Edge Davao 5 Issue 16 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.5 ISSUE 16 • MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

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DENR to penalize erring plantations n Plantations failed to put up buffer zones

By Lorie A. Cascaro

HE Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB) 11 will penalize plantations in three barangays in Baguio Dis-

Agusan Marsh Page 14

Motoring Page 10

RESPONSIVE. Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte welcomes the rolling out of Globe Telecom’s 4G technology in the city on Friday. Duterte added that Globe has been responsive to the

nity Initiatives in Protecting Davao City’s Water Resources, at Lispher Inn, Matina, Davao City. Tawantawan said the DENR may cancel the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) of the plantation or owner of the land, and also penalize them

FDENR, 13

needs and requests of the city. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Davao gold, silver production up By Jade C. Zaldivar

trict, Davao City, reported to have not implemented buffer zones at Panigan River. This was according to the regional director of DENR-EMB 11, Ruth M. Tawantawan, last Thursday during World Water Day 2012, Highlighting Commu-

ATIONAL Economic Development Authority (Neda) Regional Director Ma. Lourdes Lim said the total volume of minerals produced in the region grew last year as com-

n Gold produced = P1.8 B, silver at least 4.3% and 29.4%, respectively.

valued at P4.17 M

pared to 2010. Based on data released by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11, Lim said the volume of gold and silver produced in the region increased by

However, the figures represent the production volume of two large-scale mining companies. “This collected data is based on the 2011 production of Apex Mining Co., Inc. and JB Management since only

FDAVAO, 13

2 THE BIG NEWS NEDA says investment grew last year by 653%

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EDGEDAVAO

n Investment total was P32 billion n In 2010 it was only P4.252 billion By Jade C. Zaldivar

HE National Economic Development Administration (NEDA) for the Davao region reported an astounding 653% investment growth in 2011 as collated by the Board of Investments (BOI). Ma. Lourdes Lim, regional director of NEDA 11, said the growth is attributed to investments poured into the region on projects for the energy sector, steel manufacturing, and mass housing. “Compared with the project commitments registered with the BOI in 2010, in 2011 there was a total project cost of P32 billion which reflects a P653% growth compared to the amount invested through the BOI in 2010,” Lim said yesterday. The BOI in 2011 collated a total project cost of P32,023,608,955 billion, a huge leap from the P4,252,748,809 billion collated in 2010. Lim said the top investments that poured into the region were (1) the Aboitiz Power Cor-

poration’s 300 megawatt (MW) coal-fire power plant along the boundaries of Binugao,Toril and Inawayan in Sta. Cruz; (2) the steel billets manufacturing plant in Bunawan, Davao City worth P3.5 billion; and (3) the low-cost housing projects in the cities of Davao and Tagum which reached P2.7 billion. “The 300 MW power plant of Aboitiz contributed a huge chunk to the P32 billion investment as the project commitment for the 300 MW power plant amounts to P24.9 billion,” Lim said. Lim also noted that there was a growth of investment specifically for Davao City as 2011 saw numerous construction projects and expansion of shopping malls, bank and hotel renovation projects. Investments for Tagum City in 2011 were in hotel construction, shopping malls, and mass housing projects. “For the first semester of 2011 alone, the value of paid-up capital registered with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

reached P231 million, up by 95% with the bulk of investments going to real estate/renting and hotel/ restaurants projects,” Lim said during Kapihan sa PIA press conference at the Philippine Information Agency 11 office. Lim attributed the growth to the improvement of government response to private investments, most especially the city. “Davao City has been recognized by the World Bank as the second fastest LGU to streamline its process and make business start-ups easier, and the first among LGUs in terms of processing of construction permits,” Lim said. Lim noted that both Davao and Tagum cities “instituted reforms, streamlining, in order to expedite business transactions that would considerably cut cost in doing business.” “The massive infusion of investments for building construction, as well as other business interests is a result of good governance practices by our local government units.

and Annual Membership Meeting of the Philippine Press Institute. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will be the guest of honor and speaker for the 16th awards season. No less than President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote the opening ceremonies of the conference which has “Media Accountability and Public Engagement” as this year’s theme. The PPI is celebrating its 48th founding year and 25 years since reactivation after the People Power Revolution. The additional category on culture and arts, which is this year’s theme for photos and stories exhibit will be presented by the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA). The winner of the exhibit will receive trophy and cash. The management of the awards, cash prizes and trophies are being funded by The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) and the six newspaper-members of the Board such as Malaya, Philippine Daily Inquirer,

BusinessWorld, The Philippine Star, Manila Standard Today, and the Journal Group. The TCCEC is the major strategic partner of the PPI for its project on Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism since 2002. The forum and awards are also being supported in part by St. Luke’s Medical Center which is this year’s corporate partner. Other major sponsors are: Chevron Philippines Inc., Liwayway Marketing Corporation, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, Anflo Management Investment Corporation, Petron Philippines, United Laboratories, Land Bank of the Philippines, Pilipinas Shell, McDonald’s Philippines, and Smart Communications, Inc. Part of the donations will go to the training fund of the Institute to support workshops and seminars for its members for continuing media education and professionalization.

Edge Davao finalist in PPI Awards

OUR weekly and three daily regional publications have made it to the finalists’ circle in the 2011 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards. Weekly publications Mabuhay (Malolos, Bulacan), Baguio Midland Courier (Baguio City), Edge Davao (Davao City) and The Mindanao Cross (Cotabato City) figured prominently in the the screenings. Daily publications Sun.Star Davao (Davao City), Sun.Star Cebu (Cebu City) and Sun.Star Pampanga (City of San Fernando) also made it to the initial round of judging. All seven community newspapers will be vying for excellence in six major categories: best in photojournalism, best in culture and arts reporting, best in science and environmental reporting, best in business and economic reporting, best editorial page, and best edited community newspaper. The winners will be announced during the awards program on April 24 at Traders Hotel Manila during the 16th National Press Forum

It figures

$1.98trillion P3.12trillion $210million ESTIMATED yearly damage of climate change to world’s ocean ocean system, according to a new study, “Valuing the Ocean,” released on Wednesday by he Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

WORTH of funds which banks deployed to businesses and households without properly pricing them, an error that bank executives are trying to correct by establishing a new lending benchmark they collectively lost when interest rates can no longer be pegged on the 91day Treasury bill rate as domestic rates have fallen to record lows.

COST of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub and terminal in Pagbilar, Quezon. The hub and terminal will also supply LNG to the Energy World Corp. of Australia. Energy World said that it received strong interest from local companies and financing institutions to invest and development the plant.

WHITE GOLD. A small-scale miner in Pantukan, Compostela Valley displays a white gold that he is selling for P300 per

gram. The chunk of gold that he is selling weighs 30 grams. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Microinsurance literacy drive vs poverty held in Davao City By Lorie A. Cascaro

financial literacy on microinsurance advocacy training was held last March 20-22 in Davao City, following the one in Butuan, which was the first microinsurance advocacy training in Mindanao. The next stop will be Cagayan de Oro City this year. The training was initiated by the Department of Finance, Insurance Commission and Asian Development Bank, and participated in by cooperatives, insurance providers, microfinance institutions and non-government organizations. In the press conference last Friday at the Apo View Hotel, Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc said microinsurance is a tool for poverty reduction, adding that there are 3,100,000 microinsurance institutions in the Philippines. Microinsurance is one of the financial services under microfinancing which generally means providing a broad range of financial services to the low income sector. Other financial services include savings, credit, payment transfers, and remittances. Republic Act 8425 or Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act recognizes microfinance as one of the tools for poverty alleviation. However, despite the government’s issuance of the National Strategy

$1.452billion

BALANCE of payments surplus aggregating $1.452 billion in the first two months, which was 1.4 percent higher year-on-year. The surplus validated the view that the country’s macroeconomic underpinning remains resilient in view face of global economic slowdown.

for Microfinance in 1997, the low-income sector remains an untapped market for microfinancing, while poverty is still prevalent in the country. The lack of awareness of insurance, and low financial literacy level among the low income sector were cited as reasons for the low insurance coverage of the poor. It is stated in Magpaseguro para protektado: A Roadmap to financial literacy on microfinance that various case studies of Microinsurance Center show that the poor either lack an understanding of insurance or have a negative perception of it or distrust. Dooc said the financial literacy on microinsurance is a strategy to change the negative notion of low-income sector about microinsurance, in line with the Microinsurance National Strategy. The paper is a joint effort of the members of the Technical Working Group organized by the Department of Finance and supported by the German Technical Cooperation Microinsurance Innovations Program for Social Security. Also at the press con-

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ference, Hiroyuki Aoki, senior financial sector specialist of Asian Development Bank, said no country in the ASEAN region has national strategy in terms of microinsurance, only the Philippines. “Microfinancing is very promising in the Philippines because of the very active role of microfinance institutions that help us reach our beneficiaries,” Aoki said. Part of the Technical Working Group in crafting the Microinsurance Strategy paper, ADB also helps in financial literacy campaign and provides technical support. Microinsurance has “lower premiums and guaranteed benefits”. Premiums may range from P1 to P20 per day, or should not exceed five percent of the current minimum wage for non-agricultural workers in Metro Manila. Monthly premiums for microinsurance should not exceed P600. Maximum guaranteed benefits should not be more than 500 times the daily minimum wage rate for non-agricultural workers in Metro Manila, or in actual current rates, should not exceed P200,000.

‘HE is a changed man, trying to be an obedient son of God our Father.’ --Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez on Manny Pacquiao’s retirement from boxing

P390million COST of the terminal expansion project of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) whose contract being sought by five construction companies.

23 NUMBER of “critical elements” found by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) needs to address before the country can regain its ”Category 1” safety status.

