Edge Davao 5 Issue 11

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES Yehey, we are

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 - 19, 2012

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

now a daily!

House body okays Ungab’s mining bill

Indulge!

Page A1

n Measure making Davao ‘min- clare the city of Davao as a mining-

Motoring Page 11

ing-free zone’ goes to plenary n Bill designed to protect rivers, watershed areas

By Lorie A. Cascaro

H

OUSE Bill 5684, a measure proposed by Congressman Isidro T. Ungab, seeking to de-

free zone, now goes to plenary debate. This developed as HB 5684 was approved by the committee on trade and industry of the House of Representatives.

The proposed law is primarily designed to protect the Davao River, its more than 50 tributaries, and the city’s watershed areas, Ungab said.

Inspired by Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio’s strong advocacy for environment protection and conservation, Ungab said the bill takes cognizance of the irreparable damage mining, just like deforestation can do to a world class city like Davao City.

As mining-free zone, the law will prohibit all mining operations in Davao City, including exploration,

The Department of Tourism 11 recently presented findings of the study conducted last May 2010 under the auspices the Regional Development Council and the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (DICCEP), funded by the Japan Intertnational Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The study used exit survey which had been done every quarter to establish pro-

file of the Davao market. It shows that majority or 97% of the tourists of the Davao Region were domestic and only three percent (3%) of foreign nationals.

Nearly 64% of the respondents were overnight tourists, however, majority of the respondents were day-tour tourists in Davao Oriental and Samal island.

Most of the domestic tourists are from within Mindanao and key cities in

97% of Davao tourists are domestic n Only 3% foreigners

Sports Page 12

W

HEN we hear of the word “tourist” almost automatically we think he/she is foreign visitor. No

longer A recent study of tourist arrivals in the Davao Region, indicates that 97 percent of the visitors are from other places in the Philippines.

FHOUSE,13

F97%, 13

Follow us on WAH! Lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre (center, in checkered long sleeve), who rose to national prominence with his now popular ear-covering gesture in the Senate

impeachment trial, reenacts gamely as City Hall department heads and chiefs of offices mimic him. [JUNNEX E. CHUA]

EDGEDAVAO 2 THE BIG NEWS Sara nixes privatization BPI wins Digital Filipino Web Award for top banking website of Minda power plants VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

By Jade C. Zaldivar

D

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio opposes the privatization of government-owned power plants in Mindanao as the city is affected by rotating brownouts.

Duterte-Carpio who chairs both the NEDA Board–Regional Development Committee for Mindanao (ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee) and the Regional Development Council (RDC) 11, said the lack of energy in Mindanao is recognized.

However, she stressed that she and Mindanao leaders “have always opposed privatization of power plants in Mindanao.”

“Once the plants are privatized the government no longer has control on

the power rates,” the City Mayor said in an interview.

Duterte-Carpio said this in answer to a query regarding the brownouts the city has been experiencing this month.

“We knew, as we all have heard before, that there will be power shortages in Mindanao especially during the summer months because we here in Mindanao is dependent on mostly hydro power plants so our power would really depend on how much water are available in these plants,” the mayor said March 15 at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM), the government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) mandated to oversee and execute sale

of government assets have continued preparations for the privatization of the Pulangui and Agus Power Plants.

More recently, on February 28 PSALM started bidding four power barges (PB) in the country, one of which is the PB No. 104 located at the Holcim Compound, Ilang this city.

Raising these two points, the City Mayor answered: “I as well as all the leaders in Mindanao object to power privatization.”

“The privatization of the Agus-Pulagui plants was opposed by the RDC 11, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and actually all leaders in Mindanao,” Duterte-Carpio said in dialect.

Letter to PSALM

Berberabe said to realize the target, the agency has linked up with local government units in order to expand its membership as well as for the full implementation of Republic Act 9679, the law that expands its membership to include those informal sector.

“We need to tap the local government units in order for us to provide housing to their workers as well as for them to look into the welfare of these small organizations within their areas,” said Ms. Berberabe after leading the

cutting of the ceremonial ribbon for the new office of the agency in Tagum City last Thursday.

Last year, the agency lent P38.3 billion which resulted in the construction of 55,631 housing units.

In the linkage with local government unit, the agency and the Mati City government signed a memorandum of understanding that will provide housing units not only to the regular employees of the city, but also to the so-called contractuals and the job order employees.

FSARA, 13

Pag-IBIG allots P46 billion more for housing the poor

P

AG-ibig Fund, also known as Home Development Mutual Fund, will extend about P46 billion more for housing loans this year as it strengthens its linkage with local government units and people’s organizations.

According to Pag-ibig chief executive officer Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, the Fund earlier lent some P4 billion during the first two months of the year as its annual housing loan target is about P50 billion for 60,000 houses.

LIGHT AND EASY

L

IVING up to its 160year legacy of innovation, the Bank of the Philippine Islands won in the 5th Digital Filipino and Search Profile Index Web Awards for top banking website.

BPI’s website www. bpiexpressonline.com is a pioneer in electronic banking and among others, boasts of the ability to allow online portfolio viewing and management of one’s deposit accounts, investments, credit cards and loans. Customers not only view their account balances and history of transactions, but can also perform more than 100 transactions online. bpiexpressonline. com has gained popularity and increasing loyalty among virtual bankers for facilitating fund transfers, foreign currency exchange, prepaid card and phone reloading, and bills payment to over 300 merchants like Meralco, Manila Water, Globe, Sky

Cable, PLDT, Philippine Red Cross and Ateneo de Manila University. Unique features include the ability to schedule funds transfer and bill payments, which is useful for funding and paying recurring obligations, and online subscription and redemption of investment funds.

According to awardgiving body DigitalFilipino. com, an independent community of e-commerce professionals and enthusiasts who promote best ecommerce practices in the country, bpiexpressonline. com was particularly cited for the significant growth of its online customers, breadth of product offerings, design and functionality. The award’s stringent evaluation includes search-engine and social media visibility, website traffic and stickiness, as well as technical performance.

“The BPI website was designed and continues to evolve to make banking

easy for our customers.

With bpiexpressonline. com, clients can bank from home or from the office at any time of the day. They can manage their accounts easily and conveniently so they have more time to spend on other important matters,” said BPI Senior Manager Anj Mirasol. bpiexpressonline.com has won many awards since it was launched in 1999, notable of which is a citation by Global Finance magazine in 2011 for Best Consumer Internet Bank.

BPI was among 30 awardees in various categories representing the most visited websites in the country feted at the 5th Digital Filipino and Search Profile Index Web Awards held at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City on February 24. Among the winners are: Inquirer. net for print news, Pep.ph for entertainment, Census. gov.ph for government, and Globe.com.ph for telecommunications.

Newshounds think CJ Phoenix Petroleum declares would be found guilty cash, 50% stock dividend AWARDEE. Receiving the trophy on behalf of www.bpiexpressonline.com are SM Anj Mirasol, AVP Carlo Gatuslao and SMErich Faustino (first, third and fourth left, respectively)

n Of 26 polled, 15 say ‘guilty’ n Lawyer columnist thinks Corona will be

exonerated; 10 abstained

By Edgy, the Monkey

D

AVAO media practitioners believe Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona will be found guilty in the Impeachment Trial in the Philippine Senate.

The journalists’ guess was bared in an informal survey conducted among 26 media persons attending last Wednesday’s Club 888 business and tourism forum.

The forum did not push through as the resource persons from the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. which requested to appear in Club 888 at the Eagle’s Bar of Marco Polo Hotel every Wednes-

day did not show up as as scheduled. To while away their wasted time, the bored media practitioners agreed to make a wild guess as to what verdict awaits the country’s chief magistrate at the end of the Impeachment Trial currently conducted by the Philipppine Senate headed by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Of the 26 asked, 15 media persons. or 57.6 percent, said CJ Corona would be found guilty.

Only one, a seventyish lawyer columnist, believes otherwise. Ten abstained from voting.

Intentionally, the media practitioners were not asked to explain their votes.

The impeached chief magistrate is accused of being unfit for the exalted position he is holding.

This week, the defense panel will continue presenting their evidence in favor of Chief Justice Corona.

Early on, the prosecution panel dropped five of the eight articles of impeachment, claiming that the remaining three are enough to convict Corona.

Trial conducted in the afternoons of Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday is aired live by five national television networks.EM

S

HAREHOLDERS of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. approved cash and 50% stock dividends during the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on March 8, 2012 at the Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City. The stock dividend will be for stockholders of record as of March 28, 2012 with payment date on April 26, 2012. The cash dividends of Php 0.10 per share will be given to stockholders with record date of March 23, 2012 and payment date of April 23, 2012.

At the annual meeting, shareholders also approved the increase of authorized capital stock from 750 million common shares to 2.5 billion common shares.

The Board of Directors was also reelected, composed of Chairman Do-

mingo Uy; President Dennis Uy; directors Romeo de Guzman, SSS Commissioner Diana Pardo-Aguilar, J.V. Emmanuel de Dios, Socorro Ermac Cabreros, Jose Manuel Quimson; and independent directors Ricardo S. Pascua and Monico V. Jacob.

Phoenix Petroleum recorded an 85% increase in revenue to Php 27.5 billion in 2011 as a result of the expansion of their retail network and growth in sales from commercial and

Quips

industrial accounts. Net recurring income rose 19% from Php 427 million to Php 510 million.

The fastest-growing independent oil company ended 2011 with 220 stations from 161 the previous year: 151 in Mindanao, 58 in Luzon, and 11 in Visayas.

With the growth in their retail and commercial accounts, Phoenix Petroleum’s market share in the industry thus increased from 3.2% to 5.93%.

‘CHINA may slow down, but because of its intention to increase consumption, and therefore imports, there will be an opportunity for us to sell more goods to it.’

--NEDA Assistant Director General Ruperto Majuca

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

THE BIG NEWS

3

4

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE

Mediamen in governance T

EDGEDAVAO

HE history of Davao, particularly of its former capital City which turns 75 years old last March 16, is replete with incidents of journalists and broadcasters being catapulted to significant positions in the local government.

“Torpe” Leading them was lawyer Gregorio “Loloy” Caneda, father of Dr. Pilar “Lalay” C. Braga, outstanding veteran city councilor.

Loloy was known as a controversial editor-publisher and hardhitting radio commentator. He was appointed governor of the undivided Davao province and could have been the first member of the media given the opportunity to serve in government.

Loloy’s favorite expression was “torpe,” the loose latin equivalent of the vernacular term “tongue-tied.”

But Loloy used the word virtually as an exclamation point every time he expressed surprise, admiration, anger and other feelings for his fellowmen or about an action that somehow agitated him. But he also used the word to call any Tom, Dick and Harry

toto affidavits of complainants of rape cases. Torpe also briefly served as assistant press secretary for Mindanao sometime during the second term of President Marcos.

