Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 194 | Sunday - Monday, December 8-9, 2019

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CHINESE AID

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Chinese Consul extends P7-M aid to quake-hit Cor Jesu College

By ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO he Chinese Government and communities in the Philippines turned-over P7 million (1-M Chinese Yuan) worth of �inancial support to the earthquake-hit Cor Jesu College, Inc. in Digos City.

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Cor Jesu College is among those damaged by the consecutive earthquakes last October.

According to Consul General Li Lin in his speech during the turnover on December 4, the donation and many other relief programs by their government is just one of the continuous and growing cooperation and friendship mechanisms between China and the Philippines.

Consul General Lin also shared that his �irst visit to Digos City was with his colleague Vice-Consul Cao at the invitation of Mayor Josef Cagas to probe for exchanges and cooperation.

“We were deeply moved by the warm hos-

ABANDONED. Mayor Arthur Davin of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, shows visiting officers of the Printing Industry Association of Davao, Inc. (PIADI) cooperative, a map indicating a portion of the town that has been aban-

doned by residents after it was declared uninhabitable as a result a series of successive Magnitute 6 earthquakes ans aftershocks last month.

pitality and friendship extended to us. When we learned that a considerable number were hit by the three major earthquakes, we decided to come back and offer our help,” Lin said.

The consulate visited Digos were they were able to donate 8,000 bags of food, blanket and some other necessities secured for the victims of Digos and three other municipalities in Davao del Sur--Magsaysay, Bansalan, and Matanao.

The Chinese Consulate is the very �irst foreign responder who extended their aid to their Filipino friends in need.

This China aid works would not have been possible without the help of the very ef�icient

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PRINTERS TO THE SUCCOR. Owners and executives of printing companies belonging to the Printing Industry Association of Davao, Inc. (PIADI) pose for posterity with children and food packs which they brought to evacuation centers of the hardest-hit barangays of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. The group was headed by Ms Olivia D. Velasco, PIADI vice chair, in lieue of Chairman Eladio “Lads” Aviola who was indisposed.

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

PIADI printing coop assists Magsaysay quake victims

M President Rodrigo Roa Duterte holds a situation briefing on the effects of Typhoon Tisoy at the Legazpi City Convention Center on Thursday night.

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

ember companies of Davao’s burgeoning printing industry did their share in assisting victims of the series of Magnitude 6 earthquakes in Mindanao particularly hardest hit residents of Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur. Of�icers and members of the cooperative of the Printing Industry Association of Davao, Inc. (PIADI) led by Ms Olivia D. Velasco of Zion Accuprint, vice chairman, distributed P125,000 worth of food packs to residents of Malongon and San Miguel.

With the group were Juan “Jonjon” Ramirez of Cortess Printing Press, Marissa Atega of Midtown Prirting Corporation, Rody Darang of San Jose Printing

Press, Lucas Muico of Daltan Printing Press, Aquino Kalinga of SMKC Printing Press, Edwin Valledor of Citywide Printing Press, Pastor Dandy Corro, consultant of PIADi Printing Technical Training Center, and Anita Dayanghirang, PIADI store manager.

Chairman Eladio “Lads” Aviola failed to make it to the trip as he was sick.

The printers went to the evacuation centers manned by personnel of the Department of Social Wefare and Development to tall to the victims.

They also paid a courtesy call on Magsaysay Mayor Arthur Davin who was holding a temporary of�ice as the municipal hall sustained damage from the tremors.

avao City Mayor Sara Duterte has kept the yearly tradition of the city government of bringing joy to the children with cancer this holiday season.

This after the city government organized activities for the kids with cancer at the House of Hope on December 4. Children with cancer were treated to Christmas surprises — from food to entertainment.

Each of the kids received a Jollibee meal, toys, and a gift-check worth P500 pesos. Jollibee and Twirlie mascots were also present to bring smiles to the kids.

In return, the children rendered the “Salamat” song popularized by Yeng Constantino as their of thanking the city government for the Christmas treat.

In her video message to the children and their families, Sara was hopeful that

the families will stay strong together amid challenges and dif�iculties they face each day.

“Mga kaigsoonan ko, nagalaom ako nga taliwala sa mga pagsulay og mga suliranin nga atong nasinati, nagapadayon kita ug ang atong mga pamilya nga lig-on (My brothers and sisters, I am hoping that despite the challenges and dif�iculties we are experiencing, we remain strong).

She also sent her heartfelt Christmas greetings and wish that families �ind meaning in the simple celebration.

“Akong ginapaabot ang kinasing-kasing ko nga panghinaot nga unta ang atong selebrasyon sa Pasko mahimong tiunay nga manghinungdanon bisan pa man kini simple lang (I wish that this Christmas celebration will be a memorable one, even if it is simple), she said.

MinDA ready to download Inday brings joy to kids with cancer funds for bulk water study D

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is ready to download the P500,000 funding to be used for the drafting of the feasibility study (FS) of the bulk water project for Davao de Oro (Compostela Valley) under MinDA’s Mindanao Water Supply Program, which was launched at Acacia Hotel Davao last Friday.

In partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), MinDA’s Water Supply Program aims “to contribute to attaining peace, prosperity and poverty reduction to isolated and remote areas in Mindanao through provision of water supply for drinking and irrigation”.

MinDA chair Secretary

Emmanuel Piñol told media in a press conference that they are granting Davao de Oro a budget of P500,000 for the FS and engineering study for its water bulk facility. He said they are just waiting for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s resolution. He also said they were supposed to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) during the launch but the provin-

Livelihood training in Mindanao's poorest provinces slated in 2020

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team of agriculture experts will conduct a lecture series on livelihood projects targeting Mindanao's poorest provinces, especially in the con�lict-affected areas, starting January 2020.

In a statement on Thursday, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said a team of agriculture experts will teach rural folks on raising native chicken and goat, cattle fattening, as well as vegetable farming.

“My advocacy is to achieve peace and prosperity in Mindanao through simple livelihood projects” said Piñol.

He said that a certain Arnel Corpuz, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who had long experience in cattle fattening in Australia and owns the Adelaide Farm, is joining this advocacy program of MinDA. The livelihood projects will be hosted under the

Livelihood Opportunities in Villages for Economic Upliftment (LOVE-U) program, which aims to reduce poverty and contribute to attainment of peace and security in Mindanao.

“We will identify priority areas for the lecture series which include the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Maguindanao and Saranggani, which are among the 10 poorest provinces in the country. These areas also were recently devastated by the series of earthquakes”, Piñol said.

The island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, which are being positioned as the sources of supplies needed in reopening of the Barter Trade with Sabah, are also identi�ied as priority areas for the LOVE-U program.

In a recent visit to Sabah, Malaysia late last month, Chief Minister Mohd Sha�ie Apdal informed Secretary Piñol

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cial government was not able to complete the MOA. “Ready na ang kuwarta pero wala nila maapas ilang MOA kay wala naapas sa SP. But we are ready to download the money right away,” Piñol said.

The FS of the bulk water facility would determine how much water will be needed for Nabunturan and other towns. It would also determine the design of the bulk water facility.

According to Piñol, Davao de Oro Governor Tyron Uy is looking to initially serve the water needs of Nabunturan and after that he will expand to other towns like Montevista and Monkayo before the end of his term.

“I talked to Governor Tyron Uy and he is looking at P300 million loan to provide water for Nabunturan

and other towns,” Piñol said.

Piñol said if the province can conclude the FS in three month time and MinDA could work out things with DBP, perhaps before the end of the year they could start working for the project, which could be the �irst project that will be undertaken under this program. He also said Zambonga City is also looking at this program as it is planning to build its own water facility.

It is among the goals of the water supply program to improve access to water supply for drinking and irrigation, improve productivity of agri-�ishery areas, and improve productivity of �isherfolk and farmers.

“This aims to address an often time overlook

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Mindanao Development Authority chairman Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (center), together with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año (left) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Board of Director lawyer Rogelio Garcia, says during the

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launching of Mindanao Water Supply program held at Acacia Hotel in Lanang, Davao City on Friday the agency seeks to address the water supply issue in several isolated and remote communities. Lean Daval Jr

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Cotabato City to hold Shariff Kabunsuan fest

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Consul General Li Lin said the donation and many other relief programs by their government is just one of the continuous and growing cooperation and friendship mechanisms between China and the Philippines.

DOT 11 seeks LGU assistance in accrediting tourism providers

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he regional of�ice of the Department of Tourism (DOT 11) is seeking for the support of various provincial governments and local government units (LGUs) in accrediting more tourism establishments in the region.

DOT 11 regional director Tanya Rabat-Tan reported during the Davao Tourism Industry Gathering 2019 on Friday that DOT 11 has accredited 316 tourism providers. The number represents more than 50 percent increase compared to last year’s 173. The agency is targeting to accredit 250

establishments this year from the sectors of accommodation, transportation, and restaurants.

Tan said they will campaign harder and will partner with the provinces and chief executives to help them with the accreditation to achieve their goal of accrediting 50 percent more

Pope Francis to lead Aguinaldo mass for Pinoys in Rome Dec. 15

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or the �irst time, a Pope will celebrate the traditional Aguinaldo Mass for Filipinos in Rome at the St. Peter’s Basilica on December 15.

Pope Francis will preside over the 4:30 p.m.

(10:30 p.m., Manila time) Mass at the Basilica which is expected to be attended

by Rome and Philippine of�icials.

Though such Mass for Filipinos has been held there several times in the past, the Dec. 15 celebration will be the �irst-ever to be presided over by a pontiff.

“This is the fourth year that we celebrate it in the basilica but the �irst time that the Pope will be the one to preside,” said Scalabrinian Fr. Ricky Gente of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

He, however, added that they can only accommodate 7,500 churchgoers.

“We have thousands of Filipinos who requested entry but we are not allowed to go beyond that sitting capacity of the basilica,” Gente said.