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FOCUS ON TOURISM

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

City upbeat on barangay tourism n City identifies Mintal, Hizon, Baganihan as

tourism sites n Looks into Times Beach development By Jade C. Zaldivar

AVAO City boasts of six festivals celebrated every year: the first being Araw ng Davao, celebrated every March in commemoration of the city’s chartering; the Kadayawan in August which pays tribute to the city’s rich cultural heritage and celebrates the togetherness of the tri-people, the Christians, the Muslims, and the different tribes of the indigenous peoples. But most people do not know how the other four festivals came about only in recent years. The Davao Chinese New Year Festival created through an Executive Order in 2009, celebrates the harmonious relations of the locals with the city’s Chinese community as well as promotes the development of the local Chinatown bordered by R. Magsaysay Ave., Monteverde Ave., Sta. Ana Ave. and Leon Garcia St. as a major historical, economic and cultural center of the city. Later that year, the first Chinese Mid-autumn Moon Festival, more popularly known as the Mooncake Festival, was first commemorated. The Mooncake Festival is set every 15th day of the eight month in the Chinese lunar calendar, falling around late September or early October, when the moon is at its fullest. In augmentation to the long-running Pahalipay ni Mayor Rody, the Pasko Fiesta was created in 2009, officially becoming a festival in 2010. Pasko Fiesta integrates the annual beautification of the city every Christmas with events of music competitions and economic opportunities among others. Then in 2010, the city’s Summerfest was born which extends from April to May, highlighting tournaments, competitions, and multiple sports and arts-related activities. Recognizing the op-

Times Beach

portunities for economic growth through festivities, the local government in partnership with various organizations from the private sector gave birth to these festivals. As when visitors come into the city and spend for amenities, spending leisurely time here, locals earn and thus increasing economic growth. And attached to each festival celebration is the promotion of Davao City as a peaceful, colorful, clean, orderly metro city – in sum, a worthy tourist destination. The city government takes things a step further by promoting a community-based tourism program. Communities as tourist destinations The Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC), which serves as the advertising arm of the City Tourism Office (CTO), has set its sights on three barangays here which are already garnering curious visitors to become pilot areas for its communitybased tourism program. In place of CTO officer in charge Jason Magnaye, DCIPC economist Catherine Pagatpatan said the program encourages barangays to promote their communities as tourist destinations. “The program is anchored on sustainable growth and development of communities wherein the residents of communities will foster their areas to become tourist-friendly. We’ve been guiding them so that on their own they can implement economicgenerating activities or programs within their barangays,” Pagatpatan told Edge Davao. Pagatpatan said part of the program is for the barangays to create their own tourism action plan. “So far as creating a vision and a mission, these barangays already have crafted theirs. They have been cooperative but things are work in progress with a positive outlook,” Pagatpatan said.

Botanical Plants She mentioned by Barangay Mintal in the Tugbok district which during the pre-war era was a location for plantations of Japanese entrepreneurs. There was a large number of Japanese residents here, so much so that Davao City earned the title ‘Little Japan’ while Mintal was called ‘Little Tokyo.’ Japanese entrepreneurs engaged in hemp production and traded with Manila businessmen as far back as two decades prior to the Pacific War outbreak in December of 1941. During the war, Mintal was a major stronghold of the Imperial Japanese Army of Emperor Hirohito. Many Japanese lived in this village and to this day relatives of those who died during the Japanese war carry on the tradition of paying a pilgrimage, especially in August, in remembrance of their loved ones. “The Davao-Japanese Tourism Council which was created in 2011 is working with stakeholders and members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in promoting Mintal. There

have already been developments there but we’re looking forward to pouring in more for their tourism,” Pagatpatan said. The city is gearing Barangay Vincente Hizon Sr. as a marine eco-tourism destination. Barangay Hizon is bound on the north by the Davao International Airport and the Davao Gulf coastline in the south. It is home to several high-end residential communities and prides of peaceful seclusion from the bustle of the city although the area remains easily accessible from downtown Davao. “We are working on utilizing Barangay Hizon’s coastline of the Davao Gulf. The barangay has the potential to become a marine eco-tourism area. Meron rin silang dive sites for those who are into ecoadventure,” Pagatpatan said. Hizon has several beach resorts and features a marine sactuary. “Barangay Hizon is also known for being a cleanlykept barangay. The people there like peace and quiet which can be very attractive to tourists who’ll be going to leisure sites located there,” Pagatpatan said. “What we’re aiming for is making it more popularly known sa tourists and the residents themselves should be the ones to welcome these developments na sa kanila talaga mangagaling at sila ang magpropagate,” she added. The city is also aiming for Barangay Baganihan in Marilog district, to become an agri-tourism and eco-tourism hub. Already developed there is a one-stop souvenir and agricultural products display center along the Davao-Bukidnon national highway, approximately 79 kilometers from the city proper.

Japanese Cementary The Baganihan AgriProducts Display Center also features amenities for travelers and tourists to enjoy their visit. Officer in charge Leonardo Avila III of the City Agriculture Office said featured in the Baganihan Agri-Products Display Center are the produce of the local farmers and handicraft makers of the barangay. Showcased at the center are the carefully grown botanical plants and handicrafts which celebrates lo-

Quips

cal culture. Times Beach development Along with their promotion of Barangays Baganihan, Hizon, and Mintal, Pagatpatan said the city is also optimistic about developing Times Beach as another pilot area for the community-based tourism program. Admittedly, Pagatpatan said there are a lot of things needed to be corrected and developed at Times Beach.

‘HE should really retire from boxing. In the Bible, God sometimes appeared to people in their dreams, so the result is very good to him.’ _-- Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes on Manny Pacquiao

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FOCUS TOURISM

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US, Japan, Korea: The top sources of foreign visitors to Davao City By Greg G. Deligero

HE US, Japan and Korea remain the three leading countries of origin of tourists visiting Davao City comprising 30.27 percent of the 52,602 total number of foreign visitors. Foreign tourists comprised 5.76 percent or 52,602of the the total 682,821 number of tourists in the city last year. Some 68.39 percent or 624,511 tourists were domestic travelers who came from as far as the Batanes, Bicol, Bohol and Taw-Tawi. The remaining 0.62 percent or 5,668 visitors were returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Most of the domestic travelers visited the city either for commercial and business trips or to to attend conventions and conferences. Regional clusters In terms of regional clusters among foreign tourists, East Asian countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan contributed the most number of tourists with a total of 20,981 visitors followed by US and Canada of North America with 14,499, followed by European countries with 3,874. Countries in the Oceania region such as Australia and New Zealand contributed 2,495 visitors while India and Saudi Arabia contributed 536 and 331 visitors, re-

spectively. Another 7,236 foreign visitors failed to specify their origin. Only 2,650 visitors came from neighboring countries in the Southeast Asia region. Majority of foreign tourists came to the city either for pleasure or to visit friends and relatives. Benefits The visitors stayed over in Davao City for an average of 3.5 days spending an average of P4,000 daily each. In 2011, estimated tourist receipts was P9.55 billion while the estimated total economic benefits (derived by multiplying the 2.2 international standard by the number of tourists, the length of stay and the daily expenditures) was P21.01 billion. In terms of tourist distribution, Davao City corners 74.77 percent of the 913,182 total number of tourists who arrived in the Davao tegion last year. The city offers at least 51 tourist attractions, which include historical, cultural and religious sites. Aside from 131 accommodation facilities like inns and hotels, the city also offers 731 dining and entertainment places. It is also equipped with 16 convention facilities, 14 shopping centers and 55 money changers and banks. Festivals While Kadayawan remains its biggest festival, Davao City also hosts other events and festivities, including the Pasko

Fiesta the entire month of December, the Araw and Dabaw in March and the Summerfest which culminates in May. A landmark legislation which helps propel the local tourism industry is the Tourism Development Code of Davao City enacted in 2009. The ordinance embodies provisions that call for global code ethics for tourism and promotes the principles of a balanced conservation, development, ecological integrity and family-oriented tourism sector. The law also protects the city’s cultural heritage through the promotion of

City of Samal (IGaCoS) and the DOT 11, the Visit Samal 2012 will run from April 21 to July 15. Highlights of this event include the IGaCoS founding anniversary celebration, White Nights, Kabasan Festival and Hugyaw Festival. Boncato said there are 40 teams registered in this year’s Mt. Apo Boulderface Challenge, a 24-hour adventure race to Mt. Apo’s peak through mountain biking, trekking, road running and white water tubing. Five of the teams are from Singapore (multiracial), and one from Australia. To promote all tourism destinations in the four

provinces and six cities of the region, Boncato mentioned the “One summer fun, one Davao” approach. It means everyone will promote all the destinations, including that of the other cities and provinces in the region. He said DOT 11 provides an information counter at the Abreeza Mall as a way to share information about all the tourism destinations in the region, especially for the summer. Also for this summer, provincial shows will be conducted featuring cultural and other tourist attractions that a province likes to showcase during this event which will hap-

Summertime come-on

Japanese Tourists

Davao tourism promotes ‘Islands to Highlands’

By Lorie A. Cascaro

HE Davao region Department of Tourism (DOT) is up for two major programs this summer: “Visit Samal Island, Enjoy Eco-Island Adventure”, and the Second International Mount Apo Boulderface Challenge come April 28 at Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. Part of its “Islands to Highlands” campaign, these are the major activities to attract tourists to the region, according to Art Boncato, DOT regional director. A partnership with private tourism industry players in the Island Garden

sustainable tourism and to consciously promote gender sensitivity among all domestic and foreign tourists. Plans To further strengthen the tourism industry, tourism stakeholders plan to develop transportation facilities that will promote connectivity of tourist attractions and facilities like putting up a bus terminal near the airport, a better building for passengers at the seaport. In a series of consultation meetings hosted by the City Planning and Development Office, tourism stakeholders eyed the

establishment of Pasalubong Centers at various strategic parts of the city to promote purely Davao products. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan 2011-2016 has identified a number of tourist infrastructure, transportation and communication requirements for the entire region, including the need to provide tourist road signages and appropriate warning signs along the highways, the need to improve transport systems and develop viable sea transport to realize the Davao Gulf connectivity.

The plan also cites the need to improve the maintenance and operations of existing airport and seaports while stressing the need for setting up of visitors’ assistance and tourist information centers equipped with rest rooms in strategic locations in the city and other areas in the region. Specific to Davao City, the plan spells out the need to undertake drainage improvements to mitigate flooding along the major thoroughfares, the improvement of a road network to Mt. Apo and rehabilitation of the Davao-Bukidnon road.

Isla Reta Beach Resort pen between April and May, he added. Further, the DOT 11 has started promoting Davao City as a venue for international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) in anticipation of the establishment of SMX Convention Center in 2013. Boncato said they dubbed this campaign “Let’s meet in Davao.”

Quips ‘IN the US, 70 of its top 100 advertisers have advertised in FB (Facebook), you can even find New Times in FB.’

