Edge Davao 4 Issue 49

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VOL. 4 NO. 49

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

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VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Rate of population in poblacion down n Most thickly populated are now in Buhangin, Talomo

T

HE RATE of population growth in Davao City’s downtown area had slowed down and is believed to slow down some more, a trend being closely watched both by the business community and government planners.

The downtown area is no longer the most thickly populated unlike in the 1970’s when almost two-thirds of Dabawenyos resided in the city proper, also called poblacion.

Current demographic data obtained by Edge Davao from the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) indicated that of the city’s total population of 1.3 million, the poblacion is now home to only 11.22 percent.

The most thickly populated area now is Talomo district with 26.41 percent, followed by Buhangin, with 17.08 percent.

The least populated are the districts of Baguio with 2 percent, Paquibato with 2.81 percent, Marilog with 3.13 and Calinan with 5.58 percent.

In the 1970s, the poblacion carried 31.18 percent of the city’s total population which stood at only 392,473 at the time. This percentage share decreased gradually over time to 21.47 percent in the 1980s and then to 16.60 percent in the 1990’s. In 2007, the percentage share went down some more to only 11.22 percent.

In contrast, the percentage share of Talomo gradually increased from 11.34 percent in the 1970s to 17.78 percent in the 1980s and to 21.57 percent in

By Greg G. Deligero Talomo proper with 3.9 percent, Sasa with 3.8 percent and Ma-a with 3.8 percent.

ALABADO

the 1990s. In 2007, the percentage share hit an all-time high of 26.41 percent.

A similar trend was shown in Buhangin district which had only 8.10 percent of the population in the 1970s. However, its percentage share grew to 11.19 percent in the 1980s and then to 13.94 percent in the 1990s.

By 2007, the percentage share reached 17.08 percent.

Among the City’s 182 barangays, the most populated and the least populated are found in the Poblacion district: Barangay Bucana, which has a population of 74,113 and Barangay 13-B which has a population of only 176.

Bucana shared 5.4 percent of the city’s total population. It was followed by barangays Buhangin proper with 4.2 percent,

Of the 10 barangays with the smallest number of residents, five are found in the downtown area. Aside from Barangay 13-B, these are Barangay 35-D with 529 population followed by Barangay 3-A with 597, Barangay 16-B with 868 and Barangay 12-B with 974.

City Planning and Development Coordinator Roberto P. Alabado III said the population trend is “very instructive” by way of identifying the city’s development priorities.

He said the data are useful in the allocation of the city’s financial resources, delivery of social services and identification of economic activities and projects.

“Even the land developers would now know where our people are exactly located.”

Alabado pointed out the erratic changes of population in the urban area.

In 1970, the urban population comprised 45.47 percent of the total population. Ten years later, it had increased to 66.97 percent on an average annual growth rate of 8.64 percent.

The urban population further increased to 71.12 percent in 1990 and to 72.53 percent in 2000.

However, in 2007, the proportion of urban population dropped to 69.99 percent as the proportion of population in the rural areas increased by 2.54 percent, from 27.47 percent in

T

for suspicious declarations.

Contrary to its declared contents of margarine, shortening, yeast, and lanolin, the cargo yielded onions and potatoes believed to have come from China.

In an interview with Edge Davao, District Collector Bangcoy said that a warrant of seizure and detention will be issued by Monday or Tuesday, and notices will be sent to the consignees by Wednesday.

The consignees on of the container vans are D’ Golden House Trading Co., with 13 container vans, Aya Day Trading, with 6 container vans, and Alvee Trading, with 4 container vans.

While Bangcoy do not expect any of the consignees to show up to claim the flagged container vans, he

MISDECLARED. Bureau of Customs district collector Martiniano Bangoy and some of its officers inspect 23 suspected container vans which they positively identified as misdeclared goods that came from China and Hongkong. Consignees from AYA Day Trading, ALVEE Trading, and D Golden House Trading

assures that due process will be followed.

“A decision of forfeiture will then be issued in favor of the government, which then shall become final 15 days,” said Bangcoy. Unlike other products, onions and potatoes cannot be auctioned.

What ticked off the Bureau of Customs to flag the cargo was the vagueness of the products declared, among many others.

“We do a profiling of cargo based on the port of origin, the broker, the volume, and what is being declared. Unlike regular imports which have tariff descriptions, this cargo had vague descriptions,” said Bangcoy. The container vans declared its contents to be margarine, shortening, yeast, and lanolin.

declared their items as margarine, savory products, lanolin, shortening, and yeast yet what was found inside were potatoes and onions with a total value of P18,400,000 inside Sasa Port, Friday morning.

According to Bangoy, all items will be turnover to the City Government for proper distribution.

46.6 percen

t INCREASE of the country’s abaca export revenues from January to November 2011, compared to figures during the same period in 2011 (from $90.093 million in 2010 to $132.051 million in 2011). According to data of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida), there was significant increase in demand, particularly for pulp and cordage.

P14 billion

2000 to 30.01 percent in 2007.

“This clearly shows the increasing number of people now residing in the rural areas,” Alabado said. Of the 182 city barangays, 98 are categorized as urban areas.

With the urban sprawl, he acknowledged the resultant effects such as the increased motorization, increased expenses in travel of residents to their places of work, the increase of sales of vehicles, worsening traffic and the likelihood that people specially workers will now spend more time on the road—lessening time in their homes and places of work.

Alabado said one way of addressing the impact is to establish sub-commercial centers

in districts outside the downtown area and provide them with livelihood opportunities within their localities.

“With the availability of these commercial centers, they will no longer need to travel to the poblacion to buy their basic needs like groceries not unless they want to drink Starbucks,” he quipped.

Alabado said the city government would also encourage the establishment of high density residential areas in the downtown area like condominiums, apartments, townhouses and tenements.

“We have still so many idle lots in the downtown area for these types of residential areas,” he said.

Customs men discover contraband Nanay Soling bids goodbye upon opening of 23 container vans HE Bureau of Customs at the Port of Davao sent out a strong message last Friday when it opened 23 container vans on suspicion they contained misdeclared contraband items.

“We will never tolerate false declaration of goods and value here at the Port of Davao,” said Bureau of Customs Port of Davao District Collector Martiniano Bangcoy.

Rice, cars, onions, and the infamous ukay-ukay are the top four things being closely monitored by the bureau. The importation of ukay-ukay is outright illegal while cars and rice are often undervalued, and onions need special permits.

Last Friday, Customs men opened 23 container vans they earlier flagged

IT FIGURES

S

By Maya Coy Antonio

OLEDAD “Nanay Soling” Roa Duterte bade goodbye as she succumbed to cardiopulmonary arrest on February 4. She was 96 years old.

For her children, family, and friends, Nanay Soling’s demise does not mean an end but time to rekindle the legacy she left.

At her ripe old age she was an epitome of a courageous woman, a visionary, a noted civic leader—traits that also run in the blood of her son Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and granddaughter Mayor Sara Duterte.

A woman who once took up the cause for the people of the city during Martial Law, Nanay Soling was among the pillars of Davao’s Yellow Friday Movement at the height of the People Power Movement; she was a role model to other women.

A retired public school teacher from Cabadbaran, Agusan, this great lady never got tired. Apart from being a convenor of the Yellow Friday Movement in the l980s, she also established the Soledad Duterte Foundation which pursued various projects in Marahan District, an area of the indigenous people where she has devoted her time teaching them livelihood skills for the community.

Museo Dabawenyo, which opened in 2008, was also her brainchild.

The widow of the late lone Davao Province Governor Vicente G. Duterte, she is also a collector of mementos.

Her home in Juna Subdivision is a museum of collections from her teenage years up to the present. Verses and prayers are displayed in her house. She also loves to write her reflections.

A mini-museum located in the upper floor was opened in November 2010.

Inside that room, Nanay Soling kept photographs of numerous events in her life as first lady of then Governor Duterte when Davao Province was undivided.

Photographs on the wall took guests in memory lane when the Davao City Women’s Club, composed of prominent ladies and heads of civic organizations, was established. There were also photographs of her as a Davao Girl Scout Council Board president, a director of the Davao Nurses Association, and various other clubs during the early 50s and 60s.

A chapel in her home also reflects Nanay Soling’s close relationship with the Creator.

Last year during her birthday, while lying in bed due to a fractured ankle, she prayed for a fast recovery because she wanted to visit Marahan District where her training center is located. It is also in this site where her Sacred Mountain for pilgrimages will soon stand. The site will be completed with 14 Stations of the Cross, a grotto, and a chapel.

Her eldest daughter Eleanor is thinking of putting out a biography for her mother. She said she thought of the book because her mother was also an aggressive writer. She said 50 percent of the book will be on Nanay Soling’s writings and commentaries for a certain chapter of her life, as well as some prayers and verses.

“She had a colorful life.

She had visionary dreams in her semi-conscious state. She could recall everything, even in tracing our family tree,” she said.

ESTIMATED total amount involved in the so-called Legacy Group scam which victimized many Dabawenyos. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the complainant in various syndicated estafa and falsification cases against officers of the Legacy syndicate headed by Celso delos Angeles.

P25 billion

AMOUNT of financial assistance that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is directed to extend to Banco Filipino within 30 days in a 50-page decision of the Court of Appeals ordering the reopening the bank.

P1.1 billion

NET INCOME of Tanduay Distillers Inc. in 2011, according to the company’s filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange last Wednesday. Based on still unaudited figures, the net income jump is almost two times (92 percent) its 2010 profit.

$3.4 million

CLAIMS of stateowned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) against Lehman Brothers Special Financing Inc. According to Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., PSALM president and chief executive, Pinsent Mason has been engaged as counsel after a negotiated bid. Pinsent Mason will provide legal services to facilitate the claims filed by PSALM before the New York bankruptcy court.

P500 million

COST of the Mindanao Topographic Mapping Project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) which seeks to update the 1960 topographic maps of Mindanao as tools for planning and investment programming of government agencies as well as the private sector.

the economy

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HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

“

HUNGER is humanity’s oldest enemy.” – World Food Programme, United Nations.

FOUR and a half million Filipino families, mostly children, went hungry in the third quarter of 2011.

That translated to around 22.5 % of the total population without food or running short of food daily, according to the survey of the Social Weather Stations conducted between December 3-7, 2011..

Government downplayed the survey result, pointing out that it was a negligible 1% higher than the 21.5% (estimated at. 4.1 million families) in the previous quarter.

Statistics are frigid, unfeeling, but the hunger that gnaws at the insides of millions of Filipino children is a continuing tragedy, an indictment against the inability of government’s inability to salve the problem.

Year in, year out.

Hunger is the body’s way of signaling that it is running short of food and needs to eat something. Hunger can lead to malnutrition, disease, starvation, and eventual death When a body is hungry, it compensates for the lack of food by slowing down its physical and mental activities.

A hungry mind cannot concentrate, a hungry body does not take initiative, a hungry child becomes abstracted from the

Hunger

Special Feature

By Rene Ezpeleta Bartolo (Part 1)

living world around him.

For a country that hopes to be the 16th strongest world economy by 2050 and proclaims it will achieve First World status in 20 years, this bleak picture of continuing and growing hunger in the cities and countryside is a stunner.

Simply put, the Filipino is growing hungrier by the day.

Antonio “Tonyo” Bagunsay is a fish peddler. His family is among the 200 families in the coastal village of Badiang in Digos City , Davao del Sur, eking a living from the sea.

Until last year, life was bearable for Tonyo, his wife and four children. His rounds in the subdivisions of the city netted him between 400-500 pesos a day. His children could eat properly and he could send them to school, too.

But sometime in March last year, a number of events that Tonyo could not explain suddenly happened: fish to peddle grew scarce; the price of rice catapulted and everything

else became costly.

Almost half the fishermen in Badiang did not want to go fishing. It was extremely difficult for Tonyo to find fish to peddle and feed his family.

Next to rice, it is fish that Filipinos eat most. Every Filipino consumes an average of 38 kilos of fish a year. To the poor Filipino, fish and other marine products are his primary sources of protein.

The Philippines, with a population of over 100 million, has one of the highest population growth rates in the whole of Asia. Unless the population surge is checked, the country is likely to face a dramatic fall in the supply of locally produced fish in the next few years, says the Philippine Environment Monitor of the World Bank.

Instead of the 38 kilograms of fish for consumption each year, only 10 kilos was available per Filipino per year by 2010.

Almost 90 per cent of the income of coastal communities comes from fishing, says

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

3

the World Bank. The drop in fish production is exacerbated by the relentless destruction of the country’s coral reefs, from where 10-15 per cent of the total fisheries come.

“Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines ,” says marine scientist Don McAllister.

The Philippines is producing people faster than it replenishes marine life, its secondary food.

This early, Tonyo is feeling the crunch. Last year, he could peddle up to 50 kilograms of coral and shallowwater fish -- lapu-lapu, mayamaya, talakitok, danggit, ketang, gusaw and salmonete – stacked in his tricycle.

Today, the tricycle is gone, foreclosed by the financing company. The fish is almost gone, too.

“Many fisherman who use motorized bancas do not fish because diesel fuel is very costly,” Tonyo explained.

“Most of the time, the catch is not enough to pay for fuel.”

A Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources research shows that the share of gas and oil to the total fishing expense of a coastal fisherman ranges from 31 percent, for those who use shrimp gillnet, to a high 80 percent for “drift, hook and line” fishing. (to be continued)

4

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 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

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

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 4,503.6 Jul 2011

126.4 Jul 2011

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2000=100

4.6 Jul 2011

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

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

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

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

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

High fuel price, fishing ban reduce 2011 tuna output in GenSantos City

T

HE spiralling cost of fuel products and the purse seine fishing ban in pockets of the Pacific Ocean have cut down frozen tuna landings at the fish port complex here last year, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) said, citing preliminary data.

In the BAS 2011 fisheries situationer report released on Tuesday, the agency noted that unloading at the fish port complex declined by 47,049 metric tons (MT) or about 18 percent from 2010.

In 2010, the unloaded volume at the fish port complex, which is managed by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, was

pegged at 144,812.05 MT. Last year, it went down to 117,315.29 MT. “The closure of [pockets of the] high seas as imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) on its member countries to replenish stocks of the highly migratory tuna species…was another contributing factor to the output reduction,” said the 20-page BAS annual report, which also includes other marine commodities.

The other factors cited for the decline in tuna unloading, besides fuel price hikes, were dry-docking of some commercial vessels for repair or maintenance and lesser fishing expe-

ditions due to weather disturbances.

With the WCPFC ban on purse-seine fishing in two pockets of the high seas in the western and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean starting January 1, 2010, foreign fishing vessels have dominated the unloading of frozen tuna in this city for the needs of the canneries.

Owing to the ban, local tuna fishing companies have complained that they could not afford the additional costs in operating in farther fishing grounds. As a result, thousands of workers in the tuna fishing industry have lost their jobs, according to the regional Department of Labor and Employment,

which had extended assistance to them.

The two-year ban in pockets of the Pacific Ocean should have lapsed last December, but a meeting that would have discussed the matter was cancelled and moved to March this year.

Marfenio Tan, director of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc. (SFFAII), said organizers of the eight regular sessions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (or WCPFC8) also moved the venue from Palau to Guam.

