Edge Davao 4 Issue 48

HIGHLIGHTS

THIS ISSUE: P15 20 PAGES

VOL. 4 NO. 48

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

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GOVERNANCE P7

The Business PAPER WMC framework AGRITRENDS P6

Comval farmer

ICTHUB P13

The techie DH

FIGURES OF THE WEEK STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE

PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX As of January 27, 2012

US DOLLAR = PHILIPPINE PESO As of January 27, 2012

A & A Securities, Inc.

JIFFYCAR Bldg., Ecowest Drive (Beside SM City Davao), Davao City

Tel. Nos.: 299-0199, 297-7233, 303-0555, 297-8090, 0917-7000911, 0922-8831358 Important: The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe are reliable but is not guaranteed

by EDGEDAVAO and A & A SECURITIES, INC. This report is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the security mentioned herein.

W O N

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Andreliz Bldg., Km. 7, Lanang, Davao City Tel. Nos.: 234-0733 • Fax No.: 234-8153 website: www.northpalmhotel.com in all Rooms

Rates: De Luxe P1,900 Family Suite P3,500 Executive Suite P3,000

Function Room is now open for all occasions

2

VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

ON THE COVER

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

The new ‘King of the Road’

Motorbikes now half of Davao’s vehicles B

AD news for Dabawenyos annoyed by the presence of too many motorcycles in Davao City. The sale of this kind of vehicle is steadily rising.

According to statistics, 48 percent of the registered vehicles in the city now are motorcycles.

These do not include the unregistered ones which are still being used usually during nighttime.

In every kilometer of the city’s 1,856.24-kilometer road network composed of national. city and barangay roads, there is an average of 33 motor vehicles.

Nearly half of these (48 percent) are motorcycles.

The city’s land transport sector started to change in 2005 when the motorcycles accounted for 38 percent of the total number of motor vehicles, a dramatic increase from a mere 25 percent in 2000.

In 2010, or ten years after, 48 percent of the 55,858 of registered vehicles plying the city’s roads are motorcycles.

Ranked second are PUJs with 30 percent, followed by private cars with 13 percent and trucks with 6 percent. The rest are trailers and buses.

“The increase is largely due to the appetite of the middle class for motorcycles,” said the draft land use plan prepared by the Davao City Planning and development Office.

Sustained increase The accessibility and affordability of motorcycles are

By Greg G. Deligero

identified as key contributory factors to the sustained increase in the number of motor vehicles in Davao City recorded at an annual average growth rate of 44.14 percent starting 2001.

“As population grows and urbanization takes place, the demand for transport industry grows as well. This poses improvement of transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges to cater vehicles and pedestrians,” said the draft document.

Davao City has three major ingress and egress points that allow linkages to other cities and provinces.

According to the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), of the city 1,856.24 kilometers of roads and highways, seven percent are national roads, 39 percent are city roads and 54 percent are barangay roads.

Of the road network, 67 percent are paved with concrete and asphalt while the remaining 33 percent are still unpaved gravel and earth. Ancillary to the roads and highways are the 65 bridges in the entire city, 54 percent of which needs either repairs or total replacement.

Accidents Motorcycles rank third among motor vehicles involved in traffic accidents, according to the initial data generated by the Davao City Police Traffic group in 2001.

Of the 6,048 total accidents initially recorded, 39.58 percent

involved private vehicles, followed by taxi with 16.87 percent, motorcycles with 11.81 percent and PUJs with 11.23 percent.

The next four are vans with 5.90 percent, trucks with 3.79 percent, buses with 1.46 percent and tricycles with 1.19 percent.

The rest are assorted types of vehicles including armored cars, government-owned vehicles, bicycles, trisiboats, trisikads and even ambulances comprised the remaining 6.61 percent Police Chief Inspector Rolly Almonte of the Police Traffic Group said the main factors causing the vehicular accidents are human and mechanical errors and road defects.

He reiterated the basic advice for the drivers to properly observe the safety inspection standards such as the need to check tires before a trip for sign of wear, damage or wrong inflation, to check brake pedal for too much travel, fluid level and brake adjustments, to check lights such as signal, headlights, tail, parking lights and brake lights, to check windshield including wiper, washers, defrosters, for clear vision, to check steering for excessive play and to check the oil, battery and water before a trip.

Sure best seller Meanwhile, the Japanese compact car and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Philippines Inc (SPH) rolled out last week what it describes as a sure best seller—the Suzuki GD110.

The Suzuki GD110 is an ad-

T

The Chamber’s members have adhered to their four-point policy which would show that they are indeed responsible, Rocky G. Dimaculangan, Chomp vice president for communica-

tions, told media practitioners after the conference on mining held at the University of Southeastern Philippines.

Dimaculangan volunteered to invite Fr. Joel Tabora, Catholic

Ungab, Zamora-Apsay: Corona trial not delaying House legislative work

T

WO members of the House of Representatives from the Davao Region who signed the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona said the ongoing trial in the Senate has not disrupted legislative work in the House.

“The trial has not affected the regular meetings and hearings in the lower house since there are only few members who are in the prosecution team,” Rep. Isidro T. Ungab of Davao City’s Third District said, adding that the committees can still function and quorum can still be mustered.’

Rep. Maria. Carmen “Maricar” Zamora-Apsay of the First District of Compostela Valley said bills continue to be processed and acted upon not only by individual lawmakers but by committees and the body as a whole.

“I must admit that the impeachment is affecting work of the legislature, especially for us who are active participants in it,” Zamora-Apsay said. “We need to focus attention on the impeachment, and it requires time on our part.”

“However, we will not be remiss in our duties as representatives of the people, both in our legislative work and in the impeachment trial of the chief justice,” Zamora-Apsay said.

The lady lawmaker said that she and 187 other representatives signed the impeachment complaint “in our collective drive to achieve reform and justice in our countrTy.”

REP. SID UNGAB

REP. ZAMORA-APSAY

“So much effort has been poured into seeking redress by so many people, both private and public persons, and by no less than President Aquino himself,” she said She said the Chief Justice, in assuming the leadership of the judiciary, had already laid himself open to challenge for accepting his midnight appointment.

“However, instead of proving his merit and rightness for the position, he has shown himself to be far more faithful to those whom he owes debt of gratitude, rather than the Constitution and our people,” she said.

I fully believe and know that the 188 representatives who have challenged Chief Justice Corona, have turned the key to open the door for our nation’s access to true justice,” ZamoraApsay said.

Explaining why he signed the impeachment complaint, Ungab said he believes the charges in the articles of impeachment

are sufficient grounds to convict the Chief Justice He said the trial is a good opportunity to look at the details of the Judiciary Development Fund, something that is not covered in the budget deliberations of Congress.

“Also his non-disclosure to the public of his SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth) and the acceptance of a position by his wife in the executive department puts transparency and accountability of public officials especially those occupying high positions in question,” Ungab, who now heads the ways and means committee of the House.

Other lawmakers from the region who signed the complaint were Reps. Mylene GarciaAlbano of Davao City, Anton F. Lagdameo of Davao del Norte, Rommel Amatong of Compostela Valley, Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, and Franklin Bautista of Davao del Sur. [AMA]

$2 billion

ESTIMATED cost of a new high-speed rail project in place of the suspended NorthRail linking the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Diosdado Macapagal Airport. According to Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, the amount is a table top estimate, as the amount is uncertain in the absence of a detailed engineering design.

P45 billion

SUZUKI GD110

vanced commuter bike that will usher a new level of riding experience, as it comes packed with highly user-friendly features that even first-time motorcycle owners can easily understand.

The Suzuki GD110 features a newly designed compact and lightweight 4-stroke engine for high-combustion efficiency, 4-speed transmission for less gear changes and simpler operation, Suzuki PAIR system for lesser emissions, high visibility meters, indicator lamps and round shaped headlamps with

park light indicator lamps for enhanced safety and convenience.

“We are optimistic about the launch of the GD110 because we are anticipating it to be one of our sure best sellers. We believe that the GD110 is packed with features that answer the commuting needs of the public—affordability, user-friendliness and durability, which very much complements our campaign, “Bakit Di Ka Pa NakaMotor,” said Eiji Kobayashi, general manager of motorcycle sales and marketing said.

Fr. Tabora says ‘no responsible mining activity in the country’; Chamber of Mines says ‘not true’

HE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (Chomp) members are responsible and are ready and willing to prove it to the group that wants mining totally out of the country.

IT FIGURES

Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) advocacy committee national chair, to join the group on a visit to mining projects under “responsible” companies.

“We are inviting him (Tabora) to visit one of the responsible mining companies. This is an open invitation,” he said. “This is in response to the charge made

by Fr . Tabora, president of the Ateneo de Davao University, that there is no responsible mining activity in the country.”

Tabora’s group had earlier held an international mining conference at the AdDU, to which representatives from the mining group were not invited. Media practitioners who were not in the list of invited were also barred from entering the Finster Hall, venue of the two-day conference.

Regional Director Constancio A. Paye Jr. of Mines and Geosciences Bureau for Region 12 said that before 1995, mining activities in the Philippines were governed by Presidential Decree 463 which did not have provisions for social equity and environmental protection.

The previous law, he pointed out, was only to ensure economic growth and not protect the environment and that “social equity and environmental protection” provisions in the 1995 Mining Act ensured that mining companies would practice responsible mining.

“The (mining malpractices) were sins of the past, we (mining industry) are today haunted by the sins of the past,” he said, adding that the government is making sure that mining companies adhere to the law so that they would not be accused of committing similar malpractices.

Dimaculangan’s colleague, lawyer Ronald S. Recidoro, vice president for legal and policy, said he could vouch that members of the association are following responsible mining standards.

Recidoro said that last year, mining companies which are

members of the chamber spent a total of P6.1 billion to protect the environment.

The association took up th cudgels for local government units who ask that mining taxes they are entitled to be first directly remitted to them instead of being remitted to the national treasury.

This was also among the issues brought up by local government units in the region, particularly by Governors Arturo T. Uy of Compostela Valley and Corazon N. Malanyaon of Davao Oriental, two of the main mining areas in the region.

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad had earlier said that the issue was among those being considered to be part of the national government policy which is still under review by the Office of the President.

A provision of the Local Government Code of 1991 states that local government units should get 40% of the mining revenues. Of the 40-percent share for LGUs, 20 percent goes to the provincial government, 45 percent to the city or municipal government and the remainder to the barangay government.

The association also criticized Mr. Tabora’s group for holding an international mining conference which did not welcome miners. “This is ironic,” Dimaculangan said.

In refusing participation of the so-called mining industry supporters, Mr. Tabora said what his association was doing was an exercise of its “academic freedom.”

The association invited international experts on the mining industry, including Clive Montgomery Wicks, a conservation and development consultant specilizing on the impact of extractive industries, who earlier claimed that the Tampakan mining project of the Sagittarius Mines Inc. in Tampakan, South Cotabato as among the world’s most dangerous mining projects.

[AMA]

BUDGET of Megaworld Corp. in investing in the development of the 15-hectare integrated township project in Bonifacio Global in Taguig City during the next 20 years. The project will feature up to 18 towers, offering a total potential development of 500,000 square meters of residential space, 400,000 sq. m of office space and 90,000 sq.m of retail space.

7.78 MMT

ESTIMATED production of unmilled rice in January to June 2012 as a result of the expansion of harvest area and improvement in yield. According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the projected output for the period is 2.7 percent higher than the actual unmilled rice production last year.

40.2 percen

t PERCENTAGE of all Filipino workers in the country engaged in low-paying jobs and have to contend with difficult working conditions, according to the International Labor Organization. The ILO also said that after the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, there is a backlog of global unemployment of 200 million –an increase of 27 million since the start of the crisis.

3.6-4 percent

GROWTH of the Philippine economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). The National Statistics Office reported that total imports growth slowed down to0.6 percent for the second straight month in November last year to $4.98 billion from $4.96 billion in the same month in 2010.

400 million plus NUMBER of new jobs

will be needed over the next years to absorb the estimated 40 million growth of the labor force each year.

This global situation will also affect the Philippines.

In its latest annual Global Employment Trends Report titled Global Employment Trends 2010: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis, the ILO said workers in what it called “vulnerable employment” comprised around 40.2 percent of the labor force.

P58.07 billion

AMOUNT remitted by the Malampaya consortium to the government, said the Department of Energy last week. The consortium is composed of Shell Philippines Exploration BV and Chevron Malampaya Ltc. Each owns a 45-percent interest in the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project; the Philippine National Oil Co. Exploration Corp. holds a10-percent interest in it.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

PROPERTY FORUM

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

3

Camella extends ‘Lucky 888’ Chinese New Year promo W

ITH the successful week-long run of its ‘Lucky 888’ promo for the Chinese New Year, Camella spreads the luck to more homebuyers by extending the promo until January 31.

“More Camella homebuyers are in luck as they can still avail of the lowest packages for Camella Northpoint studio units until the end of January,” said Bella Comidoy, Camella Davao marketing staff.

With only a few units left in Camella Northpoint’s third building still at preselling prices, there is good reason for buyers to rush to get their studio units through the ‘Lucky 888’ promo. This triple promo offers studio units at an alltime low reservation fee of P8,000, a huge drop from the original rate of P30,000.

Tripling the homebuyer’s luck is the 8% discount on the down payment and the reduced down payment rate of P8,000 for the first eight months of the 18-month stretched down payment term. Camella urges buyers to take advantage of the ‘Lucky 888’ before they commence construction of the 10-storey condo building.

“This is the chance for those who want to own the city’s most premiere address to acquire their studio units before prices go up once development starts,” said Comidoy, adding that they

entertain all inquiries at 222-0963 and 222-5223.

Excavation and actual construction of Camella Northpoint’s third building is expected to begin in February, with a target completion date within the middle of 2013. Once construction starts, prices are seen to increase and down payment terms are shortened.

Camella Northpoint is a British colonial-themed condo community that is another landmark development of Camella, subsidiary of the largest homebuilder in the country, Vista Land & Lifescapes.

Its well-appointed studio units remain the best choice for those looking for single-room homes. Studio units are versatile, serving the needs of many types of unit owners, from young professionals, newlyweds, corporate executives, startup families, entrepreneurs, transient students, even empty-nesters.

Its location at the junction of J.P. Laurel and Buhangin Road makes it strategically located at the pulse of north Davao’s growth area. With the continuing development in this part of the city, Northpoint homeowners have everything they need within close reach.

Camella Northpoint is a class by itself, with its deluxe facilities and amenities such as its clubhouse named Wakefield Manor, a fitness gym, cabanas and grill pits,

a salinated wellness pool, open parks, playground, manicured lawns, sculpted landscapes, lush pocket gardens and the preserved Acacia trees.

It is the only condo community in the city that is filled with imported Caribbean pine trees, further greening its environs and giving off a cool, pine-scented ambiance. It is managed by a professional property management team that keeps the whole property in top-notch shape and ensures its residents are safe and sound under a tight 24/7 security system enhanced with CCTVs. Inquiries are welcome at the Camella offices at 2/F Delgar Building (behind Phoenix station), J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City, or at vismin@camella.com.ph (email) and www.camella. com.ph.