--Jonallier Perez, executive director of the Mindanao Tourism Council (MinTC)

EDGEDAVAO

Kapatagan: Catching the rising sun at Mt. Apo By Aurelio A. Pena

OR so many stupid reasons before, I kept turning down special invitations by friends to go on an overnight trip to Kapatagan in Davao del Sur, not only to see Mt. Apo in all its glory up close, but to see all the pine trees that have turned that place into something like Baguio. It took somebody’s birthday within the membership of the Camera Club of Davao to make this weekend trip possible and that somebody is Willy, a photo hobbyist and owner of a graphics design store along Rizal Extension here. Like almost everyone else who was smart enough to get land rights in that blessed piece of Mt. Apo’s mountain rangRepublic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city Petition for Approval of Sale and Transfer with Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment to operate a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular Service. ROMEO Y. AVERGONZADO, Petitioner-Vendor TYRON CHEMCE GUEVARRA, Petitioner-Vendee Case No.2012-XI-00097 (2002-XI-00958)

x- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -x NOTICE OF HEARING

Petitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Transfer executed by ROMEO Y. AVERGONZADO in favor of TYRON CHEMCE GUEVARRA of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Service on the route: MINTAL ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on July 18, 2012. In the same petition filed on January 31, 2012, petitioners likewise request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized. NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on APRIL 02, 2012 at 09:00 a. m. at this office at the above address. At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time. This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence. WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, This 31st day of January 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner-Vendor, Romeo Y. Avergonzado, Purok 6, Bryg. Sto. Niño, Tugbok Dist., Davao City Petitioner-Vendee, Tyron Chemce Guevarro, B14 L8 P2, Elenita Heights, Mintal, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Ernesto Raphael V. Robillo, 58 F. Iñigo St., Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

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es, Willy also planted hundreds of pine trees several years ago after he got that property’s rights from title owners over there. Others, in fact, planted thousands of pine trees, turning the Kapatagan mountain tops into something that looks like Wyoming mountains right out of a U.S. postcard. Although the winding dirt road climbing up the forested mountain southwest from Digos City, the capital of Davao del Sur, is only good for vehicles with four-wheel drives, most of the access road coming off the highway was concrete, so the trip can be pleasant at times to visitors planning to drive all the way to the Kapatagan mountain ranges. Along the way, one can stop at one of the Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city Petition for Approval of Sale and Transfer of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment with Dropping and Substitution of Unit to operate an AIRCONDITIONED TAXI service. ERNESTO BAYRON, Petitioner-Vendor BIEN G. SOLITRINO, Petitioner-Vendee Case No.2012-XI-00208 (94-XI-00037) x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Transfer executed by ERNESTO BAYRON in favor of BIEN G. SOLITRINO of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment issued in this case authorizing the operation of an AIRCONDITIONED TAXI service on the route: WITHIN DAVAO CITY to any point in Region XI with the use of TWO (2) units, which certificate is still valid and subsisting up to April 26, 2015. In the same petition filed on March 6, 2012, petitioners likewise request to DROP its authorized units particularly the unit bearing Plate No. LWC 364 and to SUBSTITUTE the same with another unit bearing Chassis No. NCP929048322 to operate along the same route. NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on APRIL 2, 2012 at 02:00 p m at this office at the above address. At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time. This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence. WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, This 6th day of March 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner-Vendor, Ernesto Bayron, Brgy. Sto. Niño, Tugbok, Davao City Petitioner-Vendee, Bien G. Solitrino, PNP Village, 5th St., Digos City Counsel, Atty. Gilbert G. Abellera, #64 VirgoMars St., GSIS Subd., Matina, Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

winding mountain curves to buy “marang” from makeshift nipa stalls and eat the fruit on the way up to the top. What really struck me after waking up very early morning inside Willy’s family resort house was the thick fog and the freezing cold that citybreds like me couldn’t take without wrapping myself with thick woolen blanket over thicker sweater and jumping up and down to keep warm among the dark, towering pine trees still slumbering and whistling with the cold winds sweeping over the sleeping valley. It’s too bad I didn’t go there as a photographer to capture Mt. Apo’s cream-streaked face catch the first sliver of the early morning sun as it rises above the distant mountain ranges in the east -- which happens to be the direction where the metropolitan city of Davao is located. Trying to make our way through the muddy trail up the slope in the dark, amidst the whistling pine trees, my 10year-old son Sean and I had to pick up some fallen tree branches along the way and break them up into walking sticks to support our careful steps to the mountain top. “We have to hurry, Sean, if you want to catch the sun before it comes up,” I said, as he trailed behind, a few steps behind me. [PNA]

Record-breaking arrivals a historic first for tourism

N another historic first for the Philippine tourism, visitor arrivals reached a record-breaking high of 411,064 in January 2012, a very good start to open the year. The 411,064 visitor arrivals represent a doubledigit gain of 17.5 percent from 349,713 visitors for the same month last year. “We are happy to set a new all-time high for the industry, as we have now reached and surpassed the 400,000 visitor arrival mark for the first time in any single month,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. “We expect that these numbers will continue to steadily increase with the introduction of our new brand campaign this year and the convergence initiatives and efforts that the DOT has been undertaking with other government agencies and the private sector,” Jimenez added. Korea remained the biggest supplier of visitors at 102,166, raking in 24.9 percent of the total visitor volume to the Philippines. This achieves another feat for Philip-

Jeminez pine tourism as this also marks the first time that a market achieved more than 100,000 in any single month. Visitors from the United States came second with 63,160 arrivals contributing 15.4 percent of the total inbound traffic. The Chinese market bested the Japanese market as it recorded the third

biggest volume of 42,868 arrivals and posted a triple-digit growth of 173.8 percent from its volume of 15,656 arrivals last year. The increase in Chinese tourists is attributed to the heavy influx from this market for the Chinese New Year, which fell on the third week of January of this year. Meanwhile, the Japanese and the Taiwanese markets ranked as fourth and fifth top producers, with 32,089 and 21,995 arrivals, respectively. The Japanese arrivals posted a 1.6 percent growth at 7.8 percent share of the total while those from Taiwan posted a growth of 60.7 percent, capturing 5.4 percent of the aggregated data. Overseas Filipinos, or Filipinos permanently residing abroad, contributed 15,531 arrivals, registering 3.8 percent to the total volume. “We are excited to meet our year-end target of 4.6-million arrivals with the full roll-out of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. Our institutional programs will be complemented by those from the private sector and the local government units,” Jimenez said. Meanwhile, he said policy reforms and convergence projects with other government agencies will seek to address impediments to tourism growth particularly on accessibility, connectivity and entry procedures. “More importantly, everybody’s support is critical in creating the fun and competitive image that we are selling to the world,” the Secretary said. [PNA]

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

Attracting that elusive wealth

EDITORIAL

Protecting a finite resource

AVAO is so abundant with natural gifts, some Dabawenyos have no qualms calling it the “most beautiful city” in the country. Fortunately for these proud citizens, such a claim is often reinforced by award-giving bodies which are always generous in heaping superlatives on places that impress them. One acclamation that really titillates Dabawenyos and their leaders to this day is the city’s being called “the most livable city in the country.” Of course, the paean was not undeserved as it had resulted from a yearly evaluation based on a list of criteria wherein the city bested its perennial rivals Manila and Cebu. It was conducted by the Hongkong-based Asiaweek news magazine. But it was a decade ago --in 1999, 2001 and 2002 to be exact-and Asiaweek had since folded, a victim of the economic contagion that has continued to batter the finances of many of the region’s once-upon-a-time prosperous periodicals. Today, despite the rapid development that we see around our city, we also witness some telltale signs of urban decay. This is manifested in our perennial drainage problem which is partly the reason for the frequent street flooding; in our worsening traffic situation; and in the increasing frequency of violent crimes, among others. On the other hand, a similar transformation in the hinterlands has alarmed the observant citizens. The breathtaking sceneries can not anymore hide the growing threats to our once pristine rivers, fer-

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tile soils and other natural wealth. One finite resource that is in great peril is water. Unregulated agricultural practices for instance could destroy the watershed areas, drain the recharge zones, and poison all of us who drink from water coming from polluted sources. For instance, rightly or wrongly, alarm bells have been raised for one such important water resource, the Panigan River in Barangay Tawan-Tawan, Baguio District. The NGO which has been monitoring the water in the river claimed that the phosphate and nitrate levels in the river were no longer ideal. The NGO may have been alarmist, for all we know, but the point is, we should now be vigilant in watching the environment, especially the priceless resources that human kind can not do without. Yes, like water which is absolutely needed for our survival. We are heartened that there is now a Watershed Code in Davao City, the first local government unit to have crafted one. If won’t be easy to enforce this landmark ordinance passed as early as 2007. In the beginning, it is bound to be misunderstood and may even be resisted by those who feel threatened by it. However, a multi-partite watershed management council, headed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio herself, is now determined to go hammer and tongs in enforcing the ordinance. This, after crafting the implementing rules and regulations, identifying the major concerns and answering all possible questions and doubts of stakeholders through regular consultations. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

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

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

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

RICHARD C. EBONA IMELDA P. LEE Advertising Specialists

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

RIVATE investment brings about growth and progress to any locality. It is necessary to spur local growth and development. In common lingo, it is called business which is easily associated with wealth and profit. A ball game of the more affluent families in the society, it counts on the infusion of hard earned savings or wealth into the economic market. Many investments – big and small - have succeeded but more have failed. The ultimate barometer of success, and the opposite is failure, of any investment is its own growth measured in terms of profit or its ability to generate more and additional wealth. In recent studies, about 1% of all business establishments are large scale (with , 9% are micro enterprises, and the remaining 90% are small and medium scale enterprises. This simply means that majority of establishments could be put up with relatively small amount of capitalization. Almost anybody can go into business; it only requires some guts to take inevitable financial risks. Setting up a business is a gamble and it depends not only on one’s ability and acumen but also on the business environment he or she operates. In another recent study, almost all business establishments that failed or folded up pointed to the unfriendly business climate as the main cause of business failure. Creating and ensuring a conducive environment for business to thrive and prosper is the domain of government, particularly cities and local governments, but this is not given much attention and priority. Better or more business friendly environment entails the following elements: Streamlined business registration processes. This means that the requirements and steps to get a business permit or a mayor’s permit are easy, simple and uncomplicated. It implies that documentary requirements of various government agencies and entities can be acquired or accomplished almost effortlessly; they are accessible and available where business registration is done – at the business permitting and licensing office of the local government. It also necessitates the reduction of the steps or processes to basic minimum. In some local government units, the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) is the venue where business registration takes place. As the name implies, BOSS intends to bring together agencies (such as BIR, PhilHealth, SSS) that have something to do with business registration. Cutting down the “time” to acquire that valuable signature of the mayor is the ultimate measure of a streamlined process. Investment planning and direction. Explicit vision for development, particularly for areas or sectors for possible investment is critical for business decision. Potential investors need guidance on the types of business that can easily make money with minimum risk. As such, it requires the local governments to come up, based on its vision and development goals, a list of potential industries and economic enterprises, as well as programs and projects where the private sector could invest into. Investment promotion. For investors to come in, it is necessary for them to know or be informed of the industry potentials of the locality as well as the incentives they can avail of. At the end of the day, attracting investors is a competition among local governments. Hence, it requires aggressiveness in “selling” the potentials and “showcasing” what the locality can offer in terms of support policies, technologies, facilities and utilities; after-investment services; human resource capacities; and resource endowments. Strong partnership and coordination. Attracting investments is one thing; making them stay is another and the better thing. Hence, the host local government units should strengthen its coordination – within the government itself, between government and the private sector, and among key stakeholders. Through partnerships, the host local government can establish an enabling environment – one that provides (a) credit facilities for investors, (b) security and protection of human resource and facilities, (c) reasonable and affordable tax rates, (d) facilities that allow trading across borders, and (e) mechanisms that facilitate contract compliance.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

