transform. Inspire!" encapsulates the power of an idea that can inspire a business evolution and eventually, change the world.

FIRST WINNER Jollibee Foods Corporation President and CEO, Tony Tan Caktiong, was the �irst Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines winner who went on to win the 2004 World Entrepre-

neur Of The Year award in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Past awardees include Socorro “Nanay Coring” Cancio-Ramos (Founder and General Manager of National Book Store (2004)); Lance Gokongwei, (President and CEO of Cebu Air, Inc.); Senen Bacani, (Chairman and President of La Frutera, Inc.); Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Jr., (President and CEO of Alaska Milk Corporation); Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting (Chairman and President of Planters Development Bank); Tennyson Chen (President of Bounty Fresh Food Inc); Erramon I. Aboitiz (President and CEO of Aboitiz Power Corporation); Jaime I. Ayala (Founder and CEO, Hybrid Social Solutions Inc.); Ben Chan (Chairman of Suyen Corporation); Nix Nolledo (Chairman and CEO of Xurpas, Inc.); and Natividad Cheng (Chairperson and CEO of Multi�lex RNC Philippines, Inc.).

MINDANAO ENTREPRENEURS EOY Philippines has also found numerous

EDGE DAVAO

must have been in operation for at least two years.

A completed nomination form, audited �inancial statements, and other business documents are also required.

Nominations for the award may be submitted online at https://geoy. ey.com until 31 May 2019.

For nomination forms and other information, contact the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines secretariat (Yin Maldonado) at 891-0307 local 7768 or e-mail eoyinfo@ ph.ey.com.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year program was founded in the United States by Ernst & Young (EY) in 1986. In the Philippines, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program was established in 2003 by the SGV Foundation, Inc.

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cial occasions of their life, etc.,” he added.

Reports showed that around 200 Facebook pages, accounts and groups operating in a network built

by Gabunada have been taken down for involvement in a “coordinated and inauthentic behavior.”

Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher said that investigation, in partnership with a US-based third-party data and cyber-investigator, con�irmed that the coordinated behavior is linked to a network organized by Gabunada.

Gleicher also insisted that Gabunada’s network was removed for misleading people using a network of fake accounts and not because of its content.

Malacañang has yet to issue a statement on the issue. (PNA)

the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agencies.

“This is to prevent the occurrence of election-related incidents and other criminality during the election period and beyond,” Rasco said.

A total of 26 �irearms were seized in South Cotabato, 19 in North Cotabato, 11 in Sarangani, 10 in General Santos City, nine in Sultan Kudarat and one in Cotabato City.

The police of�icial assured that they are exerting all efforts to keep the region violence-free in connection with the upcoming May 13 local and national mid-term elections.

“The election is fast approaching and fortunately, up to this time, there were no violent incidents that transpired within our AOR

Ricardo Lagdameo

Dennis Uy

NOW HIRING!!!

Kindly address application letter ASAP to

part of the group without asking. Now one has to give/con�irm consent. My name is in a lot of pages and groups. This maybe the reason why some pages, and groups, after they examined saw my name there,” Gabunada said.

Gabunada said he created his Facebook account in 2007 and used it for regular purposes like posting photos and interacting with friends but never hid his identity.

“I had this account since 2007. I never hid my identity; I posted my pictures and those of friends and family; and, I used as reference my cellphone number,” Gabunada said.

“I also shared and posted my view of issues of the day, my personal take on current events etc. I also used it to interact with friends, greet them on spe-

entrepreneurs from the Mindanao region. These include Senen Bacani (Founder of La Frutera, Inc. and was named the Entrepreneur of the Year and Master Entrepreneur in 2006); Ferdinand Marañon (President and CEO of Sagrex Corporation); Jonathan Suy (General Manager of Jomaray Pulp Packing Industries); Dennis Uy (President and CEO of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.); Ronnel Rivera (President of Gensan Shipyard & Machine Works Inc.); Engr. Remegio Salanatin (Corporate President of R.G. Salanatin Construction Inc.); Ricardo Lagdameo (Vice President of Damosa Land Inc.); and Ireneo Dalayon (CEO of Federation of ARB/Banana-Based Cooperative of Davao).

The Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2019 is open to all Filipino entrepreneurs. To qualify, a nominee must be a Filipino business owner or founder who is primarily responsible for the growth of his or her company.

Nominee must still be active in business, which

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

CASE NO R-DVO-19-00320-SP IN THE MATTER OF CORRECTION OF ENTRY OF DATE OF MARRIAGE FROM 09 JANUARY 2018 TO 29 JANUARY 2018 IN THE CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE OF MINORU YOSHIDA AND GUNA PONIACAO DELOS SANTOS, MINORU YOSHIDA AND GUNA PONIACAO DELOS SANTOS YOSHIDA, Petitioners, -versus-

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF DAVAO CITY, Respondent.

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

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

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

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

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

SO ORDERED. March 4, 2019, Davao City, Philippines.

(sgd.) MELINDA ALCONCEL-DAYANGHIRANG Presiding Judge Mar. 19, 26 & Apr. 2, 2019

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

-versus-

(area of responsibility),” he said.

He said they are hoping to sustain “this kind of peace and order situation we are enjoying right now and will continue until the election period concludes”.

Rasco urged local stakeholders to continually support and cooperate with the authorities to attain peaceful and orderly elections.

He speci�ically cited the proper reporting of suspicious activities and personalities to the nearest police station or military camp.

“Rest assured that your PNP and AFP will continue to do their best to bring peace and order in our society. What we only need from the community is their full cooperation,” he said. (PNA)

EJF-REM CASE NO. 17.177-19

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

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

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS) against the mortgagors/s GENEROSO D. BULADACO married to MELITA BULADACO, with postal address at Lot 1, F-4-A, Block 2, #17, Greenland Subdivision, Dumoy, 8000 Davao City to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of MARCH 1, 2019 amounted to One Million Two Hundred Forty Seven Thousand Seventy Pesos & 16/100 (P1,247,070.16), Philippine Currency, including interest thereon, penalties and other charges incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on April 25, 2019 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder to CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following property with all its improvements found thereon particularly described below, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-90643 “A parcel of land (Lot 1-F-4-A, Psd-11-011140, being a portion of Lot 1-F-4, Psd-11-010321), situated in the Barrio of Dumoy, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx Containing an area of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY (220) Square Meters, more or less.” time and date.

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

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

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

Davao City, Philippines, March 12, 2019.

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

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

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ELMO, COOKIE MONSTER AND BIG BIRD INVADE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE

SUNNY DAY / Sweepin’ the clouds away / On my way to where the air is sweet / Can you tell me how to get? / How to get to Sesame Street -- who doesn’t love this song? In fact, growing up, it has become a prerequisite to jive with the song, know the characters and yes, always have a sitting-onthe-front-steps moment.

Before Barney and Dora and everyone else, there was Sesame Street. 50 years after, the internationally beloved iconic educational children’s series and its ever growing adorable characters are still making waves and making everybody sing.

Ringing in its 50th, the Sesame Street 50 years and Counting Celebration invades the steps of Universal Studios Singapore. Party with family and friends at the biggest birthday blowout ever with interactive scheduled shows, exhibits and street parties with Sesame Street characters as they perform for the crowd with hits that are very reminiscent of childhood.

Believe me, I was as excited as the kids during the shows.

Inside, USS’s Hollywood and New York zones are transformed into the most colorful party central where the biggest birthday cake, birthday presents, photo ops booth and bump into Sesame Street characters as they party in the streets. Time: 3pm | 4.45pm Interact with Abby at her amazing Fairy Garden and see how she helps a friend figure out the best season for growing plants. Be amazed at the wave of her wand -- there’s just something about Abby and her wand that would have you sitting with the kiddos on the audience. Time: 12.30pm | 2.30pm | 5.30pm Beats from the street? Hands down one of the my faves, Oscar the Grouch and his trash can brings the freshest beats

#SS50 at the Hollywood Lagoon Stage. Photo by Resorts World Sentosa.