4

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

as of august 2010

Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat Cebu Pacific Thu Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat

5J961 / 5J962 Z2390 / Z2390 5J593 / 5J348 PR809 / PR810 PR819 / PR820 5J394 / 5J393 5J599 / 5J594 5J347 / 5J596 5J963 / 5J964 PR811 / PR812 5J595 / 5J966 MI588 / MI588 5J965 / 5J968 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

P100,139 million Jun 2011

10. National government outstanding debt

P 4,777 billion May 2010

11. Peso per US $ 5/ 12. Stocks Composite Index 6/ 13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

P 42.81 Jul 2011

5:45 5:45 6:00 6:10 7:50 7:50 8:00 9:10 9:40 11:30 12:00 18:55 12:55 13:35

Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu-Davao-Iloilo Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga Cebu-Davao-Cebu Iloilo-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu-Davao-Manila Davao-Cebu-Singapore Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila

A

N official of the South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII) said the United States remains the top export market for Philippine tuna.

During the Program on Traceability for Revitalized Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement (Program P-TRACE) at The Marco Polo Davao on Thursday, SFFAII executive director Rossana Bernadette Contreras said the US market receives 53 percent of the country’s total tuna exports.

The meeting was organized by the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Ag-

15. Core Inflation Rate 2000=100

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

MI566 / MI566 5J507 / 5J598 15:55 Z2524 / Z2525 5J967 / 5J600 PR813 / PR814 5J215 / 5J216 5971 / 5J970 5J973 / 5J974 5J969 / 5J972 2P987 / 2P988 PR821 / PR822 PR821 / PR822

18:55 15:00 Mani2Mani 16:05 16:35 16:55 18:00 18:40 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:20 22:20

Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:50 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Manila Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila 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

riculture (DA) with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The other export markets are Japan, with 24 percent share, North America with nine percent, Middle East with six percent, Europe with three percent, other Asian countries with two percent, and Africa, South America, and Australia with one percent share each.

In 2011, the value of exported Philippine tuna reached 366,271 million US dollars, which was higher by almost two percent than 2010’s 359,380 million US dollars.

Contreras said over 60 percent of the country’s tuna production is based in Mindanao, par-

ticularly in General Santos City.

The country has seven canneries, six of which are in General Santos

City while the other is in Zamboanga City.

Contreras added that the 15 fish processors and exporters in

General Santos City comprise 80 percent of the total number of processors in the Philippines. [PNA/

Under the proposed Protocol Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of the four countries on expansion of air linkages, Cebu was designated as one point outside of BIMP-EAGA under the cargo and passenger co-terminalization, with own stop over rights.

The Amended MOU is expected to be signed

by July 2012.

This would mean that airlines planning to open for instance a Kota Kinabalu, MalaysiaDavao route can stop by Cebu to drop off passengers and cargo en route to Davao as it final destination. As it flies back to Kota-Kinabalu it can again drop by Cebu to pick-up Malaysia-bound passengers and cargo.

Under the proposed agreement, Indonesia identified Solo, a city in Central Java Indonesia, as its co-terminalization traffic right outside of BIMP-EAGA, while Malaysia has tentatively

identified Johor Bahru, capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia.

“The expansion of our air linkages with BIMP-EAGA partner countries is one of the strategies to foster economic activities in Mindanao and Palawan, as the transport of people and goods with our regional neighbors will become much easier,” said MinDA Chair Luwalhati Antonino.

Antonino, who also serves as Philippine signing minister for EAGA, stressed MinDA ensures that Mindanao and Palawan are actively involved in the overall EAGA initiatives, more particularly in terms of transport connectivity.

She added that MinDA has had a series of talks with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Philippine representatives to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council where transport connectivity

had been cited as crucial for the sub-region.

The proposed air link expansion is one of the flexible approaches of the BIMP-EAGA Transport, Infrastructure, ICT Development (TIICTD) Cluster to have more sustainable air services on existing routes and new sub-regional air connections. The Departments of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and Tourism (DOT), lead agencies for connectivity and tourism clusters in BIMP-EAGA, have jointly collaborated for this initiative.

The implementation of co-terminalization scheme is also being pushed as a viable solution for those routes having large geographical areas the proposed policy operates around the premise that more traffic can be generated on a region to region basis.

To further facilitate the expansion of

air linkages in the subregion, Philippines has committed to spearhead an airline summit this year, which is expected to bring airlines and other stakeholders under one roof to discuss possible ways to boost airline operations within BIMP-EAGA. The BIMP-EAGA is an economic cooperation formally created in 1994 covering the border areas of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines with the goal of spawning increased investments, trade, and tourism within this subregion of the ASEAN. It specifically covers the island economies of island economies of Brunei; North, Central, South and Southeast Sulawesi, Central, East, West and South Kalimantan, Maluku and Irian Jaya in Indonesia; Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines.

TUNA

JENNY GRACE M. MENDOZA]

Mactan airport to become part of BIMP-EAGA air route linkage

P

4.6 Jul 2011

Silk Air Thu/Sun Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri Philippine Airlines August Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippines Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun Cebu Pacific Daily Airphil Express Daily Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday Philippine Airlines Sunday

US still top market for PHL tuna

4,503.6 HILIPPINE efforts Jul 2011 supporting the es tablishment of a 126.4 strong transport connectivity as a pillar for Jul 2011

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2000=100

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

growth in the fourcountry grouping BIMPEAGA have gained ground following the concurrence of Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority recently to become part of the sub-regional route.

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), which serves as the Philippine Coordinating Office for the Brunei DarussalamIndonesia-Malaysiathe Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) reported the confirmation of Mactan Airport’s inclusion as one of the drop off points for EAGA air routes.

MinDA said this latest development in the BIMP-EAGA air linkages was among the items discussed at the fourcountry BIMP-EAGA Strategic Planning held last week in Manila.

[MINDA]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

AGRITRENDS

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

Sugarcane rebounds in 2011 S

UGARCANE rose from the doldrums and outperformed other Philippine crops in 2011, registering that year four successive quarters of production increases highlighted by triple-digit growth rates during the April-June and July-September periods.

Data released by the Department of Agriculture (DA) this week show the country’s 2011 sugarcane production volume totaled nearly 28.40 million metric tons (MTs) 58.27 percent higher than the 17.93 million MTs this crop posted in 2010.

In 2010, nationwide sugarcane production dipped 21.82 percent below its 2009 level of 22.93 million MTs. The data further show value of sugarcane production at constant prices hit P22.42 billion in 2011, exceeding the P14.16 billion such crop posted in 2010.

DA also reported the country’s sugarcane production volume during 2011’s first and fourth quarters reached 12.75 million MTs and 8.14 million MTs, respectively.

Such outputs were the

highest in the crops sub-sector during both reference periods.

Nationwide sugarcane production in 2011’s first and fourth quarters also correspondingly surpassed by 26.73 percent and 24.26 percent the country’s 10.06 million MTs and 6.55 million MTs output for this crop throughout the same periods in 2010, DA data likewise show.

For 2011’s second and third quarters, DA reported the Philippine sugarcane production reached 6.90 million MTs and 594,000 MTs. Such volumes were 511 percent and 208.46 percent more than the 1.12 million MTs and 192,000 MTs of sugarcane produced during the same reference quarters in 2010.

The data show none in the crops sub-sector except sugarcane registered tripledigit production growth rates during last year’s second and third quarters.

Earlier, DA came up with the block farming system to help boost domestic sugar production and local farmers’ income.

Such system consolidates into a single block of 30 to 50 hectares farms below 10 hectares in size to realize the economies of scale needed for costefficient production of sugar.

DA said farms can be consolidated and integrated through contract arrangements, joint venture schemes, partnerships, sharing agreements and other modes.

Last week, the government launched a 927-hectare sugarcane block farm in Batangas province’s Tuy municipality.

At least 919 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) belonging to four cooperatives there are involved in such project, DA noted.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) clarified ownership of farms concerned will remain despite consolidating these into a block.

DAR gave such assurance, noting the ARBs will retain their respective land titles.

The agency, DA and Sugar Regulatory Administration are partnering on the project.

DA’s quick turnaround strategy also helped cushion the impact of inclement weather’s damage to palay production in 2011.

Nationwide volume of production for palay reached 16.68 million metric tons (MTs) last year, exceeding by 5.78 percent the country’s 2010 output of 15.77 million MTs for this staple grain, data DA released on Tuesday show.

Gains in palay production helped Philippine agriculture grow 2.34 percent in 2011, the data also indicate.

Alcala said DA’s earlier studies forecast 2012 palay output to reach some 18.46

million MTs. DA forecasts palay output to further rise to about 20 million MTs by 2013. ”That’s doable,” Alcala assured.

He reiterated the country’s 2012 rice importation volume will remain at 500,000 MTs as there is still no reason to increase this quantity.

He said the private sector will bring in half of such rice while farmers’ groups will import the balance. ”Such importation’s guidelines are finished already so we hope to commence bidding by February,” he said. [PNA]

[PNA]

DA eyes 2013 rice self-sufficiency

T

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is maintaining its 2013 rice selfsufficiency bid despite palay damage from the onslaught of inclement weather last year. ”We’re not reneging on such bid,” DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said during a briefing on Tuesday.

He said the country is on the right track in its bid for rice self-sufficiency, noting that the DA continues implementing interventions aimed at further boosting nationwide production of palay.

Among such interventions are increased irrigation and use of improved palay varieties.

NEDA okays irrigation, climate change projects in Mindanao, Central Luzon

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HE Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board recently approved government projects on irrigation, flood control and education that are geared towards promoting agricultural growth, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Two irrigation projects approved by the ICC’s Cabinet Committee (CabCom) are the Umayam River Irrigation Project (URIP) and the Casecnan Multi-Purpose Irrigation and Power Project-Irrigation Component, Phase II (CMIPP-IC).

The URIP is a mediumscale irrigation project that aims to provide water supply to agricultural lands of Adgaoan, La Paz and Umayam, Loreto in the province of Agusan del Sur. It involves the construction of an overflow diversion dam across the Umayam River, an irrigation canal network, protection dike, and improvement of waterways, among others.

“The URIP enhances the standard of living of the people in the project area by increasing rice production through irrigation development and agricultural support services,” said Socioeconomic Planning Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr. Paderanga, who is also NEDA Director-General, added that given the long-term productivity-enhancing nature of the project, it can address sectoral, regional and local development plans such as the Food Staples Self-Sufficiency

Roadmap of the Department of Agriculture and the Mindanao Strategic Development Framework for 2010-2020, among others.

Meanwhile, the CMIPP-IC Phase II aims to continue providing full irrigation to 20,321 of the 37,200 hectares of new areas in the towns of Munoz, Guimba, Talugtog, Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija, and Anao, Ramos and Victoria in Tarlac. It also intends to stabilize the irrigation supply to the 40,000 hectares of existing areas of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System.

The first Phase, completed in December 2008, already benefitted 16,879 hectares of new irrigation areas.

“This project is consistent with the objective of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 to improve food security and increasing household income in the countryside through agricultural modernization. It also addresses Central Luzon’s objective of making food affordable and sufficient in and out of the region,” the Cabinet official said.

The CMIPP-IC Phase II is estimated to cost PhP7.05 billion The NIA is proposing that the Government of China fund at least 75 percent of the total cost of CMIPP-IC Phase II. For the URIP, which is estimated to cost PhP1.56 billion, the agency is proposing that the Government of China fund at least 87 percent of the total cost.Aside from the two irrigation projects, ICC-CabCom also

approved the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay Project.

The project aims to reduce the extent, level and duration of flooding in the municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Minalin, San Simon, Sasmuan, Apalit, Macabebe and Masantol in Pampanga.

“This project will directly alleviate the plight of school children in Pampanga in their water-soaked and severely deteriorated school surroundings.

They can look forward to a better future as they can complete their education in an environment conducive for learning,” said Paderanga.

Spearheaded by the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Education (DepEd), the project involves site heightening of 26 schools to eliminate school site flooding and stagnant water ponding; reconstruction of 232 school rooms in 47 flood-affected and naturally deteriorated elementary schools; construction of 11 deep well pumps in 11 schools without secured source of potable water; and establishment of flood control measures in the area’s rivers.

Of the PhP4.66 billion total project cost, DPWH and DepEd is proposing to secure 83.77 percent through a loan from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of the Government of Korea and the rest through Philippine Government funding. [NEDA]

CONFISCATED. Emiliano Dakingking, Jr. of Tagum City’s Bantay Dagat Forces shows the beach seine locally called baling his team confiscated midnight of January 24, 2012 in Sitio Garinan in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City. This,

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along with a row boat and a pump boat (inset photos) are now impounded at the headquarters of Bantay Dagat in Barangay Liboganon, Tagum City. [LEO TIMOGAN OF CIO TAGUM]

PH poised to reclaim top rank in prawn exportation to Japan

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N the 1990s, the Philippines ranked fourth among the top exporting countries of prawn to Japan, but diseases hitting local shrimp production and the farmers’ inability to sustain the required quality caused a massive decline in export.

Today, the country is poised to reclaim lost glory with more hatcheries being put up for a prawn-based multi-commodity enterprises that will reopen the door for exportation of prawn to Japan.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting multi-commodity enterprises as a development strategy being put up initially through the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay, Leyte in order to remove those critical stumbling blocks in prawn production for export.

VSU, according to a statement mde by BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar here recently has developed technology for increased production of prawn and other commodities following a model of outstanding farmer, Benjamin Gerona Jr. Gerona added freshwater prawn or ulang to his existing vegetable crops and tilapia and realized a return of investment of 32 percent from his P34,400 investment.

VSU researchers Veronica Reoma, Nestor Morales and Tamar Mejia Jr.,found in a study filed with BAR that Gerona’s multi-enterprise system could enable farmers to maximize their earnings, Eleazar said.

When prawn was integrated into the farm, the

owner earned a net income of P3,474 in the first cropping, P12,890 in the second cropping, and P16,182 in the third, or a total of P32,546.

This was based on the VSUSouthern Leyte State University (SLSU) study called “Integrated Giant Freshwater Prawn and Vegetable Production.”

“The production of high value products like prawn will significantly raise farmers’ income. Diversifying sources of farm income is something that BAR supports,” Eleazar said.

VSU’s College of Fisheries has started planning for hatchery expansion since demand for prawn products in Leyte alone has been brisk.

“Farmers cannot accommodate demand for prawn.

They proposed that they be taught to put up their own hatcheries for raising supply of fries. We are helping them to expand the hatcheries in strategic areas where they can be readily available for farmers for easier transportation,” Eleazar said.

VSU is further seeking an intensified partnership with BAR on a proposed integrated prawn production that will target the local market for prawn and an export market in Japan awaiting huge export opportunities for Filipino prawn producers.

With a replication of Gerona’s system in his farm in Sogod, Leyte, freshwater prawn production in many suitable areas in Leyte and other Visayas provinces would help increase national prawn production, Eleazar added.