The state of the economy and the impeachment trial

HE entire Filipino nation seems to be currently fixated with the Senate impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The usual overriding concern with the state of the economy and its consequence on daily life has for a while become unimportant. This in fact is typical of Filipinos who prefer to party for the flimsiest of reasons much more an impeachment trial of a Chief Justice. But one may wonder if the outcome of the impeachment trial may impact on the state of the economy. The concern arises from the fact that some political events do affect investment decisions and consumption patterns. Mores so, if the outcome of a political event has an immediate impact on prosperity or survival both from the point of view of businesses and individuals. Recent polls show that a large majority favors the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. This is not surprising because of his close connection with the much vilified former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo and persistent media reports of unusual and unethical conduct. He indeed is most likely to be impeached for these important reasons. Moreover, the Senator-Judges in the impeachment proceedings are unlikely to waste political capital by absolving him, especially, that mid-term election is a just fourteen months away. But what if Chief Justice Renato

Corona is absolved? Would there be enough outrage to negatively affect the state of the economy? The country is in fact currently poised for a joyride with sound economic policies emanating from the political leadership. Both investment and consumption are slowly but steadily heading north. Credit rating agencies are poised to upgrade the credit status of the country principally because of sound economic and fiscal policies and serious initiatives to curb leakage a.k.a. corruption. Among these initiatives is the close monitoring and serious collection of tax obligations. Legal cases are also systemically being filed against tax evaders including ‘Pambamsang Kamao’ Manny Paquiao. A system of regular inventory of national government employees and direct and online payment of salaries and wages is being implemented to end the longstanding practice of payroll padding. Infrastructure project costs are being standardized to detect and prevent overpricing. National government purchases are to be centralized through a single commissary for close monitoring and cost control. Share from national tax collection are to be automatically retained by local governments to avoid lobbying with and

Monkey Business

For these stocks to go higher, expect them to pull back as traders take profit, pulling down the prices slightly. If they prove to be strong stocks, they’ll move higher in the coming weeks. If the stocks are weak, they’ll probably just drift around for awhile and build a new “base” before continuing their climb up, depending on how the market feel about the stocks at the moment. Ayala Land, for example, after hitting 22.10, pulled back down to 21.30 this week. Dizon however, after hitting its all-time high of 43.20, surged higher to another all-time high at 45.50 as traders shifted their funds from blue chip stocks to this new mining stock. Alliance Global, after hitting its all-time high of 13.48, dropped back to 12.98 as investors and traders who got stuck with this stock for many months, unloaded AGI at a small profit. Its just too unfortunate that having a good hold of the market, most of us don’t have enough funds to take advantage of this new bull market in the Philippines. It would be nice if a good angel investor or a lender can allow you the use of 200T for just 12 months and return it with 25% interest, you can multiply that amount twice or thrice after that period--- if you know how to get in and out of this market safely. Forget about investing in Philippine stocks, you’ll only end up losing most of

LTHOUGH the Philippine stock index had broken thru another all-time high at 5000 plus under Noynoy’s regime, we missed the action at the starting line. This was the time when the price index surged higher, finally breaking the resistance line on the chart after months of drifting nowhere. Stock traders who know their way around the market, kept their eyes glued to stocks like Universal Robina (URC), Dizon Copper Silver Mines (DIZ), Alliance Global (AGI), Robinsons Land Corp (RLC) and Ayala Land Inc (ALI). These were the stocks worth waiting for as they broke thru the 52-week highs--- just the right time to buy the stock, wait for a couple of weeks before unloading them (sell all) for profits of 20% to 30%. This short-term market strategy, of course, isn’t for investors, but for traders who only want sure gains in their pockets. If you’ve been following the market action at the website of the Philippine Stock Exchange, you would have seen see stocks breaking thru the 52-week highs like Ayala Land at 22.10, Robinsons at 16.64, Dizon at 43.20, Universal Robina at 64.00, and Alliance Global at 13.48.

SPECIAL FEATURE By Enrico “Gico” G. Dayanghirang

bribery of national government officials responsible for allocation. Credit rating agencies have taken note of these anti-corruption initiatives and of the much improved selection of major infrastructure projects to be undertaken and of public services to be provided. In fact, even before the actual upgrade of its credit rating, the country is now able to access external funds at low interest rates. This is particularly important because government is now poised to pump prime the economy to sustain growth amidst a global economic crisis. Things are therefore expected to be even better with the effect of economic pump priming soon to be felt. But then again would an acquittal in the impeachment court spoil everything? Not a chance. The anticipated public outrage is not going to be directed at government which has been enjoying sustained positive approval ratings from periodic polls. The ability of government to carry on with its policy trajectory is therefore not in jeopardy. This tsunami of public outrage is going to hit the Senator-Judges who would have to explain themselves in the forthcoming mid-term election. But I’m sure they’re going to spare themselves of this existential threat to their political careers by making the ‘right’ decision. Wouldn’t they? (An economist, the author used to be congressman of the First District of Davao City)

Forget about ‘investing’ in Philippine stocks

your investments if you still believe in long term “buy and hold “ strategy. This writer still recommends that you learn how to navigate and trade the Philippine stock market on your own. Read a lot of books on stock trading or surf the internet for sites that help (www.pinoystocktrader2012.wordpress.com) It’s probably the only place where you can turn your small retirement of P200T into P2M in less than five years if you’re an unforgiving, take-no-prisoners type of stock trader who’s only concerned about the market price of a stock, not the value of the company whose shares you’re buying. Most stock brokers and analysts will recommend to you “blue chip” stocks, citing their own valuations of the company. We’ve been there, done that, and honestly guys, it doesn’t work. That’s why most Mutual Funds in this country who follow this type of strategy end up with average annual gains of only 12% to 17% because they “invest” your money in stocks and bonds. To Pinoy hard-nosed traders who can generate gains of 60% to 80% or even much higher, the poor performance of Mutual Funds isn’t worth wasting your savings or retirement funds on when the market can give you the most of what you wished for… (Comments? Email: tradingpost_ davao@yahoo.com)

Solving the killings CHICAGO By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA (First of 2 Parts) would like to congratulate Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo for telling his subordinates not to be hamstrung in their investigation of the attempted killing of newsman Fernan Angeles even if the Malacanang reporter for the Philippine Daily Tribune has a pending warrant on drug charges. Relatives of Mr. Angeles have a Constitutional right to demand a speedy resolution of the killing, so police should not second-guess themselves that they are wasting their time. It is very hard to solve the case if the trail grows cold. So, police should strike the iron while it is hot by pursuing the murderers no matter where it leads them. They should solve the case now and deal with the drug charges later. And speaking of a solution of the killing of another newsman, Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega, a popular radio broadcaster and environmentalist, I would also like to congratulate Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima for finding a probable cause based among others on forensic evidence – text messages – found in the cell phones of the hatchet man, Rodolfo Edrad Jr., and the mastermind, former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, for Ortega’s killing. I hope the same method of solving the killing of my friend, Salvador “Bubby” Dacer, will also be applied. Days before and on the day of the kidnapping and abduction of Mr. Dacer and Mr. Dacer’s driver, Emmanuel Corbito, cell phones were easily the instruments of choice in carrying out the grisly double murder. According to records of the case, the slain Col. Teofilo Vina, assigned as chief of the Presidential Anti-Organized Task Force (PAOCTF) in Central Visayas, was handpicked to carry out the kidnapping and killing of Dacer and Corbito because he could not be suspected of carrying out the murder because he was away in far-off Cebu. But, of course, Mr. Vina was perfect for the job because he was from Cavite, where Dacer and Corbito were later kidnapped and incinerated before they were strangled. Vina knew the terrain of the place and handpicked the killers. Unfortunately, Vina was silenced when he was shot and killed by four gunmen in 2003 in Cavite before he could tell the court who ordered him to abduct Dacer. I hope investigators were able to preserve the text and voice mail messages that could be culled from Vina’s cell phone and other suspects and be presented in court as evidence in the ongoing double murder trial. ARNADO SHOULD BE ARRESTED And I also hope former police chief inspector Vicente Arnado of PAOCTF, who is believed to be in the U.S., will also be arrested so he can complete the puzzle. The use of cell phone as evidence was unheard off decades ago. Today, even if you are in the farthest corner of the world or you are having fun in a $30-$40-million trip to space, you still can give last-minute instructions to the hired murderers on how to carry out the murders as if you are just calling or texting from next door. Former Gov. Reyes made an amateur and stupid mistake of sending text messages using his cell phone to Edrad to carry out the killing even if he was abroad. He did not realize that text messages like voice mail messages are now considered evidence in court and part of the discovery process, like DNA and fingerprints. When he texted Edrad, “Sana pag-uwi ko ay tapos na ang problema” (I hope when I get home, the problem would be over.) “OK po” “Ingat” (Take care.),” Governor Reyes incriminated himself just like the alibi of Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, who said he was in Malacanang when the mass murder of journalists was in progress in Maguindanao. Didn’t Reyes and Ampatuan know that Gov. Ampatuan could just easily call his relatives to carry out or be updated with the gruesome mass murders by using his cell phone? During the time that there was no cell phone, here’s how a murder conspiracy was carried out.