#SS50 Abby’s Fairy Garden. Photo by Resorts World Sentosa.

BIG BIRD. No queue can stop me from havi ng my photo with my fave bird -- Big Bird.

Selected Pathlight School students with their cans.#SS50 at the Hollywood Lagoon Stage.

Photo by Resorts World Sentosa.

CANNED. Doug Kramer’s Oscar the Grouch can on display until the 28th of April 2019. from the street. Time: 1pm | 3.30pm Sesame Street won’t be the same without the biggest and brightest bird of all time -- Big Bird. Visit his nest, be cozy and have a photo opportunity with this iconic character. I did!

Time: 4pm | 6pm Not only that, the celebration also includes an appearance of a special guest, Lily the Tiger. Lily said she’s on a special exchange programme from China and will be teaching some Mandarin to the

birthday party goers. nĭ hăo, Lily.

Oscar The Grouch Trash Can Exhibition Part of its 50th anniversary celebration is a splendid display of Oscar the Grouch Trash

Can exhibit showcasing 50 local and regional celebrities, influencers, as well as artistic talents from Pathlight School (the first autism-focused school in Singapore). Waving the flag for the Philippines is basketball star and social media influencer, Team Kramer’s big daddy, Doug Kramer.

Each of the 50 cans are individually designed and decorated highlighting Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary. All of which are on display at various locations within Resorts World Sentosa, including Universal Studios Singapore.

For the upcoming holidays, make it a Sesame Street kind of holiday. Celebrate Sesame Street 50 years and Counting Celebration at the Universal Studios Singapore. Birthday Bash runs from 8 March to 28 April 2019. See you there!

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FAMOUS BEACH CITIES OF FLORIDA

MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, I came to Florida when I attended an international coral reef symposium in Fort Lauderdale. I had the opportunity of going to the Biscayne National Park located in south of Miami.

The second time was when I visited my friend Gregory Ira and his family, who was then living at Tallahassee.

This capital city is home to Wakulla Springs, which was featured in several Tarzan movies.

In all those visits, I didn’t have the time of going to the beaches, of which Florida is known for. And so, when I recently visited the state, I asked my sister, Marilou Eplite, to bring me to some beach resorts.

I was in for a big surprise when I learned that some cities of Florida have the word “beach” in their names. Yes, it’s not just a resort or destination – just like Miami Beach – but a city in itself.

Take the case of Daytona Beach, where I landed when I flew all the way from New York. My sister and her Italian-American husband, David, live in Deltona.

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

The beaches in and around the city are sandy with a gentle slope – and that means they’re some of the best in the state on which to learn to surf. It is no wonder why qualified surfing instructors and surf camps are aplenty; to name a few: Daytona Beach Surfing School, Mimi Munro Surf Camps, and Surfari Surf Lessons and Camp.

Daytona Beach is not only known for its beaches, but it has one of the most famous race tracks in the United States. The most well-known and sought-after destinations are the Daytona International Speedway and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

The Daytona International Speedway complex, known as “The World Center of Racing,” occupies more than 200 hectares land, making it very hard to miss. A recent $400 million upgrade added luxury suites, more-spacious seats and new concessions for race fans.

It’s difficult to narrow down the best surf spots from all that are found in this part of the state, but Ponce

The author at Daytona Beach.

Inlet located just south of Daytona Beach, is considered one of Florida’s best breaks.

New Smyrna Beach, a laid-back beach town just south of Ponce Inlet, is home to world-class waves and some surfing competitions. In July 2009, Surfer ranked New Smyrna Beach ranked number nine on its list of “best surf towns.” Three years

Going inside one of the tourist areas in New Smyrna Beach.

