Edge Davao 5 Issue 174 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

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Peaceful Undas in Davao Region By Anthony S. Allada

27 persons were arrested violating the anti-smoking ordinance

HE OBSERVANCE of All Saints Day here yesterday (Thursday) was peaceful, orderly and with no untoward incident happening, except for some violations of the anti-smoking ordinance. The same situation was observed in other cities and provinces in Davao Region. This was the assessment of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) chief Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa who personally made the rounds of big cemeteries here. Dela Rosa said visitors of cemeteries were cooperative, especially in leaving at police assistance centers prohibited items like bladed weapons, cigarettes and playing cards. “So far, so good. It is very peaceful and orderly,” he told reporters. On the other side of the ledger, so to speak, 27 persons

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PROHIBITED. A man claims his pack of cigarette deposited with the guard before visiting his departed relatives during the traditional All Souls’ Day celebration at the Davao Memorial Park yesterday. Cigarettes, knives and other prohibited items are deposited at the cemetery’s entrance. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

FPEACE, 11

Maguindanao massacre suspect nabbed

NE of the suspects involved in the infamous Maguindanao massacre was arrested by authorities at midnight Thursday in Surallah, South Cotabato. Supt. Joel Limson, deputy provincial director for operations of the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office (SCPPO) identified the suspect as Abedin Alamada, alias kumander Bedi, whose last known

Nearly half of more than 100 suspects have been arrested address was Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. Alamada, who is among the more than 100 suspects in the massacre masterminded by the Ampatuan clan, is under the custody of the SCPPO for proper documentation and tactical interrogation.

Reports showed that a composite team made the arrest by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Jocelyn Reyes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 based in Quezon City for the crime of 56 counts of murder, attempted murder and frustrated murder in connection with

the killing of 56 persons, including 30 media personalities, in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province on November 23, 2009. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through Memorandum Circular Number 2010-53 dated June 29, 2010 authorized a P250,000 reward for Alamada’s capture. Joint elements of SCPPO,

FMAGUINDANAO, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

Gov. Pimentel believes ‘Baktin’ not in Tandag By Anthony S. Allada

URIGAO del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel brushed aside speculation that notorious carnapper Ryan Cain “Baktin” Yap Yu, the subject of an international police manhunt, is hiding in his province. “I would like to emphasize that we are not protecting anybody here. There is no sacred cow here. We have to enforce the law,” Pimentel said, discounting the possibility that Yu has sought refuge with close friends. Yu’s family and parents live in Bagong Lungsod, Tandag City and own the Ultrastar Mall engaged in selling groceries and other items. The governor admitted that he knows about Yu’s family being businessmen in Tandag but he was never close to Baktin who has

been known to rub elbows with politicians and popular personalities. Pimentel Yu was rarely seen in the city because he used to travel a lot to other places like Manila, Cebu, Davao and even abroad. “I heard that he had already fled the country.” Pimentel said he was glad that Yu’s alleged illegal activities were unmasked by policemen following the recovery of a Toyota Innova owned by Sumifru Company two weeks ago that triggered a series of anti-carnapping operations and the arrest of four members of the Baktin group. “I have to commend the provincial police office of Surigao del Sur, Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group 11 and the Davao City Police Office,” he said. [ASA]

Pingoy backtracks, calls off review of SMI study

OUTH Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy on Wednesday said he is no longer pursuing a review of the environmental impact study (EIS) of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) after the German team tapped for its expertise reportedly backed out from the proposal. Pingoy said the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH or German Development Cooperation in Manila decided to back off after drawing flak from environmental groups. “It created a controversy when it came out in

the news, that’s why GIZ called it off,” Pingoy said, adding that the proposal cropped up after his trip to Germany. The review would have answered “all our questions and concerns regarding the Tampakan project,” Rudy Jimenia said in an earlier interview with MindaNews. Jimenia is executive assistant to the governor. Pingoy was also hoping the GIZ study would break the impasse between the influential Catholic Church in the province and SMI. Marbel Bishop Din-

FPINGOY, 11

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Cagas lauds Davao cops for capture of aide’s killer

HE LONG arm of the law is slowly catching up with the killers. This is in effect was the statement of Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Ra. Cagas when asked of his reaction to the capture in Davao City last October 29 of a suspect wanted for the killing of his bodyguard in 2006. The governor lauded Davao City police operatives for the arrest of one Ricky Dizon, 43, while police officers led by Insp. Stephen Abella was conducting patrol in barangay Sasa. According to Sasa police chief, Supt. Royina Garma, Dizon was spotted somewhere at Kilometer 11 at Sasa in the afternoon of October 29 driving a motorcycle without

Villa-Abrille

Partoza retary; Pablo Gonzales Jr., assistant corporate secretary; Paciencio M. Rasalem, Jr., treasurer; Jose Valenzuela Jr., assistant treasurer; Ricardo V. Villegas, auditor; Antonio M. Ajero, public relations officer. Directors

plate number. When frisked, he was found to have no driver’s license, not even an identification card. When the bag he was bringing was searched, an unlicensed caliber .45 pistol was found. After intense grilling, he confessed to be the suspect for which a warrant of arrest had been issued Sept. 10, 2007 by Regional Trial Court Judge Carmelita Sarno-Davin for the killing of Rico Condino, also known as Tisoy, security aide of Governor Cagas. However, Governor Cagas wished that the other suspects in the killing led by retired colonel George Aquisap, former provincial director of the Philippine National Po-

lice, be also captured. Aquisap, who denied participation in the killing when his name first came up in the probe that the National Bureau of Investigation conducted on the killing, disappeared when the case was filed in court. Aquisap is reportedly a relative of the Bautista family, political rivals of Cagas, who said that Aquisap has a house in Malita, Davao del Sur. Davao City Polie Officer chief Ronald dela Rosa told Edge Davao that Dizon will be committed to the Davao del Sur RTC and then the provincial jail not later than Monday. Aside from Aquisap and Dizon, other charged with the killing are Antonio Hilario and Dean Barrera.

The capture of Dizon came days after the third quarter meting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) wherein Governor Cagas stood up and appealed to Regional Police Director Jaime Morente and Philippine Army brigadier general Ariel Bernardo of the 10th infantry division to mount a campaign against the presence of several Partisan Armed Groups (Pags) and gunsfor-hire in his province. Cagas said his province is bristling with long firearms in possession of town mayors and barangay officials. He also asked the lawmen to do something about the crime wave in Digos City and other places of the province. [AMA]

ALMOST EMPTY. Davao City becomes ghost town-like as most motorists, private and public, either went out of town or just stayed home during the commemoration of All Souls’ Day yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Nonoy leads new YMCA officers

AWYER Leoncio “Nonoy” Villa-Abrille will lead the 2013 set of officers of the 41-year-old YMCA (Young Men Christian Association)-Davao. Villa-Abrille, whose civic work and philanthropic activities are known in a number of foundations, the Rotary International, the Ambassador Club International, Philippine Jaycee Senate, was unanimously elected during a joint meeting of outgoing and incoming YMCA Davao members of the board last October 30. He will replace incumbent president gentleman farmer Antonio B. Partoza Jr. who was elected director after heading the chapter for two terms. The other elected officers, also unanimously, are Jose B. Custodio, first vice president; Fernando S. Ongkiko, second VP; Julito N. Pepito, corporate sec-

EDGEDAVAO

are Partoza, Jose B. Lopez, Carlito L. Llavore and Reynaldo Sazon, while youth directors are Evi Devi Lagare and Buddy Mark Salonga. At least five of next year’s officers are former chapter presidents, according to Ms Slyvia Piedad, YMCA Davao secretary general. She said past chapter presidents include now Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon, Peregrino Andres, Vicente Banes Jr., Llavore, Custodio, former Judge Lopez, Alvin Garduque, Efren Veneracion Sr., Nicanor Magno, Martin Suelto, Rodolfo Magnaye, Gregorio Magnaye, Villegas and Alfonso dela Victoria, and Peregrino Andres among many others. The induction of new officers is set on January 20, 2013 at the Apo View Hotel.

Almario wins second Nat’l Kabalikat Award

AVAO Oriental Second Congressional District Representative Thelma Z. Almario bags her second National Kabalikat Award as she topped 17 contenders from across the country in the Local Legislative Category of the 2012 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) National Awarding Ceremony held at TESDA Central Office, Taguig City. As a fitting occasion for TESDA Region 11, the national award was presented to Almario during the regional office’s 18th Anniversary Celebration held at the Regional Training Center-Korea Philippines Vocational Training Center (RTC-KPVTC) in Buhisan, Tibungco, Davao City last September 27, 2012. TESDA Central Office, headed by Director General Joel J. Villanueva,

conferred the said award to Almario last August 24, 2012, for being an outstanding local legislative partner of the said agency and for initiating remarkable programs in the promotion and development of technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in the Province of Davao Oriental. Almario has always been dedicated to making quality education as accessible as possible to all, and is known to be a strong advocate of technical-vocational education. With regard to the techvoc programs in line with the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, she said during her speech that she will be pushing for these programs to be retained under TESDA. In its executive summary, TESDA Davao Oriental Provincial Office revealed

that for 2007 to 2011 alone, the 2nd Congressional District Office has already invested around P52M from Congresswoman Almario’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the implementation of technical education and skills development (TESD) activities via the Comprehensive Livelihood Skills Development Program (CLSDP). The said program aims to provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to the marginalized and disadvantaged sector of the said district. Almario added in her speech that in order to make sure the technical skills and knowledge of those who availed of the TESD programs would be utilized and further developed, she would create “more Training Cum Production projects that

FALMARIO, 11

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

SUBURBIA 3

Dolfo urge DavNor entreps to push products, tourism

JUSTICE NOT SERVED. Unsolved. Twelve out of 32 media workers slain in the November 23, 2009 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, were buried in a block at the Forest Lake Memorial Park in General Santos City. A total of 58 persons were massacred. The principal suspects are behind bars but the

cases have not been resolved. President Aquino in a statement on the first anniversary said “we will not rest until justice has been served.” [MINDANEws/ BONG s. sARMIENtO]

AVAO del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario is encouraging entrepreneurs in the province to take advantage of tourism growth in the region by pushing their products to the market. “There are up to ten flights in Davao City everyday so you can just imagine the number of people arriving in the city on a regular basis,” del Rosario said. Most of these people , he said, won’t stay in Davao City all the time so we have to develop our tourism and be ready when they come. He said it is so easy to proceed to Tagum City and the rest of Davao del Norte province because of the good road connection from Davao. However, he said, the entrepreneurs from the province should be ready with their products when the tourists come. “Even if they come here but we do not have any product to show them then their visit would be useless,” he said. He

stressed the importance of the Pasalubong Center located at the Department of Trade and Industry office inside the Provincial Government Center, especially when there are field trips, Lakbay Aral and other visitors to the province. He said the Pasalubong Center is directly connected to tourism “but even if tourists will come here it will be for nothing if we are not ready.” Del Rosario said the main problems of the people are actually related to employment and livelihood. Thus, he said, the thrust of the provincial government is to create more entrepreneurs and to help them produce and market their products so they can produce more volume and maybe conquer the export market. He said the goal of the Pasalubong Center is to push domestic tourism since there are many people from Visayas and Luzon who would like to see the many attractions of Mindanao.(LAC/RGA/PIA DAVNOR)