“Bonjong” Unbeknownst to many of us younger colleges, Loloy serve during the war as a major in the intelligence unit.

The Davao City-based media practitioner who bcame the first and only elected governor was Verulo “Bert” Boiser of the old ABS CBN radio station DXAW. Bert was a so-so announcer when he was merely emceeing amateur singing contests of the Tawag ng Tanghalan genre and doing newscasting (news-anchoring was unknown then), but became very famous when he started an afternoon public affairs program. Us-

Alejandre

Acosta

that caught his pancy.. As a media practitioner, he would call anybody high and mighty also “torpe” in radio program and majority would not take offense because they understood he meant no harm by using the term. That is why aside from “Loloy,” he was also called “Torpe.”

His newspaper, The Fiscalizer, was known or notorious for printing in

ing the funny-sounding “Bonjong” as another nickname and announcing in his native Boholano accent, Bert popularized what was known to be public service announcements and called it “Bonjong-gram.” This refers to the portion of the program wherein people would be allowed to call their relatives and announce their messages on the air. It was an improve-

Dureza

Banzon

Cañeda ment of the telegram then in vogue. Aside from being allowed to send their messages to relatives and loved ones for free, the people like the idea of being given an opportunity to be heard on the air, a privilege enjoyed then only by regular announcers and pubic officials and a few news personalities they interview on the air. In time, Bonjonggram became extremely popular that people would just go to DXAW and announce their messages to relatives who did not exist just so they could be heard on radio. Bonjong knew this but tolerated this because it was making the listenership rating of the station shoot up. When he would allow people to sing on the air in his program in lieu of a public service announcement. Meanwhile, he was so popular, some people who would buy a radio set for the first time

Avila would ask the store to be sure that the radio set had “Bonjong” in it.

So the first time Bonjong entered politics as candidate for provincial board member he topped it.

When Davao was divided into three, he chose to serve in Davao del Norte and became its first elected governor. He was reelected once and was overtaken by the proclamation of Martial Law in 1972.

“Mr. Solon” Before Bonjong Boiser ruled the airlanes, there was Mr. Zacarias “Zac” Solon, a migrant from Cebu, whose stentorian voice could be picked up by the microphone three to four meters away. It was said that “Mr. Solon,” as he was popularly called, had served as mayor of Asuncion town, before he joined the Mindanao Colleges Broadcasting Company, particularly DXMC,

Laviña

forerunner of what is now called “Radyo Ukay” of the University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network. He also became very popular as announcer and had the chance to being appointed provincial board member and later member of the Davao City Council.

The other media personalities who had a taste of politics were Artemio “Dodong” Loyola and Jesus G. Dureza, both editor of the Mindanao Times, who were elected congressmen of Davao City. The third Mindanao Times editor who became a lawmaker was Rey Magno Teves, who was appointed urban poor sectoral representative by President Cory Aquino in the early nineties.

There were two other members of the Davao print media elected to the city council –Jose A. Jison who now lives in the US and recently, Peter Lavina who had served three

Vergara

terms.

Most of the media members who won elective positions in Davao City belong to the broadcast industry.

“Tenny-gram” The broadcast phenomenon in the mold of Bonjong Boiser was the late Valentino “Tenny” Banzon who popularized “Tenny-gram”, a public service program similar to “Bonjong-gram.” He died two years ago, after serving more than 20 years in the city council.

Retired anchorman Flor Colina served briefly as appointed city councilor.

The other broadcasters elected to lawmaking bodies were the Vergara brothers – “Freddie” and “Tony,” the late Juan Pala Jr., Leonardo “Happy LA” Avila III and Ma. Belen “Mabel” Sunga-Acosta. The broadcaster currently serving in the city council is Al Ryan Alejandre.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE

5

6

FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

The ‘other mayors’

The moving story of Quirico Ungab

By ANTONIO M. AJERO (First of 2 installments)

T

HERE were men and women whose contributions to what Davao is now--one of the country’s fastest growing cities-- remain largely unheralded because of the relative obscurity of the position they held . They were called deputy mayors.

In the early days, a deputy mayor was appointed by the incumbent mayor to be his eyes and ears, and sort of alter-ego, in an administrative district. For instance, there was a deputy mayor for the district of Bunawan, and so for Talomo, Buhangin, Paquibato, Tugbok, Calinan, Baguio and Marilog, Agdao and the city proper. Later, particularly during the time of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, a deputy mayor was also appointed for each of the six Muslim tribes.

According to two veteran city councilors – Dr. Pilar C. Braga and lawyer Emmanuel Galicia Sr., they were not sure of whether appointing deputy mayors is covered by any law, but said the practice already existed when they started serving in the city council in the 80s.

The deputy mayors were co-terminus with the mayor who appointed them.

Quirico Pioc Ungab (June 16, 1925 - Jan. 6, 1983)

ONE of the most poignant and colorful stories of a deputy mayor is that

part of Compostela Valley Province) at age 12 with his older brother who later died on his lap from malaria four years later.

Guerilla fighter at 16 At a tender age of 16, Nong Quirico joined the guerilla movement. Singlehandedly, he ransacked a small Japanese armory before escaping to the mountains. As a guerilla fighter, he showed courage, sacrificing so much for his country and comrades. One story told was that he carried on his back a wounded comrade for days. That comrade survived and was forever grateful for his act.

After the war, he settled in Dacudao, Calinan to till the piece of land that was given to him by the government just like other war veterans.

He also worked as a pump boy of a gasoline station owned by the wealthy Aragon family in Calinan. It was then that he asked his other brothers and sisters to leave Bohol and come to Calinan. At that tender age, he assumed the yeoman’s

Quirico P. Ungab of Quirico Pioc Ungab, the late father of Isidro, who is now on his second term as congressman representing the city’s Third District.

“Nong Quirico”, as the young newsmen covering City Hall would fondly call him then, served during the two broken terms of the late mayor Elias B. Lopez as deputy mayor for Calinan. He was what we, reporters, call a “good copy,” a term for a highly quotable source of news stories.

Born in Alburquerque, Bohol on June 16, 1925, Deputy Mayor Ungab came to Kao, Nabunturan (now

responsibility of sending them to school. He himself enrolled at Holy Cross of Calinan while working at the gas station.

He was in the first batch of high school graduates from Holy Cross where he finished valedictorian.

Later at the Ateneo de Davao, he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree major in Philosophy, minor in Theology. He wanted to pursue Law but failed to do so due to financial constraints.

Believer in education On April 24, 1954, he

married Celerina Tom, a lady who shared his belief in the primacy of education, among many other desirable values in life. This is evident in the academic achievements of all their children: Marrietta U. Bondad, now 56, a registered nurse in the US for more than 30 years and now running her own business; Arlene T. Ungab, 54, practicing pharmacist in Vancouver, Canada; Ramon T. Ungab, 52, practicing physician in the US; Isidro T. Ungab, 50, the congressman; Alberto T. Ungab, 48, mechanical engineer, now teaching in Houston, Texas; Sandra Ann U. del Fierro, 46, an accountant, who is a senior manager of the Bank of the Philippine Islands; and Therese Anne Ungab, 40, registered nurse now helping in the Medical Assistance Program of Congressman Sid. “As a father, he was so thankful that he had gifted children and sent us to the best schools he could afford,” recalls Sid, adding “he was liberal with us but together with our mother always reminded us about all the hardships they had to go through just to send us to school.”

Congressman Ungab said “we felt it was a privilege to go to school which probably encouraged us all to excel in academics. We were consistent honor students and either got the Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honorable Mention plums in elementary and high school and the Laudes in college.”

“However, the spiritual guidance that we got from our parents was second to none,” he said.

Executive and labor leader Nong Quirico served as general manager of FACOMA (Farmers Cooperative Marketing Association) in Calinan in the 50s, but later worked as an organizer of the Associated Labor Union (ALU) in Davao City in the 70s.

He was a highly principled man, a devout Christian who lived by the principle that “whatever you do to the least of your brothers, that you do unto Him”.

He was one person who didn’t harbor bitterness in his heart, was very fair, and saw people by their qualities and ability to serve their fellowmen. One moving story

FAMILY. Deputy mayor Quirico P. Ungab with his grow family. Congressman Sid is the boy at the left on the top row.

about this extraordinary person was when he was in high school, a tenant of a landed family in Calinan which allowed him to plant some vegetables so he could earn extra money while in school.

But when the landlord saw this, he went to his school, pulled him out from an exam and demanded that he uproot his plants even if these were only on a tiny parcel of lot and was way out of sight.

He begged to leave the plants alone until they were ready for harvesting in about a couple of weeks and even promised to give a percentage of the sales but the landlord would have none of it. With a heavy heart, he had to uproot the plants that very same day.

A religious man Several years later, after he became deputy mayor and quite politically influential, this same landowner who was a lawyer approached him to sign a petition for him to be appointed judge.

He recognized the man but

Son Rep. Ungab with President Aquino

without hesitation signed the petition because he knew this person would become a good judge based on his records. This old man never knew that Nong Quirico who willingly extended a favor asking nothing in return was the very young lad whom he mistreated several years ago.

“He was a very religious man in words and in deeds,” Sid recalled. “He was very close to the natives of Calinan, Baguio, and Marilog (Calinan district up to the 80s). when the roads were still so dilapidated and will take hours to travel from Calinan to Marilog, the natives then have to sleep overnight just to wait for logging trucks to ride back home to the hinterlands. He offered our house in Calinan as a haven for the natives to sleep overnight. Our house was full of Bagobos, Matigsalogs, and Atas almost everday.”

“Papa always reminded us to share what we have with the poor and the needy

since he also was like them when he first arrived in Davao,” said Rep. Ungab.

Unique reformist Nong Quirico made the headlines in the dying days of the Marcos dictatorship, when in the early 80s, he organized the Reformist Movement, a one-of-a-kind revolutionary movement designed to curb the abuses of both communist insurgents and the military in the rural areas. He was moved when they started burning chapels and saw these atrocities as a threat to God’s Kingdom.

“I can still vividly recall that in between Christmas and New Year of 1982, a few days before he died on Jan 6, 1983, he woke us up at about 4 a.m., all the three boys in the family, and told us this Bible injunction: A man died and went to face the judgment seat of God. And the Lord asked him, when I was hungry did you feed me? When I was thirsty did you give me water to drink?

When I was homeless did you give me shelter? When I was naked did you give me clothes to warm me?

