Edge Davao 4 Issue 43

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VOL. 4 NO. 43

December 26, 2011 -JANUARY 01, 2012

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The Business PAPER AGRITRENDS P6

No to onion importation COMMUNITY SENSE P14

Giving back

Rainfall, floods likely to become more intense

figures of the week STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE

Philippine Stock Index As of December 23, 2011

US DOLLAR = philippine peso As of December 23, 2011

A & A Securities, Inc.

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VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012

On the cover

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Rainfall, floodings likely to become more intense R

By Greg G. Deligero

AINFALl, river flow and flooding in various parts of the country are likely to become more extreme in the coming years.

This, according to the study recently released by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) entitled “Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts.”

The study by the leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species pointed out that the Philippines sits on a portion of the planet that experiences the strongest and greatest number of tropical cyclones.

“These storms are another phenomena that are expected to continue and intensify,” it said.

“Over the last century, global precipitation data has shown a clear and steady increasing trend.

The inter-annual variability of monsoon rainfall in the Philippines is likely to increase. Some parts of the country are likely to experience an upward trend in rainfall. Inversely, some other parts of the country are likely to experience an intensification of drought associated with highly unpredictable rainfall deficits.

These two poles of climate will make it increasingly difficult for traditional agriculture and aquaculture to remain viable,” it said.

Likely to change The study pointed out that traditionally, the Philippine climate map breaks down our weather into four climate types, but this climate map is likely to change.

“The specific mix of climate impacts will vary from place to place, and from year to year.

These impacts will be non-linear.

In a manner echoing El Nino, high inter-annual variability and, therefore, increasingly difficult predictability, will be one cross

cutting pattern characterizing climate change in the Philippines,” it said.

“All aspects of normal life, for that matter, will become increasingly prone to disruption and dislocation,” the study added.

It said that data from the Manila Observatory have predicted that, following historical patterns and inter-decadal trends, there is an indication that the northern portions of the Archipelago are more likely to experience climate impacts relative to an intensification of cyclones and rainfall. In contrast, the southern portions of the Archipelago are more likely to experience intensified climate impacts relative to increased temperatures and drought.

The study clarifies that his does not mean that the northern portion will stay wet, and the southern portion will go dry.

Multi-decadal trends “These are multi-decadal trends. The confounding feature of this scenario is that “peaks and troughs” between wet and dry will persist as inter-annual variability. These dramatic swings in weather, from year to year, become increasingly evident or pronounced with time,” it said.

The study also used as reference the findings of the report released by WWF in May 2009 entitled, “The Coral Triangle And Climate Change: Ecosystems, People And Societies At Risk.”

The report was a comprehensive study involving over 20 experts and based on 300 peerreviewed scientific articles.

The Coral Triangle includes all or part of six countries in Southeast Asia and Melanesia: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia (Sabah), Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The total area of the Coral Triangle is 6.8 million km2,

ment the funds available for housing loans of the pension fund’s members and pensioners.

This, after GSIS President and General Manager Robert Vergara and Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Darlene Berberabe signed a Php5 billion credit facility agreement on November 14.

The recent flooding in Cagayan de Oro City

consisting of 5.4 million km2 of ocean and 1.4 million km2 of land. Most marine areas are deep (4.6 million km2), with shallow coastal shelves (less than 200m deep) occupying approximately 840,000 km2.

The Coral Triangle also comprises over 18,500 islands, of which only a few thousand are inhabited. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, and the two continents (Asia and Australia).

At the apex The report said the Philippines sits at the apex of the Coral Triangle. The report spelled out six likely climate scenarios for the countries in the triangle, including the occurrences of more intense rainfall and flooding.

The other five scenarios are: 1. El Niño Southern Oscillation Events (ENSO) are likely to continue as a significant source of inter-annual climate variability in the Coral Triangle region.

“Although inter-decadal annual averages may remain relatively constant in some areas,

the extreme “peaks and troughs” that characterize ENSO-related phenomena will make it increasingly difficult to accurately predict weather patterns for purposes of planning and normal business operations.”

2. Sea Surface Temperatures are likely to be between 1 to 4 oC warmer by the end of this century.

“In a pattern similar to ENSO phenomena, evidence from the Philippines already indicates annual 4oC to 5oC spikes above what has long been regarded as normal sea surface temperature. As this continues, the negative impacts on coral reef health as well as demersal fisheries will be profound and systemic. Fish will no longer abound as a wild food. Protein scarcity may emerge as a societal concern.”

3. Ocean Acidification will likely make the aragonite saturation state “marginal”, within the period from 2020 to 2050, for coral reefs and marine life that require calcium carbonate.

“In essence, this shift in the ocean’s Ph levels will lead to widespread coral reef death.

Shrimp cannot develop skins.

Oysters cannot develop shells.

Fish larvae may no longer be able to develop bones.”

4. Sea Levels are likely to rise from +4 to +6 meters due to the possibility of the melting of the large land-based ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland.

“In parallel to increases in sea surface temperatures, current data already shows increases in sea surface heights, particularly in El Nino episodes in tropical latitudes – such as the Philippines.

This will contribute to sea level rise, as well. The possible timing remains uncertain.

5. Tropical Cyclones are likely to become more intense.

“Although there is no clear consensus, whether the location or frequency of tropical cyclones will change in a warming world, tropical cyclo-genesis is already being recorded in areas that had previously been inhospitable for the birth of storms.”

The facility was made available to Pag-IBIG in line with the GSIS’s decision to wind down its direct lending program last April in favor of forging partnerships with key shelter agencies (KSAs).

“We engaged with PagIBIG because of its proven expertise and housing infrastructure,” PGM Vergara said.

In 2010, the GSIS extended only Php600 million in housing loans to its more than 500 members against Pag-IBIG Fund’s Php5.5 billion to over 11,000 government employees, ten times more what GSIS lent for housing to twenty times more government employees.

“This home lending program affirms our institu-

tion’s commitment to helping our stakeholders realize their dream of home ownership.”

“We invite all our members and pensioners, who want to avail of a housing loan to go to our partner Pag-IBIG. The GSIS has given Pag-IBIG more than enough funds to accommodate their housing needs,” Vergara said.

Representatives leadership and the majority coalition on how to deal with the WTO (World Trade Organization) decision.

“I will also discuss the matter with the executive department,” he said, adding “we have at least 12 months to comply with the decision of WTO on distilled spirits.”

The WTO ruling disappointed members of the Distilled Spirits Association of the Philippines, but DSAP president Olivia Limpe-Aw said local distillers with work with the government on the legislation to implement the ruling.

The United States has urged the Philippines to open its market to U.S. alcohol products like Jack Daniels and Jim Bean by eliminating a discriminatory tax system which has already struck down by the WTO. The EU and the United States are the world’s top two exporters of distilled spirits.

HE government has tapped eight banks in its planned global bond sale, probably in January 2012.

These are: Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., HSBC Holdings Plc, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Standard Chartered Plc, and UBS AG. Finance Undersecretary Rosalia De Leon declined to say whether they would sell up to US$ 1.5 billion worth of the debt paper overseas, saying that this depends on the demand.

“We’ll know when the markets open in January. (We still) don’t know how Europe and US would pan out,” she said.

Reports said the government is keen on selling 10- and 25-year dollar-denominated bond and De Leon said the plan is to sell bonds with these tenors because there are “outperforming the other tenors.”

The government has a US$ 4-billion programmed foreign borrowing next year and US$ 2.25 billion of this would be commercial and the balance would be sourced from official development assistance (ODA) loans.

Meanwhile, National Treasurer Roberto Tan said they are looking at next month as the earlier possible time to tap the overseas bond market.

He explained that “right now, the dollar borrowing seems to be more attractive for position but that does not mean we are doing it,” he said.

“Right now, the dollar bonds are better than the GPNs in terms of pricing and demand,” he stressed.

Tan added that the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) has given the national government the flexibility to issue dollar bond with tenor of up to 25 years. [PNA]

House to tackle ‘sin’ tax levied 8 banks tapped on alcohol in January: Ungab for global bonds T T

HE House of Representatives will immediately review tackle the tax levied on alcohol which has been ruled by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as illegal upon the resumption of Congress in January.

This was reported by Rep. Isidro “Sid” T. Ungab (Davao City, 3rd District), newly elected chairman of the House committee on ways and means.

Ungab said that the WTO upheld an earlier ruling on the complaint filed several years ago by the European Union and United States that the Philippines had violated global trade rules by taxing foreign alcohol beverages at rates 10 to 40 times higher than brands made in the Philippines from home-grown materials such as cane and palm sugar.

A WTO dispute settlement panel found the Philippines guilty in August. A WTO appellate body

Ungab upheld the decision last Wednesday.

Ungab said the Philippines has 30 days to present its plan to comply with the ruling.

He said Congress has to amend certain tax laws in the country in order to conform with the ruling.

“We will act with dispatch and hope to resolve the issues within the first half of next year,” Ungab said.

As the new chairman, Ungab will consult the House of

4th

THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK will become the fourth largest private domestic bank of the country once its merger with Allied Bank is formalized by the first semester of 2012. PNB will then have a total of 646 branches nationwide and combined total assets of P514 billion.

P832 billion

P5-B GSIS housing fund now available for members, pensioners thru Pag-IBIG M EMBERS and pensioners of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) may now apply for a housing loan through the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund).

The GSIS said the PagIBIG Fund drew down the entire Php5 billion last Wednesday which will be used to aug-

It figures

ESTIMATED worth of various infrastructure projects to be undertaken by the Philippine government next year, according to the National Economic and Development Authority. Neda Director General Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. said these projects are part of the 2011 to 2016 Public Investment Program (PIP).

P3 million

AMOUNT approved by the Davao City Council for the purchase and delivery of emergency relief goods for victims of killer floods spawned by Typhoon Sendong in Northern Mindanao.

The money will be taken from the city’s calamity fund.

$10.29 billion

SURPLUS in the Philippines’ balance of payments (BOP) as of November, supported by inflows from portfolio and foreign direct investments, and remittances.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the BOP surplus exceeded the 2011 estimate of only $10 billion.

$300 million

STAKE in Twitter Inc., the microblogging service with about 100 million users, that Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal agreed to buy. The prince, a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, is an investor with stakes in Apple Inc. and Citigroup Inc.

P14.9 billion

CORPORATE operating budget (COB) of the National Power Corporation approved by the House of Representatives for 2011. The COB was originally only P7.5 billion.

The additional budget is needed to cover fuel, purchase power, rental of generating sets, new power providers’ subsidy, related input VAT, debt service and capital expenditures for the entire year.

$455,000

GRANT from the World Bank-housed Cities Alliance, a global coalition of cities and development partners, to bankroll the National Slum Upgrading Strategy (NSUS) project that would augment government efforts to improve living conditions of informal settlers in poor communities in the Philippines, according to Vice President Jejomar Binay, the country’s housing czar.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

December 26 -january 01, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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4

The economy

VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

as of august 2010

Cebu Pacific Daily 5J961 / 5J962 Zest Air Daily Z2390 / Z2390 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J593 / 5J348 Philippine Airlines Daily PR809 / PR810 Philippine Airlines Daily PR819 / PR820 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J394 / 5J393 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J599 / 5J594 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J347 / 5J596 Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 5J963 / 5J964 Philippine Airlines Daily PR811 / PR812 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J595 / 5J966 Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat MI588 / MI588 Cebu Pacific Thu 5J965 / 5J968 Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968

STAT WATCH INDICATIOR

LATEST

1. GNP Growth Rate (At Constant 1985 Prices)

1.9 % 2nd Qtr 2011

2. GDP Growth Rate (At Constant 1985 Prices)

3.4 % 2nd Qtr 2011

3. Exports 1/

USD 4,128 million Jun 2011

4. Imports 1/

USD 4,503 million Jun 2011

5. Trade Balance

USD -376 million Jun 2011

6. Balance of Payments 2/

USD 222 million Jun 2011

7. Broad Money Liabilities

P4,423,849 million Jun 2011

8. Interest Rate 4/

4.48% Apr 2011

9. National Government Revenues 10. National government outstanding debt 11. Peso per US $ 5/ 12. Stocks Composite Index 6/ 13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100 14. Headline Inflation Rate 2000=100 15. Core Inflation Rate 2000=100

P100,139 million Jun 2011

5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:00 Cebu-Davao-Iloilo 6:10 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:50 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:50 Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga 8:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 9:10 Iloilo-Davao-Cebu 9:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 11:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 12:00 Cebu-Davao-Manila 18:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 12:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 13:35 Manila-Davao-Manila

3.7 Jul 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

317,443 Apr 2011

17. Underemployment Rate /7

19.4% Apr 2011

18. Unemployment Rate /7

7.2 % Apr 2011

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - January 2011)

Month Average December November October September August July June May April March

2011

43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

2010 45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

2009 47.637 46.421

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

Silk Air Thu/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50 Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Cebu Pacific Daily 5J967 / 5J600 16:35 Manila-Davao-Cebu Philippines Airlines Daily PR813 / PR814 16:55 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 5J215 / 5J216 18:00 Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro Cebu Pacific Daily 5971 / 5J970 18:40 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun 5J973 / 5J974 20:00 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Daily 5J969 / 5J972 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila Airphil Express Daily 2P987 / 2P988 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday PR821 / PR822 21:20 Manila-Davao-Manila Philippine Airlines Sunday PR821 / PR822 22:20 Manila-Davao-Manila

15:20 15:30 16:45 17:05 17:45 18:20 19:10 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:50 22:50

P19.6 M worth of illegal forest products seized in Region 11

A

total of 4,319.02 cubic meters of illegally cut or transported forest products with an estimated market value of over P19.6 million were seized in the Davao region this year.