Some 150 priests including Cardinal Vicar Angelo de Donatis, the Vicar of Rome, and Fr. Leonir Chiarello, head of the Scalabrinians worldwide are also concelebrating the Eucharistic Celebration.

Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Grace Relucio-Princesa and the country’s envoy to Italy Domingo Nolasco are expected to attend the celebration.

After the December 15 Mass, the other Aguinaldo Masses which are held for nine consecutive days leading up to Christmas, will be held at the Santa Pudenziana Basilica, which

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of tourism establishments from this year’s accredited establishments. She is optimistic that they will be able to achieve it because of new establishments popping up in the region.

“We seek for the support of the provinces and LGUs. I guess isa yun na baka makatulong din plus yung double effort ng aming team,” she added.

“Maybe we can reach the �igure kasi nag-survey tayo ulit for the accreditable establishments. We did the survey last month at baka ma-change yung number and it might increase to 1,000 kasi during the year maraming nag-pop up na

new establishments. If we based on the new �igure baka nasa 500 na at yun na ang target but we will still re-asses,” she said.

She said they have a team which goes around, making reviews of all the tourism establishments based on the lists of the LGUs. “Yung may mga permits and then they check on the facilities on which are quali�ied for accreditation.

Medyo madugo because they have to visit and really check. We really have procedures to follow and we don’t just come up to that �igure,” she said.

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four-day festival that highlights Islamic heritage caps a productive year for Cotabato City. From Dec 15-19, the annual Shariff Kabunsuan (SK) Festival will be celebrated with pomp and pageantry through parades, dancing, business fora, exhibits and feasts.

Shariff Muhammad Kabunsuan, an Arab missionary from Malaysia, introduced Islam in Mindanao in the 13th century, way before the Spaniards brought Christianity in the Visayas.

This makes Islam the country’s oldest-known religion that believes only in one God. The festival opens on Dec 15 with the Guinakit Fluvial Parade. The people assemble at the wharf at 7 a.m. to witness the re-enactment of Shariff Kabunsuan’s arrival at Rio Grande de Mindanao, the island’s second largest river located in Cotabato City.

It was said that the Arab missionary rode on a colorful boat called the guinakit. Through the years, it has been the sailing vessel of Muslim royalty. For the parade, the guinakit will be decked with �laglets and vibrant-colored fabrics.

Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi will grace the festival opening ceremonies at the City Plaza. The Old City Hall will exhibit artworks by local artists.

At the City Mall, the SK Bazaar will feature artisanal products by local entrepreneurs. In the evening, the Banggala Fashion Fair will promote contemporary Muslim fashion that follows Islamic dress codes.

On Dec 16, the Mini-Guinakit Opening is an exhibit-competition of guinakit models at the People’s Palace Grounds.

For foodies, the Crab Festival at the City Plaza showcases the city’s iconic mud crab through a crab race and culinary demo. Pa-

tronized for its sweet and rich meat, the mud crab is one of the city’s economic generators. Thus, this event is also a venue for crab growers to meet potential investors.

Patterned after the reality TV show, “Iron Chef,” the Flavors of the ASEAN Culinary Competition, is a contest between chefs and skilled cooks. The tilt challenges their creativity in using local ingredients such as native chicken, goat’s meat, shrimps and �ish.

The Qur’an Reading at the People’s Palace presents readers and reciters who have won in national and international competitions.

The morning of Dec 17 rocks with the Kuyog Street Dancing and Showcase Competition at the City Plaza and at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC). The dances are themed on the pre-Islamic lifestyle and culture. The festival’s main crowd drawer enlists legions of students and cultural groups not only from the city but also from neighboring provinces. One contingent can have as much as a hundred participants, dressed in stylized costumes.

At the City Plaza, the Colors of Cotabato with SK Music Fest is a motley of songs and dances from the various ethno linguistic groups in the city--Maguinanao, Meranaw , Iranon.

Bisayas, Cebuano and Ilonggo.

One of the Department of Trade and Industry’s visions is to boost the industry of halal --food prepared according to Islamic laws— and make the country globally competitive. On Dec. 18, the Halal Business Forum at Rebecca’s Café aims to advance the partnership between the private and public sectors.

The DTI will also launch its nationwide program, Negosyo sa Barangay,

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Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy casted his vote at around 7:30AM on Saturday at Precinct 63A in Magnaga Elementary School, Pantukan for the plebiscite on the renaming of Compostela Valley Province to Davao de Oro. (PIA 11)

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Imported vehicle sales up 5% in October: AVID

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he Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID) booked a 5-percent increase in the sales of imported vehicles in October, driven by a higher demand for light commercial vehicles and passenger cars.

In a statement, AVID said it sold 7,320 units in October versus the 7,000 units sold the previous month.

Sales, however, declined slightly by 3 percent or 71,396 units sold yearto-date in October compared to the same period last year.

But AVID is optimistic the automotive industry’s performance will make headway in the last two months of the year.

“Lower in�lation, interest rates, and fuel prices coupled with increased consumer spending with the start of the holiday season could boost industry performance. Increased government spending on key infrastructure projects and the jeepney modernization program will further bolster demand, especially for light and

heavy commercial vehicles,” AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said.

Sales of light commercial vehicles (LCV) grew 6 percent month-on-month with 4,689 units sold for October compared with the 4,413 units sold in the previous month.

However, a slight dip of 4.3 percent in year-to-date sales was recorded with 45,536 units sold versus the same period last year.

Ford leads this segment with 16,522 units sold, followed by Hyundai with 12,331 units, and Suzuki with 12,267 units sold since the start of the year.

Sales in the passenger cars (PC) segment also grew by 2 percent monthon-month (MOM) with 2,591 units sold in October. Hyundai maintains its industry leadership in this segment with 1,457 units sold in October alone, followed by Suzuki with 690 units.

AVID’s year-to-date sales for PC dipped by 3 percent with 25,133 units sold from 25,821 units sold during the same peri-

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Escandor matriarch Violeta Escandor, grandchildren Irra and Yarri Escandor, Jerome Escandor, The Royal Mandaya Hotel (TRMH) general manager Benjie Banzon, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc (DCCCII) outgoing president Art Milan, Thelma Derla and Cherry Faye

Banquil Al-ag of Davao Tourism Authority (DATA) lead the ringing of the bells to mark the lighting of Christmas tree and decorations at the hotel’s lobby on Friday night. Lean Daval Jr

for promotion of NEDA Board approves phase 1 Budget creative industries eyed of Mindanao Railway project T

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he National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has con�irmed the earlier approval given by the NEDA Investment Coordination Committee - Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) for the TagumDavao-Digos segment or Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP-TDD).

In its meeting on Friday, 29 November 2019, the NEDA Board con�irmed the 10 July 2019 and 27 September 2019 approvals given by the ICC-CabCom for the project.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade thanked the decision of the NEDA Board, saying the move brings the Mindanao Railway Project closer to realization.

“This builds on the dream of President Rodrigo Duterte to generate development in Mindanao

through an ef�icient rail system that will not only move people throughout the island of Mindanao, but will also generate needed economic growth,” said Secretary Tugade.

The MRP-TDD is the �irst phase of the proposed 830-kilometer MRP Loop.

It aims to establish a 74km at-grade and 26-km elevated (viaduct) commuter railway from Tagum City in Davao del Norte to Digos City in Davao del Sur. Phase 1 will have eight

stations located in Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao, Toril, Sta. Cruz, and Digos.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary and Government Infrastructure Cluster head Mark Villar positively noted the NEDA Board’s decision.

“This project will surely bene�it those who call Mindanao their home, and also those doing business in the island. As the �irst railway to be built outside of Luzon, the MRP will transform the socio-economic landscape of Mindanao,” Secretary Villar said.

For his part, Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects, Secretary Vince Dizon, emphasized the President’s vision of spurring economic growth throughout the country through infrastructure development.

“The BBB Program has one clear aspiration, that is, to spread development not just in major urban centers but throughout the country. The Mindanao Railway Project as a major transport infrastructure development is part of the realization of this goal,” Secretary Dizon stated.

Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project is designed to accommodate around 130,000 passengers per day in its �irst year of full operations. Once fully operational, travel time between Tagum City to Digos City will be reduced from currently 3.5 hours to just 1.3 hours.

Partial operations are targeted by the second quarter of 2022 for the Tagum-Davao line, while full operations for the Tagum-Davao-Digos line will be in the fourth quarter of 2022. (DOTr)

On November 22, Mekeni presented to Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and FDA of�icer-in-charge Rolando Enrique Domingo all corrective actions taken by the company, including results of independent tests conducted by SGS, the world’s leading inspection and veri�ication company.

After thorough review of documents and test results, the FDA gave Mekeni the clearance to redistribute its products.

The FDA clearance and SGS results provide assur-

materials, and all porkbased �inished products for release in the market are 100 percent negative for ASF virus DNA. As a food business operator, FDA said Mekeni has the responsibility to be proactive in monitoring its products' compliance to existing regulations, as well as to ensure that appropriate measures and controls are in place to prevent the possible use of contaminated raw materials.

Earlier, Mekeni voluntarily withdrew all its pork-

spread of ASF. The pullout was done while waiting for the of�icial laboratory results from SGS and Bureau of Animal Industry. The proactive measure was commended by both the Department of Agriculture (DA) and FDA. “During that dif�icult time, even if we knew that the business would be greatly affected, we chose to uphold our core values and put the welfare of the general public above all else,” Mekeni president Prudencio Garcia said in a statement.

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing for promotion of the economic potential of the country’s creative industries in Southeast Asia to boost exports in services, as the Philippines aims to be the leading creative economy in the region in the next decade.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said industry players have mapped out a creative economy roadmap that intends to provide necessary support to creative services, including promotion budget.

Lopez said the country has stronger creative services, particularly graphic design, game development, and software development which have been identi�ied as “service winners”.

“Please note without any support, the creative economy has basically accounted for about one-half in value relative to the merchandise goods. We can

imagine the potential. That means that de�initely, the creative services is a natural competitive advantage of the Philippines because of the catapult of talents that we have in terms of creativity, design and other high-value adding services,” he said during the National Export Congress Friday.