He said the post-

ponement of the meeting extended for another three months the resolution of the purse seine fishing ban in pockets of the Pacific Ocean that practically slowed down the tuna fishing industry here in the last two years.

Asis Perez, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources national director, earlier said a permanent Philippine team was created last year to push the country’s agenda in the WCPFC. The team is composed of representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, and Trade and Industry, the Mindanao Development Authority and other fishing industry leaders.[PNA]

Hospitality, wellness industries upbeat in 2012 W ITH the theme “Blooming at 2”, the Hospitality and Wellness Industries Furnishers and Services Providers Association (HW Pilipinas) is upbeat about the prospects of the industry in 2012 citing the strong business confidence in the country.

HW Pilipinas, composed of players in hospitality and wellness such as personal care, furniture, furnishings, interior design, architecture and other related services, recently celebrated its second year anniversary with optimism.

Dr. Rashmi Tolentino Singh, HW Pilipinas president, noted that hospitality and wellness were industries that stood out in 2011.

“All we have to do is put our acts together,” she said.

HW Pilipinas was founded for the association to serve as the one-stop shop for the growing hospitality and wellness industries.

Singh was among the first businessmen to submit a list of projects that can possibly avail of promotion funds through the Export Development Council. The Council started to line up projects aligned with the Philippine Export Development Plan for funding. These projects are expected to create immediate positive impact.

Aside from modest funding assistance for advocacy, marketing and promotion capacity building through the industry associations, Philippine Export Confederation (Philexport) also provided enterprise-level services to their members’ needs,

President Sergio Ortiz Luis, Jr. said.

Consistent with the Department of Industry’s earlier statements, Ortiz-Luis noted that the non-electronics sector is now improving. This is considering that the decline in total exports was minimal compared with the 34.5 percent drop year-on-year in electronic exports. Products covered by the association’s sector like coconut and by-products, fruits and vegetables are doing well globally.

“As we aim to carve a niche in the export market, it is important to note that the world market for your sector [hospitality and wellness] was estimated to be worth at least US$ 100 billion for bulk ingredients and US trillion for natural products, both food and nonfood,“ Ortiz-Luis said.

Ortiz-Luis also added that there are encouraging signals coming from consumers. He said that people are getting conscious of their well-being now regardless of class. Aside from going to the salons or spas, people also take food supplements.

With the new tourism slogan, ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines,” he said saying he was positive that the 10 million tourist target this year can be achieved.

“This spells huge opportunities for medical tourism and health and wellness sector in terms of sales and exposure of products and services,” Ortiz-Luis said.

While 2012 is a challenging year, social and environmental concerns are still a primary concern for the structural design industry vis-à-

vis revenues as noted in the best practice mentioned by Architect Felino Palafox Jr during the occasion.

“We give up 30% of potential clients. Last year, I gave up US$ 1 million architect fee [for a project] in Subic because our client wants to destroy 366 trees.

The 366 trees that we protected in Subic are worth more than the US$ 1 million I gave up in architect’s fee.”

He said that a 50year old tree is worth P9 million in replacement cost – the oxygen it provided, fertilizer it shed on earth, water it held, and the beauty it gave to the environment.

Congressman Teodoro A. Casiño also expressed support in addressing the hospitality and wellness industries’ concerns and possible areas of legislation. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

AGRITRENDS

DA turns to high-yielding coffee variety T

HE Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) is pursuing a project towards the production of high-yielding specialty Arabica coffee and help the country relieve itself of importing some P4 billion worth of the commodity yearly.

Initially, the project will establish pilot clonal gardens at higher and lower elevated areas in Baguio City which later will be replicated nationwide when found successful, said Jose Dayao, DA regional executive director for Bicol.

In Bicol, Dayao said many areas could be used in the commercial production of Arabica coffee applying the clonal technology.

“The farms near the foot of Mt. Mayon in Albay, the vast sites on the slope of Mt. Isarog in Camarines Sur and the wide planting areas near Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon are some of these places,” he said.

The project will be spearheaded by the BPI’s Baguio National Crop Research and Development Center (BNCRDC). According to its lead agriculturist Avelina Galacio, the Bureau would be funded by the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).

Arabica cuttings will be used as planting materials for this project as the BPI found it provides high yields averaging 4.38 MTs per hectare which is about double the 2.25 MTs per hectare yield from seeds, or even many times more than the very low average yield of 300 kilos per hectare in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) despite being a priority crop in the region, Galacio said.

BPI studies based on

green coffee bean’s market price of P150 per kilo, the return on investment (ROI) from cuttings is high at 181 percent, compared to seeds’ at only 58 percent.

BPI’s project “Arabica Coffee Rooted Cuttings as Plant Materials” won a gold, the highest award for the Applied Agriculture category from the BAR’s 2011 National Research Symposium. It garnered a P1 million award now being used in pursuing more researches.

In a statement, BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar said his agency has been supporting excellence in research among different government and academic agencies aiming to further support agricultural productivity and raise income opportunities for farmers.

“It is through researches such as this one on Arabica coffee that we can really find out how we can help farmers improve their income using the same crop they are used to planting but with newer, proven technologies,” Eleazar said.

Eleazar said, there are 410,000 farmers nationwide who depend on coffee for livelihood. In order to uplift their livelihood, techniques such as the use of cuttings should be learned by them.

Seedlings from cuttings substantially shorten coffee gestation period from planting to harvest to just 1.5 years. It usually takes three to four years for coffee trees to be harvested when seeds are used as planting materials.

Planting materials from cuttings are still limited, however, and farmers have not yet fully adopted the cuttings technology, that is why, the BAR chief said, information

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

5

CONGRATULATIONS

Greetings from:

ARABICA

dissemination and trainings for farmers are required by this new system.

BPI also noted that coffee plants from cuttings were less susceptible to diseases. This was at a lower 2.3 incidence for coffee leaf rust rating compared to seeds’ 2.9 incidence.

A lower 3.06 incidence was also noted for anthracnose in cuttings compared to seeds’ 3.25.

Arabica coffee was used in the study because it thrives well in upland areas like Baguio. The study obtained the stem cuttings from 30-year

old Arabica trees rejuvenated seven years earlier.

The selected stems were cut into six-centimeter long cuttings, soaked in a Hormex solution for 15 minutes, stuck in coir dust, and allowed to mist to develop roots for planting in plastic bags after one month. The seedlings were subsequently transplanted to the field after six months.

Galacio said BPI already has seven strains of Arabica coffee which it has collected from various parts of the Philippines, including those from Davao. [PNA]

RJ HOMES BUILDING ST., DAVAO CITY Tel. nos. 226-4145 / - 300-8288 Email address: rjhomes_davao@yahoo.com

Erratum

In Page 19 of the September 26-October 2, 2011 issue of Edge Davao, the LTFRB Notice of Hearing for the petition for renewal of certificate of public convenience of Romeo M. Manto was inadvertently published as PUJ Ordinary instead of PUJ Dual Regular Service. Our apologies. –Editors

CONGRATULATIONS

Greetings from:

B. Gempesaw St., Davao City Tel. Nos. (082) 221-1877 / 225-1656

6

EVENT

VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Frances Inn: Raising Davao’s standards of comfort

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PENING for business today, Frances Inn, located at Quimpo Boulevard, Davao City, is another pride of Davao, raising the standards of comfort of accommodation in this part of the country.

Frances Inn provides all the amenities and ambiance of a hotel from its architectural and interior designs, to facilities and customer services. All rooms have a cable TV with LCD monitor and remote control, hot and cold shower, wireless internet connection, and PABX. With a total of 19 rooms, its first floor has two suite rooms and two single rooms; while two twin beds, two semi-double and 11 single beds are available on the second floor.

For bookings in this “affordable business class type hotel ambiance” inn, one can call (082) 3018549; 295-6463, or e-mail at frances_inn@yahoo. com.

Frances Inn Ms Florita Delos Reyes (center) lead the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon with Mr. Avelino Delos Reyes (right) and Arch. Iluminado Quinto Jr. For bookings in this “affordable business class type hotel ambiance” inn, one can call (082) 3018549; 295-6463, or e-mail at frances_inn@yahoo. com.

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

LOUNGE

Ms Florita Delos Reyes (center) lead the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon with Mr. Avelino Delos Reyes

SUITE ROOM

Frances Inn

FATHER Ritchie of San Pablo Church

RESTAURANT

(right) and Arch. Iluminado Quinto Jr.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

AGRI TRENDS

Diversified banana farm coop rakes in millions for the Kapalong farmers E

XPORTING bananas is a lucrative business by itself.

Yet, the AMS Employees Fresh Fruits Producers Cooperative or AMSEFFPCO does not just settle for this one venture.

AMSEFFPCO has found ways at diversifying benefits from its banana plantation other than exporting, making it today one of the biggest farmer cooperatives in the Davao region with over P25 million worth of current assets as reported in the coop’s financial statement for 2010.

Located in Barangay Sampao, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, the cooperative, whose members were once plantation workers, owns the land it is tilling which was awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

From getting its main income from export receipts, the cooperative ventured into the production of flour from banana, and the use of their manufactured organic fertilizers.

Four years ago, the coop put up its own Banana Flour Livelihood Center where its food grade banana flour is being processed and packed with high quality and safety and best for cakes and pastries.

AMSEFFPCO also developed bio-organic fertilizer from the wastes of the banana flour production that collects an average volume of three tons of banana peelings and stalks per day.

Banana production Since the Department of Agrarian Reform in the region awarded the plantation to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in 2002, AMSEFFPCO has been growing exportable bananas as its main business, continuing their work when they were then workers for the corporate farm owner.

Its first production came to 1,416 boxes and sold to the AMS Farming Corporation at $2.15 per box. It earned them a gross income of P136,118.24.

For the first three years, the coop collectively managed the operations of the banana plantation with the coop members as workers who were each paid a minimum daily wage.

The banana production for this period was said to be sufficient, but the high cost of farm inputs and labor resulted to low income for the coop.

Noting the slow returns of investment, the coop adopted in 2005 the individual farming system wherein ARBs are provided an equal share of 0.73-hectare farm for them to work on.

The ARBs grow and tend their own bananas in their respective farms and sell their products to the coop.

The coop expanded its coverage by developing nearby farms with an aggregate area of 50 hectares in Barangay Sampao. The new area involves 25 farmer growers who are now registered as associate members of the coop.

Today AMSEFFPCO supplies Dole Philippines at $2.94 per box, of which $0.15 rbox goes to the coop.

Banana flour production Instead of throwing away Class “C” fresh bananas, considered reject and unqualified for export due to failure to meet standard calibration, AMSEFFPCO turned it into a valuable and money-spinning enterprise, making flour out of it.

The Department of Trade and Industry helped the coop test the product suitability for a baking ingredient. The flour has been tested in bakeries, and is confirmed to be 100 per cent

flour, a good substitute for rice flour.

AMSEFFPCO’s Musa Banana Flour has penetrated the local market, and has been adopted as Kapalong’s One Town One Product (OTOP).

Presently, the coop produces five tons of food grade banana flour and 15 tons of feed grade per month, and supplies Butuan and Manila catsup processing corporations.

At a plant gate price of P15 per kilo, the food grade flour generated more than P1.5 million gross income for the coop last year. The amount also covered income from the feed/

FLOUR

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

Minda to receive 40% of national budget by 2013

A

GRICULTURE Secretary Proceso Alcala bared that 40% of the Department of Agriculture budget, including its line agencies, will be devoted to Mindanao by 2013.

Speaking before a Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) press conference in Davao City last January 30, Alcala said this is the first time a huge percentage of the Agriculture budget will be going to programs in Mindanao.

“From our General Appropriations Act allocation of P61-billion, about P24-billion will be for Mindanao. Even in infrastructure, malaki ang na allocate (the allocation is big),” Alcala said.

Among the reasons, the agri chief said for the huge share in the budget is climate change mitigation. He added “if the government wants to have a lesser effect by climate

7

change, then it has to invest in Mindanao.”

“The soil is rich, there is water, you have lands and it is far from the path of typhoons,” Alcala said in citing Mindanao’s agricultural advantages.

He said that the government is expanding to Mindanao agricultural investments on crops regularly planted in Luzon and Visayas. He added that if more powerful typhoons strike Luzon due to the advent of climate change, agricultural supply will not be threatened because of the investments in Mindanao.

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario asked Secretary Alcala to continue helping Mindanao as it is only in the Aquino administration that the region is receiving a significant allocation of the national budget, particularly in the areas of agriculture and health [PIA 11/RG ALAMA]

NIA intensifies drive vs land conversion

A

FERTILIZER

industrial grade flour at P8 per kilo.

AMSEFFPCO had put up the business through the P1 million funding under the Poverty Zone Program the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-11). The money was used to acquire its processing equipment in 2007 for feed mill.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST11) also extended technical support for the analysis and upgrading of the quality of the product. The Department of Agriculture provided funding of P1 million for upgrading technology on banana flour production.

Barangay and municipal governments, private firms and non-government organizations have also reached out to help the coop manage and operate the flour enterprise.

The banana flour production livelihood has provided employment to 38 men and women, including indigenous peoples’ families in the community. The workers are called peelers who remove banana peelings.

Bio-organic fertilizer The usefulness of the banana rejects does not end from the meat being dried and powderized into banana flour. AMSEFFPCO also developed the bio-organic fertilizer from the wastes of the banana flour.

According to the Coop, processing of bio-organic fertilizer and vermi composting is made up of 50% banana stalks and peels, 40% hog manure, 10% carbonized rice hulls, organic composter and enzymes as enhancer for early decomposting.

The coop produces 175 bags per heap bio-organic fertilizer at 50 kilos per bag, with three heapings per week.

The bio-organic fertilizer addresses the pressing needs

of the cooperative members for farm inputs in their banana plantation that requires 40 bags of fertilizer per hectare at two applications per year.

The total organic fertilizer requirement per quarter reaches 7,480 bags, and a total of almost 30,000 bags per year.

AMSEFFPCO has also come up with the development of the bio-organic fertilizer in support to the government’s advocacy on wastes recycling and utilization.

Other livelihood projects The varied enterprises of the coop are not only based on its banana products, but also in consumer, oil palm trees and cassava productions, pharmacy and shop business, and a bioorganic vegetable production.

In its oil palm production, the coop provides financial assistance to farmers with lands not suitable for banana, but viable for oil palm trees.

The coop has forged a marketing tie-up with the Agusan Mill of Agusan del Sur and Kapalong Cooperative for financial assistance for this project that will involve a 50-hectare area. As of now, about 50 hectares have been developed and planted to oil palm in Sitio Marquez, Barangay Sampao and Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Mamacao.

AMSEFFPCO’s bio-organic vegetable production is located at a 3,000-square meter area where flowers and vegetables grow.

According to the coop’s financial statement in 2010, over P 4.4 million earning was obtained from the rice production, while about P5.6 million was gained from the agriculture supplies and materials.

The cassava production earnings reached to P204,271 last year.

With its best practices and innovations the coop has become one of the agri-indus-

trial tourism destinations in Kapalong, where visitors and business groups drop by to get a brief lecture on its business and achievement.

Effective management The coop was first managed by Rizalie Calma who is now a barangay kagawad in Barangay Sampao. Today, AMSEFFPCO is operating under manager Sincere Casimina and chair Anselma Ronquillo with seven female and six male office staff who are all members of the cooperative.

