Edge Davao 5 Issue 106

Rock-style daw ni nga ballet show.

EDGEDAVAO P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

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Science/ Environment

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Page 7

BALLET SHOW. Margie Moran-Floirendo of Ballet Philippines and Habitat for Humanity promotes Encantada, the most awarded ballet show in the country, slated on August 9 at RSM Events Center of Philippine Women’s College during Kapehan sa Dabaw yesterday at SM City Davao. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Property

Page 7

Food poisoning downs Ateneo head,168 others

By Jade C. Zaldivar

T

HE president of the Ateneo de Davao University and 168 other persons suffered food poisoning after partaking of packed lunch last Sunday.

The victims were 152 students and 12 school officials, in-

Sports

Page 16

n 50 admitted to hospitals, 119 out-patients

cluding university president Fr. Joel Tabora SJ. They were attending a leadership seminar dubbed “Sui Ge-

neris: A Leaders’ Gathering with Fr. Joel Tabora SJ”.

The other victims were two employees of the catering ser-

vice, an elevator operator, a janitor and a driver.

The packed lunch was served at 12 noon by caterer MTC Rebosura, a food service company said to have been accredited by the university since 2010. By 2

Journey begins for Barriga

FFOOD, 13

By Neil Bravo

W

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ITH a s i x- i n c h disadvantage in height, Mark Anthony Barriga must start getting used to looking up than down. His entire Olympic journey will be just that—like climbing a mountain.

“Everybody knows there is no downhill in this journey,” reminds Barangay Una project director Gene Rose Tecson, who has seen Barriga box as a raw nine-year old into a pocket-sized punching package inside the sweaty boxing hall in

Panabo City.

From the small city in Davao del Norte, Barriga has travelled halfway across the globe to London and in this biggest sporting stage that’s called the ultimate dream of all athletes.

At sun up this morning, Barriga will join the rest of the field in Olympic boxing for the general weigh-in where he is expected to easily hurdle the lightflyweight limit (48-kg). After which Barriga should be having breakfast that’s just enough for him to carry to the fight.

The 19-year old Panabo kid fast earning the monicker Pocket

Pacquiao among his fans, will climb the ring at 2:30 in the afternoon today. Across the ring on the other corner will be a Italian stallion in Manuel Cappai, all of 5-foot-6 and bronze medal winner in the European Qualifiers.

Cappai, also 19, has a 60% winning percentage through his amateur career. He is described by Barriga’s corner as a clone of Zou Shiming of China, the man who is likely to hang that gold again at the end of the competitions.

But never tell that to Barriga.

The 5-foot bunch of brawn and boxing brain is not about to give up

FJOURNEY, 16

2

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Muslim village in Davao gets food on Ramadhan I

KADAYAWAN. Duaw Dabaw’s Lisette Marques reveals that the city government of Davao allocated P6.3 million for this year’s Kadayawan Festival during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

DSWD’s SIGLA to pilot 5 CICL in Davao region

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

F

IVE children in conflict with the law (CICL) from the Davao region who are being served in the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) will undergo pilot-testing by the Supervised Independent or Group Living Arrangement (SIGLA).

This, according to Darlene Ruz Dancan, planning officer of DSWD central office, who was present during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and orientation on SIGLA with the

judiciary, local government and Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee yesterday at the Apo View Hotel here.

“SIGLA intends to facilitate the smooth reintegration of discharged CICL into the mainstream society, especially those under such circumstances where family reunification or other alternative family care placements are no longer possible.”

Dancan said upon the MOA signing, this year is the national implementation of SIGLA that will

end by 2014, adding that five regions are involved namely, the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 2, 4A, 6 and 11.

There 24 clients of SIGLA nationwide, specifically two from Region 2, two from Region 4A, five from NCR, 10 from two centers in Region 6, and five from Region 11.

Dancan said institutionalizing SIGLA as a strategy in CICL’s smooth reintegration to the mainstream society in the absence of a family was

leading to where Pairat was buried.

“Pairat’s family said] na may civilian contact yung NPA na nagdala ng [information] regarding sa location ng remains,” said Lt. Col. Krishnamurti Mortela, commander of the 67th Infantry Battalion yesterday through text message.

Acting on the information, government troops found Pairat’s remains last week.

Mortela said Pairat was last seen in Barangay Kipolot, Quezon, Bukidnon, while on his way to visit his family.

“While in the service,

Sgt. Pairat was actively involved in Communitybased projects to help alleviate the lives of the poor in Davao Oriental,” Mortela said.

Pairat’s death strengthen’s the commitment of soldiers to serve the welfare of the people as a way to peace, he added.

“His death sends an appeal to all wellmeaning individuals and groups to condemn the indiscriminate violations of human rights and international law as perpetrated by the OCG (organized crime group) of the NPA,” Mortela said.

FDSWD’S, 13

Find missing soldier’s remains on P30-T tip T

By Jade C. Zaldivar

HE remains of a soldier who had been missing since February 6 last year were exhumed by government troops last July 23 in Barangay Pagan, Kiatotao, Bukidnon.

Staff Sergeant Wilton Pairat of the 67IB was on his way to visit his family when he was abducted and murdered by elements of the New People’s Army (NPA).

After more than a year, members of Pairat’s family reported to government troops that the NPA had contacted had asked for P30,000 in exchange for information

EDGEDAVAO

NA, who looked seventyish, waited patiently at the corner of the unlit and bare health center of Barangay Muslim Village while the staff of MediSense Lab Center prepared the packed foodstuff for distribution on Saturday.

Ina, who grew up when her tribe would reckon a person’s age by counting only the full moons and rice harvests, was sitting in a bench along with her daughter and a granddaughter, all of them pale with hunger while they observed their second day of fasting on Islam’s holy month of Ramadhan.

Several minutes later in that early afternoon, Erna Gabagaba, officerin-charge of the Davao City office of MediSense Lab Center, and Barangay 76-A Councilor Nancy Cortes, explained the food donation as part of the personal philanthropy of the owner, Nadia Al-Hamoud, to help her fellow Filipino Muslims.

The foodstuff was not cooked in deference to the fasting season, but consisted of rice, canned goods and noodles, intended for more than 200 families already identified as the most needy in this already indigent com-

munity three kilometers west of downtown.

Gabagaba said the donation was worth more than P20,000 and was being done every year since this accredited medical diagnostic center for overseas Filipino workers was established, first in Bacolod in 2002, and later in six other cities in the country.

She said that Nadia AlHamoud is a Filipina Muslim married to a Saudi national.

The diagnostic center office here is one of only two government-accredited medical certifying agencies in Davao City, and has catered also to many manpower agencies recruiting many Muslims in the central Mindanao area.

Gladies Mae Gerones, administrative officer of the Davao City branch, said that the philanthropy of the owner has also touched the personal lives of the staff, who are mostly Christians, and many of whom also came from other provinces.

Gabagaba, for instance, came from Bacolod City.

Hasmin Andal, information officer of the Barangay Muslim Village Youth Association, said that residents of the village mainly rely on the

construction binge in the city to sustain their families. “But often, families go hungry, and malnutrition is high among children, almost all of whom do not even have slippers.”

“Teenage pregnancy is very high here, as parents neglect their girls to look for any income-generating work,” she added. “Either the girls go out with the boys or are forced into early marriage due to tradition.”

Mark Buisan, president of the youth association, said that many small houses have either three to five families cramped inside.

Barangay Councilwoman Nancy Cortes said Muslim Village is composed of some 500 families, “but we would consider that still mild compared to the Bucana area”.

“It’s the worst poverty in my barangay,” she said.

Barangay 76-A is the largest among the city’s 182 barangays, with 180,000 residents. The Bucana area accounts for 60 percent of the population, hemmed in by the Bankerohan River bank in the east and the cramped Times Beach area in the south. The Muslim Village is the westernmost village of the barangay.

[MindaNews]

run sponsored by Phoenix in Davao City, adding that the company had so far also held eight fun runs outside Davao.

Phoenix corporate affairs manager Ben Sur said the company is committed to finance the planting and nurturing of 10,000 trees in the watershed every year, but with the fun run’s aim to plant one tree per runner, the figures will even be doubled or tripled.

Sur added that aside from adopting a watershed, in collaboration with the Davao City Water District (DCWD), Phoe-

nix also adopted coastal areas in Bunawan, and a three-kilometer river bank of the Davao River as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Cabreros said the Phoenix Foundation has no particular amount intended for CSR as it had been, especially during times of emergency and disasters.

She added that the Phoenix Foundation started off with one percent of its net income in 2007-2008 as seed fund.

The Kadayawan Phoenix Run 2012 is open to

ration of the shortlist to be submitted to the President until that issue is resolved by the Supreme Court.”

Senator Joker Arroyo read the resolution at the plenary late Monday afternoon after an almost twohour caucus where the senators also reiterated their previous position on the

representation of Congress to the JBC. ”The resolution No. 2 is to reiterate the position of the Senate that representation to the JBC by Congress must be one from the House of Representatives with one vote and one from the Senate with one vote also,” Sena-

Phoenix fun run to benefit Talomo-Lipadas watershed

P

ROCEEDS of the Kadayawan Phoenix Run 2012 on August 12 will go to the program designed to save the threatened Talomo-Lipadas watershed, according to officials of the sponsoring Phoenix Foundation.

The fun run is also a campaign to help the environment by encouraging every runner to practice the 3R’s, which stands for reduce, reuse and recycle.

Lawyer Socorro Ermac Cabreros, Phoenix assistant vice president for corporate legal, said this will be the fourth fun

FPHOENIX, 13

Senate asks JBC to defer final vote on shortlist for next CJ

T

HE Senate adopted on Monday three resolutions asking the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to hold in abeyance any final vote on the shortlist of nominees for next Chief Justice.

In the first resolution, the senators requested the JBC “to defer the consideration of all nominees in the prepa-

FSENATE, 13

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

3

SouthCot mulls body to resolve land claims

T

HE provincial government of South Cotabato plans to create a special body that will address the pending land claims and disputes within the province and pursue their immediate settlement.

Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Monday they came up with such move following a meeting late last week with officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) over the worsening cases of land conflicts in several parts of the province.

“We want all these cases resolved and settled the soonest possible time because some of them have already resulted to violence and have become irritants these past months,” he said in a radio program hosted by the provincial government.

During the meeting, the governor said DENR, DAR and NCIP officials agreed to resolve the problem by way of upholding the ownership over the disputed lands of persons or families who possess legally-issued titles and other related instruments.

He said they also recommended the observance of a “status quo” over disputes involving titled lands that were subjects of ancestral domain claims.

“Our position was to respect the stake of the title holders to put order to all these claims, pending the determination of the proper owners of the disputed lands,” Pingoy said.

The governor said the three agencies also agreed to hasten the processes involving the land claims and disputes and initiate regular dialogues with the involved parties to prevent the possible

escalation of violence within the disputed areas.

He cited the case of the land dispute in Poblacion in Tantangan town that already resulted to the killing of a local resident last April.

In Polomolok town, he said a resident of Barangay Koronadal Proper was shot recently as an offshoot of heated land conflict in the area.

Earlier this year, the provincial government sought for the suspension of a banana plantation expansion venture in Barangay Koronadal Proper due to a conflict involving portions of the project area.

The banana expansion project covers portions of around 80 hectares of private titled lands that were being claimed by the family of Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander Nadsid Faisal as part of their ancestral lands.

Pingoy said tension has continued to grip the area as some landowners reported cases of harassment allegedly perpetrated by an armed band sympathetic to the land claimants.

He said the provincial government initiated a dialogue between the contending parties and initially resolved to observe a status quo in the area.

Recently, the governor said tension also heightened in Barangay Glamang after a group of claimants also forced their way into some private titled lands in area.

He said the claimants were insisting that the titled lands were also part of their ancestral lands.

“We’re continually monitoring the situation there because it remains volatile but we’re very hopeful that this matter will eventually be resolved in a peaceful manner,” Pingoy said.

[ALLEN V. ESTABILLO/MINDANEWS]

No more photography fees for Kadayawan

O

RGANIZERS of this year’s Kadayawan 2012 have declared that they will be doing away with fees from photographer hobbyists during the festivities.

