Edge Davao 10 Issue 26 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES SECURED. Security forces belonging to the Philippine Navy conduct a routine sea patrol between Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) on Sunday. The Philippine Navy is among the agencies that provided security as the Department of Tourism (DOT) 11, local government unit of IGaCoS and private sector held tourismrelated summer activities in the island. Lean Daval Jr.

MASSAGISTS WARNED

By 2018, all massage therapists must have DOH licences By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

LL of Davao City’s estimated more than 1,000 masseurs and masseuses in more than 100 massage clinics and wellness spas will be required to secure a license as “massage therapists” from the Department of Health (DOH) by 2018, otherwise they would not be allowed to practice their profession while their establishments will be padlocked by the government.

Before they can get a DOH license, massagists have to be trained by any training school accredited by the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), according to Dr. Jeilyn “Jill” O. Savellano, a dentist who is the founding president of the Davao Wellness and Spa Association (DavWell).

Ms Savellano, proprietor of Zhi Ya Spa, said no operator is allowed to open a spa unless he has licensed massage therapists in his employ. Actually, there is a health law backed by DOH Administrative Order 2010-0034 which governs the operation of health and wellness spas and their

massage practitioners , she said. However, realizing the need for operators to familiarize themselves with the law and the requirements, the DOH declared a moratorium on its implementation until December 2017. The said moratorium

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Petron duo snares PSL beach volley title

EDGEDAVAO Sports

Northern exposure: My return to Baguio

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

NEW DENR CHIEF. President Duterte signs the appointment of newly-designated Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu prior to the start of the 15th Cabinet Meeting at the State Dining Room of Malacañan Palace Sunday. Cimatu is a retirement ambassador and military general from Ilocos Norte. He said in the cabinet of former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Also in the photo is Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Cimatu replaces Gina as DENR chief P RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday during a Cabinet meeting that retired general Roy Cimatu, currently the special envoy for OFW refugees, would take the place of Gina Lopez as chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “We are confident that Secretary Cimatu shall faithfully serve the interest of the country and the Filipino people in his capacity as the new DENR Secretary,” said presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella. Cimatu is a member of the Philippine Military Academy

Class of 1970. He was chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from May to September 2002 during the Arroyo administration. After retiring from the AFP, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed him as special envoy to the Middle East with a title of ambassador. Last April, Duterte appointed Cimatu as special ambassador for overseas Filipino worker-refugees. Duterte announced Cimatu’s latest appointment while Lopez’s supporters were holding a rally in Manila on Monday urging the Presi-

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Sarangani, Davao del Sur border towns to join anti-drug task force

FFICIALS of two municipalities bordering the provinces of Sarangani and Davao del Sur are pushing for the creation of a special task force that will spearhead efforts against the proliferation of marijuana plantations, and related peace and order problems within their areas. Malungon, Sarangani Mayor Maria Theresa Constantino said Monday such move was an offshoot of their dialogue last week with officials of Kiblawan town in Davao del Sur over concerns on the continuing existence of marijuana plantations and activities of bandit groups in their bound-

ary areas. She said they decided to hold the “peace forum” to discuss strategies that would strengthen their fight against illegal drugs, and provide solutions to the primary causes of banditry. Kiblawan Mayor Carl Jason Rama earlier visited Malungon town to look into possible partnerships to address the problem. The gathering, which was hosted by the local government of Kiblawan, was joined by officials of Army and police units, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

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Troops hunt rebs in raid of Mati nickel company By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

OT pursuit operations by government troops continued yesterday of communist New People’s Army gunmen who attacked Saturday a nickel mining company and torched over P109 million worth of vehicles and equipment in the firm’s compound in Barangay Macambol near the Mt. Hamiguitan Heritage Site

which is part of Mati City, Davao Oriental. Reports from the 701st Infantry Brigade said that 27 vehicles were burned by about 15 NPA armed men in the compound of the mining firm and its general contractor Frasec Ventures Corporation at Salingkomot, Sitio (Sub-village) Magum, Barangay (village) Macambol.

In an initial investigation, it was said that around 4:30 in the morning, the heavily armed rebels raided the compound and overpowered the guards. The attack lasted for two hours. Mati City deputy police chief Inspector Leonilo Lad said that the NPAs took five shotguns and two carbine rifles owned by the Mil-Oro

guards as they fled the place. Aside from the armed weapons, it is said that the rebels also took nine handheld radios, three GPS (global positioning system) gadgets, a laptop computer, a digital camera, two wristwatches and a pair of shoes. The pegged damage made to the two compounds reached up to P109,600,000.

“We still have two months, and we are very confident we can beat the objective to decrease the capability of the enemies,” Galvez added. Galvez updated journalists here Monday on the campaign of the military against threat groups under Westmincom’s jurisdiction, which includes provinces in mainland Mindanao and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Based on its report, at least 60 ASG members have been killed since the start of the year. Two of the latest firefights separately took place on Saturday, May 6, that resulted to the death of four bandits. The big blow, Galvez said, is the killing of notorious ASG sub-leader Alhabshy Misaya.

Misaya was killed in a clash on April 29 in the town of Indanan, Sulu. Misaya, a known explosive expert, was involved in a string of kidnapping and bombing cases, including the 2002 Malagutay bombing that killed an American soldier. The military also apprehended 13 ASG members, while 41 surrendered, Galvez said. Galvez said they expect more ASG members in Sulu to surrender, including the ageing and most senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Radullan Sahiron. Sahiron, also known as the one-armed bandit, has earlier sent surrender feelers to the military.

“If we can get at least two or three more leaders of the ASG, [the organization] will crumble,” Galvez said. Galvez attributed their successful operations to the information provided by ASG members who surrendered and from the community leaders. Galvez said they expect the release of hostages as the area of the ASG “is now constricted.” The military, he said, is also gaining ground against the Maute group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in mainland Mindanao, particularly in the Lanao area. The Joint Task Force ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula

Troops kill 60 Abu Sayyaf bandits since January

IXTY members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have been killed in Mindanao since January, which a top military commander attributed to sustained military offensives against the bandits. “It is a matter of time (before we can crush the ASG). We believed we have gained a significant [step against the terrorist group]. Our objective in the six-month period given by the President (Rodrigo Duterte is doable). We have reached the tipping point of the ASG. Meaning, they could “no longer carry out” significant attacks,” Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom)

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

House backs lowering criminal liability age to 12 years old

OUSE committee on welfare of children chair Divina Grace Yu on Monday expressed support to the proposal seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old from 15. In a press conference on Monday, Yu said that she is personally in favor of lowering the criminal liability age to 12 years old, considering that criminal syndicates exploit children into committing crimes. “Personally, I would favor the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility to 12,” Yu said. Yu, however, stressed that the majority vote of the committee on welfare and children would prevail over her personal view. “But as I’ve said it’s not my

personal vote or view (that) would matter. It’s with the committee on welfare of children,” Yu said. “So, if the majority of the committee on welfare and children would say that this bill is detrimental to the welfare of children then I would bring the voice of the majority of the committee not to favor the said bill,” she added. The bill, seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to nine from 15, is currently being deliberated by the House justice subcommittee on correctional reforms. Lowering the criminal liability age is one of the priority measures of the Duterte administration. Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and

SOLICITING PASSENGERS. A ‘payong-payong’ driver offers a ride to pedestrians right at the middle of the street along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City

F HOUSE, 10 on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

ECO-TOURISM SITES DOT, LGUs to turn tribal villages to tourism spots By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

HE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM (DOT) and certain local government units led by Davao City will transform several tribal villages into eco-tourism destinations. This was outlined by Tourism Region 11 Director Roberto “Robbie” Alabado III during last Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at the SM Davao annex at the Ecoland. Alabado said that the Davao City government has already made initial moves in this direction with City Tourism Operations chief Generose D. Tecson holding consultations with tribal leaders in the city. In those consultation meetings, Tecson informed

the tribal chieftains that planning and actually building the eco-tourism villages, including indicating the possible financial requirements or budget, will be their responsibility. Regional Director Alabado told reporters that DOT has budget for capacity building through this community-based eco-tourism, tourists are not only going to see the wonders of Davao Region but also, to experience the indigenous people’s way of Life. “We call it the CBET (Community-Based Eco-Tourism). In this program, the tourists will be staying in their (indigenous peoples) houses, like a guest of the family. They will be eating with the family, going around, telling stories with the

family. That is the experience we would like the tourist to have,” Alabado said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw. Director Alabado further said that the DOT has a budget for the training of members of the indigenous peoples (IP) who will be direct and indirect participants in the program. “Partnership with our IPs is a must because government would like to introduce the eco-tourism concept in as many lumad areas so the IPs can participate in the gains to be derived from a vibrant tourism industry, “ he said. “However, it has to be more on the cultural aspect of our communities with an eco-tourism side of protecting nature, introducing our tourist

to waterfalls, birds, and animals and to the flora and fauna of the community,” the DOT official said. Aside from talking with the LGUs, Alabado’s office is collaborating with the Department of Enviroment and Natural Resources in laying the ground works of the eco-tourism concept with the people in the targeted communities. The DENR is tasked with determining the feasibility of the potential eco-tourism sites. DOT 11 initially targets to have the CBET (community-based eco-tourism) program adopted in tribal communities in Davao City, in Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Island Garden City of Samal and in Davao Occidental.

Reds face 19 charges for CARHRIHL violations

HE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), were slapped with 19 charges for alleged violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). Capt. Rhyan Batchar, 10th Infantry Division spokesperson, said Monday they filed the complaints before the Secretariat of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC). Copies of the formal complaints were already forwarded last week to the JMC of CARHRIHL; Secretary Silvestre H Bello, chairman of the GPH negotiating Panel; and Fidel V. Agcaoili, chairman of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) panel, Batchar said. CARHRIHL was signed by the government and the NDFP in 1998. It provides for the creation of the JMC. Batchar said that 15 of the alleged violations of the communist rebels were perpetrated against civilians, in violation of Article 4.4, Part IV of CARHRIHL, which states that civilians, together with their property, shall not be the object of attacks.

The four other violations were purportedly perpetrated against soldiers and a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit, he added. Batchar said that three remains of dead soldiers were mutilated by the NPAs in violation of Article 3.4, Part 4 of the agreement. Cases of burning of civilian vehicles by the NPAs were also included in the complaint, he said. These cases were the burning of Yellow Bus Line units, Husky bus, one passenger van, an elf truck and one dump truck and the destruction of heavy equipment owned by civilian companies – three of which belong to construction firms and the packing plant of Dole-Stanfilco. The violations included in the complaints were committed from February 2016 to January 2017, Batchar said. “We are hoping that the violations (allegedly) committed by the NPAs against the provisions of CARHRIHL will be thoroughly discussed by the members of the government and NDFP peace panels,” Batchar said. (Alexander Lopez/PNA)

Rody looks forward to working with new France government

WELLNESS EVENT. Dr. Jeilyn “Jill” O. Savellano (right), proprietor of Zhi Ya Spa and founding president of Davao Welness Association (Davwell), discusses the upcoming Mindanao Dive Expo and Wellness Fair, a travel and leisure expo, slated on May 11 to 14 at the SMX Convention Center in

Lanang, Davao City. Savellano was joined by Ma. Phoebe De Leon (center) of 1st Davao TLEX and Orange Salva during this week’s edition of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Philippine government is looking forward to working with the administration of France’s newly-elected President Emmanuel Macron, Malacañang said Monday. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte extends his congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his election as President of France,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“France is one of the biggest trading partners of the Philippines in the European Union (EU), and we look forward to working with the incoming Macron administration to enhance Philippine-France bilateral relations,” Abella said. Macron won the French elections with 65.5 percent of national votes, defeating rival Marine Le Pen in a runoff election. (Cieltio M. Reganit/ PNA)

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THERAPIST. A therapist gives a back massage to a Dabawenyo inside Magsaysay Park in Davao City on Monday. Masseurs and masseuses will be required to secure a license before they would be allowed to practice their profession from the Department of Health starting next year. Lean Daval Jr.