And the man replied, Lord when did you come to ask me food, water, shelter and clothes? And the Lord told him, Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me. This was the last conversation I can remember of Papa,” recalled the Davao lawmaker. (Conclusion: The sagas of Tomoy Liceralde and Nene Depillo).

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE

7

SP achievements for 2011

Funds for disasters, approval of coal fired power plant top

By Jade C. Zaldivar

S

ETTING aside funds for disasters and overriding the veto of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte Carpio of the establishment of the AboitizPower coal-fired plant in Barangay Binugao appeared to be the most significant achievements of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City in 2011.

Eight villages in Paquibato district were declared under State of Calamity February 2011 due to massive rat infestation. The villages -- Colasas, Fatima, Paradise Embac, Mapula, Pandaitan, Salapawan, Lumiad, and Tapak --suffered from field rats , scientific name rattus tanezumi .

A total of 1,393 hectares, or 60 percent of the 2,330 hectares of industrial crops in the area, was affected by the rat infestation, destroying their crops of corn, corn, and mongo and their staple food of maize, cacao, and sweet potatoes.

To come to the succor of farmers who were virtually left with nothing to harvest, the 16th City Council passed an ordinance to authorize Mayor Duterte-Carpio to use a portion of city’s calamity fund.

As the summer months hit, the city experienced heavy rains and flooding.

The rain struck hard near the end of June resulting to the destructive flood experienced by barangays Matina Pangi, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Talomo Proper, and Maa. At least 26 people, most of the children, perished in the floods while some 25,000 families composed of 125,000 persons in the five villages were displaced.

The SP then declared the five barangays under State of Calamity, passing an ordinance for the release of P51.5 million from the city’s P170 million calamity fund for relief and rehabilitation of flood-stricken areas.

The councilors also set aside P3-million donation for the victims of late last year’s Typhoon Sendong which hit Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, and the Municipality of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental.

Six dump trucks containing P2 million worth of groceries were sent to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan while the remaining P1 million was personally delivered by Vice mayor Rodrigo Duterte..

Annual performance The SP’s annual report also showed that 1,293 resolutions were passed and 176 ordinances were enacted for the year of 2011.

CATEGORIES. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. There were 965 resolutions and 105 ordinances under general administration such as granting authorization to the City Mayor to sign in behalf of the city, construction of public property, traffic provisions; SOCIAL SERVICES. A total 97 resolutions and 39 ordinances were passed under social services covering health and safety, morals and welfare, public services; ECONOMIC. Ten resolutions were passed under Economic which covers finance and revenue; MISCELLANEOUS. A total of 221 resolutions were categorized under miscellaneous provisions.

The 16th City Council held 47 regular sessions and 6 special sessions wherein the members were present 87.465 percent of the time, 8.2 percent absent, and 4.33 percent on official business.

Landmark ordinances Adding to the roll of ‘only in Davao’ ordinances were: DOG WASTE LAW. Ordinance 074-11, authored by Councilor Emmanuel Galicia Sr., orders the penalization of any person in actual or constructive possession of any dog found defecating upon another person’s private property or on commonly used properties such as road parks and playgrounds or public properties.

Although there may be difficulty in implementing the so-called dog waste law, the ordinance as the ordinance aims to imbibe into the locals the practice of respect to one’s neighbor.

PUJ ID LAW. Ordinance 071-11 co-authored by Councilors Pilar Braga and Victorio Advincula Jr. requires all drivers of public utility vehicles (PUJ) in the city to secure an official identification (ID) card from the city government; and TOOTHBRUSH DRILL LAW. Ordinance 0170-11 authored by Councilor Jimmy Dureza which compels children to have a daily toothbrush drill for children who are under the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Program of the city.

Passing said law, however, inspires schools to follow suit and make tooth

The city council regular session with the presiding officer, Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.

brushing a part of their daily activities.

Top in proposals, sponsorships in 2011 City Councilor Pilar Braga was noted to have proposed the most resolutions and ordinances. She proposed a total of 169 resolutions and 72 ordinances, and sponsored 237 resolutions and 73 ordinances.

Braga is chair of the City Council Committee on energy, transportation, and communication.

However a City Councilor may become proponent of a resolution concerning matters not related to the Committee he or she is chairperson of.

A proposed resolution may be of new matter or may be referred to be docked under a different committee.

Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling proposed 34 resolutions and 19 ordinances; sponsored 294 resolutions and 4 ordinances.

Councilor April Marie Dayap proposed 48 resolutions and 4 ordinances; sponsored 47 resolutions and 2 ordinances.

Councilor Tomas Monteverde IV proposed 28 resolutions and 21 ordinances; sponsored 29 resolutions and 21 ordinances.

Councilor Emmanuel Galicia Sr. proposed 26 resolutions and 9 ordinances; sponsored 26 resolutions and 10 ordinances.

Councilor Jimmy Dureza proposed 15 resolutions and 4 ordinances; sponsored 11 resolutions and 3 ordinances.

Councilor Louie John Bonguyan proposed 15 resolutions and 1 ordinance; sponsored 16 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

Councilor Nilo Abellera proposed 13 resolutions and 1 ordinance; sponsored

101 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

Councilor Melchor Quitain proposed 11 resolutions and 1 ordinance; sponsored 11 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre proposed 8 resolutions and 1 ordinance; sponsored 8 resolutions and 4 ordinances.

Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella proposed 8 resolutions and 1 ordinance; sponsored 6 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

Councilor Leah Librado proposed 8 resolutions; sponsored 1 resolution.

Councilor Joanne Bonguyan proposed 3 resolutions; sponsored 2 resolutions.

Councilor Edgar Ibuyan sponsored 115 resolutions.

Councilor Jackson Reyes neither proposed, nor sponsored but was noted to have co-sponsored 2 resolutions.

Record from Councilors Victorio Advincula Jr., Bernard Al-ag, Conrado Baluran, Karlo Bello, Rene Elias Lopez, Myrna L’Dalodo-Ortiz, Jose Louie Villafuerte, Rachel Zozobrado, Association of Barangay Captains president Paolo Duterte, and Sangguniang Kabataan president Jashera Gonzales, and 27th Council member Datu Berino Libayao Mambo-o was not included in the report.

Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was not recorded to have proposed or sponsored any resolution and ordinance.

Although not put on record, the Vice Mayor proposed the pending AntiDiscrimination Law through Councilor Quitain.

Once approved, this will be another landmark legislation of the city, joining the roster of the Comprehensive Anti-Smoking

Ordinance of Davao City, the Comprehensive Children and Family Support System in Davao City, and the Women’s Development Code which aided the country’s Magna Carta for Women.

Committee performance The Committee on energy, transportation, and communication, chaired

by Braga, reported to have passed 78 resolutions and 2 ordinances.

The other standing committees reported as follows: • Cooperative development and people’s participation, chaired by Dayap, had 46 resolutions passed and 4 ordinances enacted.

• Rules, privileges, laws, and ordinances chaired

by Galicia until May 11 and was taken over by Advincula on May 12 – passed 27 resolutions and 12 ordinances.

• Housing, rural and urban development, chaired by Cabling until May 11 and taken over by Dureza – passed 20 resolutions and 8 ordinances.

• The subcommittees on housing chaired by Zozobrado (for high-end projects), Advincula as replaced by Al-ag (for medium-end projects tallied of having passed 14 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

• Public works and highways, chaired by Councilor Louie John Bonguyan, passed 13 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

• Games and amusement chaired by Apostol Sr., with 12 resolutions and 4 ordinances.

• Committee on healthchaired by Al-ag, with 9 resolutions and 5 ordinances.

• Environment and natural resources chaired by

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Salvador-Abella, with 9 resolutions 1 ordinance.

Finance, ways and means and appropriations chaired by L’Dalodo-Ortiz as replaced by Bello on May 12 with 7 resolutions and 4 ordinances.

Government enterprises and privatization chaired

by Villafuerte with 4 resolutions.

Franchise and public utilities chaired by Advincula as replaced by Galicia with 3 resolutions and 2 ordinances.

Ethics and good governance chaired by Quitain with 5 resolutions.

Trade, commerce, and industry chaired by Abellera with 3 resolutions.

Peace and public safety chaired by Quitain with 2 resolutions and 1 ordinance.

All with 2 resolutions passed are the committees of: Agriculture and food chaired by Baluran; Civil, political, and human rights chaired by Bello; and the City-owned real properties committee chaired by Dureza With one resolution passed are the committees of : Social services chaired by Monteverde Tourism and beautification chaired by Alejandre Other standing committees whose resolutions were not yet passed are: Appointment and government reorganization; Barangay affairs; Information and communication technology’ International affairs; Publication of ordinances; Women, children and family relations; and Youth and sports development.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

New China landing vessels point to Pacific rivalry ANALYSIS

By David Lague

A

EDITORIAL

T

Tongue-lashing

HIS paper’s exclusive lead story the other day was about the tongue-lashing that the staff of Central 911, the much-vaunted emergency response unit of Davao City, got from an angry Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio. The city’s chief executive minced no words in slamming the team for their “air of arrogance,” endless whining, attitude of self-importance and “bad service.”

During the 20-minute scolding, the lady mayor even asked her audience “Ano ba’ng pinagmamalaki ninyo (What are you so boastful about)? You’re just a group with a nice name and bad service.”

When she started the meeting minutes before the Thursday Araw ng Dabaw’s civic-military parade, the mayor right away dared anyone or all the 250 Central 911 personnel in attendance to resign right at that very moment. Nobody raised his hand and the hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drops.

Days before the confrontation, Mayor Sara had replaced retired colonel Verner Monsanto as head of 911.

It appears that the mayor had become

EDGEDAVAO Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

ALBERTO DALILAN Managing

Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

NEILWIN L. BRAVO Sports and Motoring

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc.

OLIVIA D. VELASCO General Manager

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

fed up with the negative reports she was getting and her own unsavory personal observation of the behavior of the elite unit’s leaders and men. Central 911 is composed of 517 men and women, who for the longest time had been showered with praises and positive publicity, for being unique in only three places in the world –Canada, the United States and Davao City.

It could be that the unit’s personnel had been spoiled in the past and that their perceived initial successes had gone to their heads, so much so that they’d become arrogant and so full of themselves, thereby adversely affecting the quality of their service lately. And so, they deserved the scolding that no other service group in the city has ever been reportedly subjected to.

Still, we trust that the lady mayor will also consider acting on the personnel’s legitimate gripes, whether about the wherewithal of the service unit or about the workers’ family problems.

Our fearless forecast is that after the scolding, we will see a humbled but much better performing Central 911.

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 B. DAVAL JR., Creative Solutions Photography LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURA Staff Writers

Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDIO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

RICHARD C. EBONA IMELDA P. LEE Advertising Specialists

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 942-1503

(Parts 1)

S looming budget cuts force the Pentagon to plan for a smaller U.S. navy, China is accelerating the launch of new, increasingly capable warships as part of a sustained drive to become a major maritime power.