The technology on freshwater prawn is not yet popular in Leyte due to the lack

of prawn fingerlings. But the lucrative return in prawn culture along with the demand could encourage farmers to shift from tilapia alone to prawn with vegetables in their ponds serving as trellis and shade,” he said.

The multi-enterprise commodity system of Gerona involved a 300 square meter (sq.m.) pond for the first cycle, two 300 sq.m. ponds on the second and one 300 sq.m. pond on the third cycle.

For feed, he uses prawn commercial feeds mixed with crushed golden kuhol (golden apple snails), fish trashes, and some kitchen leftovers.

The system becomes multi-commodity with the planting of vegetables such as upo and squash whose vines complement growing of prawn by providing shade for prawn growing which apparently helps raise yield and income.

An important recommendation of the VSU researchers was for the integration of production of freshwater prawn fry or seed as part of technology for which farmers should be trained and ensure that they have easy access to seed supply and that they may also have this in disease-free form since disease may cause a major loss for prawn farmers.

Southern Leyte is suitable as a prawn farming area.

Specifically, with clay soil in the ponds, water has higher retention property. Other parameters for a good prawn pond are the maintenance of a water pH of seven to eight, dissolved oxygen of three to seven parts per million, and temperature of 27 to 30 degrees centigrade, Eleazar added. [PNA]

the existing mariculture parks and municipal fishports in the region and the construction of several others; and expansion and intensification of the “fish cage-for-livelihood program.

The others are the provision of training and technical assistance in various areas in

aquaculture, municipal, commercial, post-harvest, and regulatory services; establishment of hatcheries and nurseries; implementation of Coastal Resource Management (CRM) projects; and operation of the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system. [PNA]

BFAR has P1.9B for fisheries program

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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) has set aside P1.9 billion for its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) this year for the implementation of major initiatives in the fishery industry that includes an integrated, pro-poor and communitybased fisheries and aquaculture program.

The program aims to produce adequate supply of quality, world-class yet affordable fishery and aquaculture products and at the same time lift small fisherfolk families from poverty.

This allocation is for the entire BFAR operations nationwide. It includes the implementation of integrated community-based multi-species hatchery and aquasilviculture projects; maintenance of

BizQUIPS

‘DON’T drown me out by screaming in this courtroom!

Only I can scream here and my fellow judges!’

-Senator-Judge Miriam DefensorSantiago scolding private prosecutor Arthur Lim during the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

AGRI TRENDS

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VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

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ComVal farmers raking in profit from booming pinakbet garden O

NLY sans pork and bagoong, their garden is a cauldron of pinakbet.

The 7-hectare sprawl of congregated farm land of 11 farmers in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province is planted to ampalaya (bitter gourd), squash, eggplant, string beans tomato collectively known as pinakbet, a native Filipino delicacy whose main ingredients are these vegetables.

This site, now the source of their higher income, is a revival of the greenery and the lucrative income from vegetable farming in years past.

“We’ve been vegetable farmers before. But when the insurgent group NPA (New people Army) invaded this area most of the farmers abandoned the place to escape from the strife,” said Alberto Osorio, chairman Upland Barangay Linda association (UBLA).

“Majority of Brgy. Linda was devoted to vegetable farming even beyond the seven hect-

ares garden that we have now.

Plus, we were given an additional rubber production project from the Upland Development Project (UDP),” he added.

When the insurgency problem was resolved, farmers were left with no capital, nothing to start with when they were about to go back to their farming.

But the POs enthusiasm and hope in vegetable gardening was renewed when the local government identified them as beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture – Mindanao Rural development Program (DAMRDP).

MRDP is a poverty alleviation initiative implemented under DA with funding from the World Bank, National Government and the Local Government Units in Mindanao.

Under the Community Fund for Agriculture Development (CFAD), the livelihood component of the Program the association received a total amount of P250,000.00 which

BITTER GOURD. Rogelio Cariada has tasted sweeter side of bitter gourd, locally known as ampalaya, after his income has significantly

increase allowing him to send his children to school and buy modest appliances for his home.

the group bought for the inputs of their vegetable farming and rubber seedlings.

“Under the CFAD fund we proposed two projects, one is vegetable farming and rubber production to expand our previous project under DA-UDP,” Osorio said.

UBLA has 35 members, the first eleven members who

were selected to do the vegetable farming where chosen based on their experience and expertise.

The rest of the members did the rubber production project.

The 11 vegetable farmers already had their third round of planting the pinakbet vegetables which earned the association a gross income of over P500 thousand. [SHERWIN B. MANUAL/DAMRDP]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

GOVERNANCE

Watershed management framework approved T

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

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Davao City eyes speed cameras HE Davao City Traffic Management Center (TMC) is eyeing the purchase of speed cameras to detect overspeeding vehicles in city streets and highways.

This according to TMC head Desiderio Cloribel, who said the mobile camera, which automatically records the speed of vehicles, would roam Davao streets and highways to check on overspeeding vehicles, including public utility jeeps or PUJs which are mandated to follow a 30 kilometer per hour speed limit However, Cloribel said such cameras are so expensive TMC may have to use manual cameras using or ordinary video cams which are cheaper. But he says there is a need for an ordinance in case the manual system is adopted to catch speed limit violators.

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AVAO City came a step closer to the implementation of the Davao City Watershed Code when the multi-sectoral Watershed Management Council (WMC) headed by Mayor Sara D. Carpio approved last week a strategic framework for the protection, conservation and management of the city’s major watershed areas.

The framework, a result of a series of consultations with stakeholders last year, addresses at least a dozen major issues and concerns, according to City Administrator Zuleika T. Lopez, WMC vice chairperson, who presided over the meeting with Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo B. Cabling and acting City Agriculturist Leonardo Avila III, who co-authored the watershed code in 2007.

Lopez said the framework was drafted by a technical working group (TWG) and was submitted for discussion and comments with representatives of various government agencies, barangay captains in identified watershed areas, members of barangay watershed management councils (BWMCs) organized last year, the indigenous peoples, landowners, small and big agricultural plantations and various other stakeholders, such as non-government organizations, the academe, the religious sector, the Davao Medical Society, Davao City Chamber of Commerce, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and media.

The framework, a dynamic document subject to revisions as the need arises, will serve as reference in crafting a specific management plan for each of eight major watershed areas in the city. It lays down six goals and addresses 10 major issues identified during the series of multi-sectoral meetings and consultations last year.

Avila said the watershed areas were pinpointed through a terrain analysis conducted by the city government in a joint undertaking with the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The framework provides for a set of objectives and strategies seeking --to delineate boundaries of identified conservation areas, agricultural non-tillage and prime agricultural areas through a perimeter survey; --to conserve groundwa-

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WMC Vice Chairperson Lyca Lopez and Councilor Arnolfo Ricado B. Cabling

ter for future domestic use by rehabilitating and developing 93,080 hectares of open land, brush and mangrove areas through a reforestation program and related activities; --to harmonize national and local policies and regulations and strictly enforced them; --to provide alternative livelihood programs for occupants/ settlers within conservation and non-tillage areas; --to develop sufficient resources needed to implement policies and programs on watershed management through the promotion of multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community participation and the generation of funds through co-management agreements, submission of proposals to local and international donor institutions and collection of environmental users tax; and to implement a massive continu-

ing information, education and communication (IEC) program designed to make all stakeholders understand and internalize the life-and-death importance of protection, conservation and management of the city’s watersheds.

Councilor Marissa S. Abella, current chairperson of the SP committee of environment, said there should be no letup in the WMC’s consultations with stakeholders, especially those initially feel threatened by the watershed code’s implementation.

Abella, one of two councilors who are members of the WMC, bared that the framework also tackles some ticklish issues such as titled lands within the protected areas, expansion of agricultural plantations within conservation and agricultural non-tillage areas, deliberate misinformation on the water-

Environment added as 4th strategic pillar for EAGA

N lieu of the global issues on climate change, the Brunei Darussalam-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) ministers have adopted environment management as one of its strategic pillars for the sub-regional cooperation.

“The Philippines successfully pushed for the inclusion of environment as a new strategic pillar in addition to the three major pillars of the sub-region,” reported Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino.

The other three strategic pillars of BIMP-EAGA are food basket/food security, ecotourism, and enhancing connectivity.

Antonino, who also serves as the Philippines Signing Minister for BIMP-EAGA, added that the new environment pillar will

Davao Chinatown council eyes bigger, relevant presence

T WMC members Imelda Magsuci and Eddie Rosete

significantly lay the foundation for food security and ecological integrity in the sub-region. The Working Group on Forestry and Environment crafted recently a list of possible projects under this strategic pillar.

“We have already proposed to the group a carbon sequestration mechanism through massive tree planting in BIMP-EAGA areas,” said DENR 11 Planning and Management head Naomi So, who sits as member of the Working Group.

An exploratory study on establishing a carbon trading bank for BIMP-EAGA countries to be led by the DENR in partnership with MinDA was also proposed.

Other proposed projects include setting up a coordinating link between the major environment working group in BIMP-EAGA, such as the Heart

of Borneo, Coral Triangle Initiative, and Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.

Brunei Darussalam will also lead an integrated coastal resources management and development training workshop.

“We are advancing the country’s environmental priority programs and projects for Mindanao through our watershed management program or the MindaNOW (Nurturing our Waters), which we intend to expand across the sub-region,” Antonino said.

MindaNOW is MinDA’s flagship environmental undertaking that pushes for the adoption of river basin and watershed as key platforms for planning. It seeks to provide an enabling mechanism for achieving environmental integrity and sustainable economic development. [MINDA]

shed code provisions, weak enforcement and monitoring of provision on buffer zones, and improper waste management and presence of pollutants in rivers and other bodies of water in the city.

Ms Lopez added that other major issues included in the WMC’s “perpetual concerns,” are climate change, disaster preparedness, rapid population growth of the city, in-migration, finite ground resource and intrusion of salt water into the aquifers and implementation of the Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance.

The newly-approved framework will now be the basis of a comprehensive, systematic and community-based approach to protection, conservation and management of the major watersheds in the city, she said.

Cloribel said catching overspeeding vehicles without cameras is a difficult task because the pursuing vehicles nay have to resort to overspeeding to catch the violator.

Meanwhile, figures released by the TMC showed that 27,794 traffic violators have been apprehended by the Center which is made up of the elite Traffic Eagle Squad, Motorcycle units and field personnel while 23,838 driver’s licenses were confiscated, 1,395 license plates taken and 1,344 vehicles impounded.

On violation of City Ordinance 52, or the prohibition of trisikads (pedal driven tricycles) plying city streets and highways, 1,806 such vehicles were confiscated. Revenue generated thru fines amounted to P585,900.00. [PIA 11/RG ALAMA]

HE Davao City Chinatown Development Council is seeking a greater and relevant presence in the Chinatown district this year.

According to Edgar Te, head for special projects of the DCCDC, the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) are subject for final approval by the city mayor who is chairs the DCCDC executive committee.

“We hope we can intensify the relationship of the council with the stakeholders, it will take a little bit of time,” Te said during a guesting at the Club888 media forum at The Marco Polo Davao.

Te said the council is hoping that the body will be understood by the ChineseFilipinos, particularly the elders, as something that can help them in the area and be recognized and not just known during events like mooncake and Chinese New Year festivals.

“We are already eight years old,” Te said of the Council which coincided with the signing of an ordinance establishing the Davao City Chinatown District within 44 hectares of the City, an area of which

70% of the residents are Chinese or with Chinese blood.

He said that if the IRR is approved they will be focusing on regulations for the Chinatown; one such regulation is requirement of a Chinatown council signature in the building plans of any structure built within the Chinatown area.

The regulation will mandate building project owners to conform to Chinese motifs so as to slowly transform the area into a more Chinese character.

The DCCDC is also eyeing Magsaysay Park to be part of the Chinatown district which the council hopes they can beautify.

One of the plans would be to use the seaside park as the venue for Chinese cultural presentations and Chinese film showings twice a month. The activities will serve to highlight Chinese culture and enhance the relationship between the residents and visitors.

The DCCDC is also eyeing to help the city in beautifying and developing Sta. Ana wharf which they consider as part of the Chinatown District. [PIA 11/RG ALAMA]

Ochoa enjoins public servants to back ‘Bayanihan ng Bayan’

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XECUTIVE Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. is urging government officials and employees to promote and participate in the “Bayanihan ng Bayan” project of the administration to help rebuild lives of typhoon victims in Mindanao.

Ochoa issued Memorandum Circular No. 26 enjoining all public servants to support the Bayanihan ng Bayan from January 25 to 28 in Iligan City after Tropical Storm “Sendong” ravaged the area and Cagayan De Oro City over a month ago.

“The event aims to illustrate the collective response and various ways Filipinos can help victims of the typhoon,” Ochoa said in the memorandum. “It also intends to gather commitments from all over the country to rebuild devastated areas in Northern Mindanao.”

On Wednesday, President

Benigno Aquino visited relocation sites in Iligan City and Cagayan De Oro City, where he launched the shelter program for typhoon victims. The President also assured local government units of the national government’s support as they rehabilitate areas affected by Sendong.

Memorandum Circular No. 26, signed on January 25, specifically orders officials and employees of all departments, bureaus and agencies of the national government, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations to support and take part in the Bayanihan ng Bayan.

BizQUIPS

‘DID the coco farmers benefit from the levy imposed on them 35 years ago? Not at all. Zero.’

--Senator Joker Arroyo, lamenting on the ruling of the Supreme Court t h a t 24 percent of San Miguel Corp. shares is owned by the government.

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VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

VANTAGE POINTS

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Better, but not good enough

I

have heard the word “competitiveness” more than 100 times for the last 10 days and this pertains to the recently released results of some surveys on the competitiveness of countries and economies worldwide.

The most recent of these competitiveness indices is the World Economic Freedom which was released middle of January 2012 by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank in Washington and Wall Street.

The index rates countries in 10 categories – labor freedom, business freedom, trade freedom, fiscal freedom, government spending, monetary freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom, property rights and freedom from corruption – and the results are averaged to create an overall score.

In this index, the good news is that the rank of the Philippines improved from 115th in the previous year to 107th in the current year’s result; the bad news is that the survey covered 179 countries. On the whole, while the country is improving, it still belongs in the lowest 40% of all nations. To put it simply, 60% of all nations are better than the Philippines.

There are other measures of global competitiveness, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report, the International Finance Corporation/World Bank (IFC/ WB) Doing Business Survey, IMD World Competitiveness Report, and Future Brand’s Country Brand Index. In all these surveys, the Philippines is among those in the lower 50%.

Perhaps, it’s too much to expect the country to be in the top 30% or even in the top 50%. Those spots are most probably “reserved” for the bigger states, the more advanced nations, and the leading economies of the world. After all, we are but a developing economy (for a long time now!). How can we ever compete?

Then, with whom should we compare the Philippines?

Let’s take the ASEAN countries. The results are more disturbing. For the WEF and IFC/WB, we are number 7 out of 8 ASEAN countries in 2011. In both surveys, Cambodia (No. 8) was our saving grace. For the IMD, we ranked 5th out of 5 ASEAN countries covered by the survey!