“We will not be having fees for non-media photographers and hobbyists for access during the Kadayawan event says Lisette Marquez of Duaw Dabaw Foundation, one of the organizers of the Kadayawan Festival.

However Marquez

said that they will be establishing mechanics for accreditation applicable to camera clubs or to individuals particularly since they would want to impose some regulation for security reasons and to relieve congestion.

The move to impose fees for non-media photographers and photography hobbyists in last year’s Kadayawan created a backlash of criticisms against the imposition of such fees.

FNO, 13

MOUTH-WATERING. Apple Legario, public relations officer of SM City Davao (center), together with Marco Salazar, Foodcourt supervisor (left) and Vincent Rebosura, Foodcourt manager hold plates of mouth-watering dishes

cooked with Durian as ingredient during the launching of “Kadayawan Feast of Flavors” yesterday at SM City Davao. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Sharp decline in fish catch in Davao Gulf confirmed

By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro

A

STEEP decline in fish catch and fisheries resources within the Davao Gulf was noted in a 10-year survey on small-scale fishermen conducted from 2000 to 2010.

The survey was part of the nationwide study of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) titled “Strengthening Governance and Sustainability of SmallScale Fisheries Management in the Philippines.”

The one conducted on the Davao Gulf was dubbed “An Ecosystembased Fisheries Management Approach in Region 11.”

Elsie May Solidum, DOST 11 assistant regional director, said among the study areas, all except those in Davao Oriental, experienced a decrease in fish catch.

n Decline blamed on habitat destruction, other factors The study areas were Barangay Matina Aplaya and Daliao, Toril in Davao City; Brgy. Cagangohan, Panabo City and Brgy ADECOR, Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Brgy Tuban, Sta. Cruz and Brgy. Tubalan, Malita in Davao del Sur; and, Brgy Poblacion, Lupon, and Brgy Tibanban, Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental.

Dr. Della Grace Bacaltos, research director of the Southern Philippines Agri-Business, Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST)in Malita, Davao del Sur, said that in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, danggit (fish species) catch declined from 10 kilos per trip in 2000 to only three kilos per trip

in 2010.

She also said that other provinces were consistent in the findings on fish catch decline based on interviews with fishermen consolidated in a report, but no values mentioned except Davao del Norte with 15.6% to 79.5% catch reduction.

Solidum said the decreasing trend on the average fish catch (in kilograms per trip) over the years was mainly because of certain issues such as habitat destruction, poor implementation of fishery laws, water pollution/contamination, lack of discipline among the people and limited aquaculture development.

The survey shows that the decreasing fish

and donations.

About 70% of the donations come from local sources while 30% are from foreign institutions and individuals.

The PEF is involved in conservation and breeding program at their Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, field research program, conservationbased initiative program and conservation education program.

At the 8-hectare Philippine Eagle Center, the foundation holds 36 eagles in captivity along

with other endemic wildlife. Of the total Philippine Eagles in the center about 25 are adopted by private entities. A single full-grown eagle needs at least 300 grams of meat daily.

An entity has to shell out P150,000 for each eagle in the adoption program. This would involve the eagle’s food (an eagle consumes and average of 300 grams of meat per day.), veterinary expenses, upkeep of cages and salaries for his caretaker.

One of the newest

catch resulted in not secured food income among most fishermen in the region that is also due to low price of fish yet high price of commodities, unpredictable weather condition and competition among other fishers.

The survey involved a total of 265 fishermen, who were mostly 40 years old and above and spent 11 to 20 years in fishing.

Their usual weekly income was P1,067 in fishing and P1,845 in other non-fishing livelihoods.

DOST 11 said, “There are enabling laws that support fisheries management, but, problems still prevail in the study sites.”

Further, it said there is a need to establish linkage in the site level scales of administration with larger scales of fisheries management.

Eagle Foundation seeks more donors

T

HE Philippine Eagle Foundation, a private non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the endangered Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyis) seeking for more donors.

According to Rolando Pinsoy, media officer of PEF, the foundation needs at least P20-million to sustain its operations.

He said that for this year about P10-million has been raised by the foundation mostly from grants

adopters is the Aboitiz Power which recently inked a five year adoption agreement for a single Philippine Eagle.

The company shells out P150,000 per year.

Willy Rodolfo branding manager of Aboitiz Power said that the company aims to provide P150,000 on a yearly basis rather than giving it in a five-year lump sum, this enables the company to monitor the progress of the eagle’s upkeep.

The City Government

FEAGLE, 13

4

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DOST nat’l research center study shows Davao Gulf continues to suffer destruction R

ECENT result of a survey initiated by the Rapid Assessment Team (RAT) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regional office and the World Fish Center, an international research center, showed that the Davao Gulf continues to suffer destruction and fish catch depletion since 2000.

Elsie May Solidum, DOST assistant regional director, said the survey showed declining fish catch due to habitat destruction that started in years 2000, 2005 to 2010 to present, causing poor economic condition in the fishing communities for several years now.

The RAT survey ran for three months-- started in February last year and completed July this year, Speaking at the Kapehan sa Davao Monday at SM City Davao, Solidum said Davao Region, consists of four provinces namely: Compostela valley, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Davao Oriental, encloses the Davao Gulf.

Of the four provinces, only Davao Oriental was found to have not encountered fish catch decline.

She said the survey showed that flooding, pollution in all forms such as garbage and siltation have led to increasing load of pollutants that caused the decline of fish catch in the four municipal waters covered by Davao Gulf.

Meanwhile, the survey also showed a very high coliform count present in Matina Aplaya, in Davao City, indicating a deteriorating water quality in the area.

Encroachment of commercial fishing boats within the municipal waters and the conversion of mangrove areas to resorts and recreation establishment have lowered the fish catch.

In Davao del Sur, she said sea grass depletion was cited as one of the reasons for decreasing fish catch. Illegal fishing such as dynamite and cyanide poisoning and the use of compressor and fine mesh nets have remarkably

Greenpeace welcomes FIT rates by ERC

E

NVIRONMENT advocate group Greenpeace has welcomed the recent approval of feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates for renewable energy (RE) sources by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“This is a crucial step towards the full-scale implementation of our vision of a renewable energy revolution in the country,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

Greenpeace said the passage of FIT rates would now allow the Aquino administration to increase its renewable energy targets and achieve 50 percent RE by 2020.

“There are no reasons

to proceed with more coal power projects,” it said.

The group is against the construction of coalfired power plants to address the worsening energy situation, especially in Mindanao.

It said coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel which degrades the environment and causes climate change while renewable energy is clean and costs cheaper than coal or oil in the long run.

Neighboring countries of the Philippines, like Thailand and Malaysia, where FIT rates have been approved, are seeing an increase in development and mainstreaming of RE, it added. [PNA]

Ex-sceptic says climate change is down to humans

A

formerly sceptical climate scientist says human activity is causing the Earth to warm, as a new study confirms earlier results on rising temperatures.

In a US newspaper opinion piece, Prof Richard Muller says: “Call me a converted sceptic.”

Muller leads the Berkeley Earth Project, which is using new methods and some new data to investigate the claims made by other

climate researchers.

Their latest study confirms the warming trend seen by other groups.

The project received funds from sources that back organisations lobbying against action on climate change.

Their latest study, released early on Monday (GMT), concludes that the average temperature of the Earth’s land has risen by 1.5C (2.7F) over the past 250 years.

reduced fish catch in Davao del Norte.

Due to severe fish catch depletion, fishermen in Region 11 are no longer secured in their food income and are currently facing a dismal condition.

It was also noted that the declining fish catch due to habitat destruction started in years 2000, 2005 to 2010 up to the present, causing poor economic condition in the fishing communities for years now.

Solidum said inadequate efforts and initiatives by local government units concerned to address the environmental and economic issues in coastal and marine resources are cited as one of the critical problems in view of the state of the Davao Gulf.

Result of the survey showed that implementation of policies and plans for the protection of the Davao Gulf are weak.

The RAT Team came up with various recommendations among others, the dire need of setting unified poli-

cies/laws to be implemented Gulf-wide, strengthen networking and community involvement, reconstitution of the Provincial Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMCs), and resource allocation for information and

education campaign (IEC) on marine life diversity conservation.

Solidum said about 265 fishers were made as respondents in all the barangay sites surrounding the Davao Gulf who spent 11-20 years as fishers.

The RAT team said there are many enabling laws that support fisheries management but there is a need to establish linkages in the site level scales of administration with larger scales of fisheries management, she added. [PNA]

“The AQMSs’ latest reading shows TSP level is 123 micrograms per normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm),” he said, citing fresh data from Environmental Management Bureau which has jurisdiction over the stations.

Such reading is lower than the 166 ug/Ncm TSP level DENR monitored in 2010.

“We’re doing well,” Paje noted.

DENR continues promoting efforts to clean up the air so TSP level can further decline to the standard 90 ug/ Ncm, however.

To help boost its anti-air pollution campaign, DENR is partnering with various entities.

Such entities include Philippine Medical Association which warned against

air pollution’s adverse impacts on health.

Those impacts include respiratory diseases and death due to sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, oxides of nitrogen and other air pollutants, experts reported.

“Neither government nor the private sector can solely address air pollution -- there must be collaboration between both,” PMA spokesperson Mike Aragon said during the event.

Former environment chief Elisea Gozun agrees, noting cleaning the air and managing the environment are essential in promoting good health.

Such measures also help address climate change, she noted.

“Our fight for clean air’s not yet over,” she said told

the forum.

The Dept. of Transportation and Communication is also partnering with DENR particularly as studies show the transport sector accounts for some 80 percent of air pollutants in Metro Manila, the Philippines’ largest urban center.

DOTC spokesperson Nick Conti said the agency is studying the use of compressed natural gas in buses to replace pollutive traditional fuel.

The agency is also looking into vehicles’ age to help lessen carbon emissions from the transport sector, he continued.

“We’re committed to help protect the environment through means like bringing down air pollution,” he said during the event. [PNA]

But the journal Advanced Materials reports that researchers have worked out how to increase their longevity.

A major stumblingblock when applying these layers is that the smallest scratch can remove them, eradicating their special properties. It damages the nano-sized molecular groups that repel water and dirt, for example.

But this problem could be overcome by making a coating with self-healing properties.

Such self-healing materials mimic living organisms that can repair their tissues.

Now, Prof Bert de With of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and his colleagues have discovered a nano-structure solution to the problem.

Affordable healing

Functional molecules - for example “hydrophobic” molecules that repel water and dirt - can be coated onto the surfaces of products.

Prof de With and his team found that by attaching these molecules on the end of polymer “stalks” and mixing these throughout the coating, any that are removed by scratches are replaced by a new, selforientating layer.

DENR plans increasing air quality monitoring

T

HE Department of Environment plans to expand its monitoring activities by installing additional air quality monitoring stations nationwide.

These are intendeds to help better boost the government’s campaign for clean air.

“We hope to install one station per city or municipality next year,” DENR Sec. Ramon Paje told the the Fourth Annual Forum on Clean Air 10 Monday.

Among air pollutants those stations aim tracking down are total suspended particulates (TSPs) and particulate matters.

DENR’s existing nine AQMSs in Metro Manila are already tracking down both kinds of pollutants, Paje noted.

Coating heals itself after damage

S

CIENTISTS have taken a new approach to creating coatings that heal themselves when they are damaged.

The research could potentially have applications in scratch-resistant phones and “self-cleaning” cars.

“Functional” coatings that, for example, repel water and dirt have previously been dogged by relatively short lifetimes.

EDGEDAVAO

Stat Watch 1. Gross National Income Growth Rate (At Constant 2000 Prices)

5.8% 1st Qtr 2012

2. Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate (At Constant 2000 Prices)

6.4 % 1st Qtr 2012

3. Exports 1/ 4. Imports 1/ 5. Trade Balance 6. Balance of Payments 2/ 7. Broad Money Liabilities

USD 4,931 million May 2012 USD 4,770 million Apr 2012 USD -135 million Apr 2012 USD -209 million Mar 2012 P 4,580,674 million Apr 2012

8. Interest Rates 4/

4.1 % May 2012 P131,403 million May 2012 P 5,075 billion Apr 2012

9. National Government Revenues 10. National government outstanding debt 11. Peso per US $ 5/

P 42.78 Jun 2012

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

5,091.2 May 2012

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

130.1 Jun 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.8 Jun 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.7 Jun 2012

16. Visitor Arrivals

349,779 Apr 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18.8 % Jan 2012

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.2 % Jan 2012

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2012

2011

2010

42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52 43.70 44.17

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74 46.31 46.03

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

5

International brands to join NCCC

By Carlo P. Mallo

I

NTERNATIONAL retails brands are set to join the roster of brands at the NCCC Department Store, the homegrown shopping brand for Dabawenyos.