‘MGB-10 not doing its job’ CDO environment group

EMBERS of the local environmental group Sulog lambasted the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 10 for its Pontius Pilate-like reaction on the illegal mining lawsuit they filed against two Chinese they “caught operating a gold mining barge” in Barangay Pagalungan, Cagayan de Oro City last week. City Prosecutor Fidel Macauyag thrashed the complaint on the same day, last Monday, saying that the complaint will not hold in court on the grounds of “non-participation” of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and that the complaint documents lacked the apprehension affidavit of the arresting officer In a phone interview Wednesday, Sulog member Edwin Dael said that prior to the operations last week, they had a close-door meeting to iron out the raid and assess the information given to them by their informants in the area. “In that briefing, it was clear to all of us that the mining barges that are actively operating are in Pagalungan and not in Tumpagon,” said Dael. Although he admitted that they may have committed some lapses in the filing of the case but the city prosecutor dismissed the charges against Zhong Hengyuan, 43, and He Jiancheng, 42, both residents of the People’s Republic of China. Both Chinese, who are

allegedly operating gold mining barges along Iponan River, are not only overstaying aliens but are also in the country with a tourist visa. “When we arrived in the area, I was really surprised why Engr. (Daniel) Belderol insisted on going to Barangay Tumpagon when it was already settled that we will go to Pagalungan since our informants in the area had already confirmed the ongoing mining operations,” said Dael. For his part, MGB Regional Director Rex Monsanto supported Dael’s claim that there was a briefing before the operation. He said Belderol is the division chief of MGB’s Mines Management Division. “There was indeed a briefing before the operation. As to the details, Engr. Belderol could provide,” Monsanto’s text message reads. He also forwarded this reporter Belderol’s cellphone number. As of this writing, Belderol has yet to respond. In an earlier interview, Richard Nixon Baban, chair of Sulog member Bangon Kagay-an, has said that it is unfair to blame Macauyag for junking the illegal mining case last Monday since the agency tasked to protect the environment did not step up to its mandate. “I don’t blame (City Prosecutor Fidel) Macauyag for junking the

FMGB, 11

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Greenpeace urges gov’t to intensify campaign against illegal fishing C

LIMATE change, ocean pollution and over fishing threaten the country’s food security as they already affect communities that rely on rich marine ecosystems for food, the Greenpeace a worldwide organization that advocates protection and conservation of the environment said. Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia expressed alarm over the unprecedented destruction of the Philippine marine ecosystem due to the unabated illegal fishing practices that led in the dwindling of fish catch. Greenpeace statistics show that the Philippines have 24 fishing grounds with an estimated production of 5.1 million metric tons of fish. Of the 24 fishing grounds, 13 fishing grounds, or 54 percent, are over exploited due to overfishing. Cinches said the inaction of local and national authorities in addressing these problems would en-

danger the country’s marine resources. He said marine resources were under threat from massive overfishing and unsound fishing practices that are already affecting communities that rely on rich marine ecosystems for food. Overfishing is the major threat in the marine ecosystem that endangers not only the fishing industry but livelihood and food security of a community. Cinches said illegal and unregulated fishing practices, especially those used by large fishing vessels, contribute significantly to the depletion of marine resources, he said. Cinches said that the country’s marine resources are in crisis, the government must act on these emergency situation as he urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to come up with a fisheries rescue roadmap by intensifying its campaign against illegal fishing and the establishment of more marine reserves and sanctuaries.[PNA]

IRRI, Smart team up to find best agri apps

hilippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are calling on all mobile developers to create and pitch web and/or mobile applications that could be the next big tech push for rice farming. In celebration of National Rice Awareness Month, IRRI and Smart through its developer community program Smart Developer Network (DevNet) are staging “BIGAS Hackathon”, a developer event that aims to produce apps that can further enhance the impact of rice production technologies. The two-day “BIGAS Hackathon” will be held from November 10, 2012, Saturday at 11:00 am until November 11, 2012, Sunday at 2:00 pm. IRRI and Smart are looking for innovative solutions in many aspects of rice research, ranging from complex computational problems to the creative use of games and social networking. This could be mobile and/or web apps that could improve the collection and study of research data, provide information and/or technologies to farmers or extension work-

ers, index library and other institute data, improve institute processes and procedures, store survey data better, or speed up survey data processing, design a digital moisture meter, and more. The “BIGAS Hackathon” is open to all developers especially those based in Laguna and nearby cities and provinces. This is a free event, but registration is required. Transportation (bus from Makati City, Metro Manila to IRRI), food and accommodation will be provided for free to registered participants only. The winning teams will receive prizes from IRRI and Smart and will get the chance to further develop their applications for public release. Interested developers may read full mechanics and register at http://bigashackathon. eventbrite.com/. Smart DevNet is Smart’s developer community program, targeted at developers on desktop and mobile platforms interested in using Smart’s technology platforms such as network tools and APIs. It organizes its own developer events and sponsors other developer groups’ events, meetups and hackathons.

Gov’t to enhance PHL forestry education

HE Philippine Board of Foresters intends to help improve further the quality of forestry education in the country. This will enable Filipino foresters more effectively contribute towards promoting environmental and natural resources protection, conservation and rehabilitation. In a report on its programs, the Board highlighted the need for boosting the country’s BS Forestry curriculum to better help prepare students concerned for such environmental challenges. “To cope with demands of the forestry sector, forestry educational institutions must respond appropriately through

Legarda says

changes in their curriculum,” the report noted. BS Forestry is offered in over 50 schools nationwide with “only a little more than 10 schools offering quality education,” it said, citing several factors as basis for such findings. Such factors are the schools’ respective curriculum, facilities, infrastructure and graduates’ performance in forestry licensure examinations. “National passing average in the foresters licensure examinations is 35 percent,” the report noted. It likewise pointed out the decline in Philippine forest cover, government’s forestry-related policies and institutionalization of the National

Greening Program (NGP) raise need for more better-trained and qualified foresters nationwide. “As of 2012, it’s estimated that more than 5,000 foresters are employed in the Philippines,” the report noted. They are mostly working for government particularly Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), it said. DENR earlier cited need for more foresters, noting that forest land accounts for about half of the Philippines’ total area of 30 million hectares. The Board assured continuing to serve as member of the Technical Panel of Forestry under Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to

help revise the Philippine forestry curriculum. CHED is the agency having jurisdiction over higher learning institutions across the country. By serving as member of the technical panel, the Board likewise targets helping monitor performance of forestry schools across the country. To help further enhance forestry education, the Board decided partnering with Philippine Forestry Education Network (PFEN), an organization of forestry schools across the country. The Board is optimistic its partnership with PFEN will help improve performance of the schools’ graduates in the foresters licensure examination.

homes. By October 28, tunnels and bridges were already closed and all flights going in and out of the area were cancelled,” she said. “This level of alertness should also inspire other US government officials to prepare, if not for Sandy then for the subsequent weather disturbances that are certain to occur as we witness the worsening effects of climate change,” she stressed. Legarda also cited the level of disaster preparedness of the Federal Gov-

ernment and State Government of New York. Sandy is dubbed the strongest weather disturbance experienced by the region in 27 years, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph or 130 km/h. It made landfall on October 29, local NY time. It has already killed at least 50 people, knocked out electricity in about 8.2 million households in 17 states, and caused massive flooding. “We have again witnessed nature’s wrath

through Superstorm Sandy. Affected communities are coping with the devastation, which could have been worse with the lack of preparedness. Mayor Bloomberg’s sense of urgency and swiftness of action should be emulated by all our public servants. Working together, our meteorologists, weather scientists, national and local officials, and other leaders, can all prevent massive losses of lives and property by simply being prepared,” said Legarda.

Draw lessons from New York mayor’s preparedness for Superstorm Sandy

ENATOR Loren Legarda urged government leaders to draw lessons from the effective disaster preparedness measures undertaken by the New York City government for Superstorm Sandy. “As early as October 26 in New York, Mayor Mike Bloomberg already announced that the city was taking necessary precautions. Modes of public transportation like the subway were closed shortly after, and residents were told to stay inside their

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012 FIGURES OF ThE wEEk STOCk MARkET PERFORMANCE

PhIlIPPIne Stock Index As of October 31, 2012

US dollAR = PhIlIPPIne PeSo As of October 31, 2012

A & A Securities, Inc.

JIFFYCAR Bldg., Ecowest Drive (Beside SM City Davao), Davao City

Tel. Nos.: 299-0199, 297-7233, 303-0555, 297-8090, 0917-7000911, 0922-8831358 Important: The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe are reliable but is not guaranteed by edgedavao and A & A SecuritieS, inc. This report is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the security mentioned herein.

THE ECONOMY 5

AEV income for the first 9 months up 12% to P18 B

BOITIZ Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) ended the first nine months of 2012 with a consolidated net income of P18 billion (bn), up by 12% year-on-year (YoY) from P16 bn. This translates to an earnings per share of P3.26. Among AEV’s strategic business units (SBUs), the power unit continued to account for the lion’s share of the company’s income, at 78%, followed by the banking and food units with income contributions of 17% and 5%, respectively. The company incurred a non-recurring gain of P894 mn (versus last year’s non-recurring loss of P28 mn), as a result of the revaluation of groupwide dollar-denominated liabilities and placements. Meanwhile, the power SBU booked a non-recurring net loss during the period as the recorded gains on the redemption of shares made by its associate companies was countered by the following: 1) higher fuel cost booked by its geothermal plants due to reimbursements made to its steam supplier; 2) the downward revenue adjustment of a wholly-owned subsidiary as a result of an ERC ruling regarding its ancillary services contract, and 3) the debt prepayment cost incurred at the Parent level. AEV’s share in the aforementioned one-offs amounted to P513 mn, which places AEV’s core earnings for the period ending Sept. 30, 2012 at P17.6 bn, higher by 14% YoY. For the third quarter alone, AEV registered a consolidated net income of P6.2 bn, increasing by 7% YOY from P5.8 bn. Out of the total earnings contributions from the company’s SBUs, power accounted for 76%. The in-

come share of the banking and food SBUs were at 18% and 6%, respectively. For the three-month period in review, the revaluation of dollar-denominated liabilities and placements across the AEV group resulted to a non-recurring gain of P169 million (mn), versus last year’s P138 mn. In addition, the company had to book a net total of P296 mn in non-recurring costs to account for its

share in the power SBU’s one-off expenses relating to a downward revenue adjustment. The adjustment resulted from a recent ruling by the industry regulator regarding the tariff structure for the ancillary services contract of one of its subsidiaries and debt prepayment costs incurred at the Parent level. Adjusting for these, AEV closed the quarter with a core net income of P6.3 bn, up by 9% YoY.

