Edge Davao 5 Issue 131 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

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Buyers beware

HLURB watches 300 illegal subdivisions By Carlo P. Mallo

Property

Sports

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HERE are about 300 illegal subdivisions in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) and other parts of Region 11 and neighboring Region 12, according to Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) 11 chief Miguel Palma Gil. Palma said a large number of the illegal subdivision development projects are found in IGaCoS.

The jurisdiction of Palma Gil as HLURB regional director in-

Dubious operators take advantage of Davao property boom PAREB to hold RESA forum in Davao City, Sept. 14

cludes Regions 11 and 12. “We are currently monitoring these projects and we will penalize the developers with the proper sanctions,” Palma Gil said, refusing to elaborate as it may jeopardize their next moves. There are several small scale developers who are taking advantage of the real estate boom being experienced in the region, especially in Davao City and neighboring

provinces. Some of the developers are outright dubious in their dealings, he said. “You already know who you are and I strongly suggest that you stop your illegal practice,” Palma Gil addressed the stern warning to developers operating without the necessary permit. “Having a business permit is not enough. It does not give you the authority to sell

FHLURB, 11

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REAL ESTATE.Ms Leonora P. Gutierrez, national director of Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards (PAREB), left, together with Eileen O. Sugano, president of the Davao Board of Realtors Foundation, and Liza Elsie E. Parreno, past senior vice president of PAREB, discusses

Tarragona landslide

the provisions of Real Estate Service Act (RESA), or RA 9646, enacted into law to address the pressing concerns of the real estate industry during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR].

MGB: Only 1 hurt, no deaths By Vicky Berdina M. de Guzman

NLY one person was hurt and no one died in the landslide that hit a mining site in Tarragona, Davao Oriental recently,

according to the regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11, Edilberto Arreza who guested at the Kapehan sa SM

Annex yesterday, Monday. The revelation was in stark contrast to the reported seven bodies recovered and the 50 other ca-

sualties. Arreza said that he received reports from the Oro East Mining

FMGB, 11

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Army says

EDGEDAVAO

Grenade attack was 5 in Paquibato, Panabo

By Anthony S. Allada

DENIED. Director Edilberto Arreza of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 11, denies that 20 miners were trapped in the recent landslide in a gold-rush area in the boundary of Mati City and Tarragona in Davao Oriental during the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. Beside Ar-

reza is businessman Ferdinand Marañon, president of Sagrex and Phil-Export Davao, who discussed the plan to convert the National Development Corporation property in Daliao, Toril, Davao City to a food terminal complex. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

N Philippine Army official said the grenade attack Saturday night that injured 41 civilians watching a circus presentation inside a gym in Barangay Fatima, Paquibato district, this city was the fifth and was intended for members of the 69th Infantry Battalion’s Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) team. Major Ma. Cristina Rose Manuel, executive officer of the Civil Military Operation (CMO) Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division (ID), said in all those incidents targets were troops. “Also, the method bears the same signature of the New People’s Army (NPA),” Manuel said in a text message Monday morning. The first incident happened on October 21, 2010 at 5:25 p.m. in Barangay Dalisay, Panabo City, targeting the headquarters of the

69th IB, but no one was injured. The second grenade attack wounded two soldiers who were among the PDOP team of the 69th IB on Nov. 11, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in Barangay San Roque, Panabo City. The third and fourth attacks were in Barangay Pandaitan, Paquibato district on July 14, 2012 at 11:45 p.m. and July 23, at 1:30 a.m., respectively. No one was hurt in the two incidents. The latest was at 9:30 p.m. last Saturday when an unidentified person hurled a hand grenade towards a tent of the 69th IB’s PDOP team but it bounced off a net and exploded inside the jampacked gym watching a circus show as part of the incoming celebration of the patronal fiesta of Barangay Fatima on September 13. Joint elements of the

Davao City Police Office and the 69th IB immediately conducted hot pursuit operation against the perpetrators but have yet to produce results of their operation. Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regional director lawyer Alberto Sipaco Jr. condemned the atrocity and formed a team to conduct an investigation into the incident. “It is a very disturbing incident. That barbaric and dastardly act is negative to the peace and does violence to the conscience of man and gravely violated the human rights of people and therefore be condemned in the strongest terms possible,” Sipaco said. He appealed to the citizenry to report any information on the incident to the authorities and identity any person or group responsible for the attack.

“That barbaric and dastardly act is negative to the peace and does violence to the conscience of man and gravely violates the rights of people and therefore must be condemned in the strongest term possible terms,” he said. Colonel Lysander Suerte, commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, expressed dismay over the involvement of many innocent victims in the incident. He assured that the military would provide all sup-

port to the police and other government agencies investigatind the tragedy. “In the spirit of bayanihan, the Army enjoins everyone to condemn those who use violence and intimidation against the people,” Suerte said. Soldiers and village officials brought the victims to the Rivera Hospital in Panabo City, Davao del Norte and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Davao City for treatment. [PNA]

CHR condemns group AFP to instill culture of peace behind grenade attack

S the country celebrates “National Peace Consciousness Month” this September, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines took a pledge on Monday to promote peace and instill a culture of nonviolence in the goal of building a better future for Filipinos. Leading the military in the oath-taking during the flag- raising ceremony at the General Headquarters canopy area in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City was AFP chiefof-staff Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa. “The AFP’s pledge of peace serves as a demonstration and reaffirmation of our commitment, sincerity and support to the primacy of the peace process. For our part, we will always pursue our support to the peace ini-

In ComVal

tiatives of the government and we will remain committed to follow the path of peace for the benefit of our people,” he said. Also present in the activity was Department of National Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, who also gave a speech in connection with this month’s national peace consciousness celebration. “Our recollection of this month shall become more fruitful by initiating and participating in relevant and meaningful activities. This is to instill greater consciousness and understanding among the Filipino people of the comprehensive peace process and the culture of peace agenda. By so doing, we can transform ourselves as instruments of peace,” he

stressed. “The attainment of peace is the principal rationale in our consistent support of the objectives of the United Nations in the resolution of conflicts in our global communities. Thus, we continue to commit our Filipino peacekeepers in war-torn countries and conflict areas in many parts of the world,” Gazmin added. This year’s National Peace Consciousness Month has the theme, “Ako. Ikaw. Tayo. Magkakaiba, Nagkakaisa sa Kapayapaan” which aims to raise awareness among Filipinos on the need to advance the government’s ongoing peace process with Moro and communist rebel groups, and promote a culture of peace among Filipinos. [PNA]

fied it to pave the way for the bill’s enactment into law. Zamora-Apsay said that with the passage of the bill in the Senate, it will only be matter of time before the bill is signed by the President. She said the two proposed Regional Trial Court branches in Compostela and Mabini towns are intended to improve the administration of justice in the province, and to ease the backlog of cases lodged in the sole

RTC branch in Nabunturan. Zamora-Apsay said, “We are confident that the operational and administrative woes currently experienced by the RTC branch in our capital town will become a thing of the past. “We thank our colleagues in the legislature for recognizing the necessity of this measure to ensure efficient and effective judicial management and dispensation in our province,” she said. [ANTHONY S. ALLADA]

N official of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the Davao region condemned whatever group was behind the grenade attack in the middle of a circus presentation in Barangay Fatima, Paquibato district Saturday night. Lawyer Alberto Sipaco, director of CHR 11, called it “a disturbing incident.” He wants people to help identify those behind the incident which his office investigating.

DCCCII launches 3 major events

Vicky Berdina M. de Guzman

Bill creating two more T RTC branches ratified

OMPOSTELA Valley first district Rep. Maria Carmen “Maricar” Zamora-Apsay said her bill creating two more branches of the Regional Trial Court in the province is about to become a law. The Senate passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 4521 during its plenary session last July 24 and later sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence last July 31. Last Aug. 28 the House rati-

HE Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCII) will soon be launching three major events, according to its president, Maria Lourdes G. Monteverde. The first, Davao Trade Expo or DATE 2012 whose theme is “Building the Future: Feeding the World through Sustainable Farming” is for October 25 to 27 at SMX Davao Convention Center of SM Lanang Premier, It will include the Mindanao Livestock, Poultry and Aquaculture Congress which will cover a 5-year industry roadmap for the livestock, poultry and aquaculture industry in Mindanao, and its policy development plan.

The congress includes innovative agriculture strategies in light of climate change; and credit financing facility, and will provide a venue to showcase the products, services and opportunities in the agriculture industry of Mindanao and is expected to bring in 200 exhibitors, 7,000 trade visitors and buyers and over 1,000 congress delegates. The second event will be the Davao Investment Conference on November 1517, 2012 at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang, Davao City. It will cover Mindanao’s position in the global palm oil and rubber markets; investment opportunities in geotextiles and coconut coir;

long-term security of the region’s power supply; the region’s tourism industry; and the expanding air connectivity of the Davao region. The third will be the 1st International Film Expo on November 23 and 24 at the SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang. This Film Expo of the Film Development Council of the Philippines will showcase the Davao region as a destination for Film Location Sites. Joining in this event are the film makers, groups with filming equipments and groups rendering filming services, post production houses, foreign embassies, cultural agencies, media networks, cinema chains, film production studios.

THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 131 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

DOST 11 strengthens food safety program

HE Department of Science and Technology in the region has expanded the composition of its Davao Food Safety Team (DFST) by taking in additional members to beef up the program on food safety. The fourth batch of DFST members together with the current officers and members took their oath of office at the re-launching of the team on August 24 at the D’Leonor Hotel, Davao City. DOST-11 regional director Anthony Sales said widening the team’s membership aims to have a bigger pool of experts and supporters for the food safety program. The team is composed of professionals from various government agencies, local government units, academe, industry sector and civil society organizations, Sales told reporters in an interview. He said the team is well represented by regulation agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), and Phil-

ippine Coconut Authority (PCA). DFST provides trainings and consultancy to all food handlers like restaurants, karenderias, hotels, and other food businesses as well as food processors. Sales said the emphasis on the need of strengthening the team followed a DOST-11 study conducted last year that showed street foods sold by vendors in Davao City were highly contaminated with pathogenic organisms. The report was made the basis of City Councilor Bernie Al-ag’s proposed Street Food Ordinance regulating and imposing standards on street foods in the city. Sales said part of the provisions of the Ordinance requires all street food handlers to undergo food safety training before a business permit would be issued to them. The DOST has developed training modules for street vendors which would be used by the City Health Office once the Street Food Ordinance is approved. As part of the regular

FDOST, 11

ANTI CRIME WEEK. Lawyer Francis Brion, Davao del Sur provincial director of National Police Commission (Napolcom) 11 (left), explains the various activities in connection with the observance of the Anti Crime Prevention Week during Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. At his right is Sr. Supt. Amelia V. Talento, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology regional director.(see story below) [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

85% of jailed women involved in drug cases By Vicky Berdina M. de Guzman

ENOLOGY AUTHORITIES in the Davao Region find this disturbing: 85 percent of the total number women detained in various local jails in Region 11 are involved in drug cases, while only 46 percent of male inmates are held due to drug-related cases. According to Sr. Supt. Amelia V. Talento, regional director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Region 11, jail authorities were recently able to intercept two women who tried to bring in “shabu” while visiting the convicts. She said one of them is convicted, while the other is being investigated.

