Edge Davao 5 Issue 136 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

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Carnapper slain, 2 aides nabbed DIVING SKILLS. A Badjao kid together with his friends shows off his diving skills to impress bystanders before asking for loose coins at Sta. Ana Wharf. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Property

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By Anthony S. Allada

Sports

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n alleged big-time carnapper was killed in a reported shootout with policemen trying to arrest him Sunday night in Catalunan Grande, this city. Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Davao City Police Office, identified the suspect as Jun Cunanan, alias Jun Sese, 51, a resident of Malita, Davao del Sur. Dela Rosa said Cunanan, who used the fictitious name Chuck Castro Reyes in his identification card, had a warrant of arrest for murder and carnapping issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 17.

Vehicle registered in the name of former Davao del Sur congressman Claude Bautista.

At about 7 p.m. Sunday, joint elements of the Highway Patrol Group 11 led by Insp. Pedro Campomanes, Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SATU) led by Insp. Randy Sambalod and Investigation Division Management Branch (IDMB) spotted Cunanan who was aboard a black Mitsubishi Strada with plate number nOS-584 going to Skyline, Catalunan Grande. When the suspect’s vehicle was being flagged down, Cunanan chose to speed away, prompting

the police to give chase and eventually cornered the suspect at Crossing Santiago Village and Sitio Ubat in Elenita Heights Subdivision. Cunanan allegedly opened the front seat door and started firing at the policemen who returned fire, killing him on the spot. Cunanan’s companions, driver Teofani delos Reyes Jr., of Cantones Residence, Purok 13, San Miguel, Tagum City and bodyguard, Reynaldo Languido, 49, a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical

Unit (Cafgu), of Culo St., Poblacion, Malita, Davao del Sur were arrested. Recovered from the suspect’s vehicle three .45 caliber pistols and three .38 caliber revolvers with several rounds of ammunition as well as two handheld radios. The vehicle’s certificate of registration bore the name of former Davao del Sur congressman Claude Bautista as owner. Cunanan’s bullet-riddled body was later brought to a funeral parlor in Barangay Bangkal by responding elements of the Scene of the Crime Operation (Soco).

Duterte to field congress bet vs Nograles

S THE OCTOBER 5 deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy in the May 2013 elections draws near, the political guessing game has started. One of the most talked about electoral topic is who the Duterte camp will field against the Team nograles candidate for congress-

Mylene, Sid backed for reelection Comeback of Speaker Nograles speculated man in the first district. The guessing game was triggered by a statement of Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in his television talk show that his group Hugpong

sa Tawong Lungsod will definitely put up a candidate against whoever Team nograles will field for congressman in the first district -- incumbent Rep. Karlo B. nograles or

former House Speaker Prospero C. nograles. In the same television program, Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa, Vice Mayor Duterte said local party Hugpong, which is affiliated with the Liberal Party, will definitely field reelectionist Congresswom-

FDUTERTE, 11

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THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO City buys 21 multicabs, and mobile health clinic

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

By Anthony S. Allada

PLEDGED. Director Francisco Jose of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 11 states that Sec. Mar Roxas, the new DILG secretary, pledged to continue the programs left by the late Sec. Jesse Robredo during

Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. Also in the photo at right is Gary Castillo of the Davao City Enterprises Bureau. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

HE CITY government of Davao acquired 21 multicabs and a stateof-the-art mobile health clinic to fast track the delivery of basic services to its constituents. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio turned over the multicabs to 20 barangays and City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) while the mobile hospital was given to the care of the City Health Office (CHO). Luckily, one of the beneficiary barangays was Barangay Fatima in Paquibato district, where 41 of its residents were wounded in a grenade attack perpetrated by the new People’s Army (nPA) on September 1, 2012. Aside from Fatima, other barangays that received the vehicles were Angliongto, Dominga, Dacudao, Mulig, Dalagdag, Salapawan, Paquibato Proper, Tapak, Lacson, Bunawan, Mabuhay,

Cawayan, Pandaitan, Paradise Embac, Sumimao, Malabog, Lumiad, Pañalum, and Mapula. In her weekly press briefing, the mayor said each vehicle cost P294,000, which means the 21 multicabs cost P6,174,000. She said Senator Pia Cayetano was instrumental in acquiring the mobile health clinic since she donated P3.5 million as counterpart in the purchase of the P6.5 million health facility. The mayor said the health clinic can already be considered a district hospital, only that it is mobile. “It is already complete. It has its own data-base which contains the names of those who have undergone a check-up, making it easier to follow up their cases. {ersonnel manning the clinic will issue identification cards to those availing of health services.

n a bid to curb the deadly dengue disease, government agencies in Region 12 have formed a task force to harmonize efforts to fight the menace, with the Department of Health-Center for Health and Development (DOHCHD) as the lead agency. Dr. Jebie Areen Biron, DOH-CHD 12 epidemiology and surveillance unit head, said in a statement last week the task force was created because dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, poses significant threats to the health of the people. From January to August 25 this year, the DOHCHD 12 recorded 2,554

dengue cases in the region, 24 of them resulting to death. The figure is 24 percent higher compared to that of the same period last year. Last month, the regional office of the Department of Science and Technology said it has distributed 11,270 ovicidal-larvicidal (OL) mosquito traps to public schools in north Cotabato. An OL trap kit consists of a black plastic cup, organic pellets and lawanit paddles. The OL trap is a technology developed by DOST’s Industrial Technology and Development Institute. [Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews]

ARMM has task force vs human trafficking I T

HE Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) recently formed a task force in response to reports it is the country’s primary source of victims of local and international human trafficking. Called ARMM Council Against Trafficking (ACAT), the formation of the task force came at the end of a two-day strategic planning workshop attended by local and national government offices,

Anti-dengue task force formed in Region 12

nongovernment organizations and other stakeholders, at the Ritz Hotel in Garden Oasis, Davao City. “We try hard to convene this workshop so that we can already start creating the task force for ARMM,” Ruby T. Ramores, executive director of Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) said Friday in a press conference. Ramores noted that there are 14 regional task

forces against trafficking in persons all over the Philippines that monitor incidents of human trafficking and document the number of rescued victims. Headed by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, the council has six clusters namely legislative, advocacy, skills training for repatriated Filipinos and victims, law enforcement and prosecution, recovery and rehabilitation, and documentation.

Ramores pointed out that they became alarmed upon learning that out of 1,800 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from war-torn Syria, 75 to 85 percent were from Mindanao. And of the OFWs from Mindanao, 75 percent were from the ARMM, especially in Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and neighboring towns, sheadded. [Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews]

quested for an executive session “to bring out different process and reason behind this all.” CAAP director general William Hotchkiss said a special investigating committee has been conducting an impartial but very thorough investigation to the accident involving a light plane. ”Right now we cannot reveal what the investigating committee has uncovered so far,” Hotchkiss said. Andrews said the investigating panel is presently investigating the wreckage of the plane which was brought from Masbate to Manila last week. ”The final phase of the investigation is the engine. That was the only issue that we are concentrating right now. They have to break it down and

find out if there is any failure on maintenance, any parts that are supposed not to be there or place there,” Andrews said. Congressional committee chairman Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. asked the CAAP officials why the Masbate airport where Robredo’s plane was supposed to land was only manned from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Andrews said that the Masbate airport is no longer being used beyond 2 p.m. ”There are no airlines operating after 2 p.m. in Masbate. It is not use as alternate airport. Because it is one-way landing, one take off airport,” Andrews said. Revilla also asked the CAAP officials if they had received SOS (distress call) from plane’s pilot when it tried to make an

emergency landing at the Masbate Airport. ”In the case of Secretary Robredo, if we have personnel manning the tower we could have least prevented the accident,” Revilla said. ”That’s why Mr. Chairman we have requested for an executive session,” Andrews responded. Revilla conceded and called for an executive session after the committee hearing. ”Let’s wait for their report but of course, we want all the people to know so there is no foul play. That’s according to the investigation,” Revilla said. Andrews and Hotchkiss assured the congressional panel that the CAAP is already addressing the problems to prevent similar accident that killed Robredo. [PNA]

CAAP rules out foul play in Robredo’s death P7.14M in properties lost

HE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has ruled out foul play in the plane crash that killed Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others on the waters off Masbate last Aug. 18. ”As far as the accident is concern, it is established that there is no foul play,” CAAP deputy director general John Andrews told the en banc meeting of the congressional oversight committee on CAAP on Monday at The Legend Hongkong Seafood restaurant in Pasay City. Andrews said the plane crash that also killed pilot Capt. Jessup Bahinting and nepalese co-pilot Kshitiz Chand was “maybe an accident that was waiting to happen.” ”It was an accident,” said Andrews who re-

to flooding in Sarangani

n estimated P7.14 million worth of properties were damaged due to the flashfloods that ravaged two villages of Malungon town in Sarangani over the weekend. Capt. William Rodriguez, information officer of the Army’s 1002nd Infantry Brigade, said in a statement that a total of 66 houses in barangays Malandag and Datal Tampal were destroyed while 74 others sustained partial damages after floodwaters from the critical Tinagakan-Buayan River swept the area late Saturday afternoon. The flashfloods, which affected five riverside communities in the two villages, came after several hours of heavy

rains that caused the Tinagakan-Buayan River to overflow. Citing a report from the Malungon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), Rodriguez said some 432 families or 1,546 individuals were directly affected by the floods. But he said only 26 families, whose houses were washed away during the floods, have remained at the Malandag gymnasium, which serves as an evacuation center. Rodriguez said the MDRRMC, which is being assisted by their unit, is still assessing the damages wrought by the floods to “(agricultural) crops,

FP7.14M, 11

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 136 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

THE BIG NEWS

BOC-Davao surpasses August collection target By Anthony S. Allada

UPCOMING. Dra. Yvette Yenco-Tan of Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (left) announces the upcoming soft opening of MDMRC on Sunday in

J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City during Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. With her is Arch. Daniel Briones. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Samal under threat of blackout By Carlo P. Mallo

HE Island Garden City of Samal is under threat of being left in the dark should power distributing agencies fail to change the dilapidated 30year old submarine power cable that connects the island to the Mindanao Grid. Cleto Gales, Jr., IGACOS administrator, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao that the submarine cable can just give up anytime due to the wear and tear it suffered over the years plus the ongoing bitter internal politics within the Davao del norte Electric Cooopera-

tive (Daneco). In 2011, a passing vessel’s anchor got snagged with the submarine cable resulting to intermittent power supply on the island. Gales added that the cable’s capacity is strained to the maximum whenever demand peaks at certain hours of the day. “It can explode anytime, baka bumigay. We will be left in the dark,” Gales said. Last July, some 9,000 members of Daneco voted to authorize the company to enter into an agreement with the Aboitiz-led Davao Light

and Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) for the Davao Citybased power firm to provide electricity to the Island Garden City of Samal. The approval was reached during a special general membership assembly of Daneco in the municipal gymnasium of Maco, Compostela Valley, according to city administrator Gales, who added that not one of the members who attended the meeting opposed the resolution authorizing the Daneco board of directors and general manager to sign the MOA with Davao Light.