Department of Agriculture eyes structure at Benham Rise

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to build a research center and a command post against illegal fishing here. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol revealed the agency’s plan for Benhan Rise during the three-day expedition from May 5 to 8. During the Benham Rise expedition, Piñol, together with marine scientists, researchers and engineers, witnessed the releasing of payao or fish aggregate device to the ocean. ”The scientists will recommend the exact (location of the) structure to avoid disturbing the ecological formations of the area,” Piñol told journalists who

joined the expedition. The secretary said the project will be situated at the Benham Bank, a 15,000-hectare area on the top part of Benham Rise. “The project would also be a tourism destination, especially for divers who wanted to explore the deep waters of Benham Rise,” Piñol added. Through the project, Piñol stressed it will send a message to other countries that Benham Rise is owned by the Philippines. He revealed that the Philippines is losing US$ 30 million annually due to foreign poaching in the area.

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DOT eyes cultural tourism

HE Department of Tourism in Region XI is eyeing to market cultural tourism this year particularly during Davao City’s Kadayawan. DOT-XI Regional Director Robbie Alabado says that the local government of Davao City is identifying and developing different sites in the city as cultural villages. “Hopefull by the season of Kadayawan, we can have tourists in the sites.” Alabado said during an interview at SM City Davao’s Kapehan sa Dabaw today (May 8). Among the sites are in the ancestral domain of the Matigsalogs, another site in Carmen Calinan, in Sicao also in Calinan and in Sibulan. Alabado says the tourists

can stay in the village as observers where they can join them in their meals or in going around the communities, however their stay must not be disruptive to their way of life. “They are treated as guests of the family where they will be staying.” Alabado says. Presently in the region there is a cultural village in Tibolo, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur which is a community of Bagobo Tagabawa. The cultural village was funded by the DOT’s Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the four cultural villages in Davao City will be constructed as a local government ini-

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TUCP appeals to PRRD: Save 10,000 TADECO jobs T

HE Associated Labor Unions Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP-NAGKAISA), the country’s largest labor federation yesterday expressed “grave concern and serious alarm” at the possible loss of employment facing 10,000 workers of the Tagum Development Corporation (TADECO), who are ALU members by way of ALU affiliate Southern Mindanao Federation of Labor (SMFL). ALU laments the legal vigilantism that has already concluded that the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between TADECO

and the Bureau of Corrections is «null and void». In this unseemly and hasty rush to kill off the JVA, the real injustice will be to the ordinary workers who will be the first casualty when they lose their jobs. Thousands of workers and their families’ futures will no longer have a human dimension as they will be reduced to subsistence survival levels, mere shadows forgotten in the spotlight of the elect and the elite,” said Michael Mendoza, president of ALU-TUCP. “We appeal to President Duterte to look into the plight of workers and their families who have

been overlooked in this teleserye brouhaha. They are the true human face to this controversy. These workers have been his avid supporters since he was Mayor and are just toiling day-to-day to provide as decent a life for their children as they can. If indeed there were legal infirmities in the JVA then corrective measures must first be made,” explained Mendoza. “What the legal rulings conveniently forgot were the 10,000 workers and their families. A corrective order should have been resorted to and would have been more forthcoming.

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Duterte to attend Belt and Road Forum in Beijing; promising economic gains P

HILIPPINE President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is set to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15, hoping to further boost the country’s economic ties with China and the rest of the world. During his state visit to China in October 2016, Pres. Duterte and Chinese Pres. Xi

Jinping agreed for more cooperation and join Xi’s flagship Belt and Road initiative. The initiative will launch a series of infrastructure projects across three continents, linking Asian markets with economic circles in Europe and Africa. The Philippines stands to hugely gain from joining the initiative as it is in conso-

nance with the Duterte administration’s massive trillion peso infrastructure program called Build, Build, Build which would usher in the country’s “golden age of infrastructure” in the next five years. Some of the big-ticket projects identified under the Build, Build, Build program will be funded by China. Aside from Pres. Duterte,

more than 25 heads of state are expected to attend the forum, including Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin. Joining Pres. Duterte in the Chinese capital are his economic and infrastructure secretaries who will present Chinese businessmen the administration’s economic policies through “Dutertenomics”. (PNA)

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ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Duterte to pitch‘Dutertenomics’ to world leaders, businessmen

CONSTRUCTION BOOM. Jon Richmond Ang, marketing directo of WorldBEX Service International on the 3rd Philbex Davao promotes the upcoming Philbex Davao 2017, which will be positioned as the ultimate source and

platform for Mindanao’s construction and design community, set on May 11 to 14 at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Convention Center. Lean Daval Jr.

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will promote his ambitious socioeconomic agenda dubbed “Dutertenomics” before business leaders at an international economic forum in Cambodia this week, a foreign affairs official said Monday. Duterte’s administration plans to spend an estimated P8 trillion on big-ticket items such as railways and ports, ushering in a so-called “golden age of infrastructure” in the next six years. Private sector investment is crucial to the infrastructure push to go along with billions of dollars in promised assistance from countries such as Japan and China. Duterte will have the opportunity to identify investment opportunities in the Philippines before chief executive officers at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on

Asean in Phnom Penh starting Wednesday. “To promote ‘Dutertenomics, the President’s socioeconomic agenda, that would be the main engagement that the President will have with the CEOs who will be attending,” acting foreign affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar told reporters. As this year’s chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Duterte will update the business community on the “progress made” in the region’s economic integration, Bolivar said. The integration, which started in late 2015, seeks a single market and production base in the region, which has a combined gross domestic product of $2.4 trillion. Bolivar said Duterte would also address the youth of Asean, who are seen as a major driver for growth.

Informal workers transition Oil firms to slash to formal economy hastened pump prices today T

HE government is vying for the transition of informal sector workers into the formal economy, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said over the weekend. Speaking before a joint

Labor Day celebration with the National AntiPoverty Commission (NAPC) Workers in Informal Sector Council in Davao, Bello said the labor department is fully behind the recommendation of the Inter-

national Labor Organization (ILO) to provide the sector with an enabling atmosphere to be absorbed by the formal economy. “Despite their economic and social contributions,

IPs to get incentives for protecting forests Beneficiaries are Caraga, Manay. Tarragona

By Riza M. Golez

ATI CITY, Davao Oriental- Indigenous peoples (IP) communities in three highly-forested towns in the province, which are actively helping in biodiversity conservation will receive monetary incentives through the National REDD PLUS System Project of the German Federal Ministry in partnership with the provincial government. During the project’s closing ceremony on April 26, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) head, Dolores Valdesco, said that the towns of Caraga, Manay, and Tarragona were chosen as the project recipients in consideration to contiguity, total land area, and large number of IP inhabitants. With the German government serving as the principal funding institution for the project, various agencies are among the active partners in its implementation, namely: the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, Department of Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Philippine Eagle Foundation. These agencies are driven by the program’s vision of “providing value to forests by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest

in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.” “The main purpose of the project is climate change mitigation and adaptation as the Philippines ranks fifth in the Climate Risk Index identified by the German Watch in 2017,” said Dr. Klaus Schmitt, principal advisor of the National REDD PLUS Philippine System Project. “Sustainable forest management is a key element of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and you can stop it at the local level. This initiative makes a contribution to eventually formulating a national policy because Philippines intends to contribute 70-percent greenhouse gas emission reduction and out of this 70 percent, 58 percent can be achieved through the forest sector,” Schmitt explained. Going beyond economic assistance, Schmitt said that the scheme promotes livelihood sustainability among its beneficiaries. “This program is not a dole-out system, therefore it ensures continuity of the structure,” Schmitt added, citing the capacity building and enhancement training conducted by the Provincial ENRO to the recipients. Dr. Jurgen Schade, chief aadvisor of REDD PLUS Philippine System Project, said that the scheme governs the action of IPs on their ancestral do-

mains as he describes IP communities as “homogenous” who “do not have rules and regulations how to manage their resources”. “This collaboration with the provincial government provides opportunity for both government and non-government organizations, and the IP communities in achieving global initiative which is the climate change adaptation and mitigation. Carbon stock must be looked at from national scheme. It’s not area based, but it pays if all areas preserve its forest,” Forester Shali Antonio said, the Senior Advisor of the REDD PLUS Project. As the province is fully prepared for REDD PLUS strategy, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang said in a speech delivered for him by Chief of Staff Ednar Dayanghirang that the project is a good opportunity in protecting and conserving the province’s forest resources. Governor Dayanghirang has been continuously pouring support in continuing implementation of the REDD PLUS project after it was launched during the previous administration under Former Governor now First District Representative Cong. Corazon N. Malanyaon. “This is an opportunity for us to enjoy the ecological services of the forest that we are

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workers in the informal sector are insufficiently covered by labor laws and standards. That is why DOLE is vying for the ILO’s edict,” Bello said, referring to ILO Recommenda-

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IL firms are implementing a big cut in pump prices on Tuesday. Shell and Eastern Petroleum will cut the price of gasoline by P0.90 per liter, and diesel by P1.05 per liter at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday.

Shell will also cut the price of kerosene by P0.90 per liter. Flying V, and Seaoil will implement a similar cut in pump prices at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Other oil firms are expected to make a similar announcement.

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

BIFF leader killed, 4 injured in Maguindanao skirmishes

OTABATO CITY -- A sub-leader of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was killed and four of his companions were injured in a series of skirmishes with government forces Sunday in Maguindanao province, an Army official said Monday. Killed was Commander Khalid, a nephew of Ismael Abubakar, leader of the BIFF operating in Maguindanao’s second district, Capt. John Arvin Encinas, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said. The skirmishes, which started last Friday, erupted when about 100 BIFF were monitored to be closing on a military detachment in Ba-

rangay Pagatin, Datu Salibo town. Government forces used air and artillery assets to drive away the armed men back to the marshland, Encinas said. Abu Misri Mama, BIFF spokesperson, confirmed to Cotabato City radio stations the death of the sub-leader but assured that their leader, Ali Abubakar alias “Commander Bungos,” was unharmed. Encinas added that the highway linking Cotabato City and Isulan in Sultan Kudarat remained safe but reminded commuters to take precautionary measures. Soldiers provide road security in Maguindanao’s second district. (EOF/PNA)

Drugs, other contrabands seized in GenSan jail

ENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Joint operatives seized suspected illegal drugs and other contraband in a raid early Monday in several cells inside the Lanton Reformatory Center or city jail here. Jail Chief Insp. Jesus Singson, city jail warden, said the illegal items were recovered during surprise inspections on four cells that housed inmates who were facing various illegal drug charges. He said the inspection was conducted at “brigadas” (cells) 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the jail’s building 01, which is also known as “Barangay Makatao.” The joint “operation greyhound,” which was joined by elements from the Army-led Joint Task Force (JTF) GenSan, General Santos City Police Office and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12, started before midnight on Sunday and lasted until Monday morning. Seized during the raid were at least 68 deadly weapons like ice picks and knives, 24 mobile phones with char-

gers, 13 small sachets and a small pack of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, PHP12,000 cash and drug paraphernalia. Singson said they launched the operation after receiving information that suspected shabu and various contraband have entered anew the jail facility. He said they immediately coordinated the matter with the PDEA-12, city police and the JTF GenSan for the launching of surprise inspections. “This is a product of concerted efforts, especially the sharing and gathering of information with our partners,” he said in an interview over Brigada News FM here. Based on their initial investigation, the official said the illegal items might have entered the facility through visitors of some inmates. He said the illegal drugs were reportedly smuggled through the “private parts” of female visitors. Singson said they have