Only 46 male inmates detained for drug cases

Talento said women who are in conflict with the law are just trying to augment the income of the family that’s why some of them are forced to peddle illegal drugs. Howevr, she said a number of women have been to be users. Talento also said the BJMT continues to follow its philosophy of trying to give prisoners another a chance to reform and be rehabilitated and eventually become law-abiding and productive members of society after serving their sentence.

OPENED. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) consular office formally opened yesteday at the 3rd level of SM City Mall Davao. [LEAN DAVAL

DPWH 11, pilot site for ISO certification

By Anthony S. Allada

HE regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways 11 was chosen by the DPWH national office to be one of the two pilot regions for the certification of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The other region is the DPWH-National Capital Region (NCR) based in the capital city of Manila. During the regional office’s weekly flag-raising ceremony Monday, DPWH 11 regional director Mariano Alquiza led the launching as the first step towards attaining ISO certification. “This wonderful morning will be written in history as the day when our agency, the DPWH in Region 11 will begin its journey to develop a management system that will follow internationally accepted standards and best practices,” Alquiza said in his speech. He said the occasion is the unveiling of the marker

of their resolve to give total customer satisfaction over the products and services they can offer. “Our customers are the general public in this region and our products are our national roads, bridges, flood control structures and other public works. Aspiring to get an ISO 9001-2008 is going to be a great challenge for all of us since we will all have to undergo a series of paradigm shifts. The ISO 9001:2008 is the International Standard for Quality Management Systems and any organization can benefit from implementing this certification as its requirements are underpinned by eight management principles. These are: A customerfocused organization; leadership; the involvement of people; ensuring a process approach; a systematic approach to management; a factual approach to decision making; mutually beneficial

supplier relations; and continuous improvement. Alquiza said getting an ISO certification is listed in their performance governance scorecard as one of their targets. “We will be experiencing the impact of this paradigm shift, therefore I am encouraging everyone to participate and cooperate when we start to cascade these changes from the top to the bottom,” he told DPWH employees. Meanwhile, Ronald Armin Ocampo, senior technical consultant of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), whose group is taking charge of the entire process for ISO certification, said DPWH 11 has yet to undergo several trainings, auditing, and processes before it gets its desired goal. Ocampo immediately conducted Monday following the flag-raising ceremony an ISO orientation with the DPWH 11 top management that included the regional

director, assistant regional director, administrative, operations and maintainance chiefs, as well as district engineers at the regional conference room. He said it would take six to ten months before an applicant gets the ISO certification, depending on compliance of the requirements. The DPWH head office launched last August 6 the ISO certification application, described by Sec. Rogelio Singson as the first step towards attaining the ISO certification for the department to “fulfil satisfactorily all the requirements for quality management system that would ultimately result to customer satisfaction.” “The bottomline of ISO certification is better service to the general public. Better service to the Filipino people. We want to benchmark our processes against internationally-accepted best practices,” Singson said in his speech.

fear that the bill would fail to become an enabling law of the convention. “There is an urgent need, however, for our legislators to sit down together and adapt the two pending bills with strategic speed to fasttrack approval of which into law if we are to preserve the gains we have made both domestically and internationally,” Seno said. Seno said there are currently 17 “kasambahay” bills in the House which are not yet consolidated.

The Senate had already passed its version in 2010 though both needs refinement to reflect important provisions of the convention. Seno said some important provisions of the convention were derived from the years of narratives of Filipino domestic helpers in Hongkong, Singapore and in the Middle East countries. The ILO convention 189 includes a mandatory written contract between the domestic worker and her employer both locally and

abroad indicating the name and address of employer, type, areas and normal hours of work, remuneration, paid annual leave, daily and weekly rest periods, provisions of food and accommodation, the terms of probation or trial period, and terms for repatriation or deployment in favor of the worker. These provisions are met by the two pending Kasambahay bills in the Senate and in the House of Representa-

Labor group urging Congress to consolidate kasambahay bills

labor group has urged legislators in the Senate and the House of Representatives to consolidate the Batas Kasambahay bills with the standards of recently ratified International Labour Organization Domestic Workers’ Convention 189 before the 15th congress adjourns for 2013 midterm elections. Gerard Seno, National Executive Vice President of Alliance of Labor UnionsTrade Union Congress of the Philippines, made the call for

FLABOR, 11

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

‘Spineless’ animals under threat of extinction A

fifth of animals without backbones could be at risk of extinction, say scientists. Almost 80% of the world’s species are invertebrates, meaning they lack a spinal column. Reviewing over 12,000 species known to be threatened, biologists found that freshwater ones are most at risk. Researchers urged for comprehensive studies of those vulnerable, to help inform conservation and protect species. Human pressures, ranging from habitat disruption to increased temperatures, were key concerns according to the report published by the Zoological Society of London. “We knew that roughly one fifth of vertebrates and plants were threatened with extinction, but it was not clear if this was representative of the small spineless creatures that make up the majority of life on the planet,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director of conservation. “The initial findings in this report indicate that 20% of all species may be threatened. “This is particularly concerning as we are dependent on these spineless creatures for our very survival,” he said. The majority of the world’s estimated 126,000 freshwater species are invertebrates including molluscs and insects, such as dragonflies. Of those included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species, 35% are considered threatened and 131 species are listed as Extinct. According to the ZSL review, a major issue for threatened freshwater species is water pollution from agricultural run-off, domestic sewage and industrial waste. Damming and the removal of water, in addition to human settlements disrupting habitat, are also adding pressure for the freshwater crabs, crayfishes, molluscs, dragonflies and damselflies included in the assessment. “They’re important because they play a number of roles in eco-systems that provide humans with great benefits,” said Dr. Ben Collen, head of the Indicators and Assessments

unit at ZSL. “Invertebrates are particularly good at providing things like water filtration and nutrient recycling.” The picture for marine invertebrates however is less clear. Of the species assessed by the IUCN, 25% are said to be at risk of extinction but the list only covers 1% of all described species. “Our marine system is the least well-known system, so there’s lots more work to be done in terms of discovering what’s out there let alone what’s happening to it,” said Dr Collen. “It’s plausible that threat levels could be higher, particularly with threats that have no real boundaries like ocean acidification.” According to Dr Collen, this ongoing process, where the pH levels of the ocean rise in response to increases in atmospheric CO2, could be particularly harmful for species with external skeletons that can be eroded. Complete global assessments of reef-building corals, lobsters, and cuttlefish have been achieved and comprehensive work on squids, octopuses, cone snails, reef building oysters and sea cucumbers is nearing completion. But the report urged studies on other groups, including the iconic living fossils known as nautiluses. Having survived relatively unchanged for millions of years, the animals are now the subject of

concern for some as they are commonly collected for both shell curios and the pet trade. According to ZSL, nautiluses could be particularly vulnerable to this pressure due to their low populations and slow rates of reproduction. “From the marine species that we assessed, the ones that we’re most concerned about are the ones which are exploited - things like lobsters and crabs and species of shellfish,” said Dr Collen. On land, invertebrates such as insects, molluscs and worms make up 96% of all known species. The ZSL report describes many as having “bizarre” appearances due to their specialist adaptations to live in a particular habitats. But scientists said that this extreme attention to habitat also heightens many species’ sensitivity to change. Forty-two percent of the species currently listed by the IUCN are considered under threat but, again, the assessed animals only represent a tiny proportion (0.3%) of the total described species. “Invertebrates tend to go under the radar, people don’t realise just how integral they are,” said Dr Collen. “All of the flowers that we see around us, many of the crops that we grow and eat are pollinated for free by insects.” “Invertebrates form quite a big part of people’s diets in certain parts of the

world, they form parts of systems that recycle nutrients [and] they’re part of the forest systems that stores carbon.” “They are very much the architects of a lot of these eco-system services.” He told BBC Nature that the role of terrestrial invertebrates was “more immediately obvious” to us because of their proximity. In the report, scientists have included calculations

of the rarely recognised economic worth of the animals. For example, in 2007 honeybees’ role as pollinators was worth £200m to the UK economy according to The National Audit Office. “The things that [invertebrates] do are worth billions of dollars per year to the global economy and at the moment those costs aren’t factored into deci-

sions,” said Dr Collen. “We’re not genuinely thinking about what the environment provides for us so putting a monetary value on eco-system services is one way [conservationists] can help to do that.” “While the cost of saving [invertebrates] will be expensive, the cost of ignorance to their plight appears to be even greater,” said Dr Collen.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 131 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

THE ECONOMY

MSMEs continue to get sales boost

RIED ripe and green mango from Cebu, peanut brittle from Baguio City, various pastillas and other sweets from Bulacan and Laguna and processed Durian candies from Davao. Their common denominator: they are produced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for the bulk of total enterprises in the Philippines at 99.6 percent, accounts for 61 percent of total employment in the country, and contributes 32 percent to gross domestic product (GDP). Aside from being offered in its main manufacturing sites, MSME products are normally sold in various tourist spots since these represent what a certain area offers best. However, one need not go to Baguio once he thought of munching on the crunchy peanut brittle or to Cebu for its famous dried fruits as these are now available in major supermarkets and grocery chains. In SM Supermarkets, for one, MSME products account for more or less one third or about 30 to 40 percent of the products it sells. SM Supermarket and SaveMore president Joey C. Mendoza told PNA that items produced by the MSME sector really plays a big role in the economy because of the kind of products they offer.