The Daneco vote was quickly hailed by government officials and businessmen as a very significant development that augured well for island city ‘s economic progress and social services with the advent of a stable power supply, according to Gales. However, the agreement hit a snag and has yet to materialize as factions inside Daneco are deadlocked over the issue of whether the power distributor should be with the Cooperative Development Administration or with the national Electrification Administration.

to addressing next generation trade and investment issues as an important aspect of our work to further integration of APEC economies and expansion of trade throughout the region,” they added. The APEC leaders noted that transparency is one of the basic principles underlying trade liberalization and facilitation. Since he assumed office in June 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III has always been espousing good governance and transparency in the bureaucracy and public service. He has also been very vocal in his advocacy to fight graft and corruption in government. He was catapulted to power through his popular campaign slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” which up to this day has been the hallmark of his administration’s goal in achieving the country’s progress and development. (PnA) scs/PCOO/ssc(PCOO) APEC leaders agree to encourage innovative growth in Asia-Pacific region VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 10 (PnA) -- President

Benigno S. Aquino III and the other 20 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have agreed to work together to foster innovative growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The agreement was included in the 2012 APEC Leaders’ joint declaration issued on Sunday at the conclusion of two-day APEC Leaders’ Meeting here at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russkiy Island, the venue for this year’s APEC activities. In their joint declaration, the 21 member-economies of the APEC agreed to take important steps towards the development of effective, non-discriminatory and market-driven innovation policies. APEC said that it has already transformed the Industrial Science and Technology Working Group into a Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) to address common challenges and enhance innovation capacity. The PPSTI will organize Innovation Technology Dialogues---a mechanism to explore and identify how

emerging innovative technologies and related policies and instruments can address current challenges faced by APEC economies. The APEC leaders also welcomed the willingness of new Zealand and Indonesia to jointly co-chair a meeting of APEC Chief Science Advisers in 2013. The leaders also recognized the importance of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs), noting that these “are a significant driver of development and innovation in the Asia-Pacific region that will improve the quality of economic integration and competitiveness of our economies.” “We note the importance to our innovation goals of assisting SMMEs at an early stage, and expanding opportunities for youth and women,” the 2012 APEC Leaders’ joint declaration added. Citing education as an essential driver of innovative growth in the APEC region, the APEC leaders supported steps and efforts to enhance the mobility of students, researchers, and

APEC airs commitment to fight against corruption

ORMALLY recognizing the need to address the problem of corruption and transparency, the 21 member-economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum agreed to stamp out corruption. “We strongly commit to fight against corruption to ensure openness and transparency in APEC,” the APEC leaders said in the APEC Declaration issued Sunday (Vladivostok time) at the close of the two-day APEC Leaders’ Meeting at the APEC Conference Center here. “Acknowledging that corruption fuels illicit trade and insecurity and is a tremendous barrier to economic growth, the safety of citizens, and to the strengthening of economic and investment cooperation among APEC economies, we endorse commitments on fighting corruption and ensuring transparency,” the APEC leaders said. They likewise welcomed addressing in 2012 transparency as a new next generation trade and investment issue. “We remain committed

FAPEC, 11

HE Bureau of Customs-Davao has surpassed its collection target for the month of August this year, even as the national agency’s over-all collection in the country failed again to hit its target. BOC-Davao district collector Martiniano Bangcoy said they collected P467 million, way over its quota of P435 million for a surplus of 7 percent. “It is my policy to tell my personnel to strive hard, work overtime to meet our monthly goals, if not surpass them,” Bangcoy said. In July, only Davao and Clark ports hit their respective targets with Davao port registering the biggest surplus of 16%. The other 15 ports, including the Port of Manila, which recorded the biggest deficit, failed to hit their targets. Bangcoy said he received a text message saying that aside from their port, seven others were able to meet their monthly goal. Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon blamed the recent two long holidays and weather-relat-

ed disruptions for contributing to their failure to bounce back from a series of months of missing their collection target. The BOC collected only P22.307 billion in August, slightly more than the P22.152 collected in August 2011, but P6 billion lower than the target for the month of P28 billion. Biazon cited the holidays on August 21 and 27, and the Southwest monsoon rain that caused record floods in the national Capital Region and neighboring areas that resulted in suspension of work in the top ports in the capital. “In effect, we only had 19 working days in August 2012, compared to the 23 days in August 2011,” Biazon said. The August collections brought the agency’s 8-month revenue take to P190.04 billion, 10.5% more than a year ago. The BOC is tasked to collect P347 billion this 2012, a target that is increasingly becoming difficult to meet. It is tasked to collect P397 billion in 2013. [ASA]

Customs tightens policy on firearms importation

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has tightened its rule on the importation of firearms. In an order, BOC Commissioner Rufino Biazon ordered all BOC officers and personnel to first secure a clearance from the Office of the Commissioner (OCOM) before firearms importations are released. However, he said that before his office issues a clearance for a shipment of firearms, they would first conduct a background check. The order was issued to address concerns about the possible illegal shipment of firearms as the election period is getting nearer. With this, Biazon wrote a letter to the head of the Phil-

ippine national Police-Firearms and Explosives Office (PnP-FEO), Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, on the importation of firearms. “For the more effective and strict monitoring of all importations of firearms, the undersigned has issued a memorandum to the effect that all such importations will be required to have a clearance issued by this office prior to release from Customs,” Biazon said in a one-page letter. Late last year, the BOC seized two shipments of bullets for high-powered firearms. The shipments which were declared to contain used household goods. [PNA]

ARMM ‘ghost buster’ unearths missing P1.6 billion premiums

‘ghost buster’ has annihilated different kind of bizarre ghosts in the then-graft ridden Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), resulting in the discovery of the missing P1.6 billion worth of premiums of public school teachers and employees in the region, according to Senator Franklin Drilon on Monday. Drilon identified the ‘ghost buster’ as OIC ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman who revealed the anomaly during the Senate finance committee deliberation on the ARMM’s proposed P13.998

billion budget for 2013. ”We have no ghost buster in ARMM. And he is Mujiv Hataman. Why do we say this? Because in ARMM there are a lot of ghosts: ghost lawyers, ghost voters, ghost internally displaced persons, ghost contractors, ghost gasoline stations. There were ghost employees so that a total of P1.6 million in GSIS, PagIBIG and PhilHealth premiums could not be located,” Drilon told the media after the budget hearing. In an effort to trace the people behind the irregularity, Hataman has asked

FARMM, 11

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT Sec. Paje urges housing developers, buyers to refer to geo-hazards maps

nVIROnMEnT and natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje is urging real estate developers and prospective buyers of house and lot to refer to the geohazard maps produced by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to avoid the risk of losing their properties and even their lives. “We strongly advise prospective buyers of land properties for housing or other infrastructure projects to refer to the geohazard maps to make sure that the lots they are intending to buy are not situated in landslide- and flood-prone areas,” Paje said. According to Paje, the geohazard maps can be viewed in the agency websites of the DEnR (www. denr.gov.ph), MGB (www. mgb.gov.ph), Philippine Information Agency (www.pia. gov.ph) and the Environmental Science for Social Change ((www.essc.org.ph). The maps, with scale of 1:50,000, are also downloadable. “Or, they could go and see the maps with their local government units as we have given all LGUs, down to barangay level, geohazard maps for reference in their development planning. Paje made the call to help the public make the right decision. “Buying a house and lot is definitely a big investment for an ordinary family; that they have to pay at the most, for 30 years, if they acquire such through a housing loan. Finding out that their area gets easily flooded

and prone to landslide later on would be tragic, so it is better to be on safe side always,” he stressed. For real estate developers, on the other hand, Paje urges them to conduct a thorough study of the area and make the necessary engineering interventions. “We have already experienced the varied impacts of climate change – severe flooding, landslides, drought – which we could no longer ignore. These are the new normal, and to stay afloat with these new situations, we need to adapt to climate change by way of technologies, engineering interventions, even the architecture of our buildings and houses.” Earlier, Malacañang, being wary of the frequent landslide accidents that occurred in Metro Manila and in the provinces resulting in loss lives and properties, has urged land property developers and contractors and prospective property buyers to first check the geohazard maps before pushing through with their projects. The geohazard mapping and assessment program of the DEnR-MGB is an important component of the government’s risk reduction and disaster management program. The program involves the identification of areas in the country prone to various geologic hazards like rain-induced landslides, floods, ground subsidence or sinking, coastal degradation and other forms slope instabilities.

Davao City gov’t to purchase machine to test plastic bags

HE Davao City government proposed to procure a portable weathering test machine that will help the City Environment and natural Resources Office (CEnRO) to determine if the plastic bags used by retail and food establishments are indeed biodegradable. CEnRO chief Atty. Joseph Dominic Felizarta said the proposal will be presented to the Solid Waste Management Board in its next meeting either this month. He said the machine would cost about P1 million. “We need the machine to ensure that the plastic bags that are distributed in the markets are truly biodegradable,” he said. Felizarta said there were at least 10 plastics manufacturers that had already modified their production in this city to comply with the plastics and polysterene ban, which started on June 28, this year. He said during recent inspections, the CEnRO team had to sort the plas-

tic bags by hand just to check and look for marks from the manufacturer to determine if they were biodegradable. “This is very time-consuming as there are 30,000 business establishments in the city. Biodegradable plastic bags are also thinner than the non-biodegradable plastic bags, he said. Meanwhile, Felizarta said as of August, the office already apprehended 450 violators since the start of the ban. Violators face a fine of P300 to as high as P5,000 or six months imprisonment. He said the office also observed that there were now more business establishments that complied with the law. Prior to the ban, nearly 80 percent of the wastes collected in the city were non-biodegradable plastics. He also said that the volume of collected wastes also declined from 32 tons per day to 16 tons daily due to the plastics ban and the strict enforcement on the segregation of garbage in the households. [PNA]

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Fight against wildlife crime launched

n response to record poaching rates, WWF has recently launched a global campaign calling governments to combat illegal wildlife trade and reduce demand for illicit endangered species products. Demand for ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts from consumer markets in Asia is driving wild populations dangerously close to extinction. “Governments are largely ignoring the crisis affecting our endangered species. Throughout our global campaign, countries will hear directly from their constituents that the people expect better from them. The time to act is now while we can still save rhinos, tigers and elephants,” said Lasse Gustavsson, Executive Director of Conservation for WWF International. WWF will engage its constituents in online activities to educate, empower and activate them on behalf of the campaign. Supporters will have the opportunity to join the conversation, provide their campaign ideas, and undertake direct advocacy with world leaders. Already this year, 339 rhinos have been killed by poachers in South Africa in order to supply consumer markets in Asia, particular-

ly in Viet nam, where the animal’s horn is touted as a hangover tonic and cure for terminal illness. Rhino poaching has increased over 3,000 per cent in the past five years. Last year witnessed the highest recorded rates of elephant poaching in Africa. Tens of thousands of elephants are believed to be killed each year for their ivory tusks, the most in Central Africa. China and Thailand have been identified as the biggest consumer countries for illegally-trafficked ivory. In the last 100 years, the world has lost 97 per cent of

its wild tigers, including four sub-species to extinction. There may be as few as 3,200 of the endangered animals remaining. Illegal killing for trade is the biggest factor in their decline. The skins of eight tigers were seized in Russia Saturday, including four from cubs estimated to be less than two months old. Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative international organized crimes, yet is not treated seriously by many governments. “The criminal syndicates involved in illegal wildlife trade have also been implicated in murder, drug

trafficking, arms proliferation, and even terrorism,” Gustavsson said. “This campaign is more than just saving species from extinction, it is about promoting the rule of law, protecting rangers and bringing end to an illegal trade that has countless times proven to destabilize national security.” WWF and partner TRAFFIC will mobilize millions of supporters to take action to help kill the trade that kills. Join us on the frontline in the battle against illegal wildlife trade at facebook.com/ WWF and at panda.org/killthetrade.

ducing pollution and developing green technology, says the study. The release of the report - the first comprehensive assessment of its kind - follows renewed commitments by countries at the Rio+20 summit in June to prevent the illegal dumping of toxic wastes, develop safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in products, and increase the recycling of waste, among other measures. By examining global chemicals trends and their economic implications, the UnEP report maps out the most effective approaches for decision-makers to deliver on these commitments. “Communities worldwide - particularly those in emerging and developing countries - are increasingly dependent on chemical products, from fertilizers and petrochemicals to electronics and plastics, for economic development and improving livelihoods,” said Un Under-Secretary General and UnEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner. “But the gains that chemicals can provide must not come at the expense of human health and the environment. Pollution and disease related to the unsustainable use, production and disposal of chemicals can, in fact, hinder progress towards key development targets by affecting water supplies, food security, well-being or

worker productivity. Reducing hazards and improving chemicals management - at all stages of the supply chain - is, thus, an essential component of the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and inclusive Green Economy,” added Mr. Steiner. At the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002, Un member states set a target that by 2020, chemicals should be produced and used in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. “The economic analysis presented in the Global Chemicals Outlook demonstrates that sound chemicals management is as valid an area as education, transport, infrastructure, direct health care services and other essential public services. This could foster the creation of many green, decent and healthy jobs and livelihoods for developed and developing countries,” said Dr. Maria neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment. “Effective long-term management of chemicals and wastes lays the foundations for a thriving Green Economy, for ensuring a healthier environment, and for a fairer distribution of development benefits across society,” added Dr. neira. In recent years, international conventions, gov-

ernments and corporations have taken significant steps in developing national and international capacities for managing chemicals safely and soundly. But the Global Chemicals Outlook states that the pace of progress has been slow, and that results are too often insufficient. • Of the estimated 140,000+ chemicals on the market today, only a fraction has been thoroughly evaluated to determine their effects on human health and the environment. • Pollutants commonly discharged in large quantities in primarily OECD countries to surface waters include inorganic chemicals such as nitric acid/nitrate compounds, ammonia and manganese and organic chemicals such as methanol, ethylene glycol, phenol, toluene, and formaldehyde. • Estimates suggest that up to 75 per cent of the e-waste generated in Europe and approximately 80 per cent of the e-waste generated in the United States goes unaccounted for. • Poisonings from industrial and agricultural chemicals are among the top five leading causes of death worldwide, contributing to over 1 million deaths annually and 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years. The scope of unintended industrial accidents involving chemicals continues to grow rapidly.