Calma once raised the importance of consulting with the proper agencies that are knowledgeable in the agriculture and business aspects.

She said “hard-work and patience are also keys to success in every endeavor we take.”

This millionaire coop is comprised of 97 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) collectively awarded with 72 hectares of agricultural land fully planted to exportable cavendish bananas in the municipality of Kapalong, Davao del Norte. The land was formerly owned by the AMS Farming Corporation.

The diversified business undertakings of AMSEFFPCO are a unique practice that brings in constant progress and prosperity for a farmers’ cooperative in the Davao region.

The coop’s exemplary and laudable achievements in farming, entrepreneurship and ecological contributions have earned it several recognitions and awards from government agencies and private sectors.

The citations include Most Outstanding Small Farmers Organization in Kapalong; Gawad Saka Award as Outstanding Small Farmers Organization of Davao del Norte; and Most Outstanding One Town One Product (OTOP), among many others. [PIA-11, CARINA L. CAYON / WITH REPORTS FROM DOLLY AMAUT/DAR-11]

top official of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) the government would step up its campaign against land conversion as substantial government investments in agriculture would be lost if landowners continue to convert their farmlands into commercial, industrial and residential areas.

NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel over the weekend warned landowners whose farmlands are covered by NIA’s irrigation service areas, and subsequently converted into other estate, would affect the country’s food sufficiency program.

Nangel said unabated conversions from agricultural lands to commercial, industrial and residential would slow down the government’s agriculture target to be a rice sufficient country by next year.

The government is infusing substantial amount of funds this year with P24.7 billion for irrigation projects, including dams, canals, other water facilities to boost agriculture productivity across the country.

“With this huge investment it would be a big loss for the government if landowners continue converting their farmlands into other land ventures,” Nangel said, adding that land conversion cases have been reported in other regions, specifically in Southern Luzon -- Calabarzon (Cavite, Quezon, Batangas, Laguna and Rizal) and the Bicol region.

He said in Bicol there are 239,660 hectares of irrigable areas of which 121,442 are in irrigation service areas, where farmlands are provided with irrigation structures and facilities.

He said land conversions would affect the government’s investment on new irrigation projects as well as ongoing proj-

ects.

NIA is spending P150,000 per hectare for the construction of new irrigation canals while spending P60,000 per hectare for repair works.

Another operational problem that the agency is facing in Bicol is the illegal use of its irrigation facilities by landowners engaged in the recreation (swimming pool) and fishpond business.

Nangel directed William Ragodon, NIA Bicol chief, to look into this matter as this would also affect the delivery of irrigation services to farmlands.

He cited a resort owner from Baao town in Camarines Sur whose business is located beside a government irrigation canal whose water he is using to fill his swimming pool.

Nearby farmers tilling their farm lots are complaining that the irrigation water flowing in their farm are tainted with “chlorine” which, they say, is destroying their ricelands.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is on the right track in meeting its target for rice self sufficiency by 2013.

He said the country would no longer rely too much on rice importation, with importation down from 660,000 metric tons to 500,000 MTs this year and 500,000 MTs to 400,000 MTs in 2013.

Alcala said with the right irrigation system and agriculture technology, the agency’s program for rice sufficiency would be attained. Noting that the agriculture sector produced 16.8 million metric tons (MMTs) of rice last year, and that the DA intends to increase this yield eo 18.75 MMTs this year and 20.44 MMTs in 2013.

[PNA]

BizQUIPS

‘THE income tax payments of the professionals should drastically increase by year-end. And I asked BIR to increase the average payment.’

--Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who wants to increase average of P5,600 income-tax payment of professional to P100,000.

8

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Needed: Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

T

HE Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC) convened once again on January 26, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel in Manila. The event, dubbed “Arangkada 2012” business forum, brought together a more than 500 business people, development workers, government officials and international development partners.

It may be recalled that in late 2010, the same group – the JFC – came up with more than 400 recommendations meant to accelerate the growth of the Philippine economy.

Hence, the January 26 conference allowed the participants to look back and reflect on how the Philippines has responded – positively or passively - to those recommendations. Then, a new set of recommendations were forwarded by the speakers and panelists to enable us to move forward.

The theme of the conference – “moving twice as fast” – gave some hope that despite the global economic setback the Philippines can move faster than anybody else around us.

Or probably, it was meant to challenge all of us to move faster before we find ourselves way ahead in a race to the bottom. In one of the presentations made, we ranked only better than Cambodia among ASEAN countries.

Arangkada 2012 identified seven “winner sectors” – agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure and logistics, mining and tourism (including medical travel and retirement). In his keynote address, the President specifically chose his three top growth drivers – tourism, agribusiness and infrastructure.

Looking at the seven sectors, only the President’s three sectors qualify to align with the government’s thrusts on equitable progress and inclusive growth. These two thrusts, according to the President, would benefit the common Filipino people who, in turn, would be the instruments to move the other sectors to achieve their fullest potentials.

Who doesn’t believe that the Philippines can move twice as fast? Various forecasts have pre-

dicted that the Philippines would be a giant economy four decades from now.

We have great potentials – we abound in human resources, untapped natural resources, and positive global economic trends which we can benefit from.

What I know is that this will not happen unless we make it happen.

It is a challenge for us to wake up and start moving. One speaker, former Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, after saying that we can’t double our growth in 2012 and pinpointing the real situation of the country vis-à-vis the seemingly positive outlooks put forward by the conference, said that he is not skeptical about the capacity of the country, but he emphasized the need for the Philippines to gather itself together and start moving.

The seeming skepticism of former finance secretary de Ocampo has its valid grounds – the European and US economic slowdown, the persistent political disturbances all over the Middle East, the recent devastating natural disasters in Japan and Thailand and to some extent the Philippines, and the slow progress in some sectors in of country.

“Arangkada” means to accelerate. But for a vehicle to accelerate speed, its driver should be able to gas up and start the engine. Then the vehicle picks up speed and goes faster. Its speed is not solely determined by the conditions of the vehicle and the road ahead, but more importantly how it is made to run.

As the President said “the race to progress is both a sprint and a marathon, in that we have to improve our economy as fast as possible, while at the same time optimizing conditions so that growth might be sustained. We cannot be left behind by competitors in the global arena, especially now that opportunities are ours for the taking, and investments are flowing towards the region. But we are also determined to not lose steam and stumble; we are keeping the long term in mind.”

With that, let’s fasten our seat belts. We’re on our way and the road ahead is long. The race is on!

BizQUIPS

‘SO I am announcing to colorum operators, this is your last warning.I have ordered that you be tracked down and your vehicles impounded.’

--President Aquino, saying reduction of colorum vehicles would decongest traffic and remove unfair competition.

that

EDITORIAL

C

Understanding advisories

ONSUL General Michael R. Schimmel of the US Embassy Manila, who jokingly calls himself “hari ng visa” in reference to his power to grant or deny applications for visa to visit his country, was in Davao City last Friday to speak before the members of the Davao chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce of Philippines, Inc. Instead of giving tips on how may an applicant get his/her visa application approved with less difficulty, Congen Schimmel spoke lengthily on the hated travel advisory and its raison d ‘etre.

The advisory is issued to tell nationals not to travel to an area where their safety can not be guaranteed.

We use “hated” to describe the document because it has become anathema to government and private sector promoters of tourism and investment.A local government unit and its collaborating stakeholders do everything to make their place attractive to domestic and foreign tourists and potential investors. Just one travel advisory would put to naught months, if not years of promotional effort and sacrifices.

The travel advisory is issued in connection with foremost function of an embassy, in this case the US Embassy, which is to protect its nationals.

Schimmel bared that the US government fully understands the grave implications of the advisories, but advisories have to be issued for the protection of their citizens.

There are more than 300,000 Americans are permanently living in various parts of the Philippines. Added to these are more than 600,000 American tourists visit the country every year. They, too, need to be protected, and warned what places to avoid.

It is therefore the right of an embassy to issue travel advisories in fulfillment of its responsibility to protect its nationals. So, like it or not, travel advisories are here to stay.

We’ll have to do everything to remove all the reasons why travel advisories are issued. This means wiping out kidnapping for ransom, insurgencies, terrorism, other forms of criminality in Mindanao and other hotspots.

The Philippine government also issues travel advisories to its citizens in dangerous places like Iraq and other areas in turmoil.

However, we still have to hear about our country issuing a travel advisory against any place in the United States of America. But if it does, given the hardheadedness of some Filipino travelers the fate of such an advisory is predicable. This is because ignoring advisories is not even a crime.

EDITORIAL

The Business Paper

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HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

M

Y sister and I were about 8 or 9 when my parents took us to bowling tournaments of the Davao Insurers Club. At one time, we were both muses of two different competing teams. We were surrounded by my Uncle who managed a Non-life Insurance company and his colleagues.

Mama would volunteer Trixie and I to do a dance or song number. Then, with practice and experience, the word “shy” was no longer in our vocabulary. This is probably what got us to where we both are now.

Insurance. That’s a different story altogether. Watch out for the next topic!

It’s a thrill whenever I meet somebody who knows Tito Tom or my father. They would tell me stories of how they met papa or my uncle at “almost-secret” circumstances.

What I mean is, they would recall their younger days and the things that they’re not too afraid to mention now. What makes me proud though is how, even at their naughtiest, they would not forget to say how my father or Uncle helped

S

MART, skilled, and full of spunk. That’s how I see Ma. Theresa Marañon Espino, fondly called Iteet by family and friends.

While we were formerly colleagues, it was only when we both retired from our corporate jobs that we got to know each other better. I was thrilled to experience she had a cheeky humour, a far cry from the nononsense persona she exuded while we were in San Miguel. I realized I missed a lot not knowing her well then.

Iteet had always struck me as a woman who knew where she was going, keeping her eyes on the ball and being careful not to lose herself in the vortex that is the corporate world. But working in a male-dominated company – one that pushed malecentric products at that – wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for any woman.

It would be easy for any young woman to fold beneath the pressure, or unravel under the stress of proving she was at par with her mostly male colleagues. Or feel intimidated by a mostly male presence in the boardroom.

Iteet proved to have more fortitude and sensibility to rise above all that and shatter the so-called glass ceiling. She was sharp, competent, strong, and no challenge was big enough to derail her. These helped her sail through a career growth that was nothing short of phenomenal.

Starting as a Sales Informa-

S

HORT LETHAL PUNCHES – Politics Philippines style is a game played by the moneyed and the powerful through dubious means if only to ensure their perpetuity in power. Political leaders of both the struggling leadership and the blabbermouthed opposition really have to change their ways. Unless they change their bad habits people do not see great changes in the near future.

CHEAPER CONSUMER ECONOMY – A rapidly changing economy is making the higher and fabulous lifestyle available only to the filthy rich and more of Toronto’s affluent population.

Even with the rising cost of living in the city of Toronto, Canada’s biggest and most progressive city, and recently rated as one of the world’s most expensive cities, small spenders and medium income families still have the option on how to spend their hardearned money wisely.

They are willing to spend more on affordable and cheaper stuff, notably on food. But where can you find a much economical and delightful food, it might be asked? Where else but oin the city’s side streets? What we mean actually are the colorful and nicely painted food trucks and food carts that had been for years become a permanent feature on the streets of Toronto similar to those that can likewise be found in the big cities of the US and other well-

What’s in a name?

What’s in a title?

them in one way or another.

I was in church with my two boys last Sunday. When the choir was already singing hymns, I took the chance to tell them something very important. When I brought them to Zamboanga, the real purpose was for them to appreciate their father’s ancestry. I also brought them to the reunion in Batangas for my side of the family. Both families honored the memories of our predecessors. How they came to the country, what they have done and most especially, what they are remembered for…

So, what’s in a name?

Literally, your name may have

meaning. Where it’s derived, who coined or invented it (if you can actually use that word). For our country, it could be the combination of your parents’ name. It could mean strength or weakness. But going deeper, when a friend or an acquaintance hears your name, what reaction would it draw out? A smile or a smirk, love or disdain?

I am writing about this now because I have encountered people who do not put too much weight on their name but on their title. Head, Manager, Atty., Doctor, Engr., Architect, VP, EVP, SEVP, FVP and the rest with all the charac-

vantage POINTS ters on it. I am not discounting the fact that some people have really worked hard for it. But what is really in a title?

I don’t think it automatically elicits respect. Respect is earned. It does not say that you are mighty and powerful because power dies with one bullet… or maybe even a heart attack. I remember a talk given by my former Sales and Marketing Head, he said, “Influence is more important than power”. A title, in my opinion, tells me of your service, of what you do. Even the President of the Philippines vows service to his country. Like the line from a Batman movie, it is not who you are, but what you DO… that defines you.

I don’t want to be remembered for my title, my rank, my success but for the service I have done. I want to be remembered for the positive impact that I had in a person’s life, for how I have made them feel. My wish is that when somebody I know hears my name, I would absolutely want a smile and definitely not… disdain.

From boardroom to classroom

tion (SI) Assistant in San Miguel Corporation Beer Division – Davao in 1996, she moved up to head the SI function for the whole of Mindanao in less than four years. After several months, she once again rose to SI Manager - Philippines. In less than five years, she was appointed SI Manager for the whole division, a post she held for over a year.

Iteet didn’t stop there. In 2008, she became San Miguel Beer International SI Manager, a post that no woman in SMB had held before. It seemed there was no stopping this powerhouse of a woman, despite her petite build and girlish look.

The women in the organization were amazed and proud of her achievements. Each time we heard she was moving up, in our minds we let go of a resounding ‘Go Iteet!’ So it came as a surprise to many when she left a thriving corporate career in 2008 to come home to Davao to be with her family.

Iteet is married to Dr. Victor Espino, a urologist, and has two adorable kids, Yves Angelo,

well as a coach under the UPSTREAM’s Management Development Program for Dole Phils. and Stanfilco.

Prior to her stellar career in SMC, Iteet was a Technical Assistant at the Office of the President-Mindanao. She had graduated Cum Laude from Ateneo De Davao University in 1994, with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and taking with her the title of Engineer14, and Ymari Victoria, 8. As her ing Division Awardee. work in SMB entailed a lot of inShe finished Master in ternational travel, time with her Management at the University family had been greatly compro- of the Philippines-Mindanao in mised. A combination of factors, 2010, achieving Academic Excelmostly personal, brought her lence and acclaimed as having to the decision of retiring early. the Best Strategic Plan Paper.

This showed her the real priority “I really love mentoring in her life – family. and coaching. When I was in Now, Iteet expends her San Miguel, I was so passionate time and energy at the Ateneo about developing people; it gave de Davao University College of me a real sense of accomplishEngineering and Architecture as ment,” she added. a member of the BS Industrial Iteet’s wise words to womEngineering Faculty. Where once en who aspire to blaze trails in she held power in her corporate the corporate world are inspirjob, now Iteet holds the power ing: be firm and focused; treat to mould the young minds of failure as a learning experience; students. start small, think big; keep a “Teaching had always been strong faith in God and in yourmy ultimate goal. After gradu- self. ation I went out to gain experi“Most important, establish ence in the workplace, so that I your personal values and don’t would have something concrete compromise them. In my case, to share to my students later,” I knew family comes first, that’s she said. why I didn›t have a hard time If you think it’s a shame for deciding what direction to take,” Iteet to keep her talents in only she said. one organization, you’ll be glad With what she has achieved to know she is also a consultant so far, Iteet very well deserves to in an Oxfam-assisted program retire early and engage in what for enterprise development, as she loves doing best.