“You cannot ignore MSMEs because of the variety of goods they offer,” he said. Aside from the dried fruits and other sweets, which are not only patronized by Filipinos but foreigners as well since food is among the best “pasalubong” you can give to your family and friends, Mendoza said bottled water is also among the best sellers of SM Supermarket when you talk about the products produced by small entrepreneurs. “Manufacturers of these items have small capital yet the quality of their products can level with those produced by big companies,” he said. Mendoza said SM remains open to increasing the share of MSME products they sell. “But this depends on the products that will be offered to us,” he added. The MSME sector continues to increase its economic importance not only of the Philippines but around the globe. During the 9th Annual Meeting and Conference of APEC Financial Institutions Dealing with SME recently, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. cited a World Bank (WB) survey on financial access of MSMEs which placed the global volume of SME lending to about US$ 10 trillion in 2009.[PNA]

SPECIALTY STORE. Two young boys can’t stop staring at the cartoon character toys displayed by a specialty store at a mall along J.P. Laurel Ave yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

SSS widens reach of micro savings for informal sector workers T HE Social Security System (SSS) has attracted thousands of informal sector workers to register or revive their active membership under a microsavings program that offers convenient remittance of contributions and ensures their access to affordable social protection. Called “AlkanSSSya”,

the program currently has a total of 34 participating organizations that represent about 18,600 workers in the National Capital Region and Luzon. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. related the positive reactions of informal sector workers who joined AlkanSSSya through their

workers association. “Members said that joining the program made them feel more secure and they likened themselves to regular employees enjoying the same SSS benefits,” de Quiros said. “We specifically designed the AlkanSSSya program to fit their way of life and to make saving for monthly SSS premiums

as affordable as only P10 a day.” Metal safety boxes standing 1.5 meters tall with secure mini-compartments are installed in accessible locations to store AlkanSSSya savings before these are accounted for and picked up by an SSS collecting agent at the end of every

FSSS, 11

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch

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

5.8% 1st Qtr 2012

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

6.4 % 1st Qtr 2012

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

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

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

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

P 42.78 Jun 2012

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

5,091.2 May 2012

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

130.1 Jun 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.8 Jun 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.7 Jun 2012

16. Visitor Arrivals

349,779 Apr 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18.8 % Jan 2012

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.2 % Jan 2012

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

2012

2011

2010

42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

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

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

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Abaca export sales down by 10.5% in first semester E

ARNINGS from abaca exports dropped by more than a tenth in first half of this year due to continued slowdown in demand for raw fiber. In a report, the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) said the country’s earnings from abaca exports dropped by 10.5 percent to $ 63.95 million in January to June 2012 from $ 71.48 million a year ago. Sales of raw fiber, which accounts for almost 10 percent of the total export, posted the highest

Sun Broadband revenues up 46%

drop for the period at $ 2.47 million, down 63.3 percent from last year’s $ 6.75. In terms of volume, raw fiber exports were down by 58.5 percent to 16,793 bales in the first six months of 2012 from 40,444 bales during the same period last year. The data also showed that exports to the Asian region, the biggest abaca market, declined by 73 percent from the same period last year. Cordage export earnings dropped by 6.6 percent to $ 7.76 million from $ 8.31 million as shipment

of cordage slowed down by 13.8 percent to 3,221.2 metric tons during the period. FIDA attributed the decline to the low demand from all the traditional markets for the commodity. The value of pulp exports, which accounts to 76 percent of the total earning, similarly dropped to $ 49.05 million from $ 52.11 million, despite a two-percent increase in volume shipped during period. Despite the lower first-semester export sales, FIDA remained confident that the industry will bounce

back in the second half of 2012, noting that demand for pulp will continue to increase with the development of filter paper for disposable coffee and tea cups, which market is growing. Earlier, FIDA said it expect exports to increase by 10 percent in 2012 on the back of stronger economy in its traditional markets. In 2011, the country earned $ 140.3 million from the exports of abaca products, up 34.3 percent from the $ 104.5 million registered in 2010. [PNA]

UN Broadband, the wireless broadband service of Sun Cellular, soared in the first half of the year posting a healthy increase of 46% in revenues and 54% growth in subscribers versus the same period last year – cementing its claim as the fastest growing broadband service in the country today. Sun Cellular’s Senior VicePresident for Postpaid Marketing, Broadband and New Business - Ricky Pena further added that over the last three years, Sun Broadband has been building momentum with growth averaging 141% per year in revenues and 114% per year in subscribers, clearly outpacing other players in the industry. “The fuel for Sun’s growth continues to be the increasing market demand for consistent, fast and reliable Internet data connectivity. Subscribers today recognize that apart from our best value offers, the experience on Sun’s broadband service is proven to be reliable,” Pena says. BALL CAPS. A man chooses a cap with Davao embroidery from a wide variety of ball caps being sold along R. Magsaysay Ave. yesterday. [LEAN Key to sustaining its growth DAVAL JR.] is the continuous product innovation that Sun Broadband is known for. He added that Sun Broadband started offering Group plans, Multi-SIM plans, and SIM-only plans to cater to subscribers who want to use Sun’s broadband service using ance, port fees, freight rates, HE roll-on/roll-off the meeting, he said. their various gadgets, and in an(RORO) service between Already, a Cebu-based Su- incentives and mutual recogniticipation of the ever-growing Davao City and Bitung, per Shuttle Ferry has signified tion of chassis or trucks. appetite for greater broadband Indonesia is expected to be interest to service the route, A memorandum of underaccess. operational by next year. he said. standing is expected to be According to Pena, the comMarc Ayes, deputy team He explained that with a signed in November during the pany can foresee the demand for leader of Research, Education RORO service, transport cost Davao Investment Conference. mobility in the broadband arena and Institutional Development of goods will be reduced by Maria Lourdes Monto grow significantly in the near (REID) Foundation, said local about five to 10 percent com- teverde, president of the future. “As we see more powerful shippers, representatives from pared with those done through Davao City Chamber of Comgadgets and smartphones coming out in the market almost evgovernment and private sector wooden hulled vessels. Trans- merce and Industry Inc., ery month, the need for easy acwill meet with different stake- port time will also be reduced said the RORO service is cess to information and updates holders in Bitung, Indonesia in from an average of 2.5 days in preparation for the free on social networking sites bemid-September to discuss the to 1.5 days between this city trade agreement of the Ascomes even more urgent. People RORO service. and Bitung, about 350 nautical sociation of Southeast Asian want to know what is happening miles apart. Nations by 2015. Bitung and Manado shipnow rather than later. Thus we Also to be discussed during “We really need to be compers, RORO operators, customs see the broadband market growofficials and the the meeting are the frequency petitive towards exchanging officials, port ing exponentially in a relatively Bitung Governor will attend of service, customs of clear- of goods,” she said. (MINDANEWS) short period of time.” Pena said.

RORO service between Davao and Bitung expected by 2013

as of august 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PROPERTY

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 131 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Reviving C.M. Recto By Carlo P. Mallo Photos by Lean Daval, Jr.

.M. Recto Avenue, more commonly known as Claveria Street, is and will always be Davao City’s premium address. While newer developments which promise to be more luxurious, posh, and even flood free, none can compare to the location of C.M. Recto. Considered one of the main arteries of the central business district of the city, C.M. Recto was once the hub for hotels, business, banking and finance, shopping, and entertainment. While some parts of the street seem to be a time warp, new developments are reviving the old city street. A few years back, one would simply not be able to imagine a brighter future for

C.M. Recto with its dilapidated facades, streets urchins on ever corner, and vandals on almost every wall. But now, a drive through the entire stretch of the street, one can see how new developments are blossoming on almost every corner. At the far end of C.M. Recto, where it intersects with Roxas Avenue, the street is bordered with the new buildings of the Ateneo de Davao University and the towering Marco Polo Hotel Davao. While developments have mostly moved out of the city center over the years, C.M. Recto Street remains to be one of the busiest as it is a convergence point for most public transportation routes.

Jeepneys coming from the southern and northern part of the city, end up, one way or another, on C.M. Recto before returning to their points of destination. One thing about C.M. Recto Street that seems to have been overlooked by current developments is how pedestrian friendly the street is. Paved with wide sidewalks while the buildings provide shade and shelter from the rain, makes the street an ideal place for pedestrians to walk around. Shopping centers like Neil Oropeza’s Oroderm City, condominiums like Avida, and a countless other new construction sites show a promising future for the old thoroughfare.

A quick research showed that the street was named after statesman Claro Mayo Recto, Jr. Born on February 8, 1890, he was best known as a politician, jurist, poet and one of the foremost statesmen of his generation. He is remembered mainly for his nationalism, for “the impact of his patriotic convictions on modern political thought”. Online data also showed that he was born in Tiáong, Tayabas (now known as Quezon province), Philippines, Spain (The Philippines was not yet independent) of educated, upper middle-class parents, namely Claro Recto [Sr.] of Rosario, Batangas, and Micaela Mayo of Lipa, Batangas. He studied Latin at the Instituto de Rizal in Lipa, Batangas from 1900 to 1901. Further schooling was at the Colegio del Sagrado Corazón of Don Sebastián Virrey. He moved to Manila to study at the Ateneo de Manila where he consistently obtained outstanding scholastic grades, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree maxima cum laude. He received a Masters of Laws degree from the University of Santo Tomás. C.M. Recto may be old and dilapidated, but its floodfree history, well-paved sidewalks, and its accessibility to public transportation are just some of the things that still makes it the premium street address in the city.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Can Anyone be Like Jesse Robredo? OPINION BY MAUGAN P. MOSAID, PH.D.

(1st of two parts)

“T

EDITORIALS

Making a mockery of the law

HERE is no doubt a property boom is being experienced in Davao and neighboring regions. To all comers –legitimate real estate businessmen and agents - this is a golden opportunity that should be taken advantage of. Problem is the illegitimate or the outwardly illegal will also salivate at the opportunity and do their thing to make a fast buck. And so we have a proliferation of illegal subdivision projects and colorum agents, as admitted by no less than authorities of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), the body created to police the real estate sector. Lawyer Miguel Palma Gil, concurrent HLURB director for Regions 11 and 12, revealed that some 300 illegal subdivisions in both regions are now being watched for their illegitimate operations. Most of these illegal activities go on in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), now in the midst of a boom in tourism,

