Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 30 | Sunday-Monday, April 21-22, 2019

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

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SAVING THE COUNTRY’S BIRD ICON FROM EXTINCTION ►FEATURE STORY P11

BEYOND ‘ THE HOUR ’ EDITORIAL ON PAGE 8

Photo by Lean Daval Jr

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

Stored bomb detonates inside DCPO compound

By ADAM B. MORRELL

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bomb stocked inside the storage room of the Special Anti-Terrorism Unit (SATU) inside the Davao City Police Of�ice (DCPO) compound in Camp Domingo Leonor along San Pedro Street exploded before noon on Black Saturday damaging a portion of the building and undetermined number of stockpiled weapons.

A sketchy report provided by the Police Regional Of�ice (PRO) 11 shortly after the incident said the explosion happened at DCPO’s explosive and ordnance disposal (EOD) unit around 11:30 am, yanking off the stockroom’s ceiling and destroying some weapons inside although no casualties were reported.

According to DCPO director Police Colonel Alexander Tagum, the explosive material that went off on April 20 was among the pieces of court evidence stored inside the stockroom for custody.

“Those explosives are being kept in custody of our EOD unit at their Storage area considering that these are still kept as Court evidence. In spite it’s proper storage (in accordance to EOD Storage Standard), it accidentally exploded- for still unknown reason,” the police city director said.

As of presstime, a postblast investigation was being conducted to determine what triggered the accidental explosion, according to Tagum. Clearing operations

were also being conducted by the EOD units of PRO 11 and DCPO. In a separate interview, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Davao of�icer-in-charge Senior Fire Of�icer (SFO) 2 Ramil Gillado said the explosion fortunately didn’t cause any �ire.

“Naa lang mga smoke from the explosion pero wala may sunog nahitabo.

Nag conduct lang mi ug cooling system to prevent any possible �ire,” he said.

Aside from the BFP, the Central 911 also promptly responded during the incident.

Meanwhile, DCPO spokesperson Police Captain Ma. Teresita Gaspan urged the public to refrain from spreading false information while the authorities are still conducting further investigation.

“Please bear with us as investigation relative to this incident is ongoing. Of�icial statement will be released the soonest. We further advise everyone to refrain from spreading false or unveri�ied information,” she said.

on Wednesday.

But in a phone interview, Zarate said they had not received an invitation to join the supposed investigation.

Parlade also claimed the progressive partylist groups wanted to delay the inquiry.

“Ginapagawas karon na gipugngan namo. Na-bilib ko sa bakakon ni Parlade bisan sa Semana Santa (They want to make it appear that we’re suppressing it. I am impressed with the dishonesty of Parlade even if it’s Holy Week),” Zarate said.

The Makabayan bloc, a coalition of 12 partylist

groups, comprises Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Katribu, Migrante, Akap-bata, Courage, Piston, Kalikasan and Aking Bikolnon.

Parlade said the “congressional inquiry,” obviously referring to the validation trip, was conducted to know the truth behind the Salugpongan schools amid accusations that communist rebels used them to radicalize and indoctrinate young Lumads.

Among the agencies that joined the activity were the Department of Education, National Commission on In-

digenous Peoples, Department of Interior and Local Government, police, military, and Of�ice of the Presidential Adviser for Indigenous Peoples’ Concerns, according to Parlade.

“Hindi nagpakita ang Makabayan Bloc (The Makabayan Bloc did not show up). We want to engage them into this inquiry para sabihin natin ang totoo (so we can tell the truth),” he said, adding the inquiry could have answered questions on issues on human rights abuses and militarization in the region.

(Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

of conviction in 2018 can be attributed to the active participation of PDEA lawyers in pre-trial proceedings of PDEA-initiated drug cases.

In 2018, a total of 41,583 cases were �iled, resulting in 13,111 cases of conviction, which is 81.82 percent of all cases �iled. This is 46.82 percent more than the 35 percent conviction rate of the 41,224 cases �iled in 2017.

“With this guidelines, all lawyers assigned in the Legal and Prosecution Service have been authorized to appear in court on behalf of the agency for the purpose of availing pre-trial measures and remedies, as well as actively participating in the pre-trial proper on drug cases,” Aquino said.

Other factor that contributed to the higher conviction

rate is the initiation of PDEA’s project court watch, which monitors the status and progress of the drug cases �iled.

“Our efforts are bearing fruits, but much is still to be done. One measure of the success of our campaign against illegal drug is the �iling of airtight cases that will result in the conviction of the accused,” Aquino said. (PNA)

Duterte to China: Don’t Rep. Zarate calls AFP official a ‘congenital liar’ cordon Pag-asa Island B

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resident Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday asked China to stop surrounding Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), warning that just one harmed soldier could “precipitate trouble there.”

Duterte, in a PDP-Laban campaign rally in Batangas, made this statement after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bared that a rise in the number of Chinese �ishing vessels have been discovered near the Philippine-occupied island since January this year.

“Iyong Pag-asa Island, sinabi ko, huwag ninyong i-surround kasi may mga sundalo ako diyan (I said, don’t surround Pag-asa Island because I have soldiers there),” Duterte said in his speech.

“Nag-warning lang ako.

Hindi ko tinatakot ang China (I just warned them. I didn’t threaten China). But it could precipitate trouble there. 'Pag namatayan ako ng sundalo maski isa, ah gulo na 'yan (If I lose even just one soldier there, there would be trouble),” he added.

He also appealed to China to allow Filipino �ishermen to �ish in the disputed waters and not to drive them away.

“But there will be a time, at sabihin ko sa China ngayon (and I will tell China now) that they should also meet halfway.

Kagaya ng mga mangingisda natin, tapos 'yang palibutan nila 'yang Pag-asa (To consider our �ishermen, and their actions surrounding Pag-asa Island),” he added.

The President said waging a war with China is unwise, since he doubted that other nations, including the US, would be willing to take part in the con�lict.

“Pero ngayon, magsabi ka, ‘mag-�ight ako sa China,’ (But now, if you say, ‘I will �ight China’) okay, who will come?

Who will? Sino? Magbigay ka ng limang magtulong sa atin (Name at least �ive countries that will help us),” Duterte said.

“America?

Mag-suicide kaya ang America ng nuclear war para sa atin (Would America risk a suicide and wage a nuclear war for us)? Would America risk a Third World war just to defend?” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the best solution to con�lict between the Philippines and China is through negotiations.

(PNA)

ayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate called a military of�icial a “congenital liar” for alleging that members of the left-leaning Makabayan Bloc did not show up when invited to a validation trip on Wednesday to know if the red-tagging accusations against a Salugpongan School in Talaingod, Davao del Norte were true.

The allegation came from Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations MGen Antonio Parlade Jr. during the AFP-PNP press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel

PDEA drug conviction rises by 46.82% in 2018

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he conviction rate for cases �iled by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) against drug personalities in 2018 increased by 46.82 percent compared to 2017.

This is the �irst ever recorded high conviction rate for drug cases �iled by PDEA since 2017.