300 ARMM religious leaders to hold summit vs terrorism C

Saudi, Singapore, UN envoys invited

OTABATO CITY – Up to 300 ulama from in and outside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are expected to attend an anti-terrorism summit scheduled in this city from May 12 to 14. Dubbed ‘ARMM Ulama Summit Against Terrorism’, the event is initiated by the regional government in cooperation with the region’s ulama and in line with the Duterte administration’s statement that terrorism is an urgent and critical national security threat. Governor Mujiv Hataman, as well as religious leaders, underscored that the threat of violence and terrorism could further hamper economic growth in the region. Even as reforms in the ARMM were

introduced resulting in initial positive response from investors, recent security-related incidents in some areas could dampen business interest in the entire region. The Maute Group’s terror attacks in Lanao del Sur show violent extremism’s new trajectory, compounded further by recent developments such as the Islamic State’s expanding influence outside the Middle East. These developments would adversely affect high-impact programs and projects that ARMM has recently introduced all over the region benefiting mostly conflict-affected and low-income communities. Ulama leaders have noted that the threat of violent extremism and terrorism is

not solely the problem and responsibility of political leaders but of religious leaders as well since many terrorists misrepresent and misuse the Islamic faith to justify violence and terrorism, which tarnish the image of Islam and Muslims. The ulama emphasized that Islam could not be used to justify violent extremism and terrorism. Reeducation is necessary to rediscover the Islamic faith, specifically the principles of justice, compassion, peace, and harmony, they added. Working with stakeholders to prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism is important in this regard. President Duterte leads the list of invited guests while Gov. Hataman will be present

during the summit’s sessions. Others invited to the event are the ambassadors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Singapore, and the United Nations’ representative to the Philippines. Despite the gains due to reforms that have been implemented and institutionalized in the ARMM, there is a continuing challenge when it comes to local security and governance. This includes sustainable development which requires an inclusive, comprehensive and sustainable approach. The ARMM’s experience in campaigns and programs against extremism, as well as the draft communication for peace action plan would also be shared. (Bureau of Public Information)

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Offensive on vs NPA rebels holding soldier in Bukidnon AGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The military on Monday said it is conducting continuous pursuit operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels responsible in raiding a private security compound in Bukidnon last Friday evening, after which they abducted a soldier. Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, 4th Infantry Division spokesperson here, said that Technical Sergeant Joseph Paredes, who is assigned at the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion, was unarmed and was on a rest and recreation mode when seized by the NPA rebels. He said that Paredes was riding a motorcycle with his wife when flagged down by the communist rebels who put up a road blockade outside the com-

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pound of DASIA, a Davao-based security agency, in a subdivision in Valencia City, Bukidnon. Martinez said the 4th ID has deployed a team of soldiers to go after the NPA rebels shortly after the incident. The NPA rebels, clad in police uniforms, told motorists to stop because an operation “Tokhang” was in progress in a nearby area. “Tokhang” (knock and appeal), is a nationwide anti-illegal drug campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Martinez said that Paredes was identified by the insurgents through his identification card. “The [rebels] immediately dragged him (Paredes) off his motorcycle and hurled him inside an armored vehicle. The

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COMVAL SUMMER BEACHFEST 2017 NOW ON! Gov. Tyron Uy joins other divers in the SCUBASURERO, a clean-up drive along the Mabini Protected Landscape and Seascape. The event kicks off the opening of the month-long

Summer Beachfest at the coastal towns of the province held at Beach View resort on May 6. May is also the Ocean Month where Comval takes part in the observance. (fe maestre/ids comval)

P20M needed for repair of quake-hit port in Sarangani town

ENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) needs around PHP20 million for the immediate repair of the port of Glan in Sarangani Province that was damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last April 29. Jerome Barranco, Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Region 12 assistant director, said Monday such figure was based on the latest assessment conducted by the agency on the damages incurred by the facility as a result of the quake. He said the temblor, which was felt at Intensity 5 in the area, specifically caused major

cracks at the main wharf area and destroyed portions of the PPA district office. An earlier situation report released by OCD-12 cited the port as “totally damaged,” with the wharf area sinking by about 15 centimeters. “The entire port remains closed right now as it was deemed unsafe to any port-related activity,” Barranco told the Philippine News Agency. The official said PPA officials decided to just repair the port after earlier considering its transfer to another site. He said the PHP20 million funding being sought by the agency will cover for the de-

sign and the repair works on the facility. The repair will require the re-digging and re-filling of the reclaimed portions of the port and the replacement of the damaged wharf, he said. The Glan Port’s expansion, which received a funding of around PHP75 million, was only completed three years ago. Placed under the administrative jurisdiction of the PPA in 2012, the port has a total area of around 1,000,000 square meters. The facility, which had been declared as a limited international port, is classified as

an alternate port of the General Santos or Makar Port here. It was included in the Roll On, Roll Off or RoRo shipping route in the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA. The coastal municipality of Glan is the closest locality in the province to the quake’s epicenter, which was traced off the seas of Sarangani town in Davao Occidental. Several other private and government structures were damaged due to the quake, which was considered the strongest that hit the area in recent years. (AVE/PNA)

7 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

PHILBEX Davao City turns spotlight on interior design D

Low water pressure in GSIS Heights Subd.

RIVEN by a powerful desire to promote inclusive economic growth in the Philippines, Worldbex Services International (WSI), the country’s leading events and expositions organizer, affirms its commitment to enrich Mindanao’s infrastructure sector with the return of the much-awaited Philippine Building and Construction Exposition Davao or PHILBEX Davao. To be co-located with the first-ever Travel and Leisure Expo Davao, PHILBEX Davao 2017 is happening on May 11 to 14, from 11:00am to 7:00pm at SMX, SM Lanang Premier. Now on its third edition, this year’s show ultimately seeks to elevate industry standards in response to emergent trends and issues that confront the global construction and design sector. Through its theme of “Building Bolder Perspectives”, PHILBEX Davao 2017 will raise the bars of innovation and excellence by being a force of progress in the region. Pegged as the biggest gathering of the industry’s finest brands and companies along with the most influential personalities, PHILBEX Davao is set to showcase the widest array of exhibitors; bringing with them the most outstanding product and service innovations in today’s market. More notably, further setting PHILBEX Davao apart from its contemporaries is its memorable and insightful pocket events and activities. And the same could be said for this year’s installment as it conceives an immensely exciting line-up of in-show programs. Among its highly-anticipated event highlights is a talk show that will be hosted by PHILBEX Davao in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID). Entitled “Let’s Talk Interior Design – Inside Out”, the panel of speakers will be composed of IDr. Mike Suqui, IDr. Vincent Louie Tan, IDr. Hazel Garces-Resari, and IDr. Rosette Arnaldo Yabut. As the only government-accredited institute of professional interior design practitioners, the PIID has since aspired to advance its practice through accreditation, education, knowledge sharing, legal recognition, and public outreach. Through the talk show, the PIID hopes to promote its philosophy of meaningful and innovative design among the region’s practicing and aspiring interior designers and architects amid the unique and comprehensive trade show setting of PHILBEX Davao 2017. The PIID talk show is just one among the

IDr. Hazel Resari, PIID Mindanao Chapter Past President

IDr. Mike Suqui

er in duration, DCWD needs additional time for re-switching on of the affected facilities, pressure build-up, and line delivery. Thus, the longer duration of water service interruption. The DCWD management asks for the understanding and cooperation of would-be affected customers. They are also advised to store enough water prior to the scheduled water interruption. Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise. The general public may visit DCWD website (www. davao-water.gov.ph) and official Facebook page (www. facebook.com/davaowater) or contact the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 297DCWD (3293) and press “1” the latest daily water updates. Contact 0927-7988966, 09255113293, and 0908-4410653 for other updates, complaints, queries, and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Winston C. Ajero)

Globe Telecom lauds 5 LGUs for support IDr. Rossette Arnaldo, PIID Mindanao Chapter President countless must-see highlights that await the attendees of this year’s PHILBEX Davao. Intent on making a grand comeback, PHILBEX Davao 2017 is committed in delivering its biggest and grandest installment yet. Most especially, as it aspires to ignite greatness

IDr. Vincent Louie Tan through an unprecedented display of bold new insights and dynamic perspectives. For more information, go to www.worldbex.com or follow Worldbex Services International on Facebook and @worldbex on Instagram.

“How to Franchise your Business”seminar set in Davao HE Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) will hold a seminar for business owners in Davao and nearby provinces who want to expand their business via franchising. Set this Friday, May 12 at Seda Abreeza Hotel in Davao City, the “How to Franchise your Business” seminar will present the participants with key concepts and procedures on how to turn one’s business into a franchise. Francorp Philippines CEO and recognized as the “Woman Icon of Philippine Franchising” Bing Sibal-Limjoco with Francorp’s Strategic Planning Consultant Dana Cuneta will be the resource speakers for this seminar. Francorp Philippines is the largest franchise consultancy firm in the country that is responsible for the success of Philippine franchise brands

AVAO City Water District advises of a water service interruption on May 10, 2017, from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM affecting some areas in GSIS Heights Subdivision, specifically the streets of Polaris, Comet, Pluto, Mercury, Mars, Virgo (from corner of Pluto St. to corner of Eagle St.), Aquarius, Jupiter, Planet, Galaxy, Milkyway, Surveyor, Apollo, Ranger, Telstar, Oak, Pisces, Capricorn, Rine, Mapple, and Willow; a portion of Phil.-Japan National Highway (from corner Langub Road towards Green Valley); and, the entire Royal Pines Subd., Santos Cuyugan Road, Shrine Hills Road, Matina Hills, Jack’s Ridge, Langub including San Nicolas Homeowners Assn. and San Vicente Homeowners Assn., Green Valley in Ma-a, and the west portion of Las Terrazas. DCWD’s water facility at Pluto St., GSIS Heights Subdivision in Matina will be affected by Davao Light and Power Company’s 30-minute power interruption on said date. Although the power cut is short-

like Jollibee, Max’s Restaurant, Potato Corner and The Generics Pharmacy among others. The speakers will present the franchising trends and opportunities in the country, will help explore the “Franchise Advantage” by tackling the nature, types and procedures of franchising, and will share the key elements and processes of developing a franchise. The said seminar is part of the “Franchising Negosyo para sa Davao” which will happen on May 12 to 14 at Abreeza Mall, Davao City. The event, which consists of business matching, expo and seminars, provides the visitors with a holistic view of franchising and serves as a perfect venue to find potential business partners in the region. PFA says they conduct regional shows like this to help businesses expand and aspiring entrepre-

neurs start through franchising. “PFA is committed to promoting franchising as an effective tool for economic development and nation-building by creating enterprises and helping businesses grow and expand by replicating a successful business model. This, in turn, translates to jobs generation and local economic development,” said PFA President Alan Escalona. “Franchising is a perfect tool to help both existing businesses expand and aspiring entrepreneurs to go into business. We encourage everyone interested to visit our expo for free and attend our seminars to know the dynamics of franchising and meet with your potential business partners.” “Franchising Negosyo para sa Davao” is co-presented by PLDT SME Nation and

BPI Family Ka-Negosyo, and organized in partnership with the Department of Trade & Industry-Region XI, Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Davao City Investment Promotion Center, Negosyo Center Davao City, Go Negosyo, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region XI, Abreeza Mall, Ayala Malls, MLhuillier, Calata Corp., Phoenix Petroleum, and Chase Technologies Corporation with support from The Edge Davao, Mindanao Times, and Sun Star Davao. For inquiries, please contact PFA Davao at 09253214282 and email pfa@davao.org.ph or the PFA Manila Office at (02) 6870365 to 67 and email at seminars@ pfa.org.ph. You may also visit www.pfa.org.ph/franchisemindanao for more information.