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particularly in the proliferation of beach resorts. If we have to believe Palma Gil’s statement, the arrest and prosecution of the people behind the illegal activities is only a matter of time. However, HLURB should put its money where its mouth is (pardon the pun). The public, which is exasperated over the all-familiar procrastination in government, wants the agency to expedite the arrests and padlocking of subdivision firms which have gone full steam ahead in developing and pre-selling activities, even before applying for a development permit. Sad to say, there is too much anarchy and lawlessness in the multi-billion peso property development industry. There is no assurance that even big name companies are not just as guilty. This practice is tantamount to making a mockery of the RESA (Real Estate Service Act), otherwise known as RA 9646, which has been in place since 2009. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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he good doth men do is oft interred with their bones” (Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar). Secretary Jesse Robredo was finally laid to rest on August 28 in Naga City in the midst of state funeral honors for him. Prior to this, the government offered the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery in Metro Manila) in case the Robredo family opt to bury him there. Robredo’s wife, Maria Leonor ‘Leni’, however, politely declined the offer saying “Naga City has always been Jess’ home and he will be happier here.” Much has been said about the good DILG Secretary and those close to him were so familiar about it. But to the majority of Filipinos, who were likewise not the least affected by the sudden demise of this honorable man, they have yet to fully grasp what they had lost and missed in Secretary Robredo. Not even the so-called netizens, who had been glued to the television sets and the internet from the time Sec. Robredo’s plane crashed late afternoon of August 18 are so sure about what was really missed in the man. Of course, we know for sure that now he can be called one of the champions of good governance. And we know, too, that he was so dedicated and selfless as a ‘servant-leader’. But if there is anything so impressive about him, it is his simplicity and uprightness of character obecause these are the qualities that made him do what he was supposed to do in a manner that is a s natural as he loves to do it. This is the unique Robredo that we should know. All the things that we’ve been hearing about him are just products or consequences of those fundamental traits of character that he has which is quite uncommon to most political leaders today. It is easy to imitate him as in anyone who succeeds him at the helm of the DILG can continue the programs he has initiated such as ‘Seal of Good Housekeeping’ (full disclosure), ‘Seal of Disaster Preparedness’, ‘Gawad Pamana ng Lahi’, ‘Banning Names, Initials and Pictures of Government Officials on All Government Projects and Properties’, ‘Monitoring Absenteeism of Local Government Officials’ etc. and no one will talk about him like saying “now, here is another Robredo” or worse, people might even say “here is a fake Robredo”. All of these programs were designed to strengthen accountability and transparency of the local government units. When one seeks to become like Jesse Robredo, it is not enough to do or imitate what he has done. One has to have what made him do the things he loves to do. A lot of heroes who had become ‘great’ were just doing what they believe was the most righteous thing to do during their time, but as to why they were able to do that was because it was inherent in their character and imbibed in them as their life’s philosophy. To them, it was a natural calling and something that they love to do, not what they were forced to do under the circumstances or because they were trying to emulate somebody to be like him.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The inverted hypocrisy

SmartBro outsmarts mediaman

When big business f*cks the consumer…

ANALYSIS

By Bobby Timonera

AVEAT EMPTOR. Buyer beware. This, in effect, is what newsman Bobby Timonera is telling customers of Smart and other companies engaged in selling esoteric gadgets which promise wonders but the transaction ends up in what Americans call a rip-off. Read on and learn a lesson or two from Bobby’s experience.-Editor) I love using SmartBro plugits, those USB devices that enable you to go online from just about anywhere where there’s good enough cellphone signal. Having Internet almost anywhere, wow! I could be hi-tech in some gadgets, but low-tech in some, like sticking to lowly cellphones with no 3G capability. So while others are tethered to their Facebook 24/7, I’m not. Only when I’m home on my desktop, or in some café or resto somewhere with a hotspot, or in my hotel room in Jolo with a SmartBro. That’s why I like those SmartBro plug-its so much I must have bought four of them these past few years. One went to my son, the other to my daughter. One had difficulty getting 3G signal I just had to throw it away. But that didn’t discourage me from using Smart Bro, because the replacement I got was good. But that good one went to my son when he lost his plug-it recently. So it was time to get another SmartBro, for my fifth purchase. Yeah, I know there’s Globe Tattoo, but I hate its download cap. I hear friends complaining they can’t go online anymore because they have reached a certain number of megabytes for the day. I already have a DSL line at home, and I don’t intend to get another postpaid Internet line for on-the-road use. Before driving back home, I dropped by SM Cagayan de Oro and bought a SmartBro kit from Graphic, perhaps the biggest store selling mobile devices in the city. I asked the salesladies why one costs P1,245 while the other is only P995. “The more expensive one can go 5mbps, while the cheaper could only go 3mbps,” I remember them saying. Even though I’ve never ever experienced going faster than 1.5 mbps the whole time I’ve been using SmartBro, I picked the more expensive one anyway, because I just couldn’t guess when we’ll have Internet in this country as fast as the Koreans’. As I was having lunch at Greenwich on the ground floor, I thought why not try out the SmartBro while I was still at SM, near the vendor? So I installed the software that came with it. I tried texting my Smart phone from the SmartBro, the message came through. I replied with my cellphone, and the SmartBro got it back. Hmmm … must be working properly. But trouble began when I hit “Connect.” After a few seconds, I got this warning: “A connection could not be established to the PPP server. Try reconnecting. If the problem continues, verify your settings and contact your Administrator.” Uh-oh. It was the first time ever that I encountered this in my years of SmartBro use. Maybe a driver issue with Apple’s recently released Mountain Lion? I doubt because just the day before I used my daughter’s SmartBro, that same black ZTE model with orange lining around the edges, and it worked okay. Ejected the plug it, plugged again, and repeated the process. Nah … still the same notice. As I’ve learned through years of fiddling with computers, when some error shows up, try a reboot, and big chance is it’ll work afterwards. But not this one.

BY ANATOLE KALETSKY Good thing I was still at SM. So after lunch I climbed up the third floor and complained to Graphic. “No Sir we don’t handle technical support. Try the Smart Wireless Center two doors away.” Uh-oh … So to the Wireless Center I went. “Ok Sir, let’s check it out. I’ll tell you what to do but you have to do it yourself.” She told me how to uninstall the SmartBro software by clicking the uninstall icon, and then reinstall it by clicking the installer file on the plug-it. I patiently followed her instruction, like I’m the most idiotic Mac user in the world. But nah, still won’t work, SmartBro still giving the same warning. Then the girl told me to bring it back to Graphic and see if they’ll get it back and refund my money. So I went back, but Graphic won’t refund. The lady said the Smart Wireless Center should now be in-charge of my concern. Told them, hey, I was told to come back here but they wouldn’t believe me. Told them, okay, let’s go to Smart. One joined me, and the Smart girl (the girl who works for Smart, ok?) suggested that they refund me. But Graphic won’t, and told me instead to go to the Smart service center where the techies are. And where’s that? At the second floor of Gateway Building at the LimKetKai Mall compound downtown, some seven kilometers away. By this time I was fuming mad. I needed to go home ASAP to attend to some urgent matters at home, a hundred kilometers away. They sold me a defective product, and they won’t refund me, telling me to go through some convoluted process that involves going somewhere far, amid the traffic with the parade downtown on the eve of the Cagayan de Oro fiesta! Okay, to settle this once and for all, I drove to Citylight Service Center, apparently outsourced by Smart to handle tech support. I endured the traffic, which was like Quiapo on a Friday, and going round and round in search of a parking lot. Found one finally maybe 400 meters away from Gateway Building. The Citylight technician’s verdict: “Yes Sir, this unit is defective.” And? “If you really want to claim warranty on this one, we need certification from the Smart Wireless Center that this is still under warranty.” What?! I have this receipt from Graphic that I bought just now! “No Sir, we won’t honor that. We need a certification from Smart.” Arggghhh!! Okay, granting I’d go back to the Smart Wireless Center and get a certification, I will come back to you. And then I can have this repaired or replaced so I can go home soon? “No Sir, the process will take three to four weeks.” WHHHAAATTT???!!! At that time, I felt my blood pressure rising, and with all my might, I threw the SmartBro plug it to the floor, telling them they can have it! I gave them the box, the receipt, everything. You can have all that! For a measly sum you’ll torture me to death! Thank you very much! They reminded me not to be mad at them, but to the salesladies of Graphic, or to Smart. And yes, I apologized, telling them to put themselves in my shoes. They were polite enough to just smile. Then I rushed out, walked back to my car and drove home. But decided to stop by Jollibee to get me a cold drink, afraid that I might meet an accident if I’d drive with that temper. It looks like Smart has this policy

that when a customer complains of some faulty products, they’d invoke a process so convoluted the customer has no choice but to concede defeat. And then Smart will laugh with our money to the bank. I’m not alone I know, and I’m sure it’s not only Smart that does this. I remember Grisham’s stories on insurance companies whose policy is to reject insurance claims outright, and acting only once the client brings the case to court. Talk about life imitating art. Ah … I remember another case. My wife opted to buy an HP netbook last May from Gaisano Interpace partly because it came with a promo of a free RAM upgrade and free external DVD writer, to follow later. “But these items will be delayed, Ma’am, maybe a month later. But we’ll call or text you, or you follow up with our branch in Iligan.” Okay, fine, we don’t need them ASAP. A month later, I followed it up, gave them the invoice number, and they asked for the saleslady who did the transaction, and I gave the name because it was on the receipt. “Sorry, not yet here.” At almost two months later I checked again, but nah, not yet. So I joked, maybe these would be ready by fiesta (Sept. 29) or at least Christmas time. “Maybe.” Almost three months later, I checked again. “Sorry, not yet here.” So I called Interpace in Cagayan de Oro, the saleslady who made the transaction. “Sorry, Sir, it was HP’s promo, but they haven’t given us the items yet.” Can you give me the one from HP responsible for this? I called the number, but that guy doesn’t have a clue, saying it was the store’s promo, not theirs. Uh-oh … I gave up. As they say: “When big business f*cks the consumers, it’s just business. When the consumers fight back, it’s a revolution.” Looking back, it now appears clear to me that by giving me the run around, the Graphic saleslady was in effect applying a no return no exchange policy! I should not have thrown away that defective product and my receipt. (I still have the SmartBro’s SIM pack number though.) What I should have done was file a formal complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry since in their website (http://dtincr.ph/faq_noreturn.php), they explicitly stated that “Consumers are entitled to either an exchange or refund, as long as there is a defect in the quality of goods or imperfection in the service.” Guys, if you ever get screwed by big business, don’t get mad. Get even! And file a complaint at DTI Consumer Complaints (http://dtincr.ph/complaint_ page.php). Oh well, the SmartBro episode is water under the bridge for me now, no intentions to pursue the case. But now considering that maybe I could live without SmartBro or without Internet while on the road. Like, I was travelling as I wrote this at the airport while waiting for my flight. Yeah, I think I’ll survive. I’d rather spend my waiting time on my Kindle instead of doing Facebook. But … as I was about to give up having Internet on the road via a SmartBro plug-it, I saw this very tempting Android phone that can handle dual SIM, 3G, can serve as a personal wifi hotspot, three-day battery life on moderate use, large enough screen and good enough resolution. And to the ATM I went … [Bobby Timonera is one of MindaNews’ editors. He loves tweaking computers, disassembling them down to their last parts, either for repair or cleaning up. Friends whom he has convinced to shift over to Mac jokingly refer to him as a one-man Apple service center.]