In an interview with Jenny Ang, president of NCCC Department Store, she said that two international brands from Europe are going to be part of the store’s brands.

“We cannot disclose the brands yet, but these two brands are going

to display their products with us,” Ang said. The two brands have yet to arrive in the Philippines and are based in Europe.

While NCCC is associated with the affordable prices, Ang said that the brand is also trying to elevate its status without alienating their main market. “It is a tight balance,” Ang said.

Based on the study done by NCCC, more and more of their con-

sumers would now choose branded products over generic ones.

Aside from bringing in new brands, NCCC Department Store is also set to renovate its NCCC Mall store.

“It will be bigger and brighter without being intimidating to the consumers. It will create a more convenient shopping destination for the shoppers,” Ang said.

The recent actions of NCCC

are believed to be in preparation for the entry of new players in the retail industry, especially with the entry of Puregold within the next 18 months. Another mall, SM Lanang, the fourth premium mall of the Sy-led SM Prime Holdings, is set to open in September 2012.

“There are more and more players entering the Davao market and we would want to maintain our position,” Ang said.

nand Amante Jr., who cited several on-going business developments in Butuan, including the construction of a mall and 150room hotel by a nationwide chain, as well as a golf course.

“This is a good time for public-private investment. We are finalizing build-operate-transfer (BOT) schemes for upgrading the ports in Nasipit and Masao, and have worked with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), other government agencies and the local private sector to open up 10,000 hectares of land for development,” Amante said.

DTI Regional Director Brielgio Pagaran said that in addition to its tourism and mining industries, the Caraga region around Butuan City has strong competitive advantages in agriculture.

“Among the newer agribusinesses, we have herbal processing plant for the export market that uses local raw materials, and ventures in sago flour and nipa sap sugar production, to name just a few,” Pagaran said.

The MinBizCon will have plenary sessions on current public-private initiatives in the energy sector in Caraga as well as on improved economic integration within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), through the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The conference is also an opportunity for a broad range of stakeholders to speak with one voice on the region’s most pressing economic policy concerns. The highlight of the conference is the presentation of the annual Mindanao Business Policy Agenda to President Benigno Aquino III. The formulation of the policy recommendations contained in the Agenda was initiated through broad-based regional consultations held earlier this year by PCCI in the cities of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos, in collaboration with MinDA and USAID. At a series of roundtable discussions held in Manila in early July, cabinet officials and

private sector representatives met to fine-tune recommendations aimed at improving key business sectors, and to draft appropriate government responses.

The MinBizCon is expected to draw 300 participants, including senior business leaders, members of chambers of commerce, government policymakers, investors and foreign trading partners.

Butuan City, which has five weekly round-trip commercial flights to Manila and three to Cebu, has become known in recent years as a Mindanao convention destination, with accommodations for more than 2,800 guests.

Conference participants will have the opportunity to tour the city’s main attractions, which include the Butuan National Museum housing ancient Asian artifacts, and the Balangay Shrine. They will also have a chance to visit the on-going archaeological excavation of another centuries-old balangayboat used in Southeast Asian trade routes.

Gateway to Caraga hosts MinBizCon

B

UTUAN City, gateway to the resource-rich Caraga region of Northern Mindanao, is hosting the 21st Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon), on August 2 to 4 at the Almont Hotel Inland Resort.

Organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Butuan Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, the “MinBizCon” is the main multi-sectoral platform for fostering competitiveness and accelerating growth in Mindanao.

The MinBizCon is also supported by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, and other partners.

“We are looking forward to hosting this event and drawing attention to investment in Butuan City and surrounding provinces,” said Mayor Ferdi-

Rex Ma. A. Mendoza, president and chief executive officer of Philam Life, presents the company’s extensive line of products during Philam Life’s 65th

Anniversary celebration on Friday at the Apo View Hotel. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

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

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

6

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

BDO 1H12 net profit up 15% to P5.8 billion

B

FEAST OF FLAVORS. A staff of SM City Davao Foodcourt makes a last minute inspection of the eight dishes cooked with Durian as ingredient during the launching of “Kadayawan Feast of Flavors” yesterday at SM City Davao. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Davao rushes cacao planting to meet demand of US-based chocolate maker

L

OCAL planters of cacao are rushing to meet the 100,000 metric tons of fermented cacao demanded by Mars Inc., the US-based maker of the popular M&M candies and chocolates.

Cacao growers said Mars Inc.’s huge demand has made the crop “the next big thing” in the agriculture export industry here, as it may equal Cavendish banana’s importance as an export crop.

The company itself has asked cacao growers in Davao to meet the 100,000-MT requirement, according to Val Tutor, executive director of the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao.

Current production was between 7,000 MT and 8,000 MT since 2009, when Mars Inc. and local growers agreed to a supply contract facilitated by the US Department of Agriculture when it launched its Success Alliance livelihood training program in Mindanao in 2007.

With the better-tasting and high-yielding variety planted in Davao City, the firm has offered the privilege to Davao growers to satisfy its increasing volume requirement, Tutor said.

To meet the demand, he estimated that some seven million trees have to be planted annually. He added Davao City’s northern agricultural district has 5,000 hectares and the rest of the Davao Re-

gion has 20,000 hectares more for the required 10,000 hectares of land.

Spaced at two meters by two meters, a hectare could be planted to 600 cacao trees intercropped with other crops like banana, and could have as many as 1,160 trees if solely planted to it.

Tutor said that the target was attainable, “with a lot of areas open for planting”.

San Isidro town farmers in Davao Oriental, for instance, have 5,000 hectares existing for cacao production, which was being exported to the Netherlands. This European country is known to consolidate all the production in many parts of the world to supply the needs of European chocolate makers.

With the sudden huge demand, other areas have signified intention to venture into planting cacao to help the Davao growers. Tutor said that some areas in Region 12, or Southwestern Mindanao, and Surigao provinces in the Caraga region, have expressed interest.

The demand could be further easily meet if good farm practices would be observed too. He said that Indonesia, a leading cacao producer, was attaining a production level of two to three tons per hectare, compared to the one ton production in the Davao Region.

Cacao was also the option of some banana growers, whose small

farms have been ravaged by the dreaded Fusarium Wilt, or popularly known as Panama Disease. Many others though, chose oil palm as alternative crop.

A farm ravaged by Panama Disease could no longer be planted to banana or other crops and vegetables with soft-stemmed characteristics like tomato.

Training though, has been provided earlier by the Mars Cacao Development Center inside the Puentespina-owned Malagos Garden Resort, and now with the newly-located Cacao Development Center, established by the city government.

The centers have already trained 6,000 farmers from Davao City and Davao del Norte areas, and another batch of 3,300 farmers would be trained during the second semester of this year.

Unknown to many, cacao growers enjoy high domestic prices pegged at international rates. A kilo of cacao would fetch P95 locally, and Tutor said that this was the same price in the global market.

Mindanao grows 80 percent of cacao trees in the country and the Davao Region accounts for 70 percent of the Mindanao total. Growers have been using the BR 25 and UF 18, all high-yielding varieties that could start producing in 18 months, half the usual cropping season of a native variety.

About one million seedlings were already raised in 70 nurseries in

Davao City and Davao del Norte, in preparation for the massive planting of cacao. [MindaNews]

DO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) reported an unaudited net income of P5.83 billion for the first half of 2012, 15 percent higher compared to the P5.05 billion in profits posted in the first half of 2011.

The Bank continued to strengthen its business franchise and distribution network, leading to an expanded loan portfolio, growing lowcost deposits and higher recurring fee-based service income.

The Bank remains optimistic about the country’s prospects and opportunities in the banking sector. BDO recently raised P43.5 billion (equivalent to over USD 1 billion) in core capital through a 1:3 rights offer last July 4, 2012, to support its medium-term growth objectives and meet the Basel III capital requirements ahead of schedule.

Part of the proceeds from the additional capital will be utilized by the Bank to exercise its early redemption option on P10 billion of higher-cost Tier 2 debt in November 2012.

Net interest income increased by 2 percent to P17.4 billion, on robust loan growth and the continued hike in low-cost deposits. Gross customer loans grew by 18 percent to P719 billion, as growth was seen across all segments. Fee-based service income rose to P6.8 billion, while Trading and Foreign Exchange Gains was at P3.2 billion. Total noninterest income ended at P11.2 billion, up by 7 percent from last year.

Operating expenses increased moderately to P19.4 billion, while P2.5 billion in provisions were booked for the interim period. Asset quality improved with gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio declining to 3.1 percent from 3.5 percent in the previous quarter, while gross NPL coverage rose to 119 percent from 110 percent.

With the interim financial performance and fresh capital to support growth, the Bank remains on track to meet its income guidance of P12.5 billion for the year.

[PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

PROPERTY

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

7

Home for peace

By Carlo P. Mallo

A

Hon. Hadja Bainon G. Karon, OIC Regional Vice Governor for ARMM and Concurrent Regional Secretary, and Margie Moran Floirendo, Board Member of Habitat for Humanity

house, no matter how big, is no different than any other structure if there is no peace in it.

“The core of the habitat principle is to create sustainable communities, to build the capacity of the communities, and to provide training and opportunity for business and education,” Margie Moran-Floirendo, board member of Habitat for Humanity, said.

The beneficiaries of the project are families who have been displaced by the conflict in the region.

“These beneficiaries have been identified by the Department of Social Welfare, and the communities where they are in right now have already been declared as peaceful,” Moran-Floirendo said.

One of the features of the program is its cash for work arm, wherein families can work on their houses for 10 days and earn P174 per day.

“It is designed to help them jumpstart the local economy.

We are not only providing houses, we are also creating sustainable economies

that can stand on their own,” Moran-Floirendo said.

Nine hundred houses and 922 day care centers are expected to be constructed in the mainland and island provinces of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by December 2012 with the pronouncement of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-ARMM (DSWDARMM) and Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFHP) during the MOA Signing held last July 27.

This is following the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III last July 23 where he lauded the reforms implemented

by ARMM OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman especially the housing and education reforms.

Through the efforts of DSWD-ARMM Secretary Bainon Karon, reforms continue in the region. HFHP has started building houses in Buluan, Mangudadatu, and Pandag, Maguindanao.

A total of 270 houses will be constructed in four sites in these municipalities, and are

expected to be finished by the end of August 2012. Two hundred eighty three (283) day care centers will also be constructed to complete the first tranche of the project.

“The homepartner families living in Buluan, Mangudadatu, and Pandag have experienced flooding through the years because of their housing location,” shared Leonilo Escalada, HFHP Chief Operating Officer. “We will be using stilt technology in the construction of the houses to prevent flooding in their new homes.”

Site selection for the succeeding projects for housing and day care centers are still ongoing in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Marawi Sity, Basilan, Tawi tawi and Sulu, in partnership with the ARMM local governments and other regional offices.

“We, in Habitat, walk hand in hand with the national government, DSWD, and the ARMM government’s plan in alleviating housing poverty here in ARMM,” Charlie Ayco, HFHP Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said.

Operating Officer Roland van Wijnen and Davao Plant Manager Joe Bernal will also be on hand to share their views on sustainable construction, as well as to launch the Sustainable Barangay Manual, a project done in partnership with the (GAAP.) The manual will serve as a guideline for local government and private sector towards building communities in a way that is socially, economically, functionally and aesthetically balanced.

Beng Prado, Holcim Philippines Vice President for Communications, said Holcim Coffeetalks hopes to

bring about positive change in the communities where it operates by getting decision makers from the various sectors to put their ideas to work.

Already, participants in the Coffeetalks held in Cagayan de Oro and La union last year are working together on specific sustainable construction projects. In Cagayan de Oro, a team is developing a template for flood- and typhoon-resistant houses built according to the company’s advocated sustainable construction principles. In La Union, a technical working group has started work on a

bamboo village that will integrate livelihood into the sustainability model.