“More so, pag sinu-support natin (if we provide support to the sector)...

Even increasing budget so that we can promote them better and much stronger than before because before, halos walang (they had almost no) promotion budget,” Lopez later told reporters.

The country also wants to make its creative talent pool competitive and attractive in the international markets, he said.

To achieve this goal, Lopez said the creative economy roadmap has outlined six priority initiatives and

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FDA okays redistribution of Mekeni pork-based products Sun Life forecasts within he Food and Drug Ad- positive for DNA traces of ance that Mekeni’s facili- based products to help ministration (FDA) the dreaded ASF virus. ties, equipment, raw meat prevent the continuous 2019 target growth for PHL

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has given the go signal for Mekeni Food Corporation, one of the country’s leading food processors, to redistribute its pork-based products to the market.

In a letter to Mekeni Food, FDA said that upon due evaluation, it "allows the redistribution of processed pork meat products that tested negative for ASF (African Swine Fever)".

Mekeni sought FDA clearance to redistribute its products after speci�ic batches of the �irm’s Picnic Red Classic Hotdog and Skinless Longaniza tested

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n of�icial of Sun Life Philippines remains positive of within-target growth for the Philippine economy this year if government spending sustains its strong growth.

In the �irst three quarters of the year, growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), averaged at 5.8 percent, still short of the 6 to 7-percent growth target this year.

For the fourth quarter, Sun Life Philippines Chief Investments Of�icer Michael Enriquez forecasts

domestic output to be at 6.5 to 6.6 percent, which would bring full-year growth to around 5.975 percent.

“Hopefully, it registers at 6.6 percent or 6.7 percent for the fourth quarter,” he said in an economic brie�ing Friday.

While government spending will boost growth, Enriquez said regulatory overhangs are among the risks to domestic growth.

“I think there are a lot of changes in regulations that affect some companies right now, especially the

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

EDITORIAL

It’s not all water under the bridge

It takes the guts again of a leader who is not afraid of losing support of the moneyed class.

Make no mistake about it, President Rodrigo Duterte will not lick the butt of the rich who could make or break his political career. On Wednesday, he ordered the �iling of criminal charges against two biggest water utilities in the country and demanded new deals to replace contracts “onerous and disadvantageous” for ratepayers. President Duterte made the order after utility �irms Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services won arbitration cases in Singapore against the government. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore this month ordered the Philippine government to pay Manila Water 7.4 billion pesos ($145 million) to recoup foregone revenues from rate increases that were rejected by regulators. Maynilad won a separate arbitration last year.

Astounded by the decision, a review of the agreements with Manila Water and Maynilad was made and �indings reveal that they are contrary to public policy and public interest, the same being onerous and disadvantageous to the people according to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, who is also the presidential chief legal adviser. Because of these �indings, Duterte ordered the �iling of criminal, civil and administrative charges against everyone involved in the utility contracts, including the billionaire company owners and public of�icials for alleged economic sabotage.

In addition to �iling charges, Duterte is making sure the people will not be at the short end of the deal in any contracts with a company or country. He tasked agencies to draft new utility contracts acceptable to

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the government.

With Duterte’s no-nonsense leadership, the companies are not only wobbly on their feet now that they will be facing charges over the deals, they also suffered heavily in the stock market. The Financial Times reported that shares in Manila Water dropped 4.8% on Wednesday while Maynilad stockholders Metro Paci�ic Investments and DMCI Holdings Inc fell 10.7% and 3.9% respectively. Japan’s Marubeni owns a minority stake in Maynilad.

While the two �irms argued that the rate hikes were necessary to improve utility service coverage and water pressure in home, it also dropped the bomb that the culprits were the past administration, not under Duterte’s watch.

“The arbitration award issued in our favor is for acts in breach of the procedure committed by of�icials of the previous administration, not the Duterte administration,” Manila Water said in a statement, adding that it was willing to cooperate with Duterte’s government.

The positive light of this issue is that a new water concession contract that is “favorable to the State and the Filipino people” is imminent. For the two companies and others involved in the one-sided deals, economic sabotage cases await all those involved in the agreements including the latter’s owners and legal counsels, and agents and lawyers of the government.

Now, these scenarios are all falling into place because this country has a President who is “ready to go down” for his decision.

For now, it’s not all water under the bridge.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. ADAM B. MORRELL DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL CHA MONFORTE Cartoonist Layout/Cartoons Correspondent Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

7

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DUTERTE’S ICE PLANT AND LOGGING The Dutertes of Danao City belonged to an above middle-class family far af�luent and in�luential than Ramon Durano, Sr., recognized in later years as the ‘political kingmaker’ of the old Cebu town.

Ramon married Beatriz Duterte, second-degree cousin of future Davao Gov. Vicente Gonzales Duterte who, after the war, assumed brie�ly as town mayor of Danao.

After the new Danao mayor was elected, the Duterte family moved to Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte, where his wife, Soledad Roa, was a native. The couple brought along their children. Vicente practiced law while dabbling in abaca business, which was still a lucrative trade during that time, and copra, supplying much of the product to the soap giant Procter and Gamble Company.

In 1951, the Duterte family moved to Davao region, connecting with Alejandro Durano Almendras, now an emerging political kingpin.

Almendras’ mother was one of the sons of Ramon Sr. who married Paulo Almendras. With Almendras as newly elected governor of Davao Province, Vicente was appointed in 1953 as provincial secretary.

Almendras was reelected in 1956 but had to relinquish his position after he was appointed secretary of the new agency, the Department of General Services. In his place, Duterte was appointed provincial

governor.

In 1956, Duterte joined the logging boom that was overwhelming Davao region. He established Duterte & Company, Inc., which exported logs abroad. Selected 1957 records in government depositories indicate that in February 1957, Duterte’s logging �irm shipped to Japan 300,000 board feet of logs.

The May and June export entries for that same year also show that he company shipped to Japan 600,000 board feet and 249,968 board feet, respectively.

On the side, Soledad continued her teaching; she was later promoted to supervisor of Adult and Community Education before deciding to choose an optional retirement due to burgeoning social engagements related to politics and business.

The electoral victory of Ferdinand E. Marcos in the November 1964 presidential election provided Gov. Duterte (1961-64), a practicing lawyer, the opportunity to engage in other business, far from the distrustful eyes of the public when a politician holds a sensitive position in government.

At the time, the grant to operate an ice plant and cold storage required the concurrence of both chambers of the legislature. To make the plan possible, he approached Rep. Lorenzo S. Sarmiento, congressman of Davao Province, to �ile the neces-

sary bill in the 6th Congress, which was then in session.

On June 18, 1966, Republic Act 4676, titled ‘An Act Granting Duro Development Enterprises a Franchise to Construct, Maintain and Operate an Ice Plant and Cold Storage in Davao City, and to Sell Ice and Supply Cold Storage Therein and in the Province of Davao,’ was approved by the President. The salient provisions of the Act include the following: First, it granted the a 25-year franchise to “Duro (Duterte + Roa) Development Enterprises, its successors or assigns… a franchise to construct, operate and maintain an ice plant and cold storage in Davao City for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing ice and supplying cold storage therein and in the Province of Davao, and to charge and collect a schedule of prices and rates for the ice and cold storage… which… shall… be subject to regulation by the Public Service Commission.”

Second, the law was very speci�ic that the company “shall manufacture and supply ice up to the limit of the capacity of the plant” and, third, all the equipment and implements it would use should be “modern, safe and �irst class in every respect.” Interestingly, Public Service Commission, with control over public service-oriented establishments, could “change or alter

any of the plant’s apparatus and appurtenances at its expense.” Sections 4-6 also stipulated that: “If the grantee does not commence the manufacture and distribution of ice and the supply of cold storage within four years from the approval of this Act, unless prevented by an act of God, or force majeure, martial law, riot, civil commotion, usurpation by a military power or any other cause beyond the grantee’s control, this franchise shall become null and void…

“This franchise is granted subject to the provisions of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and forty-six, as amended, only with respect to the �ixing of rates, and under the condition that it shall be subject to amendment, alteration or repeal by the Congress… when public interest so requires…

“The grantee, with the approval of the Congress of the Philippines �irst had, may sell, lease, grant, convey, assign, give in usufruct, or transfer this franchise and all property and rights acquired thereunder to any individual, partnership, association, corporation or joint stock company competent to operate the business hereby authorized...

“In the event of any competing individual, association of persons, or corporation receiving from the Congress of the Philippines a simi-

lar franchise in which there shall be any term or terms more favorable than those herein granted or tending to place the herein grantee at any disadvantage, then such term or terms shall ipso facto become a part of the terms hereof and shall operate equally in favor of the grantee as in the case of said competing individual, association of persons, or corporation.”

In the following months, Gov. Duterte formed the Duro Ice Plant and Cold Storage at Dumoy, Toril district. On December 25, 1966, he was appointed as secretary of the general services department.

Appointed alongside him were Eduardo Z. Romualdez, as �inance secretary; Rep. Antonio V. Raquiza, as public works secretary; former Pangasinan Gov. Conrado Estrella, as Land Authority governor; and Ernesto Maceda, as presidential assistant on community development.

When Gov. Duterte died on February 21, 1968, Soledad sold the family’s logging and sawmill operations but retained the ice plant and cold storage until the children completed their studies.

Accordingly, the ice plant franchise was later passed on to the Bendigo family of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, whose patriarch, Amacio Bendigo, Sr., was married to Matea Almendras, aunt of Alejandro and sister of Paulo.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

TAKE TIME TO PRAY “No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few �ighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.” – Leonard Ravenhill *** In an interview with GMA’s morning show “Unang Hirit,” President Rodrigo R. Duterte was asked if he regularly prays before he goes to bed at night.

He answered that he does but not for himself.

“I don’t ask anything for myself. I make a wish for the country,” said the country’s chief executive, who described himself as a “deeply religious person.”