S the presidential campaign finally takes off with the party conventions, there seems to be only one point Republicans and Democrats agree on. This election will be about job creation and the role of government. But having defined this battlefield so clearly, neither side seems to have any credible ideas for dealing either of these supposedly decisive issues. Let’s start with government. The Republicans claim to want smaller and less intrusive government. Yet they vehemently demand tighter government controls over abortion, immigration, marital arrangements and sexual behavior. On other politically less salient issues such as drugs, prison reform, alcohol use by young adults and doctor-patient privacy, Republicans consistently support government intervention, sometimes to a bizarre degree. For example, a law signed in 2011 by Florida’s Republican governor (though struck down promptly by federal courts) made it a crime for pediatricians to tell parents that they could endanger their children by keeping a loaded gun in their home. The Democrats’ vision of government is equally paradoxical, but in the opposite direction. The Democrats, like left-wing parties in Europe, laud the economic role of government, and especially its importance in supporting public goods and regulating business abuses. But they deny the right of government to regulate, or even try to influence, private behavior, even when it impinges on community life in such areas, for example, as marriage, child-rearing or trade union activity, especially in the public sector. In short, the left’s faith in government suddenly evaporates when it comes to social and lifestyle issues, while the conservative passion for smaller and less intrusive government only applies when money and economics are at stake. Which raises the second, even more important, electoral issue -jobs. Mitt Romney has promised “a singular focus on job creation” and has accused Barack Obama of wasting his presidency on healthcare instead of creating jobs. The paradox is that when they are not attacking Obama for failing to create employment, conservative politicians insist that gzburden of government borrowing. Because President Obama has failed to justify or even explain his economic policies, while the Republicans have no coherent alternative, it seems unlikely that either side will have anything interesting to say in the U.S. election about the supposedly defining issues of government and jobs. This is a shame, because a genuine debate about the new relationship of governments and markets was desperately needed after the 2008 crisis. The crisis tested and destroyed the Thatcher-Reagan view that “the market is always right” and that government is not the solution but the problem. Running another experiment with an even purer version of the free-market model, as many conservatives now demand, seems politically implausible, to put it mildly. But returning to the faith in a benign and omniscient government that preceded the Reagan-Thatcher revolution is not an option either, because that New Deal-Keynesian model was comprehensively discredited in the great inflation of the 1970s.

10 SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Missing of dad’s body found

OLDIERS fished off from a river in Pikit town in North Cotabato on Saturday the body of a former councilor who had been missing since Aug. 29, an Army official said. Col. Prudencio Asto, head of the Public Affairs of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said their troops recovered from the Rio Grande de Mindanao the body of Eddie Jesus Apostol, former town councilor of Magpet, also in North Cotabato. The victim sustained two gunshot wounds in the head and was found hogtied, according to some operatives of the Army’s 5th Special Forces. Apostol, according to Magpet Mayor Efren Pinol, went to Pikit town on Aug. 29 to do some treasure hunting. “Apostol rode on his

brand-new Honda XRM but did not return to his place after that,” Pinol said. Allegedly, somebody informed Apostol about bright prospects of finding treasure somewhere in the Liguasan marsh. What surprised soldiers when they recovered Apostol from the river was the press identification card that they found in the victim’s wallet. The Army immediately sought help from some media friends to find if the victim was indeed a member of the press. “I do not know if he was a member of the media,” said Pinol. Authorities hinted Apostol could have been duped into treasure hunting in Pikit, where he was divested of his cash, including his brand-new motorcycle, before he was killed. [PNA]

DA expands garlic production area

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) 12 bolsters the expansion of garlic production areas in Region 12 as part of advancing the department’s Food Staples Selfsufficiency Program (FSSP). This is one of the strategies of the department in giving importance not only to the production of staples but also to other agricultural commodities like garlic. Jocelyn Torres, engineer, of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) said that they are encouraging garlic farmers in the region to partner with DA in promoting FSSP. To help the farmers in this endeavor, DA-HVCDP will provide the needed materials to improve garlic production. “This project targets to have a total of five-hectare garlic plantation in different provinces in Soccsksargen region

to sustain the high demand for garlic,” Torres stated. Soccsksargen Region includes the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato. To start the expansion of garlic planting areas, a seed system will be put up for the production of garlic planting materials. This project will be implemented starting October and will last for five years. Garlic is one of the most important spices which is widely used. In the Philippines, garlic production for the last five years reached 12,500 metric tons (MT) in 2005 and 9,500 MT in 2010 which is not enough to meet the needed 61,000 MT of garlic every year. By this initiative if widening garlic plantations, it is expected that garlic production in the country will increase. [PIA 12]

Hunt on missing croc resumes

ESCUE volunteers and crocodile hunters from North Cotabato have intensified their search of the missing crocodile after residents from a remote village in M’lang, North Cotabato reported to them on Friday the presence of the reptile. Psalmer Bernalte, head of the Kidapawan City Emergency Response Unit (Kidceru), started their search on Saturday night. “We’re waiting for the crocodile to come out from the river. The reptile would usually surface at night,” said Bernalte. The search started after residents of Barangay Magallon, near Saguing River in M’lang town, reported the sighting of the crocodile

in their area. Williamor Magbanua, information officer-designate of the M’lang LGU, said the crocodile surfaced from the river to hunt for food. “The crocodile was about to eat a stray dog when residents saw it. So the crocodile went back to the river and stayed there,” said Magbanua. He hinted the crocodile could be hiding inside a cave in the deep waters. The eight-foot crocodile escaped from its pen at the mini-zoo in Landmark, one of the public resorts in Kidapawan City, on July 14. The reptile destroyed the cyclone wire and fled to the Saguing River, one of the longest and biggest rivers in North Cotabato. [PNA]

AFTERMATH. One among dozens of houses destroyed by flash floods in Barangay Astorga in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur on Thursday evening (August 30).

Residents say the water started to rise around 7 p.m. and reached up to five feet. [MINDANEWS/RUBY THURSDAY MORE]

Maguindanao highway now safe, army assures M

ILITARY authorities in Maguindanao had assured that some portions of the CotabatoGen. Santos highway are now safe after the renegade Moro rebels disintegrated and realized the wrong they have done. Colonel Prudencio Asto, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have disintegrated and the military let the main rebel movement, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, to settle the issue in the face of the existing GRPH-MILF ceasefire accord. However, Asto said the Philippine government is pursuing the case against ailing BIFF leader Ustadz Ameril Umra Kato for committing multiple murder, frustrated multiple murder following the August 5 offensive it launched against the military and civilians in five Maguindanao towns. “Our highways are well secured and the military and

the police are in control of the situation,” Asto told reporters. He, however, was quick to add that commuters are still discouraged to commute or travel at night time. The police-military joint Task Force Omar, a group tasked to pursue criminal charges against BIFF, continued its mandate of bringing those responsible in the carnage before the bar of justice. “We cannot simply just ignore and forget the crimes committed,” Asto said, adding that gathering of pieces of evidence against the BIFF is continuing. Senior Superintendent Jaime Pido, Maguindanao police director and head of Task Force Omar, said several civilian witnesses have come out to issue affidavits about the activities of BIFF forces that led to the atrocities against civilians. At least 50,000 individuals have been displaced by the BIFF atrocities which

were carried out in the middle of the month-long celebration of fasting among Muslim faithful. Von Al Haq, speaking for the MILF’s military arm, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, said the MILF leadership have clamped down the BIFF. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement and its military arm, the BIFF, used to be members of the MILF operating in Central Maguindanao. Usdtadz Kato, its leader, was dropped from the MILF roster along with his men in the MILF’s 105th base command, for insubordination and disobedience following the atrocities it committed in 2008. Following the botched signing of the proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain in August 2008, the BIFF, then members of the MILF, attacked border villages in Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

Asto said since Kato and his men were no longer part of the MILF, they are no longer covered by the 1997 general agreement on the cessation of hostilities. Asto said Maj. Gen. Rey Ardo, 6th Infantry Division commander, has ordered Army battalions to provide security and vehicles for civilians displaced by armed conflict in returning to their places of origin. Ret. Gen. Loreto Rirao, chief of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said concerned government agencies have been “hauling” the internally displace persons back to their communities as the temporary evacuation sites, mostly public schools, have been reopened for classes. Asto, Rirao and the MILF spokesperson were one in saying that normalcy has been restored in the Maguindanao towns of Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi, Datu Salibo and Ampatuan.

memorandum of agreement that would provide 10 income-generating projects to people’s organizations in five municipalities along the Liguasan marsh. With her in the MOA signing were mayors Abdulkarim Langkuno of Paglat, Boniao Kali of Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Alindatu Angas of Sultan sa Barongis, and Mohammad Paglas of Datu Paglas.

Rajah Buayan municipal agriculturist Mohiden Paidumama represented Mayor Yacob Ampatuan in the ceremony. The partnership calls for the implementation of environment and natural resources-linked livelihood proposals under the Ligawasan Marsh Biodiversity Conservation Project (LMBCP) managed by DENR 12.

Under the MOA, DENR 12 will review and endorse approved subprojects of the LGU to the Department of Finance - Municipal Development Fund Office (MDFO) as the conduit for funding under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant component. DENR 12 will also oversee the implementation, monitoring and validation process of the LGU subproject. [PIA 12]

P7.8-M livelihood projects in Liguasan Marsh inked

FFICIALS of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-12 and Maguindanao officials have signed an agreement for the implementation of P7.8 million-worth of livelihood projects. A statement from DENR 12 said Regional Executive Director Adeluisa G. Siapno signed on August 28 a

[PNA]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 131 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

JBC opens vacancy in SC September 5

HE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Monday has set the date for the publication of the vacant position in the Supreme Court (SC) following the appointment of former Associate Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines. According to Iloilo City (5th District) Rep. Niel Tupas, Jr., an ex-officio member of the JBC, the declaration of vacancy in the SC will be published in newspapers of general circulation on September 5, 2012. Nevertheless, Tupas said during the next meeting of the JBC, they

HLURB...

will then decide on the date when they will start and until when to accept applications and nominations for the vacant position of associate justice of the SC. For his part, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, another ex-officio JBC member, said it is necessary that within a period of 90 days when Sereno was appointed as Chief Justice, the vacant position in the highest court of the land should be filled up. President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the SC on Aug. 24, 2012. Sereno’s term of office will expire on July

2, 2030 when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in the Judiciary. On the other hand, Atty. Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, a member of the JBC representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), said the JBC will start accepting applicants even if they are retired from the service or those aged 65. Cayosa cited as an example the case of retired Public Prosecutor Mila Talapiero who would like to apply to a vacant court sala in Leyte province. She said in such situation, this can be considered in court salas located in areas outside of Metro Manila and with less number of pending cases. [PNA]

tered, a certificate of registration, and a license to sell. Gutierrez said appeared in the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM yesterday to announce the holding on September 14 at the Grand Menseng Hotel of a forum on RESA or Real Estate Service Act (RA 9646) which addresses the proliferation of colorum (unlicensed) brokers and unethical prices of real estate practitioners. Appearing with fellow DRBFTI and PAREB officials, DBRF president Eileen Sugano and past PAREB senior vice president Liza Parreno, Gutierrez said the law also seeks to protect real estate investors and plain buyers of real estate properties. Parreno said that there are about 400 licensed real estate brokers registered with the PRC but there is no way of knowing how many are “dicers” or colorum agents. The RESA was authored by Congressman Rodolfo G. Valencia. The law took effect on July 30, 2009. With the effectivity of the law, licensing of real estate brokers, appraisers and consultants

were transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Professional Regulation Commission. She said those who were previously licensed with the DTI had to convert their licenses to PRC without taking the board exams. A 4-year course on Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Management will now be a requirement for the taking of licensure exam. Likewise, all transactions pertaining real estate will have to follow the implementing rules and regulations as mandated by law and is now being implemented by the Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate of the Professional Regulation Commission. The RESA Forum will have as main panelists Rep. Rodolfo G. Valencia of Mindoro, RESA principal author, and Eduardo G. Ong, chairman - Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate. Invited are officials of local government units, national government agencies, bankers, real estate service practitioners, investors and the general public.