LOBE Telecom lauds the support from at least five local government units in Visayas and Mindanao for making it easier for telcos like Globe to establish telecommunication facilities, including cell sites, in their respective localities. In turn, these LGUs are expected to benefit from better and faster telecommunication services, including internet. These city LGUs include Cagayan De Oro, Davao, Mandaue, Bacolod and Dumaguete, said Globe General Counsel Atty. Froilan Castelo. In Cagayan De Oro, for instance, the city’s Telco Committees are working on a resolution to reduce the number of permits for the establishment of cell sites from 26 to just 6 permits. A meeting has been set early May for an update on the status of the resolution. Davao City, on the other hand, is one of the LGUs that is able to process expeditiously with no delays for as long as prerequisite permits are in order. Similarly, the local government of Mandaue City signified full support for Globe Telecom’s deployment of new cell sites by fast tracking processing of permits. Further, the city governments of Bacolod and Dumaguete also expressed support for Globe Telecom’s initiative to roll out additional cell sites within the city.

Bureaucratic red tape causes significant delay in securing various permits from the local government units concerned relating to the construction of telco infrastructure such as cell sites. This, in turn, has hampered deployment of cell sites and other related facilities necessary to improve customer experience, particularly in mobile data. The Philippines, in fact, has only around 16,300 cell towers compared with Vietnam’s 70,000 towers. According to Globe, it takes at least 8 to 9 months to complete the approval process for the construction of one cell site, involving an average of 26 permits. In addition to bureaucratic red tape, the absence of standard fees among local government units also hampers the entry of facilities in their areas. Tower Fees are charged as high as P300,000 per tower every year. “We are deeply grateful for the support afforded to us by the local governments in Cagayan De Oro, Davao, Mandaue, Dumaguete and Bacolod cities. We’re optimistic that other LGUs will follow suit as we desperately need the government, both at the local and national level, to empower and enable the sector to undertake infrastructure builds, not

F GLOBE, 10

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

EDITORIAL

Towards a stronger economy

HEN industry experts and economists talk, you know that they make sense and are credible compared to some self-proclaimed geniuses and politicians masquerading as masters of the economy. Banker and former Finance secretary Roberto F. De Ocampo, for one, knows the economic game like the back of his hand. De Ocampo has steered the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, and is now on another bank tenure with the Philippine Veterans Bank. So when an expert of De Ocampo’s caliber says the economy is performing well during this Duterte era, you have to take his word for that. De Ocampo, who was recently interviewed by this paper, said the economy is better than ever before and considers the key to a stronger economy is an aggressive infrastructure program, tax reforms and jobs generation. De Ocampo agrees with the objective assessment of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Develop-

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ment Bank that the country is now the strongest economy in the region and will continue to be so next year and in the future. In his opinion, he believes the current administration is on the right track in pursuing an aggressive infrastructure building program and pushing for tax reforms. These two critical strategies will generate more jobs and attract more domestic and foreign investments. De Ocampo is speaking based on experience. He served as Finance Secretary of President Fidel V. Ramos and he recalls the same strategies made the Philippines the “Tiger economy of Asia” during that period. These are economic gains that are clouded by the negative scenario being painted by critics of the Duterte administration. However, the strength of the assessments made by economic experts like De Ocampo and the World Bank and IMF is the realistic, significant and telling fact which should be the relied upon. We need more experts to speak and dispell the cloud of negativity.

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LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0948-823-3685 Tel: (088) 852-4894

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

What Gina Lopez could have done

PART from making mining and forestry more sustainable, Gina Lopez’ job as a secretary also includes being a judicious boss to both the personnel she inherited and the persons she brought in. Filling the department with persons you trust matters, but making sure you are also able to harness the skills and idealism of the rank and file staff, the career officials, the resident experts trained abroad is equally important to boosting the morale of the rank and file. There are many of them who have been marginalized by their more corrupt and unscrupolous colleagues. Making all of them accountable for integrity and performance is vital to reforming the bureaucracy many like to call corrupt. Moreover, how the career personnel are inspired to perform

VANTAGE POINTS

beter, if not beyond duty’s call is a real reform legacy in any agency. However, sources within the DENR lament her treatment of them, and her tendency to rely more on her consultants who may have the right intentions, but not the right accountabilities and skill sets. Many of these consultants reportedly also have their pet advocacies and stand accused of simply expanding their networks on official DENR time rather than getting their jobs done. This discontent is illustrated in the infamous black friday incident where DENR staff wore black to protest sone policies they call unfair .(http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/unjust-firings-at-denr-demoralize-employees/) Third, Gina Lopez will be the first member of the cabinet to publicly curse at members of

MY TWO CENTS’ John Tria the mainstream media. Calling that Business World reporter a f+++ing employee was uncalled for, revealing a tendency to evade answering tough questions. Her boss may curse, but he has his reasons, many of which may actually on point or justified

when examined closely- and often directed at the issue behind the question as a means of emphasis. In Gina Lopez’s case, it was an angry retort at the reporter’s questions which clearly were not mean to harass.She of course, apologized “deeply”(http://m.philstar.com/782974/show/72f4cccfefe50178719d74ed74e28412) Fourth, Gina could have shed light on a lot of illegal mining going on under the DENRs nose. Being from Davao, we need not look far. In nearby provinces we hear the names Masara, Maragusan, Panganason, Diwalwal- all areas known for illegal gold and copper mining. Was any long term action against them launched? Despite her bravado i never recalled her using it against widespread illegal mining that has destroyed the Pantukan river and emptied its waste into the Davao gulf, and re-

poetedly killed hundreds trapped in tunnels a few years back. She only concentrated on the legal miners- those she could control since as DENR Secretary, she was the official managing their contracts and MPSAs. Dealing with this very old recurrent issue could have left a positive legacy for her and the DENR. Doubtless, Gina’s outcome is a lesson to be learned for all who want to push radical reforms. Remember former DAR Secretarydesignate Florencio Abad who was also rejected by the same commission on Appointments for his supposedly anti-landlord policies favoring agrarian reform. Of course Abad’s political fortunes (and some say his integrity) may have gone south twenty years after those tumultuous months in 1988, but i digress. For reactions: facebook.com/ johntriapage

2,800 hectares. It was the excess banana stalks produced by the farms that caught the attention of Antonio O. Floirendo, then a rising entrepreneur. Using his firm, the Tagum Development Company (Tadeco), as conduit, Floirendo, on May 16, 1956, entered into a partnership with the Bureau of Prisons (now Bureau of Corrections) by signing and executing a contract to decorticate the excess abaca stalks on a 60-40 percent arrangement, with Bucor getting the bigger share. The fruitful partnership between Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Tagum Development Company (Tadeco), first sealed in 1956, eventually became the stepping stone that led the two parties to agree on a joint venture agreement on July 11, 1969. Akin to the original accord, the new contract, a joint venture agreement (JVA), authorized the Floirendo firm to decorticate abaca stalks from the Panabo sub-colony plantations using the old 60-40 percent sharing. A major provision, however, was introduced into the new covenant which provided Tadeco with the obligation to report to the bureau, based on its sound judgment, lands no longer profitable for abaca cultivation. In case this happened, the unproductive farms would be planted to sorghum and other mar-

ketable crops as part of the government’s food production program. Shortly thereafter, the production of abaca stalks dramatically dropped following the spread of a disease that brought down yields. This occurred at a time when demand for hemp fiber outside was falling due to the discovery of synthetic fibers. In effect, this meant a renegotiation of the contract and the introduction of amendments, which were adopted on December 26, 1969. The amended contract, signed by Alejo S. Santos, as Bureau of Prisons acting director, and Juan Ponce-Enrile, as justice secretary, allowed the use of lands devoted to abaca to be planted with export products currently in demand abroad, especially bananas. Prior to the signing of the JVA, Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Dapecol) lands ceased to be cultivated due to low productivity and were abandoned, while some areas became dense thickets months after neglect. The prison estates that were not planted with abaca or any other crop remained as it was during the early years of its proclamation as reservation area, mainly forested, swampy, cogonal, and leech-infested. Lands previously planted to abaca but left out became the focus of invasion of parasitic worms.

A reservation area, not an alienable land (Part 1)

AVAO Prison and Penal Farm (Dapecol) was once an uninhabited forest and swampland. Under Proclamation No. 414, issued on October 7, 1931 by American governor-general Dwight F. Davis, it was classified as a reservation area with roughly 28,816 hectares straddling the areas of Kapalong and Tagum (now a city) in the undivided Davao province. The size of the penal colony was eventually reduced by about eighty-one percent following the issuance of many presidential edicts and the implementation of the comprehensive agrarian reform program. In the proclamation, the reservation was specifically set aside as future home of a prisons colony to be managed by the Bureau of Prisons, then headed by Director Paulino T. Santos. In line with this, a team led by Bilibid Supt. Pablo J. Noroña was dispatched to Davao region to find a strategic location and there build a penal farm. The contingent included Asst. Supt. Severo Yap, Supt. Guillermo Peralta, Mariano Dimaanlig, Forest Ranger Juan Acenas, a few subalterns, and 64 inmates from San Ramon Penal Colony on board the vessel SS Mactan. Finding a place for inmates was a tough assignment. Supt. Noroña had to negotiate the waterways linking the open sea because there

were no roads to speak of, and there were no settlements in the interior regions. His perseverance, though, paid off. On January 21, 1932, he found a location for the future colony and named it Mactan, after the ship that brought them to Davao. The future prison camp, located at the junction of Tuganay and Lacutan rivers, would become the sanctuary of evacuees when the war broke out and the detention camp of prisoners of war (POWs) when the Japanese took control. Far from an ideal farming area, Dapecol was initially cultivated for food such that it became a major source of rice for the inmates during the conflict. POW Carl S. Nordin wrote in “We Were Next to Nothing: An American POW’s Account of Japanese Prison Camps and Deliverance in World War II” (2004), saying: “If there was any area or department of the Davao penal farm that should be given special consideration or treatment, it would certainly have to be Mactan and the rice field operation. It was the largest and most important crop of any in the colony, and cultivating it was by far the hardest, dirtiest, and most disagreeable work of any at Dapecol. Plowing and harrowing were done with carabao, the local beasts of burden.” Much of the original reservation

FAST BACKWARD Antonio V. Figueroa area would be decimated after the war following efforts initiated by the national government to distribute lands to veterans and their dependents. In the end, some 20,800 hectares became part of the cities of Panabo and Tagum, and the juvenile town of B.E. Dujali. Over a thousand hectares were later ceded to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the 1990s. Taking off from the productive abaca farms cultivated by the Japanese during the war, the state, following the liberation of Davao, encouraged the development of some areas in Dapecol into abaca plantations. The cultivation of abaca under the supervision of the prisons bureau, which became very successful, sooner or later covered

10 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

MASSAGISTS... FROM 1

TOURISTS SURGE. Department of Tourism (DOT) 11 director Roberto Alabado III talks about the upward swing of foreign and domestic tourists arrivals in Davao City and the updates on the ongoing programs of the agency. Alabado graced the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

Troops... FROM 2

and Lanao) had launched seven major operations that led to the killings of at least 36 members of the Maute group, including two foreign terrorists, galvez said, For the campaign against the BIFF, the troops also killed 32 bandits in nine-recorded encounters, he said. The military also recorded five encounters with the New Peoples’ Army (NPA), the armed-wing of the Commu-

nist gParty of the Philippines, mostly in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The skirmishes led to the killings of two NPA members while two others were apprehended, he said. Galvez said all these operations resulted to the recovery of 174 firearms, including five crew-served weapons. The troops also recovered 38 improvised explosive devices, he added. (TPGJR/PNA)