PDEA Dir. Gen. Aaron Aquino said the higher rate

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

DCPO- SATU bomb blast in photos

Photos by Atty. Bhen Joseph Tesiorna, ARD PDEA 11

NEWS

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4 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

Comelec removes illegal poll posters

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INSPECTION. Task Force Davao personnel inspect the bags and other belongings of church goers as they enter the premises of San Pedro Cathedral along San Pedro Street in Davao City over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr

ommission on Elections (Comelec) of�icials on Wednesday took down campaign materials of local and national candidates that were placed in unauthorized areas in two Maguindanao towns.

Susan Albano and Norijean Hangkal, election of�icers of Datu Anggal Midtimbang and Talitay towns respectively, led the removal of campaign materials posted on roadsides, houses, and other places that are not identi�ied as common poster areas.

They were accompanied by troops of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion and policemen of the two towns during the “Oplan Baklas”.

The operation against illegally-posted campaign

materials came after the covenant signing and peace dialogue among candidates initiated by the military in Datu Anggal Midtimbang and Talitay.

Albano said they reminded the candidates about the law that requires them to post campaign materials only in designated common poster areas.

“If they really wanted to serve the people, they should religiously obey simple rules,” she said.

Adam Sangki-Usman, a volunteer of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) - Maguindanao, said his group is helping the Comelec educate the candidates and their supporters about election laws, speci�ically on the display of campaign materials. (PNA)

she was only 16 years old when she was recruited, a clear violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

In Bukidnon, a certain alias Jeffry (NPSRL), 22 years old, Team Leader, of CNTG in North Central Mindanao and his wife identi�ied as alias Maymay, 27 years old, and a member of the medical Pltn of the same CNTG,voluntarily surrendered without �irearms to Ltc. Ronald M Illana, Commander of 8IB at Brgy Poblacion, Impasugong, Bukidnon in the morning of April 17, 2019.

Units in charge are now conducting interview and debrie�ing of the surrenderees in preparation for their enrollment to E-CLIP and other Govern-

ment assistance.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen Felimon T. Santos Jr., Commander of Eastern Mindanao Command lauded the effort of the communities and the units.

“We have truly practiced the message of Holy Week when we reached out to the lost soul and deceived to join the organization espousing evil armed struggle. Let us continue to be ambassadors of peace by letting those who were lost understand the effort of the government to bring peace and change in the lives of every Filipino and facilitate the resolution of push and pull issues of people joining the armed group.” Lt. Gen. Santos Jr. said.

13 rebels yield to AFP during Holy Week T hirteen New People’s Army rebels surrendered to different units of Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) during the Holy Week.

The �irst wave of three surrenderees yielded Friday morning, April 19, 2019, to joint efforts of 39th Infantry Battalion and the Davao del Sur Provincial Police Of�ice at Barangay Colonsabak, Matanao, Davao Del Sur. The three members of the CPP-NPA Terror Group (CNT) were identi�ied as alias Dante, Alias Jek and Alias Garry brought with them three �ire arms (M16, M14 and Garand ri�les) in their surrender.

The three are CNTG Vice Team Leader and members who belong to the

group being monitored in the quad boundary of Davao del Sur, North and South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat were part of the group that were encountered by the 39IB in the same Barangay on April 1, 2019. According to military of�icials, the three reportedly became paranoid and were always on the run until they took hold of an E-CLIP lea�let which was further explained by members of the community through an E-CLIP tarpaulin posted in the Barangay which made them decide to sur-

Computer-assisted PNP entrance test set

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he National Police Commission (Napolcom) has announced the activation of an online exam application scheduling system on its website for those who want to take the Philippine National Police (PNP) entrance exam.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the commission said it has activated the OnLine Examination Application Scheduling System (OLEASS) in the website, caex.napolcom.gov.ph, for applicants who will take the computer-assisted entrance exam slated to be held at the Napolcom central of�ice in Quezon City on Tuesdays and Thursdays in May, June, July, and September.

Lawyer Rogelio T. Casurao, Napolcom vice-chairman and executive of�icer, said the OLEASS will be open to applicants at noon onwards on April 22 until April 26. The exam dates are on May 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 28, and 30; and all Tuesdays and Thursdays of June, July, and September.

Applicants may pick

their desired date of examination and �ill out the mandatory �ields. Those with con�irmed schedules shall be sent an auto-generated email informing them to access the on-link and enter all the required information in the application form.

They should personally �ile their applications at the Examination Division One-Stop Shop, 7th Floor, DILG-Napolcom Center, Edsa corner Quezon Ave., Quezon City from 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. on their scheduled appointment/exam date. Examination fee is PHP600.

Civilian applicants must bring the emailed con�irmation slip, �illed-out application form and index card; two recent, identical and color 1”x1” ID pictures with white background and complete name tag (for PNP members, the name tag should indicate the rank before the name); one legal size window envelope; authenticated transcript of scholastic record with Special Order

COMPUTER, P13

render.

Another CNTG member identi�ied as alias Rosman, 18, a resident of Lianga, Surigao del Sur also surrendered to the the same unit on April 19, 2019 to 3rd SF Battalion.

He brought with him (1) cal. 5.56mm M16 Ri�le.

On Maundy Thursday, April 18, 2019, six regular CNTs and 14 Militia ng Bayan (MB) surrendered to the 3rd Special Forces Battalion while 30 members of the underground mass organization from Sitio Kahayag, Barangay Banag-banag and Sitio Bantolinao, Barangay Padiay of Sibagat Municipality, Agusan Del Sur. The combined group brought with them one M653 ri�le, one Cal.22 ri�le, six 12

gauge homemade shotguns, two cal .38 pistols, and one fragmentation grenade.

In a separate occasion, alias Joy, 18, a resident of San Agustin, Surigao del Sur and an active medic of CNTG in Northeastern Mindanao surrendered last April 17 and brought with her one Cal. 30 M1 Carbine Ri�le, one Shotgun and medical supplies.

In her revelation, alias Joy, decided to surrender after hearing the arrest of her party boyfriend, Robert Tejero Calipay Alyas Satur/Arpak, a leader of CNTG in the same area last April 14, 2019 by the troops of the 75th Infantry Battalion.

The female rebel returnee also revealed that

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC. A member of Bantay Dagat conducts a weekly clean-up at the beachfront of Sta. Ana Port in Davao City on Saturday where majority of garbage that are collected are plastic waste. The city government of Davao is mulling a ban on the use of single-use plastics to protect the environment. Lean Daval Jr

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

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6 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

DOF: Enhance coordination against terrorist financing

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HARMONICA. A woman tries to earn some cash by playing her harmonica for worshipers who visit the Stations of the Cross on Shrine Hills in Matina, Davao City on Good Friday. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO

44 boat operators meet Davao City requirements A t least 44 boat operators have secured permits from the business bureau and the city tourism operations of�ice which are required by the city government of Davao.

Business Bureau Of�icer in Charge Marissa Torentera told the recent I-Speak media forum that the of�ice has given boat operators until today (April 17) to secure the necessary permits as Davao City is implementing a “no permit , no sailing” policy.

The LGU had noticed that many chartered

boats and other vessels plying the Davao City - Island Garden City of Samal route lacked the Davao City mayor’s permit to operate business.

These boats have permits from the Maritime Industy Authority and Island Garden City of Samal but none from the city government of Davao.