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This statue in Denpasar, on one of Bali’s main highways never fail to intrigue me. Lots more history to it that meets the eye. Photo

by Bernard Hermant.

this greatly sums up my quick trip here: “This is a place where traditional Balinese culture imbues every waking moment, where colorful offerings adorn the streets and where the hypnotic strains of gamelan are an everpresent soundtrack to everyday life. It’s also somewhere that is relentlessly on trend – a showcase of sustainable design, mindfulness, culinary inventiveness and the very best that global tourism has to offer. Come here for relaxation, for rejuvenation

later, the National Geographic recognized it as “one of the world’s top 20 surf towns.”

Michael Eplite, the father of David, lives in this city. So, I had a chance of going to this charming beach place rooted in local culture, art and a beautiful, white sandy shoreline.

Known for its coastal architecture and personality, the city is surrounded by intriguing history, artistic talents, one-of-a-kind boutiques, local eateries and more than enough outdoor activities to fill your vacation days.

Aside from Miami and Orlando, another famous city is the Palm Beach, touted to be the 27th wealthiest place in the United States. In March 2018, American singer Jon Bon Jovi – who is from New Jersey, reportedly purchased a home on this city, which reminds me of Tagum, the country’s palm city.

and to have what may well be the most magical holiday of your life.”

Magical, spiritual—whatever you call it, Ubud easily captivated me. I wonder at how carefully religion has shaped the culture of the place. Temples were found left, and right, canang sari (the daily offerings you see on the sidewalks) are more prominent here compared to Canggu.

Despite not having waves here, I enjoyed just soaking in all the sights, sounds and smells of this place.

I haven’t even started with food! Top place to visit was

definitely Kafe, it’s a long walk from the Ubud Market and from the Ubud National Palace, but it’s a vegan’s haven—actually all of Bali is! Majority of the restaurants cater to almost every appetite and food preferences, if you’re trying to eat clean and healthy, you won’t have a hard time finding a place to eat in Bali. You’ll just have difficulty choosing where because of the options!

Stay tuned next week for more Bali stories and don’t forget to drop by my Instagram (@ferina. millennialmermaid) for more view of the place!

When my sis brought me to t directly to the C of a New Urban opment shoppin its architecture inspired, with m and Venetian el An added att Himmel Theate church. Built in Colonial Reviva gone a US$6-mi and serves today Surrounding sq promenades fea foot water fount scaping.

Worth Avenu resort destinatio with European inimitable style one of the most venues in the U

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VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

Benjamin Alves continues role as GMA Network Excellence Award ambassador FOR the fourth consecutive year, GMA Network named Kapuso actor Benjamin Alves as the ambassador of the GMA Network Excellence Award (GNEA) in a contract signing held yesterday, March 28, at the GMA Network Center.

Exclusive New Smyrna Beach.

Tourist area at West Palm Beach.

ster and her husband this city, we went CityPlace, an epitome nist mixed-use develng center. Most of is West Europeanmainly Mediterranean lements. traction is the Harriet er, a former Methodist n 1926 in the Spanish al style, it has underillion restoration, ay as a cultural center. quares, arcades, and ature 2,000-squaretains and lush land-

ue is an enchanting on in Palm Beach, sophistication and and grace. Perhaps t beautiful shopping US, its romantic vias

and celebrated boutiques offer the best of resort and designer fashion, gifts, art, antiques, jewelry, fine and casual dining.

Whether you’re looking for quiet seclusion, a place to surf the waves or an all-day party, it seems Florida beaches have them. Even during winter time, when most Americans are wearing thick clothes, you can still have fun in Florida.