Urgent action needed to reduce growing health, environmental hazards: UN report

OORDInATED action by governments and industry is urgently needed to reduce the growing risks to human health and the environment posed by the unsustainable management of chemicals worldwide, according to a new report by the United nations Environment Programme (UnEP). These risks are compounded by the steady shift in the production, use and disposal of chemical products from developed countries to emerging and developing economies, where safeguards and regulations are often weaker, says the report. UnEP’s Global Chemicals Outlook highlights the major economic burden caused by chemical hazards, particularly in developing countries. The report reveals that the estimated costs of poisonings from pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa now exceeds the total annual overseas development aid given to the region for basic health services, excluding HIV/ AIDS. Between 2005 and 2020, the accumulated cost of illness and injury linked to pesticides in small scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa could reach USD $90 billion. Sound chemicals management can reduce these financial and health burdens, while improving livelihoods, supporting ecosystems, re-

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

PHL economy becoming less dependent on remittances

But NEDA says remittances continue to be a significant source of investments

he National economic and Development (NeDA) yesterday said that the Philippine economy has become less dependent on remittances from overseas Filipinos in the last three years. however, it stressed that the country will not be totally independent from money sent from abroad, as remittances continue to be a significant source of investments. Dr. Rosemarie edillon of the NeDA-National Planning and Policy Staff (NPPS) noted that growth in the country’s net primary income, or the difference between money received abroad from money paid abroad, has been declining as reflected in the gross national income (GNI). She explained that two measures are used to report the country’s economic performance, namely, the gross domestic product (GDP) and GNI. The former measures the value of goods and services within the country, while the latter incorporates net primary income from abroad that includes remittances. “Whenever our growth in net primary income is higher than GDP, it means that we are heavily relying on remittances. But in the past few years, the Philippines’ GDP growth has been higher than its net primary income from abroad,” said edillon.

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, GDP grew 7.6 percent in 2010 while our net primary income grew 10 percent. however, edillon noted that the pattern started to reverse in 2011, with net primary income growing by only 1 percent compared to GDP growth of 3.9 percent. “For the first quarter this year, GDP grew 6.3 percent, while net primary income only grew 1.7 percent. While net primary income rebounded to 4.5 percent in the second quarter, it is still lower than the 5.9 percent GDP growth for the said period. In the economic profile, we are seeing the case where our GNI growth is actually less than our GDP growth, which is a good thing,” edillon said. The NeDA-NPPS official, who was one of the reactors of a series of round table discussions on the “Political economy of Philippine Labor Migration” at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), said that migration is a global issue of demand and supply among countries with different levels of development. “While the Philippine economy is still considered as developing, it is already in a high stage of human capital development. On the other hand, there are developed

FPHIL, 11

SNACK TIME. After waiting for a couple of hours processing his voter’s registration, a hungry registrant decides to buy a snack from “kakanin” vendor outside the Commission of Elections (COMELEC) office at Magsaysay Park. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Phoenix stockholders approve purchase of Chelsea Shipping S

TOCKHOLDERS of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines approved the issuance of Php180,000,000 warrants in relation to the issuance of P500 million Convertible notes and the acquisition of Chelsea Shipping Corporation, among other key corporate actions, at the Special Stockholders’ Meeting on September 6, 2012 in Davao

City. The Php500-million SEC registration-exempt Convertible Corporate note with Warrant Offering amounting to Php180 million is part of the Company’s plan to raise longterm capital, finance capital expenditures for 2012, and refinance short term debt. Phoenix Petroleum and BDO Unibank signed the convertible

debt with warrants issuance on July 11, with BDO Capital as sole arranger. Phoenix Petroleum’s acquisition of 100% shares of stock of Chelsea Shipping Corporation will be done via Share-for-Share swap. The purchase price to acquire Chelsea is based on 30-day Volume Weight Average Price (VWAP) from May 24 to July 5, 2012 or

at Php 8.2931 per share. Payment mode will be 90% share swap and 10% cash to cover for payment of taxes. The purchase price was negotiated using as basis an Independent Fairness Opinion Assessment submitted by Penta Capital Investment Corporation (Penta). The price is based on the midpoint valuation as recommended.

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/

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

EDGEDAVAO

Bright employment future awaits the Filipino youth

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

9. National Government Revenues

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

ore young Filipino workers may secure jobs in the next three or four years, an expert said, even as she urged the government to make sure that employment generated is “decent and productive.” “Preliminary data show that youth unemployment rate is at 16 percent as of April and gathering from rates in the past, this will likely further decrease although minimally,” ruth Georget of the International Labor organization office in Manila told Yahoo! Southeast Asia in a phone interview. Georget pointed to incremental but consistent declines in the country’s youth unemployment rate from an average

of 16.3 percent last year and 17.6 percent in 2010 based on National Statistics office data. If the decline will continue, the Philippines will buck the trend for youth unemployment globally, Georget said. Georget was referring to the the ILo’s recent report titled “Global employment outlook: Bleak Labour Market Prospects for Youth,” which forecast youth unemployment rate to rise to 12.9 percent in 2017 from 12.7 percent this year. A more marked increase is expected in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where the ILo sees unemployment rate of 14.2 percent in 2017, up from 2012’s 13.1 percent. Although Georget does not

expect the Philippines to follow this trend, she noted that “this is not to say that we are free of the challenge.” The country’s current youth unemployment rate remains higher than the global and regional average, Georget said. on top of this, about a third of the Filipino with jobs are “vulnerably employed,” she said. This is based on latest data produced by the ILo under the program “Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth,” which it implements with the Labor department, the International organization for Migration, UNICeF and UNFPA. Vulnerable employment,

Georget said, is characterized by “inadequate income, low productivity and difficult working conditions.” Georget thus urged the government to not only address unemployment but to “also look at the issues surrounding it.” “Instead of focusing on economic growth, we should strive for growth which generates high-quality jobs,” she said. This, as she noted that recent economic growth is highly attributed to a boom in services, which includes the informal sector. “Agriculture, which remains to be the highest job generating sector has been posting weak growth,” Georget said.

Internet growth exceeding expectations in PHL

he Philippines is among a group of countries where the growth, usefulness and impact of the World Wide Web exceeds expectations, a recent report showed. The country placed 32nd out of 61 in the first Web Index ranking released Thursday by the World Wide Web Foundation. The group is led by British Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee. The Web Index incorporates indicators which assess Web connectivity and infrastructure as well as its political, economic and social impact, the group said. It added that the ranking is “meant to underscore the true criticality of the Web in improving the lives of billions of people around the world.” The Philippines posted a Web Index score of 46.81 points and ranked mid-range in all three sub-indices in the report. It placed 33rd in terms of the Web readiness sub-index, which the report said “examines the quality and extent” of communications and institutional infrastructure. The Philippines had the same rank in terms of the Web use and content sub-index. It meanwhile bagged the 32nd place in terms of the impact sub-index, which accounts for social, economic and political impact. Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines emerged as the second best performer, topped only by Singapore, which ranked 11th. The Philippines fared better than Indonesia (34th), Thailand (37th), Vietnam (47th) and Bangladesh (55th). The Philippines, along with several other countries, also “seemed to outperform in the index” relative their economic status based on per capita income, the report noted. ranking 43rd in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita did not seem to dampen the Philippine’s Web Index performance. other countries with similar performances were New Zealand, which ranked 7th in the Web Index versus 18th in terms of GDP per capita; India, 33rd versus 44th; and Kenya,

42nd versus 53rd. In contrast, some countries “stood out as underperforming in the index” vis-a-vis their economic standing, the report said. These are Qatar, which ranked 21st in the Web index despite being the richest country in the list; Namibia, 56th versus 38th; and Argentina, 38th versus 24th. The report, however, noted that the links between the Web Index rankings and GDP per

capita have yet been established. The top ten countries in the list were Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Norway and Ireland. At the bottom of the list, meanwhile, were Yemen, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Benin, ethiopia, Namibia, Bangladesh, Mali, Cameroon and Nepal. “The aim of this year’s

BIG CHUNK. Small fried chicken houses who sell their products in a much lower price are already eating a big chunk of the market share and becoming a threat to the

Web Index is to help begin a useful discussion among corporate executives, government officials, policy-makers and other stakeholders around how access to and use of the Web can be improved,” the report said. This, as it noted that “a parallel expectation is that governments will evolve and citizens will participate far more often and deeply in debate and discussion around key global issues.”

more established food chain stores who also offer fried chicken in their menus. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

as of august 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PROPERTY 7

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 136 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

SAN PEDRO ST. One of the city’s main thoroughfares is still as busy as it was during its height in the 80’s. Considered as the shopping district of the city during that era, San Pedro St. was home to stores that sold shoes, apparels, and appliances. The street was also

home to the original Grand Men Seng Hotel, jewelry stores, and banks. Today, the street still remains robust and thriving with activity, while large sections of its sidewalks have become locations for street vendors.

City eyes hazard zones as parks

Why build green? T G

rEEN buildings are more than a fashion

statement. Many architects, builders and clients agree that smart, sustainable buildings are becoming a necessity. Why? Because according to some estimates, buildings account for almost onehalf of the world’s material and energy consumption, one-sixth of fresh water use, and a quarter of all wood harvested. As costs for sustainable materials and products drop, building green is really the most costeffective kind of design and construction. More and more, you can’t afford not to build green. 1. Lower Green Building Costs Even if you read no further, this should convince you: Green buildings save money, starting the very first day of construction. This is true for green homes as well as sustainable office buildings, factories, churches, schools and other structures. A 2003 study by the California Sustainable Building Task Force shows that an initial green design investment of just two percent will produce savings greater than 10 times the initial investment, based on a very conservative 20year building lifespan. For example, $40,000 in green design in a $2 million dollar project will be repaid in just two years. Over 20 years, the savings will amount to $400,000. In other words, kaCHInG! 2. Improved Productivity

A number of studies -and common sense -- indicate that building occupants who are healthy and comfortable are more productive. A study of 31 green buildings from the City of Seattle found that absenteeism was reduced by 40 percent. Another study, sponsored in part by commercial real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield, reported 30 percent fewer sick days among one company’s employees, and discovered a 10 percent increase in net revenue per employee in another company, after each office moved to LEED-certified buildings. Companies in green offices also have an edge in attracting and retaining great employees. 3. Green Buildings Have Higher Market Value Both residential and commercial buildings retain a high resale value if they include sustainable design components. The value to prospective buyers comes from knowing their utility and maintenance costs will be lower in green buildings that outperform non-green buildings. Occupancy levels are consistently higher, and vacancy rates lower, in sustainable office buildings. 4. Healthy Occupants in Green Buildings Sick building syndrome is a problem that has plagued homes and offices for decades, and costs U.S. businesses millions of dollars each month. Green buildings, however, avoid many of these problems with healthy ventilation systems and use of non-toxic building

materials. The EPA estimates that indoor air pollution may be 2 to 5 times worse, and sometimes more than 100 times worse, than outdoor air quality. Of 146,400 lung cancer deaths in 1995, 21,100 were related to the radon gas that’s found in many buildings. About 20 million people (and over 6 million children) suffer from asthma, which can be triggered by the indoor pollutants that are often found in non-green buildings. 5. Tax Benefits for Green Buildings Recent federal tax incentives have been enacted to encourage the design and construction of energy-efficient green buildings, both residential and commercial. Many state and local governments have also passed tax provisions to encourage energyefficient buildings. Ask your accountant or tax expert about the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, PL 110-185 (ESA), the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, PL 110289 (HATA), the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, PL 110-343 (EESA), and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, PL 111-5 (ARRA) to see if these apply to your home or commercial real estate. 6. Improved retail Sales A California survey of over 100 stores (all operated by the same retailer) found that sales were 40 percent higher when stores were lighted with skylights instead of electric lighting. Retailers who can use daylight in their

interiors can also lower their electric costs. All these factors are further proof that green buildings might actually make money. 7. Lower Utility Demands in Green Buildings One indirect benefit to green buildings is often overlooked: reduced demand on electric, gas and water utilities means that these infrastructures can do more with less. This can result in lower municipal utility costs over the long run as utilities need not expand and can avoid passing those expansion costs onto utility customers. And in the case of energyefficient net zero buildings and zero energy homes, these buildings actually feed electricity back into the utility grid, and result in no energy costs at the end of a year. Most owners of net zero buildings actually get a check back from their energy company at the end of a year. 8. Improved Quality of Life It’s hard to put a dollaramount value on quality of life. How much, for example, would you pay to enjoy a less-stressful day, or to avoid catching the flu? When all of the aforementioned benefits to green architecture and sustainable design are added up, the enhanced lifestyles shared by all of society makes sense, both economically and environmentally. Again, as we move into an era of smarter technology and more expensive natural resources, we can’t afford not to build green. (about.com)