Why do we have to compare our performance with other countries?

With these exercises, countries do not necessarily compete, as Krugman says. However, these indices of competitiveness show us where we are in terms of macroeconomic management, technological readiness, market efficiency for goods and services, and governance. In short, it gives us an idea of how good we are in handling the affairs of our country, how good we are in bringing about progress that is felt by everybody, how good we are in pursuing common development goals, how responsive we are to international trends, and how good we are in creating opportunities for investments and employment for the benefit of our people. They show us the reality, the relevance of what we believe are our achievements, and our status and significance in the global scene.

These indices provide an objective benchmark which we could use to measure whether we are good enough, good or not so good. Without an appropriate benchmark, our achievements in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction, employment rate, lower prices, higher wages, etc. could mislead us into believing that we have a strong economy.

Having seen our performance in these indices, what then should we do?

While the results are quite disturbing, the right attitude is to verify and scrutinize the more specific sub-indicators of each of the indices and find out where we are lagging behind and do some things about them. Now is not the best time to ignore the facts. It’s not the time to challenge the methodologies. And it’s not the time to claim that we think we are better than what the results suggest.

Take an honest and humble position and embrace reality.

By doing something with these realities, we do justice to those amongst us who badly feel such realities in their dayto-day existence. And it’s everybody’s responsibility to make them “competitive” as individuals, as communities, at par with their counterparts in some other parts of the globe.

BizQUIPS ‘TO the extent that the Fed action sustains the positive growth outlook in the United States, this should also be positive for our own trade prospects.’

--Bangko Sentral Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr.

EDITORIAL

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All losers, except one

HILE the nation’s attention is glued to the television coverage of the historic impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, some guys are scratching their heads trying to think of a solution to a common problem. The guys are the chief executives of local government units. In the Davao Region, LGUs mean the four provinces, five cities ad 43 municipalities, not to mention the hundreds of barangay governments.

The common problem is their greatly reduced share of the IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment).

In this region, all LGUs will lose an aggregate amount of P1.1 billion down to P10.9 billion this year from last year’s P11.5 billion.

The reduction in income is caused by the decrease of the country’s tax collection in 2009 and the controversial creation of 16 new cities.

The Davao Region’s five cities –

Davao, Digos, Tagum, Panabo and Island Garden City of Samal(IGaCos) – will lose a combined total of P589.7 million in IRA shares with Davao City as the biggest loser at P359,965,125 from P2.757 billion in 2011 to only P2.397 billion this year. Indeed, all are losers. Except one –the newly created city of Mati, capital of Davao Oriental. By virtue of its creation into a city with 15 other former municipalities despite the vehement objections more than 120 old cities, Mati gets an IRA of P492.6 million this year, indicating a whopping increase of P316.6 million.

How would the LGUs cope with the huge reduction of their IRA? That is the question.

The fiscal scenario is worsened by the fact that a few months from now, it would be another election season when voters, rightly or wrongly, expect to get a piece of the action, that is to say, part of the usual largesse in abundance during a political season.

EDITORIAL

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S

HORT POLITICAL PUNCH – Judging the way events are ongoing nowadays, you would think that the political opposition, notably remnants of the Arroyo administration, had transformed into an infamous group of rabble rousers who seem to use every petty issue under the present PNoy leadership as an opportunity to make sense.

SYMBOLIC OF CHINESE ECONOMIC MATURITY – Ever wondered about the hard work, patience and perseverance of the Chinese entrepreneurs in dealing with their trade, either big or small? On well-paved and crowded streets of a mega city like Toronto, Canada, stands a monument to Chinese entrepreneur spirit: dominating specifically the mini convenience and grocery store business and operating wet markets. Well, I can say this with certainty because I and my wife spent a one-year vacation in Canada’s largest city.

Most Chinese, probably those who migrated to the different places in Canada, are hard-working and well-

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ITH the last second of the Chinese lunar year of the Rabbit being counted down on Sunday, joyous Chinese people erupted in cheers and glittering fireworks displayed against the night sky to greet the Chinese lunar year of the Dragon.

The Chinese dragon, opposite to its western counterpart, is perceived as an auspicious, powerful and dynamic icon, always courageous enough to face daunting challenges.

China’s efforts to strike a balance between promoting growth and restructuring its export-driven economy along a path full of unexpected twists and pot-holes have best defined the spirit of the Chinese dragon.

Despite facing stiff headwinds from a flagging world economy and a festering eurozone debt crisis, China still managed to reach a growth rate of 9.2 percent in 2011, dwarfing any other major economy in the world.

More to the point, a breakdown of China’s GDP growth reveals that the country is shifting away from its lopsided growth

I

T’S so nice to hear from people who also share our frustrations in our column last month on “Doing business with government”. It was even “timely” as Ms Risteta Dumagan Roldan, a lawyer from Digos, was on her way to city hall to follow up collection of an overdued bill for shirt and uniforms her small outfit supplied to the city government.

Sharing similar experiences like this has a way of waking people up to these problems and eventually find solutions to them.

It wasn’t clear how long she had been trying to follow up her payment. But between me and Roldan, she deserved to be paid sooner. She is an ACCREDITED supplier, a member of PHILGEPS (whatever that means) and better qualified to bid for projects in the city government. She runs a “:microenterprise” and has a business permit and license to operate a legitimate business. In other words, she has all the legal

vantage POINTS

Monumental entrepreneur spirit

trainedafter being engaged in obscure jobs in China’s vast state-owned sector in the 60s and 70s. These traits are the key factors why they were able to succeed in their business ventures in foreign lands. Today, in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA specifically, if you go to any convenience and grocery store or prefer a sumptuous meal, you’ll doubtless find a place owned or operated by successful Chinese entrepreneurs. Moreover, in keeping with Chinese tradition, their businesses remain a purely family affair where members have tortuously taken on much of the day-to-day operations of their trade.

Business competition in Canada, similar to the US, is extremely tough therefore leaving big enterprises and other giant publicly owned

corporations in the control of mega wealthy Canadian and American business clans.

Obviously, Canadians actually are not interested in venturing into small store and wet market businesses. This disinclination opened the opportunity for business-minded Chinese immigrants who ventured into small to medium businesses with other nationalities like the Indians, Koreans, Japanese and Jews filling in the gap and sharing a chunk of it. Clearly enough, the Chinese entrepreneurs’ dream is to make their businesses eventually ubiquitous in all of Canada if not throughout the world.

There is more. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the Chinese entrepreneurs’ deep self-confidence, perseverance and hard work are symbolic of their economic

Year of the Dragon Changing Chinese economy amid global uncertainlty is assuring

COMMENTARY

By Wang Fan

model toward a more balanced and sustainable one, with consumption contributing a larger share to China’s GDP growth than previous years.

The latest data released

by China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed that investment and consumption contributed 54.2 percent and 51.6 percent to China’s GDP growth in 2011, while net exports registered a negative 5.8 percent.

The better tone should also be fed into retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, which rose 18.1 percent year-on-year in December, up from the 17.3-percent growth seen in November.

These figures have sent out a strong message that

China’s unfolding economic restructuring, aimed at reducing its over-reliance on exports to fuel growth, yielded some desirable results in 2011, the first year of China’s 12th Five-Year Plan.

Around the world, at the stroke of midnight, many may have approached the Chinese lunar year of the Dragon with more uneasiness than joy. Stock markets are in a funk. The eurozone is in danger of disintegration. Jobless rate is stubbornly high in the United States. Much of the rest of the world is struggling to avoid the collateral damage from sluggish economic growth in the developed world.

Under such circumstances, the painful yet

Coping with the bureacracy

qualifications to do business with the government.

We’re wondering if city hall accounting is aware that small businesses doing business with the government need to generate a regular monthly cash flow coming from paid bills. If there’s no cash flow, there’s no money to pay for workers’ wages.

And if workers don’t get their wages, there’s no food on the table for the poor Filipino family. If there’s no money collected, the small supplier can’t pay her taxes to the city government. It’s as simple as that.

All these things are linked together.

In her email to this column, Ms Roldan wrote that she brought a copy of Edge Davao and showed my Trading Post column to CTO employees who all agreed with what was written, but were resigned to what they’re going thru--- too much delay in the processing of vouchers.

Following up the payment for several months, she admitted : ”Nahilis na lang and ligid sa akong lowly FX sa sige balik balik ug sige ko kahutdan ug

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

maturity and the kind of opportunity they seized along with other nationalities several years back remain ripe in Canada and other friendly neighboring countries. Hence there is some degree of confidence and faith in the small entrepreneurship enabling the Chinese and their peers to get on with the business of running it aggressively and confidently.

Some renowned economists observed that the entire concept of the migrant entrepreneurs’ way of “making money,” however, seemed foreign: taking them years to earn substantial amount of money until things would start to turn in their favor. That’s where people like the Chinese and other migrants to Canada come in.

Although many if not all them still work long days at their own small business turfs, their greatest desire and aspiration is for the yields to be extremely abundant and manageable and, of course, conducive to a good night’s sleep afterwards. relatively smooth restructuring of the Chinese economy could prove to be good news not only to China, but also to the world.

If the strong domestic demand can take hold for years to come, it will not only beef up China’s ability to defend the protracted global financial crisis, but also give a boost to the world economy.

That’s because a consumer-led China would be likelier to buy more of products and services from all corners of the world, which will support jobs and uplifting economies both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, a huge Chinese market, with its 1.3 billion people, means more exports and investment opportunities for other countries, thus helping them to offset a dwindling demand from the West.

China, with the spirit of the Chinese dragon, is ready to work with the rest of the world and show more courage to bid farewell to the beaten path so as to pull through the current economic downturn. [PNA/ XINHUA]

load sa sige tawag” She said they kept assuring her that “dali ra daw ma process” (it’s easy to process the payment) .

Now, she said, they no longer reply to her text messages or take her “pestering” calls.

Now, she has second thoughts about participating in future biddings by the city government. “I don’t know if I have to participate in future biddings with these unfortunate experiences I’m suffering”, she wrote.

One can see they’re very scared of the Commission on Audit (COA) and have to follow official “systems and procedures” to the letter. This is the “check and balance” set in place to prevent graft and corruption in the government.

One city hall staff admitted “Mao gyud ni ang bureaucracy. Palohon nato ang proceso.

Wala tay mahimo:” (This is the bureacracy. There is nothing we can do.)

[COMMENTS? EMAIL ME AT: TRADINGPOST_DAVAO@YAHOO.COM ]

9

That many-splendored thing called love

W

HAT is love?

This question has been asked a thousand times before, but hasn’t been answered quite adequately at all.

It seems that the more one tries to define love, the more difficult the effort becomes. Love is so encompassing that no single definition can completely explain it.

“Love is a many-splendored thing” is the first line of a song of the same title. I think many will readily agree that that line is a good definition of love. People who have been in love know that it is so.

For, in a manner of speaking, a person in love feels that he/she is in heaven, and everything about him / her is beautiful. To a person in love, the world becomes forever bright and everything eternally rosy. Love sees no ugliness, because it is blind, says Shakespeare.

But the definition I find most accurate is the one that says that love is an over-powering force. Yes, so over-powering that a person struck by it goes on to defy rhyme and reason, custom and tradition rule and logic.

In short, love conquers all – anybody and all odds, the whole world even.

Teen-age lovers Romeo and Juliet just couldn’t contain the force of love and chose death over the pain of separation.

But for sheer dream and intensity nothing can beat the abdication of a throne for the love of a woman by King Edward III of England who gave us his kingdom 1937 in exchange for an American divorcee. Now, what greater force is there than that? Imagine giving up all the power, the glory and the grandeur of a kingship for a second hand wife!

King Edward was later reduced to the rank of a Duke, but in the eyes of his beloved, he was still king – not of England, but the king of her heart. And that to Edward, was the greatest kingship of all.

As a driving force, love can catapult you to incredible heights of success, or drag you down to the deepest depth of sorrow.

Love can make you accomplish the impossible, do the bizarre, and commit the abominable.

A salesman in Texas, USA so loved his wife that he locked her in the basement of their house whenever he travelled out of town for business. Of course, he left her enough food to last for days.

In Denmark, a man had a unique way of disciplining his wife everytime she neglected some household chores. He tied her up in her room three hours a day.

She confessed later that the punishment made her love her husband more, and that she felt grateful to him for his brand of discipline.

In Brazil, a two-timing wife prepared her husband’s favorite cake on his birthday. He thought it was sweet of her to do that. What he didn’t know, however, was that the icing on the cake had poison. Expectedly, the man died. And the woman lived happily ever after – with another man.

Love can destroy too.

Take Samson, the biblical strongman who fell so madly in love with Delilah that he revealed to her the secret of his strength. Delilah promptly delivered him to the Philistines who captured Samson and chained him like an animal.

Love is a good equalizer.

It bridges the gap between the rich and poor, the educated and the unlettered, the old and the young, the normal and the abnormal (the politically correct term now is differently abled).

We are too familiar with stories of the unequals – rich girls running away with poor boys, executives falling in love with their secretaries, priests marrying parish assistants, wealthy matrons messing their lives in affairs with their younger chauffeurs, teachers marrying their students, the blind marrying those who are ot.

Crazy?

Illogical?

Weird? Call it what you may, but the fact remains that the world go round. These strange things will happen again, and again, and again, and again.

Some psychologists say that love is a disease. Do you agree?

BizQUIPS ‘WHEN most economies began to suffer the effects of the Euro crisis and a weakening US economy, the Philippines was protected by remittances.’

--I-Remit Inc. president Harris Jacildo

10 VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

COMPETITIVE EDGE

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

NCCA sets stage for Philippine Arts Festival 2012 T

THE Philippine Arts Festival will showcase the arts all over the country

HE National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA)—the country’s prime agency for arts and culture—is gearing up for the 2012 Philippine Arts Festival (PAF), a month-long fete that will banner the flagship projects of the seven committees of the NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), embracing architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, dramatic arts and visual arts.

Under its chairman, Prof.

Felipe de Leon, Jr., the NCCA has taken the theme “Tradisyon at Inobasyon” (Tradition and Innovation) for next year’s celebration, which aims to further advance local creativity in the arts. PAF will feature workshops, exhibitions, forums and performances by practitioners of the arts and will take place all over the country. Eminent local and foreign artists will take part in this biggest and grandest monthlong cultural gathering.

The annual celebration of National Arts Month began with the signing of Presidential Proc-

lamation 683 in 1991, declaring February as National Arts Month.

Through the years, the NCCA in partnership with various private and government agencies have organized events and activities to highlight Filipino artistic excellence and creativity.

Popular television and film icons Boy Abunda and Dingdong Dantes have lent their stellar power for the 2011 festival as NCCA Art and Youth Ambassadors, respectively. For 2012, they will be joined by Piolo Pascual as NCCA Culture Ambassador to further popularize the festival.

Next year’s PAF will emphasize the interface of traditional and contemporary art forms and genres. A festive launching is set at the Rizal Park, to be highlighted by a kite making workshop, kite flying, and sumptuous samplings of the seven arts.