INDUSTRY. A tombstone maker engraves a dead person’s name into a newly-made tombstone outside the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Madapo Hills yesterday. Tombstone

Power Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) contributed P14.1 bn, visa-vis last year’s P12.4 bn. When adjusted for non-recurring items, AboitizPower recorded a 16% YoY expansion in its earnings share, from P11.9 bn to P13.7 bn. Higher average selling prices and increased net generation resulted to a 12% YoY hike in the

FAEV, 11

making, an almost forgotten industry, can only be noticed when All Souls’ Day is commemorated. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

THE ECONOMY

Stat watch

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

5.8% 1st Qtr 2012

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

6.4 % 1st Qtr 2012

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

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

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

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

P 42.78 Jun 2012

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

5,091.2 May 2012

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

130.1 Jun 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.8 Jun 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.7 Jun 2012

16. Visitor Arrivals

349,779 Apr 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18.8 % Jan 2012

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.2 % Jan 2012

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Mindanao Banana Congress set in Davao City on Nov. 7-8 A

gathering of at least 500 banana industry stakeholders from all over Mindanao will be conducted on November 7 and 8 at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier in Davao City. The stakeholders are composed of growers, farmers, cooperatives, suppliers of production inputs, traders, exporters, logistics players, industry associations, agrarian reform communities, research institutions, academe, other support groups and participants from government agencies and local government units (LGUs). Spearheaded by the Philippine Exporters Confedera-

tion, Incorporated (PhilExport) Davao Chapter, the Mindanao Banana Congress is expected to result in the attainment of five major outcomes, to wit: formulation of the banana industry roadmap; improved access to government support programs; established supplier-buyer linkages; significant contribution of the banana industry on the hunger and malnutrition mitigation measures of the government; and industry growth and development. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Director Marizon S. Loreto said that as a partner of this endeavor, the agency is giving its full sup-

port to the first-ever Mindanao-wide banana conference. “This is an event that shows how important convergence is between the government and private sector especially in achieving industry growth and development,” she said. The two-day forum will likewise tackle the various issues and concerns confronting the banana industry namely: plant diseases, phytosanitary standards protocol, good agricultural practices and product traceability. Other topics include integrated management and control of major banana diseases. Discussion on the proposed

Banana Research Center shall also be included. Side events include the Banana Business Café (Business Matching), the Banana Special Setting and the Banana Food Showcase, an exhibition of various banana recipes for commercialization. Resource persons who are considered experts in their respective fields are invited to grace the occasion and share their insights and expertise to the participants. For interested parties, they can contact Chug Torres of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC), the Congress secretariat, at (082) 224.2581 or 225.0763 for more details.

ratings. “Despite its strong fundamental credit quality, PLDT’s ratings were previously constrained at the Baa3 level by the two-notch differential with the then sovereign rating of Ba2. The upgrade of the sovereign rating to Ba1 there-

fore allows Moody’s to upgrade PLDT’s ratings to Baa2,” Moody’s Assisant Vice President and Analyst Yoshio Takahashi said in a statement. PLDT has earlier earned the distinction of being the first Philippine corporate to be given investment grade cred-

it ratings by all three major international credit watchers – Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, and Fitch Ratings. “PLDT’s dominant market position, strong financial metrics, and excellent liquidity support its Baa2 ratings. Notwithstanding such strengths, the rating also reflects Moody’s perception of PLDT’s increased investment appetite and accelerated capex program, together with a 100% dividend payout ratio which Moody’s expects will be maintained,” Takahashi added. The telecoms firm paid out dividends equivalent to 100% of its core earnings for the fifth straight year in 2011 amid a consistently strong cash flow despite aggressive investments in its network. PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said that the Moody’s upgrade reaffirms the soundness of PLDT’s business strategy to transform into a fully integrated telco operator offering a complete suite of advanced communications services. PLDT remains the leading player in the local telecoms sector with over 60% market share in the cellular, broadband and fixed line businesses as of end-June 2012. “In particular, Moody’s expects PLDT to deliver its network modernization objectives such that the 2013 financial year starts to show some of the benefits of its accelerated capex program,” the Moody’s statement pointed out.

Moody’s upgrades PLDT debt ratings REDIT ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the local currency issuer rating and foreign currency bond rating of PLDT by one notch to Baa2 from Baa3 with a stable outlook, following an improvement in the sovereign’s credit

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

2012

2011

2010

42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

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

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

EDGEDAVAO

JUICE DRINKS. Two ladies prepare a new brand of juice drinks for free taste test to passersby as a way of introducing the product to the

market along San Pedro Ext. yesterday. The product is manufactured by a well-known drugstore chain in Davao City. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

as of august 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

AGRITRENDS

DA launches ‘rice label, package’ contest

INOY Aromatic Rice. Phl Heritage Rice. Bigas ng Lahing Kayumanggi. These are just some of the possible names or labels that may be used to describe and promote the country’s popular aromatic, upland rice varieties. Those that will be selected will win the top prize of P25,000 cash and the chance to be known worldwide as his or her work will be made the official brand and package of the Philippines’ upland, aromatic rice varieties for sale here and abroad. Those interested may join the DA’s ‘rice packaging contest’ spearheaded by the agency’s national rice program. The contest is open to all, at least 18 years old. Contestants are asked to come up with a brand name and design that is distinctly Filipino. It should use a unique Filipino word and scenery directly related to rice and farming activities. Contestant are asked to create two designs, one each for a 1-kg package (20 centimeters (cm) x 25 cm, and another for a 5-kg package (29 cm x 50 cm). The contest is divided into two categories: one

for the manually-rendered design or art work; and the other for computer-aided designs. Entries for the manual category should be done on a ¼ size illustration board, using any colored media. Entries for computer designs should be printed in color and pasted on a ¼ illustration board, and accompanied by an electronic copy of the artwork in PNG format saved in a compact disc. Participants may submit three entries per category. An information sheet indicating the contestant’s name, address, age, contact numbers, e-mail, and signature should come with the entry. The top entry will receive as prizes P25,000 cash, a trophy and certificate; second prize will get P15,000; third prize, P10,000; and the other finalists will get P2,000 each. The entries should be submitted on or before November 7, 2012, to a nearest DA-Regional Field Unit, through the DA Regional Executive Director or the Regional Rice Coordinator, or in case of ARMM, at the Office of the Secretary for Agriculture and Food.

DA-BFAR, USAID launch fish conservation project

HE Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently launched a joint five-year project which seeks to enhance the conservation and management of Philippine coastal and marine resources. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, together with BFAR director Asis Perez and USAID environment chief Rolf Anderson, unveiled the ‘Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries’ or EcoFish, which specifically aims to conserve and replenish eight marine key biodiversity areas (or MKBAs) in the country. The eight MKBA sites are: Calamianes group of islands, in Palawan; Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan; Ticao Pass and Lagonoy Gulf, in Bicol region; San Bernardino Strait, in Leyte-Samar region; Danajon Double Barrier Reef, spanning Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Southern Negros Occidental, and Surigao; Sulu archipelago; and Verde Island passage, in

Batangas The project is designed to contribute to priority goals and actions laid out in the Philippine Development Plan (2011-2016) in the areas of sustainable agriculture and fisheries, as well as in the conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources. It also supports the current US country assistance strategy with regard to reducing threats to biodiversity, and improving natural resources and environment. EcoFish also aims to improve the management of important coastal and marine resources and associated ecosystems that support local economies through biological diversity conservation, ecosystem productivity enhancement, and restoration of fisheries profitability. During the launch, Secretary Alcala said the DA is proposing a P4.6-billion budget for the fishery sector under its 2013 national expenditure program to enable BFAR to rebound and sustain the country’s fishery production, conservation and competitiveness initiatives. [DA/BFAR]

PhilMech eyes postharvest technology to extend shelf life of ‘pinakbet’ veggies

HE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) is eyeing the development of a package of postharvest technologies for lowland or “pinakbet” vegetables to reduce losses after harvest. In a statement, PhilMech executive director Rex Bingabing said that lowland vegetables need a complete package of technologies or a complete supply chain system to reduce postharvest losses, which can reach as high as 25 percent for non-leafy types, and up to 45 percent for leafy vegetables. “The exposure of new-

ly-harvested lowland vegetables to high temperature after harvest could lead to its faster deterioration, and more postharvest losses,” Bingabing said. Since these vegetables are mostly grown in the lowlands, these are subject to higher ambient temperature compared to highland vegetables, during or right after harvest. The official said that PhilMech is presently generating an industry situationer which will be the basis to develop a complete supply chain system for lowland vegetables, but it has identified tomato, eggplant and

bitter gourd or ampalaya as the major lowland vegetables being grown by farmers. The study will also pilot test existing postharvest technologies \ designed to address postharvest deficiencies of the present supply chain for lowland vegetables. From its past research efforts, PhilMech has developed an evaporative cooler that can maintain the freshness of newlyharvested vegetables for three to four days. Bingabing said that the PhilMech-developed evaporative cooling system is a non-refrigerated system that uses much lesser power compared to

refrigerated systems. It works with charcoal as a cooling pad and has a water reservoir, submersible pump, fan and storage chamber. The evaporative cooler channels air to the wet pad surfaces and lets water evaporate into the air, which reduces heat and lowers temperature in the storage chamber. It is powered by electricity and uses water as the cooling medium. The cabinet-type evaporative cooler can store up to 400 kilograms of vegetables and fruits, and the display type up to 80 kilograms. PhilMech will also test

potato, cassava, and banana as substitutes for rice. Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey, PhilRice socio-economist and spokesperson of the 2011-2016 Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Program said countries like Japan and China are rice-sufficient despite their small rice area harvested per capita because of the citizen’s diversified diet. Consumers are also encouraged to eat unpolished or brown rice as it has higher milling recovery rate of 75 percent compared with 65 percent for white rice. According to experts,

higher milling recovery means that a 100 kg of palay produces 75 kg of brown rice compared with 65 kg of white rice. Brown rice is also promoted as it is more nutritious than white rice. Nutritionists said brown rice retains most of the nutrients from the rice bran that are removed by polishing. Pledgers will also commit themselves not to waste rice by cooking what they and their family can eat, recycling leftover rice into other dishes, ordering rice that they can only consume, and properly cooking rice – not over or under-

cooked. Data on rice wastage show that that each Filipino wastes 2 tablespoons of cooked rice every day, which, when not wasted, could result in import savings as high as P6.2 billion and could feed 2.6 million hungry Filipinos in a year. Pledgers for rice are expected to keep their oath for “with the rice [they] save, [they] save lives.” November is celebrated annually as National Rice Awareness Month in the Philippines in pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 524 issued in 2003.