January 2012, and the number may increase before the year ends. Some DFST members have been trained by German and Swedish experts on food safety. A schedule for food

safety training of the first batch of food caterers in September this year has been set in reaction to the recent food poisoning at the Ateneo de Davao University. [PIA 11/Carina L. Cayon]

worldwide effect in August next year. The convention seeks to protect and upheld 80 to 100 million domestic workers’ basic rights and their needs to develop just as any other worker in the formal sector. “We want our brothers

and sisters working as domestic helpers also treated highly and deeply respected abroad, we must come up with a domestic law —that is, the Kasambahay Bill— that can be easily replicated in countries where they work,” Seno said. [PNA]

FFROM 1

properties.” A couple of weeks ago, HLURB 11 stopped real estate developer First Davao Millennium Property Ventures Services, Incorporated, from selling subdivision lots in their Limao, Penaplata project. The developer lacked the necessary permits. “Illegal developers place the real estate industry in a bad light,” said Leonora Gutierrez, currently national director of Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards (PAREB) and past president of the 61-year old Davao Board of Realtors Foundation, Inc. (DBRFI). Addressing potential buyers, Gutierrez said, “I suggest that before you hand out your hard-earned money, you require developers to show you their license to sell and their certificate of registration with the HLURB. “Be cautious in dealing with developers you hardly know.” For a developer to be able to sell, it must have a development permit from the local government unit, the project must be regis-

DOST...

FFROM 3

training program on food safety, Sales said they have targeted 50 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to be trained this year, adding that a thousand individuals have availed of the training program since

Labor...

FFROM 3

tives. Seno said some other important provisions in the convention are not reflected, if not, vague in either one or both bills. The Philippine ratification after Uruguay in April 30 puts the convention into

Enrile wants to delete ‘condom’ from RH bill

ENATE President Juan Ponce Enrile said he would move to delete a provision which describes condom as essential medicine under the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill which is pending in the Senate. ”At the period of

MGB...

FFROM 1

Company, Inc., the Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office and the Provincial Police Office of Tarragona. Arreza added that he and Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon had already issued CDO (cease and desist order) to the small scale miners and ordered them to vacate the mining area in Sittio Bangul that was hit by the landslide. “The tentative date for them to resume to their operation is September 5, but they cannot resume operations without the service contract,” he said. The prohibitions of in the service contract would include safety rules. Nor would the miners be allowed to cut down trees, but will have to source the lumber they would need from elsewhere. The mining company will be answerable for trees cut illegally. Still, Arreza said the MGB may investigate the reported high number of deaths should anyone

SSS...

amendment, I will delete a definition of essential medicine. I want to know why condom is an essential medicine. What does it cure?” Enrile said. Enrile said he will not deliver his own privilege speech after Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III’s last chapter of his “turno en contra” speech against the RH bill on Monday. ”I have no privilege

speech. I will just propose amendments,” Enrile said. If the bill becomes law, Enrile wants to know how long it will be implemented even as he expressed concerns the law might reduce the population to an alarming level. “Some of our neighbors in Asia and other countries have been experiencing problems because of their small population,” Enrile warned. [PNA]

branches for AlkanSSSya participants and closely coordinate with their officers to address their concerns regarding SSS coverage and benefits,” he explained. The SSS has also drawn support from the government, with the Municipality of Bangued in Abra passing a resolution seeking SSS coverage of 4,200 tricycle drivers and operators registered in the Bangued Tricycle Franchise Regulatory Board through the TrikanSSSya. The resolution, dated April 30, 2012, cited the “constant occupational hazard of daily exposure to pollution, weather elements and vehicular accidents” as reasons for pursuing social security coverage for Bangued tricycle drivers and operators through the TrikanSSSya program. The agency will mark its 55th year on September 1, while the Main An-

niversary Program will be held on September 3 at the SSS main office in Quezon City with President Benigno Aquino III as guest of honor. The state-run pension institution started operations on September 1, 1957. De Quiros noted that this year’s theme, “Sa SSS: Kabuhayang Pinagsikapan, Seguridad Maaasahan,” highlights the importance of regularly saving part of workers’ income for social security protection to secure a bright future for them and their family. “The theme reflects SSS’ renewed focus to reach out to those who need social security the most, such as overseas Filipino workers and informal sector workers who provide for their families’ needs through sacrifice and hard work. We want to help them save for their own future as well,” he said.

question the police, provincial government, and mining company’s report that claims otherwise. For now, he said they will accept the report of the mining company, PENRO and the police. Arreza said the report refuted the claim of Don Salvador Lopez (DSL) barangay captain Baudillo Miones and his mother, Mandaya tribal chieftain Herminia Miones, that eight bodies had been recovered at the site of the alleged landslide and that more than 50 are still buried. Arreza said that based on the report submitted to his office, the Mioneses are said to be opposing the plan of the Tarragona local government to relocate all ballmill operations from DSL to Tarragona. “They (Miones) want to discredit the mining company kasi ayaw nila ilipat yung mga ballmillan sa Tarragona. In the first

place, sa Tarragona naman talaga na area yung minahan,” Arreza said. He added that they are still not closing their investigation on the incident and would send a team to the area if anybody questions the report from the mining company, the provincial government and the police. On Sunday, Assistant Secretary Gerry Cabrera, Asec for Anti-Terrorism and Special Concerns under the Office of the Executive Secretary, flew in by chopper and reportedly inspected the landslide area in Tarragona. Arreza said the supposed inspection was not coordinated with their office thus he assumed that it was a personal visit and not an official one. After the aerial inspection, Asec. Cabrera flew back to Davao City. It was not clear if he met with Tarragona Mayor Samuel Uy. [WITH BOT]

FFROM 5

month. One AlkanSSSya unit is assigned to every member who can drop in any amount daily until the required monthly contribution is completed. AlkanSSSya members are required to save at least P312 per month to meet the P3,000 monthly salary credit. De Quiros noted that the present list of participating groups is mostly made up of tricycle drivers and operators associations, or “TODA,” that joined the “TrikanSSSya,” a program pioneered by the SSS Las Piñas branch in 2011 that served as foundation of the AlkanSSSya program. Among the AlkanSSSya’s targeted sectors are drivers and transport operators, workers in the direct selling industry, and market vendors. “Providing social security protection to those in the informal sector is important to SSS. We have designated lanes in SSS

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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 DUAL Ordinary Regular Service

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

Petition for Approval of Sale and Transfer of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ- DUAL Ordinary Regular Service

ALEX L. PAGARAN, Case No.2003-XI-00321 Petitioner x- - - - - - - - -- - - -x

JOCELYN N. DACAY, Case No.2011-XI-00371 Petitioner x- - - - - - - - -- - - --x

POMPOSA B. GILBUENA, Case No.2012-XI-00522 Petitioner-Vendor (2000-XI-01498)

NOTICE HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular Service on the route: BUHANGIN VIA JP LAUREL AVENUE ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on March 12, 2013. In the petition filed on June 27, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service on the route: BUHANGIN VIA DACUDAO ROUTE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on August 16, 2012. In the petition filed on July 9, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on SEPTEMBER 11, 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 29th day of June 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on SEPTEMBER 11, 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 13th day of July 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

REMUS L. LLANTO, Petitioner-Vendee

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Transfer executed by POMPOSA B. GILBUENA in favor of REMUS L. LLANTO of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular service on the route: BUNAWAN VIA BUHANGIN ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate is still valid and subsisting up to November 21, 2015. NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on September 11, 2012 at 09:50 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 22nd day of June 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

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VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Dillinger added to Gilas, Mercado out

MYTHICAL TEAM. Members of the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Mythical five selection Benny Salvador, Ronald Jabican, Mark Jol Gallardo, Kenneth Ray Rizane and Jude Christian Saragena with Barangay Captain

Edgar Ibuyan, Jr., Mar Masanguid, Phoenix Petroleum EVP for Sales Ed Alerta, Mayor Toy Paglas, SBP Deputy Executive Director Bernie Atienza and SBP regional director Boy Cua. (PHOENIX PHOTO)

MVP. Janrex Tahanlangit gets his MVP award from sponsor Mayor Toy Paglas (right).