Closing the PAF is the Ani ng Dangal awarding ceremony that will recognize the contribution of individuals and institutions to the promotion of Filipino cultural heritage.

During the entire month of February, the public is invited to come and witness the seven arts committees present their flagship projects.

Architecture The Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts, headed

by Architect Gerard Lico, will be holding several exhibitions, conferences, lectures and competitions to mark the celebration. The exhibitions will revolve around themes and topics on the morphology of Filipino buildings, Philippine styles, the works of IP Santos, and discourses on design. These events are under the “Achi[types/texts] 2012” project. Some of the exhibits include “Salumpuwit, Bangko, Silya, Atbp.: A History of Chairs in the Philippines”; “La Vida Verde: The Landscape Architecture of National Artist IP Santos”; and “Imeldific Modernity: A Dictatorship of Style.” There will also be a design competition on architectural innovation for architecture students, as well as conferences, and lectures.

LOBE Telecom on Thursday said that it has converted about 50 percent of its total store channel nationwide to full-service concept stores.

“Our aim is to please our customers and address even their special needs and concerns,” Ramon Matriano, head of Globe’s Consumer Sales said.

“We will continue to expand our Concept Store to more areas in the country as we continue to hone and develop highly-engaged, professional and competent store personnel as well as make constant improvements in our

stores to provide the best possible customer experience,” Matriano said.

Globe is the first telecommunications company to transform its stores from utilitarian payment and transaction centers to a one-stop shop that showcases the latest gadgets and consumer mobile technologies. Inspired by cutting-edge retail concepts from some of the world’s biggest telecom and retail companies.

The blueprint Globe pioneered the model for the retail concept now being implemented by other telcos in the country.

In 2011, Globe has also

added new features to the Concept Store to further reflect the company’s thrust of putting its customers first. A dedicated hotline was also set up for on-the-go customers who don’t have the time to queue at the stores for their after-sales concerns.

The Globe Concept Store features a trendier contemporary design layout, featuring a wide array of working mobile phones and gadgets that customers can actually try and test. There are also laptops with Wi-Fi and broadband connections for customers to do in-store surfing. [PNA]

Nationwide search starts Globe beefs up concept stores for Outstanding Teachers G P

UBLIC and private schools in all levels may now nominate deserving educators in the region to vie for the nationwide 2012 Search for Outstanding Teachers.

The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. has opened the nominations for the SOT to teachers who “manifest profound commitment to the development of the youth through exemplary competence, remarkable dedication to their work, and effective educational leadership.”

This year’s Search carrying the theme: “Raising Educational Excellence” will be giving recognition and awards to ten outstanding educators who have served as “role models to their students” and who have inspired to “follow a path of excellence.”

On its 28th year, Metrobank Foundation has opened the SOT to elementary, secondary, and higher education teachers with a ten-year minimum teaching experience.

MBFI senior program officer Allan A. Reyes said each school in the elementa-

ry category could nominate two of their teachers, one from the primary (Kinder to Grade III) and one from the intermediate (Grade IV to Grade VI).

Schools in the secondary and higher education are entitled to nominate only one teacher each, Reyes stated.

He added that satellite campuses of private colleges and universities and state universities and colleges, which are not autonomous, are now allowed to participate in the nomination.

Past Regional and National finalists who have met the basic eligibility requirements and have shown sustained good moral standing in the community, are considered automatic Provincial Finalists, Reyes said.

Reyes disclosed that the 2012 ten awardees will each receive a cash prize of P350,000, while their respective schools will be given a medal, trophy and a plaque of recognition.

The National Finalists will still receive cash incentive of P20,000, while Regional Finalists will get

P10,000 cash incentive. The finalists and nominators of the awardees will also get certificates of recognition.

Reyes said that nominees just need to submit two page Basic Information Sheet (BIS) to the MBFI Secretariat or to the nearest Metrobank branch on/or before February 6, 2012.

No additional documents are required, he added.

The BIS forms are readily available in all the bank’s branches, at the Department of Education (DepEd) regional and division offices, and at Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regional offices nationwide.

Reyes said that those found to be eligible will be asked to submit the official nomination forms on February 29. The forms may also be downloaded through MBFI’s website at www.mbfoundation.org.ph.

He said MBFI, a corporate social responsibility arm of the Metrobank Group, has already provided recognition to 306 educators all over the country since 1984. [PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON]

You want to EXPORT your products?

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A strong business plan will proof your export-readiness!

We have more than 30 years’ experience in business analysis and provide excellent and successful business plans at very affordable rates.

Contact Raf Vlummens at 092 0675 2754 or trv. davao@gmail.com trv business consultancy SME Center - Chamber building JP Laurel Ave., Davao City

BUSINESS TALK. Lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo, head of Davao City’s Business Bureau, updates members of the media on the number of newly registered business establishments in the

city. With Domingo during the weekly ISPEAK media forum at City Hall was Traffic and Management Center Chief Desiderio Cloribel. [JOSEPH LAWRENCE GARCIA]

2012 a good year for Davao City, Mindanao, says Feng Shui expert

T

HE Year of the Water Dragon for 2012 is a good year for the island region of Mindanao and the City of Davao.

Feng Shui expert Master Richard Yu, who flew into this city on Monday last week, courtesy of SM Davao, to conduct a forum on the classic school of thoughts Feng Shui and the Chinese Lunar New Year, said “lots of good things will happen in the Mindanao area, and there will be less disaster here.”

But he said there is a lot of work to be done, especially pertaining to issues of attaining justice and peace.

And because of the hard work that Davao City will be doing this year, a lot more good will happen next year.

He said Davao City will be the start off point of many good things that will be realized in the southern part of the country this year.

“And next year you will reap the fruits because of your hard work this year,” he said.

Yu has been conducting fora and consultancy for the past nine years. He worked formerly at the National Statistics Office, Manila with his

educational background in engineering, but decided to come up with his own calling and landed in Feng Shui analysis to which he had been exposed when he was a kid because his father practices the craft. [DIGNA D. BANZON/PNA]

BizQUIPS ‘WE will have our profits reduced in 2011 primarily due to higher oil prices. We do expect though to show a healthy profit and still be one o the most profitable low-cost carriers in the entire world.’

--Cebu Pacific President Lance Gokongwei, announcing the acquisition by Cebu Air Inc. of four new Airbus aircraft this year.

competitive edge

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

INDUCTION. The newly organized Association of International Recruitment Agencies (AIRA) in Region 10 inducted its new set of officers and board of directors during its first fellowship activity last month. Elected are (left to right): president - Leopoldo B. Zerrudo Jr. of MMML Recruitment Services, Inc., vice president - Joseph Supangan of Admiral Overseas Employment Corp., secretary - Teresita Abrogar of Ed-Fro-Bon Manpower Services, treasurer - Jesela L. Daniel of Naptron International Placement Agency, auditor - Charity A. Morales of H.M.O. International

11

Human Resource, board of directors - Joy Tan of Pacific Mediterrenian Int’l. Manpower Agency Inc., Aubrey Bariquit of Safe Future Manpower Agency Inc., Jeanesa I. Ratunil of Pisces International Placement and press relations officer - Jerry T. Gratil of United Placeman Phils., Inc. Inducting officer is Mr. Jeremy Cabrera of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) -10.

New opportunity to become Davao sports tourism potentials to be discussed in Jan. 31 forum a successful entrepreneur T F ROM February 11 on, and during the following two Saturdays, bizzBoost organizes the first session of the interactive entrepreneurial workshop ‘ Your Own Business” in Davao.

Your Own Businessis a hands-on course on entrepreneurship and designed for all entrepreneurs who want to start their own business, now or in the future.

The three sessions of the workshop cover the most important topics that are clearly explained with emphasis on avoiding pitfalls.

During the sessions of “Your Own Business” the participants will work on their own business plan and are coached by ‘entrepreneurial coach’ RafVlummens, a former banker and

professor at Syntra, School of Entrepreneurship in Brussels (Belgium). His objective is to train and coach the participants so that they have a solid vision and plan to startup their business at the end of the workshop.

Besides the topics covered by a successful business plan such as entrepreneurial skills, idea development, organizational aspects and accounting aspects, the workshop will also discuss the funding needs of new businesses and the possibilities to get support from foreign financial institutions and the special programs they have for startups in the Philippines.

Participants will also receive a copy of the CD of the book “Becoming an En-

RAF VLUMMENS

trepreneur” including a business plan worksheet.

The workshop “Your Own Business” is supported by the Rotary Club of Davao as part of its efforts to develop the community and provide opportunities for future generations.

HE Sports Tourism Forum, to be held in Davao City on January 31 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel will focus on the tourism potential of Davao and its prospect as a sports destination.

Presented by the Davao City Tourism Office and the Department of Tourism, the one day forum is organized

by Selrahco Management, a leading sports and tourism marketing company in the country. Charles Lim, the founder and director of this major sports conference stated in Davao recently that there are not enough regional and international sporting events being staged here in Davao to boost its tourism efforts.

Lim said that the golf tournaments in Davao, Mt Apo climb, whitewater rafting and wake boarding are some of the sports activities

that could attract a large number of tourists to the city. He hopes that more organizers will take the initiative to stage more of these sporting events using whatever facilities are available.

Meanwhile, more companies are supporting the forum to boost the tourism industry through sports. Sun Cellular, one of the country’s leading telecommunications company, has joined Duty Free Philippines, Waterfront Insular Hotel and Cebu Pacific in lending their support to the forum.

The forum has been held on different regions of the country since 2005 Some of the destinations which benefited from this initiative are Cebu, Subic, Puerto Princesa and Clark.

Top caliber speakers in the Forum include, Ms. Princess Galura of IMG Phil-

2012 is a good start for Samal Dairy Farm (Bottled Milks) as it has been awarded with the Davao Branding Program’s Seal of Excellence, a manifestation that they produce safe and premium quality products for people to patronize.

Awarding the seal of excellence are (from left to right) IGACOS City Administrator Cleto “Jon” Gales, Jr., DOST XI Asst. Regional Director

ippines, Mr. William Ramirez – Former Chair of Philippines Sports Commission, Mr Cesar Cruz of Philippine Tour Operators Association, Mr Nimrod Quiñones, producer and host of TV show Full Point: Cebu City Sports Show and Mr. Matthew Cullen of Philippine Rugby Union (of the Philippine Volcanoes).

Also in attendance to share their expertise are Ms. Masrina Mohd Bakri – Tourism Director of Malaysia, Manila, Mr. Charlie Manio of Cebu Pacific Air and Department of Tourism Regional Director, Art Boncato.

Registration fee is P1,000.00 which includes lunch and two snacks, registration kit and certificates.

Interested participants may contact (082) 301-7008 or call 0922.8218111 or may email philsportstourism@ gmail.com for inquiries.

Elsie Solidum, Davao Branding Program Manager Leny Castillo, DCCCII Prexy Dr. Malou Monteverde, Samal Dairy Gen. Manager Kathy Jane Cortez, Samal Dairy Mktg. Manager Dixcyl Roda, FDA XI TWG Member Arnold Alindada & DCCCII Trustee and Outgoing Chairman of the Board John Gaisano.

DENR 11 starts bird counting T HE Protected Areas and Wildlife Division (PAWD) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 has started its bird watching/bird counting activity in three municipalities of the region.

In line with the Annual Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) for migratory birds, the bird watching is being conducted at Malalag Bay in Malalag town, Davao del Sur; Carmen, Davao del Norte and Banaybanay, Davao Oriental.

DENR-11 regional executive director Jim O Sampulna said the activity will end on January 29, 2012.

The municipalities of Malalag, Carmen and Banaybanay are the only three identified temporary habitats of migratory birds in the month of January after crossing the continents.

This activity aims to obtain information on the population of migratory birds at wetlands in the region as well

as to monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands.

Residents of this region are however warned not to enter into this venture as these birds maybe carrying the dangerous avian flu virus.

Last year, Sampulna said a total of 7,836 migratory birds were counted by the three teams from PAWD. A total of 3,705 birds were counted in Malalag, 1,566 birds

were counted in Carmen and 2,565 birds in Banaybanay.

These migratory birds are a mixture of different species, like Godwit, Sand Plover, Common Greenshank and Black-winged Stilt to name a few.

AWC is an annual event which takes place during the second and third weeks of January. The census was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent and has grown rapidly to cover over 32 countries.[DENR-11]

BizQUIPS

‘FOR 2012, I am projecting a growth of 3 to 4 percent because I incorporated the implications of possible climate disturbances. Kung wala ‘yong mga disturbances na ito, the DA target may be achievable.’

--Dr. Rolando T. Dy, executive director of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Center for Food and Agribusiness (CFA).

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

12 VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

COMMUNITYSENSE

‘Care for School Chairs’ program benefits Compostela, Panabo schools I

T’S a division of labor for the father-and-son tandem of Tagum to carry out the success of the “Care for School Chairs Program” initiated by the City Government of Tagum, gaining positive feedback and praises not only in the city but from nearby cities and municipalities as well.

City Councilor De Carlo “Oyo” L. Uy intensified efforts to distribute brand new school chairs to schools in Tagum City, particularly the different day care centers in the Barangays while Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy is busy doing the same to nearby towns, reaching schools in City of Panabo, Province of Davao del Norte and the Municipality of Compostela, Province of Compostela Valley last week.

Manay National High School, a remote school in Panabo received two hundred fifty nine (259) pieces of armchairs last January 19 while six hundred fifty six (656) pieces were also distributed to three different schools in Compostela

National High School last January 20.

Teacher Hilda Gales of Compostela National High School can’t believe her classroom was among the beneficiaries, saying that she only wished Mayor Uy’s team will go to their school each time the news about this program is reported on television.

“Salamat sa dakong tabang ninyo, sa inyong pakigtambayayong sa DepEd para sa kalambuan sa atong mga estudyante,” she said, who tagged the new chairs as a “dream come true.”

Accompanying the local chief executive during his distribution were Compostela Mayor Jesse Bolo, Board Members Neri Barte and Roel Gonzaga of Comval’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Barangay Poblacion Captain Wilfredo Ang. As to date, more than 18,346 pieces of school furniture, to wit; armchairs, desk, kiddie chairs, kiddie table has already been distributed by the Local Government of Tagum to dif-

ferent schools in the region, which are made from the confiscated logs given by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

According to Mayor Uy, the fabrication and distribution of school chairs will take until December this year, with the large bulk of logs given by DENR which are placed at the city’s motor pool. With this, he called on the public to volunteer in painting chairs.

Last January 23, heads of the different departments, divisions and sections heads in the city hall took the time to participate in the Bayanihan despite it was declared a special nonworking holiday because of the Chinese New Year celebration. On their part, the Provincial Government of Compostela Valley had provided five carpenters to augment the workforce making school chairs. 1, 200 pieces of chairs can be made in one week, according to the local chief executive Mayor Rey T. Uy.