HE city needs more parks for its growing population and these need would be incorporated in the revisions of the present zoning ordinance. Davao City 3rd District Councilor Arnulfo Cabling said the ideal ratio would be 10 square meter of parks per person. He said that at the present Davao City there are not enough parks for its 1.4 million people. The Councilor said that the ongoing discussions on the revisions of the Comprehensive Development Plan and the corresponding zoning ordinance would incorporate the need to identify zones for parks and recreations. Davao City has about 16 parks and six landmarks as green spaces, among the major public parks and greeneries include the People’s Park, Magsaysay Park, Rizal Park, Osmena Park, Quezon Park, Millenium Park, Clifford Park, Centennial Park, The Buhangin Flyover Greenery and the Dacudao Avenue Greenbelt. Cabling said that as per discussions in the City Council Committees there is a proposal to zone more areas as parks and recreation areas. He said these sites would include identified high-risk zones not suitable for human habitation. Among these included riverbanks and hillsides. He said that ongoing revisions would incorporate scientific find-

ings particularly Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) assessments. One of these sites eyed for a park zone is the Shrine Hills where concerns have been raised on the slope’s stability. Among the proposal is to declare the shrine hills area as a parks and recreation zone where tree parks could be established. This move would mean that all developments in the area would have to be cancelled. However Cabling said that several real estate developers have already invested inside the Shrine Hills zone. He said they might have to review and strike a balance between those affected. One of these balances is proposing a new lower residential density zone for the site and encouraging the planting of more trees and the allocation of more parks and green spaces in the private communities. The Shrine Hills with its commanding view of the City proper and the Davao Gulf has encouraged the influx of real estate developments in the wooded hillside located in the city’s southern suburbs and named after the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague built in the area during the 1960s. Several cause-oriented groups have lobbied the city government for the preservation and conservation of the shrine hills area by reclassifying the area as a green space or a nature reserve. (PIA 11)

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO Chart of the day, employment-status edition

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

AnAlysis By Felix Salmon

( 1st of two parts)

HERE are two ways in which the national employment situation influences the election. The first is, simply, the effect of unemployment and underemployment on America’s animal spirits. People who are unemployed, or who are so discouraged that they’re not even looking for work any more, don’t tend to be very happy with their lot, and as a result are more likely to vote against the current president. It may or may not be fair, but the president does get blamed for current economic conditions, and arguments about first derivatives (“it’s bad,

‘Which brings me to

EDITORIAL

Invest now, but...

USInESS LEADER Vicente Lao has called on fellow businessmen to invest in Davao City and elsewhere in the Philippines now due to the strong economic fundamentals of the country. The advice of Lao who himself has a lot of exposure in many ventures outside of his usual construction business, comes at a time when the country’s competitiveness is reported to have jumped 20 notches in the world ranking in the period of only two years. The enhanced competitiveness has put the Philippines in 65th spot among 144 countries included in the survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Lao, who is chairman of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) and vice chairman of the Regional Development Council, lauded the city government for the recent passage of the Public Private Partnership ordinance of Davao City, another come-on that will no doubt create

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impetus to the PPP initiative. But of course, this should not lull the city and the national governments into complacency. In Davao City, for instance, there’s still a lot to be done before it can clinch the status of an investment magnet. One of these is the Comprehensive Development Plan and Zoning Ordinance which the city council is in the thick of revising. This is basically land use policy direction that most would-be investors are closely watching. One strong clamor of businessmen and investors is for the city to have a land zonification policy that is more permanent and less susceptible to corruption among those who have the power to change it—for obvious reasons. Every Dabawenyo and his uncle knows that indecision, flip-flopping, not to mention corruption, had turned off many potential Davao investors in the past. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEy Consultant KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate

CARLO P. MALLO Features and Lifestyle

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA Photography

JADE C. ZALDIVAR • VICky BERDINA M. DE GuZMAN Staff Writers

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

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance AGuSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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MANILA MARkETING OFFICE

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the second way that employment affects electoral outcomes. The employment numbers are reported, on the first Friday of every month, and political parties try to use the numbers to their best advantage. On this front, there’s really only one number that matters, and that’s the headline unemployment rate. Financial types care more about the payrolls number, because it’s more accurate and less fuzzy.’ but it’s getting better”) or counterfactuals (“it’s bad, but it’s better than it would have been under the other guys”) tend to be pretty unpersuasive to voters. On this level, today’s employment report is pretty gruesome. According to the establishment survey, employers added just 96,000 jobs this month — less than the amount needed just to keep up with population growth. According to the household survey, the size of the civilian labor force shrank by 368,000 people last month. And the number of people not in the labor force grew by an absolutely massive 581,000. Right now, the proportion of Americans with a job is lower than it has been in over 30 years. America’s getting older, and you’d expect the number to be falling — but it shouldn’t be falling nearly as fast as this. We’re well below trend, when it comes to the employment-to-population ratio, and that’s really bad for the economy as a whole: it means we have fewer productive workers, and as a result the country is creating much less wealth than it could be creating if more people had jobs. At the margin, of course, anything that depresses the amount of wealth in the country is bad for the incumbent president. So anybody trying to use the jobs report to handicap the result of the election should probably see a tick down, this morning, in the chances of Obama’s re-election. My feeling is, however, that the size of the tick is likely to be very small. These things depend much more on levels than on deltas, and in any case the current electorate is more polarized than ever, with political convictions which are hard to shake.

EDGEDAVAO

China territorial disputes: A warning in the history of Imperial Japan

OME China scholars have begun to accuse Beijing of “salami tactics” in seeking to seize gradual control of the South China Sea. The term evokes disturbing echoes of nazi Germany’s incremental aggression until it was ready for all-out war. Applying World War II terminology to China’s current behavior may seem overblown, but it is apt. In fact, China’s actions also resemble those of another bad actor of that tragic period: Imperial Japan. The emerging Japan of the 1920s and ’30s, like today’s China, was steeped in historic resentment of the West’s forcible imposition of commercial and cultural influence. Even as Western interaction hugely benefited Japan’s economy then and China’s now, both countries set about building military capabilities commensurate with their new economic prowess. naked military power was seen by Imperial Japan, as it is by the Communist Party in China, as necessary to defend and expand industrial achievements and economic influence against hostile Western nations, most notably the United States. After attacking and annexing Manchuria on the basis of a minor pretext in 1931, Japanese forces extended their invasion into China proper. By the end of the 1930s, Tokyo was ready to look beyond its controlled land area comprising the home islands, Korea, Taiwan, and much of China. On August 1, 1940, Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka announced his government’s intention to establish a “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” under Japan’s physical and/or political control and free of Western influence. It would include the former European colonies of Southeast Asia – what Tokyo called the Southern Regions – and the Pacific Islands. The Co-Prosperity Sphere would provide a supply of regional raw materials and energy resources to ensure Japanese self-sufficiency while enabling Japan to control the

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

commentAry By JoSePh a. BoSco and Wallace c. “chiP” GreGSon world’s access to these vital areas and commercial routes. Mirroring the strategy of Japan’s military government prior to World War II, the newly established People’s Republic of China first consolidated its territory before venturing into wider maritime regions. In 1950, the same year it supported north Korea’s invasion of South Korea, China invaded and incorporated Tibet and East Turkestan (now Xinjiang). In 1962, it invaded India and seized territory which it still holds. In 1969, it engaged in a series of border conflicts with the Soviet Union that almost erupted into allout war. In 1979, after Vietnam had invaded Cambodia and overthrown China’s ally, Pol Pot, China invaded northern Vietnam to “teach it a lesson” through a scorched-earth campaign. Having dramatically increased its military and naval power, China now asserts expansive territorial and maritime claims in the East China Sea and South China Sea, maintains its longstanding claim over the Taiwan Strait, and indulges its ally north Korea’s claim to dominance in the Yellow Sea. It has made claims in the Indian Ocean and implemented a “string of pearls” strategy of bases and diplomatic ties along the Bay of Bengal. Its submarine base and concentration of strategic naval forces near its South China Sea province of Hainan enable it to interdict shipping at the three crucial chokepoints in the Indian Ocean – Bab el Mandeb, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Malacca. The geographic footprint of China’s claims and expanding reach in East Asia, including its strategic aspirations for the

first and second island chains extending to Guam, is almost congruent to Imperial Japan’s planned map for its Co-Prosperity Sphere. Obviously, no historic analogy is ever entirely apposite, and there are many differences between Imperial Japan in the 1930s and ’40s and China ruled by the Communist Party today. But there are more than enough parallels in strategic ambitions to awaken realistic concerns among Western policymakers and those who influence them. As China tries its hand at a new version of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the US needs to lead a united international response that discourages further Chinese adventurism. Washington began such an approach during the last two years of the George W. Bush administration and has accelerated this Asia “pivot” or “rebalancing” under President Obama. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in the region this week, building collaboration among America’s friends and allies to settle territorial disputes jointly with China, which prefers bilateral talks – a strategy that gives it the upper hand. At a press conference in China, the secretary aptly described the US-China relationship as one in which “Our two nations are trying to do something that has never been done in history, which is to write a new answer to the question of what happens when an established power and a rising power meet.” It’s a question that concerns a great many more countries than these two. Whether the US is led by a President Obama or President Romney, America will have to find the resources and diplomacy to continue its regional collaboration in Asia – ensuring that, this time, the outcome will be something better than war.

French bulldogs: The new pet in town for dog crazy Pinoys

ILIPInO pet lovers, longing to get a unique dog of their own, are now urged to get their own French bulldog due to its traits as an excellent companion and very sweet animal to raise. Jonathan Tabisaura, one of the pioneer breeders of French bulldog, said the latter is a small breed of domestic dog, related to the English bulldog and American bulldog. He added that the origin of the modern French bulldog breed descends directly from the dogs of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe. Bulldogs were very popular in the past. Some Bulldogs were crossed with terriers, while others were bred for reduced size. Tabisaura said this small bulldog type gradually became thought of as a breed, and received a name, the Bouledogue Francais or simply “Frenchie”. He added that he started breeding French Bulldogs as other popular breeds of dogs simply did not appeal to him anymore, “German Shepherds and Labradors are too big, Pitbulls and Dobermans are too moody,” Tabisaura stressed. In his search for the perfect pet, he stumbled upon French bulldogs.

speciAl FeAture By Pna FeatureS He found out that the regal French bulldog is the ideal house pet as it isn’t as noisy as a Chihuahua but is small enough to be a convenient house pet. “The French bulldog has been gaining popularity over the last few years in the Philippines. Its characteristic as an excellent companion and being sweet are probably the reasons why they are getting popular. They are very good with children and do not bark a lot which eliminates the annoying element. However, they are also good watch dogs as they bark differently to strangers. They are classified as a non-sporting dog which requires minimal exercise compared to the other breeds,” he pointed out. “Frenchies born locally can easily adjust to our tropical climate. However, I would still recommend putting them in a cool place during the day. They have a snub nose which makes them difficult to breathe when it is hot. In a very busy urban society, I believe, a very good stress reliever, aside from your

family of course, is seeing a dog wagging his tail when he sees his master. Its playfulness and affection bring unexplainable joy to his friend and owner,” he added. Jonathan presently owns five French bulldogs, three of which were imported from US and Thailand. “Timmy, Taylor and Uma were some of my local breedings but both parents are imported and titled as Grand Champions. Tyrone and Tiger were imported from prestigious kennels abroad,” he recounted. Currently, there are 4,000 registered French bulldogs in the Philippine Canine Club Inc. (PCCI), with a growth of 30-35 percent per year. Frenchies are relatively not considered as a new breed. It may be considered new in the Philippines but it has been gaining a lot of attention and popularity in other countries. “Breeding French bulldogs can have good returns on your investments specially when you have started it right. Being popular as a breed commands a higher price tag for the quality ones so commercial breeders can and might take advantage of this situation, “ Tabisaura stressed. [PnA]