One travel magazine summed it all in these words: “The Sunshine State draws a diverse array of visitors from all over the world, eager to experience a spa-like experience in nature, with the soothing lullaby of waves, sea salt air, the soft song of seagulls and beautiful sunsets and sunrises casting beautiful colors against the sky. But not all are here for just mere beauty and serenity. Some like the quirky beach shops and bars, some crave sport fishing and snorkeling, while others like music, dancing and the company of others late into the night.”

Walk around Ubud’s streets in the residential area and statues like this guard most of the family temples.

Photo by Paolo Nicolello.

Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, Assistant Vice President for Talent Imaging and Marketing Simoun S. Ferrer, and Mercator Artist and Model Management President and CEO Jonas Gaffud.

Benjamin shared his enthusiasm in reaching out to more students and possible GNEA candidates, “Every year, we try to find more ways to connect with students. This year, with the help of GMA Regional TV, we’re doing the Kapuso Masterclass Series where we’ve been able to spread the word and awareness to Cebu, Bukidnon, and Davao. It’s been great being more involved and connecting with students all over the country.”

For his part, Atty. Gozon expressed his belief that Benjamin is a role model worth looking up to.

“Apat na taon na siyang ambassador and we’ve been very happy with his involvement in GNEA. He has been a very appropriate choice dahil sa

(From left) AVP for Talent Imaging and Marketing Simoun S. Ferrer, VP for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz, GNEA Ambassador and actor Benjamin Alves, GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, Senior AVP for Alternative Productions Gigi S. Lara, and Mercator Artist and Model Management President and CEO Jonas Gaffud. tunay na buhay, si Benjamin ay hindi lamang mahusay na artista, isa rin siyang scholar at summa cum laude graduate. He is a worthy role model to students across our nation,” he said.

Two awards will be conferred by GMA Network to the outstanding graduating students of Communication (Mass Communication, Multimedia Arts, or Advertising) and technology-based courses (Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Information Technology). Nominations for the academic year 2018-2019 are open until May 15.

For the criteria, mechanics, and other details, contact Unis M. Loleng at 982-7777 local 1108 or visit http://www.gmanetwork.com/excellenceaward.

UP AND ABOUT

EGG-CITING EASTER CELEBRATION AT MARCO POLO DAVAO MARCO POLO DAVAO celebrates the Easter season with egg-citing offerings.

Celebrate Easter holiday with a family staycation. Rate starts at Php 3,900 nett with buffet breakfast and special Piccolo Kids Club amenity for children below 12 years old.

On April 21, bring your kids and have a wonderful Sunday with Egg-citing Easter Sunday event, 2PM at the Jade Ballroom. Tickets are sold at Php 850.00 nett inclusive of party admission, Easter bento box snacks, party giveaways, egg hunting games with prizes.

Café Marco offers Egg-citing Seafood Buffet for Php1,100 nett for Lunch and Php 1,500 nett for Dinner starting April 18 until April 21, 2019. On Holy Thursday, food highlights include Smoked Salmon Pate with Toast, Seafood’s Terrine with Mussels, Live Sashimi Fresh Tuna & Salmon, Thai Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimps, Seafood Paela, and Cooked Shrimps, Mussels and Blue Crabs. And on Good Friday, food highlights include Seafood Paela, Cooked Shrimps, Mussels and Blue Crabs, Coconut Blue Crab with Jackfruit & Chili, and Mixed Seafood Bruschetta Teriyaki Glaze & Sesame Seeds.

Polo Bistro, located at the hotel’s The Deck, will be offering a special tuna pasta dish - Fillet of Tuna Belly and Seared Sea Scallops. Savour the seafood freshness at Php850++.

For bookings and reservations, call (082) 221-0888 or message us on Facebook.

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VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Understanding

UBUD UBUD was our last stop on the Bali itinerary. After Canggu and a few stops in Seminyak, we were to spend four days in Bali’s cultural heart. Situated an hour’s drive north from the airport, Ubud was definitely a different view and feel to the island I’ve grown to love.