The forest products were mostly in the form of lumber, flitches, logs and logbolts of mixed dipterocarp species, lauan, kamagong and yakal, among others.

Most of the confiscated items came from Compostela Valley

province which gathered about 2,200 cu.m. forest products valued at around P9.8 million.

In Davao del Norte, about 1,067.05 cu.m. of forest products with an estimated vslue of P5.5 million were apprehended.

Some 328.68 cu.m. confiscated logs amounting to about P2.3 came from Davao del Sur, while 717 cu.m. logs with a market price of around P2 million were from Davao Oriental.

Some 80 percent of the confiscated forest products were reportedly sourced outside the region.

DENR-11 regional executive director Jim O Sampulna disclosed that even before Executive Order No. 23 was implemented, the fight against illegal logging and timber poaching activities had already been actively pursued.

“Fighting against forest despoilers is tough because even with the laws at hand,

they fearlessly and cunningly continue their illegal acts,” Sampulna said, adding that the DENR has strengthened its partnership with various sectors to “help us in our campaign for forest protection.”

The seizure/confiscations of the illegally cut or transported forest products was made possible through the joint efforts of DENR-11, the National and Regional Anti-illegal Logging Task Force, the Philippine National Police

(PNP), Philippine Army, LGUs, other sectors and concerned citizens.

Part of the 2011 confiscations was donated to the Department of Education (DepED-11) for manufacture of school armchairs, desks, teachers’ tables and other school fixtures.

To date, DENR has already donated a total of 2,788.67 cu.m. of confiscated logs to DepEd, 138.31 cu.m. to the AFP/PNP and 350.94 cu.m. to LGUs.

cost of living allowance P5 of which will be given out starting January while the P10 remaining balance will follow in May 2012.

Suyao also explained that based on Wage Order No. RB XI-17, minimum wage earners in the nonagriculture sector in the Davao region will begin to receive P291.00 daily wage by January, while workers in the agriculture sector will receive a daily wage of P281.

Workers in retail/

service companies with more than 10 workers will receive P291.00 daily pay, while those in establishments with not more than 10 workers will get P260.00 in daily pay, after the wage order takes effect.

By May 1, 2012, workers should expect a new minimum wage of P301 for the non-agri sector and P291 daily wage for the non-agri sector.

Workers in establishment with more than 10 workers will get P301 daily

while those with less than 10 workers will get P270 daily.

Suyao also cited the wage order as to cover “all workers and employees in the private sector receiving the minimum wage regardless of position, designation, or status of employment and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid.”

“The only exemption was given to household or domestic helpers, family drivers, persons

employed in the personal service of another and workers in registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprise.

The DOLE tells the public that the wage order is a product of series of deliberations, debates, and public hearings which have always involved representatives of the labor sector, government, and employer sector.

“It was decided unanimously by all representatives of the board. The granting of

New wage hike in effect by new year T

HE wage hike granted to workers in Region 11 is set to take effect on January 1, 2012.

P 42.81 Department of LaJul 2011 bor and Employment regional director Joffrey Suyao bared over Talk4,503.6 ing Points, a weekly raJul 2011 dio program aired over DXRP- Radyo ng Bayan, 126.4 said the wage order integrates into the basic wage Jul 2011 the cost of living allowance or COLA of P15 as 4.6 provided for under Wage Jul 2011 Order RB XI-16.

It provides for a P15

P 4,777 billion May 2010

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 13:35 13:25 14:05

DOLE 11 implements amended rules on service contractors, subcontractors

D

EPARTMENT of Labor and Employment regional director Joffrey Suyao announced that the regional office began implementing last December 5 the amended implementing rules concerning service contractors and subcontractors.

The Department Order No. 18-A known as “Rules Implementing Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code, as Amended clearly states some changes that were brought

about the department’s effort of providing protection to workers employed by service contractors.

The order clarifies that contracting and subcontracting arrangements are allowed by law and are subject to regulations for the promotion of employment and observance of workers to just and humane conditions.

However, certain provisions in the new directive order shows how the DOLE tightens the requirement to ensure that

only legitimate subcontractors can subcontract jobs or services.

It also reiterates the prohibition on labor-only contracting and the test for legitimate engagement as set in the previous D.O. 18-02.

Starting last December 5, applicants need to pay P25,000 as payment for registration. Along with this amount is a long list of requirements that should be complied with by the applicant.

The Certificate of

Registration will be effective for three years unless cancelled by due process.

Applicants for registration renewal will also have to pay another P25,000 to the DOLE Regional Office. The application must be made thirty days before the expiration of the registration certificate. This is a requirement to remain in the roster of legitimate service contractors.

It was also required that companies (a corporation, partnership, or

cooperative) engaging in subcontracting, must at least have a minimum fully paid up capital of P3 million, as a requirement.

A single proprietorship on the other hand must have net worth of at least P3 million.

The DOLE says that this directive is a result from a consensus-based approach from several years of tripartite consultations and separate sectoral and organizational sittings. [PIA 11/MAI GEVERA-MACAPAGAT]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

December 26 -january 01, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012

agritrends

Farmers ask DA to hol d back oni o n i m portati o n A group of onion farmers has asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to put off any issuance of import permits to protect the local December harvest that is now reaching the market to the tune of 10,000 bags.

In a statement, the Sibuyas ng Pilipinas Ating Alagaan (SIPAG) said it had submitted data showing a stable national inventory of 500,000 bags of 25 kilos each of onion, which is more than enough to supply the 350,000 bags of the country consume s monthly.

Ilocos farmers have a separate production of an estimated 10,000 bags for red shallots in December consisting of 4,000 bags from the north and 6,000 from the south, it said.

“DA Secretary Proceso Alcala has been very supportive of our farmers. We understand that he has to hear others who want an im-

port permit now. But we will be making farmers sacrifice for us if imports are allowed now,” Francisco Collado, SIPAG president, said in the statement.

While government may be concerned about sufficiency of supply during the holiday season, SIPAG said onion prices have been relatively stable at P45 to P50 per kilo at farm gate for small onions and P55 to P60 per kilo for medium to large onions.

“Even if prices go a little higher, our money just goes around the economy, from a farmer’s hand to another.

But if we allow imports deliberately, it will be Chinese farmers who will benefit from it. That will not benefit our economy at all,” Collado said.

And even after Ilocos farmers shall have been done with harvest by endDecember, Collado said, onion farmers in Pangasinan

and Nueva Ecija will start harvesting by January.

“We will not have a shortage because even before the older inventory from Ilocos runs out, harvests in other areas of the country are already approaching,” he said.

Collado said SIPAG takes the position that government should not at all allow anymore onion importation in order to help the industry survive.

“How can we make the industry self-sufficient if we allow unrestricted importation every time? Because of imports, farmers are hesitant to plant. Imports give farmers reason to stop planting because imports push down local onion prices,” he said.

SIPAG is concerned that containers with imported onion are already in port areas and just need import permits so that they may be taken out of the ports.

Onion farmers nation-

Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and a distillery has also been developed with assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The machine was developed by scientist Sergio Capareda following his recent return to the country after a long stint with Texas University in the United States.

Capareda designed the distilling column and guided its fabrication, while Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) Material Science expert, Samuel Franco, designed the furnace.

The NSSP, Eleazar said, already sees hope of Philippines’ commercial production of sweet sorghum ethanol as several large companies have also positioned themselves for its processing. Among these are Seaoil’s Fuel Inc. and Philippine National Oil Company-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC).

The Green Future Innovation Inc. (GFII) is also presently completing an ethanol plant in San Mariano, Isabela which will have a capacity of 250,000 liters per day. While its feedstock will primarily be sugarcane, it intends to use sweet sorghum as a complementary crop which may be used as feedstock in between sugarcane milling seasons.

An NSSP master plan being drafted indicates that from the collection of hydrous etha-

nol from the village level, this product should be transported to a Central Dehydrating Plant (CDP) near a fuel depot.

At the CDP level, the BAR director said, bigger processing firms are expected to participate in this potential industry that is hoped to be supported by many government agencies. More investments may be required at the CDP-fuel depot level.

The “bench-type”distillery that processes sweet sorghum into ethanol in Ilocos Norte is seen to pave the way to Philippines’ mass production of biofuel that is using sweet sorghum as feedstock among small hold farms which will create jobs in rural areas.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has financed with P1 million through its KR2 program the establishment of the village-type distillery and now in its commission, the distiller has a capacity of 50 liters per day, merely a pilot scale. However, the government has a vision of massively replicating it in a bigger scale, Eleazar said.

“When they saw that it’s possible to put up this villagetype distillery, NEDA saw the potential for sweet sorghum to create jobs in rural areas and create an industry since its low cost can enable its replication elsewhere,” Dr. Heraldo Layaoen, the NSSP head said in the same statement. [PNA]

wide have been pleading for government support since they have already lost their garlic industry to imports from China and Taiwan.

They said the government should regulate the

industry so as to protect the remaining onion industry even in Ilocos which produces shallot onions that have some special uses for salads and fresh dishes.

The industry is con-

cerned that imported onions have been proliferating in Mindanao so much so that some stocks may be seen in front of regional DA’s office in Davao, Collado added. [PNA]

“We are looking at all possible solutions,” DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo told local media, referring to the campaign to help the Department of Agriculture and the banana industry deal with the Panama disease that has severely hit the region.

For mmediate remedy, Montejo cited the use of three biological control agents like such as Trichoderma harzianum,Vesicular arbuscular mychorrhiza (VAM) and Plant Growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).

Montejo explained that the micro-organisms will help strengthen the banana roots to be able to resist the disease.

He told the local media here during a consultation meeting with the banana industry stakeholders on December 8 that the

micro-organisms will be tested in fields by early part of next year.

For the long term approach, DOST raised the use of Foc (Fusarium oxysporum f. Sp. Cubense)-resistant varieties such as GCTCV 119 and 218.

Montejo said they are planning to immediately conduct on-site trials of the Foc-resistant varieties in the mostly hit areas in Davao Region.

He said that DOST is also eyeing to request the assistance of the science community of Taiwan where the varieties were taken.

A Banana Research Center which will initially focus on the Panama disease will also soon be put up in Davao City as part of the long-term strategy, the DOST Secretary disclosed.

[PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON]

Thelma Padolina, chief of the PhilRice’s plant breeding and biotechnology division, said resistance of rice plants to pests decreases principally because of two reasons: one due to intensive cropping and two: the use of the same variety every season.

“If pests are continuously exposed to the same variety, these might evolve into more powerful types that would overcome the resistance of the varieties,” she said.

Padolina said not all outstanding traits are present in one rice variety such as highyielding, resistant to pests, excellent grain and eating quality among others.

She said PhilRice breeders

keep on improving varieties to help the farmers keep pace with the evolving pests and diseases, changing climatic conditions resulting in various stresses such as low and high temperature, submergence, salinity that reduces yield, and changing preferences of farmers, millers and consumers.

She said modern rice varieties yield higher than traditional ones as they are more efficient in absorbing nutrients and more effective in photosynthetic activities owing to plant physical traits such as short upright leaves and more tillers.

Many modern varieties, she said, are resistant to “biotic” and “abiotic” stresses. [PNA]

Bioethanol generates 180,000 DOST offers offers interventions jobs, foreign exchange savings against dreaded Panama disease T

HE country’s bioethanol industry has the potential of generating about 180,000 jobs and foreign exchange savings of nearly US$ 800 million by 2015, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Over the last five years, the BAR has been funding field testing of sweet sorghum varieties in different sites of the country with the hope of making the Philippines less dependent on expensive, imported ethanol oil and at the same time generate rural jobs, its director, Nicomedes Eleazar said in a statement.