Amazon and the tablet market’s 7 /10 split opinion By John c aBell

MAZOn is going where few have dared to tread, announcing a “full size” tablet that takes on Apple directly — and has the gall to be cheaper than the iPad. The tablet highway is littered with the remains of wannabe iPad killers from big hardware names — Motorola, Blackberry, Samsung. Even Google, whose Android software powers the Amazon tablets, didn’t bother to poke the Cupertino giant when it released its nexus 7, choosing to make a tablet a smidge under two inches smaller than the iPad. Amazon’s new large tablet, the 8.9-inch Fire HD, has a slightly smaller screen than the iPad’s 9.7 inches. But the entry-level price, announced today, is $300 — $200 less than the iPad equivalent, and only $100 more than the industry standard price for the new 7-inch interlopers, pioneered by Amazon. Why bother overtly taking on Apple? Because Amazon can — and almost only Amazon can. Apple is expected to sell 73 million iPads this year, about 61 percent of the global tablet market,Gartner Group estimates. There’s plenty of gold in them thar hills, even if you believe (as I do) that seven inches will become the dominant tablet size in the next year or so. Amazon has pricing power that the Motorolas, BlackBerrys and Samsungs of the world don’t, accepting margins that Apple doesn’t (yet) have to contemplate. It’s convinced that the best way to mine the gold is by selling picks to the miners at a discount. “How are these prices possible?” Bezos mused rhetorically near the end of a news conference announcing the new line of tablets. “We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices.” (How things have changed. Remember that the original Kindle, released five years ago, was priced at $400, $100 more than the far-more-versatile Fire HD tablet announced today.) Amazon’s tablets are positioned to sell plenty from the Amazon store that Kindle users always have with them — books, electronics and, increasingly, streaming media. For a big-picture venturist like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, it’s easy to justify making little or no money on hardware. It’s an instinct that’s also tempered by his penchant for the meticulous, and for making hardware that people actually crave. That description should remind you of a certain other tech visionary. Speaking of Apple, it’s widely expected to enter the 7-inch tablet sweepstakes this year, uncharacteristically late to the game it invented and saw Amazon expand. Apple CEO Steve Jobs castigated the idea of this smaller size, but he was often against things before he was for ‘em. Jobs made cracks about having to sandpaper your fingers to work a smaller keyboard and use pinch-zoom effectively, but his money quote is really about money (and to an extent, the user experience). “The reason we [won’t] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit [a lower] price point,” Jobs said during a now infamous 2010 earnings call. “It’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software. As a software-driven company, we think about the software strategies first.” Why is Apple going small when big is still such a big business? Because it can sell it for less. Even Hewlett-Packard’s much-maligned TouchPad flew off the shelves when HP cleaned house with a price reduction to $100 (from $500). The race to not-too-big, not-too-small, but just right, has been the story of every kind of computer. Desktops ruled for a couple of decades until laptops became powerful, and cheap, enough to replace them even among people who weren’t particularly mobile. Cellphones went from bricks to devices only slightly bigger than a book of matches and now back to handsize smartphones. Amazon, which can drive this discussion like no other company because its thriving business model is about selling consumables and not hardware, is making a bet on 7-inch tablets. Moreover, it’s doubling down and suggesting that their price should be only marginally, not materially, higher than e-readers. The 8.9 HD version is just a sucker punch to make Apple’s blood boil. If Apple does indeed go small, both companies will sell more 7-inch models than any other before too long. If it doesn’t, then Amazon will champion this niche with very little competition. The only thing standing in the way of Amazon’s domination of this new slice of the tablet pie is for Apple to start to meet Amazon on its terms. And that means, in advance of an iPad mini, there are some interesting decisions being made in Cupertino about price — assuming they don’t cede the battle before it starts.

10 SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO New winners emerge in Tagum’s cheerdance

VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

TUDAYA HYDRO. A perspective design for the power house of Tudaya Hydro Plant.

Hundreds of Sta. Cruz residents hired for Hedcor’s Tudaya project H

EDCOR has began the process of hiring close to 400 locals to work on the construction and development of the Tudaya 2 hydroelectric power project in Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur. The 7-MW run-of-river project is expected to take around 14 months to build. The Bagobo-Tagabawa indigenous peoples and the residents of Barangay Astorga are given preference over job opportunities that the project brings. Even more jobs are in the offing when Hedcor begins construction on the second half of the project -- the Tudaya 1 hydroelectric project -- which will break ground this month. “We were informed that members of our tribes have the chance to work for Hedcor. I asked my fellow tribal leaders to screen the aspirants before we endorse

them to the company,” Bagobo-Tagabawa Tribal leader Datu Rogelio Manapol said. Manapol also said that the tribes are thankful for the work, allowing them to support the financial needs of their families. Hedcor has a track record of employing residents of their host communities, many of whom belong to Indigenous Peoples (IP). An example would be the Sibulan Hydropower plants that have a majority workforce made up of IPs. Residents of the host communities of Hedcor’s plants in Benguet have been working for the hydro company since the early ‘90s. In fact, most of these employees have recently been awarded for their faithful service in Hedcor spanning more than twenty years. Every team member in Hedcor, including those who

will be hired for the Tudaya 2 project, is made aware of the company’s environmental advocacy. This includes education on how to respect and care for their own lands. Hedcor president and COO Rene Ronquillo said, “Our hydropower business is not only for the company, it is also for the community we are in and for the welfare of the environment”. “As an AboitizPower company and as one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the country, the Tudaya Hydro Plant is our contribution to the worldwide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Ronquillo added. The development cost of the Tudaya 2 hydroelectric power project is estimated to be more than 1 billion pesos. The hydropower plant will generate 40.5

gigawatt-hours annually, or enough power for 7,000 homes. The power generated will be delivered to the Davao del Sur Cooperative, Inc. (DASURECO). The construction of the power plant is estimated to be completed by 1st quarter of 2014. The employment opportunities and other Corporate Social Responsibility programs will also be made available to the communities that will host Hedcor’s future projects. Seen to benefit in the near future are the residents of Baguio District, Davao City for the proposed Tamugan Hydropower Project. In Luzon, the same benefits are available to the residents of the municipality of Sabangan in the Mountain Province when the Sabangan Hydroelectric Project starts construction early next year. [PR]

South Cot earns P17-M cash incentive for good governance

HE provincial government of South Cotabato has so far earned a total of P17 million in financial grants this year from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for achieving effective, transparent and accountable local governance. South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Monday the local government recently won a P3-million grant from the agency after emerging as this year’s regional winner for the “Gawad Pamana ng Lahi” awards. He said the province garnered a total rating of 92.60 percent to notch the top award for the entire Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, north Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Cotabato, Tacurong ang Kidapawan. Tacurong City placed second while the municipality of Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat landed in third place. The two other winning local governments will receive cashincentives of P2 million and P1 million, respectively. “The award is in recognition of the exemplary performance of the provincial government in terms of accountability, transparency, administration and development,” Pingoy said.

A DILG briefer said the local governments vying for the award were evaluated based on their overall point index for the Local Government Performance System (LGPMS), Seal of Good Housekeeping rating, innovations and other awards and distinctions. Earlier this month, the provincial government was selected as one of the country’s fifth best province in terms of the LGPMS and ranked second in the Seal of Good Housekeeping awards. Under the Seal of Good Housekeeping awards, the local government was entitled to a cash incentive of P7 million for this year and another P7 million for its

performance last year. Pingoy said the provincial government will allot a portion of the earned incentives to increase the financial grants it promised for winners of the “Dungog sang Barangay” program –a local version of the Seal of Good Housekeeping awards. He said the increase in incentives will encourage more barangay councils in the province to continue with their good governance practices. As part of its innovations, the governor said they are currently planning to extend the awards down to the puroks and sitios to help promote the program at the grassroots level.[PNA]

OUSInG cheers welcomed the emergence of a new champion in this year’s highly-anticipated Cheerdance Competition last September 7, 2012 at the new City Hall Atrium which was participated by the employees of the City Government of Tagum as one of the highlight events in the observance of 112th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service. Cluster 2 claimed this year’s top prize with a cash incentive of 50,000 pesos, following the trail left by the Mayor’s Griffin Team which did not participate in the contest as the team already clinched the Hall of Fame Award after winning for three consecutive years in the same competition. Cluster 2 is composed of the City Environment and natural Resources Office, City Budget Office, Commission on Audit, City Vice Mayor’s Office, Sannguniang Panglungsod Legislative and Secretariat, City Investment and Promotions Office and City Sports Office. The team also grabbed the Darling of the Crowd Award worth 10,000 pesos after the team exposed their biggest surprise that night – the participation of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod – that got the crowd standing on its feet. City Human Resource Management Officer Edna J. Quilario, whose office spearheaded the said event, expressed that this event is anchored on the prime

goal of fostering the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie among participating employees as well as in promoting healthy lifestyle among them. Trailing behind Cluster 2 is Cluster 3 which is composed of the City Agriculture Office, City Veterinary Office, City General Services Office, City Architect Office, City Assessor’s Office, Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat, City Engineering Office-new City Hall Site and Industrial Plant Division. Cluster 3 went home 40,000 pesos richer for clinching the 1st runner up award with additional 10,000 pesos for the Best in Costume Award. The 2nd Runner Up Award with 30,000 pesos cash prize was won by Cluster 5 composing of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, Commission on Election, City Health Office, City Engineering Office-Electrical Division, Special Community Development Program Division/ Public Employment Service Office, Community Affairs Office, CEO-Motorpool Division, Health and Sanitation Services and the Traffic Management Unit. Cluster 4 (composed of City Civil Registar’s Office, CEO-Administration, City Band, City Economic Enterprise Office, CEO-Construction and Maintenance Division and employees detailed to national line agencies) was declared 3rd runner up with 20,000 pesos cash prize. [LouIE LAPAt/ CIo tAgum]

Panabo City recognizes DLPC, other individuals

AnABO City local government, headed by Mayor Jose L. Silvosa, Sr., has bestowed recognition to Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), Dr. Francisco Dela Peña and six drivers during the Monday convocation sponsored by the City Civil Registrar’s Office headed by Madam Conchita Espinosa on September 13, 2012 at new City Hall Lobby. DLPC Panbao branch was awarded due to their Oplan Isaac at Barangay Katualan, one of the far flung and remotest barangay in Panabo which is now enjoyed electric power. Through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of DLPC, application was approved and barangay folks appreciated it very much. Dr. Francisco Dela Peña also received plaque of ap-

preciation for being the regional winner of the Gawad Saka of the region XI which qualify him for national level as Organic Farmer. Also six drivers were given nC II (national Competency level II) certificates as passers of TESDA accredited examination facilitated by PESO Panabo City. Ms. Conchita L. Espinosa also announced that RA 1072 allowing local CCR to change the birth date and gender without going to court anymore. Making it less expensive and avoid waste of time for any applicant. Present during the convocation were Engr. Reynold Felix, head of DLPC with staff, Mrs. Dela Peña better half of Dr. Francisco Dela Peña, City officials, visitors and LGU employees. [CIo/ PANAbo]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 136 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Enrile defends Puno’s visit to Robredo’s condominium

EnATE President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Monday that nothing was irregular to the action of Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno to visit Secretary Jesse Robredo’s condominium to allegedly secure some records few days after Robredo’s plane crashed in Masbate. ”As I see it, there’s nothing irregular. I don’t think Undersecretary Puno went there to rob the house or rob the condominium,” Enrile said at the Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel. Enrile said Puno, being the number two man in the Department of Interior and Local Government, has the duty to see to it the records of the department are retrieved and secured with the death of Robredo. ”He must have gone there to retrieve some records that he knew belonged to the department. He’s an Undersecretary. The head of the department is dead. In my case, when I resigned from the Cabinet, I returned all the documents that are in my possession except my personal files,” Enrile, a former defense minister during the time of former President Ferdinand Marcos, said. Enrile believed also that Puno would not go to the Robredo’s condominium without the authority from

Duterte...