10 MOTORING O

The Clutch Driver Discounts count

UR motoring tip for the week is getting ready for the stresses of summer and knowing where to get good deals on services and parts. With the onset of summer, expect the heat to be just more than tolerable. That also makes driving a whole lot less comfortable. To avoid the stress

of summer where the possibilities of your car encountering some trouble is high, make sure that it is in tip top condition. To get your car perform well, check on the lubes and the essential parts. Let’s go discounts hunting. Isuzu Davao (Southern Motors) Isuzu Motors of Davao is offering 20 percent off on parts, lubes and labor. That’s right, all for 20% discount. This Isuzu promo will run from March 1-31 You can check out Isuzu Motors Davao along McArthur Highway. Open from Mondays to Saturdays.

Burning rubber time with Ground Image

IME for burning rubbers again. Ground Image and West Ridge Auto Facility took its turn as host of Davao Drag Racing with the 3rd Ground Image National Dragster 1/8 Mile Bracket Racing Championships over the weekend at Davao Crocodile Park’s Speed City. 60 of local racing’s best car drivers from Davao and nearby cities were among those who saw action in the two-day racing spectacle highlighted by a night party after the awarding ceremonies. Host team Ground Image with brothers Elben and Benjie Pang headed the cast of riders along with other familiar faces in the racing scene Gary

Dumbrique and Bash Candao of Classic, Luwer Ricardo and Peter Sia of Driftech Auto Shop, the father and son tandem of JR and Chris Estanislao of SSF Racing and Willie Torres and Vanni Garcia of WAutosports Racing. Unlimited time trials were set Friday while the races were held Sunday. The drag racing circuit has for its leg hosts the participating teams to take turns hosting. The weekend races were the turn of Ground Image which was also among the highlights of the 75th Araw ng Davao. (Neil Bravo) (Editor’s note: Complete results of the race were not yet available as we went to press.)

DRAG RACING took centerstage at the Davao Crocodile Park Speed City with the March 23-24 racing hosted by Ground Image.

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

Home track

EDGEDAVAO

Davao could be the next hot spot for motocross By Neil Bravo

HE flying machines were back in town and it looks like they have found a home.No less than the country’s reigning motocross king Glenn Aguilar and a bunch of 150 topnotch riders took their flying bikes and displayed their riding skills in the Phoenix Petroleum 75th Araw ng Dabaw Motocross event over the weekend at the Moto X Davao race track at the Davao Crocodile Park. With topnotch racing like this, Davao could well be on its way to be the next hot spot for motocross racing. “Our race here is a huge boost to the sport. We expect Davao to be the next hot spot for motocross in the country,” organizer Bok Mata of MXD said. Motocross racing is experiencing a renaissance in Davao not only with the staging of regular races but more importantly, finding a home where riders can practice anytime and races can be held all year round. The race track at the Davao Crocodile Park has served as the home of the local racing circuit including auto racing. “We welcome events like this in this venue. This goes to show that motocross and auto racing has found a home here,” said Sonny Dizon, president of the Davao Crocodile Park. The race track is situ-

You want to EXPORT your products? Is your company READY for export?

HIGH FLYING Motocross action has found a home at the Davao Crocodile Park. The DCP race track hosted the Araw ng Dabaw Motocross sponsored by Phoenix Petroleum where some 150 topnotch riders from all over the country took part. Shown

ated right at the vast space by the entrance of the popular park. Moto X Davao painstakingly developed the track after an agreement with park owners to have a regular venue for local racing. “It’s great to have a venue as accessible and as convenient as this,” Mata said. Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Buboy Fernandez Fernandez, who picked up motocross as as a sport outside his boxing training schedules, also took time out to ride his bike as riders from other parts of the country took part in this biggest motocross event of the year.

here in action is Davao motocross prodigy Bornok Mangosong (below) while two others battle for position in one of the exciting races (above).

The riders came from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and competed in the PeeWee50, PeeWee65, Mini85, XRM, Exclusive, Pantra, Underbone Enduro, Open 4-Stroke Enduro, Executive, Veterans,

Beginners, Novice, Intermediate, Expert and the Pro-Open. The Manila delegation was spearheaded by Sel-J Sports owner Jay Lacnit, a prominent motocross organizer and TV promoter.

A strong business plan will proof your export-readiness! We have more than 30 years’ experience in business analysis and provide excellent and successful business plans at very affordable rates. Contact Raf Vlummens at 092 0675 2754 or trv. davao@gmail.com trv business consultancy SME Center - Chamber building JP Laurel Ave., Davao City

ALTERRA. The new Isuzu Alterra Urban Cruiser, photographed here at the grounds of the Tagum City Hall project, features a new sporty front and rear chins. It comes in 4x4 and 4x2 mod-

els and automatic or manual transmission variants. It is powered by 4JJ1TC ITEQ Commonrail Direct Injection Diesel with Turbo Intercooler Euro 3.

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

Samsung’s first digital imaging brand shop in the world opens

AMSUNG Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) together with i-Click Digishop Corporation recently opened the very first Digital Imaging Brand Shop in the world in SM Davao. Jiho Ha, (business unit adviser for audio-visual group) along with Nelson Perez (sales head for digital imaging) and Jeffrey Ong (owner of iClick Digishop Business Corporation) led the ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially open the store. The concept shop, located at the 2nd floor of SM Davao’s new wing, will showcase the complete line-up of Samsung’s digital imaging products from compact cameras to camcorders as well the NX Series – Samsung’s mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras – which gives DSLRs a run for their money. One of the highlights of the event was the introduction

of the Samsung SMART CAMERA line-up which includes the WB150F, a high zoom performer, and the DV300F, the latest addition to their successful 2View cameras. The Samsung SMART CAMERA line-up features Wi-Fi connectivity which enables users to instantly upload, share and store photos wirelessly. Packed with unique features, the Samsung WB150F - a Wi-Fi enabled long zoom camera - lets you capture incredibly detailed photos through its impressive 18x Optical super zoom Schneider Kreuznach lens. And in order to capture any detail at its best, the WB150F sports an outstanding 14.2MP resolution that you can view on its 3.0” LCD display. Users can also explore and hone their photographic skills by enabling the Full Manual Control feature or get creative using its fun features like Live Pan-

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

OPENING. Samsung executives Jiho Ha, business unit adviser for audio-visual group, Nelson Perez, sales head for digital marketing, and Jeffrey Ong, owner of iClick Digishop cut the

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13,259-12 -versusANASTACIO E. ARBIZO Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation against the mortgagor ANASTACIO E. ARBIZO married to Liberty A. Arbizo with postal address at Juliville Subd.II Lot 14, Blk. Pcs-112402-001466 Tigatto, Buhangin Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 29, 2012 amounted to Php 627,791.21 Philippine Currency, plus other legal expenses incident to foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of Regional Trial Court, Davao City; the undersigned will sell at public auction on April 12, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland ,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-181844 “ A parcel of land xxx (Lot 14, xxx Pcs-112402-001466 xxx) situated in the Barangay of Tigatto, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao xxx. Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less xxx.” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date. That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 10, 2012 without further notice. Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon , if any there be. Davao City, Philippines, March 7, 2012. FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) JAY C. ESPERANZA Sheriff IV

AYAN Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño has proposed a government takeover of privatized power barges in Mindanao as an immediate step to address the reported power crisis in the island. “It appears that there is enough power supply in Mindanao. The problem is that it is too expensive, so power distributors are not buying for fear of going bankrupt,” the lawmaker said in a statement Thursday. He linked the “dramatic

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City

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

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

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13,274-12

-versusSPS. MARLON B. SALJAY AND CECIL R. SALJAY Represented by JANET R. TENORIO Mortgagors x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee against Sps. Marlon B. Saljay and Cecil R. Saljay,represented by Janet R. Tenorio with postal address at 563 Osmeña St. Poblacion 3 Pigcawayan 9412 Cotabato North and Lot 16 Blk. 8, Pcs-11-004638, La Vista Monte, Phase 2, Matina Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 06, 2012 the total outstanding obligation/indebtedness of the mortgagors in favor of the mortgagee has amounted to Philippines Pesos: THREE MILLION NINE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY NINE AND 56/100 (Php 3, 929,259.56), inclusive of interest, penalties and other charges, plus other legal expenses incident of the foreclosure and sale the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on April 19, 2012 at 10: A. M.; or soon thereafter , at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder for CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon, to wit; TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-453570 “ A parcel of land xxx( Lot 16, Block 8 , Pcs-11-004638), xxx situated in the Barangay of Matina-Pangi, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of TWO HUNDRED FORTY (240) SQUARE METERS, more or less.” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date. In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 17, 2012 without further notice. Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the herein-above described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be. Davao City, Philippines, March 14, 2012 FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROV’L SHERIFF: (Sgd) JULITO J. ANGGOT SHERIFF IV NOTED BY:

ceremonial ribbon during the store’s opening at The Annex of SM City Davao.

Gov’t urged to take over power barges

BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC. (now known as BDO UNIBANK, INC.) Mortgagee

NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION (NHMFC) Mortgagee,

Noted by:

orama, Picture-in-Picture and Split Shot. Coming from the 2View range is the Samsung DV300F which has Dual LCD technology that enables users to effortlessly take the most challenging self shot. Capturing subjects in detail even at a distance will no longer be a problem with the DV300F’s exceptional 16 Megapixels, 5x Optical zoom and 25mm wide-angle lens. Aside from its cutting edge imaging features, the DV300F also has fun and unique features to play around with such as Magic Frame, SplitShot, Motion Photo and Artistic Brush. With Samsung’s innovative SMART WiFi technology, sharing photos is now quicker and easier than ever. The Samsung WB150F retails at Php 11,990 while the Samsung DV300F retails at Php 9,990. Shoot Wow Share Now!