Through this initiative, Eleazar said it is estimated that bioethanol has the potential to generate jobs totaling to 179,386 by 2015 and 289,611 by 2020. It may also generate foreign exchange savings placed at US$ 789.3 million in 2015 based on a study of the National Sweet Sorghum Program (NSSP).

“Sweet sorghum is a good alternative to other ethanol feedstocks. It can stand alone as a life-giving crop to farmers in far flung areas because it is used to make many food products like juice and syrup. But we will maximize its economic value by producing ethanol from it,” Eleazar, said.

BAR has already obtained outstanding varieties of sweet sorghum through its partnership with the International

I

N the urgency to curb the dreaded Panama disease in the region, the Department of Science and Technology offered to banana industry stakeholders its science-based interventions against the disease.

DOST recently presented to various key players of the region’s banana industry its solutions and approaches in managing the Panama disease or Fusarium Wilt.

In its proposed action plan on Fusarium Wilt disease management in the Davao region, DOST recommended the approach of preventing further spread of the disease through early diagnosis, appropriate eradication techniques and quarantine.

It also said an effective irrigation and drainage system should be put up to prevent surface run-off.

Planting same rice variety in farms decreases yield

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ERE’S one tip for the country’s rice farmers: “Do not use one and the same rice variety over and over again. That is, if you want to increase your yield.”

This advice was offered by a biotech expert of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice,) who emphasized that pests become immune when exposed to one and the same rice variety for a long time.

Red Pacu fish can now be propagated thru surgical stocking

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HE exotic aquarium fish called Red Pacu (Collusom bidens) can now be introduced sporadically in fresh water streams and lakes teeming with water hyacinths or water lilies through a method of culture called surgical stocking.

Director Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), said not all fresh water streams and lakes would be stocked with Red Pacu yet as environmentalists are still cautious of the possible effect of the fish to other plants, like rice.

It was learned that in a national fish symposium in Manila, a few regional directors of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) still issued some reservations about Red Pacu, fearing that if stocked in all

fresh water fish farms, it would run berserk there and become uncontrollable.

But Dr. Rosario assured that Red Pacu would not follow the ways of the Giant Snails, which were introduced in 1990s, to

boost the protein food of the Filipinos.

The reason for this is the fish sexually matures only after two to three years and when it does, it had already grown into one kilo and might have been entrapped

by fish farmers and thrown over burning charcoal and eaten.

Red Pacu, a cousin of the deadly piranha, is herbivorous unlike the latter which is carnivorous. Pacu feeds only on plants, especially water hyacinths, and grows up to 0.6 meter when fully matured.

NIFTDC started conducting research on Red Pacu 10 years ago through some fingerlings turned over by a hobbyist.

These fingerlings grew into adults and with the use of hormones injected in the male and female species, the center was able to produce some offspring.

It was only during the Fish Conservation Week in October this year that NIFTDC finally introduced Red Pacu both as a food fish and cleaning agent in fresh water ponds.

BizQUIPS

‘I need to ask myself, did the government do enough to prevent this kind of tragedy? I don’t think I can accept that we have done everything.’

--President Aquino before flood

victims of the Cagayan de Oro City.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

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Teach kids to save on energy December 26 -january 01, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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NERGY conservation is everybody’s responsibility. Even the little ones can do their own share in helping the environment. Kids look up to adults, so while they are still young, teach them on different yet simple energy saving tips that they can do at home. Here are some tips that Davao Light and Power Company consolidated which can be done at home by the young ones.

• Encourage kids to turn off the lights when they leave their rooms or the bathroom by taping signs (turn-off) to light switches as a reminder to turn them off.

Before leaving the house, see your child conduct a light check by turning things off.

• Teach children to reduce, re-use and recycle.

Segregate your trash bins where your kids can put their used cups, plastic bottles and cans. Explain to them how much energy it takes to create new products and to transport trash to a landfill. You may also make a game and reward them for every correct item of trash they designate to a specific bin.

• Ask help from your kids to open your blinds or curtains on sunny days to let the sun shine in to your home. In this way, you no longer need to use your lights, thus saving your electric bills.

• Encourage your children to play outside instead of at the computer or with video games. You may also consider scheduling family outings and participate in

outdoor activities to remind your kids that they can have a great time without electronics.

• Walk with your kids in going to near places to save on gas and encourage physical activity.

Getting children involved in saving energy and money by leading as an example in making some specific changes in habits at home will make them responsible persons.

This practice will not only make a change in the environment but will also develop a stronger relationship among family members.

But more importantly, if we continuously teach our children on these simple and fun saving tips they will consequently pass this on to their would-be children.

ONB’s valued clients Ms. Annabelle Midtimbang and Dr. Pedro Aquino. The blessing rite was officiated by the Most Reverend Antonio P. Pueyo of the Archdiocese of Cotabato.

In her speech, Mayor Latog expressed her earnest gratitude to ONB for its determination to render Esperanza the unparalleled service that has benefitted majority of countryside Mindanao as this was, in her words, “a sign of progress of the municipality”.

Just a stone’s throw away from the municipal hall, Esperanza Branch guarantees hassle-free banking

transactions with its wide parking area and spacious interior. Now, Esperanza joins the growing number of municipalities in Mindanao to enjoy in the modern and convenient banking experience that ONB offers.

True to its commitment of providing the latest banking innovations to the rural communities of Mindanao and in support of its aggressive branch expansion, ONB also inaugurated its bigger and more accessible branches in Monkayo, Compostela Valley and in Surigao City and Cabadbaran City, Caraga Region last December 3, 2011.[ARA LARGO]

ONB opens new branch in Sultan Kudarat, inaugurates branches in Compostela Valley, Caraga

T

HE municipality of Esperanza in Sultan Kudarat warmly welcomed One Network Bank’s newest branch, the sole bank serving the locale.

The 83rd addition to the widest banking network in Mindanao is ONB’s response to the municipality’s yearning for the ONB brand of rural banking. The branch inauguration in December 8, 2011 was a meaningful town affair as local residents, businessmen and government officials flocked to the branch.

Spearheading the ribbon cutting ceremony was Esperanza Municipal Mayor Helen T. Latog, assisted by

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VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Science and the young mind

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found myself one afternoon stuck in front of the television set. The reason: I was mesmerized watching young students – from grade school to college – presenting their inventions. Their new creations are not at all new ideas. They are simply the products of combining old technologies with new ones and creating a set of new products. That’s what I call ingenuity – pure imagination put into reality, an upshot of creativity and the application of technical know-how.

The most amazing thing is that these are mere products of young minds. Time has greatly changed. There was a time when practical arts or vocational subjects were focused on the use of indigenous raw materials to create and recreate things. It was plainly reproducing existing objects into something more beautiful but functionally the same. Science then was more on observation and learning about the existing world – what it was. Today, there is the integration of science, technology and practical arts.

It allows young minds to challenge the existing order by recreating and improving it.

Young minds can easily generate new ideas simply because they think about “what-ifs” and other possibilities. They can go beyond existing norms, set rules and standards. Their only guides are logic and science. Consequently, they produce something different. Wonderful!

Consider for example the car fueled by solar energy produced by college student of a university in Manila. To some, this may not seem very new as the principles that guided the production of the solar energy-powered vehicle have long been in existence. The guts and daring spirit of these students to combine different technologies and principles that enabled them to produce it made all the difference.

It’s not merely the production of new things. It’s about the application of knowledge to produce relevant, useful and globally competitive new products. To me, that’s the real essence of invention.

We claim that Filipinos are great inventors. We claim that certain products were invented by well-known and not-so-well-known Filipinos.

Some of these claims were contested; some were simply ignored. The fluorescent lamp is a classic example.

In another television show, some old Filipino scientists and inventors were aired as they call the attention of the government to provide them with funding support so that they could continue to harness their inventions or creations. The inventions that struck me most were: the super kalan (cooking stove) fueled by the traditional charcoal but more effective in producing the needed heat; a dust pan with wheels so that you can simply drag it as you clean the house; and a disposable plastic cover for toilet bowl rim to protect you from unnecessary infection when using public toilets.

Are these the type of “new” creations that require funding support from the government? There’s really nothing new with the super kalan which I had heard about some 20 years ago. It just evolved into something physically more attractive, and perhaps, more functionally effective, but it applied the same basic principles in each stage of its evolution.

No addition or introduction of new knowledge. No integration or combination with new technology. Call it a Filipino brand cooking stove; it doesn’t make sense.

What about the dust pan with wheels? Why not invent a remote controlled vacuum cleaner by combining the principles of robotics and the usual operation of a vacuum cleaner. Yes, this is already in existence. The challenge is to make it a Filipino brand with the materials it is made of and the source of power to operate it. The idea is to advance what we have originally invented into something that projects intelligence, knowledge and technology – something that we can be proud of in the international market. We then have to think global – becoming at par with the quality of products of the rest of the world.

I am not trying to belittle old inventions. It is just that I don’t feel comfortable by having these products as eternal novelties of Filipino ingenuity. I believe that we can do more; we can do better.

If the government needs to invest, let it be for the further development of the young minds. Invest in schools as they advance their curricula in research and development, and in science and technology.

BizQUIPS ‘ BEWARE of the clouds that are accumulating in European skies.’

--International Monetary Director Christine Lagare urging developing countries to prepare against possible European recession in 2012.

Fund

editorial

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Natural and man-made horror

HE continuing horror that the entire world, not just our country, is witnessing in the disaster caused by the December 16 floods spawned

by Typhoon Sendong should haunt us for the rest of our lives.

Simply put, the catastrophe, which has killed more than a thousand people and left a wide swath of destruction worth billions of pesos in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan alone, is indubitably caused by the continuing rape of the forest cover up in the mountains of Lanao and Misamis, small-scale mining and the unchecked occupation by informal settlers of flood-prone and other lowlying, hazardous areas. Why, one community swept by the rampaging floodwaters carrying felled logs and other debris from the uplands was a densely-populated accretion island in the middle of a river in Cagayan de Oro.

There are many lessons to be learned from the disaster, easily the worst during the last decade. Sorry, but as always the blame-game points to the local and national governments’ culpability, specifically their failure to implement the surfeit of pertinent laws. These laws specifically address the problems of illegal logging, irresponsible mining and human settlement in places identified to be dangerous to the lives and limbs of settlers.

Right now, the most urgent task is coming to the succor of the victims who are hungry and lacking in the bare necessities.

Next is finding safe places where they can be relocated. The next intervention is providing them with means of livelihood.

The lives of the victims will be back to normal when all these are done. But will the lessons learned enable authorities to have the political will to enforce the pertinent laws at last?

vantage POINTS

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

FACE OFF

December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 43

Remember June 29, 2011!

‘IF this impeachment succeeds, what do you think will happen?

Very simple, my dear countrymen- Mr. Aquino already has his Cabinet, he controls Congress and he will have the Supreme Court in his hands. ‘..The real objective is to destroy the judiciary, destroy democracy and impose the will of the ‘beloved king.’

‘I oppose this relentless persecution, intimidation and bullying.

I oppose this dictatorship that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is slowly establishing.’

--Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona

‘IF Arroyo’s original sin was the rigging of the 2004 elections, Corona’s original sin was when he accepted his midnight appointment. The minute he wore the crown of a midnight chief justice, he already undermined the credibility of the Supreme Court.

‘Corona’s argument that this is an attack of the executive on the judicial branch is pure fallacy. This is the people attacking Arroyo’s legacy of corruption and impunity. This is the people’s use of a constitutional measure to restore the credibility and independence of the high tribunal and to rebuild democratic institutions.’

-- Akbayan Party spokesperson Risa Hontiveros

I

T’S true what they say that age is just a state of mind. I feel I have not gotten old. Although I admit, I do see physical changes. My older friends talked to me about spider veins 10 years ago and I didn’t have them then. Now, I am thrilled that I finally have them! I know, it’s weird of me to have that kind of reaction. Maybe I think differently about age..and aging.

I see some lines on my face but I know they ought to be there. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. I do! There are ways to slow the aging process down. I’m just blessed to be friends with the owners of Ammara and they are one with me on this endeavor. I call it that because it needs time and a little effort too.

I’ve thought of a perfect analogy for taking care of my skin. Or the perfect justification so as not to feel guilty.

When we were in school, we had leather shoes. I remember my mom telling me to polish them two or three times a week for it to maintain its shine and suppleness. She told us this because we could not buy a pair anytime we want. We HAD to take good care of it.