President Benigno Aquino III. ”Perhaps he would not go there unless he was authorized to do that. He has a valid, legitimate, legal reason to go there. You know, when you are a member of the cabinet of a President, you are not on your own. You’re an alter-ego of the President and especially if you’re handling sensitive department” Enrile said. The veteran lawmaker also said that President Aquino has the right to authorize Puno to go there to secure certain state papers that might be in the possession of Robredo. ”The President has a right to see to it that those state papers must be safeguarded. We do not know whether Undersecretary Puno was ordered by the President or authorized by the President to go to the residence of the former Secretary of Interior and Local Government to secure certain state papers in his possession because those papers do not belong to the Secretary. They belong to the department he holds and they’re state property,” the 89-year-old senator said. Enrile, meanwhile, congratulated Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for her plan to conduct a Senate inquiry into the Puno’s at-

tempt to enter Robredo’s condominium. ”I congratulate her for that. I hope she will do it so we will know the truth,” Enrile said. Santiago said she has already sent invitation to the resource persons, including Puno and Robredo’s widow Atty. Leni Robredo for the Senate inquiry to be conducted by Santiago’s committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws. ”Today we already sent out notices of hearing to our committee members, and we have already sent out invitations to a long list of persons,” said Santiago who set the investigation on Friday. Santiago warned that if the resource persons, except for Robredo, failed to attend, “I will have to issue subpoenas to them.” ”The difference is an invitation is discretionary, but a subpoena is compulsory. If they don’t appear in the second hearing, then the committee will have the power to recommend that they should be cited for contempt. If that is the case, warrants of arrest will be issued against them,” Santiago said. Santiago said there was no need for her to file resolution for the conduct of the Senate inquiry. (PNA)

nograles is itching to make a comeback and some political dopesters are in a quandary as to whether Rep. Karlo will readily agree not to run for reelection to give way to his father and be content with running for mayor or vice mayor. In the same television program, the vice mayor said incumbent Hugpong councilors are already assured of slots in its council slates for the three districts. next year’s council derby in the city is speculated to be very difficult for both newcomers and comebacking members because there are

few “vacancies” in the three districts. In the first district, only Pilar Braga is on her last and third term, also called “graduating.” However, there will be three comebacking aspirants – Leonardo Avila III, Pete Lavina, and Bonifacio Militar. In the second district, there are only two “graduating” councilors – Dante Apostol and Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling. In the third district, the councilors whose terms are up are Conrado Baluran and Louie Villafuerte. [ AmA]

and encourage further concrete steps to strengthen health systems. The APEC leaders also reaffirmed the crucial role of women in “achieving economic prosperity and inclusive growth in the APEC region and encourage investing in women through the creation of better business opportunities for women and including them in the innovative economy.”

APEC is an organization of economies in the Asia-Pacific region, and a premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. It has 21 members which account for approximately 40 percent of the world’s population, approximately 54 percent of the world gross domestic product and about 44 percent of world trade. [PNA]

FFROM 1

an Mylene Garcia-Albano in the second district and Congressman Isidro T. Ungab in the third district. Both Albano and Ungab are Hugpong and LP members. Both also won handily in the 2010 congressional contest. However, Duterte did not name his group’s candidate for congressman in the first district, beyond hinting the bet should be a lawyer. The most prominent lawyers in the Hugpong-LP group are no less than Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Vice Mayor Duterte himself. There is also speculation that House Speaker

Apec... FFROM 3

education providers within APEC through the development of higher education cooperation. The leaders also mentioned that a healthy population is crucial for sustainable development of human resources, and for sustainable economic development and innovative growth in the APEC region. They also supported efforts to address health issues across sectors,

Director Francisco Jose of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) XI (right) states that Sec. Mar Roxas, the new DILG secretary, pledged to continue the programs left by the late Sec. Jesse Robredo during

Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Mall Davao yesterday. Also in the photo is Cleto Gales, administrator of Island Garden City of Samal. LEAN DAVAL JR.

P7.14M...

FFROM 2

vehicles and public infrastructure.” He noted that the Level 3 water system in sitio Mabuhay of barangay Malandag has yet to be restored after sustaining partial damages while the Level 2 water systems in the other affected areas have already been repaired. The Army official said their troops, along with police personnel, local government workers and community residents, completed on Sunday af-

Armm...

ternoon the clearing of flash flood debris along the riverbanks, roads and houses of the affected residents. He said the flood-hit Macnit Bridge was already restored while the Kiblat and Kibala bridges were still impassable. “Alternate routes were established to (make the affected areas accessible),” Rodriguez said. Landslides were also reported to have occurred in several areas

on the road going to sitio Lamlifew, Barangay Datal Tampal, but these were cleared by joint elements of the Malungon Engineering Office, local police and the Army. Malungon Mayor Reynaldo Constantino earlier said there was no casualty during the calamity and lauded the prompt assistance given by government and nongovernment agencies to the affected residents. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

but there is no record of remittances,” Drilon said. Drilon recalled that five years ago, the government allocated additional P500 million in the ARMM budget to respond to the complaint of many teachers that their premiums were not remitted to the GSIS. Hataman also reported to the panel the complete cessation of logging operations in the ARMM, resulting in the confiscation of 86,000 board feet of logs. ”There is no more distinction as to whether these

are plantation or natural forests in order to effectively implement log ban in the ARMM,” Drilon said. Impressed by the leadership of Hataman, the Senate finance committee unanimously approved the P13.998-billion budget of the ARMM, which consists of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Drilon said 74 percent, or about P10 billion, of the proposed budget of the ARMM would be devoted to the salaries. [PNA]

human capital development. “At the household level, remittances are used to finance human capital investments. A portion goes to the education of family members. Returning Filipinos from abroad also bring into our country a new breed of entrepreneurs. They are a source of technology transfers as well,” said edillon. She added that the government, through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has been extending financial literacy programs to overseas Filipinos and their families, so that remittances are channeled to the right investments and not to conspicuous consumption. “The inflow of remittances is about 30 percent the earnings of our exports sector, in nominal terms. In fact, it is

even higher than the foreign direct investments that we are getting. Because of remittances, our country’s international reserves have been at comfortable levels, and this implies less vulnerability of the country to external shocks, lesser reliance on foreign savings, and availability of more currency that will help our country service its debts and pay its imports. This is why we have to protect our remittances, which are hard earned by our countrymen abroad,” said edillon. The round table discussion where edillon attended was organized by the Center for Migrant Advocacy—Philippines (CMA) and the Political Science Department of ADMU, with support from the Friedrich ebert Stiftung.

FFROM 3

the Senate blue ribbon committee, headed by Mindanao Senator Teofisto Guingona III, and Drilon’s finance committee to investigate the missing P1.6 billion in GSIS, PhilHealth and Pagibig premiums. ”Upon the suggestion of Gov. Hataman, the blue ribbon committee and finance committee will conduct an investigation on where funds went because right thousands of teachers could not avail of the benefits in the GSIS because the premiums were collected per record

PHL...

FFROM 5

countries that require a certain level of human capital, which the Philippines has been able to supply. I think the global demand would always be there. Zero dependence on remittances is probably very ambitious. In reality, overseas remittances are a significant part of a country’s economy, whether developed, developing or at any stage of economic development ,” said edillon. She added, “What we want to happen is that economic development in the country will be inclusive, where all segments of our society especially the poor benefit.” edillon said that the government recognizes the important role of overseas Filipinos in attaining inclusive growth, since their remittances are also a significant source of

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VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

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VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Fil-Am beauty anchors Malditas T

HE Philippine national women’s football team will field what could be its best lineup in years for the ASEAn Football Federation Women’s Championship this week, and the Malditas attack would be anchored on one player: Filipino-American striker Heather Cooke. Coach Ernie nierras said the 5-foot-9 Cooke, who was converted from a central defender into a forward, gives the team the edge it has been looking for.

“If you watch how they play, this is not the type of team that will throw the ball long,” nierras said. “This is the type of team that will keep possession on the ball and then we’ll find our big girl. “As soon as Heather faces the goal, we’ll give it to her.” Cooke, who joined the team last year after playing varsity football at US nCAA school Loyola University Maryland, sees no problem playing her new position.

“It actually that wasn’t hard because I played offense when growing up,” said Cooke, whose mother traces her roots to Iloilo. “I’m hungry for the ball. It’s fun. I like it.” The brunette beauty, who moonlighted as a cast member of MTV’s Real World Las Vegas, said that she welcomes her new attacking role because it would bring more attention to her — on the football pitch. “A lot of people don’t

really see what the defense brings,” Cooke said. “now I’m gonna be in the position where I can make a more noticeable effect. “It will be a lot of fun and I’m happy to play as a striker.” The Malditas will start their campaign for in this year’s AFF championship on Thursday against last year’s finalist Myanmar. They will face 2010 champion and host Vietnam on Friday and Singapore on September 17 in their Group A matches.

Serena wins US Open PHL GMs finish 21

EW YORK—Two points from defeat, Serena Williams suddenly regained her composure to come back and win the last four games, beating no. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 on Sunday for her fourth US Open title and 15th Grand Slam title overall. “I honestly can’t believe I won. I really was preparing my runner-up speech, because I thought, ‘Man, she’s playing so great,” Williams said during the trophy presentation, adding: “I’m really shocked.” What really was stunning was that Azarenka made things as interesting as they were, given that she came into the day 1-9 against Williams over their careers. Add in that Williams hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament, losing only 19 games through six matches before Sunday. All part of a tremendous run she is putting together in reaction to her loss at the French Open in late May, the American’s only first-round exit in 49 career major tournaments. Since then, she is 26-1, winning Wimbledon and the London Olympics. There hadn’t been a three-set women’s final in new York since 1995, and Williams came through with a late charge to become the first woman to win Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season since a decade ago—when she did it. “Serena deserves the win. She showed how true of a champion she is,” Azarenka said. “I definitely gave it all today. Stepping out of this court today, I will have no regrets.” Azarenka hadn’t dropped a three-set match all season until Sunday, going 12-0 in matches that went the distance, including victories over defending US Open champion Sam Stosur in the quarterfinals and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. As the third set started, Williams’ mother, Oracene Price, told her from the stands, “Settle down.”

HE Philippines suffered a 1-3 defeat to Romania in the final round Sunday and wound up in 21st place in the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. Wesley So and Oliver Barbosa drew with Constantin Lupulescu and Mircea-Emilian Parligras on the top two boards but the 35th-ranked Philippines, which entered the final round in 11th place, suffered losses on the lower boards against no. 25 Romania. Eugene Torre bowed to Levente Vajda and Mark Paragua lost to Vladislav nevednichy. Armenia won its third Olympiad as the Levon Aronian-led squad, seeded third, beat Peter Leko and the fourth-seeded Hungarian team 2.5-1.5 in the final round. Top seed Russia took second place followed by second seed Ukraine and no. 6 China. Romania finished in eighth place ahead of Hungary. In the women’s section, the 57thranked Philippines drew with Bosnia & Herzegovina and wound up in 43rd place. Catherine Perena beat fellow Woman International Master Elena Boric and Jan Jodilyn Fronda defeated Sanja Dedijer. Janelle Mae Frayna lost to Woman Fide Master Aleksandra Dimitrijevic and Jedara Docena bowed to WFM Dijana Dengler. Second seed Russia won the women’s title while top seed China settled for second place. Ukraine was third and India fourth.

Lakers shore up coaching staff

American Serena Williams (left) spreads her arms, her opponent Victoria Azarenka (right) spreads her legs, but in the end it was Williams (top) who had to get up from being down in the finals to win the US Open women’s title.

PBA backs FIBA-Asia hosting T

HE Philippine Basketball Association will lend its full support to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas next week when the cage body lobbies for the country’s hosting of the Fiba-Asia Men’s

Championship. League commissioner Chito Salud confirmed he’ll form part of the delegation that travels to Tokyo, Japan on Sept. 18 to make a case before executives of Fiba-Asia about the Philippines’

capability to stage an event as big as the qualifier for the 2014 Fiba-World Championships. Salud will be with a small group of Filipino basketball officials travelling to the Japanese capital for the country’s

presentation of its hosting bid. The SBP will be led by president Manny V. Pangilinan, vice-chairman Ricky Vargas, executive director Sonny Barrios, and former Fiba-Asia secretary general Moying Martelino.