Shanghai’s Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company late last month launched the fourth of China’s new 071 amphibious landing ships according to reports carried by Chinese military web sites and the state-controlled media.

While most attention has been drawn to the ongoing sea trials of China’s first aircraft carrier, military analysts say the expanding fleet of 20,000 tone landing ships, the biggest domestically designed and built vessels in the Chinese navy, delivers a far more immediate boost to Beijing’s global influence.

“Having a significant fleet of large amphibious assault vessels clearly suggests a desire for power projection,” says Christian Le Miere, a maritime security researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

“If you want the surgical insertion of forces, for a range of reasons, then you need amphibious response ships.”

MILITARY RIVALRY China’s naval buildup comes amid mounting maritime tensions in the AsiaPacific region, which is likely to be one of the main geopolitical stress points in the coming decade.

Military planners previously had focused mainly on a potential conflict in the Taiwan strait. More recently, however, Japan and China have locked horns over islands each claims in the East China Sea; Vietnam, the Philippines and other nations are disputing territorial claims with China over parts of the South China Sea thought to be rich in oil and gas.

The U.S. Navy has announced it will deploy its own new amphibious assault vessels, the Littoral Combat Ships, to the “maritime crossroads” of the Asia-Pacific theater, stationing them in Singapore and perhaps the Philippines.

Xi Jinping, the man destined to become China’s new president later this year, called for enhanced military cooperation between the Pacific powers during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Monday in Washington.

Xi, the son of a famous guerrilla commander from the 1930s, also met with President Barack Obama and was treated to a rare show of honors at the Pentagon, including on a 19-gun salute.

But Panetta, alluding to the strains in the relationship, called for more transparency from Beijing about its military build-up.

LARGEST SHIPBUILDER The Chinese navy is expected to deploy up to eight of the type 071 ships that can carry up to 800 troops, hovercraft, armored vehicles and medium lift helicopters. The first of the class launched in 2006, the Kunlunshan, has already deployed with Chinese naval forces to the Indian Ocean and the pace of construction appears to have quickened with the third and fourth vessels completed within the last five months.

And, military commentators and retired Chinese naval officers say, early design work has already started on a bigger, more capable landing ship.

For the Chinese navy, the country’s thriving commercial shipbuilding industry is providing a springboard for further improvements in the size and sophistication of new classes of warships, military experts say.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

Lousy defense 2

Corona can self-destruct

C

HIEF Justice Renato C. Corona and his defense team can self-destruct as gleaned from their statements and reports in the media after the prosecution had rested its case and as soon as they have started their defense.

They foresee acquittal as they deem the prosecution evidence weak. But some surprises, twists and turns in the course of their defense can strengthen the perceived weak evidence of the prosecution.

Case Rested The prosecution formally rested its case last March 3 offering 242 pieces of evidence mostly for Impeachment Article 2, the rest for Articles 3 and 7. On February 28, it announced this to the Impeachment Court (IC) together with the withdrawal of five articles – 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8.

Despite the plea of the defense to suppress the alleged illegally obtained documents from the banks, the senators accepted all the evidence during their caucus last March 6. The defense had opposed at every step the presentation of these documents as evidence invoking the Rules of Evidence in the regular trial of criminal cases.

The senators upheld the principle that “an impeachment is not a criminal case” as IC chair Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile had told chief defense counsel Serafin Cuevas (ABS-CBNews.com, February 24).

The prosecution claims it has strong evidence for Article 2 to prove that Corona is guilty of culpably violating the Constitution and betraying public trust by failing to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth according to Article XI, Section 17 of the Constitution and R.A. 6713, Section 8. Within its limitation, the evidence for Articles 3 and 7 can supplement that in Article 2.

While the prosecution did not say so,

FROM THE MAIL

COMMENT

By Patricio P. Diaz (Parts 1) it can be inferred that it withdrew the five articles on realizing the futility of prosecuting them. The Supreme Court by barring the justices and other Court officials from testifying in the IC and banning the disclosure of Court documents has denied the prosecution access to evidence necessary to prosecute the five articles.

Conviction in one article is enough to remove Corona as chief justice.

The withdrawal will shorten the trial. On hindsight, the prosecution made sense when it opted to re-order the presentation of the articles of impeachment.

Had it followed the original order, the trial would have been stuck right at Article 1 – indefinitely thereafter – as the prosecution could not obtain the needed evidence from the Supreme Court. The senator-judges seem to have appreciated the wisdom in the prosecution’s surprise move.

Defense Counter Move The defense counter-move looks well studied and ordered – argue by technicality to dismiss the complaint and the prosecution evidence. Why go the full rounds if a knockout can be done at the very start? But, if this is not possible, the defense is prepared to fight for points.

How does the defense plan to win by technicality?

It will argue that: First, the case was filed contrary to legal procedures; Corona was not heard in a pre-trial depriving him of his rights to due process.

Second, the prosecution obtained its evidence for Article 2 disregarding the

Rules of Evidence; it is inadmissible.

Third, the IC must rule on the five withdrawn articles of impeachment to acquit Corona. Fourth, failure to disclose the SALNs may not be a ground for impeachment.

How does the defense plan to refute the prosecution evidence?

This is the prosecution evidence in a nutshell: Corona’s SALNs are full of inconsistencies and discrepancies considering his known sources of income, his acquired properties, his income tax returns, deeds of sale, and cash on hand and in bank. Evidently, he is hiding much of his incomes behind his children and the Basa-Guidote Enterprises, Inc. of the Basa clan of which his wife is a member and claimed to be the present BGEI president.

Through witnesses, the defense will show the inconsistencies and discrepancies in the SALNs are justifiable; the buildings discovered to have been bought by the Coronas in the name of their children were really bought by their children; real properties omitted from the SALNs belong to others; he has other sources of income, his allowances; and BGEI is a legitimate company – hence, the legitimacy of Corona’s loan from BGEI and of the BGEI money deposited in Corona’s bank accounts.

Corona’s fate solely rests on Article 2. Obviously, he and his defense are not seriously concerned about Articles 3 and 7.

Mending Not Enough The prosecution might not have a well studied plan but it was instinctively flexible. The sudden filing of the impeachment complaint prevented Corona from using the Supreme Court to stop his impeachment.

Copper mine says they’re planting 600,000 trees!

D

ear Mr. Peña, We read your recent online article “Planting Trees on a Copper Mine” in Balita.com.ph and your column in Edge Davao last week.

We appreciate your interest on the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project. Although, in the spirit of fair and balance journalism, please allow me to provide some facts on certain points you raised in your article: • We do not, and will never, “placate the grievances and anxieties of the lumad; we work on the principle and spirit of partnership with the Blaans, the indigenous people (IP) in our project area.

• We are guided by the processes required by law (1995 Mining Act, IPRA law, among others) in consulting with the Blaans and the tribal communities these processes include seeking Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and consultation with the tribal communities in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the municipal and provincial tribal councils and the tribal leadership in each community.

• Anywhere in the country where there is a security issue, efforts by the police and

Monkey Business

the armed forces of ensuring security in the area are intended to “protect the communities and the people”; please ask any soldier or police stationed in the most dangerous and remote area in the country why they are there and you will get the same response, “they are there to protect the community and the people.”

• We respect the right of environmentalists and environmentalist groups to express their opinion and concerns on the project, and we continue to extend our invitation for a dialogue to explain how serious we are in pursuing a responsible and sustainable minerals development in South Cotabato.

• We appreciate and are one with you on your commitment to reforestation or to plant trees in the project area not because we are mandated by law, but because we are committed to regenerating the forest cover of South Cotabato which has been badly devastated by logging since the 1960s and by slash-and-burn farming since 2005.

• We have distributed and planted at least 600,000 trees around the project area; we have also been maintaining two large-scale plant trees nurseries in South

Cotabato and Davao del Sur as part of our commitment to reforestation.

Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) is a Filipino company ably supported by global technology and resources through our global partners; both the Filipino partners and the global partners supporting the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project share the same sustainable development principles that guide all our actions from engaging the community, consulting with the tribal communities and partnering with local and national government.

Again, maraming salamat for your interest on the project.

In order to provide you with a overall perspective and appreciation of the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, I invite you to an informal project briefing and/or a visit to our project site where you can talk directly to our stakeholders and let them relate to you their first hand experience with the Tampakan Project. It will truly be a very enlightening trip.

I look forward to meeting you.

Yours truly, John B. Arnaldo Manager, Corporate Communications and Media Relations-- SMI

9

SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS

By Marcos C. Mordeno

I

MPEACHED Chief Justice Renato C. Corona and his defense lawyers clearly have one thing in mind based on how the impeachment trial went this week. By presenting witnesses who gave irrelevant testimonies, they are seeking to delay further the trial and deviate from confronting the important issue of the magistrate’s failure to declare his properties in the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

The defense asked for a 10-day postponement of the trial only to present later on witnesses who testified on issues that were already resolved by the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court.

Worse, Corona allowed a Supreme Court employee to appear for the defense without clearance from the Court.

In its February 14 resolution, the Court has prohibited its officials and employees from testifying against the Chief Justice and warned those who would do so without clearance with criminal sanctions under the Revised Penal Code. If this is not double standard, we don’t know what is.

Such self-serving move however could backfire, as the certification on Corona’s allowances presented to the impeachment court can be used by the prosecution to their advantage.

The certification, which shows that Corona had received some P21 million including allowances, is meant to show that the respondent had enough money with which to acquire the assets that were not listed in his SALNs. But that’s exactly where the dilemma of the Chief Justice lies. He can only claim these amounts as income at the risk of being sued for tax evasion for not declaring these in his income tax returns. He cannot also claim as income the amounts meant for expenses in line with his official functions and use it in buying real properties.

In short, under no circumstances can Corona claim these allowances as legitimate sources of income. He would be digging his own grave if he did.

Further, the defense made a turnaround in their attempt to prove that Corona’s properties came from legitimate sources. It may be recalled that they had barred the prosecution from presenting evidence on the magistrate’s ill-gotten wealth saying this was not stipulated in the impeachment complaint.

Now, why did the defense present evidence on an issue that was already resolved by the impeachment court in their favor? Having been prevented from pursuing the issue of ill-gotten wealth, the prosecution merely asked why the properties in question were omitted in the SALNs, which the defense had tried to evade by dwelling on fair market value, assessed value and other things that have no bearing on the basic issue.