The same should go with our skin--the largest organ in our body, right?

But more than taking care of the physical is taking care of relationships…but now that I think about it, it is also physical because it involves the HEART. Turning 38 means I

What turning 38 means

am blessed with another year to spend with my family, lovedones, true friends. When I was younger, we were surrounded by family, and as kids, it was sort of required. How time flew and as one of my nieces (Jazzie) said when you are older and are marred by responsibilities, you seldom get the chance to get-together. Reminisce about the old times, remember embarrassing moments and just…

LAUGH!!! Like little children again!

I tell myself now, with some friends dying too soon, I need to be reminded always that life is fleeting. You will never know when your time will come. I know it’s cliché: to live like it were your last day.

Constantly, I think about it.

We came from Zamboanga a few days ago. It was the first time that my sons met their relatives there. They are cousins, aunts and uncles of my former husband. The first time I went there was in 1999. Over the years I visited, slowly each time, I hear news

of the death of one of the elders. Uncle Mil, Auntie Margie, Auntie Meng, may they all rest in peace. Uncle Mil called me a few days before he passed and he said, “It is nice to hear your beautiful voice” and he tried to listen to my stories over a longdistance call… it brings tears to my eyes! Auntie Meng’s letters are still in my keeping. I was able to see her two years ago.

She would call to greet during Christmas or New Year.

Little gestures to make me feel loved and that I was a part of their family. They were able to leave a legacy. They were able to touch my heart. They have truly lived well and their lives indeed remain an example to me. I still call them my own. I feel I belong even if I am technically no longer a member. I cannot thank them enough for making me feel welcome over the years.

This is what life is about!

Love for family, love for friends and even love for the “unloveable”. A real test and a tough challenge! God has given me

good and bad times. I sometimes question Him why He sends them my way. I want to believe it’s because He has such faith in me that I would be able to overcome them. At times, I tell Him, “wag naman masyado, Lord”. (Not too much, Lord!).

I would like to share this guide for starting successfully from John Maxwell. I try to live it. I am not there yet but I hang this where I can read it every day.

1.) Know Yourself 2.) Settle your family life 3.) Determine your priorities 4.) Develop your philosophy of life 5.) Get physically fit 6.) Learn your trade 7.) Pay the price 8.) Develop solid relationships 9.) Prepare for the future 10.) Find purpose for your life I’m already 38. I have to start living life and I feel that there’s not enough time!

Final words?

Estar con amor y familia kada tiempo puede. Kada Hora preciosa!

(Be with love and family whenever possible. Every hour is precious!-translation care of Michelle E.) Until my next chapter!

Amor con amor se paga! (Love begets love) – (Sorry, hangover from Zamboanga.)

EDITORIAL The Business Paper

Printed weekly by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000 Davao City, Philippines E-mail: editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601

MARKETING & ADVERTISING General Manager | Olivia D. Velasco Director of Sales | Jocelyn S. Panes Advertising Specialist | Richard C. Ebona Imelda P. Lee Finance | Rogelia E. Mamaed Circulation | Cheree P. Pajarillaga

Editor In Chief | Antonio M. Ajero Associate Editor | Gregorio G. Deligero Editorial Consultant | Ramon M. Maxey Section Heads | Lifestyle | Kenneth Irving K. Ong

Sports | Moses P. Billacura Staff Writers | Maria Teresa Ungson Cartoonist | Arlene D. Pasaje Columnists | Alex C. Roldan • Aurelio A. Peña • Nicasio Angelo J. Agustin • Nikki Gotianse-Tan • Edcer Escudero • Zhaun Ortega • Jet Villamor Photos | Joseph Lawrence P. Garcia Pre Press | Alven Flordelis

Cagayan de Oro Marketing Office:

Manila Marketing Office:

Marketing Manager | Liezl A. Deloso

Marketing Manager | Angelica R. Garcia

Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez - Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel. No.: (88) 852-4894

Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel. No.: (02) 942-1503

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS decisions.

W

HEN places in Davao City like Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya and Matina Pamhi were hit by a killer flashflood on June 29 this year, the damage to property and the number of fatalities—31— shocked even the most staid Dabawenyo. How could such a thing happen in their beloved city, one of the most livable in the country, if not in the whole of Asia? It was unthinkable.

In retrospect, little do those who reside in the area realize at the time how lucky they were to survice. Less than five months later, in the dead of night last December 16, mother nature unleashed its full fury on parts of Northern Mindanao—particularly the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan—where flashfloods triggered by unusually heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Sendong ravaged whole communities.

As the rest of the country, nay, even the world watched aghast, transfixed by the running television coverage of Sendong’s fury, the images seemed surreal. The rampaging torrents had smashed houses like they were made of toothpicks. Vehicles of all types looking like so many toy cars were piled up in various positions of suspended animation, candidates for the scrap heap. Scattered all over the ravaged landscape were hundreds of illegally cut logs that had smashed into houses and crushed bodies of victims. Corpses of what were once upon a time warm bodies full of life, now cold in death, were strewn every which way awaiting identification and decent burial. On the third daythe stench of death filled the air.

At last count, the death toll was estimated at not less than one thousand overall—

and counting if one takes into account the hundreds of victims still missing—even entire families. A pall of gloom was everywhere, grim reminder that what had transpired was for real.

Everywhere in the world there have been grim reminders the past few years of what scientists call “climate change” or “global warming”. Whatever. Our own “experts” continue to scare us with their prediction of more weather tantrums, be it drought in certain places or more excess rains in other areas of the archipelago. Scary scenarios of what the future has in store for us. Unless mankind does something drastic to avert what today seems inevitable.

Nearer to home, perhaps there is a need for our leaders to take stock of our surroundings. That June 29 disaster for example. Until our City Council repeals the law in physics that mandates water to seek its own level, such low areas like Matina Pangi, Matina Aplaya and Matina Crossing remain in the path of another flashflood should it rain cats’n dogs like what happened in June. While many of the victims of that flashflood have relocated elsewhere, those who have stayed put don’t have any guarantee that there will be no repeat of that occurrence. Because water seeks its own level, such low-lying areas are a constant invitation to disaster should the weather act up again and dump two or millions of tons of rain and swell the Pangi River once again.

You think that won’t happen? Better think again before it’s too late. It’s not only lightning that strikes twice in the same place. Better to be sure than sorry is no tired cliché.

BizQUIPS ‘ONE problem that plagues the National Police is the lack of equipment, more particularly firearms, that are needed to combat criminality in the country.’

--Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez questioning why only one-third of the country’s 140,000 policemen have government-issued guns.

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VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -january 01, 2011

event

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Meaningful Christmas with the family D

ECEMBER 17 marked a special day for the management and staff of Edge Davao and Zion Accuprint, Inc. as they held a Christmas Party together with their respective families.

With their husbands, wives, children and even grandchildren, the employees shared the celebration with the management of the weekly business paper and the publishing company with delicious food, parlor games, gift-giving and a

dance contest.

The Christmas Party was more of a family reunion as the employees are encouraged to bring along with them their respective families, thereby giving them a rare opportunity to introduce their respective partners and children to each other.

Aside from enjoying and receiving prizes in the parlor games, all the children brought home gifts while the adults also re-

ceived theirs on top of the prizes they won from the raffle. An in-house choir also rendered a special presentation to the delight of the guests and visitors.

The production team won the dance contest with P5,000.00 as prize while the combined team from marketing, accounting and administration departments and the combined team from editorial and circulation departments received their consolation prizes.

Staff members

Nanay Lora, the mother of general manager Olivia D. Velasco, also marks her 81st birthday

during the Christmas Party. Surrounding her are the immediate family members.

The in-house choir Ms. Velasco’s grandson, Uean, playing guitar in his special number.

Some of the family members enjoying the party

Ms. Jessica Padillo and Mr. Richard Ebona hosting the parlor games

Ms. Velasco

Editor-In-Chief Antonio M. Ajero

Children participating the parlor games

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EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

December 26 -january 01, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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The production staff

The management and staff

The marketing, accounting and admin staff

The party scene

The editorial and circulation staff

Sharing the joys of Christmas

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ORE than a hundred children trooped to the office of PIADI (Printing Industries Association of Davao, Inc.) Multi-Purpose Cooperative along Araullo Street to partake of the free meals shared by the cooperative to its neighbors last December 10.

“It is with great pleasure to share with you our time and humble resources as our modest way of celebrating the true spirit of Christmas. We are glad that you have provided us with the opportunity to serve and spend this special moment with the community where the PIADI particularly belongs,” said

PIADI director Olivia D. Velasco in her opening remarks.

Although PIADI has supported previous advocacies such as the Operation Smile, Velasco said it is the first time that “we have initiated this kind of undertaking.”

“It is our hope that this is only the beginning of nurturing a more fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship with our community,” she said in reference to Barangay 11-B where the PIADI office is located.

PIADI ordered the food and hired the services of Jollibee which sent party hosts and mascots to entertain the

The children enjoying their delicious meal

children.

Aside from Velasco, PIADI officers who graced the affair were chairman Eladio E. Aviola, vice chair Nenita Milana, treasurer Juan V. Ramirez, board directors Marissa C. Atega and Romy Chan and general manager Anita Dayanghirang.

The activity was made possible with the assistance from barangay officials including barangay councilors Jesus Basuil, Martina Fe Arabiana, Yolanda Ibay and Joy Castro.

Also lending their assistance are barangay tanods Jun Ibay, Limwell Salinas and Jover Celestino.

Board of director Romy Chan and vice chair Nenita Milana with officials of barangay 11-B

The children with Jollibee mascots

Board of directors Marissa C. Atega and Olivia D. Velasco, chairman Eladio E. Aviola and treasurer Juan V. Ramirez.

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

governance

12 VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012

CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIP CEREMONY U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. and House of Representatives Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Sr. (seated, center) spoke at the completion ceremony for the 12th cycle of the Congressional Internship Project for Young Mindanao Lead-

ers (CIPYML), which is implemented through a partnership involving the House of Representatives, Mindanao State University in Marawi, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Also participating in the ceremony were (seated, l-r): USAID Mission Director Gloria

Steele, House Secretary-General Marilyn Yap, and Deputy Secretary General Ramon Roque.

To date, 273 interns have participated in the rigorous four-month internship, which gave them the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in public policy formulation, and broaden their un-

Congress urged to enact law vs OFWs who abandon families

GSIS okays emergency loan to members hit by ‘Sendong’ A S

TATE-PENSION fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) on Tuesday approved the grant of P20,000 emergency loan to eligible members residing and/or working in areas severely affected by tropical storm “Sendong.”

The loan, which should be applied between December 21, 2011 to January 20, 2012, is open to qualified members residing and/or working in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Negros Oriental, municipalities and cities of Dipolog, Zamboanga Del Norte; Polanco, Zamboanga Del Norte; Ozamis, Misamis Occidental; Clarin, Misamis Occidental; Also qualified to avail of the loan are those who are residing and/or working in Asuncion, Davao Del Norte; Tagbina, Surigao Del Sur; Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur; Bislig, Surigao

Del Sur; Lingig, Surigao Del Sur; Talacogon, Agusan Del Sur; Valencia, Bukidnon; Nabunturan, Compostela Valley; Montevista, Compostela Valley; Compostela, Compostela Valley; New Bataan, Compostela Valley; Monkayo, Compostela Valley; Iligan, Lanao Del Norte; Bubong, Lanal Del Sur; and Kapai, Lanao Del Sur. Qualified to avail of the loan are members who are employees of the agency located in the declared calamity area or are resident of the declared calamity area; are in active service and not on leave of absence without pay; have no pending criminal or administrative charges; have no arrears in the payment of mandatory social insurance contributions; and have no loan that has been declared in default.

GSIS said members who

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH Judicial Region Branch 12

are employed in agencies that are not suspended because of non-payment and non-remittance of premiums and loans can avail of the loan.

Member-applicant can apply for the loan through GWAPS kiosk using their eCard or their UMID eCard.

“Members who do not have an eCard Plus or UMID eCard but who are eligible to apply for the loan can apply via over-the-counter (OTC),” the state pension fund said.

“Proceeds of emergency loan applications filed via OTC will be credited to a temporary eCard which the GSIS has begun to issue,” it said.

GSIS said the loan program carries an interest rate of six percent per yeaar computed in advance, and is payable in three years in equal monthly installment. [PNA]

non-government organization catering to migrant workers has urged legislators to enact a law against Overseas Filipino Workers who abandoned their families in the country.

The Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions Inc. (MMCEAI) called on lawmakers to pass a legislation that would run after OFWs, and would ensure that OFWs would face charges in the country where they work for abandoning their families.