Said Prado: “the Holcim Coffeetalks acknowldedges the wealth of ideas coming from our communities, and our hope is that our partners here in Davao will be able to collaborate with us towards building communities that truly serve the residents’ need while making good use of our resources.”

Holcim Philippines will next take the Coffeetalks to Bulacan, where it will also present the ideas to its partners for a possible sustainable construction project there.

Holcim takes sustainable construction campaign to Davao City

A

FTER holding its successful Holcim Coffeetalks on sustainable construction in Cagayan de Oro and La Union, cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, inc. is set to gather representatives from Davao’s government, civil society and business sectors to participate in its third run on Aug. 3 (9am) at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Holcim Coffeetalks on sustainable construction is a multi-sectorial forum that seeks to go beyond discussion of issues, and aims to mobilize participants to translate their ideas into a

firm commitment for specific projects that will provide sustained benefits to the local community.

Mike Guerrero, president of the Green Architecture Advocacy of the Philippines (GAAP) , will serve as keynote speaker and discuss how barangays can be more sustainable. His presentation is anchored on the five pillars of sustainable construction as defined by the global Holcim Group.

Holcim defines sustainable construction in a holistic way, integrating aspects such as responsible use of natural resources, ethical standards,

economic feasibility, aesthetic design and innovation.

Among those who have been invited as reactors in the Davao forum are Tagum City Mayor Ray Uy, Subdivision and Housing Development Assoc.-Davao President Sol Lagmay, Philippine Constructors Assoc. President Mon Allado, Kinaiyahan Foundation President Betty Cabazaren, Davao Chamber of Commerce President Roberto Puentespina, and Davao Community Environment and Natural Resources Office head, Atty. Joseph Felizarta.

Holcim Philippines Chief

8

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Syria’s civil war to drag on and on OPINION

BY IAN BREMMER

“S

EDITORIAL

T

Marcos ill-gotten wealth

HE SUPREME COURT was reported to have affirmed with finality last week its February ruling reinstating the children of former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and their mother as defendants in the government’s P200-nillion ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcos family.

With the finality of the decision, the suit against the Marcos children, namely Ilocos del Norte Gov. Imee Marcos Manotoc, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Irene Marcos-Araneta, and their mother, Rep. Imelda R. Marcos, may now proceed in the Sandiganbayan.

The case involves P200 million of supposed ill-gotten Marcos wealth which has earned the country an unenviable place in the Guinness Book of Records under the heading kleptocracy. The case covers the alleged use of the sequestered media networks IBC-13, BBC-2 and RPN-9 for the Marcos family’s personal benefit; the alleged use of the Del Soeil Apparel company for dollar-salting, and the alleged

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illegal acquisition and operation of bus company Pantranco North Express Inc. It may noted that the Supreme Court has affirmed the dropping from the charge sheet of businessman Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III, husband of Irene, youngest daughter of the late strong man.

Like any other court case, the ill-gotten wealth case is an opportunity for the Marcos family to prove their innocence.

It is important to remember that the legal action in this sensational case began shortly after the Marcos family was driven out of Malacanang Palace at the height of the historic People Power Revolution in February of 1986. That was 26 years ago.

The SC ruling hopefully brings the illgotten wealth case on the road to closure.

As to how long that road to closure will be, given the convoluted justice system this country has become famous for, only God knows, but He won’t tell.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO CARLO P. MALLO Associate Features and Lifestyle KENNETH IRVING K. ONG KARLOS C. MANLUPIG • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR., Creative Solutions Photography LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURA Staff Writers

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YRIA: Towards the Endgame” was the headline the Economist splashed across one of its most recent covers. But as we’ve seen with this week’s assault on Aleppo, the end of the Assad regime is, in all likelihood, not even close. Let’s unpack why and enumerate the ways: 1. China’s and Russia’s vetoes The two countries vetoed the most recent U.N. Security Council resolution, which would have authorized sanctions against Assad’s government as a result of its repeated failures to adhere to promises to bring peace to the nation. While the result is disappointing for the Syrian people, the effect of the vetoes of China and Russia is twofold. First, the U.N. obviously has been robbed of one of the tools it uses to protect citizens of oppressive regimes.

But second, the impact of the veto, coming from two countries that have up-and-down relationships with the U.S., serves to turn any American interventionism into an international incident.

Let’s be clear: This is playing politics on a global, humanitarian scale. We always knew that Russia and China would not support a U.S. intervention in Syria, not even in the way they grudgingly did when it came to Libya. But ultimately, the bloodshed there is not just on their hands. While Obama has cover for his hands-off foreign policy thanks to the veto, U.N. resolutions have hardly stopped or even influenced U.S. foreign policy in the past, especially when it mattered.

2. Even without vetoes, the U.S. has no stomach for intervention It’s messy. It’s expensive. There’s no domestic constituency for it. The U.S. is still reeling from the price tag of the Iraq war, and still extricating itself from Afghanistan. But more important than whether we have the stomach for an overseas campaign is our lack of a solution or an exit strategy.

It’s not clear at all who could successfully replace the Assad regime. We don’t know what would come after him. There’s always the possibility that some internal assassination or bombing could take him out.

But as long as he has his military apparatus, he’s going to be able to smash any attempt by opposition forces to gain strength against him. There’s simply nothing rising up in Syria that might take Assad’s place.

So, the question of freedom for Syrians turns very sadly pragmatic indeed: What, exactly, would we be fighting for?

3. The civil war in Syria has begun, and it’s dragging the region with it.

As in countries across the Middle East, the civil war here is rooted in ethnic identity: Shiite vs. Sunni Muslims. The Shiite minority holds power. The Sunni population has been oppressed. The answer to the question of who should be running Syria, other than that it should not be a murderous dictator, is entirely unclear. What is clear is that other countries are experiencing tensions and internal strife thanks to the bloodshed there. Turkey and Qatar have interests in the outcome. China and Russia, and the United States, have investments and interests in the area. By proxy, U.S. relationships could also face further deterioration as the Syria conflict drags on.

There was a time when the U.S. would race to the rescue, playing world cop on the global stage, and attempt to intervene and end strife. It would lead a peloton of countries toward the outcome it thought was most desirable, and it would commit, in blood and treasure, whatever it took to get the job done. Whether for better or for worse, in our new G-Zero world that sort of thing just doesn’t happen anymore. We can blame the U.N., Russia, China, and Syria itself all we want, but the reality is, the U.S. has decided it’s just not getting involved.

EDGEDAVAO

Surprises in London

M

R. BEAN’S (Rowan Atkinson) appearance as an “orchestra member” at the breathtaking opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London surprised and amused millions of spectators around the world. So did the parachute jump of “Queen Elizabeth II” from a chopper where she sat next to James Bond 007 (played by Daniel Craig). But the initial results of the games also surprised, if not shocked, many fans.

In swimming, for instance, Michael Phelps fared poorly, placing fourth in the 400m individual medley on his first day in the pool. Compatriot Ryan Lochte bagged the gold by clocking 4:18:05. Brazil’s Thiago Pereira (4:08:86) earned the silver and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino (4:08:94) salvaged the bronze.

Many are wondering if Phelps, who cast a giant shadow during the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning eight gold medals, including in the 400m individual medley, is on his way to handing over the throne to Lochte.

Football, which actually started in Cardiff two days before the opening ceremony, also offered a bit of a surprise when 2010 World Cup champion Spain bowed to lowly-regarded Japan,

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VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

1-0 in the preliminary round.

(And this too is surprising, if not silly: the London Games opened in Cardiff, Wales!

That’s like knowing that Panama hats are made in Ecuador.)

Spain controlled the ball for much of the game but could hardly go past Japan’s resilient fullback line. On hindsight, perhaps it was the Spaniards’ overly methodical brand of play that went against them. Their quick, short passes baffled Japan’s defenders, but they only managed a few cracks at the goal.

The Japanese meanwhile relied on elementary football as their antidote to the opponents’ superior dribbling and passing skills. They simply kicked the ball hard to the sides or towards Spain’s goal and left the rest to their strikers. At times, in fact, their midfielders would play the strikers’ role.

Only the Japanese themselves know if it was a case of organized chaos.

In the other events things went as

expected by many. Serena Williams of the US disposed of Serbia’s Jelenka Jankovic in cold-blooded fashion in the tennis women’s singles, 6-3 in two straight sets. Williams won this year’s Wimbledon title, her fifth.

In the men’s singles, Switzerland’s Roger Federer had to go the distance against Colombia’s Alejandro Falla.

Federer breezed through the first set with a 6-3 performance. But in the second set Falla overtook the Swiss’ 5-3 advantage to eke out a 7-5 equalizer.

In Set 3, however, Federer, the six-time Wimbledon titlist prevailed, 6-3, keeping his hopes for a first ever Olympic gold medal alive.

Basketball games opened today.

Let’s see how the highly-favored US would perform against France. That game would give a hint if other teams could have a chance of pulling off an upset against a selection composed of NBA stars like LeBron James and rival Kevin Durant. It’s a pity that Dywane Wade, the US team’s top scorer in the Beijing Games, did not make it due an injury. [MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@ gmail.com]

Metropolitan Churva-ness on Mindanao

ERHAPS, the Philippine military have yet to realize that for every blunder they commit, reporting the death of even a soldier, they project themselves further as a weakling force: incapable of handling the defense of the Western Mindanao region and that part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao called Basilan. And for want of a sensible strategic operation to resolve a domestic conflict, then its present defense and military leaders should re-think, re-plan, or resign.

Those little old boys have not yet learned from military history that neither a staged conflict, nor an unprepared and ill-prepared intelligence and operative offensive, won’t do this country any good.

Innocent lives of a few which, if totaled would still accumulate into a figure that would have qualified into genocide, are too much of a price.

With these Philippine military blunders is the emergence of an exceedingly gradual mass killing—and using waroriented journalists as well to advance their propaganda that these killed and wounded soldiers are in a pathetic state, inciting further ire if not vengeance among bereaved family members, does not ease the Mindanao conflict. What about the civilians the rebels, and nonparties to this war but are Mindanao stakeholders--and human beings, too?

I don’t condemn the military at the bat-

Monkey Business

COMMENTARY

BY FRENCIE CARREON tlefront, nor the rebels who fought for whatever their cause may be for that particular time of the week—freedom, self-preservation, or plain banditry. But I look down at cheapskates among military and defense leaders who still are mentally in an era where force of arms is seen as a convenient solution to a personal selfish need for a promotion, at the expense of Mindanawons and soldiers at the frontline as pawns.

For as long as non-Mindanawons rule the defense department and lead the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Mindanao will continue to be an arena for war, and Basilan a favorite war laboratory.

Even this strategy is media-projected in the guise of attainment of peace — when dialogue just awaits as a better option.

(The government calls this “peace talks”. The Voice of Mindanao refers to this as “peace communications.”) Adding salt to the injury is when fellow Pinoys in the metropolitan cities of Manila and Cebu react, “Giyera na naman sa Mindanao, ano? (It’s war again in Mindanao, right?)” The Mindanawon explains: “No, no, this is only in a town in one island-province—in Sumisip.” A mo-

mentary awkward silence follows. Topic is changed to gay talk on fashion and other metropolitan “churva” (a gay lingo equivalent of ‘whatever’, ‘miscellany’, or simply ‘et cetera’).

Then realization hits hard: Mindanao is just seen by a few Filipinos in Luzon and Visayas as a mere conflict zone, where lives are loosely seen as “mere churva” and may be shrugged off as a subject of discussion when boredom sinks in.

Soon, Basilan will have 400 more soldiers deployed within its perimeters—but Philippine Army 1st Infantry Division commanding general, Maj. Gen. Rainier Cruz told reporters that this order for deployment was planned even before the death of the 19 soldiers in the recent Sumisip encounter. The 400, he said, are to guard the circumferential road construction. Cruz, certainly, is not at all expected to say, “Few of them are going to be the next sacrificial lambs for this hate campaign against the so-tagged Abu Sayyaf Group.”