HELPING HANDS. To carry out the success of the “Care for School Chairs Program” initiated by the City Government of Tagum, gaining positive feedback and praises not only in the city but from nearby cities and municipalities as well, the department heads, divisions

and sections heads of the City Government of Tagum spent the whole day of January 23, 2011 - a special non-working holiday due to the Chinese New Year Celebration - painting school chairs in the fabrication section of the Tagum City Motorpool.

BRAND NEWS. Students of Manay National High School in the City of Panabo helped in carrying brand new school armchairs to their classroom. A total of

259 pieces of armchairs were given to their school last January 19, 2011 by the City Government of Tagum led by Mayor Rey T. Uy.

DLPC conducts Oplan Linis Estero

S

ATURDAY may be a time for relaxation from a long and tiring week but for some Davao Light and Power Company personnel it is going to be all about cleaning up.

Hence, last January 21, the Power Plant and Safety Departments of the electric utility conducted a canal waterway clean up activity dubbed “Oplan Clean-up Estero” in Barangay 19-B behind the company›s Bajada Power Plant.

Some 30 personnel and volunteers banded together to declog and clean the esteros which have caused flooding and the spread of the dengue virus in the area.

The campaign, spear-

headed by Engrs. Ferdinand Cabalhin and Edelito Fernandez, department managers of Power Plant and Safety, respectively, stemmed from the successful participation of Davao Light in the Linis Estero campaign of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources last June 2011.

We want to show the residents how vital it is to have unclogged esteros through this clean-up effort,” Fernandez said. “We also want to continue this project in other areas within our franchise in the hope of reducing flooding in the metropolis, especially during heavy rains,” Cabalhin added.

NO sweat for Davao Light contractors in cleaning the waterway in the area.

RELOCATION. Philippine President Benigno Aquino , Vice President Jejomar Binay, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman are joined by World Food Programme Regional Director for Asia Kenro Oshidari, WFP Philippines Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson, WFP Philippines Iligan City sub-

The activity was also participated in by Brgy. Kagawad Edwin Sobrecary and Purok Leader, Gloria Butron, whom Davao Light coordinated with to conduct the activity.

“Our barangay is fortunate to have been chosen as part of this campaign, which proves that Davao Light really cares for us,” Butron said.

The clean-up drive is a proven strategy that is cheaper, easier, and a more effective solution for floods in the city.

Hopefully, more barangays will be part of the campaign and more residents will be encouraged to start cleaning their own waterways according to Fernandez. [DLPC PR]

THE view of the estero after the clean-up activity.

office head Baicon Macaraya, and WFP National Ambassador Against Hunger KC Concepcion during groundbreaking rites at the Barangay Sta. Elena relocation site at Iligan City. WFP is supporting the government’s relief and early recovery efforts for persons highly affected by Tropical Storm Sendong.

[WFP PHILIPPINES/VOLTAIRE DOMINGO]

L

Lutheran World Relief provides needed water supply in PHL

UTHERAN World Relief is providing emergency water services to families who still have no access to clean drinking water more than a month after a devastating typhoon ripped through the Philippines island of Mindanao, killing 1,257 people and affecting more than a million others.

The storm, which hit on December 16 and destroyed more than 14,000 homes, also disrupted water supply in the city of Cagayan de Oro. Repairs to the water supply system are underway, but families in the western part of the city will not have access to piped water until at least the end of January.

“I do not know where to get water now,” said Maryann Lagara, 24, a mother of two in the affected area, who lost her home in the storm. Speaking to an LWR staff member in early January, she reported that without assistance, she would be forced to get water from the nearby river, which is not safe to drink.

Thanks to a $31,500 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, LWR is now delivering water to 230 families in an impoverished area in western Cagayan de Oro through the end of January. Each family will receive 15 liters per person per day for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, in accordance with Sphere standards, the generally accepted best practices in humanitarian response. Families will also receive jerry cans for water storage, and

training on how to properly clean and care for the cans.

“These are very poor families, many of whom lost their means of earning and livelihood as a result of the storm, so they have no way to purchase water even if it were readily available,” said Joanne Fairley, LWR’s regional director for Asia and the Middle East. “Thanks to this grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, they will have access to clean water until the city water system is repaired.”

In addition to emergency water delivery, LWR is reaching out to floodaffected communities with emergency cash assistance to buy food, medicine and other necessities. LWR is also distributing Quilts, Personal Care Kits, and School Kits from its warehouse in Mindanao, as well distributing other critically needed items to flood-affected families.

LWR is also planning a longer-term response that will include cash-for-work programs, provision of

clean water, building shelter and rehabilitating homes for more than 900 families.

WHAT IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world’s most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.

BizQUIPS ‘WHEN you go to the Sandiganbayan, humongous files of unheard and unresolved cases would welcome you. This should be addressed if the government is reforming our justice system.’

--Senator Franklin Drilon, proposing to amend the Sandiganbayan Law.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

ICTHUB

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Myrna Y. Padilla: The techie DH

HE is Myrna Y. Padilla, no relation with the action star heartthrob Robin Padilla of movieland.

But if the internet application that she has created will go viral, there’s a possibility that she’ll become as popular as Robin if not more.

Mynd Consulting, the company of this technology-savvy former domestic helper, intends to make its Internet application linked up with each over 10 million overseas Filipino workers.

Indeed, the platform can be a tool to empower and improve the lives of millions of Filipinos living in other countries.

“The lives of tens of thousands of OFWs became miserable simply became they lack information what to do, when they are in trouble,” Myrna, a Bohol native said. “It would all change now because help and becoming knowledgeable of Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city Petition for Approval of Sale and Transfer of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular Service..

LIZEL C. BURGOS, Case No.2011-XI-01025 Petitioner-Vendor (2003-XI-00205) FRANCISCO P. TAMPUS, Petitioner-Vendee x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Transfer executed by LIZEL C. BURGOS in favor of FRANCISCO P. TAMPUS of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJDUAL Ordinary Regular service on the route: SASA VIA J.P. LAUREL AVENUE ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of One (1) unit, which Certificate is still valid and subsisting up to March 13, 2013.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on FEBRUARY 21, 2012 at 10:00 a m at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, This 13th day of December 2011 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner-Vendor, Lizel C. Burgos, No. 28-4 Km. 30, Panacan, Davao City Petitioner-Vendee, Francisco P. Tampus, Iban, San Isidro, Davao Oriental Counsel, Atty. Magin C. Natividad, Balusong Avenue, Matina, Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

MYRNA PADILLA

vital things will just be a matter of touching the computer keyboard or clicking the mouse.”

She said almost all OFWs now have a laptop and are crazy about Facebook and other social media platform .

Myrna who worked for two decades in Singapore and then in HongKong, said that what motivated her to develop the OFW Watch application is her advocacy to help Filipinos working abroad so that they could either communicate with one another and with their families, or they could get immediate help when they are in need for some assistance

either from their kin or from the government.

“The government cannot do everything for us (Filipinos working abroad). So the OFW Watch would allow OFWs to connect (with one another). By connecting via social media, we are also empowered to help one another,” said Ms. Padilla.

The application that can be downloaded either via its website (www.ofwwatch. com) or the Android market.

Ms Padilla said she will soon migrate those 70,000 Filipinos working abroad who are members of her Facebook page to the application. “By doing so, I will

Apple reports record quarterly revenue, net profit earnings

A

PPLE has posted record quarterly revenue of US$ 46.33 billion and record quarterly net profit of US$ 13.06 billion in the first quarter of the fiscal 2012 which ended on December 31, 2011.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it had achieved an all-time record in quarterly sales of its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.

Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 128 percent unit growth year-on-year.

The company sold 15.43 million iPads during the quarter, a 111 percent unit increase year-on-year, and 5.2 million Macs, a 26 percent

unit increase year-on-year.

“Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. According to unofficial sources, Apple may introduce two new iPad models in the next few weeks. Apple’s tablet computers dominate their segment, occupying about two-thirds of the world market.

“Looking ahead to the second fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 13 weeks, we expect revenue of about US$ 32.5 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about US$ 8.50,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. [PNA/RIA NOVOSTI]

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER, DONATION AND SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY Notice is hereby given that the INTESTATE ESTATE OF EUFRACIO A. DE JESUS with waiver, deed of donation and special power of attorney has been the subject of extra judicial settlement by his heirs per Doc. No.91, Page No. 19, Book No. VIII, Series of 2011.

be able to connect them with one another and with their families as I will encourage others to become members,” she told newsmen attending Club 888, a media forum held weekly at the Marco Polo Davao during the launching of the application which her company developed for about two years.

Erriberto P. Barriga Jr., executive vice president of ICT-Davao, Inc., said Ms Padilla’s efforts to develop a website, and application, for Filipinos working abroad, is another laudable achievement of the former domestic helper.

“Myrna is looking at ways on how could she help her fellow OFWs and this (Internet) application is one way of doing it,” said Mr. Barriga, himself a former engineer in Saudi Arabia who now has gone into technology consultancy.

Barriga added that Padilla’s platform can even become a profit-making venture considering that it already has a niche for a market: Filipinos working abroad and their families.

Based on the record of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, in 2009 there were 1.4 million Filipinos working deployed in 190 countries, or 15.1% higher than the recorded number the previous year.

Based on estimates, there were about 12 million Filipinos working abroad, said Ms Padilla.

The agency also reported that these people remitted an unprecedented $17.348 billion (P747.35 billion @$1=P43.08) that year.

Mr. Barriga said Ms. Padilla can capitalize on this niche market if she wants to earn more. “But I think Myrna does not need additional funding to make her application viable. She has already made it her advocacy for OFWs to have better lives,” he added.

Aside from facilitating communications, the application also helps a Filipino working abroad to find the location of the embassy in the country where he or she is working and how to contact the embassy, it also has the directories of government agencies in charge of working abroad, licensed recruitment agencies and list and contact information of members of Congress.

The application also has its currency converter and a translator that helps the person to familiarize with the language where he or she is based.

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

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Facebook forces Timeline; tips to hide users’ past

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ACEBOOK will start requiring people to switch to a new profile format known as Timeline, making photos, links and personal musings from the past much easier to find.

Timeline is essentially a scrapbook of your whole life on Facebook, compared with a snapshot of you today found on Facebook’s traditional profile page.

Once activated, Timeline replaces the current profile.

Although some people have already voluntarily switched to Timeline, Facebook hadn’t made that mandatory. Beginning Tuesday, Facebook is telling some users that they have seven days to clean up their profiles before Timeline gets automatically activated. Facebook is rolling out the requirement to others over the next few weeks.

At some point, even those who haven’t logged on to Facebook in a while will be automatically switched.

Timeline doesn’t expose anything that wasn’t available for sharing in the past. Many of those older posts had always been available. People could get to them by continually hitting “Older Posts,” although most wouldn’t have bothered. Timeline allows people to jump to the older material more quickly.

Timeline also doesn’t necessarily reflect the fact that your circle of friends has likely expanded in recent years. A party photo you posted in 2008 to a small group of friends would be more visible to relatives, bosses and others you may have added as friends since then.

You’ll have a week to curate the Timeline by moving stuff around, hiding photos or featuring them more prominently on your page.

Some things to consider: — You can change privacy settings on individual items to control who has access. You might want to narrow embarrass-

ing photos to your closest friends or delete some posts completely, or at least hide them so only you can see them.

— You can change the date on a post. For example, if you took a few months to post photos from a trip to Portugal, you can move them to appear with other posts from the time you took that trip. You can also add where you were, retroactively using a location feature that Facebook hadn’t offered until recently.

— For major events in your life, you can click on a star to feature them more prominently.

You can hide the posts you’d rather not showcase.

— Besides your traditional profile photo — your headshot — you can add what Facebook calls a cover photo. It’s the image that will splash across the top and can be a dog, a hobby or anything else that reflects who you are. Keep in mind the dimensions are more like a movie screen than a traditional photo, so a close-up portrait of your face won’t work well, but one of you lying horizontally will. But you don’t even have to be in it.

— You can add things before you joined Facebook, back to when you were born. Life events can include when you broke your arm and whom you were with then, or when you spoke your first word or got a tattoo. You can add photos from childhood or high school as well.

— If you feel overwhelmed with so many posts to go through, start with your older ones. Those are the ones you’d need to be most careful about because you had reason to believe only a few friends would see them.

— Click on Activity Log to see all of your posts at a glance and make changes to them one by one. Open Facebook in a new browser tab first, though. That way, you can have one tab for the log and the other for the main Timeline.

Samsung hits high profit

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OUTH Korea’s Samsung Electronics on Friday reported a record operating profit of 5.3 trillion won ($4.72 billion) in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to booming smartphone sales.

The company also announced a 25 trillion won investment in its chipmaking and panel-making business.

However, the world’s largest technology firm by revenue slipped to back second place behind rival Apple in terms of smartphone sales, according to research.

Samsung’s telecoms businesses accounted for 2.64 trillion won out of the total quarterly operating profit, with the flagship Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note brands largely credited for the strong result.

“Despite intensified competition amid the global economic slowdown, our telecommunications businesses continued to post solid earnings with an enhanced line-up of highend smartphones, resulting in higher average selling price,” said senior vice-president Robert Yi in a statement.

The overall quarterly operating profit figure, a 76

percent increase year-on-year, was largely in line with the earnings guidance issued early this month by the firm.

Revenue in October-December was 47.3 trillion won, a 13 percent rise year-on-year.

Net profit of four trillion won was up 17 percent on a year earlier.

For the whole of last year the company logged a net profit of 13.7 trillion won, down 15 percent from the previous year. Revenue rose 6.7 percent to a record 165 trillion won and operating profit declined 6.05 percent to 16.2 trillion won.

Samsung overtook Apple in the third quarter of last year to become the world’s largest seller of smartphones.

But Apple reclaimed the crown in the October-December period thanks to its new iPhone 4S, but the Korean firm was the top smartphone brand for all of 2011, according to data from two research firms.

Apple reported fourthquarter sales of 37 million units, while researcher Strategy Analytics estimated that Samsung shipped 36.5 million during October-December.

BizQUIPS ‘I think the middle of February will be an opportune time to finish all their inputs and will come up with a very clear policy with regards to the mining industry not later than the end of February.’

--President Noynoy Aquino

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

14 VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

SUBURBIA

Curfew for minors restored A

UTHORITIES in Glan, Sarangani have renewed a crackdown on youth offenders with the re-imposition of the curfew for minors.

This, following an apparent resurgence in street crimes usually attributed to juvenile delinquents, such as thefts, burglaries and break-ins at the public market.

The curfew for minors is contained in Ordinance 92-05, which was put on hold after the general peace and order condition had

vastly improved following the assumption to office of the new administration in June 2010.

With the restriction temporarily back in effect, anyone under 18 must now be safely tucked in bed by 10 p.m.

On Tuesday, police rounded up six youths aged 6 to 17 in subsequent operations.

The youngsters were later turned over to their parents after the proper documentation.

In Wednesday’s Man-

agement Committee meeting, Mayor Victor James B. Yap, Sr. underscored the need for parents to keep track of their children, especially at night.