The call was among the recommendations of MMCEAI based on its research findings in 2009 on the State of Abandoned Families of OFWs in Davao Region.

MMCEAI executive director Inorisa Sialana-Elento raised the concern on the increasing cases of abandoned wives, husbands and children not only in the view of physical separation but also in the perspective of economic neglect.

In Davao City, Elento

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH Judicial Region Branch 12 Davao City

Davao City SP PROC. NO. 11, 448-11 IN THE PETITION FOR ADOPTION OF MINOR KIERSTEN DOMINIQUE ELCANA ARANA WITH PRAYER FOR CHANGE OF NAME FROM KIERSTEN DOMINIQUE ELCANA ARANAS TO KIERSTEN DOMINIQUE ELCANA ANDRADA, SPS ERNESTO C. ANDRADA AND MELANIE E. ANDRADA Petitioners

ORDER Petitoners filed a verified petition praying that they be allowed to adopt as their own child, KIERSTEN DOMINIQUE ELCANA ARANAS, a minor, whowas born in Davao City on May 27, 2008, that the proposed adoptee is the illegitimate child of Petitioner Melanie E. Andrada having been born out of lawful wedlock of the child’s parents; that Vic Donald Aranas, who is the biological father of the proposed adoptee has abandoned the subject child from the time of her birth, and that her name be changed to KIERSTEN DOMINIQUE ELCANA ANDRADA. In the Child Home Study Reports previously file by Social Welfare Officer Nelsie A. Magsalay of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Davao City, she favorably recommended the adoption of said child by the petitioners.

Wherefore, let the petition be set for hearing on February 8, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at which date and time, all persons concerned may appear to show cause, if any, why the prayer in the petition shall not be granted.

Let this Order be published,at the expense of the petitioners, in Edge Davao, a newspaper of general circulation in the City and three (3) provinces of Davao, once a week for three(3) consecutive weeks.

Notify all parties concerned and the Solicitor General through this Order SO ORDERED

(SGD) PELAGIO S. PAGUICAN Judge

Edge 12/12,19,26

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR ADOPTION OF MINOR MENCHIE PADILLA VALDEZ

SP. PROC.NO.11,423-11

x----------------------------------------------------------------------------x

Davao City, Philippines, November 18, 2011

derstanding of national issues and democratic governance. CIPYML is managed by USAID’s and implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

told the local media here that MMCEAI has catered to 55 cases of abandoned families from the 65 cases documented by the city government’s Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD).

She said only 12 cases were filed to court, mostly concerning charges on multiple marriages, economic abuse such as non-remittance of earnings and intermittent support, and child custody.

The other forms of abandonment include non-communication, loss of care and eventual disappearance, she added.

Elento said most of the cases handled involved abandoning parties who work as seafarers and domestic helpers in countries such as United States of America, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, among others.

The abandoned members of the family, she said, are as young as two years old and the eldest in age is 50 years old.

While MMCEAI has recognized the government’s adoption of positive measures in assisting and protecting migrant workers, it brought up other proposals to address the distressing plight of the abandoned families of OFWs. MMCEAI urged for the review and amendment of Republic Act No. 8042 or Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos

x--------------------------------------------x ORDER

Petitioners filed a verified petition praying that they be allowed to adopt as their own child, MENCHIE PADILLA VALDEZ, a minor, who was born in Muntinlupa City on June 14, 2000 and the illegitimate daughter of petitioner Ma. Luz P. ValdezBerdin; and that her surname be changed to that of the petitioners.

In the Child and Home Study Reports previously filed by Social Welfare officer Nelsie A. Magsalay of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Davao City, she favorably recommended the adoption of the said child by the petitioners.

WHEREFORE, let the petition be set for hearing on February 28, 2012 at 8:30 a. m. at which date and time, all persons concerned may appear to show cause, if any, why the prayer in the petition shall not be granted.

Let this Order be published, at the expense of the petitioners, in Edge Davao, a newspaper of general circulation in the City and three (3) provinces of Davao, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks.

Notify all parties concerned and the Solicitor General through this Order.

SO ORDERED.

Davao City, Philippines, November 28,2011.

(SGD) PELAGIO S. PAGUICAN Juge Serve on: The Solicitor General Makati City Pros. Minerva P. Pepino-Estremos, Davao City Atty. Edgard B. Cuanan, Jr. DSB Law, Door No., 4 Babao Bldg. San Pedro St. Davao City OCC-RTC, Davao City Sps. Elmer D. Berdin and Ma. Luz V. Berdin B18 L24 P3, Pag-ibig Wellspring Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City (Edge 19,26,Jan. 2)

CARINA L. CAYON]

Women’s Peace Table aims to participate in peace negotiations

T

SPOUSES ELMER D. BERDIN and MA. LUZ V. BERDIN Petitioners

Act of 1995 that would provide favorable terms to abandoned families of OFWs. It urged the government to execute the processing of remittances to ensure that allowances will directly be sent to children and direct family.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was also called to lead in the handling of cases against OFWs and to facilitate the tracking down of missing OFWs. MMCEAI also looked forward to the local government of Davao City to enact a local ordinance that would ensure full assistance such as psychosocial interventions and medical needs and protection for families abandoned by OFWs. Elento raised the proposals from MMCEAI’s briefing paper on the state of abandoned families on Friday during a press conference as among the activities in observance of the International Day of Migrants on December 18.

MMCEAI has been providing free counseling and psychosocial services for abandoned families and assisting returning migrants and their families as well as communities for livelihood opportunities.

The NGO has also organized Anak OFWs groups in schools and communities. [PIA 11/

HE Mindanao Commission on Women recently launched a “Women’s Peace Table” signifying Mindanao women’s desire to take part in peace negotiations.

MCW chair emerita and chief executive officer Irene M. Santiago said the “Women’s Peace Table” aims to connect the formal peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to the women not only in Mindanao but also the rest of the country.

Santiago said they want to convey to the two panels that Mindanao women are “eager to participate in the negotiations as a vital actor and to be a partner in the tremendous task of post-war reconstruction and recovery.”

She explained that the peace table intends to serve as a third table that will “harness women’s tremendous capacities to generate many alternatives, mediate, mobilize, and educate for peace.”

“And because peace is a national concern, the Women’s Peace Table is a national table,

BizQUIPS

open to all women who yearn for and are willing to work for peace,” she stated.

Santiago raised the important role of women in the peace negotiation undertakings, saying “We know that women have the capacity and the commitment to be a significant actor to bring about a sustained and just peace in Mindanao.”

She lauded the recent announcement of the Philippine Government Panel and the MILF to hold a substantive discussion in January next year.

“We rejoice in this positive direction the two parties are taking. Women have suffered too long and too much,” she said.

The “Women’s Peace Table” was formally launched on December 8 in time for MCW’s 10th year anniversary celebration that featured the Kamindanawan, an annual Mindanao women’s congress.

Anchoring on MCW’s slogan and goal “for women to be taken seriously,” the congress carried the theme: “Women. Seriously!” [PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON/MCW]

‘HE doesn’t understand what government is. He thinks good intentions justify doing anything.’

--Senator Joker Arroyo, in criticizing President Noynoy Aquino

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

icthub

13

for elevating PLDT-Smart to roll out Athedevice iPad’s keyboard new Wifi service in ‘12 E P

HILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and wholly-owned subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are set to launch a new wireless Internet service next year.

Called “carrier-grade WiFi”, the service will allow mobile device users to log on the web using indoor and outdoor WiFi hotspots, through the use of a prepaid or postpaid account.

Unlike regular public WiFi hotspots, which are present in malls, shops, and schools, carriergrade WiFi can be made present even in local neighborhoods.

“We will make this possible by installing access points in our base stations, thus allowing users to connect to our WiFi even in their ownhomes,” Rolando G.

Pena, PLDT Technology Group head said in a statement.

“All they need to do is sign in with a username and password which they can purchase online or in retail stores. In the near future, we would make automatic authentication through the use of the subscriber’s SIM [subscriber identification module] card,” he said.

As the service uses standard WiFi technology found in most portable devices, the carriergrade WiFi service can be used by all mobile users regardless of their carrier networks. This makes Smart’s improved network accessible to all Filipinos who are looking for a more stable and reliable wireless connection.

“We are taking all possible steps to make our carrier-grade

WiFi service the best option for Filipinos to connect to the Internet.There will be no need for them to purchase additional equipment and eventually, the same log-in credentials can be used to connect to our 3G services,” Pena said.

With the nation’s widest coverage and the most extensive and most modern infrastructure, PLDT and Smart’s combined network is the best prepared to take on the digital demands of the modern Filipino.

Upgrades amounting to P67 billion aim to take the Internet experience to even greater heights with the introduction of both fixed and wireless broadband technologies such as Fiberto-the-Home (FTTH) and Long Term Evolution (LTE). [PNA]

HE next generation of BlackBerry phones will be late. RIM said today in a quarterly earnings call that phones running BlackBerry 10 -- based on the same software on the PlayBook tablet -- won’t be arriving until the second half of 2012.

The news marks the low point in another lousy quarter for RIM. Although it’s still making money with $5.17 billion in revenue, that’s

down from $5.49 billion the year before.

[More from Mashable: RIM Executive Faces Charges Over BlackBerry ‘Stampede’ [VIDEO]] Looking at profits, however, the picture gets darker.

The company recorded a profit of $265 million compared with $911 million last year. The current quarter took some big one-time hits, though, the largest being a

$485 million write-down on the PlayBook.

Many of the company’s tablets went unsold this quarter, even after deep discounting. RIM shipped just 150,000 tablets over the entire quarter, down from 200,000 the previous quarter. For comparison, Apple reported selling (not shipping) 300,000 iPads in the first day of its release in 2010.

VEN if you love the iPad, you’re probably not keen to write your next novel using its on-screen virtual keyboard. You may not be thrilled to type up a lengthy email with it, either.

Steve Isaac felt the same way. So the Seattlebased software designer got to work on a way to make the iPad easier to type on.

Using a stretchy silicone, he invented a keyboard that sits atop the tablet’s on-screen keyboard when the device is turned on its side. He called it, TouchFire.

Isaac, who worked on an early tablet at computing startup Go in the ‘90s, isn’t unique in dreaming up this type of device. But his invention has garnered intense support on Kickstarter — a website where entrepreneurs and artists solicit funding for their projects and often give rewards in exchange, such as a limitededition poster or first version of a product.

In Isaac’s case, he

December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 43

turned to the site to raise money to transform his prototype into a real device, offering the first run of TouchFires to Kickstarter backers.

His effort raised $201,400 by the time it ended last week. That was more than 20 times the $10,000 that he and his business partner had hoped to snag.

The TouchFire’s birth as a consumer product shows the growing importance of sites such as Kickstarter.

They offer a new way to finance bright ideas and usher them to the masses. Kick-

starter visitors can search through a bevy of proposals for everything from graphic novels to consumer electronics, coming from creators who must meet their stated funding goal in a specified period of time in order to actually use the money.

About 45 percent of the projects meet or exceed their goals, Kickstarter said. This year, site visitors pledged about $79 million to projects that either succeeded, including Isaac’s, or were still in the process of soliciting funds.

BlackBerry phones not coming until late 2012 T Facebook beats Google inBattle for Eyeballs You want to EXPORT your products?

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Contact Raf Vlummens at 092 0675 2754 or trv.davao@gmail.com trv business consultancy SME Center - Chamber building JP Laurel Ave., Davao City DAVAO –BASED PACKAGING MANUFACTURING COMPANY IS LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DEV’T. & MARKETING MANAGER • Male or Female 35-49 years old • Must have at least 5 years experience in industrial sales & marketing in various industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, food & agricultural industries • Previous experience in industrial and packaging supplies is an advantage • Can handle people, with integrity & willing to do field assignments • MBA Graduate is an advantage HR MANAGER • Male, 40 - 50 years old • Extensive HR experience in Manufacturing Industry • Good people management / Interpersonal skills • Responsible, hardworking, flexible & can work under pressure • Good communication skills & leadership quality • Trustworthy & pro-active SALES REPRESENTATIVE (FOR DAVAO - GENSAN) • Male or Female, 25 to 35 years old • Graduate of any 4-year business course • Must have good communication skills, initiative & is trustworthy • Responsible, hardworking & can work unsupervised under pressure • Willing to travel Email or send Comprehensive Resume with recent 2x2 picture and Transcript of Records to metroaceplastic@yahoo.com or The Manager, MP blue gate, Opposite Granland Bldg., R. Castillo Street, Davao City

F

ACEBOOK is “winning the battle for eyeballs and advertising in the internet display arena,” according to a report by Enders Analysis. While Google is still “the king of internet advertising” with greater global reach than the social network, Facebook’s more dynamic growth, and rising rates of engagement and usage, suggest it will continue to dominate the display ad market going forward.