ARRED Dillinger of Talk N’ Text will be the lone addition to the Smart Gilas 2.0 squad to the FIBA Asia Cup. He will take the spot of Meralco guard Sol Mercado. With that, the Smart Gilas 2.0 team that won the Jones Cup in Taipei will be almost intact when the country competes in the Fiba Asia Cup in two weeks time, thanks to dramatic turn of events on Friday that saw Alaska’s Sonny Thoss and new Ginebra guard LA Tenorio get the green light from their respective teams. National coach Chot Reyes made the announcement after getting clearance from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas head Manny Pangilinan, delighted over the news that a team that defied the odds last week in Taipei will now get a chance to slug it out with Asia’s big boys from September 14-22 in Tokyo. In the end, the lone change he had to make was put in Talk ‘N Text’s JD Dillinger in place of Sol Mercado, but only because the spitfire guard won’t be eligible to play for the Philippines under Fiba’s strict rules even if he had suited up for the original Gilas team under Rajko Toroman in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. Alaska’s Mac Baracael and amateur Garvo Lanete, who were part of the 14-man Jones Cup team, also did not make the roster although Lanete will still join the trip as a reserve. Other than that, everything fell into place for Reyes and his staff as he announced that Gabe Norwood, Larry Fonacier, Ranidel de Ocampo,

Jeff Chan, Jay-R Reyes, Enrico Villanueva, Gary David, naturalized player Marcus Douthit, Matt Rosser, Thoss and Tenorio will be back for the Tokyo tournament. Tenorio made the team on a day when the four-team trade that sent him to Ginebra was finally completed. PBA Commissioner Chito Salud later revealed that he has received word from SMC officials that they will allow their prized acquisition to stay on with Gilas. SMC sports consultant Noli Eala said that contrary to popular belief, the conglomerate was willing to lend players from its three PBA ballclubs to the national team, so long as a formal request is made. Reyes, however, said the offer came too late in the day. He had wished to tab Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee, one of San Miguel’s three franchises in the PBA, but apparently the rumoured corporate rift between SMC and Smart pre-

vented that from happening. Thoss was the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place, his stint very much in doubt until he had a talk with Alaska team owner Wilfred Uytengsu who later softened his stand and gave him the go-signal. Alaska coach Luigi Trillo said Uytengsu gave the 6-7 Thoss the green light on the condition that the player delay his departure for Tokyo by a day and promise that he will immediately fly back to Manila if Smart Gilas 2.0 is knocked out of contention. Thoss, who belonged to the 2004 rookie class that included current San Mig Coffee (formerly B-Meg) superstar James Yap and Talk ‘N Text’s Richard Alvarez (the top overall pick), was understandably elated by Uytengsu’s decision. The Fil-German Alaska center said he understood Uytengsu’s desire to keep the team intact during the offseason since the Aces didn’t do well the past season.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 131 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

Five for Juan,

Teams gathered at the Davao Crocodile Park.

Juan for fun RIDING on the Department of Tourism’s campaign of more fun in the Philipines, Cebu Pacific, the country’s largest national flag carrier, opens a world of adventure all over the Philippines with the recently concluded Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge.

Baby crocodile wrangling.

Team Titans

Armed with P30,000 in their pockets, five teams composed of 15 dynamic college students with an insatiable thirst for adventure and a knack for budget travel, explored six destinations around the Philippines from August 29 to September 2. With the primary objective of accomplishing the most number of fun activities in Cagayan de Oro, Clark, Davao, Iloilo and Manila, while also meeting their budget. Set at the Davao Crocodile Park, the 4th leg of the Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge had the teams go on a relay race that highlighted Davao’s fun side with Team Bukidnon winning the Davao leg. Of course not to be outdone, Me, Jojie, Ian, Charles, and Maya also

TeamBigExplorersthefirstultimatewinnersoftheJuanforFunBackpackersChallenge.

and 3 Canon S100 cameras. Mayhaps Cebu Pacific might want to consider a media version of the race one day soon. That would sure to bring out tonnes of laughs and more fun for Juan.

Jojietakingashotofthebabycroc.

participated in out own relay race. Lucky for me, I was given the task of peeling pomelo, Maya had her hands full with a baby croc, while Ian was given the enviable task of eating durian. Ultimately though it was Team Big Explorers who won the overall race and went home with 12 Cebu Pacific tickets to any domestic or international destinations, three hotel accommodation packages,

TeamKeLoFe

Quick pomelo peeling.

Team BA

TeamBukidnon,thewinnersoftheDavaoLeg.

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EVENTS

MX3 livens up Kadayawan 2012 with GMA Kapuso stars Photos by Rhonson Ng

DAVAO’S Kadayawan 2012, the biggest Festival in Mindanao was a sight to see. A showcase of different Filipino cultures and witness by different races the celebration was in full blast. MX3 as a major sponsor and with GMA Kapuso caravan of hottest stars, people could not contain their delight.

As GMA Kapuso held series of Mall Shows and Barangay Tour with their hottest love teams and stars on television as well as participating in Pamulak Floral Float Parade, MX3 has given its full support to

ensure that the people who join the celebration of Kadayawan 2012 Festival will surely treasure the momentous event. MX3 has given a lot of locals to smile and laugh about. With fun games and many MX3 health products were being distributed to the audience, cash prizes were also given away to the winning contestants during the mall shows. The full details of the Kapuso Kadayawan Festival 2012 will be featured in the “Let’s Fiesta” TV special, airing on Sept. 9 via the Network’s regional stations in Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Dagupan, Ilocos, CDO, GenSan, Bacolod, and Bicol. It will also be aired on GMA Life TV, the international channel of the Kapuso network.

Smart cements leadership with commercial launch of LTE PHILIPPINE wireless leader and mobile pioneer Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has affirmed its leadership in the telecoms industry as it launched the country’s first and only LTE (Long Term Evolution) service Saturday.

Aptly named “Smart LTE”, the fourth generation (4G) service is now available at Plan 3500 with a 10GB allocation. It offers Filipinos wireless broadband speeds of up to 42Mbps in various locations across the country through the use of a USB dongle. “Just as we have done in the past, we have brought the latest and the best technology closer to Filipinos,” said Smart Wireless Consumer Division Head Noel Lorenzana. “With Smart LTE, the Philippines now has next-generation wireless services similar to those offered in more progressive countries such as the United States and Japan,” he added. Complementing the commercial launch of Smart LTE is the installation of more than 54,000

Showninphotoare(fromL-R)MarioG.Tamayo,headofSmart’sTechnologyServicesDivision; NapoleonL.Nazareno,PresidentandCEOofPLDTandSmart;NoelLorenzana,headofSmart’s WirelessConsumerDivision;andRolandoPena,headofPLDTandSmart’sNetworkandIP Systems; at the launch of Smart LTE.

kilometers of Fiber Optic Cabling (FOC) which connects Smart’s cellsites to its core network. The upgraded FOC system, which is scheduled to be completed by end2012 under the P67.1 billion “technology refresh” with parent company PLDT, also makes possible Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) fixed broadband services with speeds of up to 100Mbps. “This combination of LTE and FTTH gives the

PLDT group unmatched capabilities to serve the requirements of its customers for mobile and fixed broadband services,” said PLDT and Smart President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno. Apart from offering the future of Internet connectivity to Filipinos, LTE and FTTH also have implications in nation building. A 2010 study by the World Bank says that for every 10 percent increase in broadband penetration, there is corresponding 1.38 percent increase in Gross Domestic Product

(GDP). “That’s with 2010 technology. Imagine what LTE -- with speeds 20x faster than what was available in 2010 -- can do,” said Lorenzana. Smart first introduced LTE in April 2011 at the resort island of Boracay. It then implemented extensive beta testing of the technology involving over 100 participants. Smart is also the first to test 4G HSPA+ technology in the Philippines in 2009 and was the first to fire up the country’s first 3G network in 2006.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Lawless goes poof! IT didn’t figure Lawless would be Shia LaBeouf’s eighth straight No. 1 boxoffice hit, and it wasn’t. But Goobeie, Zoozie and Toofie are probably jealous anyway. (More on them in a bit.) LaBeouf’s Depressionera crime drama took second in the weekend standings with a merely mortal $9.7 million Friday-Sunday, per estimates. The Exorcist-vibing horror movie The Possession took the top spot with $17.7 million, and was on track for the second-biggest Labor Day weekend opening ever. The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, meanwhile, was headed for something else entirely: infamy. The Teletubbies-vibing children’s movie, featuring the aforementioned characters Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie, and

appearances by kid favorites Chazz Palminteri and Cloris Leachman, averaged about $200 at each of its 2,180 theaters, Exhibitor Relations reported. The opening is the worst of any film ever debuting at between 2,000 and 2,500 screens, per BoxOfficeMojo.com stats. Its grand sum of $448,131 is the 12th-lowest of alltime for a wide-release debut. The unfunny punchline: It reportedly cost $20

million to make, and another $40 million to make it into theaters. Some other takeaways from the weekend results: • Prior to Lawless, LaBeouf, in the midst of a personal “calming down,” had starred in seven consecutive No. 1-opening movies, dating back to 2007’s Disturbia, and not including the animated film, Surf’s Up. (Note: As the comments section correctly notes, Lawless opened at No. 1 on Wednesday, its first

day in theaters. But No. 1 streaks, as a rule, are marked in weekends not days. For those keeping score at home, Lawless has grossed $11.8 million to date.) • The Avengers returned to wide release, but not to the Top 10. It took in $1.7 million, upped its domestic haul to $620.1 million, but, as expected, got nowhere closer really to toppling Titanic for the No. 2 spot among Hollywood’s all-time champs. • Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Premium Rush ($3.9 million) and Dax Shepard’s Hit and Run ($2.6 million) both dropped out of the Top 10 after stays of just one week each. • The Ashley Greene horror non-starter The Apparition ($625,000) had a scary second weekend, with business plunging 78 percent from its debut. Do we really need more movies about guys on bikes? (Yes.) • 2016: Obama’s America ($5.1 million) enjoyed no bounce from the Republican convention. Despite moving up to more than 1,700 theaters, the Tea Party doc dropped two spots in the rankings, from seventh to ninth. • Meryl Streep’s Hope Springs ($4.7 million) quietly broke the $50 million mark domestically. Overall, the Labor Day weekend box office was less dead than usual. With Monday still to come, the holiday period was up a tick from last year’s, Exhibitor Relations noted. The box-office tracking firm, however, was calling for the summer movie season on the whole to be off from 2011’s.

The Hobbit Trilogy update JUST a month after Peter Jackson announced that The Hobbit would be turned into a trilogy, Warner Bros. released the name of the flick’s second installment and the release date for the third film Friday.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be released Dec. 13, 2013; the third installment in the series, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, will hit theaters July 18, 2014. Jackson originally planned to only create two films for the Hobbit series, but decided to add a third when he realized he had enough material to do so. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (the title will

remain unchanged) was to have been the second and last Hobbit film before the change was made. “We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life,” Jackson said via his Facebook page. “All of which gave rise to a simple question: Do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.’” Hobbit fans won’t have to wait too much longer for the first flick of the trilogy. The first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opens Dec. 14.

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UP AND ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT

SM Ladies Fashion Sale starts today!

READY for September? SM Ladies Fashion welcomes the BER months with a Fashion Sale!