Torentera said the or-

der for compliance was timely with the approaching Holy Week, a peak season for boat operators. “ Last year pa namo sila gina-ingnan na magparegister kay tindagsa baya ang mga bakasyonista,” (As early as last year, we told them to register as vacationers will be rushing in) Torentera said.

She said that the permits were for regulation as they were conducting business in the city and the local government was also providing services to

them like security, cleanup and the upkeep of the pier.

Without a bridge connecting Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, tourists are dependent on motorboats as their means of getting to Samal.

With its white sand beaches and pristine coral reefs, the Island Garden City of Samal has become a major tourism destination in the region. In 2017 about 1.3 million tourists visited the island. (PIA11)

Crop damage due to dry spell reached P23 million in DavSur

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armers in Davao del Sur had reported that as of March 31, they already incurred P231 million in losses due to the dry spell, according to data released by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-11.

Jose D. Pascua, focal person for the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of DA-11, said that a total of 6,507 farmers had already felt the impact of El Niño in the province, which had been placed under a state of calamity.

To help the farmers recoup from the losses, Pascua said the DA11 had pre-deployed open source pumps and distributed buffer

stocks of seeds, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, and chemicals for pest and disease outbreaks.

Cloud seeding activities had also started in the province since April 9 to cushion the effect of the dry spell on the crops.

More than half of the losses were incurred by the rice farmers in Bansalan, Hagonoy, Kiblawan, Magsaysay, and Matanao, amounting to P155.655 million, with 75 hectares totally destroyed and 3,582.76 hectares partially destroyed, the data showed.

DA-11 added that high value crops and corn farmers in Mag-

saysay, Matanao, and Padada had reported P62.4 million and P12.9 million losses, respectively.

At least 83.65 hectares of high value crops were totally destroyed and 1,882.71 hectares partially destroyed while, for corn, 66 hectares totally destroyed and 611.04 partially destroyed.

At least 17 provinces in Mindanao will be hit by the dry spell while 11 provinces by drought beginning end of April 2019, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported on March 22.

The dry spell

would hit Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Saranga Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigaodel Sur, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur. The provinces that would be affected by drought are Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, MisamisOccidental, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

(Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

easures to institutionalize tie-ups with other governments and foreign tax institutions vis-à-vis funding for terrorism show the Philippines’ resolve to �ight international terrorism.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, in a recent statement, raised the need for governments to collaborate to put a stop to money laundering, which has been proven to be among the main modes of funding terroristic activities.

He cited greater coordination between Philippines’ intelligence and law enforcement authorities to trace, seize, and forfeit funds suspected as being used or to be used to �inance terroristic acts.

Asked for speci�ics regarding any amount of money unearthed by the Philippine government tied to terroristic activities, Dominguez declined to elaborate.

“Sorry, but I can’t answer that as the information is a matter of national security to us and other countries,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Earlier, Philippine au-

thorities have asked European authorities to stop the �low of funds from Belgium and other country-members of the European Union (EU) that are allegedly being used to fund activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Citing data gathered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine authorities who met with of�icials from EU, European Parliament, and the European Commission (EC) said about 621,000 Euro (PHP36,663,840) has been released to the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, an organization suspected to be the front of terrorist groups.

The PNA earlier reported that the amount is the initial batch for this year sincew around 1.3 million Euro (PHP76,752,000) is expected to be released to the group this year.

The report also said that the Belgian government has set up an annual grant of about 15 million Euro (PHP885,600,000) to some Belgian non-government organizations (NGOs) for 2017-21 without knowing that some of these are fronts of terrorist groups. (PNA)

No takeover of PH assets in China loans, says DOF

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he Department of Finance (DOF) has allayed misapprehensions over a possible Chinese takeover of the Philippines’ patrimonial assets. There is no provision in the loan agreements signed between the two countries under the Duterte presidency that includes any form of collateral even in the unlikely scenario of the country failing to pay its debts to China.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin said that concerns over the waiver-of-sovereign-immunity clause in the loan accord between the Philippines and China for the Chico River Irrigation Project are unfounded, given that this part of the agreement only allows the “counterparties” to seek arbitration in case of a loan default, but not a Chinese takeover of any of the country’s properties.

Agabin said the waiver-of-immunity and arbitration clauses are standard in any loan agreements forged between states. These clauses are present not only in the loan agreements between the Philippines and China under the current government, but also in other loans accords entered into by the past administrations, with, among others, France and China.

“The waiver-of-immunity clause is usually included as a standard provision in loan agreements to enable the lender to bring the borrower before

an arbitral court in case of a default on the loan,” Agabin said. “No takeover of our state assets is possible because we do not provide any collateral for any of the loan agreements we have entered into with any government.”

Agabin also said it is very unlikely that the Philippines will default on any of its loans, more so now with its strong �iscal position and low debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio on the Duterte watch.

Moreover, he maintained that the unlikely scenario of the Philippines defaulting on its loan payments is far-fetched because a Philippine law– Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1177–mandates the automatic appropriation of funds under the annual national budget for debt service.

By 2022, when most of the �inancing for the “Build, Build, Build” program will have been accessed, the country’s project debt to China will account for 4.5 percent, while that of Japan’s will be twice as large at 9.5 percent of the total debt.

Dominguez further said the highly concessional loans and grants received by the government to help fund the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program will help make the economy fully competitive, create jobs, open more business opportunities, bring down logistics costs and realize better-distributed growth.

DOF

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

Earth day

supplement

7

Tagum river

Water crisis and the mercury scare

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“A healthy river is a niche of biodiversity. Depending on temperature, salinity, level of pollution, and especially the speed of water �low, different aquatic species will thrive in a river, its banks, or surrounding environment.” – Ricardo M. Umali, former undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “Everyone agrees water is basic for life,” wrote veteran journalist Juan L. Mercado.

“When cisterns go dry, disease and death rates surge.

That ushers in economic decay – and political instability.

Water riots can be ugly. And no one has yet invented a substitute for water.”

Water will become the dominant national issue this century and the availability of its supply could threaten the country’s social stability, some experts contend. How the soaring demands of the three leading sectors – agriculture, industrial and domestic – could be met without comprising the needs of the future generations is something policy makers and politicians should think about.

Without water, man will cease to exist. “Humans can live for a month without food but will die in less than a week without water,” said Marq de Villiers. “Once the body is deprived of �luids, the cells and organs in the body begin to deteriorate. The presence of water in the body could mean the difference between life and death,” pointed out thewaterpage.com.

Among Filipinos, about 310 to 507 million cubic meters of water are being consumed each day. “A household of �ive needs at least 120 liters per day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning,” wrote David Satterhwaite and Gordon McGranahan in their collaborative report published in the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World.

Davao City, the biggest city in the country in terms of land area, is blessed with abundant fresh drinking water, both ground and surface.

According to the website of Davao City Water District (DCWD), “Mount Apo serves as the recharge point and the areas at the foot of the mountain contains these large reservoirs, the biggest of which is the Calinan, Toril and Talomo Triangle.”

It may be unthinkable but a study done in 1991 by the Japan International Cooperative Agency has identi�ied Davao City as among the nine major cities in the country described as “water-critical areas.” The other eight cities were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Angeles, Baguio, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Zamboanga.

This must be one of the reasons why the DCWD is tapping the Tamugan River as a new surface source of water. The new source can reportedly supply as much as 400 million liters of water per day. This is in addition to the 135 million liters of water per day which the groundwater sources could supply.