Google’s net display ad revenues totaled $1.5 billion in 2010, according to Enders Analysis, and will rise to $2.5 billion in 2012. Facebook, on the other hand, will report 2011 display revenues at about $3.5 billion, and can expect those to rise to about $5.3 billion in 2012.

While Facebook is clearly the market leader in display, Google remains the internet’s largest advertising player. In 2012, its revenues will hit $35 billion, 90% of which come from Google’s search operations.

Bringing all these num-

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PERFECTO CABASAN DAGOON and CYNTHIA SARION DAGOON has been EXTRAJUDICIALLY SETTLED executed by their heirs per Doc. No.65; Page No.15 ; Book No. XIII ; Series of 2011 of the NOTARY PUBLIC AURELIO R. CORTADO III. (Edge 12/19,26, Jan.2)

bers together is the fast- with something like 10% for growing display ad market. Google (which ranks second The company founded by among the big display playSergey Brin and Larry Page ers). has proven its capacity in Facebook’s “expanding transforming the search ad reach and rising time spent market, becoming practical- on the site” are the keys to ly a monopolistic force. But its display ad success. Revdisplay remains underdevel- enues will continue to grow oped. According to former faster than over at Google, Google CEO, and current particularly given the rise of Chairman Eric Schmidt, the the social media ad format display market could grow and the surge in programto $200 billion in coming matic ad buying (through years. “Despite Google’s the use of exchanges, netand Facebook’s growing works, demand side platstrength, the online display forms, etc) which will make market remains highly frag- it easier to “programme [sic] mented, [Enders Analysis] and optimize large-scale ad project[s] their aggregate campaigns.” share of global spend will be Also playing to Facejust over 25% in 2012.” book’s favor is Google’s weakThere are four major ness in the social sphere. players in the display ad “At this stage, Google’ late world: Facebook, Google, entrant look-alike social netMicrosoft, and Yahoo. work, Google+, looks set to Google and Facebook exert remain niche,” explained the their dominance via reach analysts. and consumption. In terms Facebook has slowly of monthly unique visitors, opened up its display ad Google beats its competitors platform to outer players, with 1.1 billion users, about and will continue to improve 75% of the global audience. it through the addition of Facebook counts with 770 new products, such as the billion, but is growing at an “rumored rollout of ads on impressive pace, accounting its highly popular mobile for 18% of the net increase apps” (which run on Apple’s in internet usage in Q3, com- iPhones and Google’s Android pared with a combined 1% OS). But these don’t necesfor Google, Microsoft, and sarily play against Google. As Yahoo combined. mentioned above, the market Mark Zuckerberg’s is fragmented and small, and social network derives its still has room to grow. “Risstrength from engagement. ing advertiser demand for Users spend an average 12 both scale and performance minutes per day on Face- will make many publishers book, a figure that is up 40% increasingly reliant on one or over the last 12 months. both of the internet giants for That’s about 15% of total traffic and revenue growth,” time spent online, compared explained the analysts.

BizQUIPS

‘THE legal profession is not necessarily composed of lawyers who are fearful of the Supreme Court even if the Supreme Court is wrong.’

--Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares on the involvement of private lawyers as prosecutors in the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona

14

VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -january 01, 2011

communitysense

The Business PAPER

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Davao Partner

Establishments

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

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Good Samaritans pour in for Sendong victims L

OCAL government units and various private organizations in Davao Region sent financial and other forms of donation to help the Tropical Storm Sendong victims in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Starting Tuesday morning, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte sent off P3-million assistance; P2million of which was in the form of relief goods while the remaining P1 million was in cash as financial assistance to the victims.

That same day, Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario led the send-off of four dump trucks filled with P1 million worth of relief goods. As chair of the Confederation of Local Chief Executives in Mindanao, he then asked all governors and mayors of all LGUS in the island to send donation to victims of Sendong.

Seeing the needs of the flashflood victims in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City made the local government of Mati City , Davao Oriental through Mayor Michelle Rabat send P200,000 cash assistance for both Cagayan and Iligan calamity victims.

Other initiatives from the private sector also surfaced after they’ve learned about the catastrophe that hit both cities. Professional photographers in the city like Jojie Alcantara, Rene Lumawag, Rhonson Ng, Bob Mata, Paul Borromeo is organizing Shoot for Hope on December 30, a photography workshop aimed at raising funds for the victims of

the typhoon Sendong.

Private establishment like the Mail and More has become a drop off point for bottled waters, clothes, noodles, biscuits, coffee, canned goods, medicines, blankets, mats, mosquito nets.

Donations will be sent directly to DSWD 10 which will be airlifted

by Air 21.

Other drop off points are LBC Express branch, Davao Peacebuilder Community located at the 2nd Flr. Coffee for Peace, McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City (beside EastWest bank, across McDonalds), JCI

Davao Region, Philippine Red Cross, ABS CBN Davao, Smart subscribers all over the country may send help to those affected by typhoon Sendong. Smart Money users can instantly transfer funds through their mobile phones to the official Baha Fund account number 5577 5130 6822 1104. Donors may also deposit cash to the same Smart Money account number in any Banco De Oro branch nationwide or through Hapinoy and Cebuana Lhuillier outlets. Subscribers may donate to #Sendong victims via text.

MACAPAGAT]

BOUT 225 people, mostly children, flocked to the barangay hall of Barangay Sto. Niño, Tugbok District to avail of the free medical consultation and medicines from the medical mission organized by masterplan developer Camella to benefit indigents this Christmas season.

The Davao mission was part of a simultaneous activity conducted last December 18 by Camella covering its selected communities in Davao, Iloilo and Manila.

«Instead of a simultaneous Christmas lighting of our projects in these cities, we decided instead to conduct this activity for a good cause,» said Camella Davao GM Marlon B. Escalicas.

The medical mission in Davao was held at the Relocation Area, being the needy community nearest to Camella’s master planned development in Mintal, Camella Cerritos. The missions

in Manila and Iloilo also belong to the same barangay where Camella’s communities are located.

“This is a call to other companies and organizations to also give back to their communities to contribute in improving and uplifting the conditions of people who need them most,” said Escalicas, adding that apart from the free consultation and medicines, they also handed out giveaways, arroz caldo, and juice.

Escalicas said this community outreach activity exhibits their company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and is Camella’s way of giving back to the city for its over 16 years of successful existence in Davao.

The Villar Foundation— whose head Sen. Manny Villar is the sponsor of the CSR bill— partnered with Camella in the simultaneously held missions in the three cities. Other partners

include the Davao Medical Society through the leadership of Dr. Malou Monteverde, GMA-7, and the barangay officials.

The medical consultations were made by volunteer doctors, namely Olive De Castro MD, Jose Ray Ramirez MD, Gina Alvarez MD, assisted by volunteer nurses, Ma. Louisa Jane Dayot, Nico Adrian dela Cruz, Johnrell Gabuya, Mabelle Rizally Ticon and Carolyn Acedo.

The mission was made possible with assistance from Brgy. Capt. Carlos del Rosario, barangay health workers led

by Hessy Amatong, barangay tanods, policemen from Station 9, Mintal, Tugbok District, as well as volunteers from Camella’s contractors, such as MGS Construction.

Just send RED to 4143. Valid donation amounts are 10, 25, 50, 100.”

Globe Subscribers may also send donation through GCASH by texting DONATE and send to 2882.

Also, the Cebu Pacific Airlines is offering free shipping of donations.

The Mindanao Development Authority shares this directory information to guide the public who want to send in their cash or kind donations through these institutions. [PIA 11/MAI GEVERA-

Camella Davao gives back for Christmas A F. Torres St., Davao City Tel No. 227-3773 - (72) Fax: 295-3485

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS decisions.

BizQUIPS

‘CEBU Pacific looks forward to expanding its network in China, especially with Xiamen and Fujian Province being hometown of about 85 percent FilipinoChinese, including the Gokongweis.’

--Cebu Pacific Vice President for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

December 26 -january 01, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 43

E-mail: edgedavao_editorial@yahoo.com.ph

UP AND ABOUT

Year end sale is on at SM City Davao The holiday shopping frenzy is not over yet. SM City Davao opens its Year End Sale with up to 70% off on great selections on December 26! Find your favourite things at SM City as joyful holiday shopping continues until January 15, 2011. Mall hours extend until 10 PM on Dec 26-30!

On December 31, Saturday, SM Davao opens early at 9 AM and will close at 7 PM while SM Supermarket opens to serve its customers as early as 7 AM. SM Davao is open on January 1, 2012 from 12 NN to 9 PM. For inquiries, please call 297.6998.

Party like its the New Year

This Christmas Season, Fishtank Productions and Starr DinePartyShine have yet another installment of their mashup/rnb party series! On the deck, DjSteal of Izakaya and Davao’s DjTorch! Both deejays are in demand for their amazing skills and intense musical productions. Steal, with his distinctive sound and versatile style is recognized across the Philippines – truly a headliner to make any party a memorable experience!

Tickets are P250 each with one free beer. For reservations please call (0922) 8436764 or email us at fishtankproductions09@gmail.com. Tickets are limited

Italian brand Ellesse comes to Davao

The holiday hustle of shoppers came to a few stops as models in their Ellesse shirts livened the afternoon with surprise performances. Italian brand Ellesse opened its first stand-alone store in Southeast Asia.

Defining contemporary lifestyle wear, Ellesse merges simplicity and intricacy in its designs while taking influence from its strong Italian heritage with a modern twist. Each product boasts of premium materials, clever details and distinct construction that will satisfy the fancies of the active and stylish individual.

This five-decade old brand is being revived by the Primer Group of Companies, the same company that exclusively distributes popular international brands like Fitflop, Bauhaus, Sledgers and The North Face in the country. Seeing the Philippines as a great venue to continue expanding the brand in the Asian market, Ellesse Italia together with the Primer Group of Companies, decided to open its first-ever store in Davao. Driven by the same core values, which include “continuous innovation”, the companies are excited and optimistic about exploring the potential of their market in Davao–a city that has progressed into a busy center for vacations, shopping and local delights.

Ellesse is definitely the store to visit during the holidays. With a wide selection of items, finding the perfect gift could be easier than expected. Find El-

360° Hand Shaked Tea now at SM Davao

Enjoy a refreshing tea drink with a twist at 360° Hand Shaked Tea. Oolong, red and green—take your pick from your favourite tea mix!

Oolong tea which is also called wu long tea, is one of those types of tea that is in between green and black. It is a sweet, floral, woody brew that consists of large leaves. This tea has also proven in studies that it can facilitate weight loss, and even decrease the progress of wrinkles and aging of the skin.

Red tea is a popular South African beverage made from the oxidized and dried leaves of the Aspalathis linearis plant. This beverage is also sometimes called rooibois, a reference to the parent plant. Native Africans have been using the leaves of this bush to prepare tea for centuries, and when European explorers were introduced to red tea, they acquired a taste for it.

Green tea is another well-known type and also offers great health benefits too. Grown and highly consumed in both China and Japan, this tea branches off into literally hundreds of varieties.

Visit the freshest tea concoction in town 360° Hand Shaked Tea, now open at the Ground Floor, East Gallery of SM City Davao.

15

The renaissance brand P16

YOUTH TRENDS

Watch out 2012

T

he New Year is just around the corner, and if you are not yet excited for it, here are some things that are sure to keep you waiting in anticipation for the year that is supposed to signal the end of the world.

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8

The new wing of SM City Davao in Ecoland is slated to open in 2012. More importantly, the new SM Mall in Lanang is also said to open within 2012. What does this mean? It means more jobs for Davaoenos so we could have money to spend in new shops and restaurants that are also slated to invade the city because of this brand new mall. Better news: shops that will open in the new SM mall will be targeted to wider demographic and social strata. This means, more stuff that are budget-friendly.

The invasion of brand new flavours of alcopop beverages is also one of the more exciting things that 2012 holds for us. If you have not yet been informed, Tanduay Ice has actually released Red and Blue variants that are sure to be as popular as their original alco-pop outing. Antonov also released Antonov Ice and Antonov Mandarin Orange: two enticing flavours that follow the original Antonov Apple. These new flavours are the same price as the original which means that we have more affordable options to get us to that happy place we call Land-of-Non-Sobriety.

Although I absolutely adore my Blackberry, one of the things I dislike about it is the fact that I can’t make free calls over the internet with it. Thank god, they have now contracted Skype to provide online calling and maybe even video streaming for Blackberry handhelds.