Just like the president, I also pray – before I go to bed, when waking up in the morning, before eating, and when I am traveling (whether in a bus or a plane).

I also pray when I am in the church.

I pray for my parents, my siblings, my relatives, my friends, my fellowmen, my country, and world leaders. I also pray for those who are in trouble, who

are sick, and who need help. Yes, I believe in prayer.

“Prayer is not asking,” Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi once said. “It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

Nobel Peace laureate Mother Teresa also echoed the same opinion. “Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”

Most people pray because they have something from Him. Prayer, they believe, is the best way out of all troubles. They don’t want to face the dif�iculties of life. “Do not pray for an easy life,” Chinese martial superstar Bruce Lee suggested, “pray for the strength to endure a dif�icult one.”

Prayer should be the �irst thing we need to do instead of it being the last thing. “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our �irst line of defense,” Oswald Chambers reiterates. “We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.

“Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results,” Chambers goes on.

“We don’t want to wait for God to

resolve matters in His good time because His idea of ‘good time’ is seldom in sync with ours.”

Prayer is not about us but about talking with the Almighty.

We are given the opportunity to talk with Him silently as He listens. “God will answer your prayers better than you think of,” Fanny J. Crosby pointed out. “Of course, one will not always get exactly what he has asked for.

We all have sorrows and disappointments, but one must never forget that, if commended to God, they will issue in good… His own solution is far better than any we could conceive.”

I was reminded of a story I read about a pastor who once asked a head of the family this routine question: “Do you have some kind of family prayer at any time?”

“Pastor,” the father said, “we just don’t have time for it.” The church leader made a follow-up question: “Suppose you knew that one of your children would get sick if you did not pray together, would have some kind of family prayer?”

The father answered, “Oh, I guess we should.” The pastor asked again, “Suppose you knew that on the day when you failed to say a family prayer, one of your children would be injured in an accident. Would you pray together?”

Again, came the answer, “We certainly would.” The pastor asked once more, “Suppose.

That every day you failed to say a prayer together, the law would �ine you one thousand pesos.

Would you neglect to pray?”

“I am sure we would pray, pastor,” the father replied. “But what’s the idea of all these questions?”

“Just this,” the pastor explained. “Your problem is not time. You could �ind time. The problem is that you don’t think family prayer is important as important as paying a �ine or keeping your children healthy.

The blessing of God won through prayer is more important than anything else and all these things else you can think of.”

“Let us never forget to pray,” Gordon B. Hinckley wrote in Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes. “God lives. He is near. He is real. He is not only aware of us but cares for us. He is our Father. He is accessible to all who will seek Him.” Fyodor Dostoevsky, author of The Brothers Karamazov, believes that if we pray each day, our knowledge would broaden.

“Be not forgetful of prayer,” he wrote. “Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh

courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education.”

Charles L. Allen considers J. Arthur Rank as “one of the great business leaders of our time.”

And yet, he believes in prayer.

“Rank has an elevator straight up to this of�ice, but he does not use it,” Allen wrote.

“He prefers the stairs and he calls them his ‘prayer stairs.’ In the morning as he walks up, he prays, asking God to guide him in every step he takes that day.

As he takes each step separately and deliberately, he prays. He �inally arrives at the top in more ways than one.”

Perhaps, one of the best prayers in the world was the one penned by St. Francis of Assisi. If you haven’t heard of it, then read this silently: “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where is there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

“O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

Amen.

8 EDGEDAVAO

CHINESE AID... FROM1 partnership with the Philippine Government, Digos City LGU, and the Cor Jesu College leadership.

“We would like to thank Mayor Josef Cagas, Brother Sosmena and their col-

leagues for your strong support. The Chinese Consulate-General is committed to making a further contribution to our capacity in the city government’s relief support.

problem in the country that is the lack of access of safe and potable water. I felt the problem of the lack of water is also in relation to agricultural production activity. We really need water to boost our farmers’ activity. We came up with the program where we intend to provide safe drinking water to the communities,” Piñol said.

Rogelio Garcia, Board of Director of DBP said they will help �inance the water proposal depending on the application of the LGUs. “The water problem that we have in Mindanao is not a borne-out problem of yesterday. This is a problem long time ago but nobody give attention to it as much as Sec. Piñol. DBP is here to help �inance the water project proposal coming from the cooperatives and municipalities in order to provide water for irrigation, drinking and other purposes. Depende sa pagtutulungan ng MinDA, DILG, at LGU kami ay handang tumulong para sa nangangailangan ng pinsnasyal sa patubig.

Depende sa application ng LGU. We can go as much as what is needed,” Garcia said.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año also said they will support not only on water supply projects but in all projects of MinDA. “We are willing to be

the conduit to get all other national government agencies and even civil society organizations. Ang ganda ng proyekto kung tatamad-tamad ang gobyerno kawawa ang kanilang constituents,” he said.

Piñol also said they are looking at setting up desalination facilities in island communities particularly in BARMM areas that have no access to water and solar-powered irrigation systems as one of the program components of the water project.

He said they still have to get request from the mayors for the establishments of the desalination facilities in the island communities.

“We will wait for the mayors to submit their desalination proposals and baka hingin namin ang tulong DILG. The moment we are able to gather the number of communities we will refer this especially in the BARMM area kasi ngayon naka-focus si Presidente sa BARMM at malambot ang mga puso ng mga foreign agencies sa BARMM. Desalination now is already portable at mura na. There are Chinese and Italian technologies available for desalination,” he said.

Piñol said they are eyeing to set up desalination facilities mainly in the areas such as Zamboanga, Tawi Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan.

od last year.

Sales of commercial vehicles (CV) segment declined by 7 percent with 40 units sold in October.

But CV sales surged by 87 percent to 727 units in the �irst 10 months of the year compared to 389 units sold last year.

“Despite the challenges AVID faced in the past couple of years, the industry is poised to make

a strong comeback as we are poised to step into a new decade. Our members continue to introduce new innovative models, value-packed service offerings, and easier ownership schemes to support our collective goal, which is to give Filipino consumers smarter mobility options so they can live the way they want,” Agudo added.

(PR)

MINDA... FROM2

IMPORTED... FROM5

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF THE LATE HECTOR S. QUIAMBAO AND EVANGELINA A. QUIAMBAO AND VICTOR ABELLERA QUIAMBAO, SR. Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late HECTOR S. QUIAMBAO and EVANGELINA A. QUIAMBAO and VICTOR ABELLERA QUIAMBAO who died inestate on June 19, 1972 and November 29, 2006, and December 5, 2010, respectively leaving several parcels of land which has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE executed among their heirs, per Doc. No.422; Page No.86; Book No.XXVI, Series of 2019, of the NOTARY PUBLIC ATTY. MARVIN G. CAMINO.

VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

INDAY... FROM2

What is important, Sara added that each family member would feel the love and care for each other.

“Atong ibutang sa sentro sa selebrasyon atong mga anak. Para nako ang Pasko alang gyud sa mga bata (Let us put the children in the center of our celebration because for me Christmas is for the children),” she stressed.

Dr. Mae Concepcion Dolendo, Oncologist and the Program Coordinator of the House of Hope, was thankful that Mayor Sara never forgets to treat the children in the foundation during Christmas.

“Lipay kaayo mi kay pirmaninte mi mahinumduman ni Mayor. Pasalamat mi kay Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio na sa kapanahunan sa pasko, gihinumdom gyud niya ang mga bata (We are very happy that we are always remembered by the Mayor. We are thankful to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio because she never forgets the children during Christmas),” Dolendo said.

She lamented that children with cancer struggle not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.

But through the Christmas celebration, children with cancer still get the chance to experience the joy of Christmas, she said.

“We’re very happy that

during Christmas, the children continue to be kids despite the fact nga naa sila’y sakit. Malipay sila nga naa sila’y mabuksan nga regalo, naa’y ginagmay nga pinaskuhan, makapalit sila kung unsa ilang gusto, makakaon sila’g lami (We’re very happy that during Christmas, the children continue to be kids even though they have a disease. They are happy that they have gifts to open, they can buy whatever they want, and eat delicious meals),” she said.

Naneth Panisa from Malita, Davao Occidental, was happy that patients in the center received surprises that include her 14-yearold nephew, Renoel Cimafranca, who has been getting treatment for already year.

“Dako jud kaayo’g tabang para sa amoa, labi na gyud sa mga bata, nalipay gyud sila nga naa’y nadawat nga Christmas [gift] para sa ila gikan kay Mayor Sara (It is a big help for us, especially for the children.

They are very happy that they received a Christmas gift from Mayor Sara),” she said.

Panisa was also grateful to the foundation for giving her nephew free treatment, food and a place to stay.

“Without it, they couldn’t afford treatment for leukemia,” she said. CIO

during a call with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Executive Director Paul Dominguez that the territory needs a supply of halal beef, goat meat, free-range native chicken, fruits, and vegetables for its growing tourism industry.

Piñol said that the Sabah chief minister agreed to engage the farmers from Mindanao, especially in the three island provinces, to supply the needed commodities.

He added that in or-

der to supply the needs of the local people and the prospective Sabah market, MinDA will undertake the training of agriculture stakeholders, who will be organized and given production support.

"MinDA will be linking up with funding partners to support the organized farmers' group,” said Piñol.

Pinol also said that MinDA will lead an agriculture and trade mission to Sabah and Sarawak on the third week of January 2020. (PNA)

�ive priority subsectors wherein the public and private sectors need to work together to accelerate the growth of the sector.

The priority sectors are advertising, �ilm, animation, game development, and graphic arts, and design, he added. (PNA)

LIVELIHOOD... FROM2

BUDGET... FROM5

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) under LOYOLA PLAN ISSUED TO THE FOLLOWING PLANHOLDERS, TO WIT: PH NAME

CONTRACT NO.