Although he allowed the defense to pursue this line of questioning, presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile rightly stressed that the real issue is the non-inclusion of Corona’s properties in the SALNs. And by the way, the certification says Corona had received P21 million since becoming a member of the Supreme Court. Granting this was legitimate income how would he explain the P36 million in his bank accounts? The amount does not include his dollar account the record of which has not been made public. [H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com)

10 SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

Sarangani opens one-stop center A

one-stop shop for souvenir and pasalubong products in Sarangani has opened in the provincial capital of Alabel town last week, officials said.

Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez said the Sarangani Pasalubong Center (PSC) would provide the province’s tourists, excursionists as well as the local residents a combination of Sarangani’s quality and authentic pasalubong crafts and foods.

SPC, located at Alabel Town Center near the Capitol, is the official pasalubong center in Sarangani aside from the pasalubong corners existing in some resorts in the province.

Dominguez said the opening of SPC was just timely for the summer as Sarangani is usually flocked by tourists and excursionists during the Sarangani Bay Festival in May. Dorecita Delima, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 assistant regional director, assured the Association of Sarangani Producers (ASAP) of the department’s support to SPC as she considers it a “a prime investment” in Sarangani.

ASAP, an association of Sarangani-based entrepreneurs focused on food processing, handicraft making and novelty product creation using the “Sarap Sarangani” brand, owns and manages SPC. ASAP was organized by

DTI and the Promotion and Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Sarangani (PRO–MSME Sarangani) to promote a unified growth of these enterprises in the province.

ASAP president Olive Martos said SPC is the dream they always wanted for their products, a place where they can introduce their products to the market.

ASAP products particularly coco sugar are now being exported directly to the United States and Canada while the bamboo crafts are also being exported to Qatar and Boracay.

The marinated flying fish and Cresing’s Rice Coffee from Maitum are also gaining markets nationwide.

In a statement, Nenita Barroso, DTI Sarangani director, said SPC is poised as an “attractive industry because of the support of the different local governments units, national government agencies, and private organizations and non-government organizations.”

She said that “as the Philippine economy moves towards agriculture and tourism as its main economy source, more and more people are flocking to areas such as Sarangani Province. These new additions to the population are starved for the fine ingredients they were able to purchase in big cities and are looking for a rural solution.”

[BONG SARMIENTO/MINDANEWS]

OPENING. Mayor Corazon Grafilo (3rd from right) leads the cutting of ribbon Friday, March 16, during the grand opening of Alabel Town Center. Joining the mayor are (R-L) Governor Migs Dominguez, Rosevida Dominguez, Tomas

EDGEDAVAO

Alcantara, Alex Alcantara and Richlie Lyndon Magtulis as the host of the event.

[COCOY SEXCION/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE]

Italian priest cooks for Lumad children

N

INETY kilometers from the heart of the city, beside the slopes of Barangay Buda, sits an artisan gourmet café.

But this café is unlike any other gourmet shops in the city proper; the entire compound will soon become a home for the indigenous peoples, more particularly the children.

Managed by Italian missionary Fr. Franco Uras, the Bosco Center for Hope for Integral Development

for Lumad Youth and Children offers a variety of homemade gourmet products, which have been processed using organicallygrown ingredients.

Uras, who belongs to the Salesians of Don Bosco, sells his products, such as pasta sauces and homemade breads, to raise money for his program for the lumad children and youth.

His products include Vegetarian Pasta Sauce in Soya Oil, Vegetarian Tuna Sauce in Corn Oil, Pesto Classic (Italian) in Olive Oil, Herbed Mushroom Sauce in Corn Oil, Sundried Tomatoes in Soya Oil and Herbed Mushroom Sauce in Corn Oil. Each bottle costs between P205 and P385.

Uras doesn’t use any artificial flavoring or preservatives for his sauces, just herbs and vegetables.

“I have some herbs that others do not have and I also have my own formula, and that is my secret,” Uras, who has been in the Philippines for 48 years, intimated.

Asked why he went into gourmet making, the 68-year old priest replied: “Because I need money for the Lumad children, I need to raise money to help the less fortunate.”

Aside from the assorted sauces, the café also serves pizza for at least P150, tomato and onion bread, both for P25 each. Uras glazes his pizza with herbs and organically-grown spices from his backyard garden.

The café, which opens from 6a.m. until 7p.m., is located right beside the arc of the of the Department of Public Works and Highways, which is also the marker for the boundary between Davao City and Kitaotao, Bukidnon.

Benefit dinner But the center is not just a mere café; the Italian missionary is now prepar-

ing the six-hectare property to cater to Lumad children who are studying in a nearby elementary school.

Starting May, Uras said, the children will be gathered in the center to assess their needs for the next school year.

But the children will not be staying in the center, the missionary clarified. “We will provide two snacks and a lunch. Then they will go home in the afternoon. Maybe after a year, that’s the time when we will require them to live in the center,” said Uras, adding he needs at least P500,000 a year to sustain their needs.

To raise the amount, the priest said he and his German friend Wolfgang Csato, a doctor by profession, will host a benefit dinner for the Lumad children on March 22 at Coffee for Health café in Catalunan Pequeño, about three kilometers away from Ulas junction.

Csato, who specializes in pain and trauma treatment, is a hobbyist cook married to a Filipina. “Like Padre Franco, I also love cooking.

And I’m helping him in this benefit dinner for the Lumad children,” said the doctor who is also the President of the European Association for Pain Treatment.

For P350, Csato and Uras will serve authentic Italian and German cuisines. “But of course they can also donate cash for the children,” the priest said in Bisaya.

Aside from the benefit dinner, the German doc-

Quips

tor will also help in fundraising back in Europe for Uras’ project in Buda.

Moreover, Uras said he is accepting donations in kind for the Lumad children such as basic hygiene kits (toothbrush, toothpaste and soap), rice, corn, mongo beans, dried or fresh fish, canned goods, clothing, board games paraphernalia and even equipment for different ball games.

Hobbyist cook Meanwhile, Uras said he never had any formal culinary training , adding it was just his hobby that pushed him into creating his own recipes.

But as an Italian, he said, it could be natural for them to love cooking. “I’m the youngest in our family and I never washed the dishes when I was a boy,” he quipped.

He recalled having learned cooking when he was already in the Philippines.

Aside from cooking, Uras also made his own beverages out of the available ingredients in his backyard.

He said he has already fermented 17 kinds of wine.

“Before, preparing gourmet was just my hobby. But now, it is no longer a simple hobby because I need money for the less fortunate,” said Uras, who had served as executive director of Boys’ Town, a rehabilitation center for street boys in the city, from 1998 to 2003 before moving to Buda. [KEITH BACONGCO/MINDANEWS]

‘WE have no authority to hold him in contempt…We are not a super court..’

--Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on the motion to hold House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales Jr. in contempt of court

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 11

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

Careless Clavio

A

Biggest show on Earth How London is funding the Olympics

By Neil Bravo

T

HE biggest show on earth once again takes centerstage this year and everyone is starting to feel the Olympic treble.

The London Olympics will be staged from July 27 to August 12, followed by the Paralympic Games on August 29 to September 9.

Thus, for almost two months, the world will be watching the Games.

The last time we were watching the Olympics was four years ago when it was held in Beijing. That’s right, four years ago.

Time flies. We are now on an Olympic year again.

Organizers expect some 205 countries to take part in 300 events of this year’s summer games—the third time that London will be the Olympic host. London also hosted the quadrennial meet in 1908 and 1948.

Just how big the preparations for an Olympic event will be is something that will surely bewilder the uninitiated. The Olympics is the biggest event in the world and countries stake everything to be its host. In return, the benefits far outweigh the cost and that explains why big cities engage in a bidding war to host the Olympic Games.

But if the biggest show on earth comes with a heavy price tag, how does the host prepare for the enormous cost of hosting the Olympics?

Let’s take a look at the financial side of the Olympic Games and see what it costs London to stage the biggest show on earth.

A check with the Games’ official website www.london2012.com gave this helpful information on how London is funding their third and biggest hosting of the Olympics.

According to the official website, the London 2012 project is delivered by two key organisations - one private, one public.

The private sector component is the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games or LOCOG.

The public component is the Olympics Delivery Authority or ODA. Both have defined functions.

A privately funded Organising Committee The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is the private sector company responsible for preparing and staging the 2012 Games.

It has a £2 billion (estimated Php 134 billion) budget, with almost all of it to be raised from the private sector.

This commercial revenue will come from several sources. LOCOG receives income from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well as generating its own income from sales of tickets, merchandise and, most importantly, a domestic sponsorship programme.

A public sector delivery organisation The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public sector body responsible for the delivery of the new venues and infrastructure required for the London

2012 Games. The ODA budget is drawn entirely from the public sector.

The ODA is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency and the Olympic Lottery Distributor.

This funding is contributing to the construction of the venues and infrastructure in the Olympic Park; the facilities at Weymouth and Portland, Broxbourne and Eton Dorney; and the legacy that will follow the Games.

RNOLD Clavio must have felt by now the heat from an incensed sports community.

After Clavio and his co-host Rhea Santos made some comments considered by the offended Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and several sports fans as racist, libelous and discriminatory.

The PFF has also formally filed a complaint letter to the GMA authorities over the said comments made on the Unang Hirit program last March 13.

What has gotten into the mind of Clavio to suddenly go on a barking spree? He lashed at the Azkals in the middle of the AFC Challenge Cup where the Azkals by now have made him swallow his own rabies with a historic win and a semifinals seat in the tough AFC Group Stages.

A video of Clavio’s tirades against the Azkals went viral on Youtube and the legions of Azkal fans responded with loud and violent reaction like a barking pack of canines coming to the rescue of a wounded buddy.

In the said morning show, Clavio was seen calling the Azkals’ behavior to the Cristy Ramos complaint as “insensitive,” and then proceeded by questioning the citizenship of some members of the Azkals team. He also talked of their sexual tirades and use of antibiotics. Clavio’s barking spree got second voice from co-host Santos.

Among the tirades of Clavio cited in the PFF complaint: “Dapat maging aral na sa inyo ‘yan. Ang yayabang niyo. Porke’t dinadagsa kayo ng mga [fans] ang guguwapo ni’yo, ‘di ba?. Parang God’s gift to women,.”

“Ngayon nag-sorry para daw sa isa nilang kasamahan. Saan ka nakakitang Azkal na may suso? Anong ‘Cup D, maybe a Cup B’ sa isang kasama? Palusot na lang ‘yon. Sana kung nagsorry, sorry na lang talaga.”

Then came his hardest dig: “Eh, hindi naman kayo Filipino, nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi, hindi dito lumaki. Mahirap ‘yon, insensitive.”

And then more: “Alam naman nila’ yung mga ‘sexcapades’ nila sa isa’t isa, sino ang nag-penicillin, alam naman nila ‘yan.”