FPHILMECH, 11

Consumers urged to help PHL on rice self-sufficiency bid

N celebration of National Rice Awareness Month this November, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) will lead the rice sector in renewing its commitment to help the country become rice self-sufficient next year. With the theme, Sapat na Bigas, Kaya ng Pinas!, the month-long celebration aims to create awareness on how consumers could support the country’s goal. The commitment, to be renewed through a pledge for rice, entails the consumers to try equally nutritious foods such as white corn, sweet

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO Sandy clouds the election’s final act

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Commentary By Ian Bremmer

EDITORIAL

“T

Good news, nice feeling

HE Philippines ranked second in a Global Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, representing a two-point increase in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the second quarter this year.” This was announced by Malacanang Palace Wednesday. “With a score of 118, the Philippines comes second only to India and Indonesia which both share the top spot with 119 among 58 countries surveyed,” said Deputy Palace spokesperson Abigail Valte. Valte said “the bullish consumer sentiment shows a positive attitude towards the Philippine economy, one bright spot in only 12 countries that registered ‘more optimism’ out of the 58 surveyed.” The survey’s score of 101 and higher indicates more optimism while a score of 100 and lower means more pessimism. Note that among countries in the Southeast Asian region, consumer confidence in the Philippines ranked second, besting Thailand by 6 points and Malaysia by 13 points. Singapore with a score of 98 and Vietnam with 87 both measured below the index of 100.

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In another indicator, Manila ranks 11th in the list of the best shopping destinations for international travelers in Asia Pacific, according to Global Blue’s “Globe Shopper Index.” Manila edged out other famous cities, such as Taipei, Auckland, Mumbai and Jakarta. Meanwhile, the amount of investments that were committed from President Aquino’s sixday state visits to Australia and New Zealand reached $825 million. This amount could generate around 6,500 more jobs for Filipinos. In a story closer to the heart of Mindanaons, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the importation of 3,000 metric tons of Cavendish bananas from the Philippines by December. The above indicators bode well for the country’s aspiration to be very attractive to investors and others who do business with us. Yes, if this positive trend continues, it will not be long when the Philippines will achieve the status of “most trusted brand.” It goes without saying that the above figures can only make us feel good. It certainly is a nice feeling. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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ITH Election Day 10 days away, there has been no “October surprise.” The economy plods slowly forward. Iran has not exploded. No shots have been fired in the South China Sea. Syria’s carnage continues, but the two candidates agree that U.S. troops should remain outside the line of fire. Republicans have tried without much success to use the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi to backfoot the president. Just when it seemed we’d have an election without a last-minute wildcard, along comes Sandy. The storm has claimed lives, destroyed homes, cut power — and created uncertainty. The media and the country have turned away from the election toward the disaster’s startling images and human toll. We can’t yet know if the storm will boost either candidate, but it has certainly added new variables, new questions, and new tests as the two campaigns make the final turn toward judgment day. Now that the clouds are parting, what’s next in the forecast? First, Sandy has frozen the race. Not much can change in a contest where undecided voters — the least engaged — aren’t watching. Whatever “Mittmentum” might have remained from the Romney surge may have been washed away by the storm surge this week. Both candidates have taken a step back from active campaigning, the president to play his presidential role and the challenger to find a role of his own. Second, the storm has slowed early voting. Remember the Obama court victory in Ohio to allow early voting right up until Nov. 6? Sandy has partially overruled that decision. We can’t know how the storm damage will affect voting on Election Day, but we do know that Obama’s ground game infrastructure is more extensive than Governor Romney’s in key states. Finally, Sandy has cast Obama in the role of crisis manager in chief, and the president has been praised, including – crucially – by Republican New Jersey governor and A-list Romney surrogate Chris Christie. If reconstruction proceeds slowly, the president could take some blame. But that’s a problem for next month, not next week. Romney, meanwhile, must play his cards more carefully. He cannot compete for leadership with the president in this particular moment. Nor is it safe for him to compete with top Obama-surrogate Bill Clinton on the campaign trail. Yet both candidates must be careful around cameras and open microphones not to give this campaign one last unfortunate soundbite in a season with too many. The final wildcard will be that the polls are about to become a lot less trustworthy. Storm damage will make it harder for pollsters to reach a representative sample of voters, and in what is still a close election, that should give us pause. Obama entered this last chaotic week with an advantage. He doesn’t have as many paths to 270 electoral votes as he had one month ago, but he still has more than Romney. Sandy is unlikely to change that. But election night just got even more interesting.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Making ‘marang’ marketable abroad

ARANG (Artocarpus odoratissima) is an exotic Philippine fruit but undervalued and underutilized because of its short shelf life that hinders its market potential. However, the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Camarines Sur is mulling on the introduction to Bicol farmers and landowners of the commercial production of this fruit in anticipation of the opening of markets following the development of technologies that is making it a highly marketable food product here and abroad. This development is unfolding with the project named “Pilot Testing of Postharvest Technologies and Product Diversification of Marang,” being undertaken by a group of researchers from the University of Southern Mindanao Agricultural Research Center (USMARC). Funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the High Value Commercial Development Program (HVCDP) of the DA, the project according to DA regional executive director for Bicol Jose Dayao is exploring on the possibility of making processed products from marang and making them readily available even during off-season. The result of this project is also seen to encourage growers, farmers, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to venture into Marang processing, Dayao said. Marang that can easily be mistaken for a jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) or a breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is native to the Philippines and can thrive well in the marginal and hilly areas. Going beyond its thorny and unsightly appearance, marang has become a favorite fruit for those who have tasted it. It is known for its appetizing taste, strong but fragrant sugary smell and nutritive value. It

SpeCial Feature By Danny O. Calleja contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus, iron, retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. But this fruit is seasonal. It is only available from May to September. After harvest, a mature fruit becomes highly perishable, lasting for two to three days only. Once opened, a ripe marang must be consumed immediately because it can easily lose its flavor and it oxidizes causing the pulp to brown. It was due to the seasonality and perishability that this fruits is undervalued and underutilized. Despite its high demand, marang’s short shelf life hinders its market potential, Dayao said. Through the processing technologies developed by the USMARC research, Dayao said the marang postharvest loss is reduced. On the business potential, the food products will be a good source of livelihood and additional income for growers. Once the products are known, it will provide a niche for this exotic fruit in the market. Products can be marketed not only locally but also to foreign consumers, he said. In terms of postharvest techniques, the USMARC researchers emphasized that in harvesting the fruit, it is important that the right stage of maturity is determined. For the commercially-available ‘evergreen’ and ‘brown’ cultivars, they must be harvested 80-90 days from their fruit sets. It was also mentioned in the research that using appropriate tools is important to minimize losses during harvesting. For storability, marang fruits can be

prolonged using appropriate packaging materials and cold storage. For ripening techniques, washing and covering the fruit with wet sack or cloth were found to be faster, easier while ethylene scrubber and packing in a closed polyethylene bag or keeping them under modified atmosphere condition could delay the ripening. The USMARC group, Dayao said was able to develop at least 11 products from marang--nine from the pulp and two from its seeds. The food products from the pulp include blanched pulp, concentrate, juice, jam, conserve, jelly, ice cream, vacuum-fried, and vinegar. From its seeds, food products developed are coffee and nut butter, Dayao added. [PNA]

VANTAGE POINTS

Real solution to economic ills

EADING TO FINANCIAL PROSPERITY – It used to be that business is the only way for many Filipinos to take a bite out of the booming, but relatively competitive money-making venture landscape. Reason: great majority of Filipinos are employment-oriented but the problem is that the country’s job generation program is far from satisfactory and the trend is a nightmare for the job-seeking people. The younger generation therefore must start thinking of putting up a business where the real money is. There is a more fundamental ailment undermining the government’s job generation effort: the country’s working force is one of the most unproductive in the developing nations. But on a different standpoint there is also one advantage that the business venture offers – value of interests. People must have a paradigm shift from being work-oriented to business-oriented if they have to effectively arrest the country’s lingering poverty. Let’s learn to be entrepreneurs. Being one may be among the most reassuring in business today. Employment actually is the most basic fact in life, the important process to earn money and make it big, but to do it likewise requires suitable educational attainment among other things. But limited job offering nowadays prompted many Filipinos to go abroad and work resulting to a brain drain. If you’re presently employed you still can earn additional income by getting into business as a sideline. The dual undertaking worked well for those who have prospered in entrepreneurship. That’s why a growing number of economists are declaring that it’s about time for a little initiative, which means for the working class to engage in business that will ultimately lead to financial prosperity. Nonetheless, there are other factors holding back employed people from involvement in business ventures. It is the acknowledgement from prospective entrepreneurs that it would almost certainly bring about lots of long-term pain including the putting up of capital, high risk and eventually bankruptcies. There’s no doubt that the perception needs to be changed. People are afraid of the costs in establishing a business. When they are advised to get into business, they usually counter with the question: “How can we engage in business when we don’t have enough capital?” But they must be reminded that if “there’s a will, there’s a way.” Furthermore, it is also widely believed that availing of low interest rate loan from willing lending and financial institutions for a micro business endeavor is highly probable. Thus, the reasoning that one who does not have capital can’t engage in business is an unacceptable excuse. Moreover, there is no qualm that the increasing competition in the employment sector will draw what are now very speculative concepts into harsh focus resulting in high unemployment rate and the chance of socio-economic unrest. That is a long-term reality that Philippine society has routinely proven and the willingness to put off at all costs – but always ended up a failure. The government it seems is running out of time and non-permanent employees in the same manner are losing their patience. The country’s job crisis will become even bleaker as employment-oriented Filipinos will have to perform even more work and more efficiently to maintain the same standard of living. However, it takes more convincing action to make the work-oriented Filipinos believe that business is making money and seems to be the way people should pursue to arrest the widening poverty in our midst. The real solution to the country’s economic ills is not huge foreign borrowings, bad debts disposal or any other macho macroeconomic fixes currently capturing all the attention, but small-to-medium scale businesses designed to convince employment-oriented Filipinos to engage in business. And if they want to improve the quality of their lives, even our small farmers must likewise engage in agri-business to increase their income. Like the work-oriented people, farmers can earn even more by becoming farmer-entrepreneurs. Thus, if employment-oriented Filipinos want to overcome reeling poverty, they must do what the rich people do – get into business.

10 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEfS No chance

INGER Victor Wood would not be able to run for senate for the second time. This comes after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared him as a nuisance candidate along with 49 others who filed their certificates of candidacy earlier in October. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Wood failed to prove his capability to launch a massive campaign should he be allowed to join the senatorial race for 2013 mid-term elections.

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Millions visit their dead M

ILLIONS across the Philippines visited cemeteries Thursday to pay respects to their dead, in an annual tradition that combines Catholic religious rites with the country’s penchant for festivity. At Manila’s Loyola Memorial Park, one of the city’s biggest private cemeteries, families had camped overnight,

pitched up tents and brought in food for a daylong All Saint’s Day picnic by the graves and tombs of their dead. In crowded public cemeteries elsewhere across the city of 15 million, police confiscated alcoholic beverages and banned gambling to maintain peace and order. Hundreds of medics and volunteers also set up field clinics to pro-

vide medical assistance. Radio reports said many had fainted due to the extreme heat in densely packed cemeteries. “This occasion serves as our family reunion,” said Fely de Leon, a retired 80-year-old businesswoman as she laid out an assortment of food on small tables around the plots of her late father and brother. “We will be here for

Strong sales

EVENUES of cement company Holcim Philippines, Inc. reached P20.2 billion for the past three quarters, up 22.5 percent from the yearago equivalent. This was abreast of the industry growth rate of 20 percent for the period as reported by the Cement Manufacturers Association (CeMap).