L SEGUnDO, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers have added assistant coaches Eddie Jordan, Bernie Bickerstaff and Steve Clifford to Mike Brown’s coaching staff. The Lakers also signed second-round draft pick Robert Sacre on Friday. Jordan is the former head coach at Sacramento, Washington and Philadelphia, leading the Wizards to four consecutive playoff appearances. The 68-year-old Bickerstaff was a head coach in Charlotte, Seattle, Denver and Washington. Clifford was Stan Van Gundy’s assistant in Orlando the past five seasons. Kuester essentially was Brown’s lead assistant last season. The former Detroit Pistons head coach will be an advance nBA scout for the Lakers, based on the East Coast. Los Angeles lost assistant coaches Quin Snyder and Ettore Messina to CSKA Moscow earlier this summer. Sacre is a 7-foot Canadian who played at Gonzaga.

INdulge! TRAVEL

A road trip adventure with Isuzu

I love a joyride, especially when that ride involves a little off-road and a little family fun and games.

enter the 2012 Isuzu Family Challenge Davao leg. Held last August 25, it was a full day affair which aims to promote safety, fuel efficient driving, and family activities to strengthen dealership and customer relationships. The Family Challenge involves select Isuzu owners and also future Isuzu customers. Waking up early in the morning, I proceeded to the jump off point, isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. at Matina (interestingly Isuzu Davao is Isuzu Service Center of the year 2011) where after a quick breakfast and orientation we were flaggedoff by Isuzu’s Assistant Division head, Daisuke Inaba and Southern Motors Philippines’ Franklin liu Jr. on a 100 kilometer fuel economy run. From the showroom of Isuzu Davao, the participants head towards Tagum City using pre-determined driving directions and culminates at the Pearl Farm Marina, the jump off point to Playa Azalea. Non-isuzu owners meanwhile, proceeded directly to Playa Azalea, where they were able test drive the Isuzu Al-

tera, Crosswind Sportivo, and D-Max models around Playa Azalea. Around lunchtime the Isuzu owners arrived at

Playa Azalea from their Tagum romp and lunch was served. The Isuzu Fun-filled Family Games started afterward with prizes given to the winning participants. The highlight of the day though was the awarding of winners of the Fuel economy Run, highlighting the amazing fuel-economy of Isuzu’s models. Follow me on twitter @kennethkingong for more happenings and foodie finds in and around Durianburg.

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A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

DDC kicks off 37-year foundation anniv celebration SEPTEmBER 2012 marks the 37th anniversary of the foundation of Davao Doctors College with the theme “DDC @ 37: Proud of what we are; hopeful of what we will be.” Preliminary elimination games for Intramurals 2012 have been played in August between and among the three contesting teams namely: the “Silver Wolves” of the Nursing, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy departments; the “Red Tiger Warriors” of the

Hospitality management, Optometry and Psychology departments, and the “RadBio Titans” of the Radiologic Technology and the biology departments. The second round of elimination games is scheduled on the third week of September. The 4-day celebration will bring together the management, administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, guests and friends to celebrate with pride the excellence which have been achieved all throughout DDC’s years of existence.

Damosa Fairlane hosts exclusive presentation

IT was an evening of cocktails and exclusive presentation at microtel Hotels and Resorts in Lanang as Damosa Fairlane welcomes select investors and partners of Damosa Land, Inc., the developer of this newest urban residential community.

The prospective homeowners will get the chance to know more about Damosa Fairlane’s meticulously-crafted house and lot packages as well as resort-chic clubhouse amenities and modern facilities that all create a rejuvenating ambience in a nurturing community. As Damosa Land’s way of thanking its partners and select investors, Damosa Land welcomes them to a priority presentation where they can invest in a home that offers them fresh beginnings and wholesome community environment. And being in a city center address makes you get closer to your daily priorities,” said Ed Villaver, Vice President for Damosa Land, Inc. Aside from the special pricing and terms that are made available as of the moment, perks and privileges also await clients who will reserve or buy a unit at the end of the program. The tenants and suppliers of Damosa Land, Inc. also had an evening of exclusive presentation last Wednesday This comes at the helm of the full blast land development happening at the 7-hectare property of Damosa Fairlane, 5-minutes away from DAmOSA District via mamay Road: an ideal convergence spot of business and leisure. The construction of the

entrance complex and the installation of the sewage treatment facility have gone full speed. moving inward, the road tracing of the main and minor roads as well as the underground drainage works are all going smooth as well. Depending on the needs of the family, Damosa Fairlane has three house models to choose from, with approximately 100150 sqm of living area. All models are complete with 3 bedrooms plus a maid’s quarter, a minimum of 3 bathrooms, lanai, garage, and provided with perimeter fence, and styled by renowned designers to give residents that sophisticated and tasteful house interior. Limited to 200 units only, Damosa Fairlane is an exclusive subdivision that provides generous easements to each house for that much needed airy ambience and comfort for the family. To complement this, Damosa Land, Inc. employed the construction of centralized utility banks to minimize the intervention of utility wires. Thus, telephone, electricity and cable lines are relayed via underground conduits to the bases, eliminating unsightly wires that are common in most subdivisions. Damosa Fairlane is indeed gearing up for the eventual viewing of the model block that is complete with house units and interior by the end of this year. Damosa Fairlane is part of a series of residential projects of Damosa Land, Inc. in Davao City and soon in Davao del Norte that are all designed to provide today’s discerning family a home in a nurturing community.

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EVENTS

31-year old analyst tops first nationwide Jollibee Champ Eating Challenge JollIbee has named Conrad Herrera, analyst and Metro Manila-North contender, as the ultimate winner in “Who’s the Champ? The Jollibee Champ eating Challenge”, the nationwide search for the fastest Jollibee Champ eater. Herrera knocked down a Jollibee Champ burger at an impressive 27.10 seconds, winning P50,000 in cash and P5,000 worth of Jollibee gift certificates along with the Champ belt during the action-packed grand finals held recently at the TriNoma Activity Center, Quezon City. Herrera bested five other contenders representing different regions around the Philippines-- North luzon, South luzon, Metro Manila-South, visayas and Mindanao. At second place, 27-yearold Miguel Araneta, a bPo mentor from Mandaluyong City, finished his Jollibee Champ in 42.46 seconds. Third placer Norvin Yusoff Jr., a former oFW from Cavite, downed his Jollibee Champ in 44.90 seconds. “It’s great to be among the fastest Champ eaters in the country. I feel honored to win the Champ belt and be named as the best and fastest as this is the first nationwide Champ eating Challenge,” said Herrera. Asked about his favorite

part of the Jollibee Champ, Herrera said “My favorite part is the 1/3 pound beef patty.” “Who’s the Champ? The Champ eating Challenge” is the biggest and first nationwide search for the fastest contenders to take on the Jollibee Champ. This undisputed burger heavyweight boasts of big burger goodness like no other with its hefty 1/3 pound patty made with 100 percent pure beef, plus fresh lettuce, tomatoes, creamy cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise served in a soft sesameseed bun. The five runners-up also received consolation prizes of up to P5,000 in cash and P2,000 worth of Jollibee gift certificates. Adding more excitement to the grand finals event was the Jollibee Champ celebrity challenge. erik Tai of the Philippine volcanoes, Itchyworms frontman Jugs Jugueta, and model-actor Jon Hall, who was also a challenger in the first Jollibee Drive-Thru CrossCountry Challenge, also attempted to bring down the

big burger goodness of the Jollibee Champ. In the end, rugby athlete erik Tai went home with P10,000 cash and Jollibee gift certificates after winning the judges’ nod in the “cutest Champ eater” challenge. “This is the first time Jollibee has done the Champ

eating Challenge nationwide and it has turned out to be very successful,” said Jollibee Marketing Manager Aileen Ricasata-Natividad. “We want our customers who live active lifestyles to know that the Jollibee Champ, our premium burger, is the right reward because of its big burger goodness like no other”. like Herrera, enjoy the Jollibee Champ’s big burger goodness, available in all Jollibee outlets nationwide. For deliveries, call Jollibee express Delivery Service hotline at 8-7000 or log on to www.jollibeedelivery. com.

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ENTERTAINmENT

brings 6 reasons why John Mayer Batman cancer patient is good for Katy Perry to Disneyland

LET’S take a look at the other ladies who have fallen into John mayer’s lap—ahem, figuratively speaking, of course— over the years. We’re talking Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston, minka Kelly and Taylor Swift. Whether those ladies are smart, well, let’s be honest: most of us have no way of knowing, not from our distant vantage points as fans or occasional interviewers.

But we can say this: Katy Perry may very well know what she’s doing. First, we should hear from an expert. Dr. Gilda Carle is just such a person, being a therapist as well as the author of the relationship advice book Don’t Bet On the Prince! “He’s been a lady’s man with a bad ass rep,” says Carle. “The challenge for Katy or for any woman in demand is to break this bronco.” So why bother with such an onerous task? Well, I’ve got a list of reasons, which just may explain why Perry is doing what she’s doing. 1. An instant publicity boost. Every time the two go out, that’s another paparazzi photo op. All that equals free coverage by, well, folk like me. 2. mayer will make Perry look great in the sack. Jessica Simpson may not have liked mayer’s “sexual napalm” remark about her prowess in bed, about her, but, hey, it was a compliment. And from that moment on, you can bet that

CHRISTIAN BALE may not save lives in reality, but the actor definitely tries to make a difference in the lives of his fans.

dia will likely lay blame with blabbermouth mayer, not with her. 6. Perry could write an instant, media-savvy song about mayer. After mayer’s breakup with Taylor Swift, she wrote the scathing “Dear John,” which spurred a whole new flurry of coverage about each of them. mayer has indicated that he thinks the song is about him. Another fun fact: Katy Perry is a songwriter. (E! Online)

Simpson’s status as a sex symbol went through the roof, at least, for a while. 3. mayer might write songs about Perry in a favorable manner. After all, “Your Body is a Wonderland” was rumored to be about Hewitt, though she has denied it. 4. He’s a great concert

date. That is, if you like bands with names like Purity Ring. 5. Instant sympathy for Katy when, er, if, mayer dumps her. She’s still got that wounded-nice-girl halo ever since her breakup with another bad boy, Russell Brand. If mayer does her wrong, the me-

The Dark Knight Rises star flew 4-year-old leukemia patient Jayden Barber and his family out to California for lunch date at Disneyland’s Club 33 earlier this week. “Finally can share!!! Christian sent us to LA and we had lunch at Disney club 33 on wed,” Barber’s mother wrote with a picture of the two on her Lighting the Batsignal for Jayden Facebook page. “He and his family were so awesome and down to earth!!!” Charlene Barber continued by sharing her family’s experience with Bale at the Anaheim theme park, “The entire interaction was like old friends having lunch. Jayden did not get star struck but was well aware of who we were

with!” “They talked movies and super Heros an he was genuinely happy to hear about everything Jayden wanted to tell him. Christian, his wife and daughter are three of the most beautiful people we have ever met! Christian made these arrangements for us personally and ensured we were treated like royalty. I don’t have even one negative thing to say about them. I can tell you that they were just as impressed w Jayden as Jayden was w them :)” According to WYTV in Ohio, Barber was undergoing chemotherapy for bone cancer for two years before it turned into mDS leukemia last year. Jayden is now in remission. Just a couple months ago, Bale was spotted in Colorado visiting shooting victims who were impacted by the Dark Knight Rises tragedy.

A4 INdulge!

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VOL.5 ISSUE 136 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

STYLE ENTERTAINmENT

PARFoIS is a women’s fashion accessories brand launched in 1994 and is present in more than 38 countries with over 300 stores. With dedicated design teams in Porto and barcelona, it is Parfois’ vision to become the best fashion accessories brand in every market it operates in.

The new 2012 Fall Winter collection goes back to the romanticism of the Wild West, the collection is young and the colours are dominated by brown tones, pink and red. The cowboy boots are studded and are a must-have for the fall-winter season, complemented by the cowboy hats and furshoppers. Aside from the Wild West, Parfois also takes inspiration from the victorian era and Army chic. visit Parfois stores at the ground floors of SM City Davao and Abreeza Mall.

SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 136 •TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012 Zidane: Benzema will soon fulfill his potential

InEDInE Zidane has voiced his opinion that it’s only a matter of time before Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema finds his best form once more. The France international has been struggling to hit the net in the opening weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, but his compatriot remains confident that the striker will soon play a key role again for club and country. “Benzema still has to hit top form and be on top of his game again, but the entire world knows that he is a great player,” Zidane stated at a press conference.