Those volumes of water “are more than enough to cover the projected water demand of 331.5 million liters per day for the water utility’s service coverage area by 2012,” the DCWD said in a statement.

Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 198 – known as Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973 – the DCWD was formed for the purpose of “acquiring, installing, improving, maintaining and operating water supply and distribution systems for domestic, industrial, municipal and agricultural uses for residents and lands within the boundaries of such districts.”

The DCWD is partnering with the Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., a consortium of JV Angeles Construction Corporation and Aboitiz Venture, in

the P2-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project.

The Tamugan River, along with Panigan River, are tributaries to Davao River, the third largest river catchment on the southern part of Mindanao. Both rivers will be the future source of water for Davao City.

“In the late 1990s, faced with the problem of dwindling ground water in the aquifers of Talomo-Lipadas, the DCWD sought other viable sources of drinking water in the region to allow the aquifers to recharge,” wrote Misael Paranial, infocom specialist for the watershed advocacy group, Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), in an article featured in EDGE Davao.

“As it turned out, only Panigan-Tamugan’s surface water had the suf�icient �low and volume to meet the city’s needs,” Paranial continued.

“In a city surrounded by eight watersheds, it is the only watershed that can easily meet

Bankerohan river

the national drinking water quality requirement.”

Unfortunately, both rivers were cited in a new IDIS report of having “hazardous levels of mercury” as detected by the monitoring team. In its website, the non-government organization envisions “all peoples as stakeholders who have the right and duty to care for healthy watersheds.”

“The mercury scare is just a scare,” wrote Sera�in Ledesma, Jr., a veteran Davao-based journalist and former member of the DCWD board, in his social media account. “While I agree to their proposition that the water quality in Tamugan and Panigan rivers must be monitored, its assumption of dangerous levels of mercury in both rivers is suspect.”

However, he wondered why the �igures of mercury pollution the group cited were not constant. “High in Panigan (0.0009 mg/L), low in Tamugan (0.003 mg/L) and in the junction where the two rivers met only 0.002 mg/L

Polluted river was recorded,” he wrote.

Based on the water quality standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 2016-08, an amount of 0.00l mg/L mercury is considered safe. As such, the �indings of IDIS is indeed alarming.

According to Ledesma, during his stint as member of the DCWD board, it was his prime duty as chairman of the committees on environment and community relations to visit the two rivers. He also had to huddle with the lumad and the community leaders, observe agricultural farms and other development activities adjacent to the waterways.

Likewise, it was his job to inspect the laboratory facilities of DCWD, which was consistently rated “excellent” by no less than the Department of Health. “I cannot therefore blame Hydie Maspinas who heads the Water Quality Division of DCWD that the water district laboratory lacks the facilities to detect contaminants and pollutants.”

In the aforementioned news report, which triggered Ledesma to react, IDIS research specialist Lemuel

Manalo told the reporter that “DCWD does not have parameters in detecting mercury.”

“Truth to tell, water districts from all over Mindanao and other private enterprise that utilize water bring their water samples to DCWD laboratory for testing and certi�ication,” Ledesma wrote. “The lab is equipped with Atomic Absorption Spectro Meter that detect heavy metals and microorganisms.”

Mercury, a silvery metal in liquid form, occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. “But then again, not every spot on earth are lucky or unlucky to be endowed with rich deposits of mercury,” Ledesma argued. “De�initely not the Philippines and de�initely too neither Tamugan or Panigan.

China and Spain are some of the countries you can count with your righthand �ingers that have commercial volumes to speak of.”

According to the veteran journalist, man extracts mercury from its ore and the method used is still the same as eons ago – heating. “It used to be that small-scale miners in Diwalwal, Monkayo in Davao de Oro, used mercury to extract gold from the gold

WATER CRISIS, P13

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

EDITORIAL Beyond ‘The Hour’ The world celebrated Earth Hour on Saturday, April 20, by switching off our lights for 60 minutes. As we do this every year, we continue to be a part of the global movement to �ight climate change and save the environment. This expression of concern is overwhelming.

But beyond the Earth Hour, what do we do? Do we revert back to our old, damaging ways?

An American biologist David Blatchley, a Datu Bago laureate for his works in environmental and wildlife protection, showed everyone in the past few weeks how deep is out utter lack of regard for the environment is. His recent works on cleaning up clogged canals and drainage in Davao’s populated barangays have netted the ugly truth on the lack of concern not only by ordinary residents but also some barangay and city of�icials. Worse, for doing that, he was even branded a liar for allegedly posting recycled images.

For many years, we have used Earth Hour as an opportunity to express symbolic concern and support. However, genuine concern and support is not just symbolism but concrete actions. Instead of simply switching off, why not sit together in candlelight and take part in a community discussion and agree on some actions and solutions like cutting down on use of fuel and power, reducing car travels and cutting down or refraining on use of plastic materials. Simple, but concrete actions.

If Blatchley could clean up one canal and come back the following

EDGEDAVAO

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ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

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

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. CHA MONFORTE Correspondent

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD ADAM B. MORRELL Photography Cartoonist Reporter 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

week seeing the canal �illed with rubbish again from used plastics and stuff, what signi�icance is there in Earth Hour?

Children and young people should be taught of their roles in this global issue. A lot of them are still unconscious of their misdeeds--like throwing away plastics from the food and beverages they consume-that are killing the planet.

They need to know what the situation is and how important it is to deal with it and to get involved.

The Earth Hour is a very powerful expression of commitment to �ight climate change and other environmental issues but it is important to remember that we all – as individuals, government and private sector – need to take responsibility for �iguring out how we can make a positive contribution from simple things like waste management to bigger things like lowering emissions and reducing our carbon footprints. Climate change and environmental degradation are undeniably major concerns and it’s all too easy to lose hope in the sea of bad news that we are all swimming in every day.

Yes, we can use the Earth Hour as an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to taking concrete positive action in our daily lives but we must also be prepared on what to do beyond “The Hour.” It’s what really matters. When all the publicity, when all the cameras and the hype are gone, that is when the real expression of commitment is measured.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

GENERALDE SANTOS MANILA MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN OROCITY MARKETING OFFICE MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager 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 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe) (Smart) 09382022120 Tel: Mobile: (088) 852-4894

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

9

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DAVAO’S SPOT-BILLED PELICAN Davao Gulf was once home to the now extinct spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), the only pelican species ever recorded in the islands. It used to thrive also in Lake Buluan and Liguasan March in central Mindanao but widespread hunting, opening of new farms, deforestation, introduction of invasive plants, and uncontrolled poaching eventually led to its extinction. Its last sighting was recorded in 1972.

The bird, identi�iable by its unique, elongated mandible under the beak frame, was also found in Candaba Swamp (Pampanga), Laguna de Bay, and the coastal regions of Bulacan in the prewar years. It was �irst introduced taxonomically in ‘Le Pelican des Philippines’ (1760) and classi�ied in 1789 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804), a German botanist (study of plants), herpetologist (study of reptiles and amphibians), malacologist (study of mollusks), and entomologist (study of insects) after whom the gmelina tree (Gmelina arborea) was named.