Praised

ITH international credit rating firms such as Moody’s adjusting the Philippines’ standing upwards, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima praised the Aquino administration for nine positive ratings actions since July 2010 to bring the country just one notch below investment grade. Purisima noted that strong performances from the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Customs (BOC) have kept revenue collection expanding at a faster rate than nominal GDP growth.

Elected

UTGOING National Treasurer Roberto Tan has been elected to represent a group of countries—the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago—to the World Bank (WB) board of directors for a term of two years starting this month. “I have seen Treasurer Tan’s commitment to public service and I am confident he will ably represent our constituency in the board of directors of the International Bank For Reconstruction and Development,” said Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

Strong

HE Philippines has strong growth prospects over the medium- to long-term due to a large degree to policies of the Benigno Aquino administration that have succeeded in levelling the playing field for foreign investors, a ranking official of Goldman Sachs said. In a briefing, the investment banking giant’s vice chair, Carl Stern, pointed out that the country’s economic growth was poised to even surpass its peers in the so-called “Next 11” list of booming emerging markets published last year.

EDGEDAVAO

A boy jumps from one apartment type grave to another at a cemetery in Manila on October 31, 2012. Millions across the Philippines visited cemeteries Thursday to pay

respects to their dead, in an annual tradition that combines Catholic religious rites with the country’s penchant for festivity. [AFP]

the rest of the day, and we expect more or less 30 family members to arrive.” Nearby, loud music blared from a portable karaoke machine -- singing is a national past time -- as a family ignored appeals from the Catholic church to keep the occasion solemn. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) meanwhile warned the public against fake priests roaming the cemeteries and reciting prayers for unsuspecting families in exchange for monetary donations. And for millions of Catholic Filipinos overseas who could not come home to visit their dead, the CBCP said it had put up a special portal (www. undasonline.com) where they could log on and request special prayers and masses. The site also offers podcasts on the significance and liturgical meanings of All Saint’s Day, it said. [AFP]

WORLD TODAY

CCTV photo released by The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey shows flood waters from Sandy rushing in to the Hoboken PATH station through an elevator shaft on October 29, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Monster storm Jersey Governor Chris Christie, offered a show of strength and support to victims. “You guys are in my thoughts and prayers. We are going to be here for the long haul,” he told a group of evacuees at a makeshift shelter. Obama and Christie clambered aboard the president’s Marine One helicopter to fly over New Jersey’s Atlantic coast -- over houses tipped off their foundations, streets inundated with sand, and still-flooded neighborhoods. In the community of Seaside Heights, Obama saw the twisted iron of a storm-battered amusement park and a nearby pier that was ripped apart. Although the main fo-

Sandy left at least 12 people dead in the US and Canada as it swept churning sea water and driving rain onto the eastern seabord, flooding major cities and leaving chaos in its wake. [AFP]

cus was on New Jersey and New York, particularly lower Manhattan and Long Island, Obama said he was also concerned about Connecticut and West Virginia, where heavy snows had made certain areas inaccessible. “We are here for you. And we will not forget. We will follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until you’ve rebuilt,” he said. While many towns and cities along the US East Coast remained paralyzed following Monday’s onslaught by superstorm Sandy, buses were back on New York streets and Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that limited subway services would resume Thursday, with free fares through Friday.

“The gridlock we experienced yesterday shows that the New York metropolitan region is in a transportation emergency,” Cuomo said in a statement, expressing hope that the free ride would encourage commuters to leave their cars at home. Limited commuter rail service to New York suburbs has also resumed, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced temporary car pooling rules to reduce the gridlock choking Manhattan. New York’s LaGuardia airport was also expected to reopen on Thursday. At last count, 19,500 flights had been cancelled because of Sandy, tracking service flightaware.com said. [AFP]

Trial

Greek investigative journalist was due to stand trial later Thursday after publishing names from an alleged list of Swiss bank accounts that the government is accused of failing to investigate. Costas Vaxevanis, a 46-year-old veteran television journalist who now publishes a magazine, insists he was doing his job while ministers responsible for vetting the list for possible tax evasion did nothing for two years.

Obama tours disaster zone C P RESIDENT Barack Obama toured New Jersey’s devastated coastline, vowing to stay with flood victims “for the long haul” as the US toll from superstorm Sandy passed 70. In New York, the stock exchanges and John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports reopened. But more than six million homes and businesses, the majority of them in New York state and neighboring New Jersey, remained without power. The full extent of one of the largest and most destructive storms ever to strike the United States became clearer, with entire coastal communities in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey submerged or cut off by floodwaters. US media reports said 72 Americans had been confirmed dead across 15 storm-ravaged states, bringing Sandy’s overall toll to 144, including Canada and the Caribbean, where Haiti and Cuba were hit particularly hard. Just six days before Americans vote on whether he should have a second four-year term, Obama surveyed the damage in New Jersey, where a massive relief operation had swung into gear with tens of thousands of homes under water. Taking a third day off the campaign trail to manage the response to the disaster despite Tuesday’s looming election, Obama, accompanied by New

Explosion

OURTEEN people were killed and more than 60 others wounded Thursday when a truck transporting gas exploded in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Al-Arabiya television reported. An AFP photographer at the scene reported huge damage in the area with dozens of cars burned. He said he saw civil defence personnel carrying two bodies “completely charred.”

Handover

HINA’S political elite are expected to oust disgraced figure Bo Xilai and jostle for leadership roles in their last formal meeting which opened Thursday ahead of next week’s landmark power handover. The Communist Party’s Central Committee convened behind closed doors, state media said, with 500 senior members brought together ahead of a congress which will open on November 8 to usher in leaders for the next decade.

Misspent

ASH earmarked for tsunami reconstruction work was diverted to unrelated projects, a Japanese government audit shows, as residents of the devastated northeast vent frustration over the slow pace of rebuilding. Parts of the 14.9 trillion yen ($187 billion) were used to fund an array of unconnected works, including road-building on the southern island of Okinawa and boosting security for Japan’s controversial whale hunt.

Meeting

UWAITI opposition groups are to hold an emergency meeting Thursday following violent clashes that continued throughout the night between riot police and protesters, a former MP and activists said. Former opposition MP Mubarak al-Waalan said the meeting will be attended by all opposition groups and youth activists to discuss the clashes which ended in the early hours of Thursday and covered several areas in the Gulf state.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Maguindanao...

Peace...

FfROM 1

were arrested violating the anti-smoking ordinance in various cemeteries, 15 of them in Tibungco. Dela Rosa said the re-routing scheme implemented by the Traffic Management Center was

AEV...

successful in decongesting traffic in public cemeteries like the Catholic Cemetery, Wireless, San Pedro Memorial Park, Forest Lake, Davao Memorial Park, Buhangin Memorial Park and public cemeteries in Ulas, Talo-

mo, Toril, Calinan, Mintal, Maa, Panacan, Tibungco and Bunawan. A long weekend is foreseen since All Saints Day and All Souls Day fall on Thursday and Friday. [ASA]

utable electricity sales increased by 6% YoY, from 2,764 GWh to 2,935 GWh. Demand from all customer segments continued to grow with the industrial segment recording a 7% YoY expansion in volume sales, while residential and commercial accounts registered 5% and 3% YoY growth, respectively. Meanwhile, the group’s gross margin improved by 13% YoY mainly due to the implementation of the distribution utilities’ approved rates under the Performance Based Regulation (PBR). Another driver for the group’s enhanced gross margin was the reduced systems loss, with VECO in particular reducing its level of system loss by 0.7 percentage points, as a result of initiatives implemented during the period in review. “We will continue to focus on revenue protection efforts to control systems losses. In our quest to continuously raise the bar, we will also pursue upgrading our facilities and infrastructure to provide an even more reliable and efficient distribution network,” Aboitiz added. Financial Services AEV’s banking SBU contributed P3.1 bn for the first nine months of 2012, up by 15% YoY from P2.7 bn. Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) ended the period with an earnings contribution of P2.8 bn, up by 19% YoY. This was on the back of higher net interest income and hefty trading gains booked during the period. Net interest income improved by 5% to P5.5 bn, as the 22% improvement in funding costs from interest bearing liabilities more than offset the 6% drop in income from earning assets. Total other income increased by 10% to P8.2 bn from P7.5 bn a year ago primarily driven by higher trading gains. Premium revenues fell by 9% to P1.2 bn on lower sales of its subsidiary’s pre-need plans. Operating expenses amounted to P6.6 bn, 6% higher than last year’s P6.2 bn, mainly on higher salaries and employee benefits, and taxes and licenses. Corresponding to

the lower sale of pre-need plans, trust fund contribution dropped by 9% to P1.1 bn. UnionBank’s asset base stood at P227.8 bn with a deposit base of P155.9 bn and a loan book of P90.9 bn. The bank’s total capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and Tier 1 ratios further strengthened to 20.5% and 17.7%, respectively. “We are seeing our efforts of building a great retail bank bear fruit. The double-digit growth in our consumer loans drove the increased profits of UnionBank. We expect this to continue to propel the bank’s bottomline moving ahead.” Aboitiz said. AEV’s non-listed thrift bank, City Savings Bank (CitySavings), posted a 12% YoY decline in earnings contribution of P318 mn during the first nine months of 2012. Gross interest income grew by 17% YoY to P1.6 bn. This was mainly attributable to the strong growth in the bank’s interest income on loans, which increased by 39% YoY to P985 mn from P710 mn a year ago. CitySavings’ ongoing expansion program led to an increase in operating expenses of 33% YoY, which was the main cause for the bank’s reduced profitability. Its loan book of P12.6 bn and total resources of P15.9 bn was higher by 27% and 22%, respectively, vis-à-vis yearend 2011 levels. NPL ratio as of end-September 2012 was at 1.47% while the NPL coverage ratio further improved to 116% from 101% of the previous quarter. Total capital funds stood at P2.1 bn, with a capital adequacy ratio of 15.1%. Food Pilmico Foods Corporation recorded a 3% YoY decline in its income contribution to AEV, from P937 mn to P906 mn. Nevertheless, this is significantly better than the 20% decline in net income contribution reported during the first half of 2012. Higher overall sales were countered by decreasing margins resulting from softer prices and an uptick in input costs for the feeds and swine divisions.