First, this is not to cloud the issue nor cover up the main issue of the Azkals-Ramos controversy.

That case is already with the PFF Disciplinary Committee. Ramos has not filed with the courts either any sexual harassment raps against the two Azkals.

We don’t know what

FCARELESS, 16

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

NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION (NHMFC) Mortgagee,

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13,259-12 -versusANASTACIO E. ARBIZO Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation against the mortgagor ANASTACIO E. ARBIZO married to Liberty A. Arbizo with postal address at Juliville Subd.II Lot 14, Blk. Pcs-112402-001466 Tigatto, Buhangin Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 29, 2012 amounted to Php 627,791.21 Philippine Currency, plus other legal expenses incident to foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of Regional Trial Court, Davao City; the undersigned will sell at public auction on April 12, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland ,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-181844 “ A parcel of land xxx (Lot 14, xxx Pcs-112402-001466 xxx) situated in the Barangay of Tigatto, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao xxx. Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less xxx.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 10, 2012 without further notice.

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

Davao City, Philippines, March 7, 2012.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) JAY C. ESPERANZA Sheriff IV Noted by:

POSTER GIRL Anna Clarice Patrimonio, shown here in her first match in the Selecta-Mayor Sara Duterte National Men’s and Women’s Championship, combines looks and fine form. Patrimonio, the top seeded women’s player, is touted to breeze through in this

ongoing tournament held at the Woodridge Park. She teamed up with Davao boy Ralph Kevin Barte in the mixed doubles for her first win in the four-day tournament. (Boy Lim)

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff

Copy furnished: The Mortgagor- ANASTACIO E. ARBIZO married to Liberty A. Arbizo The Mortgagee -NHMFC PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge-3/19,26 4/02)

12

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

J

UVIC Pagunsan crumbled to a pair of double bogeys in the back nine of the final round in the recent World Golf Championship in Doral, Florida. Those two bogeys, computed by golf expert Al Mendoza, cost him $31,500 or roughly P1.4 Million.

P1.4 M is huge, but with the elite 50 of the world’s best golfers chasing the hunt for every dollar in the tough tournament that saw Tiger Woods withdrawing after 65 holes due to sore Achiless heel, and top guns like Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia finishing behind the gutsy Filipino competing in the worlds for the first time, the 35th place result was simply Juvictorious.

The 33-year old Pagunsan, lean and mean in a 5-6 frame, had just become P2.6 million richer. He has been playing great golf lately capping the 2011 season on top of the Asian Order of Merit.

I watched Juvic play here at the Apo in 2010 and I walked on that memorable playoff flight he waged against certified Apo son Jay Bayron. Juvic’s swing is so fluid and natural. He does it with ease. Almost like a machine. And boy, he whacks it so hard.

He hits long for a man his size.

Not only does Juvic got

ers always share the same birthday with another great player in the same manner as Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin, Tiger Woods and Lebron James, and Michael Jordan and Jim Brown. Juvic

Juvic celebrates after sinking a putt in the Barclays Singapore Open where he finished a strong second, losing only in the playoff.

the drive. He has the ‘arrive.’

In golfer’s lingo, ‘arrive’ is your complementing efficiency around the green.

Very few golfers can complement a monster drive with a sweet ‘arrive.’

Juvic is one of them. Tiger too.

So is Juvic the game’s new Tiger Woods? No. Not yet.

But Juvic is close to becoming golf’s Manny Pac-

quiao and basketball’s Jeremy Lin. Juvic only needs to stay in this level and to continue to get the chance to play in this level. In the horizon is a stint in the British Open, the most prestigious among the four majors of golf where the legendary Frankie Minoza also had a stint.

Juvic was born on May 11. As numerologists in sports say, great play-

probe for alleged discrepancies in his income tax returns.

Recto stressed Pacquiao’s earnings from his fights in the United States (US) should no longer be taxable since he has already paid for it with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“OFWs earnings which are derived from working abroad are not subject to tax.

I think the same principle should also apply to Pacquiao, who may not be a true-blue OFW but still our very own ‘Overseas Fighting Worker’,” Recto said.

Pacquiao deserves better treatment from BIR -– Recto

S

ENATOR Ralph Recto has come to the rescue of embattled boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Recto said the boxing sensation and Sarangani representative deserves better treatment from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) amid

EDGEDAVAO

share the same birthday as Tom Watson.

Watson was one of the dominant players of the 80s and 90s with eight major championships including five Open Championships,

two Masters titles, and one U.S. Open title.

Juvic knows his time is now. Who knows when Manny Pacquiao retires, the country’s next big star will come in golf.

EDGEDAVAO

97%...

House...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1 feasibility, study, development, utilization and processing.

However, it exempts quarrying of gravel and sand for projects directly undertaken by the agencies of the national or city government for basic services such as roads, bridges, school buildings, and water and energy utilities.

The punishments for violating the law include imprisonment of not less than six years and one day, but not more than twelve years, or a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000, or both at the discretion of the court.

If the violator is a corporation, partnership, association or any Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service VILLAGE OPERATORS AND DRIVERS TRANSPORT SERVICE COOPERATIVE (VODTRANSCO) Petitioner.

Case No.2002-XI-01998 x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - ------------- --- x NOTICE HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of PUJ Ordinary Regular Service on the route: CIRCULATION ROUTE 1 and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on September 18, 2012.In the petition filed on January 27, 2012, petitioner requests 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 MARCH 26, 2012 at 10:00 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 27th day of January 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner, VODTRANSCO,DDF Village,Mandug, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Eduardo T. Manzano, Rm208, 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.

13

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

other juridical entity, the penalty will be imposed on the president, managing director, partner or chief operating officer. The erring company’s license to operate shall be canceled and permanently revoked, while the operator or owner will not be allowed to operate similar establishments in a different name or in a different location.

A foreign offender will be subject to deportation and permanently barred from entering the country after serving the sentence or paying the fine.

Aside from Ungab other lawmakers also filed similar “miningfree zone” measures.

They are Deogracias

Sara...

Ramos of Sorsogon City, Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes, Elandro Madrona of Romblon and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City.

Dabawenyo partylist Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan is pushing for the immediate passage of HB 6242 or the Philippine Mineral Resources Act of 2012, saying the measure will repeal the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. “It will put in place a mining policy that will give primary importance to the preservation of our environment and our natural resources, ensure the development of mining communities and respect the rights of indigenous peoples,” she said.

Luzon and Visayas; in all provinces, except in Davao del Sur, most of them were married males, while there were single travelers in Samal island.

Staying on an average of one to two days, most tourists in Samal are on family vacation, while tourists mostly visit Davao del Norte to transact business, while visitors in Compostela Valley attend seminars.

Davao City has a mixed group of tourists for pleasure, vacation, visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and business; the region, in general, has tourists for sightseeing, natural and beaches.

The average spending of tourists \in the region during visit was between P1,000 and P3,000. There was a significant portion of visitors who spent higher between P4,000 and P6,000 who were guests from Davao City and Compostela Valley. Visitors of Davao Oriental spent less compared to other prov-

pend on the direction that will be set by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the PSALM Board and, as provided under Republic Act No. 9136, will be done in consultation with Congress.”

“Currently, and consistent with the DOE’s Reform Agenda, which contemplates an electric market in Mindanao in 2013, the indicative schedule of privatization for the Agus and PulanguiHydro Complex is sometime between 2014 to 2015 or a year after the operation of the wholesale electricity market in Mindanao,” Ledesma said.

As an action, Ledesma referred to the DOE the ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee’s request for a briefing on their conference.

Opposition The city mayor said the ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee has formally expressed their opposition to the House of Representatives.

“Nag-oppose na mi.

Nagsulat mi sa Congress

and sa PSALM with regards to the sale, opposing the sale,” Duterte-Carpio said in an earlier interview March 12.

But as of the current status, the City Mayor said PSALM and the Congress have remained “closed on our non-privatization request.”

“Ang PSALM saradonasilakaydilidawnilaopisinaang mag-buot. Sa Congress, walapud. So wala mi kungnakasabotbasilasa among side,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Pero I understand kasabotsila eh because MinDA has also said the same thing. MinDA also has the same stand,” she added.

As the PB No. 104 here is undergoing bidding, the city mayor renewed her stand.

“Yes, we are aware of that. But as we have already taken this to PSALM, then it is really up to the Congress and the Office of the President to listen to our request not to sell these power plants,” Mayor Duterte-Carpio said.

Stated on the PSALM website, pre-bidding on four power barges began on February 28.

Commissioned in 1981, PB 101 and PB 102 are moored at Bo. Obrero, Iloilo City, while PB 103 and 104, which were commissioned in 1985, are moored at Botongon, Estancia, Iloilo, and at the Holcim Compound, Ilang, Davao City, respectively.

Through a press statement published online, it stated the PSALM Board approved the sale of the power barges with the condition that they will used “to augment the power supply in Mindanao.”

“The challenge in this particular bid is not just in selling the assets but in providing solutions to the power supply situation that’s now gripping the Mindanao region,” Ledesma said.

FFROM 2

The city mayor released to Edge Davao letters detailing correspondence between the ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee and the PSALM. July 25 of last year the ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee wrote a letter to PSALM president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. requesting “a briefing with PSALM on the privatization of the Pulangui and Agus Power Plants” as their 13th Conference was set 4 August 2011.

In PSALM’s reply, Ledesma answered in advance that he alone cannot decide on whether or not the Agus-Pulangui power plants should be privatized.

Ledesma on his August 1, 2011 letter said PSALM cannot attend the 13th Conference of the ND-RDCom Mindanao Area Committee.

Ledesma added that “nevertheless, please be informed that the privatization of the Agus and Pulangui Complex will de-

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF STATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

Notice is hereby given that the INTESTATE ESTATE OF JESUS A. RALOTA and VICTORIA Z. RALOTA with waiver of rights has been the subject of extra judicial settlement by his heirs per Doc. No. 430, Page No. 86, Book No. III, Series of 2011

inces.

The study also shows that visitors of the region rate their experience in tourism services from good to very good, while Compostela Valley got an excellent rating in almost all services. The rating for overall impressions of the visitors was relatively very satisfactory, and majority of them expressed to visit again and invite friends and loved ones.

It was reflected in the survey that only onefourth of the respondents heard of the programs or advocacy of the tourism office.

USA market Davao region’s foreign tourists from the United States are mostly males and are here for VFR, and learned about the Philippines from friends and relatives.

Filipino-Americans composed 60% of the USA market who belong in the first, second and third generations. They prefer high-end accommodation, and observe tipping. In handling the North American market, provide complete information; “blackis-black, white-is-white”; explain all inclusions in a package; observe a 24hour turn around in replying; and, good service.