From today until September 16, enjoy up to 50% off on selected items from NY Square, Philosophy, Prima, Weekender and Blanc Et Noir nationwide. SM Ladies Fashion brings in runway inspired haute couture outfits accessible and affordable for the modern Filipina! Hurry to our stores now and hunt for great style to update your wardrobe for the holiday season. Look for the perfect outfits to make heads turn as parties and celebrations fill up your calendar! Expect the gentle cool breeze tickle your senses as the Christmas season comes in. Blend in the season and spread some cheer with colorful, bright and shiny new outfits! Experience the early holiday excitement. Go to your nearest SM Department Store and check out great bargains from our Fashion Sale!

DFA opens new consular office at SM City Davao

THE regional office of the Department of Foreign Affairs is now located at the third floor of SM City Davao.

Starting yesterday, the new office of DFA started accepting passport applications, processing, and other inquiries. Unlike its previous office, the new office of DFA is more accessible and more comfortable given that the entire SM City Davao complex is fully air conditioned. DFA will be open on Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 131 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Sharapova hangs tough N

EW YORK (AP) -Trying to get back to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since winning the 2006 title, Maria Sharapova found herself trailing in the final set against Nadia Petrova when some rain came. Given a chance to regroup, Sharapova sought out coach Thomas Hogstedt, who delivered a simple message: Call Dad. So she did exactly that, phoning her father, Yuri, who used to travel with Sharapova on tour and helped build her game. ‘’He just said, ‘You know, your energy dropped in the beginning of the second set. That’s over. That’s done. Now you’ve got to go out there and fight,’’’ Sharapova recounted. She heeded his advice. Shrieking loudly during points, screaming and pumping her fist after winning them, Sharapova grabbed control after the rain delay of a little more than an hour, coming back to beat

the 19th-seeded Petrova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday night. ‘’She came out there with determination,’’ said Petrova, who later was a little less charitable, declaring that ‘’unfortunately, it was her lucky day.’’ Well, the chance to meet with Hogstedt and get a pep talk from Pops might have helped, but Sharapova also comes by her late-match success honestly: She is 11-0 this season in three-setters. Behind 2-0 in the deciding set Sunday, Sharapova took five of the next six games following the resumption in play. ‘’I always think that, no matter how you start the match, it’s always how you finish. Whether it’s an hour or whether it’s three hours that you’re out there, I don’t want to give up until the last point,’’ Sharapova said. ‘’That’s pretty much the mentality I try to have going into a third set.’’ The third-seeded Sharapova will face 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Mar-

ion Bartoli of France for a semifinal berth. The 11thseeded Bartoli beat No. 5 Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon last year, 1-6, 6-2, 6-0. In another quarterfinal, top-seeded Victoria Azarenka will play No. 7 Sam Stosur, the defending champion. Azarenka defeated 73rdranked Anna Tatishvili 6-2, 6-2, while Stosur ended the run of 18-year-old Laura Robson 6-4, 6-4. ‘’She has a very different style of game,’’ Sharapova said about Bartoli. ‘’We haven’t played against each other in a long while. That was a huge win over Kvitova, who’s been playing well this summer. It’s just a great stage to be at.’’ And one she hasn’t visited in a while in New York. Asked about how long ago that 2006 championship feels now, Sharapova said: ‘’Sometimes you look back and you think, ‘Wow, that was many years ago.’ I had baby cheeks still. But then you think, ‘Oh, where has the time flown? It’s so fast.’’’

Maricris Igam, fighting in the48 kilogram division, Irish Magno in the 51 kg, Rogen Ladon in the 49 kg, Mario Fernandez in the 56 kg and Joel Bacho in the 64 kg all came up with convincing victories to give the Philippines the most number of medals in the tournament. “This validates what we have been saying all along. We have a vibrant grassroots development program that has identified the best potentials from the countryside. These boys and girls give us hope for the future” said ABAP president Ricky Var-

gas, also the head of Maynilad Water Corporation. While Japan, cost Taipei and Vietnam were the favorites here, the Filipino boys and girls displayed grit and savvy to pull the rug from under the favored ones. Igam started it all with accurate sniping and surprise attacks against Nguyen Thi Luong of Vietnam to finish the match with much to spare, 25-10. The Puerto Princesa lass was also awarded the Best Female Boxer of the tournament plum. Magno followed suit with a dominant performance against Taipei’s Pin MengChieh, hitting the latter with a solid left to the kisser in the third round for an 8-count and then bloodying her nose in the 4th. So strong was the bleeding that the referee stopped the contest in the last round, awarding the match to Magno. Ladon, for over two years training in the shadows of his veteran brother Joegin, finally broke out of his shell, winning the championship in the light flyweight class with a masterful win over Japanese Kenshiro Teraji, 19-10. This despite being assessed a 2-point penalty for ducking in the 3rd round. The young Ladon was Mark Anthony Barriga’s main sparring partner in the run-up to the Olympics. Fernandez constantly rushed the taller Lin Yu-Che of Taiwan, often catching his opponent flat-footed with cracking left jabs and accurate right straights to punctuate his 19-9 victory. (PNA)

5 Phl boxers win gold T By Eddie G. Alinea

HEY were only here to gain international experience and exposure. But instead they got more than what was expected of them. The PLDT-sponsored national boxing team, composed entirely of first timers in international competition, came up with a surprising performance as the five Filipino fighters it sent in the gold medal fights took a gold medal each in the Second Taipei City Cup International Boxing Championshipos at the Taiwan Municipal Coliseum.

Ramil Bisera pitches from the fringe in the recent Samsung-Emcor ProAm at the Apo Golf. Bisera and partner Micah Shin won the title. [BOY LIM]

MARIA WINS. Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after defeating Nadia Petrova of Russia on Day Seven of the 2012 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Ten-

nis Center at the Flushing neighborhood, of the Queens borough of New York City.

Roddick wins, changes mind

NOWING full well each match could be his last, Andy Roddick is putting on a show while soaking up every moment along the way. So when he pounded a forehand passing shot to seize a 20-stroke point Sunday, Roddick thrust both arms overhead, motioning to the full house of U.S. Open spectators to make even more noise. Moments later, after hitting a winning volley, Roddick wagged his right index finger while chugging back to the baseline. Channeling his inner Jimmy Connors, Roddick is having a grand ol’ time at his retirement party - and he’s not done yet. Winning a second consecutive match since announcing the U.S. Open will be the last tournament of his career, 2003 champion Roddick stuck around at least a little longer by getting past 59th-ranked Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4 in the third round Sunday. ‘’I’d be an idiot not to use the crowd right now. It’s a huge advantage,’’ Roddick said. ‘’Each match is almost

like it’s another memory.’’ Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, beat No. 31 Julien Benneteau in straight sets and will meet No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka for a quarterfinal berth. Also advancing: No. 4 David Ferrer, who got past twotime major champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and now meets No. 13 Richard Gasquet, who eliminated two-time NCAA champion Steve Johnson 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3; and No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic, who will face the winner of Sunday night’s last match between No. 9 John Isner of the United States and No. 19 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. In women’s action, Maria Sharapova got back to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since winning the 2006 title, taking control of a back-and-forth match after a 75-minute rain delay and beating No. 19 Nadia Petrova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday night. Sharapova will play No. 11 Marion Bartoli, the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, who came back to defeat 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 1-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka beat 73rdranked Anna Tatishvili 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the first time. Azarenka has dropped only 10 games through four matches heading into a showdown against defending champion Sam Stosur, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over 18-year-oldLaura Robson of Britain, whose breakthrough run included wins against past major champions Kim Clijsters and Li Na. There was the third-set blip, of course, but otherwise Roddick stayed steady, breaking Fognini twice in a row in the fourth and raising his clenched right fist overhead after going up 4-3. After Fognini missed a backhand return on match point, Roddick rolled his head back and raised both arms overhead, then swatted a ball into the stands. Roddick answered the fans’ standing ovation with one of his own, clapping overhead while standing near the middle of the court. When he sat in his changeover chair, Roddick exhaled a couple of times, taking it all in.

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Sullivan: More fun in RMH

EDGEDAVAO

By Neil Bravo

“I

T’S more fun in RMH, man.” You think that’s a tourism pitch? Or a punchline for an advertisement? Think again. That’s Devon Sullivan talking. The 6-foot-8 Royal Mandaya Hotel import played the game of his life on Friday and admitted a day after the championship that he was “just having fun.” It’s simply fun out there with these bunch of guys, man,” Sullivan told EDGE Davao as he joined this writer and RMH team coordinator Jekjek Melendres over lunch at the RMH lobby. Sullivan, who played for University of South Connecticut in the US NCAA Second Division, said Friday’s championship for Royal Mandaya Hotel— his second in Davao--was sweeter. The first championship of Sullivan came last March with, of all teams—Montana Pawnshop—the same

team he helped beat for the 2012 Kadayawan Festival Invitational. “That’s basketball,” the 26-year old Sullivan said. He said it was difficult going up against his former team, but once he felt a big nudge from the opposing side’s center, he knew there was no love. Just basketball. “This team is great. We have a very good team. The guys knew each other well, we moved well and we were very comfortable playing with each other,” he said of his new team which boasts of PBA standouts Rob Wainwright, Cris Calaguio, Hercules Tangkay and Mark Andaya, ABL veteran Al Vergara, Fil-foreigner Ramsey Williams and former Smart Gilas Mark Barocca. Sullivan thanked the RMH management led by Glen Escandor and team manager Bong Go for the opportunity to suit up for Davao’s emerging glamour team.

OYAL Mandaya Hotel went to its pro-laden line-up when the championship was on the

line and the ploy paid off handsomely in the end as the Hoteliers turned back a fighting M. Lhuillier Kwarta

RMH bags Kadayawan title R Padala 80-77 and finally won the Kadayawan Festival Invitatational basketball tournament on Friday.

Al Vergara, a journeyman who has taken his acts in the PBA and ABL, had two crucial trips to the foul line and split both—not the result a coach wanted but good enough to put cushion down the homestretch. The Hoteliers regaled the jampacked crowd inside the Davao City Recreation Center as they surged ahead by 14 at the end of the first quarter. They erected their largest lead in the second canto behind Vergara, import Devon Sullivan, Hercules Tangkay and Mark Andaya. Goldstar Hardware defeated Montana Pawnshop in the first game, 81 – 77, to cop the third place honors. Just when the Cebuanos threatened in the fourth, the Hoteliers dropped a 10-0 bomb to quell the uprising. Tangkay and Andaya scored 15 points each, eventual MVP Vergara had 13, and the rest did their laudable share in the defensive end for TRMHVMO whose players were personally congratulated by Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte during their victory party. Nat Cruz poured in 19 points for MLKP which was trailing in the entire game. Mark Magsumbol had 18 points. Down 65-78 under three minutes of play, MLKP scored ten straight points capped with Stephen Padilla’s back-to-back triple to pull down the gap to 3, 75-78 with 1:09 left in the game.