To remark so would be another blunder. After all, with the poverty of Basilan comes the wealth of the Enriles and the Menzis, to name a few who reaped profit from rubber, trees and paper from the “churva” Basilan could offer. [MindaNews/Frencie Carreon of Zamboanga City is editor of PhilSouth Angle and a candidate for PhD in Peace Journalism at The University of Sydney]

9

Facebook needs a new CEO ANALYSIS

BY JOHN C ABELL

F

ACEBOOK has now gone through its first trial by fire as a public company, slightly exceeding revenue expectations (with $1.18 billion) but showing a big loss in its first reported quarter ($157 million). Facebook shares were pummeled in after-hours trading; the company’s market cap has been slashed in half in just 10 weeks.

This is a bad, bad situation for Facebook’s early shareholders, 97% of whom are individual, retail investors – unlike those at the other big tech titans, which are majority-held by institutions: Google (68%) and Apple (67%).

That Facebook’s percentage is so high suggests that Facebook is a stock for the masses. The masses need a hero.

That hero is not Mark Zuckerberg. He needs to get out of the way – not because we can judge him a disaster based on a single’s earnings period, but because he isn’t playing to his strength.

He’s letting down the average folks who saw something shiny and new, but are now seeing shades of overhyped tech redux.

Facebook needs its spiritual leader and chief innovator in a hoodie. But it doesn’t need him as CEO, placating investors in a collared shirt.

There are plenty of people who could manage the Facebook business. But there’s only one Mark, who needs to focus on product strategy, not investor relations.

I’ve made no secret that I’m wary of Facebook’s prospects, that I don’t think it can become as successful as a business as it has been as a social network. Zuckerberg himself confessed the obvious only days ago: Mobile is the challenge, especially when it comes to making money. And it’s a big one as members increasingly use Facebook on smartphones and tablets instead of a traditional computer.

But the meta-problem for Facebook is how we think of the company. Now we think of it first as a company – not a service. Felix Salmon summed up the dilemma in a post headlined: “Why going public sucks …”

Zuckerberg — or any other CEO — has very little control over his company’s share price, but once a company is public, that’s all the public really cares about … Facebook could change the world – Facebook has already changed the world, and did so as a private company – but at this point people don’t care about that anymore.

All they care about is the first derivative of the share price. And maybe the second.

The challenge, thus, is for Facebook to satisfy the Street as best it can under intense scrutiny, while continuing to innovate so that it extends its reputation as a game-changer (whether or not you like what it does and how it does it). Some people can keep these two plates spinning, but that’s a rare combination. You do need an innovative spirit in the corner office, but more important, you need incredible business savvy, swagger and salesmanship.

One quarter – the first, mind you – does not a verdict make. But Zuckerberg might consider this: If he isn’t the CEO and chief executive, he can concentrate on what he does really well, still strongly influence strategy, and silence critics who quite reasonably suggest that he doesn’t – can’t – have what it takes to run a company that went from 0 to 60 – billion dollars, that is – in seven years. Zuckerberg is at least partly responsible for the pipe dream that Facebook was worth $100 billion when it went public. He either strongly believed this, or was convinced or cowed by the underwriters. Neither speaks well of his CEO stripes.

I don’t think the Street would see a change in Zuckerberg’s status as a knee-jerk negative; founders go sideways all the time, for a variety of reasons, none necessarily associated with failure.

Bill Gates, to whom Zuckerberg has been favorably compared, stepped aside after a long run as Microsoft CEO to take the title of chief research and strategy officer (all right, Steve Ballmer may not be my best argument).

Dick Costollo succeeded Evan Williams as Twitter’s CEO. Williams now focuses on product direction.

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Governor Uy receives Sandugo Award

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OVERNOR Arturo T. Uy together with the province’s eleven (11) Municipal Mayors and 108 Barangay Captains are country’s awardees to the 2012 National Sandugo Awards.

Governor Uy is recognized as a Super Achiever while the province’s Mayors and Barangay Captains as Hall of Fame Awardees.

The 66 Barangay Captains of the province who are 1st and 2nd time national awardees received their awards in General Santos City on July 19, while the other 42 together with Governor Uy and the Mayors who are 3rd time-and-up consistent national awardees went to Heritage Hotel in Manila for the awarding ceremony on July 24, 2012.

As reported, out from

the 242 national awardees in Region XI, the 120 awardees are from ComVal. The province also tops in the list in the number of awardees from among the regions.

Aside from the many Comvalenyo national awardees, the province got a great number of blood donors reaching to 9,246 in the previous year.

With the series of blood lettings conducted, it was able to produce 11,301 of 500 CC bags of blood in 2011.

National Sandugo Award is a program recognizing those Local Chief Executives who deliver extra excellent performance in the implementation of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program in their respective areas of responsibility.

Caraga church declared as historical site

L

ocal residents and visitors, flocked to the 128-year-old San Salvador del Mundo Church in the municipality of Caraga, Davao Oriental as it became one of the national historic sites in the country, July 16.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Diocese of Mati, and the local government unit of Caraga unveiled the national historic marker in the oldest church in the region, which coincided with the parochial feast day of the parish.

With 70 percent of the original building still

existing, the old church was was given a modern touch as it was adorned with flowers, balloons, ribbons, and red carpet from the entrance to altar of the church.

One stunning feature of the church is the twocentury-old giant seashells containing holy water and the baptismal font. The baptismal font was used during the Spanish era. It was preserved and now kept at the main door of San Salvador del Mundo Parish.

After the unveiling, Bishop Patricio Alo blessed the historic marker, followed by the

turnover of the certificate of transfer with NHCP Director Ludovico D. Badoy reading the content of the certificate.

Highlighting the ceremony was the signing the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the ownership of the marker and the responsibilities that goes along with attaining the prestige as a national historic site.

Badoy and Wilkie Deelumen, architect, signed the agreement for the NHCP, Mayor William Duma-an for the municipality of Caraga, and Bishop Patricio Alo for the Diocese of Mati, while

Governor Corazon Malanyaon and Congressman Nelson Dayanghirang of the first district stood as witnesses.

Badoy said, “The big day came after the thorough validation of the NHCP because we had to follow the guidelines set by the commission in declaring national historic sites. Members of the NHCP visited Caraga to verify, look into the church, and interviewed local residents. They submitted their recommendations to the board,

after which, the board approved the declaration of the old church as a national historic site, as justified with the national historic marker. We recognize the joint efforts of the church and the local government unit of Caraga for declaration and this is a long dream for them,” he said.

He added that San Salvador del Mundo poses historical significance not only for the province of Davao Oriental, but for the country as well as it is where Christianity start-

ed in the eastern part of the country.

The local government unit of Caraga also allocated financial assistance to the parish for the preparations for the marker installation and unveiling.

San Salvador del Mundo Parish Priest Fr. Uldarico Toruba was elated to be part of the celebration, as he was just less than a month appointed as the new parish church. He felt the pride of all Caragenos, and in awe with the mystique of the old composition of the structure.

To qualify for the scholarship programs, a student must possess the following qualifications: Naturalborn Filipino citizen; currently enrolled in any State Colleges and Universities and CHED Center of Excellence/ Development under any of the identified priority S&T fields of study; regular third year college student during the Academic Year 2012-2013; have a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 83% or higher and no failing grade during 1st Year and 2nd Year; not a recipient of any other government or private scholarship except supplementary scholarship which is administered by the university; no pending application as immigrant in any foreign country; and resident of the municipality in the last four

(4) years.

Qualified applicants will be awarded tuition fees (not to exceed P6,000.00/ semester), book and uniform allowances, monthly stipend and insurance.

Deadline of application is on August 24, 2012 while the examination date is on September 22, 2012.

Application forms can be downloaded online thru www.sei.dost.gov.ph and www.science-scholarships. ph or applicants can visit DOST-XI Regional Office at corners Dumanlas-Friendship Roads, Bajada, Davao City.

Interested and qualified students outside Davao City can go to Provincial Science and Technology Centers in Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley Province, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte.

he first Mindanao Science and Technology Expo (MSTP Expo 2012) will be held on July 31 to August 1 to showcase products and services of the Mindanao Science and Technology Park Consortium (MSTPC) member-agencies.

The expo will feature exhibits, which will be put up by its memberagencies at the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA-11) in Tugbok District, Davao City.

Aside from the exhibits, talks for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), livelihood trainings and a poster-making contest for students among others will also highlight the event.

The expo theme, “Mindanao Science and Technology Park: A Convergence of Inclusive Growth” illustrates a way of converging the agencies in a collaborative effort to promote science and technology innovations.

The MSTPC organized the expo. It is a consortium comprising of members from government agencies, non-government institutions and business groups which have significantly served and catalyzed the science and technology (S&T) development in Mindanao.

The MSTPC aims to build a technology hub which will showcase the member-organizations

resources to support innovative researches that will be relevant to the Mindanao’s development.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST-11) is inviting SMEs, students and other interested individuals to participate in activities in store for them during the two-day expo as these activities may be useful for them as a future source of income.

This is also an opportunity among the member-agencies to share their resources such as expertise, innovations, manpower and facilities for the development of the community and Mindanao as a whole.

DOST 11 now offers scholarships for science and technology studes

T

he Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholar announces it is offering scholarships for junior college students.

The scholarship is open to 3rd year college students who are pursuing S&T fields of study in basic sciences, engineering and other applied sciences and science teaching.

There are two scholarship programs being offered: one is RA 7687, otherwise known as the S&T Scholarship Act of 1994, which is awarded to talented and deserving students coming from poor families.

The other scholarship program, called DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship is granted to deserving students regardless of the family’s socio-economic status.

Science and technology expo kicks off today T

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VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

MX3 celebrates Sublian Festival in Batangas

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MA Network has sealed its second year of agreement in partnering with the Batangas City government in this year’s celebration of the Sublian Festival, a traditional celebration that aims to showcase its rich heritage.

Part of a weeklong celebration of the city’s founding anniversary from July 17 to 23, the Sublian Festival is a significant festival that started in 1988 in observation of Batangas’ cityhood, as this celebrates the cultural and religious unity of the Batangueños.

Sublian is the practice of subli, a traditional worship dance indig-

enous to the province of Batangas that is performed during a feast to honor the Holy Cross.

The liturgical dance is made up of lengthy prayers, songs and dances in a parade participated by the young and old locals wearing native attires.

One of the highlights of this festivity was the Kapuso Night held in the Batangas City Sports Coliseum. Despite the downpour of rain, people flocked to the event to witness the popular Kapuso stars perform and entertain to a jam packed auditorium.

Spreading cheers to the crowd were fun games sponsored by MX3, the leading natu-

ral food supplement rich in antioxidants to aid in maintenance of a healthy and energetic life, where products like MX3 Capsules, Tea and Coffee were being given away for free and in their mission to spread the word of God Christian tracks (“One thing that God cannot do”) were also distributed.

Contestants got to take home goodie bags filled with assorted MX3 products.

The Sublian Festival has other highlights like the parade, indigenous sports, native games and folk dances to celebrate the beauty and culture of the largest and capital city of the province of Batangas.

COMMUNITY SENSE 11

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NATION/WORLD

NATION BRIEFS

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Left NLY two of the 20

Chinese fishing vessels that dropped anchor the other day very close to the Philippineoccupied Pag-Asa island in the Spratlys region remain in the area, according to the military’s Western Command (Wescom).

Wescom spokesman Lt. Col. Niel Estrella said yesterday’s maritime air surveillance over Pag-Asa island showed that most of the Chinese fishing vessels were no longer around.

Dismissal

T

HE policeman who had twice been dismissed from the Philippine National Police (PNP) – but managed to hang on to his badge for the past 11 years – will soon face another dismissal proceeding for blocking President Aquino’s convoy in Quezon City earlier this month.

Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Mario de la Vega approved the recommendation to conduct summary dismissal proceedings against Senior Police Officer 2 Ricardo Pascua. The case will be forwarded to the National Capital Region Police Office, which will conduct the summary hearings, said Superintendent Ferdinand Villanueva, head of the QCPD’s District Investigation and Detection Management Division.

T

Prayer vigils

HE powerful Philippine Catholic Church is calling on its millions of followers to hold prayer vigils in the streets or in the privacy of their homes before Aug. 7, when the House of Representatives shall decide on the fate of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the faithful through the media to hold protests and novenas to show the lawmakers their opposition to the bill, which aims to provide universal access to various birth control methods and reproductive health information to Filipinos.