Skype for Blackberry is said to be launched on May 2012.

Every self-repsecting urbanite has a slew of cool gadgets that make life easier and make communicating a staple. Here is a list of some of the most anticipated gadgets to watch out for in 2012: iPad 3: The follow up to the iPad 2 is said to run on iOS5

7

6 5

dy attitude in this tale about vampire warriors.

Diaspora*: The new social networking site is now already fully-functional but is said to hit it big in 2012. Diaspora* makes it easier for people to protect their posts, screen who can see whatever they are posting, separate friends and categorize contacts, and keep ownership of all your posts, photos, videos, and everything else you post on their site. You hear that sound? That is the sound of Facebook scrambling to kill the competition.

The Peak at Gaisano Mall has already opened but there are more exciting things to come. First off, the opening of one of my all time favorite Mongolian Barbecue-style restaurants are, Kubali Khan, is said to happen during 2012.

Also, Happy Lemon and Red Mango are supposed to hit Gaisano Mall’s the Peak really soon. Oh, and there are talks of a new party place opening at the topmost level of the peak in 2012.

Wii U is supposed to act as the Wii remote control but has its own LCD. How does it work? I have no idea.

There are also exciting movies to watch out for this 2012 including: The Dark Knight Rises: The new Batman movie which still stars Christian Bale as the caped crusader.

The Avengers: which, according to critics, feels more like Ironman 3 rather than a movie made for a team of superheroes. Obviously, the biggest star in this outing is Robert Downey Jr., but it also starts Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a spin-off of the Lord of the Rings franchise. It still stars Elijah Wood accompanied by the gorgeous Cate Blanchett and the effective Martin Freeman.

The Amazing Spider-man: It tells the tale of how Peter Parker dealt with his powers during his younger years as a teenager. Expect it to be awkward and filled with mushy teenage love troubles…and of course some action. Starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, this outing is definitely one to watch out for.

Underworld Awakening: If you did not enjoy the previous Underworld outing, chances are, you will not enjoy this one as well. The good news is, Kate Beckinsale is back in her tight leather ensemble and hard can-

4

and features their new assistant, Siri. It is also rumoured to have a retina display, WiFi, 3G, and 4G LTE Connections, and a sleek new design. iPhone 5: We have all waited anxiously for the iPhone 5 last year and to find out that what we have been holding out for was the iPhone4S. 2012 however marks the coming of the iPhone 5. Why is it so special?

I don’t really know yet. I know nothing about the new iPhone which is said to come out during the last quarter of 2012, and neither do you. Why are people interested about it?

Well, I guess they would like to greet the end of the world in style.

Dell Peju Tablet: To compete with the iPad, Dell is creating the Peju tablet which is slated to run on Windows 8. It may come out during the first quarter of 2012 in the States but there is no telling as to when it will reach our humble shores.

Wii U: The new frontier in gaming seems to be more compact, and without wires. The

2

1

Music makes the world go round, or so they say.

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded; Justin Beiber’s Believe; Madonna’s new album that is slated to come out early next year; Willow Smith’s Knees and Elbows; Ke$ha’s new album that is yet to be titled; T.I.’s Trouble Man and No Doubt’s Reunion album are just some of the most anticipated albums that are slated to come this 2012: Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 in the PM. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile check out http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist on twitter.com/zhaun

EVENTS 16

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -january 01, 2011

The renaissance brand

M

y earliest memory of Ellesse was from back when I was 6 years old in Hongkong.

My dad bought me my very first watch from the brand, a simple sporty one with a white face and green strap that befitted my age. I remember gazing at the brand’s logo every so often and committing its half-tennis ball shape to memory, a little unbelieving that I had a timepiece to call my very own. Fast forward to last week when my editor Kenneth told me that Ellesse was setting up shop in Davao and that we were invited. I was intrigued and a little surprised to hear from a brand that I considered an old friend. I was eager to find out what Ellesse was currently all about, as I had seen little and knew even less about it over the years apart from what I surThe Business PAPER mised was an association to sportswear. Meeting Cindie Cheng, Ellesse’s brand manager of the Primer Group of You can now buy your weekly paper fill of in-depth Companies, in her discreet yet business news and features from any of these fun gingham print cotton butestablishments still at Php 15. ton down from Ellesse slowly brought me up to speed.

As we made our way to the Ellesse store at the second level of Abreeza Mall, the bright lights and modern do of the store interiors instantly conveyed that this was a brand on the road to revival.

As I fingered the lightweight National highway, tagum city 8100 Tel 6384 2188380 cel 63917 7193982 fabrics and took in the clever email emeralduy@gmail.com little details of the clothes, it facebook yuyu cafe and dessert shop was like seeing Cindie’s earlier explanation of Ellesse’s thrust to concentrate on contemporary lifestyle wear come to vibrant life. Each piece was a merger of simplicity and intricacy in design that took influence from its five decade-long heritage with a modern twist that I was immediately taking to. There were basic tees with bold prints alongside smart lightweight jackets that made one imagine the wearer astride a scooter roaming the cobbled streets of Rome. Incidentally, the pulse and character of Jose Abad Santos St., Corner Arellano St., Tagum City Italy’s capital is the scene and 8100 Philippines inspiration behind the brand’s Tel. No.: (084) 216-3003 Cell No,: 0939-243-8539 current Fall/Winter collection.

There will be no pigeonholing of this brand as something strictly sporty. Although the clothes still give a nod to its earlier history as being popularly patronized by international celebrities and sports HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED personalities in the 1970s up BUSINESS decisions.

Tagum

Partner

Establishments

until the 90s, there is what they call an emotive quality to the clothes that place them above the cut of ordinary sleek sports apparel. Although the snap buttons and waterproof fabric are in place, they come covered in fashionable wrapping – punchy colors and great construction – that beckons to the fancies of active, stylish individual. Lest we not forget either that the passions of Italians govern the brand’s design

philosophy, the spirit of “La Dolce Vita” that is essentially about vitality and confidence

is always at obvious play at Ellesse.

As that day was opening day at Abreeza, striking models in Ellesse shirts were seen in different locations of the mall and gathered every other hour with their boom box to lead mall-goers to the newly-opened store. The first ten shoppers were treated with premium gifts while a minimum purchase of P2,000 equaled a pair of Ellesse pants, a jacket or a top. The next 50 shoppers each received a P500 discount that they could use for their next purchase at the store. If at first glance the clothes don’t seal the deal, it is extremely helpful to know that Ellesse’s price range hits the sweet spot between paying for something of obvious quality but is nothing too ridiculous or exorbitant.

Just like its Italian forebears that lead the world into a cultural movement, Ellesse is a brand with enough verve and panache to inspire its own renaissance. And this time, the site that it is set to conquer is Davao.

Find Ellesse at the 2nd level of Abreeza Mall, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City.

EDGEDAVAO HEALTH THE BUSINESS PAPER

FOOD

Destress holiday travel

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raveling is an integral part of the holiday season for many people. While traveling any time can be a major source of stress, holiday travel (loaded with gifts and baggage, with the kids along, through possible rainy weather, and on common crowded pre and post-holiday travel dates) is even more nerve racking. Although you can’t eliminate the stress associated with holiday travel, these tips can help you lessen the impact of holiday travel stress.

• Accept the situation and plan ahead. Crowded airplanes and highways, rainy weather, harried personnel, and unexpected delays are all aspects of your trip which are beyond your control. Assume you’re likely to encounter most or all of these obstacles and that you aren’t going to be able to change them. Instead, focus on your reactions to these stressors. Anticipation of stressful occurrences, and forming a mental plan for remaining calm and dealing with them, will greatly reduce your perception of stress.

• Give yourself enough time. Whatever your mode of travel, allow yourself more time than you can possibly imagine that you will need when traveling for the holidays. This is particularly important for heavy-travel days. On these days, just about everything including check-in lines, finding a cab, and airport parking can be expected to take longer than usual. Business travelers accustomed to a travel routine may also find that traveling with the family along doesn’t run quite as smoothly or efficiently as when traveling solo. Knowing that you have adequate time to deal with any unexpected occurrences can help prevent anxiety and stress. Should you arrive at the airport early, remember that sitting in an airport lounge working or reading is far more relaxing than sitting in a traffic-stalled taxi 20 minutes before your flight departs.

• Make a few contingency plans. Consider the truly unexpected circumstances. For examples, you drive to the airport and the parking lots are full, or a typhoon is approaching your destination city. Always check weather, traffic, and parking reports before departing, and have some backup ideas (leave earlier, leave later, use another mode of transportation) ready to prevent panic.

• Check your bags. If you’re traveling by air and dedicated to your carry-on, consider the advantages of checking your luggage. The risk of delayed or lost baggage is actually very small, and the freedom of movement gained during your journey is often worth the risk. Think about possible delays and decide

if you’re up to hauling those carry-ons everywhere you go.

Planes (and overhead compartments) are going to be at their fullest capacity. If you take regular medication, make sure you take this with you on the plane just in case your luggage is delayed.

• Keep the kids happy (and well fed). Travelers with young children will want to plan for amusements and distractions for long waits, drives, or flights. Having a few “surprise” novelty items to hand out at intervals is a good technique to combat boredom and fussiness. Since children (and adults!) tend to be more anxious and stressed when hungry, bring along some snacks (preferably of the non-sticky, nonmelting variety) and a bottle of water. Don’t count on the airplane meal appealing to your child’s tastes or even being served when you’d like it. Likewise, plan for long

highway stretches and traffic jams, which mean you won’t have instant access to food vendors. Another advantage is that you yourself won’t fall into the trap of be-

coming cranky due to hunger pangs.

• Think about changes of clothing. If your children belong to the baby/toddler set, consider having an accessible change of clothing for you as well as for the little ones, since your little frequent flyer may decide to spill his food on you rather than on himself. You can also dress in layers which can be removed if necessary. If you must arrive looking your best, think

about traveling in comfortable clothes and changing on the plane or at a rest area before you reach your destination.

• Plan ahead for next year’s holidays. This is the last thing you’re likely to want to do in the midst of holiday stress. But if you find that your holiday travel is unbearable, use this year’s get-together to discuss alternate plans for next year. If family “tradition” dictates that you meet at a far-off or inconvenient location for you, suggest a change to a more accessible place for next year (or offer to act as host yourself). You may even feel you need to skip travel and family gatherings altogether next year. A tactful announcement that you’re planning to do something different next year is much easier to make now than three weeks before next year’s festivities. If you remain committed to traveling at holiday time, make a note in your calendar to arrange plane reservations for your trip months in advance to avoid inconvenient flight times and connections.

With these travel tips, I wish all a safe travel to your Christmas destinations and a Merry Christmas to each and everyone! Cheers!

December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -january 01, 2011

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

PROPERTY FORUM

Christmas condo rush for Nottingham

KoronadalPartner C Establishments Gen. Santos Drive, Koronadal City Telefax No.: (083) 520-0816 Mobile No.: 0922-843-9427 email: manggorio09@yahoo.com

General Santos Partner Establishments

2F Meetrovi, South Osmeña St., General Santos City Tel No. (083)- 301-1991

Tel No. (083)- 553-2211

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS decisions.

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

AMELLA whips up an exciting Christmas offer to homebuyers eyeing Camella Northpoint as a present for themselves and their loved ones this yuletide season. It is making huge slash offs in rates to make it easier for buyers to own a unit in this British colonial-themed condo development.

“If you’ve always wanted to live in Camella Northpoint, now is the best time to make your move. The Christmas Condo Rush for Nottingham is on until December 31,” said Bella Comidoy, Camella Marketing Staff.

Nottingham is the third building of Camella Northpoint, and the only 10-storey condo tower in the city, a midrise structure that is easy to navigate up or down, and yet offers a splendid view of the city.

With only two weeks to go before yearend, homebuyers can hurry over to Camella offices and reserve their preferred studio, 2-bedrrom, or 3-bedroom units in Nottingham with the reduced reservation fee of only P8,000.

All units will also have

extended down payment terms of up to 18 months. A 20% initial down payment is spread out, with P8,000 payable in the first 10 months and the balance payable within the next eight months.

“What’s more, we will give our homebuyers a P50,000 outright discount for a studio unit,” added Comidoy, urging buyers to call Camella offices at 222-0963, 222-5221,222-5223 (telefax) and 0917-8576572, or visit them at 2/F Delgar Building, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City.

Making this Christmas condo rush offer more irresistible is the free interior design schemes for studio units that homebuyers can choose from, eliminating the guesswork on how to best design their new homes. The designs were created especially for Camella Northpoint by two of Manila’s renowned interior designers, Michael Pizarro and Katrina Jacildo.