According to the Bulletin of the National Museum (No. 4, 1904), Dean Conant Worcester, American interior secretary in

the Philippines, once obtained a specimen of the bird, which he shot in Tarlac on February 22, 1904; he also owned a live bird in his collection of fowls.

Interestingly, the Jesuit Museum in Manila also kept several live specimens of the big bird.

On the other hand, James Lee Peters, assistant curator of birds in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, identi�ied in his Check-list of Birds of the World (Volume I, 1931) the Philippine pelican as roaming along the coasts of India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Burma (Myanmar), Malay Peninsula, southern China, Hainan, Java Luzon, and Mindanao.

Depicted by its white feathers, dark feet, and spotted bill and pouch, the Philippine pelican, also known as the grey pelican, belongs to a clade (a group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor) that includes the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus philippensis crispus Bruch, 1832), pink-backed pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) and the Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

“The spot-billed pelican,” Wikipedia describes, “is a rel-

atively small pelican but still a large bird. It is 125–152 cm (49–60 in) long and a weight of 4.1–6 kg (9.0–13.2 lb). It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and a brownish tail.

The feathers on the hind neck are curly and form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish and has large pale spots and is also spotted on the sides of the upper mandible.

The tip of the bill (or nail) is yellow to orange.”

The Philippine pelican, moreover, “lives in lowland freshwater, brackish, and marine wetland areas of Southeast Asia, mainly near open water.

[They] hunt for food in both freshwater and marine environments… During the breeding season these pelicans require large trees for nesting with a preference for bare or dead trees” English naturalist Eugene W. Oates (1845-1911) also kept a large number of the Philippine pelican specimens and made an excellent study of the changes in its plumage. The result of his observations appeared in ‘Birds of British Burmah’ (1883), which he published. He noticed: “The young bird, when

fully �ledged, retains its �irst feathers for at least one year, the only change being that the brown colors become darker and the rufous edgings abraded and consequently less marked.

The impressed spots on the bill are not indicated till the sixth month, and even at the end of twelve months these spots are quite indistinct, compared with those of the adult bird. Toward the end of the �irst year a livid spot appears in front of the eyes and soon becomes clearly de�ined…

“After the �irst molt, at about twelve months of age, the whole head and neck are covered with short, soft, downy feathers, the bases of which are black, the tips white; and the crest and mane are developed to the same extent as in the adult; the shoulders and scapulars are wood-brown; the lesser and median coverts to the secondaries wood-brown; the feathers all edged with paler; the greater coverts darker brown, edged with light brown; the coverts to the tertiaries grayish brown, edged with pale fulvous… “[W]hen the bird is about thirty months old, the molt into adult breeding plumage is com-

menced and the change is entirely effected by October, except that in this �irst breeding season the wing-coverts never become entirely white as in the old birds, the feathers of these parts being a mixture of long sharp-pointed, white feathers, and comparatively blunt brown ones.”

In recent decades, pelican sightings in the country were reported. On September 8, 2016, for instance, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippine members in Davao received news of a giant bird seen in Sarangani Bay. The bird’s �irst photo was taken but it was not the spot-billed pelican’s; it was the Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), one of eight species of pelicans that still survive in the world today.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported a sighting of a pelican on January 14, 2009 at Lake Bito, in the village of Imelda, MacArthur, Leyte, which bird watchers attempted to record on photo. Tim Fisher, co-author of ‘A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines’ (2000) suggested the water bird that was spotted could have been a Dalmatian pelican.

MUJAHID NAVARRA UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

MEDITATION IN ISLAM Unlike other holidays, the Holy Week is not a holiday for merrymaking but that of meditation. While Muslims do not observe the Holy Week as it is a Non-Muslim holiday, it is great to be reminded that man, whatever his religion may be, needs to meditate more often than in a once a year event. Meditation is using your mental, physical and spiritual abilities to achieve clarity or enlightenment by focusing on relevant thoughts and keeping away the irrelevant.

Man, as a sentient being is in need of constant meditation but for a Muslim, being in a meditative state should be his default state.

In the Quran, it wasn’t the Muslims only who are required to contemplate. Allah also addresses the Non-Muslims in the verses where meditation is mentioned. One such verse that directly addresses the Non-Muslims is when Allah said, “Then do they not re�lect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” Quran 4:82.

Prophets and messenger have been reported to have lived in solitude before prophethood and more so after becoming among the chosen people of God

to bring the message to mankind. Noah, Moses, Jesus and Prophet Muhammad have all been reported to have isolated themselves away from civilization for a few days at a time to seek seclusion in a remote area or a cave that they leave only to go back to their families to get food and supplies. Prophet Zakaria has also been reported to have received the good news of having a son, John the Baptist, despite his old age while he was staying inside his praying chamber. Virgin Mary received the good news of her virgin birth to Jesus in her prayer chamber too.

For ordinary humans, meditation is an act through which we arrive at the truth and �ind deeper meaning in life. Meditation in Islam could be divided into different kinds depending on the context. It could mean tafakkur or deep thought, tadabbur or contemplation on the deeper meanings and tawassum of the re�lection we make of the events around is or within us.

Muslims are encouraged by Allah to contemplate upon his surroundings and the greatness of Allah’s creations because they mirror the greatness of the Creator. We may not see God directly, but we feel the effect of His existence which is manifested

in His creation. Allah said in the Quran, “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, and they say, “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You above such a thing; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” Quran 3:190-191.

Although sometimes being connected to the occult, meditation in Islam is never a mystic ritual where a Muslim will chant unintelligible words, in order to reach a supposed higher state of being. Meditation in Islam is not like the meditation that is being done by the Hindus and the Buddhist. Real meditation in Islam is not even like what some deviant sects who call themselves as Muslims do who meditate by dancing and swinging their heads. Muslims do not meditate by posing themselves in a posture. The meditative state could be reached while doing some other things.

The best thing to contemplate upon are the meanings of the Quran. For regular readers of the Quran, they �ind the an-

swers they needed in the pages that they read as if Allah is guiding them through the Quran.

The Quran guides them in their course of actions and life decisions while relying upon Allah with full reliance that He is the best of planners and whatever He may have decreed is a decree made with His in�inite wisdom and knowledge and we should submit ourselves to it with full submission, whether that decree is something we desire or not. This meditative state strengthens the believers’ reliance upon Allah even more.

Real meditation for Muslims is a default state of mind that the Muslim should be meditative or contemplative all the time – by being God-conscious all the time. The Muslim longs for the pleasure of his Lord all the time that all his actions are dedicated to Him only and no one else. A Muslim’s actions should never be intended for ulterior or worldly motives or bene�its. Any good deed that a Muslim does or a bad deed that he avoids should be done sincerely for the sake of Allah.

Being in a constant meditative state make a Muslim much more aware of his sins that because of this, he is aware that he may be sinning or not, even

without being reminded by others or even before suffering any legal or social consequence of his bad deeds. Being in a constant meditative state puts the Muslim in a state that he keeps weighing himself in terms of his good and bad deeds, that if there should have been vices or other bad deeds that he may have knowingly or unknowingly committed – he is always prepared to repent to Allah immediately.

A Muslim, because of this, humbly asks his Lord for forgiveness most often by words of devotion in asking for forgiveness, knowing that anytime, he may die and therefore lose all the ability to ask Allah for forgiveness.