ATTY: EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court & Ex- Officio Provincial sheriff

Copy furnished: THE MORTGAGEE : BANCO DE ORO UNIVERSAL BANK. THE MORTGAGORS:SPS. MARLON B. SALJAY AND CECIL R. SALJAY, Represented by JANET R. TENORIO THE PUBLISHER: EDGE DAVAO POSTING : 3 Conspicous places 3/26,4/2,9

increase” in power rates to the privatization of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation or PSALM which then entered into an Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement or ASPA with Therma Marine Inc. involving two privatized power barges, Power Barges 117 and 118. Under the ASPA, Therma Marine would sell additional power to the Mindanao grid at a more expensive rate than when the power barges were still being used as baseload plants. “Using the ASPA, the NGCP obtained a provisional authority for new power rates which is the cause of the exorbitant power rates today,” Casiño said. “Thus, a logical solution is for the government to take over the power barges of Therma Marine and add it to the grid as cheap base load power instead of expensive ancillary power,” he said. “Temporarily taking over the power barges will lower prices allowing power distributors to buy cheaper power and supply it to customers. Based on Article XII Section 17 of the Constitution, the government can temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately-owned public utility or business affected with public interest, if there is a national emergency, when the public interest so requires,” he added. Casiño also urged the government to immediately rehabilitate the hydropower plants in Mindanao and tap solar power systems and other renewable energy sources to augment existing supply. He said harnessing solar power and providing incentives for its massive use would significantly reduce the country’s dependence

Quips

on oil companies and lower electricity rates in the medium term. “Power crises then like in Mindanao would be a thing of the past,” he said. Casiño has filed House Bill 5405 or the proposed One Million Solar Roofs Act which provides for incentives and financing facilities to encourage the use of solar energy by ordinary electricity consumers like residences, offices and small to medium business establishments. Mindanao’s power demand is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.56 percent from 2011 to 2030. Demand is projected to exceed existing generation capacity by 2014 unless additional power generation capacity is installed. Electric power distributors in Mindanao have imposed power curtailment citing the shortage reportedly being experienced by the Mindanao power grid, a deficiency that NGCP attributed to lower water levels in Lake Lanao. But the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) earlier said the rotating daily power outages in the island “should not be that worse because there is an untapped 65 megawatts from state-owned hydropower plants.” Sec. Luwalhati Antonino, MinDA chair, said Napocor’s Agus 2 and Pulangi hydropower plants have a combined untapped capacity of 65MW or more that could sustain demand within a few yours during peak loads. She said Agus has an installed capacity of 180 MW but only 90 MW is being transmitted to the Mindanao grid while Pulangi has an installed capacity of 255 MW but only 180-200 MW is being dispatched. [H. MARCOS C. MORDENO/MINDANEWS]

‘THE Philippines is the most underrated country in the world,’

--Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who said the Philippines expects an upgrade very soon from credit ratings companies.

12 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT WORLD TODAY Serving a Seamless society

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Davao

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Expert urges water-efficient agriculture amid shortages T

HE world’s water resources are being depleted at an alarmingly fast rate and world leaders must do more to preserve water through improved water efficiency in agriculture, an expert with a leading environmental group has urged. “What we are seeing is a trend of increasing depletion of the world’s water resources and the scarcity of water is increasingly becoming an issue of national security for many countries,” said Brian Richter, director of the Nature Conservancy’s Global Freshwater Program. It’s increasingly urgent that governments across the world step up measures to help reduce that rate, particularly by making the world’s production of food crops more waterefficient, he said. As nations across the globe prepare to celebrate

the 2012 World Water Day, the Washington-based Nature Conservancy, a leading international conservation organization, released a report showing that 2.7 billion people across the world are affected by water shortages on a regular basis. The eye-opening report, of which Richter is one of the authors, also shows that it is getting very difficult to meet water needs in more than half of the river basins in the world. This Thursday, March 22, is World Water Day, an event established by the United Nations in 1993 to highlight the challenges associated with this precious resource. Each year has a theme and this year’s is “Water and Food Security: The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry.” Food production is the place to start in order to solve the water problem, because as much as

92 percent of the water depletion in the world, according to the study, is linked to the increasing pressure on farmers to produce crops in areas with limited rainfall. “In the study we found that 92 percent of the water depletion globally is tied to agriculture and agriculture is by far the most dominant use of water that leads to the depletion of the world’s water from rivers, lakes and ground water,” said Richter. “We don’t want to make farmers the villains here because we need the food they produce, but we have to help farmers produce more and produce more efficiently with less water,” he said. The most pressing need is to help farmers switch traditional agricultural practices into using state-of-the-science irrigation methods and improve the productivity

of rain-fed farms as soon as possible, said Richter. The expert added that while long-term efforts must be placed on helping the world’s farmers to grow both rain-fed and irrigated food crops much more efficiently, in mega-cities like Mexico City, which is home to some 20 million people, a quick improvement can be made by repairing the leaks of pipes transporting water to the city. “A very high percentage of the water taken from rivers and lakes and brought into the cities actually is lost on the way because of leaks on the pipes used to transport the water. Between 10 and 30 percent of all this water is lost during the transportation and Mexico City is on the high end of that,” he said, placing the water loss of the Mexican capital at between 30 and 40 percent. [PNA/XINHUA]

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

Agusan Marsh

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

Ensuring access to water vital: UN

NSURING universal access to water and using it wisely in agriculture is essential to end famine, drought and political instability, UN officials said on Thursday, adding that countries must strive to provide this vital resource to all their citizens to achieve a sustainable future. “Over the coming decades, feeding a growing global population and ensuring food and nutrition security for all will depend on increasing food production. This, in turn, means ensuring the sustainable use of our most critical finite resource -- water,” said UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in his message

marking World Water Day, which falls on Thursday this year. The theme of this year’s observance is water and food security. Currently, nearly one billion people suffer from hunger and some 800 million still lack a safe supply of freshwater. In his message, the secretary-general emphasized that guaranteeing food and water for all will require countries’ full engagement. “It will require policies that promote water rights for all, stronger regulatory capacity and gender equality,” Ban said. “ Investments in water infrastructure, rural development and water resource management will be essential.” [PNA/XINHUA]

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with a fine not to exceed P50,000 and/or issue to them a Cease And Desist Order (CDO). The Kinaiyahan Amumahon Panggaon ug Protektahan, Inc. (KAPPI) reported that barangays Tungkalan, Tawantawan, and Lacson have plantations and yet there are no buffer zones implemented. A paralegal group of farmers and lumads from the third district of Davao City which has taken up the advocacy of buffer zone implementation for the district’s remaining forest and water resources, the KAPPI is currently campaigning in those LGUs through their Barangay Watershed Management Councils. “Naa na man ni sa ilahang ECC pero wala gihapon nila giimplement. Naa silay gitanom sa riverbanks pero dili mga kahoy ug wala nakafollow sa requirement nga 40 meters distance gikan sa plantation,” Mael Paranial of Interface Development Interventions said. Tawantawan clarified that an ECC indicates all the conditions required from the proponent of a business or plantation. “Daghan ni siya mitigating measures, daghan kaayong gibawal didto ug giingon pud didto nga dili

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siya makapadayon kung dili siya makakuhag permit and approval sa lain laing ahensiya,” she said. Tawantawan personally talks to owners of establishments who applied for ECC to explain the conditions herself. “Gusto nako ipasapuso sa iyaha nga ibutang sa iyang kasing kasing ipasabot sa iyaha unsa iyahang mga responsibility ug accountability sa pagpatindog niya og ingon ani nga negosyo kung magpatindog siya og plantation,” she said. The Watershed Code of Davao City requires that a buffer zone of about 40 meters wide must be established between plantations and critical areas such as recharge zones, riverbanks, rivers, springs, wells and other sources of water. The Natural Resources Conservation Services of the US Department of Agriculture also referred buffer zone as “conservation area”, which is “an area or strip of land maintained in permanent vegetation that can be used in a systems approach to manage soil, water, nutrients, and persticides for sustainable agricultural production, while minimizing environmental impact.”

these two companies reported their production volume to the MGB,” Lim yesterday said at Kapihan sa PIA media forum. “Based on data from the MGB, 836.45 kilograms of gold and 4,524.50 kilograms of silver were produced. This amounts to P1.8 billion for gold, while the silver produced amounted to P4.17 million,” Lim said as NEDA 11 reported the 2011 Davao Region socio-economic performance and 2012 development outlook. Lim also said that 2011 was a good year for the mining industry as the value of precious minerals increased. “I would like to highlight that the value of gold and silver produced was boosted by corresponding increases in the processing of gold and silver in 2011 by as much as 36 percent and 85 percent, respectively. Gold values at P2,417.48 per gram and P54.02 per gram for silver,” Lim said. Lim added that the volume of other minerals by the region also increased. “Other minerals such as chromite and cop-

per produced increased considerably. Chromite production, for instance, increased by as much as 43.5 percent,” Lim said. Top export Gold ranked 5th among the region’s top export commodities in 2011, Lim said. “Gold, in semi-manufactured form, including gold-plated with platinum maintained its rank as a top export earner and grew remarkably by 56 percent over its 2010 level,” she said. Lim said bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried ranked first among the city’s exported commodities, while on second place is coconut (copra), palm kernel (crude or refined). Coconuts, brazil nuts and cashew nuts placed third, while on fourth place are commodities of dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes, and mangosteen (fresh or dried). Profitable Lim said the mining industry is ‘profitable’ and that it ‘contributes to the growth of the region.’ “Whether it’s smallscale mining or big-scale ventures, masasabi natin na mining is profitable,” Lim said. The NEDA regional director acknowledged that the industry is ‘riddled with controversies’ such as laborers’ safety hazards and environmental consequences. “Despite the risks involved, even though they

have to go through tunnels you could see that they’re still there. They still go back to work in the mines, these small scale miners. And I understand that there’ve also been small-scale mining protesters saying they should be absorbed as miners into big scale mining companies,” Lim said. “However, we also recognize that the local government, specifically Compostella Valley, their attention has been called for them to provide more safety measures for these small scale miners,” she added. Lim said as the mining industry ‘generates jobs and profit’ it also contributes to the Davao region’s economic growth. “The mining industry is an emerging growth driver for the region with an estimated 189 million metric tons of gold deposits, most of which are in Compostela Valley,” Lim said, based on the Davao Region Development Plan (RDP) of 2011 to 2016. “There are also 490.7 million metric tons of nickel deposits mostly found in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley,” Lim added. 5 percent growth for 2012 Lim emphasized that NEDA is for ‘responsible mining’ and that the national government is set to increase the mining industry’s growth by 5%

this year. “The government is for responsible mining. The mining industry was identified as one of the region’s eleven priority industries under the Industry Clustering Strategy in 2007 and was sustained under the RDP of 2011 to 2016,” Lim said. Lim said a mining industry cluster team was created which is composed primarily of the members of the Mindanao Federal Small Scale Miners with the staff of MGB 11, and the Department of Trade and Industry 11 as members of the technical working group. “Under the current RDP, the growth target for the mining sector for 2012 is set at 5% increase in gross value added,” she said. “The potential of the mining industry is vast and it is fortunate that the present administration is trying to create policies to facilitate the development of the mining industry while at the same time preserving the integrity of the environment,” Lim added. A new policy for the mining sector is underway, Lim said, which is geared towards ensuring equitable sharing of mining revenues, greater value-added in mining operations, ensuring the integrity of the environment, total economic valuation, transparency, and enlightened and effective stakeholder engagement.