CFP NUMBER

1.JERRY M. ESPINOSA

NNN430004109

1005821

2.NELLY M. OSMEÑA

NNN430007201

21031558

were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

12/9/16/23

POPE... FROM4

was designated as the of�icial church of the Filipinos by pope-turned-saint John Paul II. The holding of Aguinaldo Masses or Misa de Gallo (dawn Mass) is one of Filipino traditions as part of Christmas celebration.

Meanwhile, the Vati-

can unveiled the Nativity scene and lit the 85-foot tall Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday.

The Holy Father expressed hope that the nativity scene will serve as a reminder of the true essence and real meaning of Christmas. (PNA)

Perhaps, not many, outside Chino’s family--most especially his father-coach Paolo--believed he can make it.

Who would have thought that Tancontian could �inally upset his tormentor and the number one in the division in a fair test of will in the men’s -82kg category?But yes, Chino did just that, scoring a 4-1 win over the highly-favored Chow. Given the Singaporean’s brute power and savvy, he could easily go by the name “Quick Chow.” Yet, unlike the Pinoy favorite noodle brand, he was not an easy commodity.

A year ago, the Singaporean judo superstar sent Tancontian reeling to a painful loss in the gold medal contest of Hajime International Invitational Judo Tournament held in the Philippines.

From there, Chow has become Chino’s worst nightmare in the division, and having the Singaporean in the biennial games rightfully placed the Davao pride into the underdog role. If any, this was a virtual David versus Goliath match.

Where no one expected much of Chino, he overdelivered.

Chow was served hot and saucy for the doubters.

“Nung lumamang po ako nung unang point ko against him (Chow) po sabi

ko po sa sarili ko aalagaan ko na po talaga yung score ko at di na po talaga ako mag papa-score sakanya,” narrated Tancontian.

The reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) judo most valuable player (MVP) donning the golden colors of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) dropped everything on the mats.

“Sa mabuting palad po na penalize siya after niya makascore ng 1-point kaya po naging 3-1 tapos may isang attack pa po ako na pumasok kaya naging 4-1 yung score,” he said.

“Nasa isip ko po talaga nung nakita ko na na yung oras sabi ko po akin na to kailangan matapos ko to ng ganito at manalo ng gold po,” he added. The rest was history.

Chino’s tears were for all the sacri�ices, effort, and training which �inally paid off.

“Siyempre po napaluha ako sa saya at sa sobrang nag payoff po kasi yung lahat ng hirap ng training pag bawas ng timbang pag kain ng mabuti tapos lalo na po dream ko po talagang mag gold medal sa SEA Games,” he shared.

What made him more emotional was to see his family at the sidelines who were about to witness their not so little boy crowned as the new champion in the division that mattered most.

players in the league,” he observed. “But you think about the PBA, I mean, the PBA is 30 players, 40 players deep easily that could play at a high level in the national team.”

“And basically, we’re playing teams that are national teams, and they’re like, six-, seven-players deep,” he pointed out. “And to me, the depth of our league, and the depth of this particular team is truly amazing compared to some of the other countries.”

Vietnam, for instance, relied heavily on Young and Chris Dierker. The two combined for 41 of their 69 points, but no other player reached double-digits for them.

In contrast, �ive other players aside from Fajardo scored in double �igures for Gilas.

“We can go 40 players deep, and still we don’t have a drop-off. So it’s really amazing, our depth,” said Cone.

The local side, which downed Malaysia 12-0 and extended a winning streak that dates back to 2001 SEA Games, plays the winner between Indonesia and Singapore for the gold medal.

“It’s in the bag no matter who we are facing,” said Jun Veloso, top of�icial representing the Amateur Softball Association Philippines, the sport’s national governing body.

It wasn’t as rosy for the Blu Boys, however, as they absorbed a shock 4-3 loss to Singapore in the semi�inals.

Singapore had already stunned the Philippines earlier this year at the world championship, but the Blu Boys got back at their regional rivals with an 8-0 win on Wednesday to end the elimination round.

On Friday, Singapore scored a two-run homer with two outs in the third inning for a 4-1 lead the visitors never relinquished.

The Blu Boys still have a chance at gold through the Page system.

The format allows them to face the winner between Nos. 3 and 4 teams Indonesia and Thailand for the chance to challenge Singapore in the �inal.

CHINO... FROM11

GILAS... FROM11

SOFTBALL

The Philippine Blu Girls breezed past Malaysia at The Villages in Mabalacat city, Pampanga on Friday to reach the Southeast Asian Games softball �inal

INdulge!

VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF

LAKE KAWAGUCHI

JAPAN is one of my favourite destinations. With its vibrant cities, amazing cuisine, and top-notch shopping and experiences, there is never a boring time in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Recently, I was able to check another box off my bucket list, finally seeing Japan’s Mt. Fuji from the shores of scenic Lake Kawaguchi, the second largest of the Fuji’s Five Lakes in terms of surface area, and is located at the lowest elevation at 800m above sea level.

While there are other places that may offer a closer view of Japan’s sacred mountain and World Heritage site, it is the view of the mountain from Lake Kawaguchi that is often portrayed and made famous by artist Hokusai.

Walking along the banks of the lake in late autumn, I can see why the Japanese wood block printer would

The shores of Lake Kawaguchi become fiery red when Autumn comes along.

One can find many lakeside villas and hotels around Lake Kawaguchi.

choose to portray Fuji from this vantage point. The lake reflects the image of Mt. Fuji clearly on its surface while Japanese Maple trees in full Autumn splendour frame the foothills and mountains.

Lake Kawaguchi is also a popular resort area with many lakeside hotels, tea houses, windsurfing facilities, camp sites, and excursion boats. Japanese crucian carp and wakasagi, a native food fish, were introduced to the lake in the Meiji period, and sports fishing is also popular.

The more adventurous can choose to climb Mt. Fuji during the climbing season of July and August whose main staging hub is the lake.

While a Japan visit is always filled with excitement and the rush of its urban attractions, a visit to the quieter side of the country is definitely an even more magical treat and well worth the experience.

One thing to do while walking around Lake Kawaguchi is to have green tea in one of the area’s many tea houses.

Walking along the shores of Lake Kawaguchi.

EDGED

A2 INdulge!

EVENT

THREE WOMEN’S JOURNEY TO THEIR FIR

WRITERS often urge other writers to keep writing, even when inspiration is thin. For three women who found themselves at the receiving end of wonderful news of their first Palanca award, this nugget doesn’t get any less value over time.

Reine Arcache Melvin, who flew in from Paris to receive her Grand Prize medal for the novel The Betrayed, started writing fairytales at 7 with an old typewriter gifted by her grandfather. She spent her childhood in Sta. Ana, where reading and writing became her escape and harbor.

“The early years of writing were fun because I didn’t think of myself as a ‘writer’ – I was just making up stories,” she said. “Later, writing became more self-conscious, and the journey often difficult, too often marked by self-doubt and the need to balance earning a living, raising a family, and finding space for the solitude to dream and write.”

Despite this, Reine - or Bonnie as she is fondly known - has published many short stories, essays, and translations in the United States, France, and the Philippines, co-edited literary reviews in New York and Paris, edited an anthology of contemporary Philippine poetry, and published two books: A Normal Life and Other Stories and her winning piece The Betrayed. The story of two sisters who love the same man, which threatens to lead them to betray not only each other but also their father and the ideals he died for, The Betrayed was published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press in October 2018 and has won the National Book Award for Novel in English from the Manila Critics Circle. The 38th National Book Awards took place on November 23, 2019 at The National Museum of the Philippines.

Reine Arcache Melvin (third from left), receives the Grand Prize in the Novel category for her masterpiece “The Betrayed.” Set in a time of dictatorship and political upheaval, it tells the story of two sisters who love the same man, which threatens to lead them to betray not only each other but also their father and the ideals he died for.

“Writing heightens everything I grief by writing about our life together, experience outside my desk because how blessed I am for having him as I start to really, really pay attention. my husband, how he made our home a Everything feeds the writing. There is place of joy for me and our children,” so much goodness and heartbreak and she said. courage and grace in so-called ordiSince then, Remedios has writnary lives, and writing is a way of hon- ten award-winning stories, as well oring that, of questioning what it is to as articles for the regional magazine be human, of what it is to try (or even Bannawag. Her short story Naisangfail) to be a good person in an increas- sangayan a Sangaili (Guest of Honor), ingly violent world,” Bonnie said. which tells of a poor woman bent on Ilokano writer Remedios S. Tabelis- marrying her children to opulence ma-Aguillon had a vaguely similar only to commit a grave case of misexperience. She got so engrossed with judgment, bagged the third prize mothering her five kids and teaching in the Ilokano category of the 69th in the public secondary school that Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards. writing never crossed her mind. It Remedios now resides in Cagayan de wasn’t until 2014 when her husband Oro City with her fourth child and his died and she was overcome with family, while earning a Ph.D. degree sorrow that her journey as a writer in Educational Administration and commenced. “I began pouring out my Supervision at Cagayan de Oro Col-

Bubalus Bubalis gan writing poe book stories whe “My teachers ha known and the b a wall full of boo Her winning hardworking ca who, while wavi owner who is lea gets pushed into in the American Currently based is a new entrant and is grateful fo to be part of Phi Carlos Palanca Foundation representative Mrs. fervently hoping Nemie Bermejo (third from left) receives the third prize in the Short Story for Children category on reads her story w behalf of Texas, USA-based Daisy Ruth Oñate She dreams o Sohne. With her are Carlos Palanca Foundation pino novel, one representatives Mr. Carlos Palanca IV and Mrs. Criselda “Dang” Cecilio-Palanca, and the Chairperson heart that reads working on two of the category’s panel of judges Ms. Neni Sta. Romana Cruz. characters, with the 60s, the othe lege - PHINMA. Needless to sa Meanwhile, Daisy Ruth Oñate were thrilled an Sohne, third prize winner in this ognized among year’s Short Story for Children category for The Accidental Adventure of luminaries.