Being in a constant meditative state is not only for the spiritual bene�it of one’s self, as it does manifest in how we treat others too. Being God-conscious make us love being just and hate being oppressive. Knowing that one is accountable for every big or small good or bad deed is enough deterrent and motivation for anyone to avoid sinning and do as many good deeds as he can. Having these kinds of individuals in a society, even if only a small percentage of us will sow the seeds of kindness, social justice, and love, even in the community level.

10 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

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Subaru XV GT Edition debuts in MIAS 2019

M

otor Image Pilipinas Inc., the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines, of�icially unveils the Subaru XV GT Edition on the �irst day of the 2019 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) at the World Trade Center.

The special edition of the highly popular crossover vehicle is a ground-breaking collaboration with renowned engineering company Giken Co. Ltd and Mister Masahiko “Jack” Kobayashi. Mr. Kobayashi is former Chief Designer (Head of Global Advanced Design Studio) at Subaru Corporation and was responsible for the exterior design of

more than 12 Subaru production models, including the legendary WRX STI. The special edition XV aero kit has four wellmade and integrated elements, which give the already sporty XV a sleeker and even sportier look: 1. Front bumper lip extension with integrated canards 2. Side skirts 3. Roof spoiler 4. Rear bumper extension These will be complemented by a set of 18-inch bespoke alloy wheels. It also boasts its own carpets and seat-leather design inspired by the cabins of high-performance grand tourers from Ger-

many and Britain. Completing the equipment package of the Subaru XV GT Edition is a dual sideview monitor system, which enables drivers to park and manoeuvre with ease.

This iteration of the XV will be a game-changer for Subaru in the country as it caters to Filipinos’ preference for dynamic and sporty vehicle features.

Filipinos expect their vehicles to be in good form and function to suit a “ready for anything” lifestyle. The new Subaru XV GT Edition is a prime choice for consumers who wish to elevate the fun in driving, as it combines

gives budding racers the opportunity to become the next racing superstar.

The search is open to candidates from 15 to 29 years old with the following requirements: Filipino citizen or of Filipino descent; valid driver’s license; one year competitive experience in the following grassroots disciplines: karting, drifting, circuit, slalom, off-road, autocross, and FORS (FlatOut Race Series); and can drive a manual vehicle.

After a deliberation by a screening panel, approved participants will be invited to the Formula V1 Young Drivers’ Program testing day on April 30, 2019 at Clark International Speedway. The event will consist of a series of tests and exercises that covers driving skills, personality assessment, and pro�iciency in media interviews.

“The Formula V1 lineup is already full of great talent, but we are looking

forward to the Phoenix Young Drivers’ Program discovering even more promising racers and giving one deserving winner a chance to live his racing dreams,” said Phoenix Petroleum Chief Operating Of�icer Henry Fadullon.

The chosen candidate who aces the tests will become a sponsored Formula V1 driver with OTR Racing in the Phoenix Team AM Class, which includes three race weekends, three practice sessions, and a Formula V1 OMP Racing Suit.

Interested participants may sign up and register by accessing the online form on the Phoenix Petroleum Facebook page or on tuasonracing. com and provide their motorsports experience and credentials. The deadline for submission is on April 20, 2019. Race car drivers with extensive experience, plus an A grade license are not allowed to participate as the search is for new blood.

Motor Image’s in-depth understanding of the market, Mr. Kobayashi’s expertise, as well as Giken’s experience and Japan standard production capability in Southeast Asia.

“Motor Image worked with Giken and Kobayashi-san, because they share our enthusiasm for design and creating fun and exciting products. I know this will be the start of an exciting collaboration for Subaru customers. We believe this GT edition will help create excitement in Asia and offer expect that the Philippines will be one of the key markets for the Subaru XV GT Edition.” said Mr Glenn Tan.

The sporty crossover made even sportier now, designed exclusively for Asia.

Mr. Kobayashi originally trained and practiced as a fashion designer in Tokyo before graduating with a degree in Transportation Design.

In a 25-year career with Subaru, he was known as the ‘hit maker’, after designing numerous successful models, including the original Outback, which was the world’s �irst sports-utility wagon, several generations of the Legacy and Impreza, the current WRX and WRX STI sports saloons, the Levorg sports tourer and the �irst-generation XV. He is now an independent designer.

Giken is an award-winning engineering compa-

ny founded in 1964. Holding numerous patents in Japan, South Korea and the United States, it has established itself as an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of technological and material handling systems. Giken is a global supplier of aero-parts and other passenger car components to Subaru and other major Japanese car brands.

Be the �irst to catch the Subaru XV GT Edition here in the country for the �irst time at the Subaru booth in this year’s MIAS from April 4 to 7. The XV GT Edition is also now available for booking at any of the Subaru showrooms nationwide.

Phoenix PULSE powers Giti-Formula V1 Challenge

T

he Formula V1 grid will be powered by PULSE Technology this year as Phoenix Petroleum con�irms its sponsorship of the 2019 season. As the exclusive fuel of choice, Phoenix PULSE offers a formulated blend with advanced cleaning and protection properties for enhanced power and acceleration to elevate the racing series.

Launched in 2018, the Giti-Formula V1 Challenge brings back single-seat racing in the local motorsports scene.

While familiar faces such as Gaby Dela Merced and Raymond Ronquillo are expected to return to the tracks this year, the competition will also feature new drivers.

More than being the exclusive fuel provider of the Giti-Formula V1 Challenge, Phoenix extends its support in elevating Philippine motorsports as it introduces the Phoenix Young Drivers’ Program–a sponsorship initiative that

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

Earth day

supplement

11

Saving the country’s bird icon from extinction Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“The worst thing that can happen – will happen – is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government.

As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can repaired within a few generations. The one process that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.” -- American biologist Peter Raven Philippine Eagle Last January 15, Pag-asa – which means “hope” in Tagalog – turned 29 years old.

The male Philippine eagle holds the record of being the �irst of its species to be bred and hatched in captivity. He is the result of a long and tedious work of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), whose camp is based in Malagos at Calinan District, some 30 kilometers northwest and about an hour’s ride from downtown Davao.

“Pag-asa connotes hope for the continued survival of the Philippine eagle, hope that it people get together for the cause of the bird, it shall not be doomed to die,” explains Dennis Joseph I. Salvador, the PEF executive director.

For a y e a r, t h e

staff members of PEF waived their salaries in order for them to save the “world’s noblest �lier” from vanishing in this part of the globe. In 1992, after more than a decade’s study of eagle behavior, both in the wild and in captivity, Pag-asa was born.

The birth made headlines around the world. But what most people didn’t know was that two captive eagles at the center, Junior (male) and Diola (female), were induced with the help of human beings to reproduce.

In the past, many pioneering efforts were done

to breed certain endangered species in captivity but failed.

According to Salvador, the breeders of captive eagles and other birds �ind it dif�icult to induce captive birds to reproduce. Many factors have to be considered like food, protection and nesting needs, he said.

The PEF breeders were left with no other viable option but to employ arti�icial insemination (AI), which means they have to catch the semen from a male eagle and inject it into the genital of the female eagle.