Welfare Act, raised the minimum age, of criminal liability to 15 years old. RA 9344, also known as the Pangilinan Law, was enacted into law in 2006. For his part, House committee on agriculture and food chair Rep. Jose Panganiban said he prefers imposing stiffer penalties on syndicates who use children as pawns to perpetuate their criminal activities. He added that parents should also be responsible and

held accountable for the actions of their children. “Personally, instead of lowering the age of criminality to 9 or 12 or not at all, siguro bigatan natin yung parusa dun sa magulang at kung sino ang gumamit dun sa mga bata,” Panganiban said. “Dapat yung parusa sa magulang isama sa kulungan yun kung ano yung crime na nagawa yun din ang crime ng magulang,” he added. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)

Piñol said the project may cost US$ 5 million, which is far smaller than the US$ 30 million that the country is losing to foreign poachers. ”As soon as President Duterte approves the project, we will immediately conduct a bidding and start the construction right away,” he said. “This is our first serious effort in protecting a rich fishing ground in the country. It is a manifestation of the President’s

effort to discover rich resources for the Filipinos,” Piñol added. During the Benham Rise expedition, Piñol said they also turned over PHP6.9 million worth of projects for Regions III and IV as livelihood assistance to the fisherfolk. Piñol also committed 200 30-footer and eight 38-footer fiberglass motorized bancas (boats) to the fisherfolk of the said regions. (Cherry Mae Palicte/PNA)

preserving-- the carbon and non-carbon benefits. Carbon benefits because we may avail of carbon funds when the appropriate policy for this undertaking is finalized; non-carbon benefits when we will be able to harness the ecological services of our forest resources as opportunity for livelihood, such as ecological tourism,

agro-forestry production and others,” he said. An environment advocate himself, the governor further vows to support the other eight component LGUs in formulating their own forest land use plan in support to the said greenhouse gas emission and biodiversity conservation project. RMG

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Department... FROM 4

IP... FROM 5

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

Informal... FROM 5 tion No. 204. DOLE, he added, is seriously taking steps to ensure that this is realized. The labor department, together with the NAPC-WISC, has conducted consultative workshops to identify key policy gaps and challenges in relation to the government’s thrust in addressing informality, as well as strategies and models to operationalize the transition from informal to formal economy. The consultative workshops are aimed toward a legislative measure that will address the root causes of informality and formalize the informal economic units and its workers. In partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the DOLE launched an initiative called Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) where part of the key outputs are the Blueprint for Decent Employment and Entrepreneurship for 2017-2022 and the Livelihood Agenda 2017-2022. The initiative aims to transform livelihood into competitive, resilient, and sustainable enterprises by encouraging the formalization and growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the full implementation of the GoNegosyo Law, the MSME Development Plan, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 Action Agenda to Globalize MSMEs. The Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) implements the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) to reduce the vulnerability to risks of the poor,

vulnerable, and marginalized workers. Since July last year, about 54,643 workers were provided with livelihood assistance which included Starter Kits or Negosyo sa Kariton (Nego-Kart), Enterprise Development Program, Workers Income Augmentation, and Youth Entrepreneurship Support. Bello has also issued Department Order No. 173 or the revised guidelines in the implementation of the DILEEP. Through the D.O., the maximum per capital assistance to beneficiaries was raised from P10,000 to P20,000. On top of that is the provision of sanitary tools and equipment for livelihood projects and the provision of micro-insurance to beneficiaries. The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), an attached agency of the DOLE, also offers free OSH appreciation course to help ensure the safety and protection of informal sector workers, thus improving their productivity. Moreover, to guarantee that workers from the informal sector are being represented at social dialogues, the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) has issued an advisory directing the reconstitution of the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Councils (RTIPCs) by including representations from the informal sector. On Saturday, DOLE and NAPC-WISC jointly held the 6th Workers in the Informal Economy Labor Day in Davao City, with the theme, “Boses, Pagkilala at Pakikilahok sa Pamamahala Tungo sa Matatag na Negosyo at Kabuhayan.” END/ALDM

soldier’s wife, who was shocked, was pushed down by the NPA to a muddy area,” Martinez said. Major General Benjamin Madrigal, 4th ID commander, described the latest NPA action as another “blatant display of the insincerity of the communist

rebels in achieving lasting peace in the country.” “We promise everyone that there will be no let up on our rescue operation to put pressure on the NPAs for them to immediately release our soldier,” he said. (Jigger J. Jerusalem/PNA)

Offensive... FROM 6

was imposed starting January 2015 in order to give time to those wishing to practice their skills or operate a massage parlor and wellness spa to secure a certificate from (TESDA) and later get a license from DOH in line with Presidential Decree No. 856, Ms Savellano said. One would be able to get a license after securing a National Certificate in Massage Therapy NC II from TESDA and after passing the massage therapist examination administered by the Committee of Examiners for Massage Therapy every June and December every year. According to Savellano, out of 120 listed spas in Davao City, only 25 are members

of DavWell with only 300 licensed therapists. The remaining some 80 others spas are not DavWell membersm, she said. “DavWell is very strict with government compliance. Spas that are under DavWell have licensed therapists.” Savellano said that to date, the Philippines already has 15,000 licensed massage therapists. Last December, 117 licensed therapists from Davao passed the licensure exam. On May 13, in line with the Travel and Leisure Expo Davao, a Wellness Business Lecture will be held in the SMX Convention Center for interested people who would like to venture into fast-growing massage and spa business.

and other concerned agencies in Regions 11 (Davao) and 12 (Soccsksargen). The mayor said it came out during the dialogue that marijuana plantations continued to operate in the boundary areas of the two municipalities. She said the plantations, especially those in portions of Barangay Bulol Salo in Kiblawan, were being protected by a group of armed bandits. The bandits reportedly use nearby Barangay Malabod in Malungon as “transhipment point” for marijuana to the lowland areas due to the relatively accessible road networks there, she said. “These are the same groups that have been sowing terror among residents in these areas,” Constantino said in a statement. The mayor said the creation of the joint task force was

proposed during the meeting by PDEA Region 12 director Gil Cesario Castro. As initially agreed, she said the task force would be composed of personnel from Police Regional Office 11 and 12, PDEA-12, Army’s 1002nd Brigade, and other law enforcement units operating in the area. It will spearhead the monitoring, intelligence gathering and operations against illegal drugs and other related crimmes within the border areas, she said. Constantino said they agreed to work on the establishment of additional checkpoints and the conduct of regular patrol operations in parts of the two municipalities. They will also study the possible spraying of herbicides in identified marijuana plantation sites, she said. (AVE/PNA)

dent to re-appoint the DENR chief, who was ousted last week by the Commission on Appointments. Earlier in the day, members of environmental group Greenpeace blocked the gates of the DENR head office on Visayas Avenue in Quezon City. The group said Lopez’s appointment last year “represents the electoral agenda of various organizations in-

cluding Greenpeace clamoring for the integration of environmental programs in all presidential candidates’ platform.” The organization claimed that CA’s rejection of Lopez’s appointment “is a manifestation of the continued control of the Philippine government by big business interests, and as a failure of the current administration to stand by the reforms it is pursuing.”

tiative. Alabado says cultural tourism will let tourists experience the way of life of the

indigenous communities. It had been done in countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. (PIA/RG Alama)

just in the construction of cell sites but also in establishing underground facilities and in facilitating pole attachments,” Castelo said. He emphasized there aren’t enough cell sites to enable telco operators such as Globe to sufficiently support mobile data growth in the country especially amid clamor for faster internet service. Aside from permitting issues at the local government level, exclusive and gated villages or subdivisions also

prevent telco providers from installing facilities to provide services in their areas. Globe has a backlog of around 3,000 cell sites amid varying degrees of permitting issues despite aggressive efforts by the company to investment in network facilities. Globe spends close to 30% of its revenues, significantly higher than capital expenses by other operators in the Asian region to fast track improvements on the state of internet in the country.

Sarangani... FROM 2

Cimatu... FROM 2

DOT... FROM 4

Globe... FROM 7

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EDGEDAVAO

At The Mansion.

Playing dress up at the Baguio Botanical Gardens.

IT WAS IN THE EARLY 80’S WHEN I FIRST GOT TO VISIT BAGUIO TOGETHER WITH MY OLDER COUSINS. Back then, I was merely eight years old and the then over eight-hour ride up the Cordillera Mountains from Metro Manila seemed like a breeze. I remember the cool air spiked with the scent of mountain pine. I also remember picking strawberries as well as enjoying the breath-taking views from Mines View Park. To be honest about it, I never thought that I would be back in Baguio especially since our family moved back to Davao. The thought of flying to Manila and then taking an eight-hour ride to Baguio is totally out of the question, but then came the new flights from Davao to Clark which literally threw open the doors of Central and Northern Luzon for Durianburg’s urbanites. I was recently invited to a familiarisation trip of Clark and Baguio by the team from AirAsia. From Clark, Baguio was just a quick three-and-ahalf hour drive by van. Riding along NLEX, the

flat plains of Central Luzon gradually gave way to the dramatic landscape of La Union. We eventually made our way up Kennon Road and after an hourand-a-half, we were greeted by Baguio’s famous Lion Rock. Our residence of choice for the trip was

Northern exposure:

MY RETURN TO BAGUIO

At the Baguio Night Market.

My deluxe room at Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio.

Baguio is easier to reach via Clark, Pampanga.

Various edible pasalubong.

Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio. Baguo’s only 4-star serviced apartment vacation hotel, Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio, located along Leonard Wood Loop. The hotel’s eyecatching Swiss Chalet exterior brought back memories of my first time in Baguio, huddled around a fire-place up with my sister to keep warm in the evening. Azalea Baguio’s rooms, more like family suites really, each feature a fully-functioning kitchen with a complete set of utensils, a dining area, and a balcony with spectacular mountain views. Aside from Deluxe rooms which can accommodate

up to three, Azalea Baguio also has one-bedroom and two bedroom suites which are perfect for family or barkada outings. Tour and transfer arrangements can also be arranged with the hotel. I love how the hotel welcomes guests with fresh Baguio fruits and flowers. There is no air-conditioning mainly because Baguio’s cool climate is really all one needs. In fact, I had to use the down comforters in my room just to feel comfy during my stay as the temperature dropped to around 18 degrees Celsius.

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Aside from strawberries, Baguio also produces delicious Sagada oranges and passionfruit.

From Azalea, many of Baguio City’s attractions are within reach. Baguio’s famous Botanical Gardens are just a short walk from the hotel and just beyond that is Wright Park where one can try horse-back riding, and The Mansion House, the Summer residence of the President of the Philippines. For those who intend to shop, Session Road as well as various malls are just around the area. The more adventurous can also check out Baguio’s Night Market along Harrison Road were one can shop of souvenirs or taste various Baguio street food such as Tupig (a native glutenous rice and coconut snack wrapped in banana leaves and toasted over charcoal) and Binatog (boiled whole corn kernels with grated coconut served either sweet or salty). And any visit to Baguio would never be complete without a trip to Baguio’s famous Market where one can buy heaps of fresh strawberries at an affordable price. I

Flower vendors abound at Mine’s View Park. suggest using the Grab App to book a Grab Car to get around Baguio’s complicated road network. My return to Baguio was a fun and enjoyable experience. It was nice to see that the places and experiences I fondly remembered the as a kid are still there. And though some people may say that Baguio’s urban development

has cut its beauty and charm, the warm smiles of the people as well as the unique experiences and landscape of the mountains make Baguio, still a wonderful place to visit. AirAisa flies four times a week from Davao to Clark. From Clark to Baguio, one can take a UV Express Van or any of the express bus services from Dau, Pampanga.

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Lanuza dreams Bhrett Baker enjoying the afternoon cloud cover as it was extremely hot the past few days.