Food truck boom taps into Toronto’s changing lifestyle

developed countries.

Food trucks and food carts are proliferating, specifically in front of the city’s parks, famous landmarks, historical sites and towering business structures.

While I was still in Toronto, I read somewhere in the pages of a leading newspaper that the food truck and food cart business had been in existence for years, owned and operated by some locals, and of course of different nationalities, notably Chinese and Indians who have already been granted citizenship sharing the business trend. Owners and operators are supported by the city government by way of extending loans intended primarily for small businesses. After years in the food truck and food cart business owners were already able to establish a market niche especially during the changing times.

But unlike here in the Phil-

ippines, Davao City for example where food street vendors conduct their trade with impunity and anywhere as they please, food truck operators in Toronto conduct their business only in designated and strategic areas where many people converge – public parks, entertainment and amusement places. Nobody is allowed to obstruct the free flow of human and vehicular traffic.

Understandably enough, their target market is the middle-income bracket and ordinary working force that form part of a huge consumer audience. The cutting edge of the food truck consumer boom is in full display, probably not only in the city of Toronto but likewise in other bustling Canadian cities.

Taking one’s meal at one of the food trucks that dot designated side streets, notably along the busy Queen St. West area, is

a unique experience. Aside from homegrown entries the menus in every food truck vary, ranging from burger, hotdog, pasta, sandwiches and other staple food with juices, to soft drinks and ice cream as refresher and thirst quenchers.

Food truck chain operators and food cart owners are banking on this social trend: consumers’ need for a fast and cheaper food, and the end result has been a boom in the prepared food truck business.

Well, attitudes toward spending money are fast changing. The intonation nowadays for the average Canadian family as in most of the world’s middleincome populations has always been--save, save and save. People today, many affected by lesser income and lack of job opportunities, have switched to spending less and less on everything, including food. Thanks to innovative and enterprising people like the food truck and food cart owners who painstakingly strive hard to obtain success in their chosen field, and who can dish out food fast enough for small spenders at very affordable prices.

Right now, economists and business analysts see a bigger chance that the food truck boom will continue and the rising number of customers will p rovide more encouragement to the owners and operators to strive even harder because their business symbolizes a cheaper consumer economy.

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

Mining’s window of opportunity

T

HE recent two-day 2012 International Conference on Mining in Mindanao hosted by the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) highlighted the widening gap between the mining industry and its oppositors. Too bad that it turned out to be a monologue which dwelt solely on the negative side of mining because representatives of mining were not invited to the conference. Which is understandable, given the apparently irreconcilable views of both sides which would have only resulted in a meaningless exercise “full of sound and fury signifying nothing”.

It is clear that neither side is about to give way to the other considering the stakes involved. The billions that the industry—for example, the Tampakan project of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI)—which is putting billions into its ambitious extractive venture, on one hand, and the alleged cost in human lives and the environment as pictured by those who oppose such mining activities, on the other.

In Mindanao or anywhere else, for that matter.

At the press conference that preceded the Ateneo event, resource speaker Clive Montgomery Wicks, reportedly a conservation and development consultant specializing on the impact of extractive industries on the environment, expressed alarm over SMI’s Tampakan project which he described in no uncertain terms as “very dangerous and could cause a bigger disaster” because of the large amount of toxic materials surrounding the project.

Most of the media practitioners listening to him expound on the negative aspects of mining certainly had read and heard about such dangers, but still could not imagine the amount of potential damage to the environment and human lives the way “experts” say they foresee. But then, we are no experts. We can only listen and wonder trying to make heads or tails of what the

9

“experts” say.

Like for instance, when Wicks was quoted to have said: “Digging a hole in the earth 800 meters deep tends to cause more seismic activities. With a number of volcanoes under, there is the probability of these volcanoes erupting. When they blow up, I don’t think there is hope for survival.” Did he really say that?

OMG, what a doomsday scenario that is. I cannot imagine what an 800-meter deep hole in the earth looks like, in the first place. And how come there are volcanoes down there? Our volcanologists never told us about it. I am not aware of it and I’m no “expert”.

Wicks seems to know a lot about Philippine mining activities, and he does not like what he sees. But he said something that should make us sit up and take notice. To correct lapses in the conduct of mining activities, he did say that there is a need “to put in place a structure that would look into mining policies to avoid the negative impacts of mining on the environment!”

There you are. A window of opportunity for the government and the mining industry to do what is right for the sake of the environment and, above all, people’s lives. Despite all the negatives inherent in the extractive industry that is mining, there can be a win-win solution to the controversy, as Wicks says. The problem with most mining activities in this country is the senseless willy-nilly extraction of mineral deposits in total disregard of the consequences to the environment and humanity. Wicks has pointed to the window of opportunity: The need for a structure that would STRICTLY ENFORCE POLICIES TO AVOID NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF MINING ON THE ENVIRONMENT! After all, God, who created the Earth, must have put all those minerals down there for a reason. One does not have to be an expert to realize that.

BizQUIPS ‘OUR lawyers are reviewing the decision of the Court of Appeals to determine the remedies available to us. Beyond this, we have no further comments.’

--Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Juan de Zuniga on the Court of Appeals decision to reopen Banco Filipino.

10 VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

COMPETITIVE EDGE

DaLight Panabo implements ‘One Number to Remember’ T

“

One number to remember, when customers want to talk to us,” says Engr. Reynold B. Felix, AVP and branch manager of the Panabo office of Davao Light and Power Company. Starting this year, customers of Davao Light in Panabo City, and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas can call the Davao Light call center and emergency services using one number (084) 822-3572 (DLPC). Just like placing a regular call, Davao Light customers in the above mentioned Davao del Norte franchise areas will not incur long distance charges when they call the number. This number can actually receive 10 simultaneous incoming calls, thereby increasing the number of calls that can be accommodated. Unlike before when there were three different numbers that could only accommodate three calls at any given time.

The new telecommunication set-up called E1R2 trunkline is like a dedicated highway exclusive for Davao Light and

CALL CENTER. Davao Light Call Center Service representatives using the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone system now receive calls through one number, (084) 822-3572(DLPC), coming from customers in Panabo City and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, which are under the area of responsibility of the utility’s Panabo Branch.

its customers, thus ensuring smooth flow of voice calls and data transfer. The new system utilizes a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which will allow Davao Light customers in Davao del Norte to experience services

that will be made available in the future via internet telephony. For easy recall, customers only have to remember the prefix “822” and “DLPC” which represents “3572” in a landline telephone set’s numeric keypad.

Tadeco gets PhilGap certification

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HE Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (Tadeco), which is engaged in the production and exportation of Cavendish bananas, has been bestowed a Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) certification for meeting high quality standards in its operations.

Tadeco) announced that it is now PhilGAPcertified starting January 4 this year until January 3 of 2013, after embracing PhilGAP requirements in assuring food safety.

The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards of the Department of Agriculture awarded the certification to Tadeco after verifying the firm’s compliance with food safety standards.

Tadeco quality management system manager Reagan Navarro confirmed this, saying that Tadeco vice president for research, information and compliance division Dr. Benny M. Corcolon received the certification from DA-BAFPS director Angelina Bondad.

Navarro said PhilGAP’s programs are parallel with

the aspiration of the company “being a good corporate citizen.”

She explained that PhilGAP standard is primarily designed to assure consumers on how food is produced on the farm.

Aside from assuring food safety, the requirement is also meant to minimize detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations, and ensuring a responsible approach to workers’ health, safety, welfare and hygiene.

Navarro said the Tadeco has complied with PhilGAP standards, adding that the company has established several programs that guarantee food safety.

She cited one program, the installation and enhancement of facilities for workers health, safety and hygiene.

Programs and policies for environmental protection have also been established, documented, implemented and maintained, she said.

Another best practice of the company is the strengthened partnership between management and workers

that “solidifies good labor relations,” she added.

Navarro said that ensuring food safety has been one of the priorities of Tadeco “in order to become competitive in the global market.”

“That is why it invested considerable economic resources on food safety protocol to ensure that the produced items have met the highest quality standard,” she added.

“Tadeco is the first producer and exporter of Cavendish bananas in the country to acquire PhilGAP certification, which further solidifies the tagline of Tadeco that says total quality is our way of life,” she said.

PhilGAP standards were set by DA-BAFPS which is mandated to formulate and enforce standards of quality in the processing of agricultural products.

Last year the DA-BAFPS inspected Tadeco’s packing houses, warehouses and field operations to check on the firm’s compliance with PhilGAP and the sustainability of its programs. [PIA 11/ CARINA L. CAYON]

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PIA, Globe partnership aimed at faster news dissemination

HE Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the official information arm of the government, partners with Globe Telecom for a Short Message Service (SMS) broadcast facility that aims to use text messaging as a faster means to disseminate relevant advisories, news and updates nationwide.

“The use of text messaging as a tool for keeping our citizenry informed and aware is timely, given that cellphones are now the most pervasive form of communication,” said Atty. Jose A. Fabia, Director General of the Philippine Information Agency, “Our partnership with Globe Telecom shows that the government and the private sector can work together and maximize resources to deliver public service to Filipinos from all walks of life.”

The PIA’s Text Blast is part of the agency’s initiatives to automate and expedite its

P

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

operations, specifically the dissemination of advisories, news and warnings to national and local government officials, police and military personnel, barangay officials and media nationwide. The PIA will utilize the TxtConnect service of Globe Business, the unit within Globe that services corporations as well as small-and-medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) with information and communication technology (ICT) services that match a company’s needs for cost efficiency, security, mobility, IT integration and reliable connectivity.

TxtConnect enables companies, schools and other organizations to transmit high volume of text messages to a pre-registered group of recipients, up to a thousand mobile users, in one sending.

It is better than doing individual text messaging as it is more efficient and offers reduced SMS rates. As a

web-based service, TxtConnect can be accessed anywhere at anytime and it is easy to manage, as it allows users to view transactions and summary reports online to know message recipients.

“We are honored to be part of this worthwhile initiative of the PIA which demonstrates a practical and relevant use of our ICT services to keep our citizens informed, warn them of impending disasters and even potentially save lives,” said Yoly Crisanto, Head of Corporate Communications of Globe Telecom.

Aside from the PIA, Globe also has partnerships with other government agencies and non-government organizations, using ICT services for a variety of initiatives, such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, PAGASA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

P1.3 B earmarked for electrification in Mindanao areas

RESIDENT Benigno Aquino approved recently the release of P1.31 billion for rural electrification program in Mindanao.

This was announced at the 1st Mindanao Congress of the Advocates for Renewable Energy and Rural Electrification and Development (MinCARED) organized by the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO) in Davao City last week by Administrator Edita Bueno of the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

Bueno said the program will benefit 100 barangays and 1,320 sitios in the islandregion.

She said the government will provide for the distribution system including the supply of kilowatt-meter to beneficiaries.

She added that beneficiaries from the sitios will each receive a P2,500 subsidy from NEA. The amount will enable them to buy two bulbs and two outlets as well as pay for the installation fee, according to Bueno.

“It is rather difficult for people from the sitios to cash out for the said materials and pay for the installation fee,” she said, adding that the beneficiaries are capable of paying the monthly bill which would amount to P75.00 at the minimum.

“The new lines will be turned over to electric cooperatives in the long run,” she said.

As of November 2011, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported that in terms of barangay electrification, Mindanao is already 99.84% connected.

The rural electrification program is aimed at generating jobs and stimulating small businesses in the countryside which are among the priorities of President Aquino’s social contract with the Filipino people.

While the rural electric cooperatives in Mindanao welcome this development, AMRECO President Sergio Dagooc said the rotating brownouts as a result of load curtailment by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is a major

blow to their customer service.

Mindanao is confronted with “red alert” status since the start of the year as a result of supply shortfall by 100 MW which prompted South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) to implement 45 minutes to one hour rotating brownouts within its franchise area: the whole of Sarangani, Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato.

“Power consumption in Mindanao has been steadily increasing at an average annual growth rate of 4.7% from 2002-2009,” said Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson during the second day of the congress.

She added that in the second quarter of 2010, the average and peaking capabilities of the hydro power plants at 982 MW dropped to 771 MW and 860 MW, respectively, resulting to 4-6 hours of daily brownouts in several areas in that year.

Antonino emphasized that the demand would increase by an average of 4.6% annually over the next 10 years.

“To meet and sustain this demand, at least 1,000MW new capacities must be installed over the next decade and still another 1,500MW from 2021 to 2030,” she said, adding that there is a need to ensure a dependable power supply in Mindanao and install a reliable power generation system that maximizes renewable energy and efficient distribution mechanism.

The Mindanao 2020

Peace and Development Framework Plan (Mindanao 2020) being pursued by MinDA has pointed to diversification as a recognized strategic move to cushion the impacts of supply shortfalls.

“However, this must veer more towards increased use of clean, renewable and indigenous sources of power to minimize costs attendant to importation, foreign exchange risks, and environmental impacts,” Antonino said, adding that MinDA will continue to do its share of making the necessary representation before the national government in collaboration with Mindanao LGUs, private sector and industry stakeholders.

Signed into law on February 17, 2010, MinDA is mandated to advocate for polices that will foster Mindanao’s integrated and balanced development.

MinDA aims to accelerate the socio-economic growth of the island-region by increasing its trade and investments, encouraging private enterprise and advancing efforts towards peace and development.

“All these years, energy and power infrastructure plans, programs and projects were largely prepared and decided upon in the national capital,” said Antonino.

Along this line, MinDA will ask the House of Representatives through the House Special Committee on Mindanao Affairs and Committee on Energy to investigate the power shortage which gained strong backing from the Mindanao electric cooperatives.

[MinDA]

BizQUIPS ‘WE lost an average of 2 percent of our GDP due to damage caused by extreme events during the last three years. Economic damage due to disasters have increased 18-fold since 1970.’

--Climate Change Commission head Mary Ann Lucille Sering

competitive edge

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

11

Cebu Pacific going into long haul travel in 2013

n No-frills airline to acquire 8 A330-300s

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EBU Pacific, in a bid to replicate its domestic success in the airline industry, will enter into long haul travel in the third quarter of 2013. To do that the no-frills airline will acquire eight wide-bodied A330-300 aircraft.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEB president and chief executive officer, said the plan is to capture the growing number of overseas Filipino workers, particularly those working in areas that are underserved by local carriers.

“We would like to offer (the opportunity for them) to come home (as many times as possible),” said Gokongwei, citing that in some long haul routes like Saudi Arabia, US and Europe, there are no direct flights.

This is the reason that the company is leasing the aircraft, at $220 million each, “all brand new” and can fly for 11 hours be-

fore refueling.

The company also chose the aircraft because Gokongwei explained, it will give the company “the lowest cost per seat,” he said, adding that the 16-year old company decided to acquire this type of aircraft because it will allow the company to “drive long haul fares 35% lower than those currently offered by other airlines.

Alex B. Reyes, company vice president for network and commercial planning, said the entry of the airline in the long haul market will also reduce fares from the average of about $1,000 a flight to even as low as about $500 a flight.

Reyes pointed out that this development will have a similar “Cebu Pacific effect” on the long haul travel like what happened in the domestic travel as well as the international short haul

travel like the four points in Asia.