There were �ive reasons why they resorted to AI in breeding the eagle, the PEF said. For one, although the male eagle gets into all stages of the breeding cycle, h e

still fails to copulate. Another thing: most eagles at the center are already “sexually imprinted” on humans (meaning the eagle has already “accepted” a human as its sexual partner).

There was also a shortage of unrelated sexually mature male eagles, PEF said.

Some available pairs were either crippled or disabled and can’t have natural sex with each other. Finally, there were instances where pairs of eagles of both sexes would rather kill each other than have sex.

Nine months after Pagasa was born, another eagle

was bred and hatched in captivity. They named the eaglet Pagkakaisa (Tagalog term for “unity”).

“Both Pag-asa and Pagkakaisa have brought hope and unity for those who have fought so hard and so long to save the Philippine eagle from extinction,” Salvador points out. “But the struggle must continue. And we can’t afford to fail. Because when the last eagle dies, it shal be the sign of the worst yet to come: The death of our environment.”

There are only 400 pairs of Philippine eagle remaining in the wild, according to PEF. Most of them are found only on the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.

The PEF houses more than three dozens of them.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Philippine eagle as “critically endangered.” On July 4, 1995, the President Fidel V. Ramos declared the Philippine eagle as the national bird by signing Presidential Proclamation No. 615. The law ordered the environment department to secure the viability of the bird’s population.

The Philippine eagle is second only to the Madagascar sea eagle in rarity. In size, it beats the American bald eagle; it is the world’s second largest – after the Harpy eagle of Central and South America.

The eagle was being collected in the country as early as 1703, but it was not until 1896 that it was “discovered” in Samar by the English naturalist, John Whitehead, who called it the “Great Philippine eagle.”

Before it was called Philippine eagle, it was known as monkey-eating eagle (its generic name, Pithecophaga, comes from the Greek words “pithekos” or monkey, and “phagein,” meaning eater). However, it was found out that monkeys actually comprised an insigni�icant portion of its diet, which consists mainly of �lying lemurs, civet cats, bats, rodents, and snakes.

On May 8, 1978, through Presidential Proclamation No. 1732, the eagle was �inally given its present name.

With a span of nearly seven feet and a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the Philippine eagle can gracefully swoop down on an unsuspecting “victim” and carry it off without breaking �light, according to PEF. If there is such a thing as forever, the Philippine eagles have proven it. “These birds remain loyal to their mates and they bond for life,” says the website of Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB).

“Once an eagle reaches sexual maturity – at around �ive years for female and seven years for male – it is bound for life with its mate,” the PEF adds. “They can be seen soaring in pairs in the skies.”

PEF further states: “During the breeding season, the eagle do aerial courtship and mate in the nest or near it. Female eagle lays only one egg every two years. Both parents alternately incubate the egg for about 60 days, although the female spends more time incubating while the male hunts.

“Upon hatching, the eagle

Philippine Eagle Center

Denudation remains in the nest for about 5.5 months. Once it �ledges, the eagle parents will continue to look after its young for as long as 17 6o 18 months teaching the young eagle how to �ly, hunt, and to survive on its own. The young eagle matures in about six years.”

Studies show that the eagle’s next is approximately 80 feet above the ground (usually on tall trees) in prominent mountain peaks overlooking a river or stream to give a good view of its territory.

Unfortunately, the Philippine eagles are on the verge of extinction. An arti-

cle published in Current Biology ranked the country’s icon No. 8 in the list of the world’s most endangered birds. “This is truly a dubious distinction for our national bird,” Salvador commented.

On why the Philippine eagle is nearing extinction, the publication surmised: “One of the big hurdles in conserving the Philippine eagle is that each breeding pair requires a range up to 40 square kilometers to adequately feed and rear their offspring, which makes it

SAVING, P13

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SAVING... FROM 11

WATER CRISIS... FROM 7 ore (rocks).”

IDIS reported that while conducting history research, the group found small-scale mining used to operate in the area. “The presence of mercury is not easy to remove, since it’s a heavy metal,” Manalo was quoted as saying.

“Its heavy molecule cannot be easily degraded due to its heavy atomic weight.”

Ledesma begged to disagree, however. “If that was long ago, mercury must have settled deep in the earth’s crust and that should not be a cause of alarm anymore.”

While Ledesma seemed to support what IDIS was doing, he recommended, however, that the NGO should focus more on Panigan river and should not lump Tamugan river into the “scare scenario.”

“Panigan river is indeed the problem area because there are �lower farms and banana plantations and other development activities that

intrude beyond the slopes which ought to be declared no development zones,” Ledesma contended.

“Chemicals like pesticides and other agricultural inputs can easily leach or cascade to Panigan river and that is a cause of concern,” he added.

Ledesma also suggested that on the Tamugan river side, “some small farm lots of Cavendish banana plantations just near the barangay center should be changed to other crops like coffee or cacao.” He also urged to have a border zone “where only agroforest trees or tiger grass should be allowed to help �ilter contaminants.”

Ledesma assured the public that DCWD has “a sustained partnership with the communities in Tamugan and Panigan in many projects that they have in the watershed areas.”

“Since the water district decided to tap the surface

water of these rivers as the best alternative source of water for the next generations to come, it had since then engaged local settlers to guard the protected watersheds,” Ledesma wrote.

“DCWD along with its partners had replanted thousands of hectares of denuded forest lands, especially Mount Tipolog which is the main recharge area of the two rivers.”

The indigenous peoples in Tamugan dubbed DCWD as “a corporation with a heart.” “The reason behind this,” Ledesma explained, “is that DCWD spends for the education of not a few deserving students in the community and have employed them upon graduation. The company has sustained health and sanitation program for the community. It also taps the locals in maintaining its nurseries for tree seedlings and as forest guards.” – ###

issued by the Commission on Higher Education and diploma; birth certi�icate in security paper issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or certi�ied true copy of the birth certi�icate issued by the Local Civil Registrar and duly authenticated by the PSA; and any valid ID card with picture and signature Police Of�icer 1 (PO1) applicants with temporary appointment must bring a certi�ied true copy of Attested Appointment, Plantilla Appointment, or Special Order.

After completing the application process, applicants will be required to be at the examination room located at the 20th Floor of the same building to take the threehour examination. Only 40 examinees will be accommodated per exam day. The Certi�icate of Eligibility or Report of Rating will be given personally to the examinee after the examination.

Examinees who fail in the Napolcom computer-assisted exam shall be allowed to take the same exam after three months.

The PNP Entrance examination is open to all Filipino citizens who are bachelor’s degree holders and not more than 30 years old.

PO1s, whose appointments are temporary for lack of appropriate eligibility, are also required to take the PNP entrance exam.

Applicants should wear a plain white shirt, dark pants and shoes during their scheduled appointment/examination date. Those who are not in the prescribed attire will not be allowed to enter the exam center. (PNA)

COMPUTER... FROM 4

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particularly vulnerable to deforestation.”

The PEF said the natural habitat of Philippine eagle is mainly dipterocarp lowland forest where it is known to nest almost exclusively ranging from 100 to 1,000 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, these habitats are fast disappearing.

Thanks to man’s interference. Rich businessmen reportedly multiplied their fortune by engaging in illegal logging. Cash-strapped farmers resorted to slash-andburn farming (“kaingin”) to make both ends meet.