represents how well we fared in heeding the noble terms enshrined in the Social Contract, which we all together signed when we elected President Benigno Simeon Aquino III,” he said. Del Rosario cited the landmark legislations of the province as among the major drivers for the local government to take off in administrative governance. These legislations included the Provincial Reorganization Ordinance, Provincial Tax Ordinance, and Revised Revenue Code. At present, the province’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is also work-

ing on the proposed ordinance establishing the Davao del Norte Learning Institute that is expected to streamline and rationalize the trainings for government employees, officials, and barangay functionaries. The high rating of the provincial government on social governance, Del Rosario said, was brought about by the “proper use of the Special Education Fund”, adding that on economic governance, the province had once again proven its responsiveness to the economic needs of the people.[PNA]

Gov. Del Rosario highlights accomplishments in SOPA

AVAO del Norte Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario highlighted his administration’s accomplishments in his fifth State of the Province Address delivered recently at the provicial capitol. Attended by local officials and other partners from the government and private sector, Del Rosario said the province was able to achieve a balanced performance last year. He added that this balanced performance--administrative governance, economic governance, social governance, and values of good governance--made the provincial government enjoy an over-all rating of High by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), based on the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS). “This rating affirms the correctness of our chosen path. This rating

Quips

‘BECAUSE of this, we are seriously considering to enact a law on profit-sharing, and this is what the employers don’t want because their books would be opened because it would be the basis for profit-sharing. --Rep. Emil Ong (Northern Samar)

14 WEEKEND SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Ralph Lauren’s Olympic kit Ralph Lauren

SPORTS FEATURE

TEAM USA by Nike

OLYMPIC FASHION Team GB kit for London 2012 Olympics designed by Stella McCartney and Adidas launched

Union flag redrawn in two shades of blue will be the centrepiece of the British team’s official Olympic kit this summer after Stella McCartney largely jettisoned red from her designs for the Team GB uniforms. The absence of the colour from McCartney’s

interpretation of the Union flag drew significant comment at the kit unveiling at the Tower of London, with the designer saying she had tried to reinterpret the flag. Red features as trimming on many of the 590 individual articles of kit that have been created for Team GB by Adidas,

FOLYMPIC, 16

TEAM GB

ALPH Lauren will design uniforms for nearly 800 members of the U.S. Olympic team when they go to London for the summer games this July. This will be the third time the king of American coolhas created a line for the athletes– he did it for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, and for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The work is part of a 2009 agreement between Polo Ralph Lauren and the United States Olympic Committee to supply clothes foreachofthethreegames.Polo is reportedly paying 10-percent royalties to the USOC on sales of any items featuring the Olympic seal. Lauren’s sportswear has hung on America’s elite since 2005 when the brand became the apparel sponsor of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. In 2006, Polo won a deal to dress officials at Wimbledon. The looks for the London Olympics are fitting: vintageinspired polos, pants and sweaters on a red, white and blue color palette (above). The

line includes jackets, glasses, luggage, shoes, hats, belts and beach towels, all of which go on sale online and in stores May 15. Separate opening ceremony parade outfits will not be unveiled until July. (As a side note, Stella McCartney will be designing the clothes for Great Britain’s Olympians. Another fitting match.) In Canada Lauren gave the parade uniforms a sporty-prep take, using cotton fleece pants, a navy and red down jacket, a cable turtleneck and a wool hat adorned with the American flag (the hat in particular sold like gangbusters online). The overall look was a nod to the Lake Placid Games of 1932. In Beijing the parade attire was more classic, with a sharp navy blazer, crisp white pants and scarf ascots for the women with red-striped ties for the men. White golf caps topped off the effect. It all came out smooth and elegant, which is no small feat for a designer who has to dress everyone from 7-foot-tall basketball players to 98-pound gymnasts, and everyone in between.

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EDGEDAVAO

STYLE

Precious little things

When dolls create a bejeweled wonderland

have always been a fan of collaborations that create beautiful results. These collaborations may be done in anything and everything, be it in music, arts, science, and even architecture. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I see Mindanao stylist, Otoy Mercado’s prized Pulip dolls in the showcases of Emilia’s Jewelry Collection at the Abreeza Mall.

On display as a collaboration between jeweler and stylist. The displays naturally grab people’s attention as the dolls lend a playful yet enchanting vibe and visually enhances the many fabulous jewelry pieces of Emilia’s Sonia et Sophie collection which are unique, bright, and vibrant. I actually felt the settings of the dolls as so surreal, surreal in the sense that if you were to imagine yourself sized the way a typical doll is and then imagine how big and larger than life the diamonds,

emeralds, and rubies around you are! The pieces of the Sonia et Sophie collection comprises of various jewelry pieces with various semi-precious colored stones. The collection also has necklaces and bracelets enhanced with countless cameos and of course beautiful and sparkling diamonds. The collection also features various cuffs made of colored stingray leather set with gold or silver accents. My personal favorite is the woven, multi-colored, multileather cuff done in vivid hues of red and purple. The multi-cameo pearl necklace also never fails to catch my eye and truly stands out with its unique bohemian look but yet retains an air of playfulness and whimsy, which is what the entire Sonia et Sophie collection ultimately is about. You can still catch a glimpse of the Sonia et Sophie collection along with these beautiful Pulip dolls at Emilia’s Jewelry Collection located at the second floor of Abreeza Mall.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 16 • MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

EVENTS Lynette Lopez, mall manager “I will be more environmentfriendly.”

I dare you!

Marga Rey, publicist “I will say no to plastic bags if you will say no to plastic bags, also.”

Leah del Castro, blogger “I will join a tree-planting activity, and plant at least five trees, if my friends will ride public transport and limit their travels.”

Earth Hour 2012 Maia Melencio, WWF “I will use the stairs for one month if 5,000 Facebook users like the WWF fan page.”

Jesse Pizarro Boga, media “I will play as Street Fighter if my friends use shopping bags as their bags for a day.”

Naprey Almario, Pinoy Big Brother ex-housemate “I will go scuba diving if my 6,000 Twitter followers will turn off their lights on Earth Hour”

T’S not the kind of power outage that irks you or one that comes unannounced. Its not even a power outage to begin with, but rather a movement to remind our leaders, neighbors, friends, and ourselves, that time is running out in this fight against a monster we all know as climate change. Earth Hour, the annual global movement to switch off lights for an hour every March 31st, has been on going in the Philippines for the past five years. And to amp things up this year, World Wide Fund (WWF) came up with the “I will, if you will” campaign. Aside from being more interactive, it also shows the many things, small or big, that an ordinary Filipino can do to help lessen the carbon footprint of humans, which is the culprit behind the expeditious change in climate patterns. The campaign has taken hold and ‘I Will If You Will’ pledges are now snowballing across cyberspace. WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Marc Nelson has pledged to swim with sharks - in a Panda costume - and plant trees underwater while munching on a carrot, if 5000 of his Twitter followers pledge to avoid plastic and reuse shopping bags. WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Rovilson Fernandez, for his part, has pledged to run races clad in a Panda cos-

tume until April if 5000 of WWF-Philippines’ 23,000 fans opt to use stairs over elevators for a full month. Cynthia Dayco, a mother and WWF-Philippines Facebook fan, has promised to let her son Josh play Minecraft an hour longer over the summer break if Josh remembers to turn off the lights and fan whenever he leaves his room. Lyjenunt Gonowon, another WWF-Philippines fan, has pledged to recycle if her friends promise to switch to energy-efficient CFL bulbs. So, while waiting for Earth Hour 2012, which is set for 8:30pm on Saturday, 31 March, whether you’re on planet Earth - or orbiting it, let’s hear what some of our friends here in Davao are committing to help save the planet.

Carlo Mallo, writer “I will stop flirting for 1 week if all malls in Davao will stop using plastic bags for 1 month.”

Gregg Yan, WWF “I pledge to do a front flip while wearing a barong tagalog if 500 people promise to plant native trees in their backyards.” Apol Legario, publicist “I will commute for 1 week if all of my friends will start segregating their wastes properly.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

What was the cause of Whitney Houston’ s death? E! Online reports cocaine was involved.

WHITNEY Houston drowned on Feb. 11, having ingested cocaine recently enough to have it be a contributing factor in her death.

But what does that mean? Did she overdose? Hit her head? Simply fall asleep? Did years of cocaine use cause the heart disease that was also detected during autopsy? How exactly did Houston, who was only 48, die in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton? Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter, who determined cause of death to be accidental drowning combined with cocaine use and atherosclerotic heart disease, tells E! News that his team actually has not been able to pinpoint exactly how Houston died as far as sequence of events—but there are some likely possibilities. “It means she could have passed out and drowned,” Winter says. “Also, continued use of drugs resulted in heart disease, and that could have led to a heart attack.” “At this time,” he adds, “I don’t know how bad her heart was. That will be in the final report. We know she drowned, she had heart disease, and the cocaine was considered a contributing cause to her death.” They will be reexamining Houston’s heart for other indicators of deterioration in the coming days. As for the traces of pills found in her system, chief coroner investigator Craig Harvey told reporters during a press conference that it was “clear Houston was taking Xanax, but the levels were such they were a therapeutic level...normal for someone following the rules of a prescribed medication.” “The Benadryl may have created a combined effect,” Harvey said, “but the toxicology said all levels were therapeutic or sub-therapeutic and not contributory to her death.” They found a “moderate” amount of cocaine—an “acute dose, not too much before she collapsed,” he said,

As for the cocaine, Baron said, if she ingested a “large amount...she could have easily had a cardiac event like a heart attack and an irregular heartbeat. but noted that there was evidence of “chronic usage.” “Drug use creates problems,” Harvey explained. “If you have one condition and you’re using cocaine, you’ll exacerbate it. It causes the heart to beat faster, the arteries to constrict, which can create a problem and set you up for a cardiac event.” “It exacerbates heat disease,” he said. “Probably in the long run, [all of the substances] didn’t help.” The coroner’s office said earlier today that the final report should be available for release within two weeks. Meanwhile, at least one medical expert doesn’t buy the notion that the marijuana, Xanax and other sedatives found in her system were not considered contributing factors in Houston’s death. “I don’t know how you can

say that a bunch of sedating drugs, even in small amounts, couldn’t contribute to somebody either passing out or becoming sedated to the point where you wouldn’t necessarily struggle to recover the way most people would,” Dr. David Baron, chief of staff at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Ortopaedic Hospital, tells E! News. “If we were falling asleep and slipped under the water, our emergency systems in our brain would wake us up,” Baron said. “When people are sedated, the brain doesn’t have the normal alarm systems working properly to make you struggle and fight for life. So I really don’t get why [the coroner’s office] said they were not contributing causes; I don’t know how they can know that unless they were in such minute

amounts.” Which is a possibility—the official report hasn’t been released yet. As for the cocaine, Baron said, if she ingested a “large amount...she could have easily had a cardiac event like a heart attack and an irregular heartbeat. There is no way after someone dies to know if they had an arrhythmia, they are always the mystery of sudden death where you weren’t there to witness it.” “We are probably never going to know the exact sequence of events that took place,” Baron concluded. “But the question about whether the drug use caused her to drown or not I think is unquestionable. It either compromised her heart, made it weak, caused an arrhythmia and resulted in blood vessels constricting.”