Reyes cited as an example the case of Singapore, Hongkong, Malaysia and Taiwan, the total seats of the company between them and the Philippines in 2005 were at about 250,000 seats. Last year, he added, the traffic was at about 1.9 million.

“That goes to show that malaki ang tinaas namin,” he said. Gokongwei said the absence of local players in most international long haul routes pushed the company to venture into it. He pointed out that of the top 10 long haul routes, only two of them are being served by local airline. “Is there a market?

I think so,” he pointed out Reyes pointed out that the company is looking at increasing traffic between the Philippines and the long haul markets from 400 passengers a day to about 700 a day.

DA asks World Bank for MRDP’s extension

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HE Agriculture Department has asked the World Bank to extend the second phase of the Mindanao Rural Development Program and add additional P6 billion ($139.275 million @ $1=P43.08).

Both the additional funding and the extension are necessary, said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, considering that there are still projects that need to be implemented in the countryside.

In a press conference held Monday afternoon, Mr. Alcala pointed out that the additional funding will address the “excess demand” of some local government units, while the extension

will be the answer to the delay that the program suffered during the initial stage of implementation.

Of the $123 million funding, 30.5% of it was already implemented, he reported as he noted that disbursement will be faster as projects have already been implemented. Of the funding, $83.75 million comes from the bank in the form of soft loan while the rest is the counterpart both of the national government and the local government units.

The excess demand of the local government units are for more infrastructure facilities expected to drive economic growth

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., Mortgagee/Assignee, EJF-REM CASE NO. 13033-11 ROEL V. ELDUAYEN Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc., with postal address at the 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against ROEL V. ELDUAYEN, with postal addresses at 88 Lopez Joana, Mt. Apo St. DAVAO CITY and Lot 20, Blk. 6, Topaz St. (road Lot 6),CRYSTAL MEADOWS SUBD., BO. SASA, DAVAO CITY ,DAVAO DEL SUR, the mortgagor/s, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of January 25, 2010 amounts to One Hundred Ninety Eight Thousand Three Hundred Thirty Four Pesos and 85/100 (198, 334.85.00), Philippine Currency, exclusive of interest, penalties and charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 25% of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned will sell at public auction on March 22 2012, at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate/s of Title No/s. T-201353

“ A parcel of land of the subdivision project (Lot 20, Blk.6 , of the subdivision plan Psd-112402-034126 being a portion of Lot 26 (LRC) psd-97023) situated in the Barangay of Sasa, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of EIGHTY ONE (81) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS. xxx”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the abovestated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on April 19, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, January 11, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) NICOLAS L. SUMAPIG

Sheriff IV Noted by: SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff Copy furnished: The Mortgagee- Balikatan Housing Finance,Inc. The Mortgagor- ROEL V. ELDUAYEN PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge- 2/13,20,27)

in the rural areas, he added, pointing out that the proposal is already included in the shopping list that the government submitted to the bank November of last year.

The bank, in response to the request, will grant it if by its evaluation, the implementation of the projects is “satisfactory,” said Carolina Figueroa-Geron, its team leader monitoring the project.

Ms. Geron pointed out that a satisfactory rating means that project implementation is on time and that there are no major problems encountered. So far, Ms. Geron said, the rating of the

bank of the implementation of the project is satisfactory.

The Davao Region, represented by Gov. Rodolfo P. Del Rosario, chair of the Davao Integrated Development Program, pushed for the extension and expansion of the program as this will help local government units address the need for more projects.

In the same press conference, Mr. del Rosario pointed out that through the program, local government units were able to streamline their systems in program implementation as well as in paying their loan obligations.

“This project,” he said, “involves the community in the con-

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., Mortgagee/Assignee,

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13032-11

SPS. JOEL P. ENERO AND REBECCA A. ENERO Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc., with postal address at the 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against SPS. JOEL P. ENERO AND REBECCA ENERO, with postal addresses at Bunawan Davao City and Lot 1, BLK 3, Jade cor. Road Lot 14, MARIETA VILLAGE, BRGY. TIBUNGCO, DAVAO CITY ,DAVAO DEL SUR, the mortgagor/s, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of Fbruary 18, 2010 amounts to Two Hundred Eighty Thousand Six Hundred (280,625.00), Philippine Currency, exclusive of interest, penalties and charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 25% of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned will sell at public auction on March 22 2012, at 10:00 A.M.., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate/s of Title No/s. T-195753 “ A parcel of land (Lot 1, Blk.3 Psd-11-013698 being a portion of Lot A-2 , Psd11-007077) situated in the Barrio of Tibungco, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE (181) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS. xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on April 19, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, January 11, 2012 FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) NICOLAS L. SUMAPIG Sheriff IV Noted by:

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff Copy furnished: The Mortgagee- Balikatan Housing Finance,Inc. The Mortgagor- SPS. JOEL P. ENERO AND REBECCA A. ENERO PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge- 2/13,20,27)

sultation stage. It starts from the Barangay Development Council where each sector of the community has a representative to have a voice in the planning stage.

He even urged other national agencies to come up with similar programs as part of the devolution of their functions to the local government units as specified in the Local Government Code of 1991.

“We need not only the responsibilities (spelled out in the devolution process), but we also need the money to implement them,” he added. When the implementation of the second phase of the program started in 2007, some local government units found it hard to avail of the loan as they claimed they could not afford to fund their share.

The initial concept was the loan would be equally divided between the national government and the local government units. There was even a proposal that part of the share of the local government would be converted to grant if the specific local government unit was able to increase its revenue collection and improve its governance.

Despite the incentive, some local government units complained that they could not afford to pay their share.

After the delay of 18 months in the implementation as a result of the problems of some local government units, the Agriculture department decided that these local government would only pay one-fifth of their share as the rest would be shouldered by the department.

Camella eyeing more properties to develop

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AMELLA Communities, the subsidiary of the publicly-liste Vista Land Co., is looking at dominating the property development market in this part of the country as it scouts for more properties to develop.

The company, which is implementing two big projects in the city, has already been negotiating with some landowners, although company manager Marlon Nino B. Escalicas said all these negotiations are still in the initial stages.

“Our plan,” Escalicas said, “is to develop projects both in the southern and northern parts of the city.” He took note that these new projects will take place as soon as the negotiations are finalized.

“We want to immediately start these projects as soon as possible,” Escalicas said, pointing out that both two ongoing projects – the Cerritos in Mintal and the Northpoint in Bajada – are already 60% sold.

Cerritos, a 15-hectare project named after a place in Southern California, will have a mall component, the Star Mall. Escalicas said the company is planning this year

to build the mall.

The other project, the condominium Northpoint, already has three of the five buildings, with the fourth building also to be constructed this year.

“We still bullish with the market here,” said Escalicas, adding that last year was an unprecedented last year as its revenues increased by 70% compared with the previous year, although he did not mention the actual revenue as this was the policy of the mother company.

Escalicas said the company’s plan to put up more project is anchored on the continued entry of big companies willing to invest in the city, particularly mall developers Ayala Land Inc. and SM Development Corp.

The Ayala’s Abreeza, its joint venture with Anflo Management and Investment Corp. opened mid last year, while SM’s second mall, SM North, is expected to open in the first half of this year.

His company, he added, is going fullblast even when the city government decided to suspend the incentives granted to property development.

BizQUIPS ‘IF the sin-tax indexation bill is passed, a big chunk of that –as much as P30 billion – is being earmarked for health.’

--Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, arguing it is too early to talk about additional spending on health and education.

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA

12 VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

Rescued wildlife released into Tagum City’s forest A

FTER three months in captivity, wild animals were finally released into the forest of Hijo Plantation Resources in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City last February 1.

Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy ordered the release of the animals which was acknowledged by the Protected Area and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Office 11 headed by Leonilo Rivera.

Engr. Elias Ragos of the City Environment and Natural

Resource Office (CENRO) Tagum said it was Mayor Uy’s desire to release the animals in their natural habitat.

It may be recalled that the animals were rescued by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), from people who had reportedly illegally caught them, and turned them over to the DENR 11 who allowed the Tagum City government to keep them in the aviary section of the wildlife rescue center at Energy Park in Barangay Apokon for three months.

The local government re-

MACAQUE MONKEY. Personnel from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office of Tagum City carry the cage containing the set-to-

leased the animals when they showed poor appetite and some had not eaten since their captivity according to City Veterinarian Jesus G. Edullantes.

The release was witnessed by Director for Leisure and Tourism Roberto C. Solitaria of the Hijo Resources Corporation, who assured the authorities that the animals would survive in plantation’s forested area. Hijo forest is home to wild boars, monkeys, monitor lizards and wild birds, animals. Unfortunately, it was not reported what kind of animals were released.

be released macaque monkey in Hijo Forest in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT. Governor Migs Dominguez, with wife Tisha, receives the Education Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Education - Sarangani Schools Division head Allan Farnazo, with his assistants Evangeline Pacumba and Socrates Mabalot,

DavNor to launch special programs

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HE provincial government of Davao del Norte will set its special programs into motion to make the province a top tourist and investment draw, as well as, to attain inclusive sports development and a highly-skilled work force.

The undertaking will consolidate into one mini-convergence the programs, projects and activities of the Provincial Tourism Division, the Technology and Livelihood Development Center (TLDC), the Provincial Sports Development Division, as well as, the Provincial Investment and Promotions Center.

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, in his maiden 2012 press conference at the Capitol, told members of the media the province will be launching its special programs on February 27, 2012 at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Mankilam, Tagum City.

He said the venture intends

South Cotabato studying proposal to declare Tampakan mountains a protected watershed

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HE South Cotabato provincial board is studying a proposal of local Catholic church leaders to declare the mineral-rich mountains in Tampakan town as a protected watershed.

South Cotabato Vice Governor Elmo Tolosa said the board has received the letter submitted by Fr. Gillarme Joy Pelino, Social Action Center director of the Diocese of Marbel, seeking such declaration.

“We have discussed the proposal and came to an agreement that it should be studied carefully,” Tolosa said.

Once the Tampakan mountains are declared a protected watershed, any form of mining and other environmen-

tally-destructive activities will eventually be banned in the area.

Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), which is backed by Xstrata Copper, the world’s fourth largest copper producer, has been pursuing a largescale copper and gold mining project in Tampakan, which reportedly hosts the largest known undeveloped coppergold deposit in Southeast Asia.

But the bid to bring it on commercial stream suffered a major blow early this month after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) rejected its application for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

An ECC is one of the re-

quirements before a mining venture is allowed to proceed to commercial phase.

The denial of SMI’s ECC was due to the open-pit mining ban imposed last year by the provincial government of South Cotabato.

With the ECC rejection, Catholic Church leaders in the area urged the board members to continue protecting and upholding the environment code and pass an ordinance for the declaration of the mountains in Tampakan as a protected watershed area.

Marbel Diocese Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez separately wrote South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. to facilitate the declaration of the mountains

in Tampakan as a protected watershed area and to stand firm in banning open-pit mining method in the province.

Board member Jose Madanguit, vice chair of the board’s environmental protection committee, said he favors the declaration of Tampakan as a protected watershed.

Madanguit was chair of the committee on environmental protection of the previous SP that approved the environmental code that bans open-pit mining in the province.

But as a whole, Tolosa clarified that the provincial board has no common stand yet regarding the proposed declaration. [PIA/CARINA L. CAYON]

Taliño-Mendoza grants P4 M for USM lab

A

SSISTANCE. Gov. Emmylou “Lala” J. Taliño-Mendoza signs a memorandum of agreement with University of Southern Mindanao president Dr. Jesus Antonio G. Derije for the enhancement of existing laboratory facilities at USM at the governor’s office in Amas, Kidapawan City.

NORTH COTABATO Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Talino-Mendoza signed last month a memorandum of agreement with University of Southern Mindanao president Jesus Antonio G. Derije providing P4 million for the upgrading of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Mobile Vet Clinic and the Agriculture Mobile Laboratory guarantee a low cost neighborhood health clinic for animals and offer technical assistance to farmers.

Equipped with up-todate amenities, the CVM

Mobile Vet Clinic is designed to reach out to more areas throughout the province offering a convenient nearby clinic that will provide health care services to animals, pets, livestock and poultry.

Also furnished with the necessary tools, supplies, and equipment of outpatient service for dogs, cats, and livestock, the mobile clinic will be providing FREE physical exams, vaccinations, dental care, parasite control treatments, and render diagnostic procedures, including ultrasound, blood, urine and fecal testing for animals with the same high quality, complete healthcare of a standing veterinary clinic.

On the other hand, the Agriculture Mobile Laboratory program aims to perform diagnostic services for the nutritional management

of oil palm, rubber and other crops. Besides offering technical assistance to farmers regarding the interpretation of laboratory analyses results, it will also educate them on the appropriate fertilizer requirement of high-value commercial crops in different soil types.

The mobile laboratory will also provide procedural instructions about the production technology of crops included within the program. And while all other services shall be given

during the surprise tribute party honoring the governor Wednesday, February 1, at Paseo del Sol. For more news and updates, please visit the <a href= http://www.sarangani.gov.ph/ > Province of Sarangani </a> [Cocoy Sexcion/Sarangani Information Office]

FREE of charge, laboratory analysis shall be paid based on USM prevailing charges.

The services that will be provided by these two programs under the supervision of the provincial government and USM are going to be available for the period of five years unless terminated by both parties.

Expenses for the upgrading of both mobile facilities worth P2 M each will be drawn from the 20% General Funds of the Cotabato province.//IDCD-LAF//

to support his human-centered P.E.O.P.L.E. agenda, which stands for: People empowerment, Education, Optimum health and social services, Private-public partnership, Linking to the world and Employment and livelihood opportunities.

Del Rosario said the special programs are primarily aimed at “making Davao del Norte a premier tourist destination in Mindanao; attain effective and efficient implementation of comprehensive provincial sports; and, develop competent and highly skilled work force and entrepreneurs, as support system to the tourism growth and sports development.”

In order to achieve these goals, the governor revealed the province shall identify new tourism sites while improving existing ones, develop tourism allied skills and livelihood opportunities and develop sports tourism

in the province.

He acknowledged the tourism sector as the easiest source of revenue, since minimal resources are needed to develop the destinations.

“We shall provide access to these destinations and train the local people on how to produce indigenous products for the tourists,” he said.

Del Rosario further revealed the special programs will be under the helm of newly-appointed Assistant Provincial Administrator Romulo D. Tagalo, who is also the concurrent officer-in-charge of the Provincial Information Office.

He said, the Provincial Information Office, along with the Information Technology Division, shall provide the necessary support mechanism in order to bring development to depressed barangays that have tourism potential. [NOEL BAGUIO]

WB: DA program boosts income of Mindanao’s poor

T

HE World Bank sees a 15.46 percent rise in income of Mindanao poor as the effect of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) rural program.

WB lead rural development specialist Carolina Figueroa-Geron told reporters in a press briefing recent in Davao City that DA’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) has contributed to the increase in income of its beneficiaries who are mostly small farmers and fisherfolk.

Geron said that from the baseline of P71,822.00 income in 2007 it increased to P82,926.00 by midterm implementation of MRDP. “Despite the 18-month hiatus in the earlier part of implementation, the program is almost on-track in its implementation but has exceeded a number of its targets as of midterm,” Geron said.