“Parents of curfew violators can be held liable if their children are caught again for the same offense,” he said. “They can be charged with child abuse, among other violations.” For more news and updates, please visit the <a href= http://www.sarangani.gov.ph/.[GLAN INFO & NEWS SERVICE]

3,500 hectares more eyed in Region 12 greening program E NVIRONMENT officials in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) are targeting the inclusion of an additional 3,500 hectares in the National Greening Program (NGP) of the national government for implementation this year.

Alfredo Pascual, Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional director, said a team from the Forest Management Bureau is set to validate the additional target area as part of the full implementation of the NGP. Last year, the regional office of the DENR initially targeted 9,000 hectares for the NGP’s implementation in the four-province, five-city region.

The program is part of a nationwide reforestation project that aims to plant 1.5 billion trees on 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016 for poverty reduction, food security, liveli-

hood development, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“We are consolidating our efforts in a bid to jumpstart the implementation of the NGP this year [in Region 12],” Pascual said.

Earlier, he said the reforestation project is one of the priority programs guided by President Benigno Aquino’s “social contract with the Filipino people as a platform towards reform.”

Last week, Pascual net with officials of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) to discuss this year’s NGP implementation in the region.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal,

Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

As part of the activities in the project implementation, Pascual ordered the CENROs to conduct survey, mapping and planning in order to identify the exact location of each project.

Late last year, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje directed all regional directors to instruct the CENROs to prepare their annual procurement plan for the required seedlings.

To assist in the implementation of the NGP this year, Pascual said they will be hiring forestry or agriculture graduates as contractual extension officers.

Sixteen government agencies have joined hands for the implementation of the NGP program as volunteer planters, long-term plantation stewards, or donors. [PNA]

PANTAWID. Some Matigsalog families in Sitio Namnam, Marilog, Davao City who underwent validation through the DSWD National Household

T

Road rehab to boost veggie industry in South Cotabato

HE marketing potentials of vegetables produced in a remote village in the town of Tupi, South Cotabato is getting a major boost with the rehabilitation of a farming road there, an official said.

Tupi Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said the road to Barangay Miasong, considered the “vegetable bowl” of South Cotabato, will be improved to enhance the area’s trading activities.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a special purpose fund worth nearly P9 million to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to rehabilitate the Cebuano-LinanMiasong farm-to-market road.

“Soon, vegetable products from Miasong will reach

DavNor pursues climate change adaptation

the town’s ‘bagsakan’ [trading] center easily,” he said.

Miasong, the remotest village of Tupi, can be accessed through Barangay Maltana by way of a grueling two-hour ride.

But with the 24-kilometer Cebuano-Linan-Miasong road, local officials say the travel time will be cut by half once the rehabilitation is completed, reportedly in the next few weeks.

Miasong supplies 80 percent of the vegetable requirements of South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City.

The provincial agriculture office earlier estimated that there are 300 hectares of vegetable farms in Miasong.

Vegetables produced in the village are bell peppers, car-

T GOV. Rodolfo del Rosario leads Davao del Norte officials and employees in signing the pledge of commitment “to prevent global warming and en-

Lumain.

The signing of the pledge was done in response to the illuminating lecture of Rodne R. Galicha, Country District Manager of The Climate Reality Project (TCRP), on the pressing concerns about climate change and how to effectively cope with the crucial issue.

TCRP was founded by Nobel Laureate and Former US Vice President, Al Gore.

As he emphasized the need

sure a cleaner, safer and healthier future for our children up to the next generations, through climate change adaptation.” [NOEL BAGUIO/DAVNOR PIO]

for urgent action to address climate change, Galicha asked the province to invest in the restoration of its critical watershed areas, which act as a natural ‘sponge’ to absorb excess rainwater.

He likewise asked for the installation of barangay geo-hazard maps in order to help communities better respond to the impact of climate change.

He challenged everyone to help save Mother Earth by observing the eight Rs of environ-

mentalism, that include; reuse, reduce, recycle, repair, refuse, rethink, re-buy and restore.

In his opening statement, Gov. del Rosario said the campaign to promote and protect the environment has become more necessary, as flooding in the province has become more destructive and more frequent.

“People should positively respond to these environmental programs, while we still have time,” he warned.

SOCSKSARGEN government unions junk‘oppressive’budget memo

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OVERNMENt employees’ unions from all over SOCSKSARGEN launched a signature campaign among their members Wednesday in a petition protesting Budget Circular No. 2011-05 they dubbed “oppressive”.

The Department of Bud-

get and Management issued Budget Circular No. 2011-05 on December 26, 2011 providing for supplemental guidelines on the grant of Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) incentives.

The guidelines stipulate that “savings from only the fol-

lowing MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expense) items may be used as fund source of the CNA incentives such as Travelling Allowance, Communication Allowance, Repair and Maintenance, Transportation and Delivery expense, Supplies and Materials and Util-

ity expense.”

The unions claimed the granting of CNA incentives has become impossible under the accounts mentioned which were usually used up at the end of each year, according to Anacleto Saya-ang.[COCOY SEXCION/ SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE]

rots, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, eggplants, radish and potatoes, among others.

Many of the wet markets in the big malls in Davao City and General Santos City are selling vegetables produced in Miasong.

Reynaldo Legaste, South Cotabato chief agriculturist, earlier proposed the possible expansion of the Roll On-Roll Off (Roro) transport system either in General Santos City or Glan in Sarangani province to facilitate the fast transport of perishable goods from Region 12 to other domestic markets.

He said the Department of Agriculture has been working to develop parts of Region 12 or Central Mindanao region as the country’s next “vegetable basket.” [PNA]

Sarangani’s PPP housing project opens its doors

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ROVINCIAL officials and employees of Davao del Norte have committed themselves to adapt measures and coping strategies in responding to the life-threatening impact of climate change.

At the Forum on Climate Change Adaptation at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan in Tagum City, Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario led provincial officials and personnel, as well as, guests in signing the pledge of commitment to reduce disaster risks and vulnerability through climate change adaptation.

Realizing that the world is in danger, the participants committed themselves to help “prevent global warming and ensure a cleaner, safer and healthier future for our children up to the next generations through climate change adaptation.”

Joining the governor were Vice Governor Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr., Board Members Shirley Belen Aala, Daniel Lu and Hernanie Duco, DNPPO Director PSSupt. Edgardo Wycoco, Asuncion Mayor Joseph Nilo Parrenas, and the Capitol executives and personnel, led by OICProvincial Administrator Norma

Targeting System for Poverty Reduction [NHTS-PR] are now enjoying the benefits under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. [DSWD/CARMELA CADIGAL-DURON]

HE first-ever PPP (Public-Private Partnership) initiated housing project in Sarangani finally opened its doors to the first batch of occupants Tuesday (January 24) in time for the awarding of certificates of occupancy to 11 beneficiaries.

Called The Capitol Residences, it is the housing project of the provincial government, in joint venture with Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and Sarangani Land and Development Corporation, which translates the commitment of provincial leaders to provide better shelter through medium grade but affordable housing facility for its employees.

The local government unit (LGU) –led housing project was implemented pursuant to Section 8 of Republic

Act (RA) 7279 otherwise known as Urban Development and Housing Act in conjunction with Section 17 of RA 7160 also known as the Local Government Code of 1991.

HDMF Chief Executive Officer Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe said there have been a lot of negotiations ongoing nationwide for the PPP housing program for the LGUs, but that Sarangani’s project was the first ceremonial turn-over she had witnessed.

“Una ko po itong (The Capitol Residences) napuntahan na tunay naman na nakatayo na ang mga bahay, tapos na ang land development, at may take-out na na labing-isang bahay,” Berberabe said.[BCP/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE]

BizQUIPS ‘RICE and corn output will be the main drivers of growth this year. The production of cassava is also good.

These are the reasons why we are expecting higher production output this year.’

--Agriculture Proceso J. Alcala

Secretary

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

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E-mail: edgedavao_editorial@yahoo.com.ph

TRAVEL

From shophouse to arthouse

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IXING and matching oftentimes creates the most interesting of experiences, and Eugene Lee, Far East Hospitality’s Business Development Manager promised me and fellow traveller, Jinggoy S., just that for our transfer to Albert Court Village Hotel, one of Village Hotels and Residences’s seven hotels and residences in Singapore.

True enough, our transfer came pedaling along in the form of Singapore’s classic form of transportation, the trishaw. One would say that a car would be more appropriate and i was actually a bit hesitant to try but after a block, I was giggling like a little child taking in the sights of the city as pointed out by uncle trishaw driver and at the same time enjoying with the wind in my hair and many a pedestrian staring at me and Jinggoy in utter envy (or was it pity for uncle trishaw driver?) It was a blast!

So after around 20-minutes of biking, and a bit of pushing uphill, we arrived at the stately

courtyard of the Albert Court Village Hotel and greeted by hotel manager Koh Yan Leng and Far East Hospitality’s Senior Marketing Communications Executive Dennis Yong.

Located in a complex of prewar shophouses and named after Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria, the Albert Court Village Hotel is a charming boutique hotel that reflects the dynamism of the growing arts culture scene. The hotel is also a mixing and matching of old and new as its 210 rooms are all located in what used to be old shophouses, but with modern amenities made for every discerning traveller.

Its amazing that when you look at one side of Rochor Canal Road, you can see the many shophouses and eateries of Little India selling everything from extravagant gold

jewelry, to Bollywood movies on DVD, and uber sweet Indian desserts complete with edible silver leaf; and on the other side of the road you see every techie’s dream mall, Sim Lim Square that houses every gadget, camera, or computer from A to Z. What also fascinates me are the new art schools around the area like the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Lasalle College of the Arts, that answer to the City State’s need to inject more appreciation of the arts and culture. I love the ultra modern campus of Lasalle, with its classrooms and galleries that are literally open for everyone to see since everything is in clear glass.

One can even look in through glass portals on the floor and have a peek at the dance rehearsals being done in the studios below. If you really have

the guts then aim for your fifteen minutes of fame at 15 minutes. A cafe that has open mic sessions that are open for everyone who was balls of iron and a performance that can kill a crowd.

And as the day wound down, and thanks to the Albert Court Village Hotel’s central location and having the Little India MRT station mere minutes away, it is easier to go from shophouse to art house and I would definitely love to go back and explore the nooks and crannies of Little India some more.

Village Hotels and Residences, is owned and operated by the Far East Hospitality Group, and offers authentic, friendly, comfortable and memorable stays, where guests get a unique experience of the Singapore’s local culture and indigenous offerings of the communities where its properties are located. You can learn more about the Albert Court Village Hotel and suites by visiting their website at www.stayvillage. com/AlbertCourt.

The Business PAPER

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Smart is sole PHL carrier of Samsung Galaxy Nexus world’s first Android 4.0 phone

WIRELESS leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is the exclusive Philippine carrier of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the flagship device of technology giant Google, and the world’s first smartphone powered by Android 4.0.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus showcases all the new features of Android 4.0 – codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, and the latest version of the world’s most popular mobile device operating system.

The changes include an entirely new look and feel to the home screen, Web browser, email, and everything in between. They also include a revamped handset user interface, seamless integration with Google’s Web services including Google+ Hangouts, and other new features like facial recognition, voice typing, Near Field Communication (NFC), and more.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus’ faster processing with 1.2 GHZ dual core processor and the 4.65” large HD AMOLED display are also ideal for its productivity, multi-tasking, multimedia capture, and new built-in photo-editing features.

“The Samsung Galaxy Nexus brings more excitement to our lineup of power handsets exclusively available to our subscribers,” said Gio Bacareza, head of Smart’s Broadband Internet and Data Services team. “As the flagship device of innovation leader Google, it is natural that it be carried exclusively by the country’s telco leader – this way, Filipino mobile users can have access to the best smartphones and use them on the best network.”

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will soon be available in Smart Stores nationwide, free at Smart Postpaid Unli Data Plan 2000.

Smart’s Unli Data Plans provide unlimited mobile Internet, and free calls and SMS. To be among the first to own one of the world’s most anticipated handsets, interested subscribers can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Nexus until January 27, 2012, via http://smart. com.ph/samsung-nexus.

“The emergence of advanced Android smartphones like Samsung Galaxy Nexus coincides with Filipino consumers’ rapid shift to more data-driven devices,” added Bacareza. “To maximize the Samsung Galaxy Nexus experience, as with other smartphones, it is important that the user is with a strong, reliable network. And Smart is the only telco with a data network capable of providing the best connectivity to the world’s most advanced devices.”

For more information about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus – its features and detailed specifications, visit http://smart.com.ph/ samsung-nexus or visit your nearest Smart Wireless Center.

Macro Polo in the Year of the Dragon THE Marco Polo Davao celebrated the coming of the Chinese New Year with a unique showcase of Chinese cultural arts and cuisine.

MARCO Polo Davao General Manager Bruno Simeoni.

EASTERN Pearl duet by Fourth year High School students.

A Chinese cultural presentation kicked-off the festivities as select third year and fourth year students from Colegio de san Ignacio performed various Chinese folk dances. Fourth year students also performed the song “Eastern Pearl” in tribute to the never-changing face of Chinese culture. An energetic lion and dragon dance followed after the ceremonial “dotting of the eyes” lead

by Marco Polo Davao General Manager Bruno Simeoni and Patricia Dominguez.

Dinner was served at the Lotus Court with a sumptuous buffet featuring Roast Peking Duck, Chili Crabs, Yin Yang Garoupa, and other seafood best sellers.

Golden packets with good wishes for the Year of the Dragon and fortune cookies were also given away much to the delight of all the guests present.

Third year High School students of Colegio de San Ignacio perform “The Twisted Willow Tree” at the Marco Polo Lobby.

MRS. Itang Ang, Mrs. Rosie Dominguez, Mr. Paul Dominguez, Mr. Edgar Ang, Gov. Miguel Dominguez, Mrs. Patricia Dominguez and Mrs. Virginia Andersen

Singaporean delights liven up Waterfront’s CNY festivities TO bring in luck and prosperity this 2012, the hotel festivities started with a lively dragon dance by students of Davao Central High School, who traversed all four buildings passing by Waterfront Insular’s restaurants, function rooms and offices. But the highlight of the celebration was the exemplary New Year feast presented by Executive Chef Kiko Tugnao who excitedly told everyone to sample the expensive and most sought-after delicacy, the Shark’s Fin Soup.

Café Uno transformed into a miniChinatown with servers decked in their red cheongsams and bright Chinese lanterns on display. One of the honored guests of the night was Ms. Cherry Maning of Una Ka Bai, GMA Davao’s morning show. She sampled the Singaporean style Roast Peking Duck expertly

Waterfront Davao Hotel manager Rouel Guanzon and family.

wrapped in wanton baskets by Chef Stephen Reyes. Also in attendance that night were Mr. Sammy Uy and his family, as well as Ms. Jean Ang who celebrated with her brood. For those who missed last Sunday’s merriment, the food festivities continue as Café Uno’s lunch buffet spread features Singaporean and

DRAGON dance performers from davao central high school.

Chinese cuisine from January 23 to 31.

ROAST pork.

DRAGON egg salad

GUESTS take photos with the dragon.

HEALTH THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Give me five!

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

P

OPEYE knew it.