FfROM 5

earnings contribution of the power generation business for the period in review, from P11.7 bn to P13.2 bn. As of Sept. 30, 2012, AboitizPower’s average price for its power increased by 6% YoY. This was mainly driven by a 38% YoY increase in the average selling price of electricity at the Luzon Grid’s Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. Supply of power in Luzon was limited given higher outage levels during the period in review. The Luzon Grid, meanwhile, recorded a 5% YoY expansion in its recorded peak demand, with the hotter climate as one of the factors pushing up demand level to almost 7,800 megawatts (MW). AboitizPower’s attributable net generation rose by 10% YoY, from 7,175 gigawatt hours (GWh) 7,903 GWh, as electricity sold through bilateral contracts expanded by 15% YoY. In terms of capacity, the company sold, on an attributable basis, 1,562 MW. This was 12% higher than last year’s given increased capacity sales through bilateral contracts. The partial completion of the rehabilitation of the Binga (2 of 4 units) hydropower plant coupled with the commercial operation of the 4-MW Irisan Greenfield hydropower plant resulted to a marginal increase in AboitizPower’s attributable capacity to 2,353 MW as of end-September 2012. “AboitizPower is committed to support the country’s growth by providing power when needed, at a reasonable cost and with the least adverse effect to the environment. The company aims to achieve a sustainable balance between People, the Planet and Profit. We are adding capacity or rehabilitating existing plants to ensure the economic growth of our country,” said Erramon Aboitiz, AEV president and CEO. Expansions in volumes and margins resulted to a 25% YoY increase in the earnings share of AboitizPower’s distribution group for the first nine months of 2012, from P1.3 bn to P1.7 bn. Total attrib-

Police Public Safety Command, Special Action Force, Surallah Municipal Police Station and Regional Intelligence Division swooped down on sitio Lanas, Barangay Upper Sepaka in Surallah and nabbed the suspect who did not resist arrest. Two months ago, op-

Almario...

eratives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested Datu Ulo Ampatuan in Las Piñas City. Ampatuan, grandson of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., who is himself detained, carried a P250,000 reward for his

capture. This came even as CIDG director Samuel Pagdilao was quoted saying that almost 50 percent of the total number of suspects involved in the massacre have been arrested. [AsA]

an “incubation center” for graduates of tourism-related courses. To further the promotion of tech-voc education and skills development in the 2nddistrict of the said province, Almario likewise initiated various tech-voc education support projects. These include the establishment of the English Proficiency Course Laboratory, the donation of the TESDA Davao Oriental Utility Van, and construction of Multi-purpose TESD Activity Centers in various communities within the said district un-

der Almario’s training cum production programs. The Kabalikat Award is one of the institutional awards conferred by TESDA annually to local government units, legislative offices, and private firms/ companies in recognition of their outstanding programs, practices and/or office innovations in relation to the promotion and development of the country’s “mid-level human resource” in terms of skills, abilities, proper work attitude and values. [IPID News Service]

review of the provincial ordinance that banned open pit mining, Pingoy said its results could weigh on the possible review of the controversial South Cotabato Provincial Environment Code passed in 2010 and was signed days before then Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes stepped

down from office. Fuentes won in the 2010 elections to reclaim her former seat in the House of Representative. Fuentes is now running for governor, directly pitting her against Pingoy who is seeking re-election. [Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews contributor]

The objective of the water treatment is to remove pathogens and other bacteria from the surface of newly-harvested vegetables to extend shelf life, and make these safer for human consumption. Bingabing said that completing the postharvest system for lowland

vegetables, from harvest to storage, is part of PhilMech’s efforts to help farmers increase their incomes. “Reducing the postharvest losses of lowland vegetables to as low as 5 to 15 percent can help farmers increase their earnings,” he added. [PNA]

aliens were caught on the barge. He also said that they did not plan to file a case against the illegal aliens since their staff were not in the area during the raid and arrest. “So whose fault was that? They were not in Pagalungan because they were busy putting stickers to the abandoned barges in Tumpagon. If they were really serious in stopping the illegal mining along Iponan River, then Belderol should have divided his team so

that one of his staff could have accompanied us when we arrested Zhong and He,” said Dael. Sulog member Bob Ocio, who also joined the raid last week, said he does not blame their members for the dismissal of the illegal mining charge. “At least, I declared a citizen’s arrest because nobody in this city does. No, we are not going to blame ourselves for trying to do a job these people never perform,” said Ocio. [CONG B. CORRALEs / MINDAN-

FfROM 2

would result to the employability of [TESD] graduates.” One of the most recent noteworthy TESD project is Almario’s P6.27M assistance allocated for the Lupon School of Fisheries (LSF), a TESDA Technology Institution, which increased its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) fund by more than 100% and made possible the operationalization of the SP Resto and Dormitel, a government-run commercial establishment inaugurated last year, which serves as

Pingoy... FfROM 2

ualdo Gutierrez, however, dismissed the German study adding that it would not change his and the local church’s position to SMI. Gutierrez is a strong critic of SMI and a longtime anti-open pit mining advocate. While saying the botched study is not a

PhilMech...

FfROM 7

a water treatment system for vegetables and fruits as a postharvest technology for decontamination. “The project generally aims to produce and utilize activated water in decontaminating and extending the shelf life of vegetables,” Bingabing said.

MGB...

FfROM 3

complaint. To blame him is unfair. The problem lies with DENR’s MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau),” Baban said. Baban has vowed to file next week administrative cases against the MGB officials for “willful dereliction of duties.” MindaNews quoted Monsanto as saying that the DENR staff that headed the raiding team went to Tumpagon, while the police, Army and Sulog members went to Pagalungan where the two Chinese overstaying

Ews]

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VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

Realty

EDGEDAVAO

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FOR SALE:

1) 1-hectare commercial lot at P10,000/sq m, along national Highway, facing east, beside NCCC Panacan, Davao City. 2) 17,940sq m commercial lot at P2,500/sq m, along matina Diversion road. 3) 3,831 sq m lot along matina Diversion road. 4) 41,408 sq m commercial/industrial lot at P800/sq m along the national Highway, Bunawan. 5) 7,056 sq m at P1,200/sq m commercial/residential lot along Indangan road, Buhangin District. 6) 27,411 sq m commercial/industrial lot along the national Highway in Bincungan, Tagum City. 7) 116.15 to 245.92 sq meters , at P5.5M to P12.3M commercial/office condo units in Bajada, Davao City. 8) 699 to 1,117 sq m at P4,100/sq m commercial lots at josefina Town Center, along the national Highway, Dumoy, Toril. 9) readyfor-Occupancy Residential Properties: 4BR/3T&B in a 240 sq m lot with 177.31sqm floor area (2-storey) at P4.8M in an exclusive beachfront community in Dumoy, Toril.; 3Br 2-storey in a 71.25 sq m 2-storey in a 143sq m lot in an exclusive flower village in Maa, Davao City; 180 sq m lots with 71.25sqm to 126.42 sq m floor areas, priced at P3.751M to P5.773M in an exclusive mountain resort community along matina, Diversion road. 10) 1BR/2BR residential condo units located in Bolton, maa, Obrero, Davao City. 11) FOr aSSUme (rUSH): 1Br res’l condo unit in Palmetto, Maa. P600K negotiable. Note: Items 1-9 can be paid in cash, in-house or bank financing. If interested, please call Jay (PRC REB Lic. 8237) at 0922-851-5337 (Sun), 0908-883-8832 (Smart) or send email to propertiesindavao@yahoo.com.

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Deadline for submission of materials is 12:00 NN. Deadline for Friday and Saturday issues is 5:00 PM. Deadline for Sunday and monday issues is Saturday 12:00 NN. For more information, please call our Advertising Office 2213601; 301-6235 and ask for Jane or Chay.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

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Edge Davao hiring editor, 3 reporters EDGE DAVAO is in need of an editor and three staffwriters/reporters for its expansion program. The reporters will be assigned to the business, science/environment and political beats. On the other hand, the editor will supervise the reporters and do gate-keeping tasks. Applicant must be a graduate of a fouryear college course. For reporters, experience is not needed although preferable. The editor should have at least one-year experience in editing. Interested parties may send their application letter to Mr. Antonio M. Ajero, Edge Davao editor, thru email address ajero_antonio@yahoo.com. For inquiries, please call Mr. Ajero thru mobile phone 09052422686 or landline 221-3601.

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Cali-Tagle fight reset to Nov. 17 T

HE long-awaited title fight between Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC) flyweight champion Ale Cali of Davao City and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) veteran Erwin Tagle will be the main event at PXC 34 happening on November 17 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. The fight will be aired via satellite on AKTV on IBC 13 starting at 8:30 p.m. Ale “The Young Gun” Cali has been one of the success stories in Philippine MMA. The PXC flyweight champ was born to be a fighter, having started off as a boxer at age 10. Cali bagged gold medals, representing Davao during his boxing bouts in 2002 and 2003 at the Mindanao Friendship Games. He also won several medals in the ABAP National Youth Open Championships. In 2008, he began training in the Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu disciplines. Eventually, Cali became the first homegrown

Filipino PXC champion when he defeated Jesse ‘The Spiderman’ Taitano at PXC 29 earlier this year. Cali was originally scheduled to face Tagle last September 1 at PXC 33 but was forced to withdraw due to an injury during training. “I am nervous yet extremely excited to be in the PXC cage with one of our country’s best fighters,” Cali said of his matchup with Tagle. For his part, Tagle has been instrumental in developing MMA in the Philippines. As head coach and trainer of Submission Sports Gym in Quezon City, he has the support of his students and avid fight fans on his return to the MMA ring. Since PXC started last year, Tagle has been working on the broadcast panel of Sports5. He decided to make his return to professional competition after witnessing Cali’s performances where he defeated his three consecutive opponents, eventually winning the flyweight

belt. “Erwin’s reputation precedes him as a showman and excellent fighter. He absolutely deserves this opportunity and we expect a great show from him and Ale,” said PXC Matchmaker Eli Monge. The event will also feature the featherweight bout of Harris Sarmiento taking on the undefeated Mark Striegl, one of the top young MMA fighters in the country. Undefeated flyweights Jerome Wanawan and Eugene Toquero, a knockout specialist, will also be facing each other in the card. Tickets are available at all Ticketnet outlets or at www.ticketnet.com.ph. Ticket prices: Ringside 3,500, VIP 2,400, Patron 1,200, Lower Box 600, Upper Box 400. PXC is presented by San Mig Strong Ice and Sports 5. With special thanks to E-Games, Fitness First, FHM Philippines, FHM.com.ph, Premiere Condoms, Healthway Agility Phil, Beer Below Zero, Real Sports Radio, and Loqal.ph.

overall — suiting up for the team according to Navasero, are Gino Espineli, Leighton Michael Pangilinan, and Efren Ricky Oropesa. The PABA executive said he’s still awaiting word within the week if relief pitcher Tim Lincecum of reigning world champions San Francisco Giants will be available to play for the Philippines. “The (San Francisco) Giants had given us the permission to invite their so-called `expensive players’, and so the issue on Tim Lincecum has to be a personal decision at the end,” said Navasero, a guest at the

PSA Forum on Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate, along with his father, long-time PABA president Hector Navasero. “Once we have the final approval of the MLB federation of the San Francisco Giants, we have to find out this week if Tim will join us or not.” Navasero also bared in the session presented by SMART, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and Shakey’s, that PABA had also been permitted to invite New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Rapada to join the team, but begged off from playing.

the Miami Heat mood on ring night. Wade scored 29 points, James finished 26 points and 10 rebounds while missing much of the second half because

of cramps in both legs, and the reigning NBA champion Heat beat the Boston Celtics 120-107 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams. There were actual fireworks before the game to close the ceremony where the Heat got their championship rings and raised their title banner. There also were plenty of figurative fireworks late, first with Boston almost digging out of a 19-point hole and, after the outcome was decided, Rajon Rondo flagrantly fouling Wade by wrapping his arms around his neck on a drive.