To up the ante in their Christmas giveaways, Camella’s “Home for the Holidays” promo will also give away bigticket items such as a House

& Lot, brand new car, Asian Cruise for four, cash prizes and exciting freebies to buyers this season.

Camella Northpoint is the only masterplanned community in the city with a lush green environment filled with imported Caribbean pine trees that can grow to a hundred feet tall. These all-weather pines will infuse Northpoint with a pine-scented ambiance that makes it a one-of-a-kind natural haven within the heart of north Davao’s emerging urban center.

Its stately clubhouse named Wakefield Manor takes centerstage within the condo property, its posh factor enhanced by world-class facilities and amenities, such as the city’s first salinated wellness pool, fitness gym, cabanas with grill pits, multiuse hall, charming parks and pocket gardens, playground, sculpted landscaping, and a grand entry gate equipped with closed circuit TV cameras bolstering the condo’s 24/7 security system.

All these make Northpoint the only condo development in the city that fuses

modern condo living with a sub-urban community charm afforded by its outdoor facilities, verdant environment, and the neighbourhood camaraderie enjoyed by its select group of homeowners whose social interaction is encouraged by the condo’s professional property management.

Also making this landmark condo development clearly a cut above the rest is its own lifestyle commercial development located a few steps outside the condo community. The elegant White Mansion, a local landmark preserved by Camella, is undergoing work to accommodate a fine dining restaurant, heralding the start of the distinct lifestyle that makes Camella Northpoint the place to be, a condo community like no other in Davao, and a future lifestyle destination in the city.

To have a feel of the season and see the splendour of Camella Northpoint all dressed up for the holidays, everyone is welcome to visit and view its Christmas decors and lighting spectacle.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

games

Team Zoelo Diesel Oil, Homegrown talents hold champion of the Trip promise for PHL football

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EAM Zoelo Diesel Oil emerged champion in the second season of the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup held December 18, 2011, Sunday, at the Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras Gym).

Zoelo Diesel won against this season’s 1st runner-up Accelerate Vega with a score of 73-68. Teams Cyclomax Titan and Cyclomax 4T Force landed on the third and fourth place. Their score was 66-62.

John Von Lester Lacorte of Zoelo Diesel, a native of Samal, was proclaimed as this

season’s Most Valuable Player.

“This was my first tournament and I’m so happy we won. I thank Phoenix for giving me the opportunity to be part of this basketball cup,” said Lacorte.

Lacorte’s teammate Joshua Damag, along with Accelerate Vega’s Eric Patrick Dulay and Geevy Guianan, Cyclomax Titan’s Sean Africa and Phillip Yaco, were named the basketball cup’s Mythical Five.

Special prizes were also given to the top three winners of the ‘3-Point Shoot Out’.

Coach Rhoel Josol of

Team Zoelo Diesel Oil said their practices really paid off.

“These kids really wanted to win. Before every game we practice hard because we know other teams are good too. I always tell them to give their best and enjoy every game. I’m thankful to my team for believing in me, and to Phoenix for organizing this tournament. I also thank God for another victory,” Coach Josol said. He was also the coach of last season’s champion Team Cyclomax Titan.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is set to bring a better

basketball cup with the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 3 which will start on January, next year.

The Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 2 opened on November 12 with six teams: Cyclomax Titan, Cyclomax 4T, Zoelo Extreme, Zoelo Diesel, Accelerate Vega, and Accelerate Supreme. Each team was led by professional coaches and was composed of 15 players of age 13 to 15, mostly from public schools. It is the first and only non-school based tournament for the youth in Davao City.

December 26 -JANUARY 01, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 43

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HE newly-crowned Philippine Air Force Football Team is probably just one of several soccer clubs in the country’s United Football League which does not employ the services of Filipino half-breeds.

But fans of the Air Force team laden with pure-blooded and less fancied Filipino booters did not stop believing that local talents have what it takes to upend heavy favorites, such as Loyola-Meralco and Global, both teams boasting of Phil-foreigners in their cast.

Duffie Botavara, a rated national player back in the late 70s, gushed with encouraging words when he said that homegrown talents could clash head-on with half-Filipinos playing for European clubs, given the right motivation, training, as well as financial support. And most im-

19

portant of all, the lusty cheers emanating from a growing, enthusiastic Filipino crowd.

Avid fans are familiar with the names of Chiefy Caligdong, Ian Araneta and Yanti Bersales of the Philippine Azkals. They are all stalwarts of the Air Force juggernaut. But who has heard of the Leonora brothers, Mark Ferrer, Jimmy Bayona, Randy Bela-ong, Jimmy Bermejo, Elmer Tonog, to name just a few? Yes, they all play for Air Force; and about 15 of them are of Ilonggo origin, mostly coming out of Iloilo’s football-crazy town of Barotac Nuevo. The coaching staff composed of Edcel Bracamonte and Leo Jaena are also products of Barotac’s football pitch.

“Native Filipino footballers can be on a par with foreign players,” Botavara said. [PNA]

PBA welcomes year 2012 with 8 games in 8 nights

B Bryant’ s wife files PHL junior golfers win 3 for the divorce gold medals in Guam tilt Team Zoelo Diesel Oil, champions of the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 2

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HE Philippine junior golfers brought honor to the country by topping three divisions of the 3rd BMW Guam Junior Golf League Tournament last December 17 and 18 at the Leo Palace Resort in Yoña, Guam.

International Master Marlon Bernardino said Aidric Chan ruled the boys’ 10 and below, Kyla Nocum in the girls’ 10 and below, and Arnie Taguines in the girls’ 8 and below.

Samantha Martirez, meantime, placed second in the girls’ 14 and below in the annual event which lured junior golfers from Guam, Saipan, The Marianas, Micronesia, Korea and the Philippines.

“I was inspired by what Kuya (John) Lester (Lagman) did in Malaysia where he finished with gold,” said Aidric, a grade 4 pupil of Ateneo, referring the bronze medal finish of his best friend John Lester

Lagman who averted what could have been a medal shutout in junior golf by capturing the bronze in the 10th Sutera Harbor Junior Amateur Open 2011 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia last December 5 to 6.

“I did my best in Guam and it paid off,” added Aidric, also the 2010 champion who is celebrating his 11th birthday on December 23.

He was coached by Juanito “Pago” Pagunsan, father of Juvic, who was named the Players’ Player of the Year at the Asian Tour Awards Gala to go with the prestigious Order of Merit crown held at the St. Regis Hotel last Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Even if it was difficult, my son reached his goal of being a winner. If (John) Lester Lagman was included in the team, he could have given us another gold,” Chan’s father, Deo said.

John Lester failed to com-

pete in this year’s 3rd BMW Guam Junior Golf League Tournament due to earlier commitment to play in the Secretary of National Defense Golf Cup held at the Veterans Golf Club in Quezon City.

Lagman, the 12-year-old nephew of businessman Mikee Romero, topped the Secretary of National Defense Golf Cup tournament sponsored by Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin in close cooperation with Veterans Golf Club general manager Brig.

Gen. Patrick Madayag (ret.).

The Philippine Junior Golfers are preparing for the junior world qualifying this coming April 2012 in San Diego and U.S. Kids Qualifying tour on May in North Carolina.

All of them are scheduled to play in the Philippine International Jungolf Tournament in January 2012 in Manila. [PNA]

4th in the Pro Open won by the country’s no. 1 rider Glen Aguilar followed by Donark Yuson and Team KTM Davao’s Bornok Mangosong as second and third, respectively.

Four other Phoenix Moto-X Davao riders Abu Mata, Kent Jericho Dimaano, Vince Penalosa, Mark Mosquera and Tristan Lou Galanto earned honors in their respective events.

Mata, son of team manager Bok, settled for second place behind Mclean Aguilar in the 85cc Beginners Local while Dimaano placed fourth followed by Penalosa.

Mosquera finished fourth in the Beginners won by fellow Dabawenyo Christopher Bandiga of KTM Davao. Galanto earned fourth place both in the Begin-

ners Local Enduro and Open Local Enduro.

American Tiger Lacey lived up to his billing by winning the International category. Dennis Stapleton of USA finished second while Mangosong, Nathan Tieney and Aguilar placed third, fourth and fifth.

Actor-singer Sam Milby showed his riding prowess by winning the Celebrity category.

He was followed by Jordan Herrera, Mikael Banaag and Buboy Fernandez in that order.

The other champions were Ompong Gabriel (50cc), Pia Gabriel (Ladies), Dexter Bacabac (Executive A), Ryan Oliveros (Executive B), Jay Lanit (Executive C), Jungle Cabuco (Underbone Novice) and Paing Unahon (Underbone Open). [LDR]

Team Phoenix Moto-X Davao tops in Lanao Int’l Motocross

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EMBERS of the Team Phoenix Moto-X Davao bagged top honors in the just-concluded Lanao International Motocross held in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

Kimboy Pineda of Phoenix Moto-X Davao ruled the Expert Open by beating Donark Yuson and Ted Conde who finished second and third, respectively.

Pineda’s teammates Jeven Lagrada, John Almerino and brother Jesse Pineda shared the limelight by topping their respective divisions. Lagrada won the Intermediate category, while Almerino dominated both the Beginners Local Enduro and Open Local Enduro events.

Jesse Pineda, on the other hand, captured the Novice category while Kimboy also placed

B

ASKETBALL star Kobe Bryant’s wife, who stood by her husband when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003, filed for divorce on Friday from the Los Angeles Lakers star, citing irreconcilable differences after a decade of marriage.

Vanessa Bryant signed the papers on Dec. 1. Kobe Bryant signed his response on Dec. 7 and it was filed Friday, documents revealed.

“The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012,” according to a statement from a representative for the couple.

In the filing, Vanessa Bryant asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s two daughters, Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5. Kobe Bryant asked for the same in his response. Vanessa also requested spousal support.

Bryant met his future wife in 1999 on a music video shoot when Vanessa Laine was 18 years old. Six months later, she and the then 21-year-old Bryant became engaged. They married on April 18, 2001.

The Bryants have been through trying times together. Vanessa appeared at a news conference with her husband when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the exclusive Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Vail, Colorado, in 2003. She held his hand and stroked it tenderly as the NBA star admitted he was guilty of adultery—but nothing else.

ASKETBALL fans will have their fill of highoctane basketball action when the PBA welcomes the year 2012 with eight games in eight nights to usher in the Philippine Cup semifinals.

To give the viewing public a better chance to see all the Final 4 games, from January 4 to 11, one semifinal game will be played each night at 6:45 p.m.

“This nightly semifinal schedule makes it easier for the fans to be able to watch all our games live,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud. “Those coming from work or school can catch the games from the start and because there’s only one game, they can also go home earlier.”

The 8-game stretch is a first in the rich 37-year history of Asia’s first play-for-pay bas-

ketball league.

Games 5 to 7, if necessary, will revert back to the usual PBA schedule, with Game 5 to be played on January 13, Game 6 on January 15 and Game 7 on January 18.

Game 1 of the Finals will be played in Digos City in Davao del Sur on January 20.

Then, breaking from the traditional gameday, Game 2 will be played on the Chinese New Year holiday, January 23, a Monday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The succeeding games will be played on traditional PBA gamedays, with Game 3 scheduled on January 25, Wednesday. If the championship series goes to a Game 7, the last game of the conference will be played on February 3, 2012.

Philippine athletes to the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar in 2013 are to compete only in sports that are also offered in the Asian and Olympic Games, according to Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia.

Garcia said this would help lower the cost of participation in the biennial event as well as stop the practice of fielding athletes in non-Olympic events where they have no chance of winning any medal.

“In the SEA Games, it has been the practice for host countries to include indigenous or traditional sports which the host nation tends to dominate,” he said.

Garcia, who had just returned from the Asean Sports Ministers meeting in Indo-

nesia, said most of the SEA Games participating countries have agreed to limit the events to sports that are actually in the Asian and Olympic games.

Acknowledging that it may be a little late to adopt the changes for the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar, he said what is important is that the proposal had been introduced to Asean members.

“We will discuss the matter with the Philippine Olympic Council,” he added.

At last month’s 26th SEA Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia organized 43 sports, the highest number ever offered at the biennial games.

It was not surprising that host Indonesia won the most number of medals [PNA/BERNAMA]

PHL to vie only in Olympic, Asian Games events in Myanmar SEAG

BizQUIPS ‘LIFE may be difficult, but still it is no reason to patronize toys that are cheap but dangerous to their (children’s) health.’

--Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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VOL. 4 NO. 43 December 26 -january 01, 2011

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