In terms of household income, the Program targets an increase of at least 7% higher than the baseline by midterm.

Program director Lealyn Ramos said the strong part-

BizQUIPS

nership of the local government units and the Program’s holistic approach to development has seen positive results in the rural community.

“Aside from the Program’s design of holistic approach to development, we owe this feat to the strong support of the local chief executives who are at the forefront of project implementation,” Ramos said.

The program has a total fund of $123.57 million for its four major components: Rural Infrastructure (RI), which implements agri-infra critical to enhance productivity, like irrigation, farm-to-market roads, bridges, potable water supply, pre- and postharvest facilities; Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) that provides resource-based livelihood activities; Natural Resources Management (NRM) that puts in place environment conservation mechanisms; and Investment for Governance Reform, which prepares and capacitates LGUs in the delivery of basic services.[SHERWIN B. MANUAL/DAMRDP]

‘IT is necessary not to invite the mining companies because as like-minded advocates and anti-mining activists, we should be given time to share each other’s experiences and lessons in order for us to consolidate our position before we face them outside.’

--Party-list Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan on the recent International Conference on Mining in Davao City

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

COMMUNITYSENSE

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

PBSP touts ‘PlaCEs’ as business solution platform against poverty T HE country’s first and largest private sector-led social development organization is touting a platform of collective effort among the corporate sector, government, and other investors and stakeholders as an innovative business solution to eradicate poverty in the country.

The corporate-led Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) dubbed this new strategy as “Platforms for Collective Engagements,” or PlaCEs, with the aim of scaling up successful private-public partnership (PPP) models primarily in the areas of health, education, livelihood, and the environment.

Rafael C. Lopa, PBSP executive director, said a concrete translation of the PlaCEs strategy was already seen in the launch of the Bayanihang Pampaaralan (BP) campaign, a collaboration of PBSP, the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), the Philippine Busi-

ness for Education (PBEd), and other advocates of education reform in the country.

Lopa said this collective effort had set the goal of building 10,000 classrooms nationwide to help bridge the classroom backlog of over 66,000 classrooms of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“It is in these PlaCEs where we hope to mobilize strategic financing from our members and donor agencies that can pave the way to more dynamic and coordinated multi-stakeholders partnerships,” Lopa said.

Given the positive response in the education-related PlaCE, the establishment of other PlaCEs is being pursued in the other PBSP focus areas of health, environment protection, and livelihood and jobs generation, Lopa added.

“Beyond our collective action strategy, we will keep on working closely with companies to take social development at the heart of their businesses

by integrating core business solutions to development efforts, and providing policy and advocacy platforms for social change,” Lopa stressed.

Moreover, he said the PlaCES strategy will underscore efforts to establish PPP models, specifically in the delivery of public services and the development of infrastructure that would spur social development and improve climate change adaptation.

On the recent commemoration of its 41st year, PBSP has further strengthened its efforts with the business sector in reaching out to the country’s marginalized sectors.

“To truly effect collective impact, we saw the need to ensure that every program must have a common goal, a cohesive strategy, and a uniform parameter that synchronizes all the efforts of the business sector and other development stakeholders. Certainly, the sum is greater than the parts,” Lopa said.

OFWs urged to fight human trafficking thru social media

A

former domestic helper and migrant worker advocate here has urged Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are working in safe environments to unite in a fight against human trafficking through the social media.

Myrna Padilla said OFWs who are in a position to help should connect with each other via social media to provide a network capable of assisting the most vulnerable among the OFW communities.

Padilla developed the

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., Mortgagee/Assignee,

recently-launched social media website called OFWwatch.com after seeing the need to help the government protect migrant workers, especially those who are abused by their employers, victims of human trafficking and other distressed OFWs.

COACHING ENUMERATORS. DSWD enumerators are all ears as Kristine Capalongan [center], Project Coordinator of DSWD National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction [NHTS-PR] provides technical assistance during a recent household validation of Indigenous Peoples and Informal Sector in Davao Region. To determine the tribe and

“Although many of our OFWs are working in safe environments, the horror stories of abuse are an almost daily occurrence with the impact hitting the most vulnerable sector of the OFW population made up of unskilled women workers,” she stated.

She said that OFWs “in secure and safe positions should rally together via social media to look out for the most vulnerable among the OFWs community.”

Padilla, who now owns a business process outsourcing (BPO) in Davao City, said social media could empower migrant workers to watch out for each other and to combat abuses and human trafficking.

She said the OFWwatch.com is a combination of Facebook and mo-

BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., Mortgagee/Assignee,

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13030-11

MAE LYNN D. DORINGUEZ Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc., with postal address at the 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against MAE LYNN D. DORINGUEZ, with postal addresses at 7-1 Del Pilar St., Agdao, DAVAO CITY and Lot 18, Blk. 4, LA VERNA HILLS SUBD., BO. PAMPANGA ,DAVAO CITY DAVAO DEL SUR, the mortgagor/s, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 09, 2010 amounts to Two Hundred Eighty Nine Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Five Pesos (289,625.00), Philippine Currency, exclusive of interest, penalties and charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 25% of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale;the undersigned will sell at public auction on March 22 2012, at 10:00 A.M.., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate/s of Title No/s. T-179643 “ A parcel of land of land of the consolidation-subdivision project(Lot 18, Blk.4 of the consolidation –subdivision plan Pcs-112402-001422 , situated in the Barangay of Pampanga,,City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FORTY FIVE (145) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS. xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on April 19, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, January 11, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

(SGD.) NICOLAS L. SUMAPIG Sheriff IV Noted by:

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff Copy furnished: The Mortgagee- Balikatan Housing Finance,Inc. The Mortgagor- MAE LYNN D. DORINGUEZ PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge- 2/13,2027)

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13031-11 RETCHEL P. DIABORDO Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc., with postal address at the 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against RETCHEL P. DIABORDO, with postal addresses at 30 Juan dela Cruz St. Davao City and Lot 20, Blk.48, Turkey St., CABANTIAN COUNTRY HOMES, BO. CABANTIAN, DAVAO CITY ,DAVAO DEL SUR, the mortgagor/s, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of May 06, 2011 amounts to Two Hundred Eleven Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Pesos (211,250.00.00), Philippine Currency, exclusive of interest, penalties and charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 25% of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale;the undersigned will sell at public auction on March 22 2012, at 10:00 A.M.., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate/s of Title No/s. T-215056 “ A parcel of land of land of the consolidation-subdivision (Lot 20, Blk.48 of the consolidation –subdivision plan Pcs-112402-001696 , situated in the Barangay of Cabantian, ,City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of NINETY SEVEN AND 100/65 (97.65) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS. xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on April 19, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, January 11, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) NICOLAS L. SUMAPIG Sheriff IV Noted by:

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff Copy furnished: The Mortgagee- Balikatan Housing Finance,Inc. The Mortgagor- RETCHEL P. DIABORDO PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge- 2/13,20,27)

occupation, the validation was conducted involving some 396 enumerators, 66 area supervisors and 11 area coordinators. NHTS-PR is a data management system that makes available a database of poor households as reference in identifying beneficiaries of social protection services. [DSWD/Carmela CadigalDuron]

bile technology that allows OFWs to register their mobile and Facebook accounts.

The website has developed a database of thousands of addresses, telephone numbers, maps and emails of organizations involved with the OFWs, Padilla disclosed.

She cited that their database includes list of over 3,400 recruiting agencies nationwide licensed and registered with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

A directory in the website contains the normal addresses, telephone numbers, maps and descriptions of the OFWs, Padilla bared.

She added that the directory also has a link to POEA’s database “to check on the validity of a recruit-

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY

13

er’s license and a sophisticated rating and review system.”

“If we can use social media to rate restaurants, then we can use social media to rate recruiting agencies and other businesses delivering services to the OFWs,” she said.

The OFWwatch.com has a long-term objective “to create an interconnected network of OFWs all over the world and provided them with the tools required to help each other.

Padilla was a domestic helper for over 20 years and was the founder of the Mindanao Hong Kong Workers’ Federation. She returned to the Philippines in 2006 and has since established her own BPO business called Mynd Consulting. [PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON]

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11th Judicial Region Branch 17, Davao City REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff,

CIVIL CASE NO. 32,378-08 FOR: ESCHEAT

-versusDEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES,DAVAO BRANCH; EQUITABLE PCI BANK (NOW BANCO DE ORO), AGDAO, BANGOY,BANKEROHAN, C.M. RECTO, R. MAGSAYSAY, AND SAN PEDRO DAVAO BRANCHES; LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, DAVAO (RECTO) BRANCH; MAYBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES , DAVAO CITY BRANCH; METRO BANK, AGDAO, BAJADA, BANKEROHAN, DAVAO CENTER, DAVAO DOCTORS, RIZAL, STA. ANA, AND D. SUAZO BRANCHES, PHILIPPINE BANK OF COMMUNICATION, MONTEVERDE BRANCH, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK, TORIL ,DAVAO BRANCH; PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANK, DAVAO BRANCH; AND ALL CREDITORS/DEPOSITORS AS LISTED IN ANNEXES “A” TO “I” THEREOF, Defendants, x------------------------------x ORDER The plaintiff Republic of the Philippines filed the instant Complaint, praying that after publication and hearing, judgement be rendered declaring that the deposits with the defendant banks, credits and unclaimed balances in question be escheated to plaintiff Republic of the Philippines, and commanding defendant banks to forthwith deposit the same with the Treasurer of the Philippines.

Finding the Complaint to be sufficient in form and substance, set hearing of this case to May 21, 2012 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, directing all interested persons to appear on the said date ; and to show cause, why plaintiff’s prayer should not be granted.

Plaintiff through counsel, is directed to publish this Order, at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, prior to-the-date of hearing, in a designated and assigned qualified newspaper of general circulation, pursuant to Act No. 3986.

Furnish a copy of this Order to the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Davao City, for raffling of the publication.

SO ORDERED.

Given this 16th day of January 2012 at Davao City, Philippines

(SGD) EVALYN A. MORALES Presiding Judge Serve on: Asst. City Prosecutor Carlos Castaños- City prosecution Office Solicitor General- 134 Amorsolo St. Legaspi Vill. Makati City The Clerk of Court-RTC hall of Justice, Davao City (Edge 2/06, 13 ,20)

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

ICTHUB

14 VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

Facebook poised for $5-10 billion in IPO

Philippine IT-BPO company builds social media application to fight modern slavery T T

HE Philippines is a nation of migrant workers or Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). At any given moment, there are over ten million Filipinos, or roughly ten percent of the country’s population working abroad. Although the majority of Filipino migrant workers are successful, the horror stories of abuse are an almost daily occurrence. Unfortunately, the impact of that abuse hits hardest on the most vulnerable sector of the OFW population made up of unskilled women workers.

According to Myrna Padilla, founder of a Mynd Consulting the Business Process Outsourcing company in the Philippines that specializes in mobile and social media applications, Facebook and mobile technology can be used to empower the strongest OFWs to watch out for the weakest among us and to provide the world with an example of how to apply technology to fight human trafficking.

“Let’s face the facts.” says Padilla. “The sheer size of the world’s migrant population makes it very difficult for any government agency charged with protecting the migrant to do their job without help. We want to use platforms like Facebook, combined with check-in and mobile technology, to help fight the evils of modern day human slavery.”

Padilla said, “The Philippines supplies the world with millions of highly educated and technically advanced profes-

sionals and dedicated domestic workers. These are migrant workers who are making significant contributions to the success of their employers and to the societies of their host countries. “ “We are not a nation of helpless victims,” says Padilla.

“We are a nation of innovators and we can provide an example for other migrant communities to follow.”

Using a combination of Facebook and mobile technology, her team has built a website called OFW Watch, that allows OFWs to register their mobile and Facebook accounts. The long term objective is to create an interconnected network of OFWs all over the world and provide them with the tools required to help each other and help the world fight modern day human slavery.

According to Padilla, the Philippines IT-BPO Industry has been developing a reputation for innovation. The industry already has overtaken India as number one in voice services worldwide and is quickly establishing itself in other areas as well. The industry has been developing a growing expertise in both mobile and social media application development.

As for the Filipino people, the OFW Watch group points out that the Philippines is consistently one of the top countries in the world in the use of Facebook with over 90% of the OFW population with internet access having a Facebook account.

PADILLA

As for her new initiative, Padilla says,” There is no name for what we are trying to do.

OFW Watch is not just another social network, although it does take advantage of Facebook and Twitter platforms. And our intended use of check-in technology and mobile applications are not traditional. Maybe one day the experts will refer to it as a social monitoring and mobilization platform.”

Padilla sums up what they are doing by saying, “We can hear a cry for help, even in the dark.”

The group behind OFW Watch contends, the first sign an OFW or migrant worker is suffering enslavement or abuse is when the employer cuts off the victim’s communication with the outside world. They refer to this as ‘going dark’.

Through the use of checkin technology, the anonymous monitoring of login activity on

social networks and mobile applications, the group claims they can detect when someone is forced to go dark. This in turn triggers alerts to the network to take action.

However, detecting a cry for help is only half the problem, the other half of the problem is taking action. With 10 to 12 million OFWs, the task of helping can be daunting. For example, within the Philippine Department of Labor there are a total of 9,800 employees and only a small number of that group are tasked with OFW/ migrant issues. The numbers are simply overwhelming.

OFW Watch seeks to turn the problem of overwhelming numbers into the solution. They point out that because there are literally millions and millions of OFWs scattered throughout the world, no matter where an OFW may need help, there are usually hundreds, if not thousands of fellow OFWs within a few kilometers. The group behind OFW Watch believes they can mobilize nearby OFWs by using call center technology developed by the Philippine Business Process Outsourcing Industry to help government agencies or NGOs in reaching out to the distressed OFW. Ms. Padilla says, “Having been an OFW myself for over 20 years, I know 70 to 80 percent of the OFWs would respond to a call for help from a fellow OFW, if only given the opportunity to do so.”

The OFW Watch group believes it is not just a case of the Filipino caring for each other, but when someone is torn from their family for years at a time, they seek something to bind them back home. Helping each other serves as a way of reestablishing that bond.

To get things started and deliver immediate benefits to the OFW community, the OFW Watch website has developed a database of thousands of addresses, telephones numbers, maps and emails of organizations involved with the OFW. The database includes the normal address, telephone number, maps and descriptions, but there is where the familiar directory ends. The Directory also includes a real time link to POEA’s database to check the validity of a recruiter’s license and a sophisticated rating and review system.

“If the world can use social media to rate restaurants,” said Padilla, “then we can use social media to rate recruiting agencies and other businesses delivering services to the OFW.” When asked about the concerns of some that the internet and mobile technology are out of reach of the most vulnerable sector, the OFW Watch group points out that today’s high-end smart phone will be next year’s mid-priced or low-end solution and that the number of people with access to the internet is growing not shrinking.

HE prospectus for an IPO could be filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as early as Wednesday morning, according to US media reports, although they stressed there was still a possibility it could be delayed.

The Wall Street Journal broke the news of Facebook’s impending IPO last week, saying the Palo Alto, Californiabased company planned to raise $10 billion at a valuation of between $75 billion and $100 billion.

The $10 billion target had been halved to a more conservative $5 billion in reports emerging late Tuesday in The New York Times and International Financing Review.