FOR MOST DABAOWEYOS WHEN YOU SAY SURIGAO DEL SUR, what immediately comes to mind is Britania Islands in San Agustin or Enchanted River in Hinatuan. Recently, Cortes has been on the tourist map because of the hype from Laswitan Lagoon. A few municipalities from Cortes and we reach Tandag City, Surigao del Sur’s capital. Lanuza is a few more municipalities and a zigzag coastal road along a cliff overlooking the Philippine sea. If you go straight too fast on the main highway, you’re likely to miss Lanuza’s poblacion because there aren’t much attention-grabbing welcome signs. To get to the heart

of Lanuza, you’ll take a right along the main highway just as you reach the flat area (after the

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zigzag road through the cliffs). Lanuza is a small town up north in the province of Surigao del Sur. It’s basically known as a surf town. An annual surf competition is held every first week of November to welcome the first swell of the season. It was during our family trip during the Holy Week of 2014 when we passed by into this sleepy surf town in Surigao del Sur on our trip to Laswitan in the municipality of Cortes. I begged my family to drive into Lanuza and then back to Cortes. I wanted to surf. I thought that I could grab a few hours of stoke once we got there. Without knowing anyone from the town, we just asked locals who were along the highway and they pointed us to the concrete boulevard where Mami’s Surf Camp was located. It was a few hours past 12 noon and it wasn’t full high tide. I couldn’t see many people out so I wasn’t sure if the beach in front of Mam’s Surf Camp was a surf spot but I did see people with surfboards chilling by the concrete huts by the beach. I went

Lanuza sunset by Doot Poktoy. Photo by Alex Solitaria.

Lisa enjoying the pebblestone beach in front of Mami’s Surf Camp. down and asked around the place. We could have surfed but Papa insisted on not

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This writer, Lisa Caldini and Bhrett Baker all loving Lanuza.

surfing because we only had an hour to spare in Lanuza. By experience, Papa knows that our one hour of surfing isn’t really just an hour. We’d keep on begging for another “last ride”. It was on the morning of our second day where we surfed Badjang which would turn out to be my favorite spot in Lanuza. It tested my limits and bravery yet it was serenely beautiful all at the same time. I wrote a piece about Badjang and you can read it from my blog (link at the end of this story.)

Surfing there felt like a welcoming and a gnarly baptism at the same time. Looking back, I was glad we decided to surf Badjang the first morning we got there because the storm hit rest of the week and it wasn’t surfable for people like me anymore. Searching for nearer spots, I was referred to the spots in front of Mami’s Surf Camp. Aside from Poktoy, this is probably the most wellknown spot with two major breaks. At that time, I could only surf the right break because the current at the left was too strong for me and the locals suggested to try the right for beginners. Although I did try surfing the left because I was a goofy-foot but I listen to locals, they know best. I never regretted that decision. Surfing at the right-hander break was the next best thing to Badjang! More about my time in Lanuza next week. For more stories and photos, head over to my blog: w w w.mi l l e nni a l m e rmaid.com

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Also, the correction should not be at the cost of workers lives,” added Mendoza. There are currently some 8,000 workers working under the Joint Venture Agreement. 1,100 other male inmates under rehabilitation are also working and receiving stipends. There are 101 women workers in the packing station. The inmates are called Inmate Trainees and receive a stipend equivalent to the daily minimum wage. TADECO is the number one producer of export-quality Cavendish bananas in the Philippines. “Rulings that are mere table studies done by lawyers in aircondtitioned rooms, do not reflect the hard,backbreaking work of workers under the sun eking out a vibrant banana industry with little or no government assistance. After years of benign neglect from Government, we are met with the harshest legal findings, manufactured without hearing out the workers or the communities they have built from their blood and sweat,” said

Mendoza. “Enough is enough.Let us be real here. This rush to socalled justice may have less to do with truth and has more to do with our collective hypocrisies.Their rulings are clearly towards a pre-ordained conclusion. We want to remind all, that these conclusions will determine who will be employed, where they will be employed and under what terms. Our workers thought that the determination of what is legal and illegal is done by the Judiciary following due process. Our workers expected more than this callous, cavalier, high-handed execution of our livelihoods.” “Government should put workers interest first,” explained SMFL-ALU President Sammy Cardenio. “Marami sa kanila walang pagtingin sa manggagawa. Baka magkaroon ng mga occupy-occupy yung mga miron. Kagulo ang industriya. Kawawa naman mga pamilya namin. Stabilize muna sana,manggagawa muna” he added.

been conducting thorough inspections, including strip searches, on visitors but noted that they only rely on the “visibility” of the items. “These are visual searches and we cannot touch these visitors. So it’s possible that some of them exploited this process and were able to sneak in some

illegal items,” he said. He assured that the jail management has been doing everything to ensure the “zero entry” of contraband at the facility and cited that they already arrested some female visitors in the past who tried to bring in some prohibited materials. (AVE/PNA)

Drugs... FROM 4

EDGEDAVAO

COMPETITIVE EDGE 11

SEARCA, ADB, CCC, MinDA and UNEP organize confab on climate resilience, green growth in Mindanao

CONSORTIUM of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will hold a conference titled “Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Mindanao: Road Map to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development” on May 9-10, 2017 at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City. This activity is under the ADB-funded project TA-8493 PHI: Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Critical Watersheds (46441-001). This conference is supported by the project, which is implemented by CCC and commissioned to a Consortium composed of SEARCA as lead organization, CTI Engineering Japan, Woodfields Consultants, Inc. (WCI), and ERGONS Project Management. Hosted by the Philippine government, SEARCA has been assisting national agencies, including CCC, the Department of Agriculture

and its attached agencies, and the Department of Education, among others, in implementing capacity building and research projects that are aligned with its priority focus on inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD). Dr. Lope B. Santos III, SEARCA Program Specialist, said the two-day conference will bring together varied ideas, experiences, and proposals from different stakeholders covering 50 agencies/ institutions including provincial, city, municipal, and national government agencies; private sector; academe; and nongovernmental and peoples organizations (NGOs/POs). The overall aim of the conference is to learn from the previous and ongoing projects of donor organizations and other institutions that are related to climate change adaptation (CCA) and mitigation, urban resiliency, and green growth measures in critical watersheds. With these, the conference will attempt to set the road map for Mindanao towards becoming a green, clean, and economically progressing center in the country. CCC Commissioner Noel V. Gaerlan said “the conference

will tackle burning issues and impact of climate change in Mindanao in various sectors, namely: agriculture, water, coastal and marine, forestry, energy, transportation, and public infrastructure.” Specifically, the upcoming conference aims to (1) reflect on the Mindanao 2030 vision in the context of CCA and disaster risk reduction (DRR) preparedness for a climate resilience and green growth options in Mindanao; (2) present the climate change and DRR assessment tools and approaches of both ADB TA 8111 and TA 8493 and other project initiatives to determine possible synergisms and connectivity towards developing a model of CCA mainstreaming in local development planning; (3) explore an indicative sectoral climate resilient investment and green growth road map for Mindanao; and (4) identify areas of possible inter-institutional collaboration and partnership towards assisting local government units (LGUs), the business sector, small producers and other resource user groups for climate resilience and green growth options in Mindanao as emerging new strategic destination for urban expan-

sion, trade, and commerce in the country. Dr. Srinivasan Ancha, a Principal Climate Change Specialist of Asian Development Bank said “it is high time that all stakeholders come together to seriously address the threat of climate change as it severely affects the social and economic development of the country due to losses and damages during extreme weather events”. The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) noted that there are so many initiatives in Mindanao tackling climate change adaptation and mitigation and it is timely that the conference can bring together major actors to harmonize policies and directions and converge to focused programs and projects on climate resilience and green growth that will benefit the whole of Mindanao. Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, will deliver the welcome remarks and Dr. Candido A. Cabrido, Jr., TA-8493 Team Leader and National Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Specialist, will present the Road Map for Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Davao Oriental.

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF REAL ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MAURO O. LOPEZ JR. died on February 10, 2017 at Brgy. Baguio District, Davao city has been the subject of an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.331; Page No.67; Book No. 139; Series of 2017, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FATIMA IRENE T. ADIN. 4/25, 5/2,9

USeP students excel in Extramural 2017

HE University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) writer-students reaped awards during the 4th Extramural: Journalistic Training for Trainers and Writers and 2nd Poetry Out Loud Competition

An established Building Construction company (50 years in the business) is in need of BSCE and Architecture graduates. 1. Engineer/ Architect Trainee a. male, single, class 2012 up, preferably class 2015 - 2017 b. with interest in preparation of plans & cost estimates. c. undergraduates are welcome and may apply. 2. Resident Engineer/ Architect and Project Engineer/ Architect a. male, class 2007 up – 2012 b. with experience in field supervision or preparation of plant and cost estimates. c. underboard are welcome and may apply. Interested, call 297-2141 and 298-0135 Ask for Labyrinth Veronilla You may also email your application & resume to rgsalanatin@yahoo.com.ph

held last April 29, 2017 at the Venus Parkview Hotel, Baguio City. Jean Adrealyn Indrina, the Editor-in-Chief of The Stripper Publication (official student publication of USeP Tagum-Mabini Campus, Mabini Unit) and a sophomore BS in Agriculture student won silver medal in Editorial Writing. The 3rd place for Spoken Poetry was bagged by Joshua Elardo of USeP Tagum-Mabini Campus, Tagum Unit. Alren

John Dabon from USeP Obrero Main Campus placed 4th in Copyreading and Headline Writing while Lucille Mae Lindo from USeP Bislig notched 5th place in News Writing. These USePians gained pride to have brought back honor to USeP after having determinedly competed against mass communication students in the country. More than 100 writer-students and advisers from various schools na-

tionwide participated in the national extramural event hosted by the Schools Press Advisers Movement (SPAM) Inc. advocating responsible campus journalism. SPAM Inc. will be conducting a workshop competition showcasing the journalistic talents of students at different levels of participating schools sometime in September this year at Boracay, Philippines. (M.R. Mangmang and S.S. Bayang)

12 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

Circumcision: “The coming of age”

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

IRCUMCISION is probably the world’s most widely performed procedure. According to some studies, approximately one-third of males worldwide are circumcised, most often for reasons other than medical indication. To people who practiced Judaism, circumcision is very important. In fact, over 90% of adherents have the procedure performed as a religious obligation. The basis for its observance is found in the Torah of the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis chapter 17, in which a covenant of circumcision is made with Abraham and his descendants.

Circumcision is actually the surgical removal of all or part of the prepuce (pronounced “pre’pyoos”) – that flap of tissue covering the head of the penis – or foreskin. In the United States and most industrialized countries, circumcision is usually performed on the first or second day after birth and usually takes only about 5 to 10 minutes. “It becomes more complicated and riskier in infants older than two months and in boys and men,” American doctors claim. But not so in the Philippines, where most boys are circumcised between the ages of 10 and 12. If you go to the rural areas, especially during summer, you will see the long line of boys waiting for their turn to be cut. “They’re proud to go back to school, to talk about how brave they were,” consensus as to how it came says one doctor. to be practiced worldwide. Aside from there is more One theory is that it began time to recuperate after the in one geographic area and surgical procedure, the oth- spread from there; another is er reason why summer is the that several different cultural most popular time for circum- groups began its practice incision in the country is its be- dependently. That was according the most ideal time both for ing to the authors of the study, those conducting the medical “Neonatal circumcision: a remission and for those who will view of the world’s oldest and be circumcised. most controversial operation.” “It’s the optimal time for In 1891’s History of Cirus and the kids, because we’re cumcision, physician Peter on break, and they have ample Charles Remondino suggested recovery time, so their circum- that circumcision started as a cision won’t interfere with less severe form of emasculatschool,” Dr. Victoria Dimacali ing a captured enemy: penecwas quoted as saying by GMA tomy or castration would likely have been fatal, while some News Online. Here’s what a foreigner form of circumcision would says of the circumcision he had witnessed: “Filipino boys are circumcised by the group during summer time under the banana tree by a manunuli using dorsal slit method that takes only few seconds without anesthesia. They don’t mind being seen by others kids to be circumcised, too.” Circumcision in the Philippines is not related to religion. The vast majority of Filipinos are circumcised - whether they are Catholic, Muslim, or whatever. It is a “coming of age” ritual, and traditional for a boy to prove his manhood properly, it should be done without anesthetic. Ancient operation Until now, there is no firm

permanently mark the defeated yet leave him alive to serve as a slave. However, the history of the migration and evolution of the practice of circumcision is followed mainly through the cultures and peoples in two separate regions. In the lands south and east of the Mediterranean, starting with Sudan and Ethiopia, the procedure was practiced by the ancient Egyptians and the Semites, and then by the Jews and Muslims, with whom the practice traveled to and was adopted by the Bantu Africans. In Oceania, circumcision is practiced by the Australian Aborigines and Polynesians.