UP AND ABOUT

LAZADA BECOMES THE FIRST ECOMMERCE PHL PLAYER TO INTRODUCE A DI THIS CHRISTMAS, and in the lead up to Lazada’s 12.12 Grand Year End Sale, Lazada formally introduces the first-ever Digital Giving platform by an eCommerce player in the Philippines.

This is part of a wider LazadaForGood program. With this, Filipinos can add heart-to-cart as they shop online and support local communities and causes in need through direct donations on the Lazada platform.

With more than 12 million deals, customers can look forward to shopping this season. But more importantly, they can look forward to offerings that reflect the meaningful relationships that we have built to benefit 11 local and international advocacy partners: Habitat for Humanity, Young Focus, Caritas Manila, MovEd, UNHCR, Hero Foundation Inc., UNICEF, WWF, Tahanan ng Pagmamahal, HOPE, and CCEF. Shoppers can support causes close to their hearts, from alleviating poverty to saving the environment to putting a roof over someone’s head.

“Christmas is the season for giving, and we want to empower our custom-

ers to do just that and empower our advocacy partners in their various causes.

Lazada’s 12.12 Grand Year End Sale is not only about making our wishes or our loved ones’ wishes come true, but also to make the wishes of many others in the community come true,” said Ray Alimurung, Lazada Philippines’ Chief Executive Officer. “This is the first Digital Giving platform by an eCommerce company in the Philippines. We are truly honored to partner with great organizations who share the same values, and going forward, hope to sustain this initiative by onboarding more. We believe that everyone can contribute in their own way, big or small, and we would like to do our part by providing our advocacy partners a platform to champion their causes, raise awareness, funds and resources.”

Empowering our customers and partner organizations with the first-ever eCommerce Digital Giving platform This initiative means three main things for our customers and our partner organizations: • Easy onboarding process: We make it easier for all our partners to

Trinidad, Chief M

onboard on the platform and provide them access to Lazada tools and services that will aid in improving their online store.

• More awareness and traffic: We have created one collective landing page for our partners that will drive more awareness and traffic to their respective shops. Lazada will also help inform our customers and users on how they can now easily donate to local and international advocacies via Lazada.

• Secure Online Payments: We

provide peace of mind to customers, who can be assured that they are making secure online payments when making their donations.

“At Lazada, we are a platform that takes meaningful partnerships seriously online and offline. As the leading online lifestyle destination in the country, it is our duty and responsibility to empower and demonstrate real human connection and meaningful shared experiences. This Christmas season, we want our customers to add their heartto-cart and shop for good.”, said Neil

LAUNCHING T GIVING PLAT LUNCH OF HO To celebrate th ing and launch t held a local even The event introd partners, provid some of the exclu available online can purchase the individuals and The event also qu advocacies’ caus more about Laza tions, what they pion, and how an positive social im ties. The Lunch o Katz Salao, 99.5 love and empow Guests also re they looked und discovered hand notecards from t and beneficiaries with a surprise d

EDAVAO

RST PALANCA

Corazon Rutab (third from left) receives the third prize in the Short Story-Ilokano category on behalf of Cagayan de Oro City-based Remedios S. TabelismaAguillon. She is flanked by Carlos Palanca Foundation representatives Mr. Carlos Palanca IV (leftmost), Mrs. Criselda “Dang” Cecilio-Palanca, and Mrs. Nemie Bermejo (rightmost), as well as the panel of judges in the Ilokano category. s, recalled that she beems, songs, and picture en she was younger. ave been the people I’ve books I’ve read. I have oks on writing.” work is a tale about a arabao from Palawan, ing goodbye to its aving for America, o the boat and ends up n Embassy in Manila. d in Texas, USA, Daisy t to the Palanca Awards or the opportunity ilippine literature, g that each child who will enjoy it. of writing a great Filithat will “enlarge the it,” and is currently o novels with Filipino h one set in Manila in er in America. ay, all three women nd honored to be recthe nation’s literary

“Winning this prestigious award means so much to me because it’s kind of like a heavenly encouragement to keep on writing,” Daisy said. “Words matter. No matter your age. Why? If by a kind word you can keep a heart from breaking, then you must write or say it. Write for the joy of it.”

There’s no denying the ton of opportunities that open for winning authors. For one, prospects of publishing and selling their art suddenly abound, what with proof of validation from a distinguished roster of judges from the Filipino literati. More importantly, however, each recognized work contributes to the treasure trove of Philippine literary gems that the Palanca Awards maintains, the total number of which has now reached 2,499.

Asked for some tips, Bonnie has a simple advice for aspiring Palanca awardees - one that she’d also tell herself. “We all have a story, and we discover it as we write. Show up at our desks, every day if we can. Inspiration comes from the working, not viceversa.”

“Sometimes, the right words are dropped from the sky to us. But most of the time, we have to dig deep and hard for them. Don’t give up! Keep digging. They’re there,” Daisy said.

These sentiments were also echoed

by Remedios. “Keep writing and keep on sending your entries to the Palanca Awards. Never get tired. Your reward is waiting for you.”

Named after businessman and philanthropist Don Carlos Palanca Sr., the Palanca Awards continuously seeks to cultivate Philippine Literature by providing incentives for writers and serving as a treasury of literary gems.

It is considered the gold standard in writing excellence, highly coveted by Filipino writers the world over.

DIGITAL GIVING PLATFORM

Marketing Officer.

THE DIGITAL TFORM: LAZADA’S OPE he spirit of Digital Givthe platform, Lazada nt, The Lunch of Hope. duced the 11 advocacy ded information on usive donatable items and how customers em to help support communities in need. uizzed guests on the ses to help them learn ada’s partner organizaadvocate and chamnyone can help make mpact in our communiof Hope was hosted by Radio Host and selfwerment advocate. eceived a surprise when der their chairs and dwritten thank you the advocacy partners s. The lunch concluded delightful performance

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

by the Caritas Manila YSLEP Scholar choir.

WATCH OUT FOR LAZADA’S 12.12 GRAND YEAR END SALE Enjoy discounts of up to 90% off on more than 12 million deals from your favorite local and international brands and sellers. At Lazada’s 12.12 Grand Year End Sale, make yours and other people’s wishlists come true by adding your Heart-to-Cart.

This year will bring even bigger Brand Mega Offers from partners such as Xiaomi, Olay, FitFlop, Pampers, Hydro Flask, Wyeth, LEGO, Apple, Jansport, Coocaa, Tefal, and Reebok.

Don’t forget to set your alarms at 12 midnight as the biggest discounts will come your way from 12mn-2am and 12pm-2pm. Most importantly, don’t forget to donate to a good cause!

To know more about Lazada’s Digital Giving platform, visit http://bit.ly/ LazadaDigitalGiving.

To know more about Lazada 12.12, visit Lazada.com.ph, facebook.com/ LazadaPhilippines and Instagram. com/lazadaPH.

ENTERTAINMENT

RICO BLANCO, JOSE MARI CHAN, AND SLAPSHOCK LEAD MYX’S DIVERSE LINEUP THIS DECEMBER MYX ends 2019 with a bang as they feature big names and fresh faces this December. Wrapping up the decade as the MYX Headliner is one of the most prominent artists of his generation—OPM rock icon Rico Blanco.

The legendary singer-songwriter and Filipino Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP) president will be answering never-beforeasked questions and revealing more about himself and his craft in different segments all throughout the month, which will surely inspire promising songwriters to persevere in making more meaningful music.

Also adding fun and joy this holiday season to the number one music channel in the Philippines is the well-loved tandem from “PBB Otso” FumiYam, composed of the “KonichiWonder Vlogger of Japan” Fumiya Sankai and Ultim8 Big Winner Yamyam Gucong, as they rise up to the task of being the MYX Celebrity VJs for the whole month of December.

In addition, the MYX Spotlight will center this month on sister songwriting duo Gibbs—composed of Alyssa (Chi) and Gabriella (Gabs) Gibbs.

Their debut single “No Hearts,” a retro-inspired track about self-worth and moving on, was launched last September. Know more about the talented daughters of Janno Gibbs and Bing Loyzaga as they share about their fresh music and strong sisterhood all month long on MYX. The highly acclaimed all-new MYX Live! ends the year perfectly with a solid lineup that has something for

everyone. Spreading the holiday cheer with his signature Christmas songs is the timeless Jose Mari Chan, with a special duet with Julie Anne San Jose, on Sunday (Dec. 8). Bringing in girl power are all-female pop rock band Rouge on Dec. 12, and the 48-member girl group MNL48 on Dec. 19. Finally, rocking the MYX Live! stage on Dec. 26 is one of the premiere Filipino

heavy metal bands, Slapshock. Their performances will also be available on MYX’s YouTube channel “All Music MYX” three days prior to airing on TV. Another show to watch out for this month is the M-Net Asian Music Awards (MAMA) 2019, which was held in Nagoya, Japan. Its replay will air on Dec. 8 (Sunday) starting at 1pm, while the replay with subtitles airs on Dec. 14 and 25 starting at 1pm also.

OPM fans on the other hand might want to look forward to “The Best of 1MX Manila” on Dec. 21 (Monday), which features Darren Espanto, IV of Spades, Sandwich, KZ, Yeng Constantino, and more.

Laugh and sing along with FumiYam as they spread good music and good vibes this month! Catch them on Pop MYX until Saturday (Dec. 7), Mellow MYX on Dec. 8 to 14, Pinoy MYX on Dec. 15 to 21 and My MYX on Dec. 22 to 28. Watch MYX on ABS-CBN TVplus channel 12, SKYcable channel 23, and SKYdirect channel 37.

“LUMIPAD ANG AMING TEAM: KAPUSO MO, JESSICA SOHO 15TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL” THIS SUNDAY THIS SUNDAY, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) will celebrate its 15th year by taking viewers beyond the Philippine shores and visiting a group of islands in the North Atlantic where its men prefer to marry Filipinas.

This place is Faroe Islands in Denmark, which is now recognized by travel publications as the Top Travel Destination for 2019. Jessica Soho visited the place and was surprised that there are indeed over a hundred Filipinas who have found “forever” here.