Japan market Japanese tourists are mostly male retirees; women travelers who like shopping and salons; students with ESL (learning English language); and golf lovers.

In eyeing for Japan market, it is good to note that four in 10 Japanese are willing to book travel via mobile phones; blogging is growing in Japan; podcasting enters Japan market; Japan is bound to lead luxury market boom by 2016; and that travel marks boomer’s retirement.

Most Japanese like slow life or country life.

Their married women yearn to return to honeymoon destination. They prefer to travel outside golden week; Travelers in 40’s are top shoppers.

Japan’s drop in birth rate results in slump-in weddings, and resort weddings get popular in Japan.

Korean market The Korean market is composed of holiday seekers who like beaches, shopping, spa, casinos and cultural immersions. They are also honeymooners, considering that their peak wedding months are May and October with 300,000 marriages per year.

They are also students on study tours, ESL learners in college, and post graduates. Others are traveling for special interests such as golf and humanitarian missions; incentives for multinational corporations with branches in the Philippines.

Koreans are variety seekers, and their activity must meet multi-needs for relaxation, sightseeing, cultural experience and shopping as multi-destination packaged tours are popu-

lar among them.

China market Mostly coming from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, Chinese tourists travel in small groups on incentive tour, and they prefer convenience in traveling and access to range of activities. Most of them are from top management of companies, having white collar income or an average of US25 thousand dollars. Their favorite type of traveling is package tour.

Their reasons in choosing destinations and not choosing one include: recommended by friends and relatives; good price; recommended by travel agency; time availability; attractive tour itinerary; convenient services in visa/ticket; incentive tour; advertisement; see natural scenery; go to the beach/ ocean; see historical sites; taste local food; likes buffet or lauriat; learn about local cultures; go shopping; safety concerns; cost; lack of family activities; visa process; and lack of direct flights.

Australian market Nationals of Australia who are mostly residents of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane compose the Australian market of Davao region. They are mostly divers, adventure enthusiasts, families, women travelers, couples, honeymooners, retirees, business associations, and incentive groups.

Davao is one of their favorite destinations which include Manila, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu and Palawan.

They prefer individual travel, which is free and easy rather than group travel. Highly appreciative of good services and experiences, they prefer activities in natural setting with opportunities for cultural experiences/interaction, and find one to two activities or locations a day interesting and enjoyable.

They focus on the competitive pricing of products or services offered to them.

In handling Australian market, provide opportunities for free time or activities at their leisure; offer a good mix of up-market and bargain shopping; suggest wellness activities to complement the tour; offer plated dining; and, provide factual information like average cost comparison, duration of travel, and expected destination among others.

Good rating The study also shows that visitors of the region rate their experience in tourism services from good to very good, while Compostela Valley got an excellent rating in almost all services. The rating for overall impressions of the visitors was relatively very satisfactory, and majority of them expressed to visit again and invite friends and loved ones.

Further, it was reflected in the survey that only one-fourth of the respondents heard of the programs or advocacy of the tourism office. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

14

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

Serving a seamless society

Tagum

You can now buy your weekly paper fill of in-depth business news and features from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Jose Abad Santos St., Corner Arellano St., Tagum City 8100 Philippines Tel. No.: (084) 216-3003 Cell No,: 0939-243-8539

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 - 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

EVENTS

WORLD TODAY Serving a Seamless society

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

Davao

The Republiq of Davao M y ideal country would be a country where the power is in the people. Where smiles and dancing are de rigueur and the house music is the national anthem that changes every new billboard tune hits the top of the charts.

Everyone would be dressed up from top to toe in their most beautiful outfits be it girls, boys, and everyone in between.

All this and more I have been dreaming, and I had a bit of that dream come true last Friday night when Party Animal Productions brought to Davao a bit of Manila’s top clubs, Republiq.

Present for the party are Republiq Manila’s DJs Martin Pulgar, DJ Ace plus the beauti-

ful angel of the decks DJ Nina Saputil. And the music was angelic as well, as progressive house music filled the Garden Oases Convention Center and Davao’s urbanites took to the party’s dance floor.

Of course everybody was dressed to impress since it IS no ordinary evening in town

considering it IS the start of Araw ng Dabaw weekend. There were also lots of new and beautiful faces all around, all filled with smiles and living the Republiq way.

I just wished more alcohol flowed to make the party crazier than ever. But I guess lots of urbanites were too busy

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

trying to be fabulous wallflowers instead of letting go and dancing to the beat of the bass.

All in all though it was a crazy fun dream of a party.

Many thanks to DJ Party Animal himself for inviting this urbanite and giving Davao something to drink about.

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

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 - 19, 2012

UP AND ABOUT

SM’s Fashion Edge to feature Davao’s Bright Young Faces NOW on its 5th year, SM’s Fashion Edge celebrates the facets of Davao with the city’s Bright Young Faces!

Set to unveil this season’s fashion forecast, the show is expected feature fresh and hip ensembles fit for the youthful and the daring. Catch Jed Diamante, Javier Romero-Sales, Alicia Jaldon, Bea Ledesma, Ana Alexia Medina, Margarita Alexandra Antonio, Annika Lopez, Kim Canizares, Vincent Marasigan, Jessica Pineda, Abigail Belisario, Bien Christopher Estanislao and Eric Barnett strut the runway on March 24 at SM City Davao’s The An-

nex.

Expect colours and Summer patterns in this muchanticipated fashion event Plus, this year, Fashion Edge showcases the creations of the young

dynamic designer Junnie Artajo who is beginning to make waves not only in the city but in Manila and abroad, as well.

Fashion Edge 2012 is made possible by Accessorize, Arrow, Espada, Folded and Hung, Maldita, Mental, Team Manila, Lee, Levi’s, Jag, Kipling and SM Department Store. The event is also sponsored by The Cyberzone, Digital 1001, Medispa, Blugre and Jollibee.

Admission is free. For inquiries, call 297.6998 local 126. Like SM City Davao on Facebook or visit www. smcitydavao.blogspot.com for event and promo updates.

Living in style with Liz Uy

LIZ Uy is certified style royalty. She’s lived up to being one of the most favored stylists to the stars, handpicking the iconic looks of celebrities like Kris Aquino and Bea Alonzo, to prominent political figures like President Noynoy Aquino.

Not much goes on in the realm of Philippine fashion and style without Liz at the center of it all.

Every item in Liz’s wardrobe is chosen with keen precision, and her mobile device is no exception. Sleek, sexy, and with curves in all the right places, Liz looks at both form and function as prerequisites when choosing the perfect phone. As a familiar face in the socialite scene, Liz uses a BlackBerry and pairs it with a BlackBerry plan that fits her style best to keep up with the demands of her craft and maintain ties with her social circle.

Good thing there’s Globe and its whole portfolio of BlackBerry plans, Liz can make the most out of her BlackBerry, allowing her to own her device with flair and style.

Liz is a proud user of Globe BlackBerry Max, the BlackBerry plan that allows her to do just everything amidst her hectic schedule. Globe BlackBerry Max allows Liz to do unlimited surfing, Facebook, Twitter, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), Yahoo Messenger (YM)

and e-mail, perfect for her lifestyle as one of the country’s premier social butterflies. Liz and her Globe BlackBerry Max are a perfect match, as it allows her to update her over 500,000 loyal Twitter followers anytime, anywhere, keeping them in the loop on her latest style creations, or fashion trends and discoveries from the World Wide Web. Her subscription also allows Liz to be connected to her e-mail all the time, so receiving messages and downloading photos from clients and colleagues have become a cinch.

On her rare free times, Liz manages to squeeze in a little chitchat session with her friends abroad to keep the bonds alive, thanks to her unlimited access to BBM and YM, all bundled with her Globe BlackBerry Max. Like Liz, you can also live your life in style by subscribing to Globe BlackBerry Max or to other Globe BlackBerry plans that best fit your personality and needs.

For heavy e-mail users, there’s Globe BlackBerry Messaging that enables you to enjoy unlimited access to push e-mail, BBM and Instant Messaging for only P299 for 30 days. Unlimited push email includes Yahoo! Mail, GMAIL and your office or work-email.

Instant Messaging can be enjoyed via YM, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk.

If you’re up to some serious social networking and chat-

ting, then Globe BlackBerry Social is your best buddy.

Available for prepaid and postpaid subscribers, Globe BlackBerry Social gives you unlimited access to Facebook and Twitter. It also allows you to stay connected and chat with your friends from anywhere in the world all day via BBM and Instant Messaging.

Finally, make way for the latest BlackBerry plan from Globe perfect for BBM fanatics, the Globe BlackBerry Chat.

Postpaid subscribers subscribed to Globe BlackBerry Chat get to enjoy unlimited BBM access plus a bonus of free 200 text messages to Globe and TM subscribers for only P99 valid for 30 days. Globe Prepaid subscribers can avail of the 1-day variant with unlimited BBM and 100 SMS to Globe and TM subscribers for only P15 a day.

“We a r e very excited to offer our roster of BlackBerr y Plans to our subscribers, headlined by fashion and style icon Liz Uy as one of our ambassadors,” said Joanna Africa, Head for Portfolio Management of Globe. “We understand that our subscribers’

needs are unique and different from one a n o t h e r, much like

o n e’s fashion sense and style. With our lineup of BlackBerry Plans, BlackBerry users in the Philippines can definitely make, own, and live their style,

knowing that they can maximize their BlackBerry device to the fullest.”

Register to any of the Globe BlackBerry plans by dialing *143# on your BlackBerry phone. For more details, visit www.surf.globe.com. ph or text BB INFO to 8888. Want to get styling tips from Liz Uy? Check out her BlackBerry video by visiting www.surf. globe.com.ph/tutorials.

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 - 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

ENTERTAINMENT

George Clooney is not alone: Check out these stars who got busted for a cause EARLIER Friday, George Clooney was arrested for protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. And while there are many celebs with regrettable rap sheets, there are also stars, like Clooney, who have been admirably arrested...

Just last month, actress Lucy Lawless was arrested after protesting aboard an oil-drilling ship in New Zealand. The former Xena: Warrior Princess star snuck aboard the ship with Greenpeace activists, hoping to draw attention to how Arctic oil drilling could accelerate global warming.

Daryl Hannah has been arrested on more than one occasion while defending her environmental principles, including this past August outside of the White House.

Hayden Panettiere is also willing to go to jail to protect Mother Nature: she was a wanted woman in Japan back in 2007. The actress was part of a convoy of activists from the U.S. and Australia who paddled out on surfboards to protest the annual slaughter of dolphins and whales by Japanese fishermen. They immediately left the country, but a warrant was issued for their arrest.