In tribal settings, circumcision is nearly always associated with traumatic puberty rites. Occasionally the severed part is offered as a sacrifice to spirit beings. According to Encarta Encyclopedia, the operation certifies the subject’s readiness for marriage and adulthood and testifies to his or her ability to withstand pain. Circumcision may also distinguish cultural groups from their uncircumcised neighbors.

Medical reasons Since the 19th century, many English-speaking peoples have adopted the custom of circumcision, primarily for

medical reasons. In modern medical practice, circumcision of males is a minor operation usually performed in infancy for hygienic purposes. It is currently estimated that 85 percent of North American males are circumcised. The incidence among non-Jewish populations of continental Europe, Scandinavia, and South America is low. There is good but not ideal evidence that circumcision reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in boys under two years of age, and there is fair evidence that the reduction in incidence is by a factor of 3–10 times. The 2012 Technical Report of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Circumcision said there is a plausible biological explanation for the reduction in UTI risk after circumcision. It said that the orifice through which urine passes at the tip of the penis hosts more urinary system disease-causing bacteria in uncircumcised boys than in circumcised boys, especially in those under six months of age. As these bacteria are a risk factor for UTIs, circumcision may reduce the risk of UTIs through a decrease in the bacteria population. Circumcision has also been found to have protective effect against the risks of penile cancer in men, and cervical cancer in the female sexual partners of heterosexual men. “Childhood or adolescent circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of invasive squamous cell carcinoma in particular,” said one report. “There is an association between adult circumcision and an increased risk of invasive penile cancer; this is believed to be from men being circumcised as a treatment for penile cancer or a condition that is a precursor to cancer rather than a consequence of circumcision itself,”

another report pointed out. Meanwhile, studies comparing disease rates among circumcised and uncircumcised men in the AIDS-ravaged Africa show on average three times more HIV infection among the uncircumcised. One study of a group of HIV-infected men having sex with men in the United States also found a correlation. Dr. William Cameron, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada who co-authored several African studies, theorizes that the uncircumcised foreskin sustains tiny abrasions during intercourse, allowing HIV to enter the bloodstream. Several studies have found that such sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis also occur somewhat more frequently among the uncircumcised.

Other side of the coin The medical case for circumcision is unproved and controversial, contends Dr. Donald F. Tuzin, an American professor of Anthropology at the University of California in San Diego. He says that physicians in the 19th century advised the operation for many ailments, including hysteria, sexually transmitted disease, hypersexuality, and even hiccups. Removal of the foreskin also precludes phimosis or the inability to retract the foreskin. Louis XVI of France, a famous phimosis sufferer, was unable to have sex with his wife Marie Antoinette until he was circumcised at age 21. Modern proponents suggest that diseases result from the buildup of smegma, a substance secreted under the foreskin. Also cited is evidence that circumcised populations (especially Jews) display low rates of penile and cervical cancer. Critics reject the validity of these claims, arguing that such disorders are more likely caused by poor hygiene and by contact with multiple sex partners. There’s more. A study published in the British Journal of Urology International found that both the masturbatory and sexual pleasure decreased after the males underwent circumcision. In the early days of Christianity, a controversy arose over whether Christians should be circumcised, as Jews were. The Apostle Paul emphatically told Gentiles in his epistle to the Galatians: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision.”

F CIRCUMCISION, 13

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OSG lauds CA decision on Napoles acquittal over illegal detention case

OLICITOR General Jose C. Calida on Monday lauded the Court of Appeals reversing the ruling of Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) and acquitted the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles over the serious illegal detention charges filed against her by whistle-blower Benhur Luy “The decision of the Court of

Appeals encapsulates the Latin maxim fiat justitia ruat caelum. Let justice be done though the heavens fall,” Calida said in a statement. In a 35-page decision dated May 5 but was released to media on Monday, penned by Associate Justice Normandie Pizzaro and concurred by Associate Justices Samuel Gaerlan and Jhosep Lopez, the CA’s 12th

Division granted the appeal of Napoles reversing the ruling of Judge Elmo Alameda of Makati RTC branch 150 on April 2015 and ordered Napoles’ immediate release. “I commend the magistrates of the 12th Division of the Court of Appeals for doing what is right based on the evidence before them,” said Calida. (Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan/PNA)

Controversy To cut or not to cut – this is now one of the most debated subjects among the medical profession. In fact, there are now Filipino doctors who won’t perform circumcision. “I have convinced quite a number of adolescent males who came to my clinic not to have circumcision anymore,” one surgeon admits. “Those who are convinced are happy and thankful to me. Those who are not convinced seek other surgeons to do the circumcision for them.” In America, “it’s still an ongoing controversy about whether circumcision is really necessary,” says Jack Sherman, M.D., associate chairman of pediatrics at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y. “In 1971 and 1975, the American Academy of Pe-

diatrics (AAP) said it wasn’t necessary. Later, they amended their policy statement, citing studies about lowered penile cancer and first-year urinary-tract infections among circumcised males.” The AAP’s 1999 policy statement, based on a review of 40 years of data, states that circumcision has potential medical benefits. “But they advise that parents not use that as their primary criterion when making a decision,” says Sherman. “That’s like not expressing an opinion at all.” Opponents against the practice say that in circumcision, the baby has no “power” to say no. Others suggest that circumcising an infant imprints violence on the baby’s brain. Still, others contend that circumcision will leave the male species traumatized by

the removal of their foreskins. Dr. Yehuda Nir, a psychoanalyst who was formerly head of child psychiatry at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, says he hasn’t observed circumcision trauma. “The only thing men are concerned about with regard to the penis is its size.” Now, whether a child should be circumcised or not, here’s the personal opinion of Dr. Ramon L. Arcado, past dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine and UP Manila chancellor: “What matters is that the welfare of the child is taken into consideration up to the time he grows up into adulthood, in the context of his health status, his parents’ beliefs and society’s expectations.” (Photos courtesy of Dr. Francis Lagudas)

CIRCUMCISION... FROM 12

14 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

How the approved Excise Tax Bill affects popular vehicles A

FEW days ago, several media outlets reported that The House Committee on Ways and Means has just approved the tax reform package proposed by the Department of Finance. Included in this tax reform package is a revision to the current new vehicle excise tax which car buyers have been enjoying for the good part of a decade. Top Gear Philippines, in a report, said it managed to obtain a copy of the bill approved at the committee level, particularly the portion pertaining to the revised new vehicle excise tax. The approved bill (which is slated for another hearing yet again), differs from the original proposal in that it has a two-stage increase, the initial of which begins on January 1, 2018. But what does this all mean for vehicle prices? Like we did before with the original Department of Finance proposal and theone in House Bill 4774, we can compute the new Suggested Retail Price or SRP of these vehicles. Assuming all factors aside from the excise tax remains constant, it’s easy to determine what the new selling price of vehicles would be. The base is the net manufacturer’s price which is landed cost + importation duties + tariffs (if it’s built in the Philippines, then it’s Cost of Goods Sold or COGS). Carmakers then tack on the excise tax before putting their profit margin. In

EAT the heat with a cool new ride as Chevrolet Philippines offers exciting deals with its Summer Power Offers Promo. The promo offers cash savings on select Chevrolet models, namely the Trailblazer, Colorado, Trax, and Sail. The new 2017 Chevrolet Trailblazermidsize SUV brings together superior levels of refinement, styling, safety, comfort, and technology to meet the versatile demands of increasingly discerning motorists. It boasts of a refined exterior and newly designed dashboard, but still maintains its powerful performance on the road with its 2.8L Duramax four-cylinder tur-

this case, the assumption is 15 percent split between the carmakers and its dealers (the global industry rates floats wholesale margin as 8 to 14 percent and dealer margin as 7 to 10 percent). Finally, Value Added Tax or VAT of 12 percent is computed based on the total of the margin + excise tax + net manufacturer’s price. The effect on SRP varies greatly depending on which bracket the vehicle finds itself in. For example, the Hyundai Eon sees an increase of P 4,980 in 2018 and P 9,961 in 2019; while the Toyota Vios goes up by P 18,623 in 2018 and a whopping P 37,247 in 2019. Even more shocking would be the Honda Civic RS Turbo and the Mazda3 Speed which sees an increase of P 58,957 and P 58,540 respectively in 2018 and P 117,913 and P 117,080 respectively in 2019. Going for more luxurious choices like the BMW X1 xDrive20d xLINE means having to shell out

P 199,195 more in taxes in 2018 and P 398,391 in 2019. With the implementation of the new vehicle excise tax moving up a notch, is it a good idea to “panic buy” a brand new car? Not necessarily. For this to be enacted into law, it will still have to pass through Congress at the plenary level. Plus, the Senate can also draft a version of the tax reform package, modifying or completing changing what Congress has put forth. Likely, the Senate and Congress arm wrestling match will take the whole year, so you have at least until that time to get that brand-new car.

Chevrolet offers hot deals this summer

bo-diesel engine. The new Trailblazer features the latest 8-inch touchscreen Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment System that has Bluetooth connectivity and multiple smartphone OS compatibility. It also has a remote engine start function that cools down the cabin on these hot days. Enjoy P 90,000 cash savings on the new 2017 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4x2 LT AT. With its redefined design, excellent handling and serious off-road capability, the new 2017 Chevrolet Colorado is truly a tough and capable pickup truck that matches any lifestyle. The Chevrolet Colorado boasts a tough yet sophisticated appearance, making it an ideal

truck for work and play. It has best-in-class power at 200 horsepower and 500 Nm of Torque, 800-mm wading depth, and class-leading 1 ton payload and 3.5-ton towing capacity. The new 2017 Chevrolet Colorado comes with a host of active and safety features, plus a remote engine start function that is useful during hot weather. Enjoy P 50,000 cash savings on the new 2017 Chevrolet Colorado 4x2 LT AT. The Chevrolet Trax is a stylish crossover SUV that is packed with safety features, efficient performance and up-to-date technology. It has a class-leading array of advanced safety systems including 6 airbags, Panic

Brake Assist, Roll Over Mitigation, Electronic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control. Its segment-first 1.4-liter turbocharged engine provides efficiency in city driving and power on the open road. The Chevrolet Trax also comes with a 7-inch touchscreen Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment System with Siri Eyes Free that allows hands-free connectivity, wherever you are on the road. Enjoy P 75,000 cash savings on the 2016 Chevrolet Trax LT. The Chevrolet Sail provides a comfortable and smooth driving experience for those long out-of-town drives. It is powered by either a 1.3-liter engine with 5-speed manual transmis-

sion or a 1.5-liter engine with 4-speed automatic transmission. It boasts a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 16-inch gunmetal alloy wheels, sunroof and advanced safety features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and driver and passenger airbags. Enjoy P 80,000 cash savings on the Chevrolet Sail 1.5L LT AT or P 60,000 cash savings on the Chevrolet Sail 1.5L LTZ AT. Chevrolet vehicles come with the Chevrolet Complete Care Program to give you a worry-free drive. The Chevrolet Trax and Chevrolet Sail come with a 5-year warranty program, which offers coverage of

five years or 100,000 kms, whichever comes first. The Chevrolet Trailblazer and Colorado come with a special 5-year warranty coverage: 3-year bumper to bumper warranty plus a 2-year warranty on the Power Train or 100,000 kilometer, whichever comes first. Chevrolet vehicles also come with automatic enrollment to the 24/7 Chevrolet Emergency Roadside Support for three years, access to 24/7 Customer Care Hotline, guaranteed one-hour express service for select services, and non-stop service for the always on-the-go Chevy owner. Avail of the Chevrolet Summer Power Offers Promo until June 30, 2017.