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WEEKEND SPORTS

BEANPOLE. Ian Sangalang of Phoenix Vega uses his left for a short stab in this bit of action against Goldstar Hardware. Sangalang and teammate Calvin Abueva stayed for the rest of the Araw ng Dabaw Invitational Tournament despite commitment with

their NLEX mother ballclub in the PBA D League. The duo led the Stags in the finals against Montana Pawnshop. [BOY LIM]

UNNING enthusiasts will be treated to another major footrace this summer with the staging of the Castrol-Run With The Masters on April 15 at the Davao Crocodile Park. Vantage Sports president Kenneth Sai an-

kids. “We are expecting a huge field for this event, maybe around 1,300 to 2,000 runners. Registration will pick up by the last week,” he said. Registration is open at GMall Adidas outlet. Registration fee will

Run with the Masters at Croc Park R nounced the staging of the multi-division footrace to be held at an out and back course starting and ending at the DCP. Sai bared that the categories are the premier 21-kilometer halfmarathon, 15K, 10K, 5K and the 500-meter for

OLYMPIC FASHION:

And now, the fashion set for the Games Makers (Volunteers) I ’M a Games Maker, what uniform will I receive? Each Games Maker will receive a jacket, polo shirt, trousers, trainers, socks, cap, bag, water bottle and an umbrella. When will I get my uniform? Games Makers will start picking up their uniforms from April 2012. Technical Officials will pick up their uniforms from June 2012. Telegraph fashion editor Belinda White gives her view on the volunteer uniform “Hi, can you tell me where I can find the tomato puree please?” No, because contrary to appearance I don’t stack shelves in a supermarket. I am in fact a volunteer ‘Games Maker’, here to help make your Olympic experience run smoothly. Don’t be alarmed by the offensively clashing colours I wear. They have (according to LOCOG) been inspired by “the heritage and culture of the UK, with influences ranging from the Grenadier Guards uniform to Henley Regatta fashions”. We’re pretty sure we don’t recall seeing any of these colours in a Farrow & Ball swatch book, but their retina-searing qualities should certainly help our heroes stand out in a

Volunteers

Torchbearers

crowd. And if that was the extent of the design brief then who are we to argue? And on the Technical Official uniform... There’s a reason why the Wimbledon officials look so smart — they are dressed to perfection by Ralph Lauren. Sadly it seems LOCOG blew its budget on Stella McCartney’s Team GB kit, so high street stalwarts Next were called to the table – with a helping hand from Adidas for the lei-

surewear. The end result is a gaudy fashion car crash which will, at best, make the poor creatures (and they better be no bigger than a size six if they want to pull off these shapeless beige trousers) look like they are Boris Bike mechanics who moonlight on the deli counter at Morrisons; at worst like they got dressed in the dark in the early Stock Aitken Waterman era in the 90s. The crowning glory is the tacky logo.

be P550 for the 21K, P500 for the 15K, P350 for the 10K and 5K and P250 for the 500m. All registration comes with the free race singlet, bib, and finisher’s kit. The run is sponsored by Castrol and organized by Vantage Sports. [NJB]

Bad officiating

watched from the sidelines in one of the games of the Araw ng Dabaw Invitational Basketball Tournament and I silently cursed the way the officiating was handled and the way some of our basketball players are behaving on court. I hate to say this but whenever one starts to hurt intentionally, that is only showing one’s inferiority in skills. Players react to being outplayed by resorting to dirty tactics. Some to the point of intentionally hurting. This is true not only to local players but even to ex-professional basketball players. Take Jerry Codinera for example. He is a longretired player albeit not wanting in skills but obviously a step slower. Jerry uniformed himself in the tournament for a dual role as coach-player. Jerry could have preserved his legend had he stayed on the bench mapping the strategy for the University of the East-Royal Mandaya Hotel Warriors. Instead, he played at the same time. How in heaven can Jerry outrun, outjump and outplay the younger ones? Pray tell me. No

way is he going to be on top of his game.

And then came the unimaginable. Jerry had to do some dirty things on the floor which hurt some players including one player from PhoenixVega. And there were some of the local players from Montana Pawnshop who, outsmarted and outplayed, had to throw elbows during the break. The refs? They must have been Noynoying. Or plain blind. I have not been in a basketball tournament here for sometime but the things that I saw that night only tell me nothing has changed. You can have a modern gym but if you have refs like that, it’s like playing in barbaric times.

SPORTS Olympic...

FFROM 14

and some socks and shoes are all-red, but the predominate colours are several shades of blue and white. The red in the Union flag represents the cross of St George, for England, and the cross of St Patrick, for Ireland, and its absence drew a mixed response on social networking sites. Among those unimpressed was double Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins, who tweeted: “Oh dear — the Olympic kit” shortly after its launch. Wiggins, who was sponsored by Adidas until last year, later deleted the comment. McCartney, retained as Adidas creative director, said she had tried to give the flag a contem-

porary twist. “The first place to start on a project like this is to look at the Union flag. For me it is one of the most beautiful flags in the world and it is important for me to stay true to that iconic design but also to modernise it and present it in a contemporary way,” she said. “Ultimately, we wanted the athletes to feel like a team and to be proud with the identity we created.” Among Adidas athletes attending the launch however there was enthusiastic support for the kit, which has been two years in development and has featured input from potential medal hopes, including Phillips Idowu.

Koronadal

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

VOL.5 ISSUE 16• MARCH 25 - 26, 2012

Jessica Ennis, who was consulted by McCartney, said she was excited to try on the kit in which she hopes she will win Olympic gold and she defended the sparing use of red. “I think its nice, its got subtle bits [of red], the colour stands out more when you have little bits of red,” she said. “Having the launch of the kit with Stella involved has been a totally unique experience, it really feels like the Games are upon us. “Stella was really keen to know how you like your kit to fit. Because there are so many sports, she wanted to know how you feel it helps you perform. So I spoke to her about length of leggings and the cut of shorts and things. “I remember my first Team GB kit was really multi-coloured down the side, but over the years it has just got better and better. It is really exciting to wear it, it’s all clean cut, it’s just gorgeous. It’s much better than the previous ones.” Ennis said she would not be taking any of the kit home with her for fear of inviting bad luck. “I think it’s not a great position to be in, taking it away with you now. I think you should wait until you are safely selected for the team before you collect your kit,” she said. Triathlete Alistair Brownlee, one of Britain’s strongest gold medal hopes, believes the strip is perfect for his sport. “The material’s fantastic, it’s fast in the water but dries quickly,” he said. “It fits very well because you don’t want it baggy in the water or too tight for the cycling and

EDGEDAVAO

Suzuki reinforces brand with 6cyclemind, Ramon Bautista as new ambassadors

APANESE compact car and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Philippines Inc (SPH) is beefing up its roster of already noteworthy brand ambassadors after a strong and eventful 2011. SPH is now introducing OPM band 6CycleMind and comedian Ramon Bautista as its newest motorcycle brand ambassadors. Mr. Satoshi Uchida, SPH president said, “we are proud to introduce our

latest brand ambassadors because they are fun, active and sporty, which very much represents what Suzuki motorcycles are. We are very excited to see more of our new ambassadors to promote Suzuki this year”. 6CycleMind performed to a jam-packed audience last year in the Automoto Grand Invasion while Ramon Bautista was the host and the endorser during the GD110 Nationwide

launch this January. SPH has noted a substantial increase in the preference of motorcycles in the last four years, which it said can be attributed to soaring oil prices and declining traffic conditions. Its latest campaign “Bakit Hindi Ka Pa Nakamotor? Mag-Suzuki Ka Na!,” not only invites commuters to be riders themselves, but also sends across the practicalities of owning a motorcycle,” Uchida said.

Shown in the photo are the members of 6CycleMind with SPH Managing Director Ms. Catalina Calderon and SPH President Satoshi Uchida

Internet sensation and comedian Ramon Bautista with (L-R) SPH Asst. GM for Motorcycle Eiji Kobayashi, SPH President Satoshi Uchida and SPH Managing Director Catalina Calderon

running. It’s a really good, functional piece of kit.” Adidas will produce 175,000 items of clothing for the 550-strong British team, which will be distributed at the team’s pre-Games preparation camp at Loughborough. Among the items unveiled yesterday was the Team GB football shirt, predominantly blue, which will be worn by a British team taking part in an Olympic finals competition for the first time since 1948. A replica of the shirt, modelled by English players Frazier Campbell and Jack Rodwell, will be available to buy for £50. The away kit, predominantly white, will not be on public sale. As well as the football kit, swimming, cycling, tennis, basketball and track-and-field replica equipment will be on public sale. Idowu, who worked with McCartney on the design, said: “I love what Stella has done with the design. Looking good is psychologically important but my sprint suit is also technically advanced, so not only do I look good but I also have confidence in the technology in the kit.” The kit will be manufactured in Adidas factories in Turkey, Portugal, the Far East and a small amount in the UK.