The publications stressed, however, that $5 billion was only a preliminary fund-raising target and could always be raised after gauging investor interest.

The initial IPO filing was not expected to specify how many shares were being offered or their list price.

It would also not put a valuation on the company nor identify which exchange Facebook shares would be traded on -- the Nasdaq stock market or the New York Stock Exchange.

In any case, Facebook shares are not expected to begin trading until at least May, once the IPO process is finalized.

With a deal size of $10 billion, Facebook would slip into sixth place on the list of largest US IPOs between AT&T Wireless Group ($10.62 billion) and Kraft Foods ($8.68 billion), according to Renaissance Capital.

Even at $5 billion, it would still be the largest IPO ever by a US Internet company, surpassing that of Google which raised $1.9 billion in 2004 and valued the Web search giant at $23 billion.

A market capitalization of $100 billion would put Facebook on a par with McDonald’s ($101 billion), well ahead of Boeing ($55 billion) but behind Apple ($426 billion) and Google ($189 billion).

A Facebook IPO would be “the biggest financial event in the tech industry for 2012,” Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff said, and would eclipse those of several other Internet companies that went public in 2011.

Career-oriented social network LinkedIn was undervalued while online daily deals site Groupon and social games titan Zynga have both been trading at or below their list price.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has deflected IPO talk for years, saying he is focused on building the company and not on going public.

But Zuckerberg, who launched Facebook from his Harvard University dorm room in February 2004 and has seen it grow to more than 800 million members, has recently seemed to bow to the inevitability of selling stock to the public.

Morgan Stanley is expected to be the lead bank for the IPO and IFR said Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and JP Morgan would also play a role.

According to eMarketer, Facebook’s global revenue was $4.27 billion last year, mostly from online advertising.

Google employs ‘Bouncer’ to keep malware out in app

G

OOGLE announced that it has commenced automatic scanning of all applications found in its Android Market in the wake of malware scares and consumer concerns over inapp spyware.

Google’s automated scanning service is codenamed Bouncer and “provides automated scanning of Android Market for potentially malicious software without disrupting the user experience of Android Market or requiring developers to go through an application approval process,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of engineering, Android in a post on the Google Mobile Blog.

Bouncer is used to scan both existing apps within the store and new apps that are submitted to the store. It is also intended to prevent repeat offenders from signing up for a developer account under a new pseudonym.

Prior to the introduction of Bouncer, Google usually only investigated apps if users downloaded, installed and then flagged an app after they discovered something was awry.

In December security company Sophos revealed that at least ten thousand users had downloaded malicious

apps from the Android Market.

Google, however, reported that downloads of potentially malicious apps in its app store decreased by 40 percent between the first and second halves of 2011.

“While it’s not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market -and we know the rate is declining significantly,” said Lockheimer.

Google said it reached a record 11 billion app downloads from its Android Market in January. Apple announced that users had downloaded 18 billion apps from its App Store in October 2011.

Apple is notorious for its rigorous and stringent app approval process -- application approvals in the App Store can sometimes take months.

Both Android owners and developers are praising Google’s enhanced security measures. Android owners say that Bouncer will help protect them from harmful apps while developers are pleased that Google is not changing its relatively fast and easy process of submitting an app to the Android Market

BizQUIPS ‘THE lessons of past tragedies should by now already strengthened and stabilized disaster management and responsive in every nook and cranny of our local units as natural disasters could now strike anytime…’

--Senator Chiz Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

15

The Business PAPER

EVENTS

E-mail: edgedavao_editorial@yahoo.com.ph

CELEBRATE LOVE IN ABREEZA MALL T

HE Love Month kicks off this February in Abreeza Mall with events and promos sure to tickle your romantic side and provide the perfect ambience for that moment to remember.

LOVE TO SHOP! Grab the best selection of HIS and HERS items in the LOVE MARKET, a unique fair for couples who want to be seen as a pair from February 4-9 at the Activity Center. Find the perfect gift for your loved one in SWEET TREATS BAZAAR from February 10-14, 2012. From chocolates, flowers, cuddly bears and whatnot, make it memora-

ble for that special someone this Valentine’s Day. LOVE TO DINE! Valentine’s Day is more special with surprise gifts for couples who dine in the wide array of restaurants and food outlets in Abreeza Mall. Good food and music come together in MOONLIGHT SERENADES at the GF Restaurant Row and 3F Roof Garden on February 14, with live acoustic renditions from our best local talents.

LOVE TO WATCH! Go stargazing in Abreeza Mall this February. Catch Xian Lim on February 10 as he walks the ramp in a PreValentine Fashion Show by Orotime. Watch John Lloyd Cruz and the cast of Unofficially Yours on February 13, be a part of the Valentine Concert of MYMP on February 14 and have the unique privilege of watching Charlie Green, British-Filipino singing star on February 17.

Shop and dine in any store in Abreeza Mall and get a chance to pick an instant prize for your Valentine! With all the things we love to do happening in Abreeza Mall, love is truly in the air. Happy Hearts Day!

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

Davao Partner

Establishments

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

‘Love is in the air’ at Eden Nature Park Bring back that lovin’ feeling on Valentine’s Day as Eden Nature Park and Resort, Davao’s most romantic nature getaway, presents “Love is in the Air”, a romantic Valentine dinner on February 14, 2012.

Take part in this onenight only rendezvous and enjoy a delectable feast with your loved ones while being serenaded with heartwarming love songs. Dinner and event tickets are available for only PhP 475 (adult)/ PhP 285 (kids).

Experience the warmth of the season as you spend a chilly night in a pine forest.

Stay at the resort on Valentine’s Day and enjoy their specially priced overnight rates for as low as PhP1,610 (Aster Room, standard twin) inclusive of dinner, breakfast and entry to the swimming pool and fishing village.

Special overnight rates for Holiday Lodge, Vista Cottage, Camellia, Gardenia and Begonia room accommodations are also available.

Re-ignite the passion and fall in love all over again, only at Eden Nature Park and Resort. Make your reservations now at the Sales Office at Matina Town Square, Matina or call tel. nos. 299.0313/299.1020/ 296.0791, mobile no.

918.930.7590, email info@ edennaturepark.com.ph.

Check out their website at www.edennaturepark.com. ph

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

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YOUTH TRENDS

VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

The Manila String Machine performs at SM Davao VALENTINES is sweeter at SM City Davao!

The country’s top string musicians play music for the heart and soul this Valentine weekend at SM Davao. On February 12, The Manila String Machine, a quartet composed of 3 violinists—Ferdie Dumlao, Silke Hipolito and Rommel Camba; and one cellist—Theodore Amper, is set to make everyone fall in love with their music.

The four members of the group, products of the UP College of Music, are actively involved in professional orchestras. The ensemble regularly performs symphonic and classical pieces with foreign artists, as part of their musical discipline and profession in concerts nationwide and abroad, as well.

This Valentines, SM City Davao brings exquisite melody for everyone.

Experience a unique kind of music, from classical to rock with stringed instruments! Enjoy Manila String Machine’s edgy renditions of pop and classical favourites specially arranged for the string ensemble.

Admission is free. On Sunday, bring your ‘special someone’, beloved family and your friends at The Event Centre of SM City Davao, where we all come together! Show starts at 5 PM. For inquiries please call 297.6998 local 126. Visit www.smcitydavao.blogspot.com or like SM City Davao on Facebook for event and promo updates.

Valentines party menu V

Celebrate the Love Month at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao IT’S all about the right pairings on the love month of February as Waterfront Insular Hotel brings you perfect combinations.

Impress your date with La Parilla’s Black Angus Surf and Turf. A perfect combination of Black Angus beef, tempura prawns, and calamari with a dash of black peppercorn sauce for only Php990 nett.

Everything is better in twos this Valentine’s Day at the Pirata Bar as you share a mixed grilled seafood platter for two with that special someone. Dine on fresh squid, tuna belly, mussel and scampi, served with salted egg and seaweed salad, and of course, rice good for two.

Have a spicy sweet Valentine’s at the Vinta Bar with Pacman Chicken, chicken wings lollipop wrapped with minced chicken and wanton skin, served with our very special Waterfront chili sauce.

Say “I love you” better with a heart shaped pizza, topped with diced chicken, bacon and minced beef, pineapple bits and mozzarella cheese at Pizzaiolo or share the love with friends and family all month long with Café Uno’s 4+1 promo at only Php650.00+ per person.

And finally, make her heart will skip a beat, after a bite of Jupiter Terrain, the Pizzaiolo’s Cake of the Month, a chocolate mousse with nougatine, lemon crème and chocolate sponge; coated with chocolate glaze and garnished with chocolate heart at Php260 per slice.

For more information call the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao at +82.233.2881 extension 8701 or visit our website at www.waterfronthotels.com.ph.

ALENTINES is one of the most popular holidays in the world and is celebrated by different people in different ways. Whether you would want to whip up some food and drinks for your Valentines date, or throw a party for the family or a group of friends, you would appreciate this collection of simple recipes that are perfect for Valentines.

Creamy Garlic-Asparagus Soup This smooth soup leaves a sexy feel in your mouth while giving off muchappreciated aphrodisiac properties from the asparagus and garlic—two of the most popular aphrodisiacs in the world. To make it, simply melt a dab of butter in a soup pan and then add three cloves of minced garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add two cups of water, a pound of asparagus and two whole potatoes and allow it to boil until the vegetables are for tender. Put this mixture in a blender or food processor and blend it until you get a smooth mixture. Then put the blended mixture back to the soup pan, add two cups of milk and boil some more. Add a dash each of dried oregano and basil and one bay leaf then season (add salt and pepper) to taste. Boil until all the flavors have combined and serve hot with sprigs of boiled asparagus or fried garlic chips.

Garlic-Oyster Pasta This delicate pasta fills the tummy and contains one of the most popular

aphrodisiacs: Oysters. To make it simply sauté ten cloves of minced garlic in two tablespoons of olive oil and a dab of butter until it becomes fragrant. Then, add a teaspoon of dried basil and about a pound of oyster meat (removed from the shells) until it is all cooked through. Add grated parmesan cheese to taste and some cracked black pepper. Then, add some cooked spaghetti or linguine to the hot pan and combine until the pasta absorbs the sauce.

Serve hot.

Flirtini Cocktail This refreshing cocktail is perfect for special occasions and is the perfect accompaniment to your aphrodisiacladen meal. To make this gorgeous cocktail, simply combine an ounce of vodka, and two ounces each of pineapple juice and champagne in a champagne flute.

Drop a piece of cherry as a garnish.

Death by Chocolate This cocktail/dessert has some of the sexiest ingredients: alcohol, chocolate, cherry, and coffee, combined in a smooth slush.

To make it, simply combine

two scoops of plain choco-

late ice cream, an ounce of chocolate syrup, an ounce of coffee liqueur (Kahlua is a popular brand), an ounce of vodka, and a cup of crushed ice in a blender until you get a smooth slush. Pour the mixture in a hurricane glass and top with whipped cream and a piece of cherry.

Strawberry Skewers This simple dessert is not only sexy, but it is a treat to eat. To make it, simply push through fresh strawberries on bamboo skewers and top with store-bought chocolate syrup.

Easiest Red Velvet Cup-

cakes These cute cupcakes are the perfect ending to a perfect Valentines dinner. To make this easy-as-pie pastry, simply combine two cups of sifted self-rising flour, one and a half cups of white sugar, and two tablespoons of cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, combine three-fourths cups of oil and two eggs. Then, simply add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while stirring. Once the mixture is fully combined, add in two ounces of red food coloring and place the red mixture into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. Bake this at 350 degrees Celsius until inserted toothpick comes out clean. This should take about twenty minutes. Top with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the following ingredients using an electric mixer: a stick of softened butter, a stick of cream cheese, a cup of powdered sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 in the evening. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist on twitter. com/zhaun

EDGEDAVAO HEALTH THE BUSINESS PAPER

Heart care

F

EBRUARY is Heart Month!

We should take time out and think about our hearts. Are we kind to our hearts? Are we taking care of our hearts? The human heart is one of the most important organs in your entire body and if you don’t take care of it properly, it could cost you your life.

The choices you make today will impact your life tomorrow. This may sound like advice parents give their children, but it is especially true when it comes to taking care of your heart. While some risk factors for developing heart disease are beyond our control, such as age, race or family history, certain lifestyle choices we make in our 20s, 30s and 40s will definitely impact the quality of life in our 50s, 60s and 70s.

There are a few things that are absolutely essential to keeping your heart healthy.

This includes eating healthy, exercising regularly and taking supplements to keep yourself in tip-top shape.

Heart disease does not develop overnight. It is a gradual, lifelong process that people cannot see or feel. Physical inactivity, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes have all shown to influence the development and severity of heart disease. Fortunately, you can take steps now to prevent heart disease and enjoy a healthier life in

the years to come.

Put out that cigarette.

People who smoke run twice the risk of having a heart attack as a non-smoker.

There are more than 4,800 chemicals in tobacco smoke, including tar and nicotine.

This toxic mixture can raise blood pressure, increase the tendency for blood to clot, harden the arteries and restrict blood flow to the heart.

Smokers are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than nonsmokers.

Start moving.

Exercising 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week has shown to improve heart function, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, boost energy and help maintain a healthy weight. Walking is a good activity that is easy to incorporate into a daily routine.

According to the American Heart Association, every hour spent exercising now can add about two hours to your life expectancy, even if you don’t start working out until middle age.

Eat a nutritious, healthy diet.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lowfat dairy products should be the routine. Try to limit your intake of saturated fats (beef, butter, cheese or milk) and trans fats (deep fried foods, margarine or crackers), which

There are a few things

that

are

absolutely essential to keeping your heart healthy. This includes

eating

healthy, exercising regularly and taking supplements

to

keep yourself in tiptop shape.

can raise blood cholesterol levels. Adding fish, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, to your diet can help decrease the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure and guard against irregular heartbeats.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Your heart has to work harder if you are overweight.

You also have an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Waist measurements of more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women are

considered indicators of being overweight. Exercise and good nutrition are the only ways to maintain a healthy weight, not fad diets or supplements.

Other steps you can take to prevent heart disease include limiting alcohol, being screened for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, reducing stress and managing diabetes, if you have the condition. Taking care of your heart now doesn’t mean a life of self-deprivation. Eat one more serving of fruit instead of chips. Take a walk after a meal instead of a nap. Heart disease may be the leading cause of death in the United States, but by adopting a healthy lifestyle today you may avoid heart problems in the future.

Blood Pressure If you want your heart to be healthy, you need to keep your blood pressure in line.

Thousands of people suffer from high blood pressure, and high blood pressure is very, very bad for your heart. I f you have high blood pressure, you should regulate the cholesterol in your diet and take a dietary supplement recommended by your doctor. By controlling your blood pressure you’ll be doing your heart a big favor.

By watching your blood pressure and diet and exercising regularly, your heart will reap the benefits of greater health and you’ll reap the benefits of a healthy heart. Let’s take good care of our hearts!

Wishing you a healthy and happy heart!

FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

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TRAVEL

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VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

Finding inspiration T

HE dictionary defines inspiration as the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. And oftentimes when I am in need of such, I take a few days off to catch some inspiration.

Inspiration comes in many ways, shapes, and forms. It may come in the way the architecture and surroundings, the smell and taste of food, or even just

from something you see or read while walking. And that is why i was extremely excited with a walking tour around Bugis, Singapore’s culturally rich Arab quarter which I was not able to explore the last time I was in Singapore.