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

SPORTS15

EDGEDAVAO

Blatche buckles down to practice J

UST hours after getting off the plane, Andray Blatche quickly buckled down to work, wasting no time as he joined the Gilas Pilipinas practice on Sunday. After several delays in his date of arrival, Blatche finally reunited with the squad with less than a week before the SEABA Championship. The naturalized Filipino is now experiencing the ef-

fects of jet lag after a gruelling journey. “I flew from Atlanta to LA was like five hours, then two hours layover then 11 hours from LA to here,” Blatche said. “It’s hard to sleep on the plane, then when I got here it’s hard to go back to sleep. But I’d like to go back in the room to go back to sleep. “It’s good to be back on the court with the guys. But

I’m extremely sleepy.” Despite that, Blatche still picked up the Gilas Pilipinas’ schemes in the dribble-drive offense. “I think the big advantage with Andray is he already knows the system and he knows what we want to do on the dribble-drive, so we just have to catch him up to speed with the other things with what they’re doing,”

coach Chot Reyes told a small group of sportswriters. Former Gilas team captain and now an assistant coach Jimmy Alapag, who teamed up with Blatche in 2014, wasn’t surprised with Blatche quickly fitting himself with the system. “He’s been here several times, so he didn’t have difficulty adjusting. He is used to a lot of things here in the

Philippines – the weather, our team’s system and the coaches and players he used to play with before,” Alapag said. But with Blatche still having jet lag, the team will be having a twice-a-day training starting Monday to help him adjust. . “For someone who just got off the plane, he looks pretty good. Pero alam

naman natin ang epekto ng jet lag it’s going to hit him two days from now. Tuesday is going to be his worst day kaya we decided to make it as our off,” Reyes said. “He will feel it a little bit more tomorrow, pero ang tama talaga niyan is Tuesday. We’re giving the team a day off on Tuesday. Hopefully, Wednesday onwards he’ll be getting his legs back already.”

Petron duo snares PSL beach volley title

ISI Rondina and Bernadeth Pons of Petron Sprint 4T essayed a fitting ending to their perfect campaign when they demolished Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain of Generika-Ayala A, 21-12, 21-8, to emerge champions of the 2017 Belo Philippine Superliga (PSL) Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup last night at the SM By the Bay in Mall of Asia. Two of the best sand players today, Rondina and Pons were impressive from start to finish en route to winning the title of this prestigious tourney backed by Stoked, Mikasa, Mizuno, Senoh, Rebisco and SM By the Bay. Settling for the bronze medal was the tandem of Bang Pineda and Frances Molina of Petron XCS, which edged the pair of Danika Gendrauli and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia, 1021, 21-14, 15-9, while ousted champion Jovelyn Gonzaga and Maica

Morada of Cignal HD A claimed fifth place following a 21-15, 26-28, 15-11 thrashing of Mylene Paat and Janine Marciano of Cignal B. Meanwhile, Marijo Medalla and Bianca Tripoli of Perpetual took home seventh place after notching a 21-13, 21-19 triumph over Wensh Tiu and Abie Naval of Cocolife. Also emerging with a crown were Anthony Arbastro and Calvin Sarte of Generika-Ayala, who clobbered EJ Ramos and Edmar Bonono of Cignal HD, 21-17, 21-18, in the finals of the men’s division. Arbastro, a University of Santo Tomas standout and reigning UAAP beach volley champion, played with Sarte for the first time, but looked very comfortable with each other to complete a seven-game sweep of this tourney, which also has TV5 as official broadcast partner. Mike Abria and Edwin Tolenti-

no of SM By the Bay settled for third place following a 21-19, 23-21 win over Rey and Relan Taneo of Perpetual Help in the classification round. Arbastro, the tourney’s Most Valuable Player, said patience paid off as they didn’t panic despite trailing by three during the crucial stretch of the first set, 14-17. “They (Cignal) were ahead in the first set but we didn’t panic. We just played good defense and enjoyed the game to make it a fund game,” said Arbastro, whose original partner, Kris Roy Guzman, dropped out of the tourney at the last-minute to attend to his academic commitment at UST. But the spotlight belonged to Rondina and Pons. Rondina, who lost to Gonzaga in a dramatic final battle last year, said her victory is very sweet as it came at the heels of winning crown in the UAAP beach volleyball tourney.

INTENSE ACTION. Bernadeth Pons of Petron XCS sends the ball over the defense of Mylene Paat of Cignal HD-B.

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makakaya din nya yan ngayon.” “Me. taking Horn lightly? No way. It’s not my cup of tea,” the three-time welter-

weight titlist declared by way of reacting to media reports claiming he if hasn’t started training because he’s belittling his unheralded but nevertheless no. 2 challenger’s capabilities.

CHAMPS. Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons of Petron Sprint 4T display their gold medals after winning the 2017 Belo Philippine Superliga (PSL) Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup Sunday night at the SM By the Bay in Mall of Asia. Rondina-Pons defeated Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain of Generika-Ayala A, 21-12, 21-8, for the crown.

“B

OY C” – as his baseball and softball buddies and associates call him – was a Lifetime Achievement Awardee of the Philippine Sportswriters Association for 2015. It was a fitting award before he crossed the Great Beyond last year. To say that he was a standout is an understatement of his sports skills. A national athlete since the mid-sixties, Boy was a slugger and homerun specialist who set milestones in the Guinness sports book of world records. If memory serves me right, he was cited for registering three doubles in a single inning in the World Softball Championships in the early 70s, a feat that up to now has not been erased. We hobnobbed daily (and nightly) at the Rizal Sports Complex for many years re-

Filomeno Codinera – A reference point

gardless of the season (UM coach Joaquin Sarabia usually joined us). A simple but no-nonsense player during his heydays (he played baseball and basketball in college at UST), he excelled in both softball (men’s) and baseball which led him to become an A-1 national player for many years. Boy sired a daughter and three sons who all donned PBA uniforms – Harmon (Ginebra), Jerry (Purefoods) and Pat (Ginebra). I could describe Boy as an ideal sports treasure. Unlike today’s national athletes who are showered with monthly stipends, comfortable dormitories, travel, academic scholarships and other amenities, Boy never complained about the “lack” during his many years as a national athlete. During those “hungry”

SPORTS KEN

By RED C. LUMBA training days, Boy narrated to me how national players content themselves with a bottle of Sarsi (costing 5 centavos) and peanut -buttered pandesal (also 5 centavos) for their snacks. “Masuwerte ang mga national players ngayon kasi may PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) na bumubuhay sa kanila,” said Boy C who, though nominated, unfortunately did not make it as a

commissioner of the government sports agency. He confided that if our sports system would follow the (South) Korean paradigm, the country would win more glory than what it is reaping today (in terms of gold medals and championships in internationally organized competitions like the Asian Games and the Olympics). Boy C recalled with fondness his stints with the Philippine baseball squad as they fought the tough Koreans in their home ground in Seoul. (Korea has a long-established professional baseball league and is watched more by sports fans than basketball). “Alam mo, noon mga uniporme nila manipis na tela parang gawa lang sa bahay… walang design, pininturahan lang…very crude. Basta may number at pangalan okey

na. Mga sapatos nila, rubber shoes (parang yung ELPO natin) locally made.” He said the Koreans then made it a national policy not to buy and use imported sports paraphernalia. They made do with what local materials they had and slowly improved on them. Today, they have a self-sustaining and progressive sports industry. “Look at where they are now. Dami na nila Olympic gold medals…tayo hinahanap pa ang isa,” Boy C, a native of Cebu, lingered with the thought. Boy also coached the many-time UAAP champions Adamson U collegiate softball (men/women) squads. I am spotlighting Boy C’s thoughts to make a notable comparison. In effect, he was describing how starkly different the

Philippines and South Korea run their sports programs. The latter appears to be more efficient and effective than the former in terms of ROI and cost efficiency. Boy C said more than the amenities that the government today is giving Filipino athletes, discipline should be the focus, first and foremost. “Kulang pa sa disiplina ang ating mga atleta. Madali silang ma-discourage. Kulang pa sa fighting spirit.” I pray Boy’s unsolicited commentary do not fall on deaf ears. Omar Khayam, a Persian poet, mathematician and philosopher, wrote: “When I want to understand what is happening today or try to decide what will happen tomorrow, I look back.” (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 10 ISSUE 26 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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Manny goes to practice early, not taking Horn lightly

Y way of dispelling the notion perceived by some sectors that he is underestimating Australian contender Jeff Horn against whom he will be staking his belt two months from now, World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao plunges into his nine-week preparedness program starting on Monday at the Elorde Gym inside the Mall of Asia compound in Pasay City. The Filipio ring icon and his former schoolteacher title pretender lock horns on July 2 at the latter’s home turf at Suncorp Arena in Brisbane. “Here we are again. Back to the salt mine,” Pacquiao quipped rather excitingly Sunday after attending a church service held in Makati. “Balik-ensayo, balik-boksing at siyempre excited na maka-amoy na naman gym, makapagsuot ng boxing glove, sumuntok sa heavy bag, double end at speed ball.” “Miss ko na rin ang tunog kapag tumatama ang glove sa pad. Sabik na rin magsayaw sa ibabaw ng ring, Mag-luksog lubid, mag-shadow box at maki-pag-spar na walang sawa nating ginagawa 22 years na tuwing may laban. Buhay ng boksingero,” he said with glow in his eyes. “It’s been quiet a long time since

A BOXER’S LIFE. Filipino fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao says it’s not wasy being away from boxing after a career that has spanned for 22 years.

the last time we did this routine, no? Six months na,” the eight-division champion, three-time Fighter of the Year, Fighter of the Decade honoree rolled into one said in reference to the last time he fought November last year when he outpointed Mexican-American Jessie Vargas to win

back the crown. The nine-week training schedule is Pacquiao’s longest since losing to unbeaten arch-rival, American Floyd Mayweaher Jr. two years ago. The Pacman trained for no less than two months in that biggest and richest fight in the history of sweet science.

“Katunayan yan na I’m not taking this fight lightly as some sectors think I am,” Pacquiao said. “At hindi ko rin ina-underestimate and kalaban ko.” The sparring phase of the build up regimen will come, according to assistant trainer Roger “Haplas” Fernandez, a week later, depending the

availability of a sparring partner. “Light lang muna. Pagpag lang at paalis-kalawang kumbaga itong first week tapos next week, sparring kung may makukuha agad na Pilipinong sparmate,” Fernandez related. “Training will turn serious and rigid pagdating na ni coach Freddie (Roach) maybe sa third week.” Focus, according to Fernandez, in the first two weeks will be on stamina-building, physical conditioning and recovering what Pacquiao lost in the six months he’d been away from the gym. “Ibig sabihin, ihahanda lang muna namin si boss para pagdating ni coach Freddie kaya na niya ng mabibigat na routine,” he explained. “Besides, magbabago na namang bigla ang buhay ni boss,” he added. “Balik na naman sya sa buhay na gising sa madaling-araw para sa roadwork, breakfast, pahinga konti, biyahe puntang senado, attend ng mga hearing before lunch, attend ng session then tuloy sa gym. Parang buhay niya noong laban kay Vargas, is first fight, actually as a senator,” Fernandez recalled. “Not an easy life if you ask me,” Choi Garcia, Pacquiao’s executive director in his senate office, butted in. “Pero nakaya nya yan noong last fight,

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