P

Captured

HILIPPINE authorities have arrested a founding member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in the region, security officials said on Sunday.

Ustadz Ahmadsali Asmad Badron, also known as Ammad or Hamad Ustadz Idris, was arrested on Saturday in the remote Tawi-Tawi islands in the southern Philippines.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

China appoints officers Q to So. China Sea garrison

WORLD TODAY Film debut

UEEN Elizabeth needed little persuading in making her film debut, appearing with the country’s most famous fictional spy James Bond during the London Olympic opening ceremony.

In a brief, tongue-incheek film broadcast to a packed Olympic stadium late on Friday - as well as a massive worldwide television audience - Bond actor Daniel Craig entered Buckingham Palace wearing his trademark tuxedo.

C

HINA has appointed military officers at a newly-established garrison in the South China Sea, state media reported Friday, the country’s latest step to bolster claims to disputed islands in the area.

Separately, in comments likely to anger Beijing, Japan’s defence minister said that his country could dispatch its military to islands in the East China Sea if a territorial dispute there with China escalates.

China’s defence ministry announced the appointments Thursday, the China Daily said, two days after China said it had established the city of Sansha on an island in the disputed Paracel chain, along with the military garrison.

China’s neighbours reacted furiously to the move with Vietnam, which also claims the Paracel Islands, filing a formal protest and saying it “violates international law”.

Manila, which is involved in a dispute over another archipelago, the Spratly Islands, summoned the Chinese am-

Blacked out

A Chinese soldiers take part in a 2004 military parade to mark the establishment of a miltary barracks in Hong Kong. China has appointed military officers at a newly-

established garrison in the South China Sea, the country’s latest step to bolster claims to disputed islands in the area.

bassador to lodge a complaint against the garrison announcement.

Sparsely populated Sansha is China’s smallest city in terms of population and land size. China reckons, however, that it’s the biggest when total area is factored in given the wide swathe of the South China Sea it is meant to oversee.

State media have carried photos of a large domed and pillared build-

ing that serves as the city’s administrative centre on the island of Yongxing, as well as images of a police station, a bank, a telecom office and residents relaxing outside humble wooden dwellings.

The three-floor building that state media said came into use on July 20 appears by far to be the biggest structure on the small island, which from photos appears largely

covered in thick, green vegetation, including palm trees.

While Chinese media accounts of Yongxing’s population vary, it appears to be not much bigger than 1,000 people.

Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the new garrison was responsible for guarding the city and disaster relief, among other functions, according to China Daily.

nied, Filipinos simply turn to the many illegal gunsmiths who ply their trade in back alleys and on the edge of rice fields despite government crackdowns.

In Danao City, in the northeast of central Cebu island, they are already anticipating a windfall.

“There’s actually huge demand for guns, especially now and because of the elections next year,”

said a 33-year-old gunsmith, who asked to be named only as Remo, as he hammered away at bits of scrap metal in a makeshift factory in Danao.

Loud music drowned out the noise of Remo’s workshop on the edge of a dry creek, hidden from view by thick bamboo groves, as he and two assistants hammered, filed and drilled away.

“We are actually hav-

ing some difficulty in keeping up with the orders because it usually takes at least two weeks to make one .45 calibre pistol, even if I work 16 hours a day,” he said.

TV link http://link.reuters.com/vys69s “THE WORLD OF OUR FATHERS” As the pro- and antigun lobbies in the United States agonise over how to respond to yet another massacre of innocents, in the Philippines many want even more liberal gun laws to boost production of a small but growing legal industry.

Guns have long been part of everyday life in the Philippines, especially since the end of World War Two. After the war, farmers took up arms during agrarian unrest in the late 1940s and early 1950s and then a Maoist insurgency that has become one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.

Today, all private security guards in the Philippines carry either handguns or shotguns, or both.

Gunmakers take aim from the backyard to the production line

I

N the Philippines, they vote with their trigger fingers. Elections mean big business for illegal gunsmiths, who are looking forward to 2013 mid-term polls.

With election-related violence commonplace, the Philippines imposes a ban on the carrying of guns for six months, from campaigning to the proclamation of winners.

With legal access de-

Storm least one

T person was killed and millions were left without power Monday as Tropical Storm Saola brought heavy rains to large parts of the Philippines, the government said.

Manila was one of the worst hit areas and schools across the sprawling capital were suspended, largely due to flooding, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

EDGEDAVAO

Filipino gunsmiths work in an illegal makeshift gun factory on the outskirts of Danao in central Philippines July 8.

massive power cut blacked out a vast swathe of northern India Monday, leaving an estimated 300 million people without power in the worst outage in more than a decade, officials said.

Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the entire northern grid collapsed for six hours shortly after 2:00 am (2030 GMT Sunday), causing chaos in nine states including the capital New Delhi.

B

Reason

AD decisionmaking was the main reason for a violent environmental protest in eastern China at the weekend, a state newspaper said in an unusually mild reproach stance after thousands of residents ransacked offices and overturned cars.

Chinese officials cancelled an industrial waste pipeline project on Saturday after the violence in the city of Qidong, the latest in a string of pollution protests across the country.

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Support

.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would respect an Israeli decision to use military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a senior aide said on Sunday.

Romney met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the second leg of a foreign trip aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials in his race to unseat President Barack Obama in the November 6 presidential election.

A

Charged

LLEGED Colorado cinema gunman James Holmes is due to make his second court appearance on Monday as he is charged with committing one of America’s worst ever mass shootings.

The few journalists allowed to attend the hearing will be watching to see if there is a repeat of the 24-year-old’s bizarre behavior during his first court appearance a week ago.

EDGEDAVAO

DSWD’s...

Food...

FFROM 2

FFROM 1 p.m. students and staff alike started feeling severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and LBM. The student leadership training at the ADDU Finster Hall on the 7th floor had an attendance of 334 made up of officers of the college student council, class presidents and leaders of campus organizations.

Fifty of the victims were confined at the San Pedro Hospital, Davao Doctors Hospital and the Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital while the rest opted to go home.

“The alleged source [of the food poisoning] was the chicken adobo with egg which was part of the food served,” said Jeremy Eliab, assistant to the university president, who gave the statement at a press conference in the school yesterday.

The food came as a packed lunch of rice, pancit, fish fillet, and buko

Senate...

salad.

“We regret what happened and we’re firm in ensuring this will not happen again,” Eliab said.

Ricardo Enriquez, director of the Office of Student Affairs, said several of the victims had been released from hospitals as of this writing while 16 were confined at the DDH along with Fr. Tabora.

Investigation The school is reportedly mulling filing charges against MTC Rebosura even as it suspended indefinitely accreditation of the caterer.

An ad hoc committee composed of Addu Law School’s Dean Manuel Quibod and lawyer Pilariza Racho Baldovino, OSA assistant and a law professor has been formed to investigate the incident, with the assistance of the City Health Office and the Department of Health.

Eliab said the owner of MTC Rebosura has been

“very cooperative’”in the steps they have taken.

The caterer has been providing service to the school weekly, particularly during retreats and seminars for the students and staff, like the time a forum on mining for stakeholders was hosted by the school this month.

However, after what happened, such service was cancelled for the St. Ignatius Feast slated yesterday, July 30.

Hospital bills The university is shouldering the hospital bills of those who were admitted to the three hospitals, according to Eliab.

He added that once all of the victims are out of the hospitals, and all out-patients have submitted the medical expenses they incurred, the university will discuss matters with their insurance company as well as with MTC Rebosura which will be made to shoulder the costs.

the JBC. ”The resolution will also be forwarded to the JBC. This issue is very important. It is unprecedented because it’s the position of the chief justice that is involved. We don’t want (the) question hanging and remain unresolved without the benefit or oral argument,” Pangilinan said.

Aside from Congress representation, the Senate and the House also questioned the appointment of of Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Michael Frederick Musngi as representative of DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima in the selection process. De Lima is one of the nominees.

Enrile questioned also the constitutionality of the SC’s appointment of Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta to chair the JBC. Peralta replaced Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, who is also one of the nominees.

Pangilinan said there should be no rush in coming out with the shortlist of nominees for next chief justice, saying “we still have four more weeks to decide on this matter.”

Asked what the Senate will do if the SC rejects its motion, Pangilinan answered: “We will cross the bridge when we get there.”

FFROM 3

FFROM 2

tor and former JBC member Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan read the second resolution.

Pangilinan also read the third and final resolution which states: “Given the gravity of the issues concerning the composition of the JBC and the fact that there are serious consequences, the position taken in the Senate is that there should be oral argument on the issue of the composition and representation by both houses of Congress in the JBC.” The SC recently ruled that Congress, composed of House of Representatives and the Senate, should have only one representation and one vote in the JBC selection process of the next chief magistrate.

With the SC ruling, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte agreed not to back out in the selection process.

Pangilinan said the three resolutions will be submitted to the Senate legal team for necessary representation.

Pangilinan said he would personally endorse Senator Arroyo to represent the Senate in the oral argument for their motion for reconsideration on the SC’s ruling on Congress representation to

Eagle...

FFROM 3

of Davao has also been a consistent donor. During the term of Mayor Sara Duterte the city government has been allocating P500,000 for the PEF a five hundred percent increase prior to her term of office.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

[PNA]

The Philippine Eagle has been a distinctive symbol and icon of Davao City owing that its forests was the known habitat of the eagle though the bird-of-prey is also found in the forests of Luzon, Samar and Leyte and in other parts of Mindanao.

With the lack of budget, the foundation

No...

Marquez said they will be asking for recommendations of various photographers in formulating the guidelines for those who would want to cover the festival particularly the Indak Indak sa Kadalanan (Street Dancing Competition) and Pamulak sa Kadayawan (Floral Float Parade).

Dubbed as the festival of all festivals the colourful and frenetic street dances and floral floats of the Kadayawan have enticed numerous photographers coming from all over the country.

Marquez also revealed that a major camera manufacturing company will set up a photographer’s lounge during the Kadayawan they will also be conducting a photography contest on the festival.

Meanwhile Marquez said that some foreign volunteers have signed up to be part of the Kadayawan secretariat.

Two Polish, two Indonesians, A French and one Chinese have become part of the secretariat, the first time foreign nationals are joining the festival as part

would be forced to scale back operations among which is the communitybased initiatives where identified communities with Philippine Eagle sightings are given livelihood assistance in the course of habitat protection.

Just this year the PEF has submitted a

conceptualized due to experiences in the past that some reintegrated CICL continued to commit offenses.

With SIGLA, the client or CILC will undergo first a transition period for three months within the DSWD center. At this stage, the client will be given skills training and other basic needs.

Thence, the client will undergo supervised living arrangement in the community for six months.

This is when he or she will live in an apartment or boarding house under supervision and provided with basic necessities

Phoenix...

such as toiletries, food and clothing.

The third stage is the independent living of the client, which means he or she is already capable to live alone without any support from the DSWD anymore.

In selecting the clients for SIGLA, Dancan said the time-bound case management is utilized to determine the client’s level of social functioning or his or her ability to perform roles as expected by society.

Meanwhile, Baby B. Dimakiling, social welfare officer of DSWD 11, said a budget of P2,500 a month

is allotted for each client under SIGLA. She also said the Transitional Living for Effective Reintegration (TransFER) is an on-going program for discharged CICL who have families to facilitate their smooth reintegration and help them prevent repeating the same or another offense by providing appropriate intervention.

The DSWD 11 has served a total of 266 CICL as of 2011, and five CICLs were processed for TransFER with one client already reintegrated to the community, according to Elizabeth Degorio.

make money as an income-generating activity.

Also at the Kapehan, Lisette Marquez of Duaw Dabaw, the organizer of

Kadayawan 2012, said Phoenix is one of the major sponsors for this year’s Kadayawan festival. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service with Correction of Entry

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service

FFROM 2 all and the first 2,000 registrants will receive a race t- shirt, while everyone will get a race bib, snacks and loot bags; and will have chances to win raffle prizes.

Grand prizes for the 10-kilometer run is P10,000; for 5-k is P7,000; and for 3-k is P5,000.

Registration centers are at DCWD Bajada, Duaw Dabaw Office, Phoenix Damosa, and Phoenix Acacia.