Cooler than Canggu because of it’s location a little higher up in the mountains, I’d describe Ubud as a traditional town filled with lots of history, amazing crafts, arts, and a whole lot of shopping. “Take my money!” seemed to be the theme when I got to Ubud Market but I’ll talk about that later.

Asking our driver, Mura, he mentioned that around Ubud,

Close-up look of the canang sari. Photo by Mark Chaves.

Typical Balinese accommodation, great value for money! Photo by Mark Chaves.

Bali swing anyone?

Photo by Dave Weatherall. there are the nearby villages of Campuhan, Penestanan, Peliatan, and Batuan. These local communities specialize in crafts and woodcarving which are sold all over the island. There are hundreds of shops selling antiques, woodcarvings, crafts, textiles, paintings, and jewelry in Ubud.

Kenny, one of the most cultured people I’ve ever known also told us that we’d find some of the best art museums in the country here. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time to visit them all and prioritized watching traditional dances at the Ubud Royal Palace which literally blew me away.

Also, what’s important to note that Ubud was like a town/outdoor shopping mall where along Ubud’s main street are dozens of art studios, an excellent local craft market, and galleries.

Local Planet calls Ubud “the most cultured of all Balinese towns” and I’d have to agree with that. I wanted to share what was written about Ubud too because

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in Barangay Dabak Grande, Baggao, Cagayan on March 28.

“It was an operation by the CIDG and PRO (Police Regional Of�ice) 2 and of course from the Philippine Army. They served search warrants and they seized an ISIS �lag and other subversive documents and �irearms. Apparently, it seems they are pledging support to the ISIS,” said Albayalde.

The suspects were identi�ied as Altero Carrieda and Greg Carrieda, who yielded two black ISIS �lags, a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, and two grenades.

“This is the �irst time (we nabbed ISIS sympathizers) outside of Mindanao area. Probably they just want to be recognized.

They want to get support probably by pledging support to the ISIS,” he explained.

Albayalde said they are continuously monitoring and validating the movement of terror groups across the country.

The OTBT operations were launched and focused on the risk factors affecting the security and safety coverage of 2019 mid-term elections due to the presence of loose �irearms and PAGs couple with intense political rivalry and presence of criminal gangs.

CIDG head, Maj. Gen. Amador Corpus said the period covered a total of 193 search warrants applied on their areas of responsibilities and implemented with positive results.

“These efforts of CIDG aim to eliminate, if not, to reduce these risk factors in the country,” Corpus said.

He said it can be assessed that the �irst round nationwide OTBT operations of the CIDG was a big success due to the full cooperation of other PNP units, other government agencies, non-government organization partners and most importantly the members of communities.

He noted that operations will continue until the mid-term elections are over. (PNA)

to the national government from 2017 to 2018 was unprecedented with PHP232.63M remitted in 2017 and PHP611.07 M in 2018, the highest remittance made by MWSS to the national government in its history.

Likewise, the MWSS

settled a long-standing dispute with the Department of Finance regarding “Equity vs. Loans Payable to the JBIC Loan” issue by paying the total subject amount of PHP2.089 billion to the national coffers in 2018.

(PR)

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P4.35-B... FROM 5

indanao, Negros Occidental -- are ongoing.

As of today (March 31), the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has paid PHP43.083 million of insurance to 3,534 affected farmers in provinces of Regions 1, 3, 4-A, 6, and 10.

A total of PHP18.3 million was also released for cloud seeding operations in

the El Niño affected areas.

The DA-DRRM Operation Center said three cloud seeding sorties have already been accomplished out of the 75 planned sorties to be done up to May 2019, with a total amount of PHP4,185,216.00.

Prepositioning of seed reserves for rice and corn are ongoing, it added. (PNA)

ers with an average salary of about PHP41,000 each.

Victor Padilla, Pagcor’s senior manager of its policy division, offshore gaming licensing department, said penalties and demerits will be issued to those that have yet to comply with the requirement for them to submit the lists of their respective foreign workers.