“I just know that it won’t be long before he fulfils his full potential at last, both for Real Madrid and for France.” The former midfielder then looked back at France’s 1-0 World Cup qualification win over Finland, and stressed that the result is all that mattered. “It was a good game for France in my opinion simply because they bagged the full three points. The coach needs a bit of time to find the best solutions for everything.” France resumes match action on Tuesday when it takes on Belarus.

Injured Terry to miss World Cup qualifier against Ukraine

OHn Terry has been ruled out of England’s World Cup qualifier with Ukraine at Wembley on Tuesday due to his ankle injury. Terry suffered the setback during Friday night’s 5-0 win in Moldova and England finished the game with 10 men after the Chelsea defender limped out of the action in the closing stages. He continued to have treatment on Saturday after returning to England but it has been decided, an FA spokesman said, that Terry will not recover sufficiently in time to face the Ukrainians. Gary Cahill is likely to replace Terry and partner Joleon Lescott at centre-back in the second qualifying match of the campaign.

Kingmill Championship

It would be Cahill’s first appearance at Wembley since he suffered the broken jaw against Belgium which ruled him out of Euro 2012. Phil Jagielka, who partnered Lescott when they were team-mates at Everton, is the other player in contention. Terry was one of England’s most consistent performers at the European Championship and helped his country overcome Ukraine in a group encounter. Left-back Ashley Cole had already been ruled out with the ankle injury which prevented him from playing in Chisinau and remains on 98 caps. But Leighton Baines proved a capable deputy against Moldova and scored England’s final goal.

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, gestures on the 15th hole during the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Sunday.

McIlroy wins BMW Championship C ARMEL, Ind. (AP) -- Rory McIlroy faced the strongest collection of contenders at any golf tournament this year Sunday at the BMW Championship. It was no contest. Even more disconcerting for everyone else, Boy Wonder was expecting to win all along. McIlroy fine-tuned his swing and missed only one fairway at soggy Crooked Stick, powering his way to a 5-under 67 to win his second straight FedEx Cup playoff event. They followed a record win at the PGA Championship, giving him three wins in his last four starts to establish himself as the dominant player in golf. He became the first play-

Shin, Creamer tied after 8 playoff holes

ILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Jiyai Shin and Paula Creamer played until dark, and still couldn’t break their deadlock in the Kingsmill Championship. After they each parred the par-4 18th hole eight times in a playoff Sunday, darkness forced the suspension of play for the day. They will resume Monday morning on the par-4 16th hole. Both were willing to try to play a ninth extra hole Sunday. ‘’It’s hard when it’s just us two and trying to make a decision,’’ Creamer said. ‘’I respect what she wants, and she respects what I want. It’s difficult. ‘’I said, ‘Well, let’s go back to the tee and see.’ And then we talked about it a little bit, and we were like, ‘OK, let’s just play.’ I teed it up, and it was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ My (white-headed) driver was brighter than the golf ball sitting down there, and I’m thinking this probably isn’t a good idea. I looked at Jiyai, and Jiyai said, ‘no.’’’ The playoff is the lon-

Paula Creamer, right, and Jiyai Shin, of South Korea, watch play on the eighth green during the Kingsmill Championship LPGA Tour golf tournament in Williamsburg, Va., Sunday. gest between two players in LPGA Tour history, breaking the mark of seven set in Cristie Kerr’s victory over SeolAn Jeon in the 2004 LPGA Takefuji Classic. Jo Ann Prentice won the longest playoff overall, taking the 1972 Corpus Christi Civitan Open on the 10th extra hole. ‘’It just was really long tough day, but it will be good experience for us,’’ Shin said. ‘’And well, first couple holes of the playoff I was really, really nervous, but after that I started getting comfortable with it, the playoff. It’s just

like so weird. But we’re coming back tomorrow, so hopefully play because we have to go to England for the British Open.’’ Creamer took a onestroke lead into the final hole of regulation, but three-putted - missing a 5-footer for par - for a bogey to fall into the playoff. Creamer finished with an even-par 71, and Shin shot a 69, leaving them tied at 16 under on Kingsmill’s River Course. They had already missed their flight to England for the Women’s British Open.

er since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour, and with his sixth career tour win, he joined Woods and Jack nicklaus as the only players to win that many at age 23. ‘’The more you put yourself in this position, and the more you win and the more you pick up trophies, it becomes normal,’’ McIlroy said after his two-shot win over Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. ‘’And it feels like this is what you’re supposed to do.’’ For the longest time, this was what Woods used to do. ‘’I don’t think I’m quite there yet,’’ McIlroy said. ‘’But I’m getting to that stage where I’m thinking, ‘This is what I

should be doing. I should be lifting a trophy at the end of the week.’ It’s been great. The last four, five weeks have been incredible, some of the best golf that I’ve ever played. I’m going to try and keep the run going for as long as possible.’’ never mind that Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh - Hall of Famers with 74 tour wins and seven majors between them were one shot ahead. Or that Lee Westwood, a former world no. 1, was playing alongside. Or that Woods was right behind. McIlroy made back-toback birdies around the turn to emerge from a four-way tie, and he turned back one last challenge from Westwood and

Mickelson with clutch pars. The 23-year-old from northern Ireland didn’t make a bogey until the 18th hole. ‘’By that time, I had sort of done enough,’’ he said. Mickelson and Westwood tried to chase him down on the back nine at Crooked Stick, only to mistakes when they couldn’t afford any. Westwood, who lost to McIlroy in the semifinals of the Match Play Championship in February, caught him with a birdie on the par-3 13th. But the weak area of his game showed up at the wrong time - a poor chip on the 14th for bogey, another pedestrian chip on the par-5 15th that led to par. He wound up with a 69.

ALTIMORE (AP) -- The new York Yankees escaped from Camden Yards with their lead in the AL East intact, and as a bonus, slugger Curtis Granderson worked his way out of an annoying slump. Granderson came off the bench to hit his 35th homer and drive in five runs, and new York beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-3 Sunday to regain sole possession of first place in the division and earn an important split of the season series. Derek Jeter also hom-

ered for the Yankees, who lead the Orioles by one game with 22 left. Each team won twice in a four-game set that drew 173,572 fans, including 40,346 in the finale. ‘’The bottom line is we’re in first place,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ‘’The one thing that you want to be able to do is just rely on your club. You don’t want to have to rely on other people.’’ Jeter, who had three RBIs and scored twice, said, ‘’We lost a couple games, but we did battle back. Today was a big one for us. We have a

much-needed day off (Monday), then we go to play Boston. I like the way we played.’’ new York finished 9-9 against Baltimore this season. Had the Orioles won Sunday, they would have received home-field advantage in a playoff game if the teams finish tied atop the division. Baltimore would have also had home-field advantage if the Yankees and Orioles finish tied for both wild-card berths. now, if the teams are tied at the end of the regular season, record within the division will be the tiebreaker.

T. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- B.J. Upton’s power display overshadowed a tremendous pitching performance by teammate James Shields. Upton hit three home runs, Shields threw a two-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers 6-0 on Sunday. ‘’You kind of dream about doing things like that and they don’t happen very often,’’ Upton said. ‘’And to do that against a Ranger ballclub that pitches pretty well is a great feeling.’’ Upton hit solo homers in

the first, fourth and sixth innings. He struck out in second, and received a standing ovation before hitting a broken-bat grounder to third in the eighth. ‘’They were talking to me about (hitting a fourth home run) in the dugout, but I wasn’t trying to do that,’’ Upton said. ‘’I broke that bat and I wasn’t too happy about that.’’ Upton joined Evan Longoria (2008) and Jonny Gomes (2005) as the only Tampa Bay players with three-homer games. ‘’He’s player of the game as

far as I’m concerned,’’ Shields said. ‘’Three home runs in one game ... it’s probably the first time he’s ever done that in a game. He’s really locked in right now. He’s one of the guys that, I told everyone this year, he’s my pick to click and he’s really showing it down the stretch here.’’ Tampa Bay took two of three in the weekend series against the AL West leaders. The first two games went extra innings. The Rays trail the AL East-leading new York Yankees by two games.

Yankees rout Orioles 13-3, reclaim AL East lead

Upton’s 3 home runs lift Rays over Rangers

16 SPORTS

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EDGEDAVAO

Serena rallies to win 4th US Open women’s title n

EW YORK (AP) — Given all of the setbacks Serena Williams shrugged aside over the years — on tennis courts and, more daunting, away from them — she probably shouldn’t have been worried when she stood two points from losing the U.S. Open final. And yet, she explained afterward, “I really was preparing my runner-up speech.” no need for that. When the going gets toughest, Williams tends to shine. Finally tested, and even trailing, at Flushing Meadows, Williams suddenly found her composure and her strokes, winning the last four games for a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory over top-ranked Victoria Azarenka on Sunday night, collecting a fourth U.S. Open championship and 15th Grand Slam title overall. “I never give up. I never, never quit,” Williams said after the first three-set U.S. Open women’s final since 1995. “I have come back so many times in so many matches.” In other ways, too. She missed eight months after having surgery on her left knee in 2003, the year she had completed a selfstyled “Serena Slam” by winning four consecutive major titles. Of more concern: Only a few days after winning Wimbledon in 2010, Williams cut both feet on broken glass while leaving a restaurant in Germany, lead-

Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates with her trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in their women’s singles finals match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York on Sunday. ing to two operations on her right foot. Then she got clots in her lungs and needed to inject herself with a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach’s skin, requiring another procedure in the hospital. In all, she was off the tour for about 10 months, returning in 2011. “She was so disgusted at home. She felt like she was useless. That’s the way it is with athletes, I guess. She couldn’t sit still,” said Williams’ mother, Oracene Price. “She was getting depressed. A lot to overcome.” Talk about making up for lost time. Take a look at what Williams has done lately. Back on May 29, she lost to a

woman ranked 111th at the French Open, the American’s only first-round exit in 49 career Grand Slam tournaments. “I was miserable after that loss in Paris. I have never been so miserable after a loss,” Williams said. “I pulled it together. ... Sometimes, they say, it’s good to lose.” Certainly in her case. Since then, Williams is 26-1, including titles at Wimbledon, the London Olympics and the U.S. Open. “She’s definitely the toughest player, mentally, there is,” said Azarenka, who managed only 13 winners, 31 fewer than Williams. “And she’s got the power.” Forget what the rankings say. Williams, who was seeded fourth, is dominating the

game right now. And she’s been dominant, off and on, for more than a decade. She won her first major title age 17 at the 1999 U.S. Open. Winning titles 13 years apart at the same Grand Slam tournament represents the longest span of success in the professional era, which began in 1968. Martina navratilova (Wimbledon, 1978 and 1990) and Chris Evert (French Open, 1974 and 1986) had the longest previous spans of 12 years. “Yeah, three decades — the ‘90s, 2000s, 2010s,” said Williams, who turns 31 on Sept. 26. “That’s kind of cool.” She is the first woman in her 30s to win the U.S. Open since navratilova in 1987.

Djokovic outlasts Ferrer to reach US Open men’s final

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts while playing Spain’s David Ferrer during a semifinal match at the

2012 US Open tennis tournament, Sunday in New York.

he weather was much better at the U.S. Open on Sunday. So was novak Djokovic. Under a cloudless blue sky, in only a hint of wind, defending champion Djokovic got his game into high gear and reached his third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows by beating fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a match suspended a day earlier. ‘’I was a different player,’’ the second-seeded Djokovic said. ‘’I felt much more comfortable on the court today than I did yesterday, (when) obviously the conditions were more brutal.’’ Ferrer led a shaky Djokovic 5-2 in the semifinal’s opening set Saturday, when wind was whipping at more than 20 mph and play was halted because of an impending rainstorm. When they resumed about 18 hours later, Ferrer held serve to take

that set - and then Djokovic quickly took control, using the brand of defense-to-offense baseline excellence that has carried the Serb to four of the past seven Grand Slam titles. ‘’We were all praying for less wind today,’’ Djokovic said. ‘’He handled the wind much better than I did.’’ In Monday’s final, Djokovic will face Olympic champion Andy Murray, who beat Tomas Berdych 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7) on Saturday. It’s the fifth consecutive year the U.S. Open men’s title match has been played a day later than planned. Later Sunday, Serena Williams came back to take the last four games and beat no. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 for her fourth U.S. Open title and 15th Grand Slam championship. The final was shifted from Saturday to Sunday because of the weather, the fourth time since 2008 the women’s event went long, too.