Tan said there is a plateau of the number of new runners this year, adding that, hopefully, new runners who will join the fun run may become serious runners.

He bared that the safety of the runner and interesting prizes are most effective come-ons for participants, adding that fun run will really of the organizers.

Marquez said that the foreigners enlisted through AISEC (Association Internationale des Étudiants En Sciences Économiques et Commerciales) the world’s largest student-based organization.

The major festivities of the Kadayawan (Street Dancing Competition and Floral Float Parade) will be held on the third weekend (August 18-19) however the opening ceremonies of the festival will be held this Friday afternoon (August 3) at the Peoples’ Park. [PIA 11/RG ALAMA] P2-million request for President Benigno Aquino III, the conservation of the Philippine Eagle was once a government project until it was discontinued in 1987. Since then efforts for the protection of the species has become a private initiative carried upon by the PEF. [PIA 11/RG ALAMA]

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

RAMIL M. ABE, Petitioner Case No.2010-XI-00193 x- - - - - - - - -- - - --x NOTICE HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service on the route: TORIL ROUTE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on January 19, 2013. In the petition filed on May 11, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate as well as to correct the Chassis Number of his authorized unit from FCX13751F51FS82 to FCX13751FS82 to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on AUGUST 07, 2012 at 09:40 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

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

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 11th day of May 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner, Ramil M. Abe, 119 Scorpio St., Davao Housing, Toril, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Magin C. Natividad,Balusong Ave., Matina, Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

ERNESTO D. FRAYLON, Petitioner Case No.2003-XI-00844 x- - - - - - - - -- - - --x NOTICE HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service on the route: MATINA ROUTE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on February 28,2013. In the petition filed on May 21, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on AUGUST 08, 2012 at 09:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

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

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 21st day of May 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner, Ernesto D. Fraylon, San Francisco Village, Matina, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Eduardo T. Manzano, Rm 208, New Borgaily Bldg., San Pedro St., Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

OLYMPIC ROUNDUP

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: US wins 4 matches

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Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova is mobbed by fans after her match in the women’s singles of the 2012 London Olympics.

Favorites prevail in tennis A

NDY Murray, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova survived severe disruption at the Olympic tennis Sunday as hail and heavy rain forced the competition indoors for the first time in 100 years.

The three gold medal contenders were among just a handful of winners after downpours washed out much of the day’s play at Wimbledon and closed the Centre Court roof.

Olympic tennis had not been played indoors since Stockholm 1912, but Murray and Sharapova shrugged off the chaos as both enjoyed the first Olympic wins of their careers.

Britain’s Murray beat

Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-3 and French Open champion Sharapova thrashed Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-0.

Serbia’s Djokovic, the second seed, beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-2.

It was a cathartic victory for Murray, who was back on Centre Court for the first time since crying tears of frustration after his Wimbledon defeat against Roger Federer exactly three weeks ago.

The 25-year-old, who had hoped to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, brushed aside Federer’s compatriot to set up a last-32 clash with Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen or India’s

Somdev Devvarman.

Murray admitted he had been keen not to repeat his first round exit in Beijing at the hands of Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun.

“I was disappointed with the way I played in Beijing. I didn’t understand what the Olympics meant to me,” he said.

“I know how much that loss hurt me and I wanted to come here as well prepared as I could be. Today was a good start.”

For Sharapova, beating Peer meant more than just a place in the last 32 as the Russian finally got to savour a taste of the Olympic experience -- as she chases a career “Golden Slam” of all four grand slam titles and Games

gold.

Sharapova missed Beijing 2008 with a shoulder injury and the world number three looked determined to make up for lost time as she reached the second round for the loss of just two games.

The 25-year-old, who carried her country’s flag at the Games’ spectacular opening ceremony at the Olympic Park on Friday, will play Britain’s Laura Robson or Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic for a last 16 berth.

“It was incredible to finally start the Olympics,” Sharapova said. “I’ve certainly been waiting for this moment since I was a little girl so it was nice to get a win in my first Olympic match.

“It took many years to get here so it’s pretty special.

It was a big moment for me.”

Fourth seed David Ferrer progressed in between the showers on Court Two, the Spaniard beating Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4, while French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, twice a Wimbledon semi-finalist, had to dig deep before defeating Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4 under the roof.

Meanwhile, world number two Agnieszka Radwanska endured more Centre Court woe as the Polish second seed was beaten 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 by Germany’s Julia Goerges, less than a month after her Wimbledon final defeat to Serena Williams.

US First Lady Michelle Obama gives basketball star Kobe Bryant a hug before the Americans played France in the 2012 London Olympics.

Misty May-Treanor, left, and Kerri Walsh, right, of US celebrate after defeating Australia in their Beach Volleyball match at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

ONDON -- When Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser made their Olympic debut in Beijing, they lost their first match to a Latvian team that was seeded 23rd in the 24team field.

They were determined to avoid that predicament in London.

The defending beach volleyball gold medalists opened the 2012 tournament with a straight-set win over Japan on Sunday night, their seventh consecutive Olympic victory.

The win kept the United States a perfect 4-0 in pool play, something the Americans couldn’t manage on their way to a sweep of the men’s and women’s gold medals in 2008.

Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy also won their match Sunday night, beating Ana Gal-

lay and Virginia Zonta of Argentina 21-11, 21-18.

Two-time women’s gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty MayTreanor won Saturday, as did No. 2 U.S. men’s team Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal.

Rogers and Dalhausser lost their Olympic debut in 2008 and won the next six matches - including the championship game against Brazil. Rogers said the problem in Beijing was part nerves and part exhaustion from marching in the opening ceremony the night before their first match.

Dalhausser’s legs were especially tired, neutralizing the jumping that makes him such an intimidating blocker at the net. This time, they had a full day off between the lengthy parade of nations and their first match on Sunday.

Kimberly Rhode’s years-long journey to the Olympic skeet shooting final at the Royal Artillery Barracks included a stolen championship shot gun, her husband’s missing passport and a “hell on wheels” toy poodle that devoured her plane ticket to London.

The journey was worth it: Rhode, 33, became the first American

athlete to win an individual medal in five straight Olympics, winning gold and setting an Olympic record for the highest score in the Olympic Finals with a 99-out-of-100. The previous mark was 93.

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara said Monday he will fight through the pain to defend his Olympic time trial crown on Wednesday.

Cancellara crashed heavily while in contention for a medal in the men’s road race on Saturday injuring his shoulder but crucially avoiding fracturing his collarbone.

The Swiss, also a four-

time world champion in the race against the clock, said Monday: “I’m still in pain” but said he would be at the start line of Wednesday’s 44 km race held around Hampton Court Palace.

SHOOTING: 5 Olympics, 5 golds for US shooter

CYCLING: Painful defense for Cancellara

INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO Discovering an underwater wonderland with Snooba

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • JULY 31, 2012

TRAVEL

SNOOBA diving and other aquatic thrills and adventures

The times that I have been to the Pearl Farm can be counted beyond the number of fingers on my hands and my feet and every time I visited, its either for a crazy beach party or just to laze the day away relaxing to the tune of doing nothing.

Meet the walrus and the carpenter of Wonderland.

Discovering A4 F

EDGEDAVAO

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ENTERTAINMENT UP AND ABOUT

SM Advantage, Prestige and BDO Rewards Exclusive Sale on July 31 It’s a ‘members only’ sale for SM Advantage, Prestige and BDO Rewards cardholders on July 31, Tuesday! Members can avail of up to 10% discount on great selections from SM Department Store, ACE Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Toy Kingdom and Surplus.

Put on your shopping shoes for a whole day of shopping spree with the SMAC exclusive sale happening from 10 AM to 9 PM on Tuesday.

SM Advantage is SM’s customer loyalty program that rewards members with points every time they shop in SM Department Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and other SM retail establishments inside and outside SM Supermalls. The points earned can be used to redeem practically anything sold in any of those stores. SM Prestige on the other hand is the elite membership program of SM Advantage.

For inquiries, please call SM Department Store Customer Service at 299.1070 or visit www.smadvantage.com.ph.

Globe boosts smartphone use in PH

SMARTPHONE use in the Philippines is on a steady rise on the back of more low-priced internet-enabled mobile devices, giving more Filipinos access to internet surfing on their mobile phones.

Riding the growth of smartphone use in the Philippines, Globe Telecom launched Globe PowerSurf plans, which are mobile browsing plans that use megabytes or MBs, a unit that measures data in internet-related transactions. Mobile surfing activities such as sending e-mails, downloading an application, posting on social networking sites, uploading photos or streaming videos all require a certain amount of data. 1MB is equivalent to 1,024 kilobytes (KB).

For example, activities that do not include downloading of any image, video or sound such as Facebook posts and likes, tweets, and e-mail without attachments consume up to 100 KB. Web page views and photo uploads and downloads are within the 100 KB to 500 KB range, while YouTube video streaming, application, games and music downloads generate more than 1MB. Through Globe PowerSurf MB, subscribers get bulk Megabytes (MB) of mobile data, consumable per KB. Using Globe PowerSurf MB plans, subscribers use their allotted MBs for mobile internet activities, where MBs are consumed based on actual data from a specific activity. This type of charging is better than default charging where subscribers are charged P5.00 for every 15 minutes of online time. Using MBs in mobile surfing does not look at the time spent online, but on the activity performed or site visited, making it more affordable to surf on the mobile phone, thus giving users the worry-free mobile surfing experience.

“Most Filipinos buy smartphones and miss out on a lot of its features by limiting its use to texting or calling. A lot of smartphone users tend to use data via WiFi only due to fear of high data charges. This is why Globe introduced their PowerSurf MB plans. PowerSurf MB is best for smartphone users who always want to be connected and online without having to worry about high data charges, since charging is not based on time spent online, but on what they do and the sites they go to when connected to mobile internet,” said Jenny Granada-Echevarria, Head of Globe Mobile Data Services.

Prepaid subscribers can choose from the following affordable PowerSurf plans: 20MB for P15 valid for 1 day, 50MB for P30 also valid for 1 day, and 100MB for P50 valid for 3 days. Prepaid and Postpaid subscribers looking for plans with higher MB allocation and longer validity can avail of the following 30-day PowerSurf MB variants: 50MB for only P99, 300 MB for only P299, and 1GB for only P499.

To subscribe to a Globe PowerSurf MB plan, text Powersurf to 8888 or dial *143# for free. Learn more about Globe PowerSurf MB plans by visiting http://surf.globe.com.ph.

ENTERTAINMENT TRAVEL

View from the top:

By Carlo P. Mallo

GETTING a bird’s eye view is something that very few people have the opportunity to enjoy.

Either you are a bird, or capable of flying like one, or you have your own helicopter or airplane that can bring you around – not even flying on business class on jumbo jets can give you that view.

But in Singapore, every tourist is given the opportunity to see the city and all its icons with a bird’s eye view. One has just to hop on the Singapore Flyer, one of the world’s two largest Ferris wheels.

If you have seen Singapore from the ground, just imagine what its like to see this well-planned urban city state from above – it’s breath taking!

The view on the Singapore Flyer is not like anything. It gives you the opportunity to see the new and old Singapore, identi-

fy the iconic landmarks of the city, and just be in awe of the city’s splendor.

Dubbed as the largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer stands a165 meters from the ground. People who have a fear of heights need not fret, as the capsules of the flyer feel stable during the whole rotation. But a warning though, the unpredictable weather in Singapore can turn your ride into a bit of an adventure.

Taking the flyer is one of the fun things to do during daytime in Singapore when the heat and the humidity are a deadly mix. It’s even more fun at nighttime when the entire bay area is lit up – a spectacle in itself that is unmatched by any other place on earth.

Oh, I suggest that city planners from all over the country ride the flyer if they are in Singapore, so they can see, and realize, that a well planned city can be a tourist destination, too.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • JULY 31, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

Dark Knight soars on second weekend

THE Dark Knight Rises dominated a weak box-office weekend marked by the fizzled launches of The Watch and Step Up Revolution.

The Christopher Nolan Batman movie grossed an estimated $64.1 million, down 60 percent from its big, but apparently Aurora, Colo.,-impacted opening weekend.

Domestically, the film is now running about $25 million behind the pace of its storied predecessor, The Dark Knight.