Fully-loaded Phl IX ready for Worlds

HE Philippines is fielding its most formidable baseball team ever as it competes in the qualifier of the World Baseball Classic in New City Taipei two weeks from now. Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) internal affairs official Hector Tom Navasero likes the country’s chances in the Nov. 1418 meet as the team has a very good mix of first string members of the national squad and both major and minor league baseball players who have Filipino lineage. Among the notable Fil-Ams — nine of them

Ale “The Young Gun” Cali of Davao will fight on November 16 against MMA champion Erwin Tagle.

Pacquiao rusty in first sparring

ALL of Fame promoter Bob Arum was on hand to watch Manny Pacquiao’s first sparring session at the Wild Card Boxing Club on Tuesday that the Filipino “was a bit rusty” in going six rounds with two sparmates. Despite the not-so-great description of Pacquiao’s first sparring, Arum said he is not alarmed “because that usually happens during Manny’s first sparring” at the Wild Card. Arum was assured by trainer Freddie Roach that everything will be alright in the coming days. Jet lag was to blame, apparently. According to Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz, his boss “was jet lagged.” That assumptions holds water because Pacquiao only arrived in Los Angeles last Saturday night from Manila.

Manny Pacquiao does the mitts with Freddie Roach on his first training session at the Wild Card Gym. Pacquiao, building up for a fourth fight with Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez, was described as rusty. Tuesday’s sparring cember 8 fight, his fourth session saw Ray Beltran encounter with Juan Manuand a Russian (not Ruslan el Marquez. Provodnikov) engage Marquez’s training Pacquiao for six rounds. hardly skips a beat, accordPacquiao was not in his ing to sources in Mexico usual self and is still trying City. to adjust to the local time. “He’s been doing very But after a few more well under the watch of days, Pacquiao is expected Nacho (Beristain),” said the to regain his old fiery form boxing insider from Mexico as he revs up for the De- City.

OS ANGELES (AP) -- Dwight Howard missed a two-handed dunk on his first shot, and the night never got much better for the Los Angeles Lakers. When Howard and Steve Nash took their places alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol under the Hollywood spotlight, the Lakers opened a season

of enormous expectations with an equally big dud of a performance. Darren Collison scored 17 points, Brandan Wright added 14, and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled the Lakers debuts of Howard and Steve Nash with a 99-91 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. In his first regular-sea-

Lakers play flat in opener

Heat burn Celtics L

IAMI (AP) -LeBron James got cramps, Ray Allen was snubbed and Dwyane Wade was steaming. None of that spoiled Miami Heat superstar Lebron James played with his golden shoe on opening day against the Celtics.

Kobe Bryant and teammates Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace walked off with a loss in the NBA opening day.

son game in a gold jersey, Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds while missing 11 of his 14 free throws before fouling out with 2:02 to play. That’s hardly the debut he anticipated after arriving in a trade with Orlando last August, but not much has gone according to plan in the first month for the Lakers’ starters, who barely played together in their winless preseason due to injuries. ‘’It’s not an excuse, but it will all come with time,’’ Howard said. ‘’We haven’t had an opportunity to really play together as much as we want, but we’re going to get it. ... We’re going to chip away, and we’re going to get better.’’

INdulge! EVENT

The Final Confessions Party The Confessions of a Partyphile party series wrapped up with a bang last October 27 at the Marco Polo Davao’s eagle Bar. An offshoot of Zhaun “Partyphile” Ortega’s radio show on 105.9MixFM, the Confessions of a Partyphile party series was the talk of Durianburg. And as the party series winds down to its last party (for now?), friends and supporters alike came in droves. In attendance were Davao’s certified partyphiles came dressed to party and ready to dance to DJ Gary Tomas and his dance beats. Not a soul was left sober as drinks flowed thanks to eagles’ unlimited cocktails. And as laughs filled the air and the night went on, one can say it was a beautiful final confession on the dance floor.

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

Mindanao Banana Congress on November 7 and 8 at SMX

ThE Mindanao Business Council, together with Philexport and the Department of Agriculture, take pleasure in inviting you to the Mindanao Banana Congress and Exhibits 2012 on November 7-8, 2012 to be held at the SMX Convention Center at the newly opened SM Lanang Premier in Davao City. The event is organized by the PhILEXPORT XI Davao Chapter and Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with various private and public institutions working towards advancing advocacies of the Mindanao Banana Industry.

Registration Fee is Php1,500.00 to cover the meals during the activity, and the congress kit and materials. The event will likewise highlight a showcase of the Banana Industry commodity and value chain, and allied services, through the Industry Exhibits. Cost of 2x3 Exhibit Booth is P25,000.00. Equally significant features of the event include business matching activities, networking sessions, and technology presentations. Interested parties may call the Mindanao Business Council at (63.82) 224-2581 or (63.82) 225-0763. You may also email us at chug_torres@yahoo.com.

First Startup Weekend in Davao on November 9 CALLINg all developers, designers, marketers, startup enthusiasts and the curious! For the 1st time ever, Startup Weekend is coming to Davao.

Startup Weekends are 54-hour events designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs. Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations. Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs. The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education. Whether you are looking for feedback on a idea, a co-founder, specific skill sets, or a team to help you execute, Startup Weekends are the perfect environment in which to test your idea and take the first steps towards launching your own startup. On the same weekend, similar Startup Weekends are happening simultaneously at Japan, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Republic of Kosovo, Algeria, Romania, Brazil, Cape Verde, Norway, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Slovakia, China, Spain, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Venezuela, Iran, Poland, ghana, Australia, Senegal, Belgium, France, guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, UK and USA. Startup Weekend Davao is supported by Kickstart Ventures, globe Telecom, Philippine College of Technology, TechTalks.ph, Lifebit, Crea8tech Solutions, Ingenuity, PR Works and with the help of our media partners Davao Bloggers, SgEntrepreneurs.com, Webgeek. com, e27.sg, Newsbytes.ph and Rappler.com Be part of this intense and exciting event. No Talk. All Action. Launch a Startup in 54 hours! Interested parties may register at http://swdvo.eventbrite.com. For more information check out the website at http://davao. startupweekend.org.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

FOOD

Luho at Lusso TO define “luho”, one simply needs to look at the title of edge Davao’s lifestyle section. Indulgence, that is “luho”, and nothing deserves the term more than the Foie Gras Burger at Lusso.

The first time I had my deliciously fatty and overstuffed FoieGgras Burger was during a quick visit to Manila where my friends decided to have a couple of sandwiches for dinner. And once I had a taste of all that fatty goodness, I hAD to go back and I did. Located at the ground level of Greenbelt 5 in Makati, Lusso can be easy to miss since it does not have any loud signs outside. The dining area was relaxed and cozy yet exudes an air of luxury with the velour seats, marble finished walls, and huge chandelier. So there I was again ready to have another go at Lusso’s Foie Gras Burger. I also ordered another house specialty, their Olive oil ice cream. Olive oil you ask? YeS! The olive oil ice cream of Lusso is just simply divine with a rich fruity taste in the mouth and a nice salty finish thanks to

Lusso’salfrescoarea.

a sprinkling of salt on top. Too bad I forgot about the truffle salt laced chips but I guess I can forgo some calories, much to the relief of my already heaving belly. Dining at Lusso was an experience not to be missed, although a bit on the pricy side (expect a bill of around P600 to P800) it was worth the indulgence.

Takingabiteofthefoiegrasburger.

Theoliveoilicecreamwassimplydivine.

Lusso’s main dining area.

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Oops! Newly single Taylor Swift talks love as Cosmo declares her “Crazy for a Kennedy” WE won’t say Taylor Swift is difficult to date...but she is quite particular.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan’s December issue (on stands Nov. 6), the 22-year-old “Red” songstress laid out the dos and don’ts of being her boyfriend. “I can’t deal with someone wanting to take a relationship backward or needing space or cheating on you,” she said. “It’s a conscious thing; it’s a common-sense thing...I just don’t ever want to

The country-pop star, who recently split with 18-year-old Conor Kennedy, said she “[needs] that unexplainable spark” in a relationship. “I just need to see someone and feel Oh, no, uh-oh. It’s only happened a few times in my life, but I feel like if I was gonna be with someone forever, it would be

end up in a relationship

that isn’t fair ever again.”

and sporting a ponytail. The duo also took with them her beloved red dachshund, Louie. While she takes a break from the spotlight, Adele

hasn’t left it entirely, as her eponymous theme song for the new James Bond film, Skyfall, has breached the top 10 in the Billboard hot 100 chart.

Adele steps out in public for the first time since giving birth It’s a happy halloween indeed for Adele. The sultry-voiced singer went out for a walk Tuesday evening in London with beau Simon Konecki—the first time Adele has stepped out in public since giving birth to their first child, a bouncing baby boy, on Oct. 19. The couple has yet to announce the name of the newborn, who was nowhere to be seen. Adele and beau Simon Konecki welcome baby boy The “Chasing Pavements” songbird, however, looked happy and very relaxed as she hit the pavement in a comfortable-looking all-black velour outfit sans makeup

Russell Brand and Katy Perry reunited!

Exes attend Lakers’ season opener IF anyone was wondering, Staples Center is big enough to hold Russell Brand, Katy Perry and the proverbial elephant.

The onetime spouses both attended the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA season opener Tuesday, perhaps the first time they’ve shared any kind of public space since divorcing earlier this year. For the record, the pop princess and the Brand X host did not sit together—they were on opposite sides of the court in respective high-rent seating areas, according to eye witnesses—and there was no indication that they interacted. But we’re betting each

was clued in pretty quickly to the other’s presence! Of course, there were more awkward things than exes in the house tonight: Kobe Bryant and the home team lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 99-91, so no one was treated to an especially good show.

Also witnessing Dwight howard and Steve Nash’s disappointing regularseason debuts in Laker gold and purple? Courtside fixture Jack Nicholson, wearing a t-shirt with a seasonally appropriate image of a jack-o-lantern on it.

because I saw them and I thought, Oh, no.” “I’ve had a lot of dark and twisty situations happen,” Taylor added, borrowing a phrase from grey’s Anatomy. “Enough to realize that when someone exhibits signs of evoking a dark and twisty relationship and dark and twisty feelings, it’s not in-

teresting to me.” “I’ve learned when to get out,” she said. So far, her exes include John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Jake gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas and Cory Monteith. “I’ve never wasted too much time with the wrong person and that’s one thing I’m proud of.” We’ll give her that one.