Pagcor will seize the operations of those that remain non-compliant despite repeated warnings, he said.

Guballa said during the meeting that other agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) submitted the names of 52 foreign workers, mostly in the construction sector; the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) sent a list of 75 foreign workers; while the Clark Development

Corp. (CDC), reported 2,463 foreign workers employed at the Clark and Subic special economic zones (SEZs).

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the SEZs in Bataan, Aurora and in other locations all failed to submit their respective lists, Guballa said.

“What you have to do now is to reconcile the entire list. The maximum we know is 138,000. I have a suspicion that this �igure is low,” Dominguez said.

He asked the concerned agencies such as the DOLE and the Bureau of Immigration to �ind ways to reconcile the list by physically checking the establishments where these foreign workers have been hired.

“Enforce the law so we can collect the tax,” Dominguez said. (DOF PR)

ly declared as the country’s new major telco player after the National Telecommunications Commission

(NTC) En Banc issued its con�irmation order on November 19, 2018. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

AROUND... FROM 5

CONSTRUCTION... FROM 2

DILG... FROM 2

Fund (LDRRMF) for expenses relative to the immunization campaign and other actions to address the growing number of measles cases.

The DILG chief said the national government, spearheaded by the DOH with other government agencies such as the DILG, is conducting a massive information dissemination campaign and vaccination in schools and communities and expects LGUs to participate and get involved.

In the same memorandum, LGUs must coordinate with the DOH's

9 Center for Development Health Regional Of�ice and other agencies to ensure appropriate information dissemination down to the communities; and guarantee that all DOH measles advisories and other information, education, and campaign materials are disseminated to all families and households.

The DILG has also asked the LGUs to extend their immunization schedules beyond regular working hours and possibly even on Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate as many as possible. (PR)

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

10 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

11 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

Tancontian shows who’s the boss

By ADAM B. MORRELL

D

avao Tenpin Bowlers Association (DATBA) president Rameses Tancontian showed everyone at his own turf who's the boss after bagging the DATBA Monthly Finals title at the SM Lanang Premier Bowling Center over the weekend.

The veteran Tancontian, who grabbed

the twice-to-beat-advantage after leading the six-round eliminations with 1,203 pinfalls, schooled the youthful fourth seed Gab Velasco with a 191-171 win in the stepladder �inals.

Tancontian's consistency and accuracy paved the way to a whopping P10,000 purse.

Velasco, who placed second and went home with P4,000, earlier annihilated third seed Paul Palacio and second seed Dario Beloy, respectively.

Beloy, meanwhile, received P2,000 while Palacio got P1,000.

All of the winners also received trophies courtesy of DATBA.

Davao Tenpin Bowlers Association (DATBA) president Rameses Tancontian embraces his winning Tenpin ball after bagging the Datba Monthly Finals title at the SM Lanang Premier Bowling Center over the weekend.

Davao Occidental clinches MPBL South finals berth D avao Occidental claimed the �irst seat in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Southern Division Finals after romping over Bacoor City, 87-67, at the Batangas City Sports Center on Saturday night.

Joseph Terso and Eman Calo each made 14 points for the Tigers, who zapped the Strikers, 4727, in the second half to

seal the 2-0 sweep of their South semi�inal series.

Gab Banal tallied 17 markers, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal for Bacoor City.

Meanwhile, Batangas City lived to �ight another day after edging Zamboanga, 67-57.

The Athletics bounced back from a slow �irst quarter with an impressive second quarter show-

ing and pulled away later in the match to tie their own best-of-three series at 1-all.

Jeff Viernes scored 16 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists for Batangas City, which will host Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Robin Roño, meanwhile, made 16 markers, six boards, two dimes, and one steal for Zamboanga.

(PNA)

WOMEN POWER. Mati City's Team TRC finished fifth overall in the all-female relay division of the recent Alveo Ironman 70.3.