“Deforestation is terrible,” Salvador deplored. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest has made it lose its natural habitat.”

According to BMB, “at present, only 18% of the original forest remain and old-growth forests continue

to diminish. Raptors cannot live without the forests.

Loss of habitats means loss of breeding sites, cover, and hunting areas for the eagles.”

The BMB adds, “The principal limiting factor for Philippine eagle populations is the low survival rates of juveniles and sub-adults and their inability to disperse across disturbed habitats between forest fragments.

The fragmentation of habitats renders the species vulnerable to hunting and other forms of persecution, including the capture of birds and nestlings for private and public display.”

Still another threat: hunting. “Some do it because of ignorance but most, I believe, because of arrogance,” Salvador pointed out. “People believe they can get away with it so they do it. This of course it aggravated by poor enforcement of the law and

EDGE DAVAO

clear lack of political will.”

Efforts to save the Philippine eagle started way back in 1965 by Jesus A. Alvarez, then director of the autonomous Parks and Wildlife Of�ice, and Dioscoro S. Rabor, another founding father of Philippine conservation programs.

From 1969 to 1972, General Charles Lindbergh, an aviator, spearheaded a drive to save the bird. In 1973, Peace Corps volunteer Robert S. Kennedy joined the Smithsonian-Peace Corps Environmental Program for the Philippines and came to assist in saving the Philippine eagle.

The Philippine eagle may soon join the dodo into extinction if they are not to be saved now. “We should do our best to save this wonderful creature because when it is gone, it is gone from the list of animals in the world,” Dr. Rabor reminded. – ###

NOW HIRING!!!

3 REPORTERS 2 LAYOUT ARTISTS

Kindly address application letter ASAP to

ELLA P. TINGZON | 0918 383 1511

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

14 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

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VOL.12 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 21-22, 2019

15

Registrants to SBP Coaching Clinic now 40

By ADAM B. MORRELL

R

egistrants for the SBP Coaches Clinic Level 1.5 that will commence on April 27 have swelled to 40 although organizers hope more local coaches will be interested in availing of the upgrade opportunity.

The Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center basketball facility will be the venue of the twoday seminar to be handled by many-time national team coach Jong Uichico. The coaching development program

is a project of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) 11 regional director and Presidential Adviser for Sports Glenn Escandor.

"Kaya lang sana ma-appreciate din nila itong ginagawa namin by taking advantage of it," SBP Davao executive program of�icer Ronel Leuterio said after the numbers have remained less than a hundred for the seminar that will coincidentally commence during the opening

of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City.

Leuterio was quite disappointed with the turnout of the early registration as he expects a hundred or more coaches from the Davao Region to participate in this rare opportunity given by SBP Davao regional director and Presidential Adviser on Sports Glenn Escandor.

According to SBP Davao secretary Jeuchrist Binoya, some

B

A

fter 4 Filipinos quali�ied for the Round of 16, only one remains standing in the �inals of the inaugural WPA Players Championship at Griff Billiards in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2017 World 9 Ball champion Carlo Biado survived a rough semi�inal match against Taiwan's Chang Yu Lung.

Chang trailed Biado 6-3 but the Filipino made some costly errors in the ninth rack that let the Taiwanese cut the lead to 5-4.

Billiards: Carlo Biado bows to German foe in World 9-Ball Championship

From there Biado was able to capitalize on Chang's mistakes and eventually win 9-6 and qualify for the �inals.

Biado is currently squaring off against Taiwan's Kevin Cheng who beat Filipino Jonathan Chua in the other semis pairing.

Before making it to Round of 16, the world number 3 ranked Biado took down another Taiwanese, Yang Ching Shun, 8-6.

Then he met the USA’s Shane Van Boening in the quarter�inals, beating the American with a convincing 7-4 win.

also to pay P1,000 registration fee for the coaches clinic if it wasn't brought here in Davao City.

Last year which was considered the �irst SBP Coaches Clinic held in Mindanao, Escandor and Leuterio gave it for free to the �irst 200 coaches.

However, Leuterio have thought of pegging the registration at P500 this time around to make the coaches appreciate it more.

"Dapat naman, kasi

sa totoo lang, kami naman, hindi kami kumikita sa mga ganyan.

Abonado pa nga kami," he explained.

Leuterio urged coaches who haven't signed up yet to of�icially register before the deadline on April 22.

"Para din naman to sa kanila. I hope they won't miss this opportunity as it might not happen again if they won't appreciate it," the executive program of�icer said.

PH bets crash out alanga Chooks and Pasig Chooks crashed out of the quarter�inals of the 2019 FIBA World Tour Masters in Doha after losing to top seeded Liman and number 3 Riga Ghetto.

Pasig fell to Riga, 1521, while Balanga lost to Liman, 9-21, ending their title aspirations

Biado enters WPA finals

40 coaches have paid for the registration while 50 others reserved for slots. Some also withdrew their entries due to schedule con�lict with Palaro.

"Instead kasi of letting them go to Manila to attend SBP Coaches Clinic, we bring it here to spare then from shredding a huge amount of money," Leuterio said.

Aside from plane tickets and hotel accommodations, provincial coaches has

for the �irst of 12 World Tour legs this season.

Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 commissioner Eric Altamirano said he remains proud of the valiant stand put up by

Carlos Biado in file photo.

the two Pinoy squads.

“We made a statement that we belong here in the World Tour,” he said as Pasig stunned Liman, 19-16, while Balanga shocked Riga, 1917, during the pool stages last Thursday.

“Seeing the level of play here and knowing that we can keep up with the world’s best, it will de�initely make our players hungrier to get back in the next legs of the World Tour,” he added.

Riga took down the Doha Masters, taking a close 15-14 win over Liman, who snapped the 35-game winning streak of Novi Sad 20-17 during the semi�inals.

For sweeping Pool A, the Pasig quartet of Taylor Statham, Joshua Munzon, Angelo Tsaga-

rakis, and Nikola Pavlovic ended up as �ifth place to bring home $5,000 while Balanga’s Travis Franklin, Alvin Pasaol, Karl Dehesa, and Santi Santillan, who swept Pool C, �inished in sixth place in the 12-team meet.

READ: 3-man Balanga Chooks off to strong start in FIBA 3x3 World Tour Doha Seeing that the Filipino is at-par with the world’s �inest, Chooksto-Go Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas vowed that there will be more to come for Philippine 3x3 basketball.

“Now that we are back in the game, we will join every 3x3 tournament FIBA wants us to join,” he said.

“This is just the start for us. We will continue to raise the level of our league, hoping that one day we can be seen by the world as one of the elite 3x3 basketball countries.”

In the slam dunk competition, David Carlos’ jaw-dropping set of jams was not enough to take down 2018 FIBA 3X3 World Tour Dunk Champion Vadim Miller.

Carlos’ three-dunk show that was highlighted by a scorpion dunk over Pasaol only ended up with a total score of 85. Miller, on the other hand, put on a �lawless performance for a score of 90.

The 5-foot-9 Filipino dunk artist still brought home $500 for his efforts.

14 16

A4 INdulge!

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VOL.11 VOL.12 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, FEBRUARY MARCH24-25, 17-18,2019 2019 VOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE 3021 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL APRIL 21-22, 7-8, 2019