A4 INdulge! STYLE ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

FitFlops launches all-new men’s line By Kenneth King Ong

ALreADY a favorite among women the FitFlop Autumn/ Winter 2012 Collection introduces the FitFlop Men’s Line inspired by the rise of mixed-living engineering, by the multitude of urban regeneration projects in and around London and the city’s fundamental daily lifestyle fusion of force and support. As always, every sandal, sneaker, slide and boot that FitFlop makes is engineered with their patent-pending original MICrOWOBBLeBOArD technology, which has been proven to make the wearers “FeeL GOOD” through the comfort and benefits it bring. SLING A classic thong sandal with a twist, FitFlop’s new Sling is ergonomically designed to promote freefeeling feet and is built on FitFlop’s patent-pending pressure-diffusing Microwobbleboard midsole. Available in textile/leather, and all leather options. RAFF A casual slip-on summer loafer with a subtle nod to nautical, FitFlop’s new raff is beautifully handcrafted in soft suede with a stitchand-rolled jute-edged foxing. Sport with linen trousers, cuffed chinos or a handsome slim cut suit. Built with FitFlop’s biomechanically designed tripledensity Microwobbleboard midsole. ST70 SNEAKER Classic styling meets modern ergonomics, in FitFlop’s groovy new ST70 sneaker. With a leather-and-suede mix paneled upper, contrast foxing and cushionedcollar heel cup, all built on FitFlop’s biomechanically designed triple-density MicrowobbleboardTM midsole, it’s a cool-looking shoe whichfeels great too. MONTY With ‘boater’ inspired styling, exceptional construction and comfort and world-class ergonomics inside, FitFlop’s new Monty

moccasin is perfect for the sports-mad man in ‘casual’ mode. Featuring FitFlop’s biomechanist-developed Microwobbleboard™ midsole. FF SUPERTONE M FitFlop’s bestselling men’s shoe - the Supertone M - is already iconic. With clean, modern, 1970s style lines, cool, simple structure, and

a padded back collar, you’ll wear it until it wears out (which might be a while). With FitFlop’s built-in foot pressure-diffusing, ergonomically engineered Microwobbleboard™ midsole. Take your pick from Original Leather, Nubuck, or Canvas. SUPERTOP The right kind of groovy

(not trying too hard yet not completely missing it) FitFlop’s men’s Supertop sneaker is made with supple leather facings, clean casual lines, a cush, ankle-height padded collar, and is ergonomically engineered so it feels amazing underfoot. The latest FitFlop Men’s Line is available in Davao at resToerun Abreeza, and Chimes Specialty Store.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012 Mindanao hosts Batang Pinoy November 7-10

apiTan City takes its turn to become launching pad for up-and-coming athletic superstars when it hosts the Mindanao leg of the philippine olympic Committee-philippine Sports Commission Batang pinoy Games 2012 on nov. 7-10. opening ceremonies will be held nov. 6 at the sprawling Jose Rizal Memorial State University Sports Complex which will also be venue for centerpiece events of track and field and swimming. dapitan City Mayor patri Bajamunde-Chan is expected to lead the local officials who will welcome the expected thousand athletes who will see action in 11 events, 10 of them qualifying events for the national finals. “We are looking forward to working side by side with the pSC in discovering athletic talents from this part of the country,” said Bejamunde-Chan who recently signed memorandum of agreement with PSC officials. Batang pinoy project director, pSC lawyer Jay alano said: “We believe that Mindanao particularly Zamboanga del norte is an

athletic powerhouse especially in combat sports and athletics.’’ The visayas leg of the Batang pinoy was originally set in Cagayan de oro, but organizers decided dapitan City is a better choice given its successful 2011 staging of the palarong pambansa. pSC chair Richie Garcia and commissioner Jolly Gomez are also expected to oversee the event. Similar qualifying legs were held for national Capital Region in Marikina City, northern Luzon in Lingayen, pangasinan, and Southern Luzon in Calapan, Mindoro oriental. Except in pencak silat which is a national final event, the gold and silver medalists in 10 other sports earn slots for the national finals in Iloilo City set for dec. 5-8. The Mindanao leg is the fourth of the five-phase qualifying that culminates in iloilo. visayas leg will be held nov. 21-24 in Tacloban City. Events on tap are arnis, athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, karatedo, lawn tennis, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis and pencak silat.

Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand, right, vies for the ball with Manchester United’s Luis Nani during the English League Cup soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London Wednesday.

SPORTS15

AdDU, HCC top Minda elims A

TENEO de Davao University and Holy Child College of Davao defeated separate rivals in the finals to rule the Mindanao regional championship of the MILO-sponsored 2012 BEST (Basketball Efficiency Scientific

Training) Center Small Basketeers of the Philippines- Passerelle twin tournament held over the weekend at the Goldstar Gym in Davao City. The winning teams will also represent Mindanao in the SBPPasserelle national finals

on Dec. 2 in Roxas City. They will be joined by the NCR champions La Salle Greenhills. Ateneo outplayed Corpus Christi School of Cagayan de Oro City, 64-59, to claim the SBP crown and Holy Child defeated Claret School of

Zamboanga City, 64-53, to top the Passerelle division. Lawrence Angeles scored 11 of his teamhigh 13 points in the first quarter to lead Ateneo to an early 20-5 lead in the SBP tournament for 9-11 years old.

ful serve and forehand. British third seed Andy Murray remained on course for his maiden Masters title of the season with a comprehensive 7-5 6-3 victory over French wildcard Paul-Henri Mathieu. “There were not too many rallies at the beginning. at the end of the first set it was a bit better, with more rallies, but it was a tricky match,” Murray told a courtside interviewer. In contrast, Djokovic enjoyed a great start before crumbling. “Great tennis at the start but I knew that the main problem today will be the continuity of my energy,” Djokovic, who had a stomach bug last weekend, told a news conference.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be after the second set. And during the second set I already felt that physically I’m down and I struggled every game.” Serbian press reported this week that Djokovic

had considered pulling out of the Bercy tournament as his father Srdjan is in hospital with respiratory problems but the second seed refused to blame his personal problems for the loss.

ONDON - Chelsea came from behind three times to overhaul Manchester United 5-4 after extra time and book a spot in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, earning sweet revenge for Sunday’s controversial 3-2 league defeat. Holders Liverpool, fielding a weakened side for the secondary cup competition, were knocked out by boss Brendan Rodgers’ former side Swansea City 3-1 while Norwich City came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1. Chelsea’s reward for prevailing in yet another high-scoring game is a trip to old foes Leeds United of the second tier in December while fourth division Bradford City will host Arsenal, 7-5 winners over Reading on Tuesday. Swansea have the luxury of a home clash against second tier Middlesbrough in the last eight following Wednesday’s draw and Norwich will host Aston Villa and their former boss Paul Lambert. Sunday’s league meeting between Chelsea and United was characterized by two home players being sent off, an offside winner and referee Mark Clattenburg being accused of using inappropriate language to Chelsea’s Nigerian John Obi Mikel. The cup game at Stam-

ford Bridge was just as action-packed and followed the recent theme in England of goals galore flying in, although Alex Ferguson and Roberto Di Matteo sent out vastly different teams from Sunday in the often maligned tournament. United netted first through Ryan Giggs before David Luiz scored for Chelsea from the penalty spot as United’s secondstring of young defenders continually showed their inexperience. Javier Hernandez grabbed the lead back for United after another defensive mistake before defender Gary Cahill again leveled matters on 52 minutes. United again went in front just before the hour mark thanks to Nani’s cool chip, but another penalty, this time from substitute Eden Hazard, sent the match into extra time. Daniel Sturridge, who had missed a host of chances throughout, nabbed Chelsea’s fourth by latching onto a poor backpass and there was even time for a Ramires goal and a Giggs penalty. “All we needed to do was see the game out and keep possession. I think the young players started to feel it,” Ferguson told Sky Sports. “We had control of the game. If you are leading

Djokovic knocked out of Paris Masters

ARIS - World number two Novak Djokovic suddenly ran out of gas as he was knocked out 0-6 7-6 6-4 by American Sam Querrey in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday. Serbia’s Djokovic, who will replace Swiss Roger Federer as the world number one next Monday, breezed through the opening set before losing control. Querrey was trailing 0-2 in the second set but dramatically improved after bagging his first game of the match. Djokovic, who had got into the Halloween spirit by turning up on center court wearing a Darth Vader mask, ended up being slayed by Querrey’s power-

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to Sam Querrey of the U.S. during their match at the Paris Tennis Masters tournament, Wednesday.

Chelsea beat Man United 5-4 L

3-2 in the final seconds of the game you really should see it out.” Di Matteo was overjoyed after a difficult few days for the European champions. “We showed on Sunday that we’ve got big characters in the dressing room and we had to show it again tonight. They showed a big big passion and pride to show they didn’t want to lose this game,” the Italian told a news conference. “It was a very exciting game of football to watch, a typical cup game, quite open at times, a lot of mistakes from both teams because there were a lot of young players involved.” Penalty saved Liverpool boss Rodgers, who left Swansea in the close season, saw the Welsh side prevail at Anfield to humiliate his stuttering side. Chico grabbed the opener for Swansea in the 34th minute as Liverpool also played a muchchanged side with forgotten man Joe Cole getting a rare look-in but failing to impress. The weakened hosts went 2-0 down midway through the second half through Nathan Dyer before substitute Luis Suarez pulled one back and Jonathan de Guzman sealed swansea’s first ever League Cup quarter-final spot late on.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 174 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - 3, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Duncan leads Spurs past Hornets 99-95 N

San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) drives to the basket over New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (23) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday.

EW ORLEANS -Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and those wily San Antonio Spurs showed the kids a thing or two. No. 1 draft pick Anthony davis fit right in for New Orleans in his pro debut, scoring 21 points with a dazzling variety of offensive moves, but the Spurs came through in the final minute for a 99-95 victory over the Hornets on opening night Wednesday. Parker hit the goahead 3-pointer with 49.6 seconds remaining, Duncan tacked on a couple of free throws and the Spurs celebrated at the end, having turned back a franchise that hopes to rebuild around a couple of rookies. davis and fellow firstround pick Austin Rivers both started for the Hornets, who fell to the bottom of the Western Conference last season after

trading Chris Paul to the Clippers. Rivers struggled in his debut, going 1 of 9 from the field and finishing with just seven points. Not so for Davis. Even with only one season of college, which he put to good use by leading Kentucky to a national title and earning player of the year honors, he showed no signs of being a tentative rookie. ‘’He’s only going to get better,’’ Hornets coach Monty Williams said. ‘’I love him because he takes losing hard, the way I do. He’s in there feeling like it’s the end of the world. You can’t help but love guys who take it in the heart the way you do.’’ Of course, considering how it was at Kentucky, this is going to take some getting used to. Davis and the Wildcats lost only two games last season. He’s halfway to that total with his new team.