The team is composed of Karen Joy Deloso (bike), Manilyn Mamugay (run) and Angelica Gayta (swim).

Ricspeed team finishes 2nd runner up in the 200-meter small boat women’s category and 3rd runner up in the 2-km standard mix boat category of the 6th Bugsay Mindanao: Paddle for Peace in Surigao

Ricspeed: making waves in dragon boat race A fresh addition to the Bugsay Mindanao: Paddle for Peace event but already a �ighter in dragon boat, Ricspeed Dragon boat team joined this anticipated race in the city of Cortes, Surigao del Sur. Ricspeed bagged two of the event’s major awards: 2nd runner up in the 200-meter small boat women’s category and 3rd runner up in the 2-km standard mix boat category.

Their �irst heat was on the 2-km standard mix category which they �inished in 11:59.78 minutes.

They ranked �irst in their own category and fourth in the overall standing. On the small

boat women’s category, the crew failed to immediately go on to the �inals in their primary heat but made a comeback in their repechage category. They ranked third among all the other teams who competed, with a time of 1:14.67 minutes.

The women’s win was unexpected for the team. “It was something we did not picture out since we were having issues before the event. The women’s crew were not able to train due to con�licts in our schedule and other matters,” Lovelyn Rabago, a paddler of Ricspeed, stated.

Despite the limitations, Ricspeed was

able to maximize their innate skills along with determination to not go home empty-handed and to prove their true strength as a team.

Along with the dragon boat event, the 2nd Panagsangka sa Banawa Amazing Race Challenge was also conducted. Out of the 7 team challengers, Ricspeed emerged as the Champion.

As to what is next for the team, Rabago remarked that “these successive achievements fueled Ricspeed Dragon Boat Team to compete in other events such as the 2019 Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge this coming April 12 to 14.”

Ricspeed makes waves as a first-time participant in the 6th Bugsay Mindanao: Paddle for Peace

12 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL.12 ISSUE 17 • TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

LEVELLING UP 100 slots in SBP Coaches Clinic on April 27-28

By ADAM B. MORRELL

B

asketball coaches in the region who wish to upgrade their knowledge of the game can now avail of the SBP Coaches Clinic series as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Davao brings back the course this summer.

SBP Davao executive program of�ice Ronel Leuterio announced over the weekend that they will open some 100 slots for the "Level 1.2" version of the most prestigious coaches clinic spearheaded by legendary coach Jong Uichico of the SBP National.

The clinic gets going at the height of the Palarong Pambansa 2019 hosting on April 27 and 28, hence the venue will be at either Arcadia Lifestyle and Active Center or Genesis 88 Gym. Leuterio, however, said the clinic will be on a �irst-come-�irst-serve basis with a P500 registration fee inclusive of kits and certi�icate of appreciation.

It can be recalled that SBP Davao hosted the biggest edition of this clinic with some 200 participants since it was given free courtesy of SBP regional director and board of trustee member Glenn Escandor.

Leuterio, however, said they limit this time to 100 and with a fee so that the participants will value it like their money.

"Marami din kasi last year nag con-

�irm but di pumunta," he said.

The clinic, added Leuterio, is supposed to be pegged at P1,000 but through the kindness of the SBP 11 director and Presidential Adviser on Sports Escandor, SBP will offer the course half the price.

He also said this is part of grassroots development of SBP Davao for the region's coaches and coaching aspirants.

"Instead na pumunta yung mga coaches natin sa Manila, kami na nag dala dito to save them from extra expenses," Leuterio said.

Since the registration of�icially opened last weekend, more than 40 coaches from the Davao Region have expressed interest.

SBP, Davao, however, will announce as soon as the slots will be completely sold out.

Interested participants may contact SBP secretary Jeu Binoya at 09235807278 or message the Escandor Cup Facebook page for more details.

National team assistant coach Jong Uichico will be the lead resource person of the SBP Coaching Clinic. Photo by SBP 11