“The big thing,” Exhibitor Relations box-office analyst Jeff Bock said Sunday, “is Batman is performing like a mere mortal.”

The Dark Knight Rises’ second-weekend drop fell smack in between the declines experienced by this summer’s biggest hit, The Avengers (50 percent), and last summer’s biggest hit, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (72 percent).

The movie’s projected, 10-day domestic total of $289.1 million represents

the second-fastest start of the year. It also highlights the gap between itself and the two world-beaters it was destined to be judged against. At this point in their runs, both The Avengers and The Dark Knight had already blown past $300 million.

The Dark Knight Rises lost an incalcuable amount of box-office business in the wake of the July 20 shooting rampage at an opening-day, midnight screening in Aurora, Colo.

The best news for Hollywood, if not The Dark Knight Rises, is that moviegoing seemed to back on track this weekend, especially on Saturday, when business surged. The Dark Knight Rises alone was up about 40 percent from Saturday to Friday, when coincidentally or not the opening ceremony of the London Summer Olympics drew record TV ratings.

Overall, though, ticket sales for the top movies were off significantly from both last week and last year. This time out, it seems the movie themselves

rather than Aurora were to blame.

Neither the Ben Stillerled comedy The Watch ($13 million) nor the dance sequel Step Up Revolution ($11.8 million) made dents; The Watch especially failed to live up to pre-weekend expectations.

give the Snow White and the Huntsman filmmaker for his indiscretion.

The Vogue mannequinand-actress is reportedly taking a pragmatic view on the scandal and is not ready to give up on her marriage.

“Liberty is hurting. But she’s realistic. Things happen and marriage isn’t easy – she just hates the fact her name’s been dragged into all of this. Rupert has apologised profusely and she has accepted his apology. She hopes things get back on track – after all, they have kids together,” an

insider said.

Rupert’s father Michael has also spoken about the alleged affair and dismissed it as “a lot of fuss about nothing”.

He doesn’t believe a lot was going on between the 22-year-old actress and the 41-year-old director.

“From what I gather nothing really happened and it is all a lot of fuss about nothing. She is a very pretty girl and when you work that closely with someone for so long, sometimes things happen,” he told The Mirror.

Robert Pattinson almost proposed to Kristen Stewart!

ROBERT PATTINSON was “making preparations to spring a proposal” on Kristen Stewart before she cheated on him, it has been claimed.

The actor was said to be weeks away from asking his long-term girlfriend and Twilight co-star for her hand in marriage when their relationship was rocked by pictures of Kristen getting close to director Rupert Sanders.

Insiders claim that the Hollywood heartthrob has now left the mansion he bought with the intention of making it their family home and has not spoken to the brunette beauty.

“Robert hoped to marry Kristen and was making preparations to spring a proposal before she admitted cheating. He had bought the house in Los Angeles to be their home and saw them staying there for a long time,” a source told British newspaper The Mirror. “Now Rob is angry – he’s left the mansion and not spoken to her since. They have exchanged heated text messages only.”

Meanwhile, insiders claim that Rupert’s wife Liberty Ross is likely to for-

Both films had issues: The Watch, formerly Neighborhood Watch, got a new title after the Trayvon Martin case; Step Up Revolution generated the wrong kind of buzz for an Auroraevoking scene involving gas masks.

But the biggest issue, at

least for The Watch, might have been likeability, or lack thereof: Opening-weekend audiences, polling data showed, graded the Stiller film a discouraging C-plus.

Elsewhere, those arguing Aurora will neither change movie-going nor movies can cite the new Matthew

McConaughey film Killer Joe. The film, rated NC-17 for “graphic disturbing content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality,” grossed $45,000 at three theaters, the weekend’s second-best perscreen average behind The Dark Knight Rises.

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TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • JULY 31, 2012

Discovering... A1 Now don’t get me wrong here, there are tones of things for everyone to do like take a dip in the pool, or explore the island of Malipano, but I always feel that there should be something more to do. A little adrenaline may haps or maybe explore the bigger playground of the Pearl Farm Beach Resort that is located under the waves.

Sadly though I don’t have proper training to go scuba so scratch that out of my list.

Or should I? One day I received a call and then there I was at the Pearl Farm’s aqua sport center that is now managed by Samal Island Oceanic Adventures, Inc. There I was met by Rey Kabigting, a PADI open water scuba instructor and it was there that I was introduced to Snooba.

Different from the more technical scuba, Snooba is Samal Island Oceanic Adventure’s trademark offering that allows diving newbies like me and fellow media friend, Jessie an introduction to the underwater world.

What makes Snooba different from scuba is the way the tanks are set up.

Instead of having tanks strapped onto your body, the tank is instead floated onto a rubber raft and the air is then passed on to your regulator via a 16 foot hose. Dive instructor and marine biologist, Dennis, explains that the experience is more like snorkeling but with an air supply instead of a snorkel, giving Snoobists free movement underwater without the need to surface all the time.

Our Snooba route for the day was a short romp from the aqua fun center towards the Pearl Farm’s Parola Bar. The dive was easy and the fish were re-

Meeting the locals of the reef.

markably calm and were even quite friendly, as they would regularly swarm us when we extend our fingers. Given that the area is a fish sanctuary, the corals in the area are starting to regenerate and the fish are not afraid of humans (in my case a walrus and in Jessie’s case a mermaid).

When we arrived at the Parola Bar, we were greeted with bigger ocean going fish since that area is much much deeper. The area around the Parola Bar is also where one can find a small colony of giant clams that were discovered and then transplanted to keep them safe. I never thought that I would get to actually see live giant clams that are a meter wide, and just off

where one would pass by every time one visits the resort!

Alas the air tank is was about to run out and we start to turn back to the beach.

It is just amazing what wonders lie under the waves at the Pearl Farm, and yes I do admit Snooba does have its limitations since you cannot go any deeper than 20 feet down, it is still a great way to introduce oneself to the wonders of the deep, going beyond what lies at the surface. You can say it is a good way to decide if you want to proceed with more expensive scuba training and commit to exploring the underwater world even more.

Exploring the deep without a tank on my back.

Need to Snooba? Just approach Rey Kabigting and the staff of Samal Island Oceanic Adventures.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

Lee falls short of medal round

SPORTS

15

By Neil Bravo

F

IL-AMERICAN fencing sensation Lee Oropilla Kiefer’s first Olympic stint ended in the quarterfinals of the women’s individual foil event in fencing where she bowed to towering Italian Arianna Errigo, 10-15.

In a veritable David vs Goliath clash, the 5-foot-4 daughter of a Filipina doctor from Davao failed to overcome the huge edge in height and experience of the 5-11 Errigo who racked up quick points from a close start and stood her ground when Kiefer threatened to draw near.

The 18-year old Kiefer, a resident of Kentucky and fighting for the USA team in the 2012 London Olympics, was behind by a just point 4-5 in the early going but the

24-year old Italian racked up three straight to go up 8-4.

She drew close once again at 8-9 but the Italian quickly recovered her poise and strung up four straight to take a safe 13-8 lead.

Errigo, a silver medallist in the 2011 World Championships in Paris, went on to upset compatriot and reigning Olympic and world champion Valentina Vezzali in the semifinals, 15-12, but she lost to another teammate in the vaunted Italian fencing squad, Elisa Di Francesca, 12-11 in the gold medal match to settle for the silver.

Vezzali had been looking for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold when she was ambushed by Errigo.

Meantime, Kiefer’s relatives in Davao who followed her stint in the Olympics said they are proud of the achievement of Kiefer despite the quarterfinal loss.

“It’s not an easy feat, she lost to older and more seasoned opponent,” said Janice Bacani Carandang, a maternal aunt of the American fencing phenom who will still be competing in the women’s team foil event.

Kiefer, who will be joining Notre Dame varsity after the Olympics, drew a bye in the first round. She debuted in a flourish with a 15-10 win over Monica Peterson of Canada and advanced to the quarterfinals after coming from behind to beat tough South Korean Jung Gi Ok, 15-13.

Fil-American fencer Lee Oropilla Kiefer of the United States fell to Italy’s Arianna Errigo in the quarterfinals of women’s individual foil after racking up two impressive wins.

Lee Oropilla Kiefer (front row, 4th from left) poses with her cheering squad in London led by parents Teresa and Steve, brother Axel and sister Alex, and aunt Martz An-

geles Coleman shortly after the fencing competition in Day 1. This photo was sent to EDGE Davao as taken by Alex Kiefer, Lee’s elder sister.

Kia Rio Cup: Boys U-16 entries swell to 8 teams

T

HE number of entries in the newly-added Boys 16 division swelled to 8 as of Monday, three days before the muchanticipated Kia Rio Cup Davao Interclub Futsal Tournament opens at the Annex of SM City Davao.

Maco FC became the latest to sign up for the Boys Under-16 category bringing to 8 the number of teams which have confirmed their participation. The U-16 division will be played on August 5 before the semifinals and finals of the premier Men’s

Second Division set at 6 pm on Sunday.

The 7 other teams are Malita United, St. Paul Pasig-Davao Campus, Southpoint, Assumption College of Davao, PTA Boys RVA and PTA Boys Jr. The Men’s 2D class gets going on August 2-4 for the double round eliminations with six clubs thus far confirmed. These are Crocs FC, Club Futbol Di Garelli, Tadeco-Panabo FC, Team Bloopers, Phl Rabies and Alia Orange.

The teams play double

round eliminations with the top four advancing to the semifinals of this tournament sponsored by Kia Rio and backed up by Philippine Sports Commission through Commissioner Buddy Andrada and Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., SM City Davao, Phoenix Petroleum, and Futsal de Davao.

The four-day Futsal tournament is organized by Bravetower Events Promotions.

Games will be held from 5:30 pm until 9 pm at the Activity Area of The Annex at SM City Davao in Ecoland.

At Old Trafford, Brazil fell behind early but quickly bounced back to beat Belarus 3-1, with Neymar hitting one goal and setting up two in their Group C match.

Brazilian-born naturalized Belarusian Renan Bardini Bressan scored in the eighth minute but Alexandre Pato headed in a Neymar cross in the 15th minute to even things.

Neymar scored in the 65th minute and set up Oscar’s goal in stoppage time.

Mexico downed Gabon

2-0, while Egypt and New Zealand drew 1-1.

Wu Minxia and He Zi made it six gold medals for China in the 2012 London Games by winning the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving.

The Chinese duo scored 346.20, while Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston of the US settled for silver after scoring 321.90 and Canada’s Jennifer Abel and Emilie Heymans took the bronze with 316.80.

Durant leads US past France 98-71

K

EVIN Durant scored 22 points and hauled down nine rebounds as Team USA clobbered France 98-71 at the start of basketball competitions on Sunday in the London Olympics.

Kevin Love came up with 14 points, Kobe Bryant had 10 and LeBron James chipped in with nine at the Olympic Park Basketball Arena.

Ali Traore led the French with 12 points, Tony Parker had 10 and Boris Diaw added nine.

Kobe Bryant of the United States and Tony Parker of France share a light moment during their match in men’s basketball won by the Americans.

16 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 106 • TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO Lone Filipino boxing entry Mark Barriga, at 5-feet, is dwarfed by Spain’s sevenfoot basketball star Pau Gasol. Barriga fights Italian Manuel Cappai this afternoon.

Journey...

FFROM 1 the possibility of him raising his arm if and when he meets Zou in this Olympics. Fresh in Barriga’s mind is his 12-5 loss to Zou in Azerbajian for the Asian Qualifiers in 2011.

Despite losing to Zou, Barriga has a lot to thank the Chinese for. Had Barriga fought and lost to another fighter of lesser caliber, he could be in Panabo today watching the Olympics on television. But thanks to Zou who won the gold in Azerbajian, Barriga earned a ticket to London just because he lost to the gold medal winner.

All that will have to diminish in the Olympics

where boxing gratitude must give way to dreams. Barriga is so engrossed with this dream now and Zou should be waiting in the wings in the quarterfinals should Barriga climb that far.

But as the Chinese proverb goes, the journey of a thousand miles (make that mountains), begins with a single step. So get Cappai on the ring and Barriga should be in serious business. That uphill journey starts this afternoon with the lanky mountain from Italy as the first hill to conquer for the one and only Filipino entry in a sport the world believes we are good.