And who’s really winning in the Sheen family? Martin Sheen, who’s been arrested countless times for anti-nuclear protests.

See, not everyone’s a Tinseltown troublemaker!

HOT or NOT

Katie Holmes: Makeup-Free at Dance Class

A makeup-free Katie Holmes heads back to her car after a dance class on Thursday (March 15) in Hollywood.

The day before, the 33-year-old actress attended The Hollywood Reporter‘s 25 Most Powerful Stylists Luncheon with her stylist, Jeanne Yang, who was honored by the mag.

“We both love to do research, do vintage shopping together, rip pages out of magazines and swap ideas,” Katie told the mag about working with Jeanne on their Holmes & Yang line.

“It’s completely collaborative,” added Jeanne.

Isn’t she just wonderful?

INdulge! A3

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

SCENE ON THE STREET

Araw ng Dabaw Dabawenyo style Diverse as Dabawenyos are, their ways of celebrating Araw ng Dabaw are even more diverse. INdulge! interviews some Dabawenyos on what they did during the celebrations.

Daphne Jocson “Bonding with my mom and dad. We also visited the Pofta Bona food festival for some good food.”

Daniel Shultz “I actually just arrived home from Germany and went direct to the parties.”

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 - 19, 2012

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

Koronadal

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

General Santos

HAVEN BODY WORKS SPA & SALON Door 5 Kaykay Baloons Bldg., Laurel North Cor. Bayabas St. General Santos City Tel # (083) 301- 1991

Tel No. (083)- 553-2211

Rochelle Venuti “I went shopping taking advantage of the many sales around the city. I also attended a couple of events around town”

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

EDGEDAVAO

“I’m here to win races”--Vettel F

ORMULA One champion Sebastian Vettel tried to dampen excitement over his bid for a landmark title hat-trick, as an upbeat Lewis Hamilton Thursday vowed to make a fresh start this season.

Red Bull’s Vettel, 24, breezed through 2011 with 11 wins, and another series title this year would lift him to the exalted level of Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher, the only men so far to take three or more in a row.

But the modest German did his best to deflect talk about his historic attempt as he prepared for this season’s curtain-raiser, the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park.

“Well, you know I am here to win races and to win all I can,” Vettel said. “But most of all I’m here to win the championship -- so that’s the target, but we are not talking about anything else.

“Whether it is the third or not doesn’t make the difference. It would be a nice thing, but the reason why we’re here is to race and to

MOTORING

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012

15

Sebastian Vettel

win.”

Vettel, who became Formula One’s youngest backto-back champion in such impressive fashion last year, also warned that he had little idea about the relative speed and strengths of his team.

“OK, we are all here and we are ready to start racing, but really, we have to wait until qualifying on Saturday and for the first couple of races to show a trend of what is happening,” said the German.

“Maybe after qualifying we will know a little bit more, but after tomorrow (Friday) we will not know much more.”

While Vettel was cautious about the season ahead, his McLaren rival Hamilton said he was looking forward to a “fresh start” after being hit by problems on and off the track last year.

The 27-year-old Briton said he was aiming for a more focused approach than last season, when he was distracted by relationship problems with his pop-star girlfriend and also changed his management

Kia’s Picanto, Rio win red dots

K

IA’S five-door Picanto and Rio earned two red dot awards for 2012, bringing the Korean carmaker’s total number of winning entries in the prestigious design competition to six since 2009.

More than 4,500 products by 1,800 manufacturers from 58 countries vied for the red dot recognition and the Picanto and Rio were both named as winners in red dot’s internationally-acclaimed Product

Design Category.

All the entries were scrutinized and tested in detail by an international jury of highly-respected design experts. The winners were selected on the basis of their level of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, durability, ecological compatibility and intuitive handling. In the end, only products that featured the highest standards of design became eligible for the coveted red dot award.

CAR REVIEW

The All-New Honda Civic

You want to EXPORT your products?

Is your company READY for export?

A strong business plan will proof your export-readiness!

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

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

C

L A S S I F I C AT I O N -1.8-liter EXI. At first glance of the front profile, you will be forgiven for wondering if you’re looking at an all-new car or an extensive redesign. The bumper, grille and headlights have the same angular profile as the outgoing FD-series Civic.

But let your eyes linger a bit and you’ll see a more wedgelike look, the headlights sweep back more.

BELLS AND WHISTLES-If you still have doubts upon seeing the face, the rear will convince you that this is allnew metal. The new taillights are an obvious departure from the usual simplicity of Civic design. The white reflectors extend into the trunk like the Accord’s. The 16-inch alloy wheels are new to the Civic, but they look similar to what the City wears.

INTERIOR--Whereas the exterior changes might be described as conservative, the cabin is something else.

Right in front of the driver, the digital speedometer from the FD is still there, but this time there are rows of lights on either side that either glow blue or green (more on this in a bit). Beside the digital speedo is a five-inch screen that displays a variety of information: trip meter, door-ajar indicator, clock, outside temperature and

the display for the rear back-up camera. And this rear camera comes installed from the factory, not some addon to reinvigorate an aging model line. The screen even has a choice of three wallpapers, and if you don’t like what’s programmed in, you can swap it with one of your own. Amazing.

The dashboard, including the HVAC and entertainment system controls, is angled toward the lucky driver. But he or she doesn’t even need to reach that far to change the song or adjust the volume, the leather steering wheel has audio controls, a feature previously found only on the top of the line 2.0-liter variant.

And here’s the special treat: on the other side of the steering wheel are cruise control functions, because, yes, the all-new Civic has cruise control. While it isn’t the first in its class to have this (the Subaru Impreza brought it in first), it’s still a very useful, not to mention upscale, feature to have. But wait there’s more: on the bottom left of the steering wheel are dedicated buttons for the hands-free calling function.

SPECIAL FEATURE--The new Civic is chock-full of interesting toys, but there’s one very special feature Honda wants to highlight. To the driver’s left,

just beside the door, is a very visible green button labeled ‘ECON.’ Once pressed, it will do several things that will affect fuel economy. It will alter the drive-by-wire throttle response to be less responsive (countering those who drive with heavy feet), change the transmission shift timing, and even adjust the air conditioner. When you’re driving efficiently, the lights on either side of the digital speedo change from blue to green, the latter color being the undisputed hue for environmental friendliness. Step harder on the gas and it reverts to blue.

ORIGIN--This first batch of Honda Civics comes straight from Japan. In other words, these are basically JDM specs you read about, and this isn’t even the top-tier 2.0-liter variant. In the Phl market, only the 1.8-liter EXI variant will be offered. The 2.0-liter version will be available in several months time.

UNDER THE HOOD-Under the hood is the same 1,798cc, SOHC inline-four from the FD Civic, still mated to a five-speed automatic.

As expected, power figures of 139hp and 174Nm of torque are the same. But Honda Cars Philippines say the coming 2.0-liter will be a new powerplant.

COST: P1.074-million.

16

SPORTS Careless...

FFROM 11

went into the mind of Clavio.

He suddenly went berserk like he was God’s gift to broadcasting. But he was far from that.

I watched the morning show as I was writing this anticipating there might be an apology or an explanation from the network or Clavio himself. Instead, I was tickled to find that one of the presentors of the show is a soy sauce brand featuring the Azkals. The ad’s message

is simple—whether you are pure Pinoy or half-Pinoy, you will love this soy sauce.

Good thing, the brand has not pulled out their ad yet.

I don’t know if Clavio has seen this ad for him to know there is such a thing as pure-Pinoy and half-Pinoy and that under citizenship laws, there is no distinction.

That is assuming he does not know Art. 4, Sec. 1, par. 2 and 4 of the Philippine Constitution.

VOL.5 ISSUE 11 • MARCH 18 -19, 2012 Paragraph 2 says you only need one Filipino parent to have the citizenship of this country like most Filforeigners whether in sports or in show business including several stars of the network. Paragraph 4 says you can also be naturalized like Marcus Douthit of the Smart Gilas.

Women’s world boxing champion Ana Julaton, who belongs to the network, is also half-Pinoy having been born in San Francisco, California.

No need to elaborate on that, I do not believe Clavio does not know the law. Per-

haps even his muppet lookalike Arn-Arn knows that.

There are 8.7 to 11 million Filipinos outside the country. They comprise 11% of our population. And they are no lesser Filipinos. They even vote during elections wherever they are.

You also don’t need to have brown skin or to have lived your life entirely in the country to be Filipino. Nonito Donaire did not grow up in the country. President Aquino spent some years of his life in Boston. Grace Lee is not Filipino but Clavio’s employer embraced her.

There simply was no

EDGEDAVAO

rhyme and reason for Clavio to berate the Azkals who have earned the respect and adulation of many not only because they look good, but because they fought and risked their limbs for the country. If some of them committed SH against Cristy Ramos, let the investigation or even the courts take its course.

Was Clavio in the locker room on the day the alleged SH happened? Was he with the Azkals when, according to him, they used penicillin (an antibiotic used to treat bacteria)?

I think it’s weird for

someone who calls himself ‘Igan (friend). There is a term young people use for that—F.C. Feeling close.

No reaction from GMA Clavio and his employers must take action by way of a response, apology or disciplinary action. He cannot hide behind the image he has created for himself.

No offense here but watching the morning news for a long time now, we have grown to believe that Clavio has two personalities--halfman half-muppet.

If Clavio cannot face this issue himself, let ArnArn do it for him.

Lakers trade Fisher, lands Sessions

I

N an astonishing turn of events, the Los Angeles Lakers have decided to trade Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets for forward Jordan Hill, likely ending the Laker career of a point guard who has started for three of the five Laker championship teams he’s played on.

In a day that saw the Lakers save a good chunk of money (both in terms of Luke Walton’s 2012-13 contract, and the 2012 draft pick they don’t have to pay, sending both to Cleveland) while improving their point guard situation, the Lakers made a callous, needless, money-saving deal just to rid itself of Fisher’s $3.4 million contract for next season.

There is absolutely no justification for the move. Fisher, to be quite frank, has been absolutely brutal on both sides of the ball over the last two seasons for Los Angeles. He can’t stay in front of even the NBA’s slowest point guards, at this point, and he offers precious little offensively save for the occasional (as in, “32 percent of the time he shoots one”) 3-point basket. By every conceivable standard, he was a millstone for the team on the court. No amount of leadership and smarts (two things Fisher provides in spades) could make up for his shortcomings.

It still doesn’t mean you trade Derek Fisher, heart of the team, to save $3.4 million and a few million more in luxury tax savings. Some guys really should just be untouchable, even as their minutes decrease to nil. Derek Fisher should have been one of those guys.