I started the day with breakfast at the Landmark Village Hotel’s Club Lounge together with the hotel’s General Manager, Chew Yun Meng, Far East Hospitality MarCom Executive,

Dennis Yong and Business Development Manager, Eugene Lee. Conversing while enjoying the view, I learned that Village Hotels and Residences, owned and operated by the Far East Hospitality Group, 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. And since the Landmark Village Hotel is right in the middle of Bugis, I become more excited and did not want to waste another minute.

From the Landmark Village Hotel and with the knowledgable Andrew Tan, Landmark’s Assistant Front Office Manager, leading the way, me and Sunstar Davao’s resident traveller Jing-

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from many regions of the world.

Name a type of cuisine, be it French, Italian, Indonesian, Malay, Mexican, Chilean, Swedish, Bugis is just full of restaurants and eateries. “Every road has a place to eat and chances are that when you turn a corner you will find discover a new restaurant of cafe” beams Andrew “there is even a cafe here that serves great Tea Tarik but has no name, but it has been there for years yet it still has no name and the locals still flock to it.”

And after thousands of steps and perhaps as many calories from tasting the food, we returned to the Landmark Village Hotel. Where I finally noticed the little details of the hotel that pay homage to the area around it following the Village Hotel’s brand philosophy of embracing the area’s local culture. Now I can definitely say that I am inspired, correct that, amazed. Amazed that in the face of modernism, Singapore still retains its natural and unique “kampong” or village appeal.

You can learn more about the Landmark Village Hotel and its 393 rooms and suites by visiting their website at www.stayvillage. com/Landmark.

All set for Kalilangan Festival

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goy S. were given an insider’s tour of the many streets and alleyways of the district.

The most prominent landmark in Bugis would be Singapore’s largest mosque, the gold-domed Masjid Sultan that is just diagonally across the hotel. History and architecture buffs will love the many beautiful shophouses that is the norm in the area. One can also visit the Malay Heritage Centre which used to be the official residence of the Sultan of Johor before it was converted into a museum. if you look hard enough, you can find the Children Little Museum along Bussorah Street where one can step into Singapore’s past.

Shopaholics can shop for Persian rugs, fabulous textiles and exotic perfumes from the many shops lining Arab Street. If you are looking for quirky things, try visiting Haji Lane, Singapore’s “smallest street”, where artisan food shops, services and boutiques flourish. Mallrats can also opt to shop at the Bugis Junction and Iluma malls which is just a short walk away.

And don’t even get me started on food!

Bugis hosts an eclectic mix of many different restaurants

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VERYTHING is set for the 16th Kalilangan Festival and the 73rd Foundation Anniversary celebration of General Santos City on the theme “ CONVERGENCE IN DIVERGENCE: Enriching Heritage, Bridging Cultures.”

Festival Director Mimi Abiera presented the activities and the highlights which, unlike other festivals, focuses mainly on the cultural aspect.

But it prides itself as a festival of excellent folk choreography, a showcase of the tri-people’s (Christians, Muslims and Lumads) heritage and culture and the fostering of mutual respect for their diverse beliefs and values.

A Soft Opening will be held as early as Feb. 10 with various amenities inside the Oval grounds to be opened--like the Agri Fair, Mini Zoo, Plaza Bazaar, Food Galore and Carnival rides.

Institutional events like the Grand Opening ceremony is slated on Feb. 21, the Cultural Night (“Lambigitan”) on the 23rd and the Closing or Salubungan on Feb. 27, 2012.

On the festival day’s finale, contingents from all over will show their dancing prowess in the Kadsagayan or Street Dancing vying for the biggest prizes at stake.

The Kalilangan has also its yearly favorites which draws crowds because of its uniqueness and sheer attraction to the public.

The ethnic sports competition “Laro Ng Lahi” will again dazzle audiences with traditional games like Kadang Marathon, Sack Race, Patintero, Palosebo, Tug of War, Sungka, Skipping Rope, Tabanug (kite-flying) and the board game Dama.

The Cosplay, short for Costume Playing, is a new and upcoming excitement for the young and the techno-savvy, only this time, Pinoy characters will be highlighted, not foreign ones.

For 17 days, the people of Gensan will witness song, dance and theatrical presentation, sports tournaments, visual arts exhibit, agricultural exposure, free seminars, cookfest, animal shows, gadgets demo, a fun run and parties.

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FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012 VOL. 4 NO. 49

19

DavSur to launch ‘Run to Plant’ Undefeated boxer dies for Green Philippines, Feb. 20 A A

Private-Public-Partnership involving local government units, private sector, academe and civil society in Davao del Sur set to launch the Run to Plan for Green in Philippines on February 20, 2012.

In fulfillment of the National Greening Program (NGP), the provincial government, the Holy Cross of Bansalan College, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) and the Lao Integrated Farms, Inc. agreed last January 23 to carry out together the run for the environment activity.

A memorandum of agreement will be signed during the launching activity that will involve the signatures of Governor Douglas Cagas representing Davao del Sur and Holy Cross of Bansalan

president RVM Sr. Maria Fe Gerodias.

Also among the MOA signatories will be RAFI chief operating officer Dominica Chua to represent the civil society and LIFI owner and chief executive office Benjamin Lao, who will stand for the private sector.

Prior to the launching, an orientation activity to tackle the NGP as well as the rationale and details of the run is scheduled on February 8 at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall in Barangay Matti, Digos City.

Davao del Sur provincial information officer Nilda Aninon said the orientation will be participated in by the 14 municipal mayors the Digos City mayor, and the provincial officials of the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources (DENR) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Aninon said the Run to Plant for Green in Philippines is an initiative of RAFI that aims to help the local government in its sustainable reforestation program as mandated under Executive Order No. 26 or the NGP in a bid to fight against climate change.

The Green in Philippines initiative stands for Generation, Redemption and Expansion of Natural Resources.

President Benigno Aquino signed the EO 26 on February 24, 2011 that aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares nationwide for a period of six years from 2011 to 2016.

Aninon said Gov. Cagas issued on November 23 last

year the provincial Executive Order No. 37 for the implementation of the NGP in the province.

In April 2011, the convergence initiative of DENR, Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform in Davao del Sur also started implementing the NGP by identifying an aggregate of a 200-hectare area for the convergence.

About 500 hills of trees are planned to be planted per hectare, which would bring about 100,000 planted trees as required per province under the NGP. The DENR-DA-DAR convergence has also begun employing its social mobilization program that involves students, religious sector, academe and the civil society groups. [PIA/CARINA L. CAYON]

N undefeated Filipino boxer has died after sustaining head injuries during a fight and falling into a coma, a hospital official said Saturday.

Flyweight Karlo Maquinto, 21, died in hospital on Friday, Dr. Chester Tan, a surgeon at the Far Eastern University Hospital told Agence France-Presse.

The right-hander, fighting only his ninth bout as a professional boxer, was taken to hospital last Saturday after rallying from two early knockdowns to salvage a majority draw against fellow Filipino Mark Joseph Costa.

Maquinto, 8-0-1 with six wins by knockout, collapsed after the four-round bout in northern Manila.

Rhoby Orata, another member of the hospital

medical staff, told ABSCBN television in an interview that Maquinto was diagnosed with brain swelling, with a blood clot also detected at the right side of his brain.

“From the start Karlo’s prognosis was not good,” Orata added.

Boxing is an extremely popular sport in the Philippines, which has two reigning world champions in welterweight Manny Pacquiao and bantamweight Nonito Donaire.

Pacquiao, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, is regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history, amassing a 54-3 win-loss record with two drawn bouts. He holds a record eight world titles in as many weight divisions.

Beckham sent off at kids’ match Wilson aims for 2nd straight win at Phoenix Open golf F M OOTBALL icon David Beckham was shown the red card and ordered out of a park while watching a children’s match, he said in an interview to be screened Saturday.

The former England captain was sent off after protesting a decision to send off one of the youngsters, he told ITV television.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, 36, who was waiting for a match his nineyear-old son Romeo was due to play in, had to go and stand outside the park gate until the game was over.

“I was watching the kids play the other day, it was the game just before they were playing,” he said.

“It was the younger kids of Romeo’s club, and they’re playing in the game and there was a penalty given.

“He sent the kid off. And I was like, ‘Come on, he’s seven years old, referee, you can’t send him off’.

“And he looked at me and was like, ‘Yes, I can’.

And I was like, ‘OK, well, you can’t, he’s seven years old’.

“And he came over and gave me a red card. He told me to get out of the park. For

BECKHAM

“The gate was only 20 yards away and I waited and went back in when my son’s game was on.”

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star said his family was happy in California and did not rule out having more children with his wife, former Spice Girls singer Victoria. The couple have three sons and a daughter.

“We might have one more or two more, you never know. We’re not thinking about it yet, but if it hap-

pens, great. We’re enjoying the kids as it is. It’s always a thought.”

Beckham, England’s most capped outfield player, has set his sights on captaining Great Britain at the Olympic Games in July and August, to be held in his native east London.

Beckham’s contract was up at LA Galaxy but last month but he has agreed a new two-year deal contract with the US champions, rejecting offers from Paris Saint-Germain and two English Premier League clubs.

best of them all in the 2011-12 Philippine Cup. “Pinagtrabahuhan ko talaga ng husto iyon. I just don’t stop trying to improve my game,” said the Best Player of the Conference winner.

He doesn’t intend to slow down.

“Hindi ako hihinto magpakondisyon. Wala pa naman talaga akong naa-achieve.

Hahabolin kong magkaroon ng championship,” said David So far, he has got two finals appearances, including the one rewarding him a lucrative contract-extension deal.

As merely 10th draft pick in 2004, David started in the PBA with a monthly pay of only P70,000.

With his improvement came his wage increases. He received P250,000 a month in 2009, P300,000 in 2010 and P350,000 at present.

Realistic that he can’t play forever, David has made some investments, having a 10-door

residential/commercial apartment in Pandi, Bulacan.

“I’m planning to add more apartment units and enter into livestock business,” said David, married to Jenny Rose with two kids in Maxene (turning nine on Feb. 8) and Gariel (4).

David has gone a long way from being just an intramural player at Lyceum, the same school he later powered to three runner-up finishes in the NCRAA versus a star-studded St. Francis of Assisi team led by brothers Yancy and Ranidel de Ocampo.

From Lyceum, he hooked up with the Montana Pawnshop team in the defunct PBL, winning an MVP award in 2003.

In the same year, he made the Philippine team to the Vietnam SEA Games, starring with De Ocampo, James Yap, Rich Alvarez, Marc Pingris, Celino Cruz, Ervin Sotto and Wesley Gonzales in bringing home the gold medal.

real.

Powerade rewards Gary David with lucrative 3-year contract

G

ARY David is getting his due as the acknowledged franchise player of the Powerade Tigers.

Joining the ranks of the PBA’s elite stars following his A-1 performance in the justconcluded Philippine Cup, David will be rewarded accordingly by his team, to be given a three-year contract-extension deal worth P15.1 million.

Powerade top official JB Baylon has confirmed they’re giving David the maximum monthly pay –P420,000 -- allowed under the league’s amended salary cap rule.

“Masayang-masaya ako nagbubunga ang pinaghihirapan ko,” said David. “Wala pa naman formal na signing. Pero umoo na si Boss JB. Wala ng mahabang negosasyon.”

Worth emulating is David’s story.

From a mere college intrams player, the Dinalupihan, Bataan player has risen to be a PBA major star, emerging the

ARK Wilson has a wealth of experience when it comes to defending PGA Tour titles, and No. 1 on his list of do’s and don’ts is to set modest goals.

“I guess the main thing is try to keep the expectations out of it and just go out there and play golf and add it up and see how well I’ve done,” Wilson said Wednesday.

Wilson comes into the Phoenix Open as one of the favorites after already posting one victory this year at the Humana Challenge tournament.

The 37-year-old American will be making his first start since his two-shot victory 10 days ago when he tees it up Thursday in the Arizona desert.

“The main thing, I guess, is that any tournament that I’ve won I’ve gone into with very low expectations,” said Wilson who posted his fifth career win and third in the past 13 months at the Humana.

“I am not trying to win the tournament, just go out there and play the best I can and see what I shoot.

“When you tend to go back to a place where you’ve won, you start comparing yourself to the previous year.

“My idol I think is Bruce

WILSON

Lietzke. I don’t want to misquote him, but I thought I remember him saying, he doesn’t want to get better, he wants to stay the same, and what I think he means by that is if he hits a seven iron 160, he doesn’t want to get stronger and all of a sudden start hitting it 165 because then he’s going to be past the hole.”

Wilson is looking forward to playing the TPC Scottsdale course this year because temperatures are expected to be much warmer than last year.

He won last year in a Monday finish, beating Jason Dufner on the second extra hole.

“I don’t really think of this as a bomber’s course too

much,” he said. “It was cold last year so it played a little longer than normal.”

Wilson will get plenty of competition from Scotland’s Martin Laird, Americans Phil Mickelson, Johnson Wagner, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Brandt Snedeker who is fresh off an improbable win at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“I think when I miss the cut, it’s not enjoyable for me to watch on the weekend. I feel like I kind of beat myself up over it, so I try to let it go,” said the left handed American who is hoping to rebound from a disappointing first round fiveover 77 and a missed cut at the Farmers.

class fighter who can never be taken for granted and continues to prove he is one of the best in boxing,” Mayweather said.

“It will be a challenge for me to compete with him at this weight, but this is the type of test I thrive on and gives me the motivation to train even harder. I have no doubt in my mind that my title belt collection will increase once again and Cotto’s reign as champion will come to an end on May 5.”

Mayweather, who has won titles in seven weight classes, won his only other fight at super welterweight in 2007 with a split decision over Oscar de la Hoya for the World Boxing Council title.

Cotto defended his crown last December by stopping Antonio Margarito in the 10th round.

“I am here to fight the biggest names in boxing,” Cotto said.

“I’ve never ducked anyone or any challenge in front of me. I have accepted everything to give the fans what they like — great and exciting fights.

“Stay tuned because I will convincingly beat Floyd Mayweather.”

Mayweather had made a deal for a May 5 fight but Pacquiao had wanted a June date to maximize revenue for what figures to be the biggest-paying blockbuster in boxing history, if it happens, which now cannot happen until late this year.

Pacquiao is still deciding who he will face in a fight to be staged in May or June.

Cotto and Mayweather have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight. Mayweather’s insistence on such methods helped scuttle prior talks for a Pacquiao fight.

Mayweather to fight Cotto, not Pacquiao

U

NBEATEN US boxing star Floyd Mayweather announced Wednesday he will fight Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto on May 5, ending hopes for a showdown with Manny Pacquiao before November.

Mayweather will step up from the welterweight ranks and fight for Cotto’s World Boxing Association super welterweight crown in Las Vegas before he begins a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 after a domestic violence conviction.

Boxing fans have long sought a matchup between Mayweather and Filipino icon Pacquiao.

Mayweather even made a Twitter challenge for the Asian star to “Step Up, Punk”, but they could not work out a deal so Mayweather went to Cotto.

“Miguel Cotto is a world

20

VOL. 4 NO. 49 FEBRUARY 06 - 12, 2012

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