Find out why many Filipinas prefer to settle down in this island as well. And to celebrate Christmas the Pinoy way, some of these Filipinas will cook the classic Pinoy “bibingka” for their Faroese husbands.

Jessica will also explore the famous tourist destinations in Denmark—a country that has consistently topped the list of the Happiest Countries in the World.

Before heading home, KMJS will be stopping over the grandiose city of Istanbul, Turkey to go on a cruise, shop at their Grand Bazaar, and dine out in the city’s popular eating destination.

All these and more in “Lumipad ang Aming Team: Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 15th Anniversary Special”, this Sunday after The Clash on GMA-7

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UP AND ABOUT

7 ABREEZA RESTAURANTS FOR EVERY HOLIDAY GATHERING HOLIDAY SEASON is in full swing, and everyone’s December calendars are filled with reunions and long-overdue catch-ups!

Naturally, one question that always comes up is “Where should we eat?”

Here, we’ve made it easier for you with a list of dining spots at Ayala Malls Abreeza that are perfect for every type of holiday gathering.

Whether it’s Friday or Monday, you and your office buddies deserve to unwind—and there’s no better place to do it than TGI Friday’s at the GF. Leave your work woes at the door and dig into your favorite American dishes, with steaks, salads, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, and more on offer. Finish off your meal with fun cocktails and beers on tap and let the chatter and laughter flow. For inquiries and reservations, call (082) 321-9567.

Planning a classy celebration to impress your bosses or elders? A restaurant that won’t disappoint is Italianni’s at the GF. Settle into its warm, inviting interiors and delight in exceptional dining with its authentic Italian menu laden with everything from pizzas to pastas, appetizers to meat dishes, desserts to espressos—all prepared with premium ingredients and bursting with distinctive flavors. For inquiries and reservations, call (082) 321-9587.

Entertaining balikbayan friends and family? Send them off with a taste of home at Sunburst Fried

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patatim, tom yum, and nasi goreng, you’ll be in such good spirits, you’ll be scheduling that next meetup in no time. For inquiries and reservations, call 09983048660.

For a family celebration— whether with the immediate family or with the entire clan—look no further than another newly opened restaurant, Bless Las Paellas at the 2F. Gather your nearest and dearest; celebrate over a feast of Spanish staples such as paella, gambas, and lengua and Filipino favorites like kare-kare and caldereta; and go home with stronger bonds—not to mention fuller bellies. For inquiries and reservations, call 09953116544 or 09219358549.

For date night, schedule a rendezvous at Al-Sultan at the 3F. Tucked away in a cozy corner that looks out at Abreeza’s al fresco Roof Garden, Al-Sultan treats you to tasty and healthy Arabic, Mediterranean, and Filipino eats. Cap off a satisfying meal by stepping out onto the Roof Garden and holding hands in inquiries and reservations, call (082) the glow of the Abreeza Festival of 233-2115.

Lights, a dazzling light show runMeeting up with friends you ning until January 6, 2020 that takes haven’t seen in ages? Make new place every 30 minutes from 6pm memories together at the newly until the mall closes. For inquiries opened Crustasia Asian Seafood and reservations, call 09276159767.

Market at the 2F. Crustasia guarFor updates and more informaantees a food adventure around tion on Abreeza’s stores and restauAsia with signature dishes from rants, like @AbreezaMall on FaceSingapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and book and follow @abreezatweets on the Philippines on its menu. As you Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on all dig intoVOL.12 laksa, pad thai, crabs, Instagram.

VOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE 94 100 84 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, • SUNDAY-MONDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY JULY 19-20, 28-29, 5-6, 2019

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Chicken at the 2F. This Mindanao dining icon—a long-time favorite for its crispy fried chicken—welcomes you to their Abreeza branch, where you can treat balikbayan guests to that famed fried chicken as well as Pinoy classics such as sizzling bangus, crispy pata, sinigang na hipon, beef ampalaya, and sizzling squid. For inquiries and reservations, call (082) 295-7573.

Want to eat now, worry about the

holiday weight later? Korean grill and restaurant Gangnam in Davao at the GF offers unlimited samgyupsal, beef, and chicken for P388/ head that’s perfect for your foodloving barkada. Grill those cuts to your hearts’ delight while scooping up side dishes, soups, salads, and desserts. Gangnam in Davao offers different unli BBQ promos; plus, they’re open until 11pm, giving you more time to chomp and chat. For

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

UP AND LAUNDRY FURNITURE A2A1 ABOUTa silly method but for EJ and

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Department of Environment and Natural Resources Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Community Environment and Natural Resources Office [-2B, Salvacion, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, 8105 Philippines TELEFAX NO. (084) 823-2011/email.rxi_panabo@yahoo.com LEASE OF PUBLIC LANDS Notice is hereby given that the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office XI-2B, Salvacion, Panabo, City will accept oral or written bids not later than ten (10:00) o’clock in the morning on January 3, 2020, for the lease for docking purposes of the tract of land herein below described: Location : San Pedro, Panabo City Description : Mlc-11-001228-D Area : 101,401 square meters Appraisal (Land) : Php 2,600.00 per square meter or Php 263,642,600.00 for the whole tract Value of Improvements : Php 108,563,025.00 Applied for by : Davao International Container Terminal, Inc. represented by: Bonifacio B. Licayan The successful bidder if other than the applicant must reimburse the latter of the expenses for the publication of the notice of lease and the survey of the land.

The right to lease the land will be awarded to the person offering the highest annual rental, which shall not be less than three per centum (3%) of the value of the land plus one per centum (1%) of the value of the proposed/existing improvements. In order that a person may be entitled to participate in the participate in the bidding, he must be qualified public land applicant, and must, before the commencement of the same, make a deposit equivalent of at least three (3) month’s rental. Only deposit in cash, money order, treasury warrant, certified check, cashier’s check or manager’s check can be accepted. A person bidding in representation of another may do so under a duly executed power of attorney.

During the bidding, the bidder has to make an additional deposit everytime his bid is raised, to complete the three (3) month’s rental, otherwise, such bid as raised shall not be accepted. The right is reserved to reject any or all bids.

Panabo City, Philippines, November 12, 2019.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Department of Environment and Natural Resources Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Community Environment and Natural Resources Office [-2B, Salvacion, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, 8105 Philippines TELEFAX NO. (084) 823-2011/email.rxi_panabo@yahoo.com PAGPAPAUPA NG LUPANG PUBLIKO Ipinagbibigay alam sa madla na ang Community Environment and Natural Resources Office XI-2B, Salvacion, Panabo City ay tatanggap ng selyado o nakasulat na alok sa ika alas Diyes (10:00 o’clock) ng umaga sa ika 3 ng Enero taong 2020, para paupahan ang isang sukat na lupang publiko na inilarawan sa ibaba nito.

Lugar : San Pedro, Panabo City Deskripsyon : Mlc-11-001228-D Sukat : 101,401 metros kwadrados Tasahan ng Lupa : Php 2,600.00 kada metro kwadrado o Kabuuang Php 263,642,600.00 Halaga ng nakakatayong Proyekto : Php 108,563,025.00 Aplikante : Davao International Container Terminal, Inc. (DICT) represented by: Bonifacio B. Licayan Ang karapatan na upahan ang nasabing lupa ay ibibigay sa tao o partido na makapagbibigay ng pinakamataas na upa sa isang taon na hindi bababa sa tatlong (3%) porsyento sa halaga ng lupa at isang (1%) porsyento sa halaga ng itatayong estraktura. Upang ang isang tao ay makakasama sa isasagawang subasta, kailangang siya ay karapat-dapat na aplikante at kailangang bago magsimula ang subasta ay nakadeposito siya ng halagang katumbas ng tatlong buwang upa. Ang deposito ay kailangang salaping papel, money order, cashier’s o manager’s check, ang siya lamang tatanggapin. Ang isang tao na sumali sa subasta na nagrerepresenta ng ibang tao ay makakasali lamang kung mayroon siyang pahintulot na ibinigay sa pamamagitan ng kaukulang pahintulot na nilalagdaan ng Notaryo Publiko. Sa panahon ng subasta, ang taong sumali ay magkaroon ng dagdag na deposito kapag ang kanyang alok ay itinaas para makompleto ang kabuuang tatlong buwang upa. Ang karapatang tumanggi o tanggihan ang anumang alok o sa lahat ng alok ay palaging nakalaan para sa pamahalaan. Ang magwawagi sa alok na ito kung hindi siua ang aplikante ay kinakailangan tutumbasan ang kabayarang nagugul sa papapalathala ng panawagang ito sa pagpapasukat ng lupa.

Lungsod ng Panabo, Pilipinas, Nobyembre 12, 2019.

DOT... FROM4

Tan also reported that they have recorded a tourist arrivals of more than 3 million for this year. She said based on the records Davao’s top foreign markets include Japan, India, China, Korea, and United States.

She also cited Davao’s developing foreign markets include United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, and Canada.

Tan said their efforts of next year will focus on re-visiting the strength of

Davao as a MICE (meetings incentives conferences and exhibitions), center for gastronomic experience, sun and beach, nature and cultural destination. She said these will be their focus of efforts next year.

“What we want for a certain destination to be market-ready and when we say market-ready it should be foreign market, although, malaki naman yung domestic.

Tan also disclosed DOT 11’s tourism development

planning such as the region-wide roll out and assistance to the Formulation of Provincial/Municipal Tourism Development Plan Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental, formulation of Davao Regional Tourism Development Plan and Development of Cultural Hub Master Plan, endorsed and evaluated �ive TIEZA projects, and conducted re-tooling and mentoring on basic tourism statistics, advanced tourism statistics and tourism enterprise forum.

which trains entrepreneurial skills from business registration, product development, marketing and laws.

There will also be a Pet Fair with activities for owners and their pets at the People’s Palace grounds.

The festival will close with a cultural parade at CCSPC and City Plaza and the Grand Pagana, where people commune together while feasting.

Meanwhile the festival has organized other pocket

events. Before the festival, there will be a volleyball competition from Dec 11 to 15. Malls and stores will give discounts in the SK Fest Grand Sale. For the Gen Y, the SK Fest Mobile Legends Tournament, a popular e-sport, will be held on Dec. 14-15.

From Dec 15 to 31, the Old City Hall will display a cultural exhibit on the story of Datu Pat-I Mata and the Pulangi River. This is a folk tale about a four-eyed Datu

who was notorious for his polygamy and disrespect for women. His brother Datu Pula punished him for his excesses by turning him into a river.

“The Shariff Kabunsuan Festival is the city government’s way of saying thanks to the efforts of every Cotabateño who have made our city nationally recognized for its business progress and good governance,” says Mayor Guiani-Sayadi.

utility companies,” he said.

Enriquez said regulatory issues “create some negative outlook on how business is conducted in the country.”

Meanwhile, he forecasts in�lation rate to average this year at 2.4 percent, same level as that of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), while his 2020 forecast is three percent.

Both projections are within the government’s 2-4 percent target band until 2021.

The rate of price increases in the �irst 11 months this year averaged at 2.5 percent.

Last November, it posted an uptick to 1.3 percent from 0.8 percent in the previous month primarily due to faster in�lation of alco-

holic beverages and tobacco index given the higher sin taxes.

Last month’s uptick is the second jump after domestic in�lation peaked at 6.7 percent in September and October 2018.

The �irst increase was recorded last May when the �igure rose to 3.2 percent from month-ago’s 3 percent. (PNA)

COTABATO... FROM4

SUN... FROM5

NOT DONE YET A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO Davao (SPCD) Saints and with 3-0 card, followed Mats College of Technol- by JMC Kings (2-0), Asian ogy (MCT) Navigators at International School of 6:00 pm.

Aeronautics and TechnolAt 7:00pm, the un- ogy (AISAT) (1-1), Atebeaten University of Min- neo de Davao University danao (UM) Wildcats Knights (1-2), Mannywill Pacquiao(Addu) says evenBlue at 40, he is not finished yet. stake its clean slate against BCD (0-1), UM Penaplata DMMA College of South- (0-1), and Rizal Memoern Philippines (DMMAC- rial Colleges (RMC) SP) Mariners to wrap up Bulldogs (0-2).

Saturday's quadruple header sponsored by The

14 12 10

EDGE DAVAO EDGE DAVAO EDGE DAVAO

SEE STORY ON P11

Collegiate Sponsors League (CSL) Escandor Cup resumes at the Davao City Recreation Center. Escandor Cup/CSL photo VOL.11 VOL.12 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6VOL.12 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MARCH 24-25, 17-18, ISSUE 51 •FEBRUARY TUESDAY, 21,2019 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 45 • SUNDAYMONDAY, MAYMAY 12 -13,

VOL.12ISSUE ISSUE55 21• SUNDAY-MONDAY, • SUNDAY-MONDAY,MAY APRIL 7-8, 2019 VOL.12 26-27, VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

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VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019

THE 30TH SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES ROUNDUP AROUND THE GAMES

Gilas, simply too good

G

Chino Tancontian with Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Chino serves ‘Quick Chow’

By ADAM B. MORRELL

G

asping for breath, crying.

Amidst the roar of cheers from jubilant kababayans, anyone who saw Chino Sy Tancontian of Pilipinas Samboon Thursday night would agree, he was extremely spent, but relieved. His sturdy, muscular frame did not bare the child

inside, but his eyes can’t hide.

The 18-year old Dabawenyo had just survived a gruelling battle with division no. 1 Gary Chow of Singapore in the gold medal match of the 30th Southeast Asian Games Sambo event in Clark, Pampanga.

He had just delivered

another gold for the Philippines. But for a debuting SEA Games sport whose leadership is truly Davaobased, this is not lost amidst the avalanche of mint that has fortunately befallen the Philippine delegation’s war chest. This is extra special. And for Chino, he just took the gold medal

in what many considered as the toughest division of them all.

The son for former national judoka Paolo wrapped himself with the Philippine �lag and rushed to his team’s corner. If emotions can speak, it would’ve said: “Is this really happening?.”

CHINO, P8

CHARLY HOLGANZA

ilas Pilipinas is just too deep, it has all the pieces to push when the need arises.

That’s the luxury Gilas head coach Tim Cone enjoys. Despite being in trouble early when their shots were not falling, the Philippines hurdled Vietnam in their Group A game in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Gilas was having trouble breaking the game open as their shots were not falling, their passes were being tipped, and Vietnam was getting to the line. A pair of charities

by Justin Young knotted the count at 16 with some three minutes to go in the �irst frame.

It turned out to be the last time that Vietnam got close. The entry of LA Tenorio and Marcio Lassiter injected a dose of energy into the national team, and June Mar Fajardo began to impose his will inside the paint.

Momentum shifted to Gilas for good when Tenorio drew a foul on a 3-pointer, and made all three charities for a 27-19 lead after the �irst quarter.

The Filipinos kept pulling away in the second, en route to a 110-69 rout.

“We expect ourselves to wear down teams,” said head coach Tim Cone.

“We’re 12 men deep, and any of the 12 can go out and be a force, so we just have to be careful we don’t try to do everything right away in the �irst quarter.”

“We just gotta be pa-

tient and let our games speak for ourselves and continue to play, and we feel we can wear teams down with our depth and our talent,” he added.

That was exactly what happened against Vietnam. The lead was still manageable at the half — Gilas led just 52-40 — but the Filipinos reeled off 10 straight points to open the third frame. Fajardo poured in 12 in the period, and the lead ballooned to 44 in the fourth quarter Vietnam head coach Kevin Yurkus just commended his players for a battle well-fought, even as he acknowledged that his squad always knew it would struggle against Gilas.

“In the second half, they turned it up a notch, they jumped on us with a 10-0 run in third quarter then it was tough for us to climb back,” he said. “But overall, I’m proud of the effort of our guys.”

To Cone, the win against Vietnam was a testament to the depth of the national team. Fajardo notched a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double in just 15 minutes; he sat out the entire fourth quarter but there was no drop-off as Greg Slaughter and Vic Manuel came in to dominate the paint.

This is a luxury that other countries in the Southeast Asian region does not have, said Cone.

“You know, it’s amazing that we have 12 guys here, maybe the best 12

GILAS, P8

THE ATHLETE’S FOOT

PHILIPPINES DOMINATES AT THE SEA GAMES First, a bit of a backgrounder. The Southeast Asian Games, or the SEA Games, originated from the South East Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games in 1958 with 6 countries, namely: Burma (now Myanmar), Kampuchea (now Cambodia), Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The �irst SEAP Games were held in Bangkok in December 1959 with only 527 athletes and of�icials from the 6 countries competing, with only 12 sports. It has since been renamed the South East Asian Games, having grown to 11 countries competing in numerous sports, conventional and indigenous ones included. This year’s 30th edition of the biennial sporting event ushered in 5,630 athletes from the 11 countries, with a biggest-ever 56 sports to be played.

Per SEA Games requirement, a

host nation must stage a minimum of 22 sports, and it could pioneer indigenous sports which may not yet be in the Olympic calendar. Case in point: the inclusion in the Olympics of oriental sports - judo, taekwondo and for Japan’s hosting next year, karate - were pioneered by Japan and Korea.

For a sport and event to be included, a minimum of four countries must participate in it.

Hence, the SEA Games is unique in that it has no of�icial limits to the number of sports to be contested, and the range can be decided by the organizing host, with the approval of the Southeast Asian Games Federation.

Except for Aquatics and Athletics that are ‘must-have’ sports, the host is also free to drop or introduce other events.

This privilege has resulted in hosts maximizing their medal hauls by drop-

ping sports disadvantageous to themselves relative to their peers and the introduction of obscure sports, often at short notice, thus preventing most other nations from building credible opponents.

For this year’s hosting of the SEA Games, the Philippines included a couple of sports where we believe we have an advantage. Included here are Duathlon, Esports, Beach handball, Basketball 3-on-3, Jujitsu, Kickboxing, Kurash, Modern pentathlon, Obstacle Racing, Sambo, Skateboarding, Sur�ing and Wakeboarding. We also revived Arnis (last played in 2005 hosted by the Philippines) and Dancesport (last played in 2009 histed by Laos). In Arnis, we bagged 14 of the 20 gold medals at stake. In Dancesport, we pocketed 10 of the 13 golds contested. in 3x3 basketball, we swept both golds in

men’s and women’s competition. And we expect to harvest more in these newly-introduced sports in the days ahead.

For the record, Philippines last hosted in 2005, and we took the overall championship then with a .25 clip ratio in golds to number of events.

Thailand followed in 2007, it championed with a .384 ratio of golds to events. Resource-constrained Laos hosted in 2009, it landed a respectable 7th. Indonesia hosted and took the championship in 2011, with a .333 golds-to-events ratio. Myanmar was host in 2013, and it landed a surprising 2nd in the overall standings despite its manpower and resource lack. Tiny Singapore followed in 2015, landing 2nd with a .208 clip despite their lack of manpower. Finally, Malaysia hosted last 2017 �inishing 1st with a whop-

ping .357 golds-to-events clip. At the rate we are going, we are hitting a respectable .299 rate, having won 71 golds in 237 events played so far.

This is not to say we have not improved. For certainly, our athletes have improved by leaps and bounds during the last two years with the full support of the PSC, and the reforms being slowly implemented now in Philippine Sports. The stench of sports politics during the Peping era is now slowly diminishing, although you can still see it in the sports where his ma�ia continues to control. But that is a story for another time.

For now, let us continue to cheer for our team in the SEA Games. Bring your kids to the Games. This is a golden opportunity to instill the values of nationalism in an easy sports environment. Let’s go, Philippines!

12 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 194 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 8-9, 2019