Moms and dads who urged their children to eat their veggies did, too. Not only are vegetables delicious, they can work wonders for your health. Vegetables, in all their glorious colors, are powerhouses of good nutrition -- full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, and “good” carbohydrates. Not only are they naturally fat free, these nutritious nuggets help prevent cancer and other diseases.

Over and over again, research redeems the sage advice to “eat your veggies.” A study published in the February 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help lower “bad cholesterol” and improve the health of your heart. Eating plenty of produce can also reduce your risk of stroke, according to a 2003 study. It showed that eating green and yellow vegetables almost every day, instead of once or less per week, reduced the risk of death from a stroke by 26%. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat protein and low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol can help lower blood pressure.

And the American Cancer Society also urges everyone to eat at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables -- to load up on the cancerpreventing phytochemicals and antioxidants they contain. This movement was called the “Five A Day” Movement wherein the American Government promoted eating five servings of fruits a veggies a day.

The Philippine Government adopted said approach through the National Nutrition Council in the nineties and it was called “Give Me Five!” The Give Me Five movement promoted among Filipinos eating five servings of fruit and veggies to keep healthy.

So simply by eating more vegetables, you can lower cholesterol, ward off stroke, cut your blood pressure, help prevent cancer, and lose weight!

And which vegetables should you make sure to put on your plate? Foods that reign supreme in the vegetable kingdom include: • Tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against cancer, vitamins A, C, and potassium.

Cooked tomato products offer more lycopene than raw tomatoes. Pink grapefruit and watermelon also contain lycopene.

• Broccoli, which contains a

wealth of wonderful vitamins (B vitamins, C) and minerals (calcium, potassium). It also has the compound sulforaphane, which has cancerfighting capabilities. Other cruciferous vegetables, such as brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale also contain sulforaphane.

• Pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots are rich sources of beta-carotene -- which enhances your immune system, reduces those dangerous “free radicals” (disease-causing molecules in the body), aids vision, and protects your skin. Dark leafy greens including our popular moringa (malunggay) and peppers are more good sources of beta-carotene.

• Spinach is thought to protect against a host of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration (which can cause blindness).

Despite their status as nutrition superheroes, vegetables rarely find themselves on personal favorite lists. Some adults still shun vegetables, setting a less-than-perfect example for children around the table while missing out on the health benefits for themselves.

Here are recommendations aiming for five servings daily.

If you have trouble fitting in that many, try some of these suggestions -- or come up with your own creative solutions:

• Add sliced tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, sliced red peppers, or shredded carrots to sandwiches.

• Munch pickles, jicama, baby carrots, celery, or grape tomatoes as snacks.

• Drink vegetable juice.

• Slip a variety of vegetables into salads, soups, stews, tomato sauce, and meatloaf.

• Enjoy salads before meals.

When you start off with a large, low-calorie green salad, you may end up eating fewer total calories during the meal, according to research.

• Roast veggies with a little olive oil for an interesting variation in taste.

•T ry grilled vegetables, which are delicious alone or added to pasta dishes.

• Add nutrition to breads and muffins with shredded vegetables such as zucchini or carrots.

• Experiment with new vegetables to add variety to your repertoire.

• Use leaves of dark lettuce, pechay or cabbage instead of bread to hold sandwich or burrito fillings.

Raw vegetables are high in fiber and low in fat and calories. And vegetables that can be eaten raw retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Cooking vegetables kills bacteria, renders certain vegetables digestible, enhances taste, texture, and aroma -- and, in the process, loses

some of the vitamins and minerals. Here are some tips on how to retain nutrients of your veggies: • To retain the most nutrients, cook your vegetables in the least amount of water and for the shortest period of time possible. Microwaving is one of the best methods, as it’s quick and requires little to no water.

• Before you start chopping or cooking, it’s important to properly prepare your produce. Along with all those nutrients come some risky residues that need to be washed away. So carefully wash all your vegetables -- scrubbing them or washing them with a forceful stream of water or a bottled vegetable wash -to remove bacteria and any chemical residues from the outer layer.

• And when you cut vegetables, always use a clean knife and cutting board to avoid cross-contamination from other foods. It’s a good idea to have a designated cutting board for your produce -- one that is never used for meats, fish, or poultry.

A little preparation precaution is a small price to pay for all the benefits vegetables bring to your body. Along with regular physical activity, eating a variety of vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your health. So get moving and eat your veggies every day -- to prevent cancer, stroke, and other diseases while you watch the pounds melt away. Keep healthy…

Give me 5!

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MOTORING

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THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Suzuki launches all new GD110

VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

The Business PAPER

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

Davao Partner

Establishments

Koronadal Partner

Establishments

JAPANESE compact car and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Philippines Inc (SPH) rolls out a sure best seller—the Suzuki GD110.

The the most affordable motorcycle in its class in the market - the Suzuki GD110 is an advanced commuter bike that will usher a new level of riding experience, as it comes

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

F. Torres St., Davao City Tel No. 227-3773 - (72) Fax: 295-3485

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS. packed with highly user-

friendly features that even first-time motorcycle owners can easily understand.

The Suzuki GD110 features a newly designed compact and lightweight 4-stroke engine for high-combustion efficiency, 4-speed transmission for less gear changes and simpler operation, Suzuki PAIR system for lesser emissions, high visibility meters, indicator lamps and round shaped headlamps with park light indicator lamps for enhanced safety and convenience.

It also has a spare parts advantage as most parts can be bought pieceby-piece and not per assembly, making Suzuki’s GD110 one of the most anticipated models to date.

“We are optimistic about the launch of the GD110 because we are anticipating it to be one of our sure best sellers. We believe that the GD110 is packed with features that answers the commuting needs of the public—affordability, user-friendliness and durability, which very much complements our campaign, “Bakit Di Ka Pa NakaMotor”, Mr. Eiji Kobayashi, general manager of motorcycle sales and marketing said.

“For the Suzuki GD110, we are looking at the first time motorcycle owner market and the shifters—from commuters to riders,” Mr. Kobayashi added.

The Suzuki GD110 retails at a suggested retail price of Php 47,900 and comes in Pearlescent Black, Metallic Jade Royal Blue, and Metallic Silk Red.

Showing off the all-new GD110’s etra bright headlights.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

GAMES

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 48

19

WINNERS. Golf patron Ricky Razon (sixth from left), chairman and CEO of International Container Terminal Services, Inc., poses with last year’s leg winners of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour during the launch of the circuit’s new season at The Country Club last Wednesday. They are (from left) Jay

Bayron, Elmer Salvador, Mhark Fernando, Order of Merit champion Juvic Pagunsan, Frankie Minoza, Artemio Murakami, Jhonnel Ababa, Angelo Que and Robert Pactolerin.[Contributed]

OME 15,000 runners are expected to participate in the Condura Skyway Marathon 2012: Run for the Mangroves - the Philippines’ first-ever midnight marathon - on Feb. 5 beginning and ending at Filinvest in Alabang.

Now on its fifth edition, the game-changing annual footrace raises the bar once more by challenging marathoners to do their stuff in a midnight race that will have them traverse the cities of Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Taguig, Pasay and Makati via the Metro Manila Skyway.

Five other events - 3K, 5K, 10K, 16K, and 21K runs - will be held in this year’s Condura Skyway Marathon, which is committed to support the group’s mangroves reforestation project in Sibugay Bay, Zamboanga.

“We are proud to celebrate our fifth anniversary as we run through five cities in one go with all race categories going up the Skyway for the first time,” Ton Concepcion, founder and organizer of the Condura Skyway Marathon said during yesterday’s PSA Forum.

AVORITE Color: Blue Favorite Food: Chocolate Favorite Music: I like all kinds of music: Country, Pop, Hip Hop/Rap Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Animal: Dog Favorite Golf Course: Superstition Mountain in Arizona. Favorite Charity: Colin County Childrens Advocacy Center (This is an amazing charity, it is a non profit organization, they help abused and neglected children. The people who help run this organization are unbelievable and they do a terrific job.

This charity is a charity that I donate to and try to help out with, I would love to be more involved and it is the best charity I have ever heard about).

My Caddy: My brother (Luke). Started caddying amateur events prior to coming on tour with me in 2005.

My Coach: Dave Stockton and Ron Stockton Sports Psychologist: Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson Off the Course:Working out, shop, watch movies, sleep, relax, take walks, download and listen to music

1st midnight run to highlight Golfer of the week Condura Skyway marathon Brittany Lang F S One of the most anticipated running events in the country, the Condura Skyway Marathon has distinguished itself as a supporter of efforts to protect and care for the environment. Since 2008, the event has raised over P2 million for projects aimed to protect marine environment, such as Tubbataha Reefs, the whalesharks of Donsol and Dolphins of Bohol.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to run in the race. Take this opportunity to see the country in a different way,” said Concepcion.

Registration is ongoing at Riovana, Bonifacio Global City, Riovana in Regis Center, Katipunan and Festival Supermall Alabang with deadline set on Jan. 29.

For on-line listup, logon to www.conduraskywaymarathon.com.

For this year, Concepcion said for each runner, there will be three mangrove trees donated to the 10-hectare Condura Skyway Marathon Mangrove Forest in Sibugay Bay, which covers three barangays and will benefit thousands of fami-

lies in the coastal areas.

Beautifully-crafted medals, cash prizes, trophies and gift items are in store for the top finishers in the Open and All-Filipino categories in the 2012 race, organized by runners for runners and co-presented

by Skyway Operations Management Corp., Summit Water, 100Plus, Asics and Filinvest Alabang.

The annual footrace will also put emphasis on the safety and security of the participants by providing well-spaced and wellstocked hydration stations, professional medical teams and seasoned race marshals.

As a treat after the race, the event, backed by Coors Light, QuestWorks Production, Festival Supermall and the Rotary Club of Paranaque, will culminate in the Condura-Filinvest Village where runners, together with their families, can enjoy loads of entertainment, fireworks and product sampling. A mangroves wall will also be painted and decorated as a symbol of the runners’ commitment to save the Philippine mangroves. [PR]

encing vertigo-like symptoms since the Players Championship in May and he pulled out of the Barclays Classic in August before having the condition diagnosed followed by surgical treatment in early September.

“It’s scary at first,” Holmes, 29, said of how he felt after his diagnosis. “Talking to the surgeon and stuff, he said for a brain surgery, difficulty-wise for him it was only about a one out of 10.

“It’s still brain surgery, but that at least made me feel better. Then I got to the hospital and started putting on the gown and everything else and it was like, ‘Wow, I’m about to have brain surgery.’

So it really hits you then.”

ADVERSE REACTION The surgery went well but one week later Holmes reacted adversely to the adhesive used on the webbed titanium plate which had been inserted in his skull.

He was put back on pain-killers and then air-lifted from his home in Campbellsville, Kentucky, back to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore where he had a second surgery.

“After that, everything’s gone pretty much according to plan,” said Holmes, who led the PGA Tour in driving distance last year with an average of 318.4 yards. “My swing is gradually coming.

When I first started playing (in December), I was hitting it like 240 (yards).

“My swing speed starting out was like 106, 107.

Now it’s up to 115. Last year I averaged around 120 and I could get it up to 125 if I wanted to. So it’s coming back. I’ve just got to get out here and play a little bit, and it will get back to normal.”

As a permanent reminder of his surgery, Holmes has the small piece of his skull which was removed by doctors sitting on a window ledge in his closet at home.

“I asked the guy if I could have it because I grew it, so I figured I may as well keep it,” Holmes smiled. “I see it every day.

“It’s just a reminder that I’m very fortunate to be able to go through something like that and be able to come back and play, very fortunate to have this job and be able to play a game for a living.”

Holmes ready for PGA Tour return

B

IG-HITTING American J.B. Holmes has lost swing speed and driving distance but is simply thankful to be back competing on the PGA Tour this week after undergoing brain surgery last year.

Sidelined since August after being diagnosed with Chiari malformation, structural defects in the part of the brain which controls balance, Holmes says he has gained a deeper appreciation of his good fortune to be a professional golfer.

“It feels like it’s been forever, but I’m just happy to be back,” Holmes, a double winner on the U.S. circuit, told reporters on Tuesday while preparing for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

“I’ve been working pretty hard the last few weeks and I’m ready to get back out here, get back into the competitive tournament and just see how it goes.

“It was a long process last year, but I guess compared to a lot of people that have had that, I caught it fairly quick.”

Holmes had been experi-

on my ipod, watch and play all types of sports (favorite to watch is football) and finally spend time with my friends and family. I am very close with my family. Mom (Pam), Dad (Jeff), Brother (Luke) and dog (Amy).

How It All Got Started: I grew up playing all kinds of sports: golf, tennis, basketball, softball and soccer. I still enjoy playing all sports, but GOLF of course is # 1 I started playing golf when I was 8 years old, my dad introduced my brother and I to it and I have been hooked ever since.

My dad was going to the golf course and he was taking my brother with him to go play golf. I asked my dad if I could go with them and play, he told me no.

I was so angry and confused as to why I could not go with them? So I asked my dad, why cant I go with you? He replied, because I didn’t know how to play and I didn’t know the etiquette or the rules. He told me I had to swing a golf club in the yard everyday until I learned the motion before I could go to the range and the course. So I did it! To his surprise every evening when he got home from work I would go in the yard and ask him to watch

me swing the club. We did this for a very long time. He couldn’t believe that I actually did this! We eventually made it to the range and we practiced. He gave me a bucket of range balls and a 7 iron and told me to hit the eletrical box about 100 yards away, he said he wanted to hear some noise. He went to hit some golf balls himself and he eventually heard me hit the electrical box, he was shocked!

This is how my golf adventure started, my dad realized I had a talent and an interest for the game. I started playing every day.

My first golf tournament I had a hole in one, from 100 yards, with the 7 iron!! :-) Thanks Dad! [HTTP://WWW.BRITTANYLANGGOLF.COM]

Battle of the Generals 2012 set Feb. 4 and 5 in Taguig T

OP military and police officials will try to prove their mettle in marksmanship during a two-day shooting competition dubbed “Battle of the Generals 2012”. The shootout, slated on February 4 and 5 at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Firing Range in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City, is sponsored by President Benigno Aquino, himself a shooting aficionado.

Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome, PNP chief, and Deputy Director General Emelito T. Sarmiento, Directorial Staff chief, will join the shooting competition.

Sarmiento is the defending champion of the “Battle of the Generals 2011” where he topped the 3rd and 4th stages of the event last year.

Top shooters from the

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Coast Guard, Presidential Security Group, Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy will participate in the shootfest.

Bartolome said the competition will sharpen the skills of police and military generals and foster comradeship and establish friendly relationship among memberts of the uniformed

services.

He said the focus of the PNP leadership is to augment the shooting skills of all police officers.

The organization is continuously upgrading the skills of ordinary police personnel insofar as shooting and handling of firearms is concerned. This skill is vital in the protection of the public and response to any threats of violence. [PNA]

BizQUIPS “You are men and women of courage, heroism and dedication.”

--Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario in commending the Filipino crewmembers of doomed Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia.

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VOL. 4 NO. 48 JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 05, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO