Edge Davao 5 Issue 182 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

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Sports

Electric coop squabble confuses City Council O

fficials from opposing factions of the troubled controversial Davao del Norte Electric cooperative (Daneco) in Tagum city faced off on Monday as city legislators searched for ways to address the

Confusion stems from the duplication of functions of the two factions

confusion stemming from the in-fighting within the electric coop. Despite the appearance of

the factions’ counsels, nothing substantial was achieved after the National Electrification administration (NEa) and coop-

Page 16

Follow Us On FASCINATING. A “dancing” Santa Claus enthralls a hotel staff and young guest at the lobby of Tower Inn yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Paquibato issues

Verify first complaints against soldiers --Sara

aVaO city Mayor sara Duterte-carpio cited the need for city councilors to first verify information on soldiers based at a government infrastructure in the countryside before approving a resolution for the soldiers to vacate their position. she said it is very important to first establish whether information is either hearsay or mere propaganda of progressive groups supporting the rebels’ cause. The mayor said it would be better if city councilors do have a good

grasp of the situation in barangays where soldiers occupy public buildings. she said it must be stressed that soldiers should not be allowed to stay in barangay halls, and that barangay chairmen can tell the soldiers’ immediate superior to vacate the building if they are indeed using it for shelter. Duterte-carpio said based on her own verification, the soldiers are not really confined in the barangay hall,

FPAQUIBATO, 11

erative Development authority (cDa)-affiliated camps could not agree on the issue of billing, collection and power disconnection to member-consumers. Vice Mayor allan Rellon said

FIN TAGUM, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS BOC commends Tadeco as second top exporter T

aGuM agricultural Development company, inc. (TaDEcO), the largest contiguous banana plantation in the world, is once again recognized as among the top export performers in Davao city. in an official data presented by Bureau of customs (BOc), a total of 265,529,680 kilograms of fresh bananas valued at $71.68 million were exported by TaDEcO – making it the Top 2 exporter in Davao city. Dan E. Oquias, Oic Deputy collector for administration of BOc lauded this award of TaDEcO saying that being among the top exporters is a great achievement. “This recognition is a manifestation of the com-

pany’s desire to sustain growth and push for more advancement,” said Oquias. He added that besides contributing immensely to the export performance of the Port of Davao, this recognition attests to the significant economic development in the region. The award is TaDEcO’s second recognition from BOc collection District 12 following last year’s similar acclamation. On top of the list is stanfilco, a division of Dole Philippines, with an export volume of 384,618,094 kilograms amounting to $194.35 million. BOc also commended other top exporting companies including Dole Philippines, inc., Davao Bay coconut Oil Mill, inc., and legaspi Oil co., inc. who

completed the list of top five exporters. BOc commissioner Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon awarded the certificate of appreciation to TaDEcO and to other top performing exporters and importers on October 19, 2012 at the BOc collections district-Port of Davao. TaDEcO, the flagship company of the aNflOcOR Group of companies, is engaged in the production and export of fresh cavendish to international markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, singapore, Russia, china, and Middle East under the Del Monte brand. TaDEcO, the largest contiguous banana plantation in the world, produces more than 32 million boxes of fresh cavendish banana per year. [cyrielle P. Naig]

etc.,” she said, adding that involved agencies for possible undertaking are the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of social Welfare and Development (DsWD). The supplemental feeding program is seen as one of the solutions to provide the banana growers in the Davao region more market demand after being severely hit by the stringent sanitary regulations imposed by the china market on Philippine exporters this year, she said. loreto said local banana suppliers will have to sell some of their produce to the government for distribution to school children in the region where it is set to under-

go pilot-testing by next year. The DsWD has already identified some 21,000 school children eho would benefit from the feeding program which will be jumpstarted with the implementation as long as they are able to complete the business model next year. loreto called on banana exporters to strengthen the local market and not only focus on exporting banana products, saying that domestic demand is huge to keep the industry alive. The feeding program also includes other varieties of bananas such as lakatan and cardava. [PNA]

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DTI Davao pushes inclusion of banana in feeding program

HE Department of Trade and industry (DTi) Davao region is pushing for the inclusion of bananas in the government’s supplemental feeding program. Marizon loreto, DTi regional director, said they are in the early planning stage for the necessary policies for the implementation of the proposal to make bananas part of the feeding program for school children. “This is a good program as we see the importance of banana to the health of the children. We can pilot test this project locally by providing processed products such as banana chips, banana cakes,

PDEA-Davao presents drug pusher in court

HE Philippine Drug Enforcement agency (PDEa) in Davao presented Monday before the Regional Trial court (RTc) Branch 13 one of two notorious drug pushers operating in the region following his arrest on November 10. Emerson R. Rosales, PDEa-Davao director, said Marconi lim ambrosio, 39, of lim street, Toril was nabbed near his house in front of sto. Rosario church on Juan dela cruz street, Toril at around 6:30 p.m. saturday on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued

by Judge isaac G. Robillo Jr. on september 17, 2012. He said the suspect, who had been under surveillance, was recorded to have been delivering shabu and marijuana in Toril, Gsis Matina, DBP Village, san Rafael Village in Ma-a, Margarita Village in Bajada, Dacudao in Talomo, all in Davao city and some areas of the Davao region. The suspect is detained at the Davao city Police Office (DcPO). The bureau had earlier filed multiple drug charges against ambro-

FPDEA, 11

MARKER. Jason Magnaye, Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) chief, front, and Erwin Alfaraque, assistant city administrator, check out the Davao City Hall historical mark-

er that the city received recently from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines at the city hall building yesterday. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Jobs fair offers over one thousand vacant positions

VER 1,000 local and overseas job vacancies will be offered during the first fair to be organized by one of the pioneering online job portals in the county on Nov. 22 at the abreeza-ayala Mall along J.P. laurel avenue, Bajada this city.

Hazel Grace V. Juson, assistant sales manager of Jobstreet.com Philippines inc., an online job portal, said the one-day jobs fair will be staged in coordination with the regional offices of the Department of labor and Employment (DOlE) and Philippine

Overseas Employment administration (POEa). The fair will feature white-collar jobs or those in the corporate sector. Juson said at least 60 companies like banks, hospitals, schools, among others are set to participate.

gion through csc’s “leadership Branding: coaching for integrity and Excellence” program. csc Regional Director annabelle Rosell said csc

intends to be recognized as coach for government institutions to pursue integrity and excellence in achieving their respective organization’s vision and

mission. This leadership brand through nurturing coach style is anchored on csc’s vision to be asia’s leading

nant women be left at home so that therte will always be someone minding over their dwelling. He said in the past there were families who returned from the city after the holidays only to discover that their dwellings had been razed or destroyed by the elements in their absence. “coming to the city in droves brings more problems than merry-making.

The children and pregnant suffer the rigors of living in temporary shelters provided for them by the local government,” Mambo-o said. The city government through the city social service and Development Office (cssDO) set temporary shelters in the barangays of Toril, Tugbok, Matina, Bunawan, Bangkerohan and Buhangin to accommodate iPs who came

down for christmas. “ideally, it is better that they wait for the gifts to b sent to them, but we cannot also hinder them from coming down to the city for christmas,” he said. Mambo-o also appealed to residents to be more compassionate and share their blessings with the iPs who visit residence during the christmas season. [PNA]

CSC opts for agencies’ excellence

HE civil service commission (csc 11) is pushing for organizational excellence and integrity in all government agencies in the re-

This Christmas

FCSC, 11

Lumads advised not to come in droves

aVaO city councilor Berino Mambo-o has urged members of the indigenous peoples (iPs) or lumads not to come to the city in droves during the christmas season so that they could be accommodated properly by the local government. Mambo-o, head of the city committee on indigenous peoples, suggested that children and preg-

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 182 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

GenSan to provide free ICT training to peace advocates P

EacE advocates in General santos city and nearby provinces of south cotabato and sarangani are set to undergo specialized information and communication technology training (icT) through the city government’s enhanced computer literacy program (clP). Percival Pasuelo, executive assistant for icT of the city mayor’s office, said they have linked up

with the socsargen Peace Network to train peace advocates in the area on audio-visual production and presentation using various multimedia tools. The training, which is scheduled on Nov. 17, will feature modules on multimedia software like Proshow, sony Vegas, adobe Premiere and audition, he said. “The training will address their specific needs in showcasing and

promoting peace in the southern Philippines,” he said in a statement. Pasuelo said the upcoming training is in line with the celebration of the 2012 Mindanao Week of Peace, which is slated on Nov. 29 to Dec. 5. in response to the peace initiative, he said the city government offered its support through integration of icT into the program. Pasuelo said the one-

day training will not end on Nov. 17 but rather open more possibilities for the tri-people of the city to converge in learning new technologies without jeopardizing their cultures and traditions. “The digital video workshop is the passkey to open lasting partnership with peace advocates in Mindanao,” he said. last June, he noted that the city’s Madaris

SoCot to pilot test new property, business tax collection system

O V E R N MENT-OWNED and controlled Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) and the provincial government of south cotabato will unveil next month a new property and business tax collection system that is seen to further perk up the revenue gen-

eration initiatives in the area. Engr. Robert Deanon, acting south cotabato provincial assessor, said Tuesday they will start in December the pilot testing of the new system in surallah town based on an agreement earlier signed by the local gov-

ernment with PVB. “We’re currently studying the system’s implementation and specifically determining whether it is workable or not,” he said in a radio interview. Deanon said the pilot testing of the system by the municipal govern-

ment of surallah will help them decide later on if it would be fully adopted by the provincial government and the nine other municipal governments in the province. Based on the memorandum of agreement (MOa) signed in June by

FSOCOT, 11

Cong. Lagdameo allots P12 M for SK, ABC and BFP buildings

N order to fast-track the delivery of major services in the island Garden city of samal, cong. anton f. lagdameo, Jr. of the 2nd District of Davao del Norte allotted a total of 12 Million Pesos for the construction of office buildings for the liga ng mga Barangay/DilG, sangguniang Kabataan federation and the New igacos fire station here in the city as revealed by Ms. Generose Tecson, chief of staff of the congressman. Tecson commented further that “cong. anton wanted to strengthen the services in the barangay level thru his Barangayanihan Program and the aBc/ DilG and sK buildings will help ensure the attainment of these objectives. she further noted that “with these our barangay captains and youth officials will now have a more convenient place to plan their initiatives that would foster not only better relations but also, more improve services to their respective constituents. about the new BfP building being constructed, Ms. Tecson said that “cong. lagdameo is pushing to help modernize the fire fighting and rescue ca-

Cong. Lagdameo’s ABC Bldg.Project under construction in Igacos.

pability of the local Bureau of fire Protection here in the city and the construction of the new building is just the 1st step to this process.” she likened the project to a similar undertaking in Panabo city where the congressman also extended his help to modernize its facilities. The construction of the said buildings is now in different phases of completion and is expected to be

finished and operational before the end of this year. These projects are contiguously located within the new government site allotted by the city Government of iGacos just uphill from the location of the city hall. Of the total amount, lagdameo earmarked 5 Million each for the aBc/ DilG Building and the New igacos fire station while the remaining 2 Million will be spent for the

Pre-fabricated sK Building. in a similar development also in samal, cong. lagdameo is also said to be planning to put up a fish landing and storage facility in Kaputian District though at press time, this is still being initially coordinated with the Regional Office of the Bureau of fisheries and aquatic Resources (BfaR) in Davao city for its feasibility and needed requirements.

program benefited from the free training on basic computer operation and common Microsoft applications provided by the sHEEP-clP. sHEEP stands for social Transformation, Human Empowerment, Economic Diversification, Environment security and Regeneration and Participatory Governance and Transparency, which are the city’s main development thrusts.

Pasuelo said the enhanced modules of the sHEEP-clP presently cater to most residents to develop their skills and provide opportunities for employment. The free training programs are the brainchild of city Mayor Darlene Magnolia antonino–custodio, who had adopted sHEEP-clP as among the local government’s top priorities.[PNA]

Private workers in R-12 get P4-6 Cola increase

RiVaTE workers in Region 12 or the soccsksargen Region will receive additional cost-of-living allowance or cola of P4 to P6 in their daily wages starting Dec. 1, a regional labor official said. chona Mantilla, Department of labor and Employment (DOlE)-Region 12 director, said the additional cola represents the second tranche of the wage-related benefits set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for the region’s private workers. citing provisions of Wage Order Xii-17, the official said the area’s workers already received an initial cola of P6 to P8 upon its effectivity last april. Region 12 covers the provinces of south cotabato, sultan Kudarat, sarangani, North cotabato and the cities of General santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan, Tacurong and cotabato. Non-agriculture workers in the region presently receive a minimum daily pay of P270 as provided for in the wage order. it sets a minimum daily wage of P248 and P243 for the agriculture plantation and non-plantation workers, respectively. for workers in retail and service establishments, the current minimum wage is P246 for those employing more than 10 workers and P240 for those with less than 10 employees. But on Dec. 1, Mantilla said agriculture plantation and non-plantation workers will be receiving a minimum daily pay of P252 and P249, respectively.

she said workers in retail and service establishments that employ more than 10 workers will receive P250 while those in under 10 workers’ category will get P246. Mantilla said they’re presently moving for the implementation of just one or two average wages and the provision of productivity-based incentives for the region’s workers. “Management and labor will have more leeway when it comes to the provision of productivity or performance-based incentives than implementing across-the-board wage increases,” she said in a radio interview. The official said they will come up with a set of guidelines before coming out with the proposed productivity-based incentive scheme. Meantime, Mantilla assured that they are continually checking the compliance of business establishments and other entities in the region in terms of the implementation of the minimum wage rates. she said the agency’s inspectors have been making rounds of local companies and businesses on a regular basis to immediately address wage-related concerns of local workers. Mantilla said they have already subjected a number of employers to investigation due to complaints of non-compliance with the wage order. “We currently have a compliance rate of around 77 percent among local employers in terms of the labor standards,” she added. (allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Ozone Layer confab: Protecting our atmosphere for generations to come

HE world’s scientific community together with governments, international organizations and NGOs have gathered in Geneva last November 11 for the one-day seminar on Protecting our atmosphere for Generations to come. The event, organized by the uNEP Ozone secretariat in cooperation with the Government of switzerland, is reflecting on the accomplishments of the Montreal Protocol on substances that Deplete the Ozone layer since it was forged on 16 september 1987. “as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the

Montreal Protocol, we remember how far we have come as a global community in our efforts to save the ozone layer. in the 1980s, when scientists discovered the ozone hole in the antarctic, governments, industry, civil society and international organizations were quick to cooperate and do something about it. Because of their unwavering commitment in the last 25 years, we are slowly reaping the benefits and the ozone layer is recovering,” said Mr. Marco Gonzalez, Executive secretary of the Ozone secretariat. last month, the Na-

tional aeronautics and space administration (Nasa) and National Oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOaa) of the united states announced that the 2012 size of the antarctic ozone hole is the smallest in 20 years. The maximum size this year was 8.2 million square miles, in contrast with the largest ozone hole ever of 11.5 million square miles in 2000. under the Montreal Protocol, governments must commit to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate their production and consumption of ozone depleting sub-

stances (ODs) following an agreed timetable. The Montreal Protocol has been signed and ratified by all the nation-states of the world, and because the compliance rate of the Parties is very high, the global community has managed to phase-out 98% of historical production and consumption of ODs. “The Montreal Protocol is truly a good model for an international treaty. it is the only universally ratified multilateral environmental agreement, and in these times when we face increasingly complex and interrelated environmental issues, it is

useful to look at it and see why and how it is working,” stated Mr. Gerard Poffet vice director of the swiss federal Office for the Environment switzerland. The Montreal Protocol has also assisted in avoiding tens of millions of cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts, which would have cost trillions of dollars in healthcare expenses. Moreover, the treaty has caused unforeseen benefits for the climate, because by phasing out ODs, countries has also eliminated emissions equivalent to 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide “as we step into a new

phase of implementation, we must be continually committed because new challenges are ahead,” said Mr Gonzalez. “We need to phase-out tens of thousands of ODP tones of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and governments and industries have an opportunity to select more sustainable alternative technologies that are not detrimental to ozone and climate and at the same time, are more energy efficient,” he added. The seminar was followed by the 24th Meeting of the Parties which started last November 12 and will on November 16. [uNEP]

PHL’s low-carbon UNDP joins Climate and Clean Air Coalition dev’t bid gets boost c s

EVERal of government’s partners will help further enhance efforts for facilitating the Philippines’ shift to low-carbon development which emphasizes reduction in resource- and energy-intensive practices to achieve climate change mitigation and sustainable socio-economic progress. united Nations Economic and social commission for asia and the Pacific (uNEscaP), the united Kingdom, asian institute of Technology (aiT) and non-government organization asian Women’s Network on Gender and Development will conduct online training for six weeks for better orienting and capacitating Philippine public and private sector stakeholders on promoting green growth. Green growth is environmentally sustainable economic progress which fosters development that is socially inclusive and low on emission of carbon dioxide (cO2). Experts identified cO2 as among greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, raising global temperature that drives

climate change. “There’s no time to lose,” uNEscaP Environmental affairs Officer aneta Nikolova said Tuesday on the side of the first national seminar the partners held in Metro Manila to orient the stakeholders on green growth policy tools for low-carbon development in the Philippines. she raised urgency for green growth particularly in the developing world, which includes the Philippines, noting human population is ballooning while resources are becoming more scarce. “climate change also poses a challenge,” she noted. among climate change’s impacts on countries are onslaught of destructive weather extremes and sea level rise. “Places like the Philippines are impacted more than the others,” noted steph lysaght, who heads the British Embassy’s Political and Economic section. The partners will conduct the online training after the seminar. Modules for the online training will be on new growth strategy for asia and

the Pacific, environmental tax and fiscal reform, sustainable infrastructure and the way forward. ”last week of the training involves developing a one-page case study related to showcasing applicability of green growth policy approach in the country,” the partners noted. Public and private sector representatives who participated in the seminar can avail of the online training through the Green Growth On-line e-learning facility. ”They can afterwards help provide green growth orientation and training to colleagues in respective institutions,” said Ric Enriquez, chief of Human Resource Development service under the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources which is supporting the undertaking. He noted such strategy will contribute towards increasing knowledge and action on promoting green growth nationwide. ”action for green growth can be incorporated in the institutions’ respective work plans,” he said.

liMaTE change threatens to undermine hard-won human development gains and the longer the world waits to act the more costly the damages and solutions will become, uN Development Programme (uNDP) administrator Helen clark has recently declared. speaking at stanford university in california, Helen clark warned that

With call for urgent action to avert catastrophic impacts

without more coordinated global action to tackle climate change it will be increasingly hard to reduce poverty in all its dimensions and the costs of adaptation will also rise steeply everywhere. “uNDP recognizes that the world’s 2.6 bil-

lion poorest people will be hardest hit by climate change and that its impacts could reverse decades of human development gains unless pre-emptive action is taken,” Miss clark said. “for the world to stay under the two degree cel-

and us Navy. “There is no dumping and we would not allow any dumping in Philippine waters most especially in subic,” Tuason said. The PcG official said they were surprised after reading the news item from one of the daily broadsheets since there was no actually discharge of waste in the country’s territorial waters. “When you say dumping, the wastes were discharge directly from ship towards the sea waters but in fairness to Glen Marine no actual so far dumping was done,” stressed. The PcG official explained that when the us

Navy vessel arrived, there was already a support ship as part of their contingent. Tuason noted that there was a transfer of waste from the us Navy ship to the support vessel, M/T Glenn Guardian but the said firm failed to notify the coast guard that they will performed a waste transfer from the navy ship to its support vessel. “in the last transfer, there was no spotted spill or leak. The water is clean,” Tuason insisted “since January, we haven’t received any application for dumping permit from Glen Defense Marine asia inc.,” he added.

FUNDP, 11

Coast Guard official denies dumping report off Subic Bay

HE Philippine coast Guard denied reports ships of Glenn Defense Marine asia inc. dumped hazardous waste off the waters of subic Bay in Zambales. Rear adm. luis Tuason, Jr., PcG officer-in-charge and vice commandant for operations, also said there is no truth to the report the M/T Glenn Guardian, a ship owned by the salvage firm, hurled liquid waste in the locality last Oct. 15. Glenn Defense Marine asia inc. is commissioned by the united states Navy to collect the waste product during military drills between the Philippines

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 182 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

THE ECONOMY

Gov’t innovations influence PHL’s new growth model Public optimism to be coupled with tangible investment results, says Neda

HE National Economic and Development authority (NEDa) said the Philippines has an evolving economic growth model that particularly involves political and administrative innovations related to good governance. speaking during the 1st asian Regional Roundtable jointly conducted by the OEcD Development centre and the asEaN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (aMRO), Dir. Rosemarie G. Edillon of the NEDa-National Planning and Policy staff said that this model, though not yet formally represented, also takes into account public trust in government institutions as a factor for spurring national development. “We have an evolving model that still involves labor and capital. innovations play a huge role, but more importantly, political and administrative innova-

tions. Not only do the latter improve overall efficiency, we think that they exert a secular impact on both labor and capital. That is why innovations call for immediate implementation. Over the medium term, we need to bring in technological innovations,” said Edillon. Edillon added that the perceived quality of institutions is partly determined by the outcomes of these innovations, such as strengthened fiscal discipline and strategic public investments. “The emphasis on good governance addresses a lot of obstacles that previously constrained our growth path. since this administration focused on addressing these constraints, the country improved its global competitiveness and transparency rankings,” said Edillon. The Global competitiveness Report 2012-2013 of the World Economic fo-

REPAIR. Cellular phone technicians are seen repairing damaged cell phones inside Lachmi Shopping Mall along San Pedro Street yesterday. The demand for cellular phone repair services is slowly declining due to the decreasing prices of brand new cell phones in the market. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

rum ranked the Philippines 65th among 144 countries in their 2012 survey, a significant jump from 75th place last year. in 2011, Transparency internation-

al reported that the Philippines improved from 2010’s 134th place to 129th out of 183 most corrupt countries in their 2011 corruption Perception index.

“GDP grew 6.1 percent in the first half of this year while unemployment rate went down even with a growing labor force, the result of renewed confidence

in our domestic and political situation. However, we need private investments to achieve rapid and sustained growth,” the NEDa official said.

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 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Coal Asia still undervalued a

fTER trading at 30-50% above its listing price, coal asia Holdings, inc. (PsE:cOal) is still being seen as an undervalued company based on current valuation and market capitalization. in compliance with PsE requirements related to the iPO, coal asia has decided to engage an accredited third party company to re-evaluate and revalue the coal resources of its subsidiary Titan Mining and Energy company (TMEc). a previous valuation was done last May 2012 by Multinational investment Bancorporation (MiB) which, based on data from March 2012, has valued the coal reserves at a combined amount of 123 million metric tons (MMT) at P12.5 billion. But recent data as of June

and July of this year has initially claimed that the previous valuation based on the existing coal operating contracts (cOc’s) in Davao Oriental and in Zamboanga-sibugay may actually still be undervalued because of current coal prices and estimated yield from the aforementioned cOc’s. in the same way, market capitalization is at P4.24 billion as of the last trading day. That means the company stock price still needs to jump by at least 300% for it to meet MiB’s previous valuation. coal asia believes that in order to be true to the investing public, this re-revaluation has to be made. “Based on the results of the revaluation, the corporation shall conduct a study on options to enhance

stockholders benefits. The enhancement in the corporation’s assets will allow it to have retained earnings, and will result to a possible buy-back program depending on a surplus situation,” coal asia said in a filing. another factor which solidifies the company’s valuation is its plans to be involved in the power production especially for the Mindanao region. The projected volume of the operations of coal asia’s subsidiary, Titan Mining and Energy, is enough to supply the expected explosion in demand by large scale energy producers racing to establish their coalfired energy generating plants in the region as they prepare to bridge the gap of supply of the current power needs of the region. as one of the few ma-

jor coal mining players in the area, coal asia has established a key position by initiating discussions with the DOE and other power companies that plan to expand operations in the southern part of the country for long-term supply agreements. Positive talks with large power producers have been initiated and talks of a minemouth power plant set-up have been mentioned. To add to its commitment to the energy sector, coal asia’s affiliate, colossal Petroleum corp., signed a memorandum of agreement to buy into VenturOil which owns service contract (sc) No.6 covering the offshore oil and gas exploration rights to Northwest Palawan encompassing the cadlao and Bonita oil fields.

exports in september 2012, which includes Hong Kong (15.8%), Vietnam (15.6%), Taiwan (10.4%), china (9.9%), and Thailand (0.2%). “The strong export performance mainly reflected the moderate improvement in global economic activity as industrial production and business confidence indicators showed signs of recovery,” said Emmanuel f. Esguerra, Deputy Director-General

of NEDa’s National Development Office for Planning and Policy. Japan recorded the steepest fall in exports with an 11.8-percent decline in the same period, followed by indonesia (-9.4%), singapore (-4.8%), and the Republic of Korea (-2.0%). for the first three quarters of 2012, the National statistics Office (NsO) reported that total merchandise exports reached us$40.1 billion, which is up by

7.2 percent from us$37.4 billion in the same period last year. “The Philippines is only one of four East and southeast asian countries that posted positive growths in the first nine months of 2012, along with Vietnam (18.3%), china (7.4%), and Hong Kong (1.8%),” said Esguerra. according to the NsO, annual gains in shipment revenues from manufactures (29.0%), forest products (185.0%) and petroleum (7.4%) supported the robust growth of total merchandise exports in september 2012. Manufactured exports rose to us$4.1 billion from us$3.2 billion in september 2011. This was due to higher revenues from miscellaneous manufactures (1,434.8%), electronic equipment and parts (142.5%), wood manufactures (87.2%), electronic products (1.1%), processed food and beverages (23.1%), baby carriage and toys (56.2%), iron and steel (59.3%), furniture and fixtures (16.6%) and footwear (134.1%). “improved overall demand for the country’s manufactured exports was mainly due to the generally favorable developments in global industrial production, with new orders further showing signs of expansion following persistent declines,” the NEDa official said. However, electronic exports grew by only 1.1 percent (us$1.83 billion) in september 2012 following five consecutive months of contractions since april 2012.

PHL exports record highest growth in East, So. East Asia

aluE of merchandise exports grew 22.8 percent to us$4.8 billion in september 2012 compared to a year ago, making the Philippines the strongest performer among its East and southeast asian neighbors for the period, according to the National Economic and Development authority (NEDa). The Philippines emerged on top of countries in the region that posted positive growth in

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

SURPLUS STORE. Two ladies window shop for second hand television set at a surplus store along San Pedro Street yesterday. Many people preferably buy used appliances like television especially those who favor the price factor more than the quality. [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

ICT HUB

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 182 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

New version of ‘world’s cheapest tablet’ unveiled i

NDia has launched a new version of its ultra-low-cost tablet computer with a quicker processor and an improved battery, on sale to students at the subsidised price of $20. The aakash tablet, dubbed the world’s cheapest computer, has been developed as a public-private partnership aimed at making computing technology available to students in a country where internet usage is only at around 10 percent. Makers of the tablet, Britain-based Datawind, say the aakash 2 is powered by a processor that runs three times faster than the original, has a bigger touchscreen and a battery with a life of three hours. “Technology enabled learning is a very important aspect of education,” indian President Pranab Mukherjee said sunday at an official launch function. “This must be adapted to our specific needs and introduced expeditiously in all educational institutions across the country,”

he added. The first version of the aakash was launched by the government in October last year but it was marred by problems including a short battery life, initial long waiting lists and difficulties with distribution. The paperback-book-sized aakash 2, developed by indian engineers at elite iiT public universities, runs the Google operating system android 4.0 and has a screen measuring seven inches (18 centimetres) wide. “unlike the previous version which was a non-starter, this time around there are some functions and features around the android tablet which make it a decent computing device for that price,” stated pluggd.in, an indian website that analyses gadgets. The first 100,000 devices will be sold to students at engineering colleges and universities at a subsidised price of 1,130 rupees (20 dollars) and subsequently aakash 2 will be distributed to book

Software engineers pose with the Aakash 2 computing tablets in their lab at the Indian Institute of Technology campus in Mumbai. The Aakash tablet has been developed as a public-private partnership aimed at making computing technology available to students. [AFP]

stores in indian universities. Datawind says the commercial sale price without subsidies for aakash 2 is 3,500 rupees

(64 dollars). Over 15,000 teachers at 250 colleges have been trained on the use of aakash for education, according to india’s human

resource development ministry. The country has nearly 115 million internet users, giving it the the third-largest number in the world

after china and the united states, but low penetration rates, data from the internet and Mobile association of india (iMai) shows.

the recent launch of the iPhone 5 device and the aggressive marketing dollars being pushed toward Windows 8, we view it as a modest positive that a date is now officially set for the launch of the new BB10 devices,” Wells fargo analyst Jennifer fritzsche wrote in a note to clients. RiM has said it plans initially to roll-out touchscreen devices. Phones with the mini QWERTY keyboards that many long-time BlackBerry users rave about will come a few weeks later, while lower-end versions of both devices will be launched later in the year. The company did not say when the devices will be available in stores. That will be announced at the event. Evercore Partners analyst Mark McKechnie believes the BB 10 devices will be available within two to four weeks of the launch event, but some such as Peter Misek of Jefferies expect the devices to go on sale only in March.

VER 20 percent of people with a high-speed internet connection will abandon a video clip if it has failed to load up after 5 seconds and 75 percent give up after a 10-second delay. further proof that improving internet connection speeds are making users more and more impatient comes in the form of a study from Ramesh sitaraman, a computer science professor at uMass amherst. according to his research, users start abandoning video content after 2 seconds if it isn’t loading and, with every subsequent second that passes without the video starting to play, 5.8 percent more viewers will quit the clip. That means that within 10 seconds more than 20 percent of viewers will have abandoned a long clip (more than 30 minutes in length) and that almost 60 percent of viewers will have deserted if the clip is under 30 minutes in length.

When the results were analyzed by connection type, users with fiber optic internet connection were the most impatient, with 75 percent of users giving up after 10 seconds, compared with 20 percent of mobile internet users. in fact, it would require a 50-second start-up delay for 75 percent of mobile internet users to abandon a clip. The study, published this week, analyzed and collected data from 23 million video playbacks by 6.7 million unique users -- making it the largest of its kind -- the majority of whom were based in the us and Europe. it also correlates with the latest figures from sandvine. The broadband service company’s data shows that in the us YouTube accounts for almost a third of all downloaded mobile web traffic in the us while facebook is the most popular upstream site (ie, users upload more to it than any other internet destination).

RIM to introduce new BlackBerry 10 devices O R

EsEaRcH in Motion ltd plans to introduce its new line of BlackBerry 10 smartphones on January 30, the company said on Monday, giving investors a measure of confidence the long-awaited devices are approaching the finish line. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company, a one-

time pioneer in the smartphone industry, is betting its future on the new line of products, which will be powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system. RiM has struggled over the last two years as its devices lost ground to snazzier and faster smartphones such as apple inc’s iPhone and samsung Electronics

co ltd’s Galaxy line. in a brief statement, RiM said the twice-delayed devices will be launched simultaneously in multiple countries. it will introduce two BlackBerry 10 smartphones, along with the platform that powers them at the event. “While it is clearly an uphill battle for RiM given

The exterior of one of the Research In Motion Limited (RIM) buildings is shown in Waterloo July 10, 2012. [REUTERS]

Internet video viewers have a two-second attention span

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO 2013: The year of tax reform

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

( Conclusion )

COMMENTARY By Grover G. NorquiSt aNd Patrick GleaSoN

EDITORIAL

Sotto’s lame excuse

ENaTOR Vicente sotto iii believes he did not copy us senator Robert f. Kennedy’s famous 1966 Day of affirmation speech. if at all, he says, it is a flattery. copying, according to senator sotto, is the highest form of flattery. facing complaints of plagiarism for a speech delivered on the senate floor of the exact filipino translation of the famous Kennedy speech, sotto now delivers his excuse. He reportedly copied the lines from a text message sent to him. finding the text message appropriate for his privilege speech in the plenary session tackling the controversial RH Bill, he said he used the quotes. Oh well, he claims he is not familiar with the quotes, he never suspected it had been delivered some time ago. if we go by the argument of sotto that copying is the highest form of flattery, don’t be surprised if counterfeits, piracy, copyright and patent violations continue to proliferate. as if that was not enough, sotto insists that he is not guilty of copying because he did not pass it off as his own. Plagiarism, a term not defined by statute, has a popular or common definition. To plagiarize, says Webster, is “to steal and pass off as one’s own” the ideas or words of another. stealing implies malicious taking. Black’s law Dictionary, the world’s leading English law dictionary quoted by the court in its decision, defines plagiarism as the “deliberate and knowing presentation of another person’s original ideas or creative expressions as one’s own.” The presentation of another person’s ideas as one’s own must be deliberate or premeditated—a taking with ill intent. There is no commonly-used dictionary in the

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world that embraces in the meaning of plagiarism errors in attribution by mere accident or in good faith. in a recent case, even the supreme court had to deal with issues of plagiarism when associate Justice Mariano del castillo was accused of lifting from a decision of a us court. The supreme court, in explaining the plagiarism accusations justified the judicial attribution as different from the definition of plagiarism because “decisions of courts are not written to earn merit, accolade, or prize as an original piece of work or art. Deciding disputes is a service rendered by the government for the public good. Judges issue decisions to resolve everyday conflicts involving people of flesh and blood who ache for speedy justice or juridical beings which have rights and obligations in law that need to be protected. The interest of society in written decisions is not that they are originally crafted but that they are fair and correct in the context of the particular disputes involved. Justice, not originality, form, and style, is the object of every decision of a court of law.” With that explanation, the case of associate Justice del castillo was closed and the principles of stare decisis enshrined within the province of judicial attribution, not plagiarism. The same cannot be said of sotto. Not even his lame excuse. He may insist that he did not pass the quotes as his own but his failure to attribute its source—even after discovery by the public--is obviously bad faith. The problem with sotto is that despite his apparent penchant for copying original works and using the same, albeit without admitting it as his own, he is not man enough to humbly accept his fault. as if apology is very hard to imitate. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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ORTH carolina is not alone in pursuing pro-growth tax reform next year. louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is also planning for it. and, as a governor, when Jindal sets out to do something, he gets it done. This year, for example, school choice and pension reform were his top priorities. By the end of session, he had signed bills that improved the solvency of the state pension system and created the nation’s second-largest school voucher program. Jindal has already announced that his top priority for the 2013 legislative session will be tax reform. Though details of the plan are still coming together, in recent public statements Jindal has sketched an outline for reform that would lower rates and broaden the base by eliminating some preferential tax treatment. The direction that Jindal would like to take the tax code could, like the reforms being discussed in North carolina, make for a more efficient tax code and also improve louisiana’s economic competitiveness. as Jindal’s Departments of Revenue and Economic Development explained in a joint report last month, “a broad base with low rates and few exemptions makes it easier for taxpayers to understand and comply with the tax system and for the state and local governments to administer it.” While personal income tax relief puts more money in the pockets of individuals and families, it also increases the job-creating capacity of small businesses, many of which, as sole proprietors or partnerships, file under the personal income tax system. at the same time, it is wise for states to reduce and move to eliminate their corporate income tax, one of the most economically damaging levies, and one that doesn’t even generate that much revenue for states. On average, states get a paltry 3 percent of general fund revenue from corporate income taxes. Most states could easily offset the elimination of their corporate tax through broadening of the sales tax base or modest spending restraint. Both would make a state more attractive to potential employers and investors. it’s not just louisiana and North carolina. lawmakers in a host of other states, including Oklahoma and Mississippi, are also developing plans for major tax reform in 2013. it could help their economies. as Harvard economist Dale Jorgenson recently explained to congress, rate-lowering federal tax reform would provide an economic boost, increasing long-term u.s. output by $7 trillion, he approximates. similarly, state lawmakers can stoke economic growth where they live by crafting revamped tax codes that make their states more competitive regionally, nationally and globally. While a number of states are due to compete next year to see which can implement the most pro-growth tax reform, Democratic-dominated states — including illinois, california and connecticut — are moving in the opposite direction. They are raising rates and shrinking the tax base, with disastrous results for their state coffers and economies. it might appear as though Governors Jerry Brown of california and Pat Quinn of illinois are driving their state economies off a cliff. But remember that no governors or states are total failures — some just serve as bad examples. The tax reform battle on capitol Hill next year will get most of the media attention. But keep an eye on the states: Major tax showdowns are set to take place in numerous state house Gucci gulches in 2013.

EDGEDAVAO

Uncomfortable business squeeze

OViNG fROM ONE EXTREME TO aNOTHER – in any business relationship, people express diverse views and opinions and some are negative. for example, the country’s banana export industry is no longer easy as it used to be. But people in the business can’t panic in the face of the first person who refused to buy their products due to allegations that Philippine cavendish banana for export are contaminated with organism that causes health problems. One of the top earners especially in the Davao region is banana export, but is now facing a lot of constraints in expanding new markets after china, one of the biggest importer stop buying because of the apparent failure of exporters to comply with its stringent quarantine requirements. in a market where product standard and quality can still stand much improvement, growers and exporters must provide a guide to both the quality requirement and the companies that produce them. Right now, banana growers and exporters are enthusiastically participating in trade and investment promotions aimed at discovering ways to create new markets. Of late, though, growers and exporters are keen on establishing links with some interested importers from south Korea, Japan and australia. However, there’s a big problem that blocks their way. australia has no intention whatsoever to buy Philippine bananas citing the phyto-sanitary issue as the main reason behind the decision of health authorities to impose a ban. australians, of course, are investing in and exporting to all markets especially in the BiMP-EaGa Business Triangle and the rest of the asian region and, most if

not all likewise are investing in and exporting to australia. still, the strict quarantine requirement – is hobbling the country’s banana industry. But there is potential to do more what with the australian ban on Philippine bananas still in effect. The recent holding of a two-day Mindanao Banana congress in Davao city that was able to gather all the active players involved in the banana industry is significant in terms of looking at new market areas where they can sell their products. There are other developments such as the possibility that aside from south Korea and Japan, other countries might as well develop links with filipino banana exporters and, in the process try to make business in the country. Banana growers and exporters therefore must move from one extreme to another and prefer to think the strict quarantine regulations and operational problems are typical of the emerging markets, “not because it’s china or australia.” But that actually offers little comfort to growers and exporters. and for the banana industry to fully emerge, all those directly involve in the business have to address the concerns in a more reasonable way – slowly but surely. The concern for all, particularly for growers and exporters is how they can make sure the pursuits they undertake are actually adding a bit of value. They should always bear in mind that one of the disappointing things that came about as a result of the china and australia ban

on Philippine bananas was that the dollar revenues plummeted to the bottom of the country’s export earnings. if nothing else, the banana export crisis has focused the minds of growers and exporters on their socio-economic problems. Mindful that all the uncertainty raises the possibility of social unrest brought about by massive retrenchment of workers, some companies have been trying to find ways to cushion the impact of the export slowdown. The economy dependent on the banana industry isn’t actually crushing totally, but a ban imposed by few bigger markets would be an uncomfortable business squeeze. a few years ago, banana export was among the most popular channels for investing in the country. several pioneering companies involved in the banana export business notably those based in the Davao region seemed assured of fat contracts and big profits during the flourishing years. Now, with the export activities slowing down and the economic growth uncertain, many banana plantations, in particular those being managed by small growers and cooperatives look more like the road to ruin than the path to economic prosperity. Well, attracting buyers should be the main concern at these stage therefore product standards - disease-free produce and excellent quality are the top priorities. and competitiveness must be really uppermost in the minds of people in the industry. The authorities have also shown to be very responsive and supportive and, growers and exporters are likewise very far-sighted in responding to challenges. We have confidence in their capability to adapt to the twists and turn in the banana industry.

evokes a macho image, were alienated. Too much product diversification is bad. Nostalgia tourism is just one of the many tourism sub-species continuously developed to keep pace with the changing demands of the market. it appeals to the finer sense of local history and culture, belongingness and strong familial ties. The unwritten rule of bringing home pasalubong is just one trivial proof of that. New technologies may be tapped to create and deliver modern versions of old experiences of a group of people. save for the pre-Hispanic settlements, south cotabato is actually a land of migrants from luzon and the Visayas. its capital city, now the regional center of sOccsKsaRGEN region, has the distinction of being one of the only three ilongo-speaking cities in Mindanao. at least two generations were already born in the province since the post-commonwealth pacification program of the national government. Eventually, many of these south cotabateñeous went abroad or to other places in the country for better in-

come and lifestyle change. Most of them, however, still feel attached to their families and homes in the province. cognizant of the potential, its local tourism office [arts, culture, Tourism and sports (acTs) Promotions unit] designed a Balikbayan program highlighted during the T’nalak festival in July every year. it has two-pronged objective, that is, to unite global south cotabateñeous via nostalgic treatment at home. The program started in 2008, using mainly email addresses gathered from high school reunion databases. utilizing new technologies, program managers went online. The program even has its own faceBook page, in addition to the local government website. it now has more than 800 registered and active respondents, an excellent increase from 150 individuals four years ago. around 250 of them came home last July and attended the Balikbayan Night held on the eve of the province’s foundation anniversary. lately, Randy Ortiz, a native of the province and renowned figure in the Philippine fashion industry, was honored and some of his awesome obras were featured during the night. This year, balikbayans were formally organized into an association, working closely with the provincial tourism office. Varied projects are already in place; its members are desirous of being tourism ambassadors of their province abroad.

South Cotabato’s Balikbayan Program---nostalgia tourism at work

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

OuRisM product development does not only involve enhancing destinations or creating tourist activities, such as festivals, safaris or sports adventure, among others. Higher development stage requires the creation of market niche-based products that respond to a peculiar need of tourists as typical consumers. Many, if not most, local government units in Mindanao have confined themselves in developing natural and man-made attractions only. They create festivals of all sorts---many of them have strange names. some no longer reflect the genuine indigenous culture and tradition; many of them are unlikely to be sustained, paying lip service to the cultural communities once a year. Others have completely diluted the core image of its tourism brand, confusing their market and eventually leading to inefficient tourist traffic rate despite expensive and noisy promotions. in 1990s, Harley Davidson, one of the best brands of motorcycle in the world, introduced to the market varied product offers bearing the HD insignia. These included perfumes, wine coolers, socks, shampoos, neckties, kids wear and even infant clothes! Of course, it was a quintessential example of a brand failure. Those new products were an anathema to the masculine image of HD brand. HD’s core customers, used to the rumbling sound, the freedom of the open road and everything that

Obama and the super-rich ( Conclusion ) ANAlYSIS By chryStia FreelaNd

“

THis is no longer a nation where white middle-class suburbanites control the destiny of the country,” Nasaw continued. “Black voters, latino voters, young voters aren’t going away, and they are going to vote their self-interest. Their self-interest is with a larger government and with a government that recognizes that there has been, over the past couple of decades, a power grab by the wealthy, by corporate interests, by financial interests.” What makes that mandate particularly powerful is the president’s relationship with the 1 percent during the 2012 election campaign. Much of Wall street fell in love with Obama in 2008. The support of some of america’s most admired and forward-thinking financiers had particular impact during the Democratic primaries, when Obama, then a relatively obscure illinois senator, needed all the backing he could get against Hillary Rodham clinton. When it comes to policy, Obama wasn’t a particularly bad leader for the most affluent americans, particularly those in the financial sector – incomes at the very highest levels have recovered much more swiftly from the financial crisis than those of the middle class, and the Troubled asset Relief Program was essential for Wall street. But Obama was a severe disappointment when it came to the softer side of serving his wealthy supporters. The handwritten letters, White House photos and private policy discussions that are the accustomed quid pro quo for major donors did not happen. The result was a business community that nursed something much more painful than a mere substantive disagreement with the president – its leaders felt personally disrespected. That drove many of the president’s political supporters to despair – would it be so hard, they wondered, for him to write a few thank-you notes? But he didn’t – and he won anyway. “The president really chafed at the idea that he needed to kiss the ring of Wall street,” said Jacob Hacker, a Yale political science professor and leading thinker about the role of money in u.s. politics. “He rightly resisted the calls to do that, and i think the result will embolden the president a bit.” Hacker believes that money continues to play a huge role in politics, particularly through lobbying around specific issues, and in races that have less national visibility, like many congressional contests. But, overall, he sees in the results this week a vindication of the power of mass democracy. “it means that your votes matter,” Hacker said. “if you can mobilize your voters, that is a pretty strong antidote to the role of money in politics.” The good news for Wall street, for the 1 percent, and for the united states as a whole, is that pretty much everyone expects the president to be magnanimous in victory. “Obama is not going to turn into some Bolshevik,” skocpol said. “He is going to try to work with the business community, as he always has. He is not going to be insulting them now; he’s going to be inviting them to dinner.”

10 NATION/WORlD NATION BRIEFS

Support

Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is now a member of the British House of lords is set to arrive in Manila today to support the Mindanao peace process, the British embassy in Manila said. lord David Trimble, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 along with John Hume for efforts that led to a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern ireland, will be in a five-day visit in the Philippines.

Minimum

lacement agencies in the Emirate of Dubai have agreed to give a $400 (more or less P16,500) monthly minimum salary for filipino household workers, following the steps recently taken by saudi arabia. according to labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, this was after licensed recruitment agencies (lRas) in the Philippines signed a joint statement of commitment with their counterpart placement agencies in Dubai.

Confirmed

he office of Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late us senator Robert f. Kennedy (RfK), has confirmed the authenticity of a strongly worded statement against senator Vicente “Tito” sotto iii that began to circulate widely on the internet over the weekend. The statement chastises sotto for “his unethical, unsanctioned theft of Robert Kennedy’s intellectual property and the intellectual property of all those whose work he has plagiarized.”

Knocking

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Philippines is world’s most affordable ‘English teacher’ T

HE growing number of foreign students flocking to the Philippines to learn English has prompted a london-based news website to call it “the world’s low-cost English teacher.” “There might be other countries that people think about as a classic place to learn English, such as the u.K., the u.s. or australia. But there is one key reason that they are switching to the Philippines. it’s much cheaper,” BBc said in a report. Quoting a Pinoy English teacher, BBc said local rates of $500 for a 60hour class is about a third of the prices for equivalent courses in u.s. or canada. such deals have attracted more and more students, with the report citing Bureau of immigration data which saw applications for student visas triple to 24,000 last year year from 8,000 in 2008. While most students are from asia, particularly Japan, Taiwan and Korea, BBc said filipino English schools have also began teaching people from countries such as iran, libya, Brazil, and Russia. aside from the low cost, Pinoy English accent

South Korean students prepare to take the College Scholastic Ability Test, a standardized exam for college entrance, at a high school in Seoul, in 2011. As every year, the focus of the education-obsessed country narrowed for one day to ensuring the

is also seen as a major advantage. “filipinos speak with a clear american accent--partly because the Philippines was a u.s. colony for five decades, and partly because so many people here have spent time working in call centres that cater to a u.s. market,” BBc said. These outsourcing firms train Pinoys to “sound indistinguishable from americans,” it added.

smooth running of the exam, seen as a defining moment that can hold the key to everything from future careers to marriage prospects. [AFP]

Graduate and post-graduate courses in the Philippines are also gaining greater international attention. “The main reasons that attract them are, again, the cost - and the fact that, in the country’s top universities, all classes are held in English,” BBc said. it added that sky-rocketing costs of education in many parts of the world and the ease of finding out about programs in oth-

er countries are pushing more students to enroll in schools abroad. “[E]nglish-speaking nations like the Philippines are primed to cash in on this trend,” BBc said. However, the report also highlighted stumbling blocks to being a destination for English learners. “living here means coping with the bureaucracy and corruption, and if you’re in Manila, the heavy pollution,” BBc said.

Global agreement adopted to curb illicit tobacco trade

n an apparent bid to strengthen the participation of overseas filipino workers in the elections, the government has gone as far as knocking on OfWs’ doors and asking them to enlist for the polls. The initiative dubbed “Katok Bahay” is aimed at making registration easier for filipinos whose schedules or distance from consulates may prevent them from enlisting through the regular program, a statement from the Department of foreign affairs said.

Fake

glaring “shortcut” in obtaining a favorable flight safety rating resulted in the august 3 plane crash that killed then-interior and local Government secretary Jesse Robredo and two others, President Benigno aquino iii announced Tuesday. Quoting results of the investigation conducted by the aircraft accident inquiry and investigation Board (aaiiB), aquino bared that in November 2011, aviatour, the flight school and air taxi service that operated the ill-fated Piper seneca plane, used a fraudulent test flight clearance to prove the aircraft’s airworthiness.

EDGEDAVAO

More than 170 countries Monday adopted what World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan called a “game-changing” global pact to combat the illegal tobacco trade.

ORE than 170 countries Monday adopted what World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Margaret chan called a “game-changing” global pact to combat the illegal tobacco trade. The treaty envisages an international tracking system which aims to halt the smuggling and counterfeiting of tobacco

products -- a trade which accounts for 11 percent of the total tobacco market and costs governments an estimated $40 billion in lost tax revenue. “This is a game-changing treaty,” chan said in an address to a meeting in seoul of the WHO’s framework convention on Tobacco control (fcTc), which has been ratified by 176 countries

since coming into force in 2005. “This is how we hem in the enemy,” she added, calling the pact a major step towards “eliminating a very sophisticated criminal activity”. The protocol gives signatory states five years to establish a tracking and tracing mechanism on cigarettes and every other tobacco product. The sys-

tem will use non-removable markings and will be coordinated globally to detect illegal tobacco trading. agents, suppliers and tobacco manufacturers will all have to be licensed. Manufacturers will have to carry out checks on customers to ensure they are genuine or if they have associations with criminal organisations. in her address Monday, chan lambasted the tobacco industry for seeking to “maintain its profits and kill at the same time” and accused it of complicity in the illicit tobacco trade. “it is a ruthless industry that quite literally cannot afford to lose. “it behaves like a corrosive substance that can eat and slip through any cracks or fissures in the armour of our defences,” she said. Monday’s pact marks a departure for the fcTc, whose main focus so far has been on curbing demand for tobacco products rather than controlling the supply chain.

WORLD TODAy Jealous

he fBi uncovered the affair that led to the resignation of cia chief David Petraeus while investigating threatening emails sent by his lover to a second woman, us media reported. Petraeus, an american hero credited with turning the tide of the iraq war, resigned on friday after admitting an extramarital affair, sending shockwaves around Washington just three days after President Barack Obama’s re-election.

Exhumation

alestinians on Tuesday began work to open the grave of the late Yasser arafat ahead of an exhumation of his body for a murder probe, a source close to his family told afP. “Today they started removing concrete and stones from arafat’s mausoleum and the work will last for almost 15 days,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Urged

xiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai lama on Tuesday urged Japanese parliamentarians to visit Tibet, and for china to investigate the dozens of self-immolations by Tibetans. “i always ask the chinese government: Please, now, thoroughly investigate. What is the cause of these sort of sad things?” the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai lama told a group of Japanese lawmakers

Air strikes

srael launched three air strikes on the Gaza strip early Tuesday, and militants fired a rocket into southern israel, hours after Gaza groups said they were ready for a ceasefire with the Jewish state. The air raids hit an uninhabited area to the west of Gaza city, without causing any casualties, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said. in a statement, the israeli army said the strikes targeted a weapons facility and two rocket launch sites.

Bombing

syrian warplane bombed the town of Ras al-ain for a second day on Tuesday, metres (yards) from the Turkish border, sending up thick plumes of smoke and causing residents on the Turkish side to scurry for cover. forces loyal to President Bashar al-assad are trying to regain control of Ras al-ain, which fell to rebels on Thursday. The offensive has caused some of the biggest refugee movements since the syrian conflict began in March last year.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 182 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

IN TAGUM...

PDEA...

FFROM 1

the NEa and cDa factions were invited to Monday’s session of the sangguniang Panlungsod to shed light on the issue about the duplication of functions of the two factions as well as the public’s apprehension over threats by NEa to cut off power to members who paid their bills to the cDa. The cDa-affiliated management occupies the Daneco-Tagum office in Magugpo East village while the NEa group maintains collection outlets at substations throughout the coop’s service areas covering compostela Valley and Davao del Norte provinces. “We want a win-win solution to this problem so as not to create further confusion and discomfort to member-consumers,” Rellon told the council. Each group claims legitimacy, accusing the other of being unauthorized and therefore illegal, much to the consternation of several city councilors. lawyers Jeorge Rapista and Gleen Blair carnicer served as counsels for NEa and cDa factions, respectively.

FFROM 2 city councilor Tristan Royce aala expressed indignation over what he perceived as a “veiled threat” by the Daneco-NEa group in a letter addressed to the city councilors about billing, collection and disconnection policies, copies of which were furnished to the commission on audit (cOa) and the office of the Ombudsman. “What’s the reason behind this letter to us being furnished also to the cOa and Ombudsman? are you trying to threaten us? if we pay to the cDa (group) you will file cases against the city councilors?” aala asked Rapista. The lawyer apologized and explained the letter did not intend to threaten anyone, but the “courtesy copy” to cOa and the Ombudsman was a normal procedure as “NEa is under these government agencies.” “We are here not to pick a fight but to explain everything to the public, put everything in perspective,” Rapista said. The counsel for Dan-

eco-NEa also clarified they would honor bill payments made to the cDa group before Oct. 25, the date he said the other side (cDa group) virtually lost legitimacy after the cDa suspended its membership in the wake of the controversy. Rapista said they would proceed with the disconnection of electricity to members who did not pay to NEa, but only “after a thorough investigation and evaluation.” The cDa group, on the other hand, vowed to stand by the member-consumers who settled their electric bill obligations at their office. “if the NEa group disconnects, Daneco-cDa reconnects,” said lawyer carnicer, adding his group would even provide legal assistance to any member-consumer sued by the NEa group. city councilor Robert so said the two factions may settle their differences before the courts, “but should not affect the coop’s delivery of power service to consumers.” [PNA]

by the barangay officials who agree with the soldiers on the kind of living arrangement in the area. Duterte-carpio said propaganda coming from progressive groups about the situation in Paquibato does not reflect the general sentiment of the residents in the area. “if the information is left-leaning, we validate and if it has no basis, only propaganda, then we discard it,” she said, adding that more than the issues happening in Paquibato, the conflict

between the military and the rebels is also a propaganda war. she said accusations must be validated and if found to be true, clear solutions must be imposed favoring the local government functionaries like the barangay captain so that he can perform his responsibilities effectively for the community. Duterte-carpio said the city has allocated a P150-million worth of road network in Paquibato that will link 13 of its barangays to the city. [PIA 11]

of thinking strategically, leading change, building commitment, partnering and networking, managing performance, developing people, and coaching for results. in a recent launching activity of the csc leadership Brand at csc Davao del sur field office in Digos city, Rosell urged all government agencies to embibe leadership branding for integrity and excellence. she emphasized the

importance of involving the agencies’ stakeholders in improving the everyday dealings with the clients. Rosell said csc is committed to coach by supporting, helping, empowering, equipping and developing each agency’s human resource and organizational development program. she added that csc wants to see people they support rise up, soar and succeed. [Pia 11/carina l. cayon]

PAQUIBATO...

FFROM 1

but only on the general area of the barangay office. she said soldiers cannot be told to leave if they are not actually occupying the buildingas their shelter. “i sent personnel to barangays lumiad, Mapula and Malabog to verify complaints about the soldiers either occupying government buildings or encamped beside a school,” Duterte-carpio. she reiterated that every peace and development team in the countryside is welcomed

CSC...

FFROM 2

center for strategic and premier human resource and organizational development, Rosell stated. she said that coaching for integrity and excellence leadership brand is derived from the institution’s desired image of being known for people and for organizational integrity and excellence. Rosell said that csc is professionalizing state workers towards public service excellence by way of promoting the qualities

sio and his brother, Benjamin, and a certain Buro Buat on October 4, 2011 before the city Prosecutor’s Office. last October 2, PDEa agents figured in a shootout with the ambrosios and one Buro Buat during their buybust operation at DBP Village in Maa. confis-

SOCOT...

cated from them were a bag of shabu and marijuana and a caliber .45 pistol. The suspects, however, managed to flee onboard their vehicle. PDEa agents proceeded to their house in Toril at around 11 p.m. to implement a search warrant issued by the

RTc Branch 12 Judge Pelagio Paguican but the suspects were not there. Recovered from the ambrosios house were several sachet of marijuana and shabu , firearms and assorted drug paraphernalia. Police recovered their get away car the following day. [PNA]

timekeeping and payroll system, wherein all employees are enrolled and issued with timekeeping identification cards that also act as their payroll automated teller machine or aTM cards. The bank had installed a Veteran Teller aTM unit at the provincial capitol and also benefits from its deposit pick-up and cash delivery services. south cotabato Gov. arthur Pingoy Jr. said the new system will mainly provide an automated or computerized real property tax (RPT) assessment and collection facility for the province. as part of the system, he said, PVB, which is the provincial government’s depository bank, will serve as collecting agent for local tax payments.

in preparation for the installation of the new system, the office of the provincial assessor directed the province’s municipal and city assessors to transmit all data with regards to real property tax administration. RPT or realty taxes in the province are presently collected by the provincial, municipal and city treasury offices in the area based on assessments made by the office of the provincial assessor. The tax, a briefer noted, applies to all forms of real property such as land, building, improvements and machinery. collections from the real property tax are shared with smaller local government units that compose a province or a city. [PNA]

said. “all countries can act to head off the worst impacts of climate change while also generating new industries, jobs, more sustainable ways of living, thus laying the foundations for a more stable and peaceful world,” she added. compelling scientific evidence indicates that fast action to reduce shortlived climate pollutants, such as black carbon, has the potential to slow down the warming expected in the first half of this century by as much as 0.5°c. Numerous focal areas for work by the coalition seek to promote near-term reductions of short-lived climate pollutants at a substantial scale worldwide and engage high-level stakeholders. uNDP’s contribution to the coalition will focus on reducing the negative impacts of hydroflurocarbons (Hfcs) on climate. uNDP is currently implementing on-ground projects showcasing safe and energy-efficient technologies with low global warming potential in the air conditioning, refriger-

ation and foams sectors in india, indonesia and Malaysia under a bilateral programme with the us Department of state. The selection of the region and countries reflect their potential to serve as a platform for future adoption of alternative technologies and scale-up by industry internationally. future support for various Hfc-related initiatives is expected from the coalition and will supplement the funding from the Multilateral fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and other sources, to achieve additional environmental goals, such as improved energy-efficiency and a lower overall climate footprint. actions on Hfcs are seen as most cost-effective, particularly if designed in parallel with the phase-out of Hcfcs under the Montreal Protocol. The coalition is catalyzing rapid reductions in black carbon (or soot), methane and some Hfcs to protect human health and the environment now and slow the rate of climate change within the first half of this century. [UNEP]

FFROM 3

the provincial government and the PVB, the province’s 10 municipalities would adopt the single property and business tax collection system developed by the bank. “The new system will automate real property and business tax collections operations thereby enhancing the delivery of such services to each municipality’s constituents,” PVB said in a statement. it said that since the provincial government would also be using the same tax collection system, it would mean seamless interface between each municipality and the provincial capitol. aside from the real property and business tax collection system, the local government also availed of PVB’s

UNDP... FFROM 4

sius increase in temperature, set as a threshold beyond which there is believed to be catastrophic and irreversible change to our climate, we all need to do much more, first to stabilise and then to reduce emissions radically,” she said. Helen clark also announced uNDP’s membership of the climate and clean air coalition, the first global effort to treat short-lived climate pollutants -such as black carbon (or soot), methane and many hydrofluorocarbons (Hfcs) - as an urgent and collective challenge. The coalition is a partnership between governments, non-governmental organizations and international entities and its 36 members include Bangladesh, Germany, Ghana, sweden, usa, stockholm Environment institute, climateWorks foundation and the uN Environment Programme. “uNDP looks forward to working together with the coalition partners to achieve widespread benefits for sustainable human development,” Miss clark

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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.

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Realty

EDGEDAVAO

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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 182 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Make the good choice with Super Value SIM M

aNY mobile phone users are so focused on getting the coolest handsets they often miss the one important thing that actually make these phones run – a network provider. subscribe to other network providers and you may end up paying a lot more than you intend. a good network provider offers more value for less, provides more options to its subscribers, has reliable connection and wider coverage that

extends outside of your area. sun cellular is all these and more which explains the rapidly growing sun community and thousands of mobile phone users who are subscribing to the network every day. With its better service options, expanded network coverage powered by PlDT, affordable products, reliable connection and efficient customer service, sun cellular is without a doubt a good network choice. Moreover, its pioneering “un-

Smart, WebGeek to hold foursquare hackathon

EaDiNG wireless services provider smart communications, inc. (smart) and WebGeek Philippines (WebGeekPh) are inviting local application developers to the country’s first foursquare hackathon on December 1. The event, called foursquare Hack Day Philippines, will be the first foursquare-approved developer event outside the united states. spearheaded by the smart Developer Network (smart DevNet), the telco’s developer community, the event is anchored on the existing partnership between smart and foursquare labs, inc. The latter is the company be-

hind foursquare, the leading location-based social networking service that allows users to “check in” at specific locations and share information with their social networks. foursquare is widely used worldwide and has a large fan base in the Philippines. foursquare apps are available in all leading mobile platforms such as iOs, android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone. co-organizing foursquare Hack Day PH is WebGeekPh (webgeek.ph), the community for filipino geeks, developers, designers, and startups. attractive prizes await developers who will build

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SMEs WORKSHOP. Senator Loren Legarda gives her “Redefining Development” book, “Message of Our Times” book and the Disaster Preparedness and First Aid Handbook to (L-R) Mr. Dennis Wright, CEO of Peregrine, Mr. Tim Gohoc, Managing Director of UPS, and Mr. Alexander Feldman, President of the US-ASEAN Business Council, after her opening remarks at the ASEAN SMEs Training Workshop. Legarda, author of both

the Magna Carta for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and the Barangay Kabuhayan Act, emphasized that MSMEs are the lifeblood of ASEAN economies. The workshop, organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council, was held at the Asian Institute of Management on November 12.

the best mobile app using the foursquare aPi (application programming

foursquare location and recommendation platform. The hackathon or

interface), which will enable them to come up with apps that interact with the

programming marathon will be conducted over a 9-hour stretch at the event.

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DC bets eye BPinoy golds D

aVaO city’s Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg champions are eyeing no less than the gold medals in the national finals slated Dec. 5 to 8 in iloilo city. chess wizard austin Jacob literatus, Davao’s youngest fide Master who swept a total of six golds to lift the city chess team’s 11-3-2 gold, silver and bronze haul in the Mindanao eliminations, said he already expects who they will be playing against in the nationals. “sa chess, kabalo nami

sa mga posible namong makaatbang ngadto sa iloilo kay pirmi naman namo sila makadula sa mga torneyo. Tun-an ra namo ilang mga tira. Praktisan usab namo ang mga lahi-lahing openings ug mag andam nga kondisyon among lawas ug panghuna-huna para sakto among preparasyon,” literatus said during the Davao sportswriters association (Dsa) forum at the Tower inn yesterday. The Doña carmen National High school (DcDNHs) standout swept the

boys individual standard, blitz and rapid golds in the regional qualifying. He also led the city’s three-gold output in boys chess team events. independent liberty Baptist academy swimmer Hakura Jade shimizu, who seized four golds, said she’ll do her best two win gold, saying, “This is my first time to join the Batang Pinoy national finals. i really don’t know what i will be up against but i will try to win the gold.” chess gold medalist

irish Yngayo, for her part, said she’s ready to play against the best woodpushers of the country while her elder sister lorraine aims to bring home the gold. Dhona Yngayo, who bagged five golds in Dapitan, admitted it will be a stiff contest in the nationals. “i wasn’t able to play in last year’s regional eliminations. This is my first time to play in Batang Pinoy regional and national. it will be very difficult to play

family, or rolling down with the strollers or simply carrying a kid on a father’s broad shoulders. (LEAN DAVAL, JR.)

prepare for the national championship. “They (athletes) have very short preparation time but we will help them in whatever capacity we can extend. i think it will be a great morale-booster for them that the city government will shoulder their traveling expenses including meals. We’re hoping for another respectable finish in iloilo,” Elegino said. Davao city collected a total of 50 golds, 36 silvers and 19 bronzes in Dapitan.

Ed sacapaño of Philippine army; anto Gonzales and Phil and James Younghusband of the loyola Meralco sparks; ian araneta and chieffy caligdong of Philippine air force fc; Jason de Jong of Penson stallion Giligan’s; Jason sabio of Kaya fc; and u-23 squad member Joshua Beloya. also in the roster are some foreign-based players, namely fil-English Rob Gier and chris Greatwich and fil-icelandic Ray Jonsson. The friendly match marks the second time the azkals face singapore this year, with the filipinos scoring a 2-0 victory in their encoun-

ter last september 7. But singapore is expected to be more formidable this time with the return of naturalized striker aleksandar Duric, who recently bagged his third Best Player of the Year in the s.league, singapore’s top professional football league, after steering his club Tampines Rovers to its second straight league crown. after the match, the azkals will head to Bangkok, Thailand for the 2012 suzuki cup, where they look to surpass their historic semifinal run in the same tournament two years ago.

Azkals bare line-up vs Singapore

T DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. Sunday’s Milo National Marathon Qualifying Race showcased Davawenyos unique ways of running—be it with the young tots in the

against those from the National capital Region (NcR) but i will give them a good fight,” Dhona said in the vernacular. ateneo de Davao university’s John Marvin Miciano, a triple gold winner, said he will continue to solve puzzles and play internet chess to prepare himself for the big event. cholo Elegino, officer-in-charge of the sports Development Division of the city Mayor’s Office (sDD-cMO), said iloilo-bound city athletes barely have a month to

HE Philippine national men’s football team released Monday the lineup for its friendly match against singapore in cebu on Thursday – the azkals’ last match before heading to the 2012 asEaN football federation suzuki cup this November. Tapped by coach Hans Michael Weiss to represent the azkals are Marwin and Marvin angeles, Misagh Bahadoran, Jeffrey christiaens, carli de Murga, Juani Guirado, Demit Omphroy, Paolo Pascual, Patrick Reichelt, Matthew uy and Denis Wolf of Global fc; Roel Gener, Nestorio Margarse and

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 182 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

WOMEN

A wedding ceremony is the most romantic occasion in every couple’s life. Nowadays, a sunset wedding at the beach scores highest on the romantic index and has become the ideal choice for most couples. The sunset reflects serenity, splendor, beauty and romance. It gives, by nature, a stunning scene for the wedding and, to a certain extent, eases the fuss and need for elaborate decors.

For the beach wedding of my friend, Junji Arias, and his French bride, Anais Thoret, the whole venue, setup and ambiance were right on target and purpose. But what made it more fun and unforgettable were great music and company. On this note, I’d say there were several comic reliefs that added life to the ceremony and induced more giggles and smiles than tears. The title, for example, would probably conjure chuckles from the wedding guests and friends who’ll see it by first glance. To put it innocently (for the

other readers’ sake), let’s just relate it to the fishes in the beach where the wedding took place. Music artist / composer Junji, whose family tree

extends to the Pamintuan family of Davao City, had quite a number of celebrity friends present in his wedding. In a nutshell, it was a gathering of people from the music and showbiz industry who witnessed the love affair of Junji and Anais right from day one. Drawing up a crowd near the altar was no less than Piolo Pascual himself. We even joked him to stand by one corner so the crowd would follow him, thus giving the photographers the opportunity to

take photos of the newlywed couple. The vista view of the sky touching the endless expanse of the dark blue sea produced a wonderful scenery when the Pastor gave away the much awaited line, “You may now kiss the bride”. The rich colors of the sky and sea served as a picturesque background for that snapshot. The reception turned into a showdown of voice talents and brave hearts. Best man Norby David

FA GUPPY, A4

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP aND aBOUt

Spread a little kindness this Christmas

ChristMas is truly an exciting time as we look forward to celebrating the season with family and friends, picking out gifts for our godchildren and family members and planning for that sumptuous Noche Buena gathering. But more than that, have we ever thought of how we can spread good cheer to the people around us – the fellow worker sitting next to you, the security guard at the door, our househelp and drivers, or that homeless person at the streetcorner? this year, abreeza Mall makes Christmas more meaningful

hEaLth

7 chocolate myths exposed

MeDIA headlines about chocolate often feel bittersweet. One week it’s good for you and the next week, it’s bad. If you believe the chocolate hype, you may worry it’s causing you skin problems, making you fat or even messing up your sex life. But chocolate lovers may be surprised to learn that it’s much healthier than other sweet treats.

Here’s a look at seven common chocolate myths and some healthy truths. Myth: Eating chocolate makes your skin break out While this urban legend has been passed on for generations, science has failed to connect chocolate consumption and acne. A review in the Journal of the American Medical Association from 1970 concluded that, “diet plays no role in acne treatment.” A more recent Lancet review of acne found no evidence suggesting restrictive diets reduce acne. Myth: It tastes good, but it’s not a health food Chocolate is considered a superfood by many health experts. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate actually contain more immune-boosting antioxidants than blueberries, cranberries, acai, and other superfruits, according to a peer-reviewed 2011 study in Chemistry Central Journal. Chocolate in its natural state is one of the best sources of magnesium, chromium and iron, according to David Wolf in his book Naked Chocolate: The Astounding Truth About the World’s Greatest Food. Wolf also says it contributes to longevity and a Harvard study of almost 8,000 healthy men did find that those who ate chocolate lived longer than those who didn’t. Research has also found that “flavanol-rich chocolate and cocoa products may have a small but statistically significant effect in lowering blood pressure by 2-3mmHg in the short term.”

as they spread the sPirit OF KiNDNEss to celebrate the yuletide season. the festivities kick off with a Christmas Launch with concert king Martin Nievera, who celebrates 30 years of music through his songs in his album 3D tatlong Dekada. on November 16, 3 pm at the activity Center. Joining him in the show are talents from the LCB Performing arts showcasing excerpts from the Nutcracker and the kids from tumble tots, who will sing with him in the finale. the highlight of the launch shall be the lighting of the Christmas tree, beautifully adorned with gold and white décor, as a symbol for everyone to shine forth and spread the light of kindness. this heralds the start of a series of events to inspire and enkindle in our hearts the true meaning of Christmas. the Christmas launch coincides with abreeza Mall’s weeklong Pre-Christmas Whirlwind sale from November 12 - 18, with stores offering up to 80% discount on apparel, shoes, gifts and goodies. On November 17, customers can catch the 24/7 in Love Mall tour with Gerald anderson at 5 pm at the activity Center and shop overtime with mall hours extended till 11 pm. Other upcoming mall events include the Jobstreet Career Fair on Nov. 22, Jollibee Fun Day on Nov. 24 at 10 am and 3 pm, the Company Live at abreeza on Nov. 25 and the Mindanao trade Expo Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 26 – Dec. 1. to help spread and celebrate the spirit of kindness, abreeza Mall will also partner with 5 local foundations through a Kindness station, from December 8-15. they are supporting the organizations’ livelihood projects by inviting them to sell their merchandise at the mall during the weeklong fair. Customers are encouraged to give their share of kindness by patronizing their goods for a good cause. Mindeed, little acts of kindness can go a long way. a simple gesture, a warm smile or a gentle touch can change one’s life and make it more beautiful. this Christmas, spreading kindness starts at abreeza! to know more about abreeza Mall’s Christmas events, visit the Concierge counter or check them out on Facebook and twitter.

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Myth: Chocolate makes you fat While chocolate consumption could pack on pounds with its extra fat, calories and sugar, a recent study in the Archives of Internal medicine found that consuming small amounts of chocolate on a regular basis kept people thin, regardless of total calories consumed per day or how much participants exercised. “In a cross-sectional analysis of nearly 1,000 participants, frequent consumption of chocolate was associated with a lower body mass index,” according to Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, Calif. Myth: Dark chocolate is the best kind Chocolate experts refer to chocolate beans as cacao and the powder made from them as cocoa. So you want to look for a dark chocolate with a high content of cacao—at least 70 percent— to reap the health benefits. But you may want to consider other aspects of your chocolate including whether it’s organic or how it was processed. Cacao content is a quantity measure, not quality, according to Clay Gordon, author of Discover Chocolate and founder of The Chocolate Life. “Reading the ingredients label—making sure it does not contain anything

but highly nutritious ingredients—is more important than percentages when it comes to determining the flavor and quality of a chocolate,” Gordon wrote. “Healthier chocolates are ones that have been minimally processed, like raw chocolate.” Raw chocolate means the cacoa beans are coldpressed and maintain more of their naturally occurring compounds. Many raw chocolate bars also use natural sweeteners like coconut sugar or maple syrup instead of white, refined sugar. Myth: You can use it like coffee to boost your energy Most people are surprised to learn that milk chocolate has a pretty small amount of caffeine—about 12 milligrams—or just a little more than an 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee. Dark chocolate can have slightly more with about 25 to 40 milligrams per serving. It’s still a far cry from the 415 milligrams found in a 20-ounce venti Starbucks coffee, according to Consumer Reports. Both milk- and darkchocolate varieties contain theobromine, a close relative to caffeine but with less stimulating effects. Myth: It’s better than sex Many chocolate dessert recipes tout the message “better than sex,” but science has yet to prove them right. A study released in 2007 did measure brain activity

in a small group of volunteers and found that when chocolate melted in their mouths it created a bigger boost of excitement than kissing. “While we fully expected chocolate—especially dark chocolate—to increase heart rates due to the fact it contains some highly stimulating substances, both the length of the increase together with the powerful effects it had on the mind were something none of us anticipated,” wrote lead author Dr. David Lewis, a neuropathologist. They measured the response by checking levels of a chemical called phenylethylamine (PeA), which gets released into our brains both during sex and when we eat chocolate, producing more endorphins known to make us feel good. Myth: People who eat more chocolate have more cavities Actually researchers have found that chocolate helps protect against tooth decay and stop the spread of mouth bacteria. The World Dental Organization says that fermentable carbohydrates (FCs) cause cavities. While chocolate does contain FCs, cocoa butter helps coat teeth, protecting them developing cavities. Recently, chocolate milk came under fire in schools but the American Dental Association has no official stance on whether it’s a friend or foe to teeth.

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Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner among best dressed at Breaking Dawn Part 2 premiere

FOr the last and final twilight world premiere, the fashion was most definitely in full force.

From dramatic floorlength works of art (à la Judi shekoni) to curvehugging glamour gowns as seen on Christian serratos, the incredible looks at tonight’s Breaking Dawn Part 2 premiere were far from ordinary. Julianne hough vamped it up in a bewitching black gown,

while ashley Greene was positively angelic in a blush pink one-shoulder design by Donna Karan atelier. and last but certainly not least, leading lady Kristen stewart seized the day in an unapologetically seductive Zuhair Murad gown that featured three elements that only a confident style maven could pull off: nude, sheer and lace. Vava-voom!

and when E! News asked the star how she felt in her show-stopping look, she shrugged nonchalantly and said, “i don’t know. But i do like this thing, so i feel all right.” impressive, no? K.stew sizzled like never before and barely noticed while the world watched with bated breath. tell us what you think! Which Breaking Dawn Part 2 look was your favorite?

different and they compliment both of you as individuals,” K.stew said.

“and i think you both look gorgeous tonight.” aw, shucks.

Robert Pattinson talks about his first time: “It was terrifying”

it’s hard to think of robert Pattinson being scared playing Edward in the twilight movies. But he was. at least at the very beginning. “it was terrifying,” he told me and my E! News cohort Catt sadler at tonight’s Breaking Dawn Part 2 premiere at L.a. Live. “i was shooting the last fight scene and i almost ripped my glute. i almost ripped my glute in the first shot i ever did. i was so nervous. i had to have a physio called in and have my butt cheek massaged for the rest of day.” r.Pattz looked dapper in a green hound tooth Gucci suit. it happened to be the same color as, well, mine! sadler asked Kristen stewart who she thought wore it better. “Well, i think they’re so

INdulge! A3

A4 INdulge!

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WOMEN ENtErtaiNMENt

A GUPPY...

FROM A1

(from Rivermaya), played popular tunes which got everybody singing and jammin’, including tone deaf moi. It was, however, Rachel Alejandro’s powerful vocals that got my boyfriend to back out from his attempt to take center stage to sing a couple of songs. “When it pours, it rains.” Despite the bipolar weather, nothing could rain in this parade. Friends and family partied all night long, even extending past midnight, making it one of the most “epic” wedding parties on record. Photos from Jodje Ledesma, Vincent Garrucho, Marijac Pamintuan.

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D’Antoninsanity

l sEGuNDO, calif. (aP) -- Pau Gasol got home from the game and read about it on Twitter, while Dwight Howard got a midnight message on his BlackBerry. They shared most los angeles lakers fans’ mix of surprise, trepidation and anticipation. Just when everybody thought the lakers were getting back together with Phil Jackson, they switched course in the middle of the night and went with Mike D’antoni. What a weekend in Hollywood - and the real drama isn’t over yet. The lakers reacted with ample excitement and a little bewilderment Monday to their front office’s surprising decision

to hire D’antoni as coach Mike Brown’s replacement over Jackson, the 11time champion who discussed the job at his home saturday and apparently wanted to return. D’antoni didn’t even interview for the job in person, speaking to the lakers over the phone. ‘’it has been crazy, but all this stuff will just make this team stronger,’’ said Howard, who has been in a lakers uniform for about six weeks. ‘’Everything that we’ve been through so far, it’s going to make us stronger, and we have to look at this as a positive situation.’’ The lakers’ third coach in four days won’t take over the team until later in the week. D’antoni still hadn’t been cleared to travel Mon-

day after undergoing knee replacement surgery earlier in the month, although the lakers are optimistic the former Knicks and suns coach will arrive in los angeles on Wednesday. so interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff was still in charge Monday when the lakers gathered for an informal workout ahead of Tuesday’s game against san antonio. Just two weeks into the regular season, the lakers (3-4) are about to start over with a new offense and another coaching staff - and a renewed certainty they’re expected to compete for a title this season. ‘’it’s been a zoo,’’ said forward antawn Jamison, a 15-year NBa veteran who played for D’antoni

on a u.s. national team. ‘’But as i was telling somebody, it’s just a typical day here in l.a. it’s interesting. ... it should be a lot easier to adjust to than the system we were trying to get adjusted to early on in the season. We’ve got steve (Nash) that can help us out.’’ Two lakers who supported both Brown and his two potential replacements weren’t available in El segundo to weigh in on the hire. Nash missed the workout while getting treatment on his injured leg, while Kobe Bryant left before it ended to share a helicopter ride back home to Orange county with point guard steve Blake, who needed an exam on his abdominal injury.

SPORTS15 Phil: Lakers lied

HEN the los angeles lakers announced late sunday night that they had hired Mike D’antoni as their next coach, it wasn’t only surprising because of the choice itself. as BDl’s Kelly Dwyer explained, D’antoni is actually a pretty good fit for the lakers’ personnel, at least on offense. instead, people were surprised because we spent much of the weekend working under the belief that Phil Jackson, who retired from the lakers in 2011, would be the next man in charge. according to numerous reports, the job belonged to Phil if he wanted it. When the lakers opted for D’antoni, the prevailing report was that Jackson had asked for too much, including a stake in ownership, control over personnel decisions, and leeway on his travel schedule for road games. Given those demands, it appeared that the lakers had made a sensible choice. Jackson, however, paints a different picture of negotiations, one in which the lakers manipulated the press and reneged on a handshake agreement that they would give Jackson until Monday to decide wheth-

Lebron’s 38 drop Rockets H

LeBron James of the Miami Heat drives the ball against Patrick Patterson of the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

er or not to move forward in negotiations. from Mike Bresnahan for the los angeles Times: “saturday morning, [lakers executive] Jim Buss called to ask if he could come and visit. i didn’t solicit or ask for the opportunity but i welcomed both him and [team executive] Mitch Kupchak into my home to discuss the possibility of my return to the lakers as head coach,” Jackson said. “We talked for over an hour and a half. No contractual terms were discussed and we concluded with a handshake and an understanding that i would have until Monday [today] to come back to them with my decision. i did convey to them that i did have the confidence that i could do the job. i was awakened at midnight sunday by a phone call from Mitch Kupchak. He told me that the lakers had signed Mike D’antoni to a three-year agreement and that they felt he was the best coach for the team. The decision is of course theirs to make. i am gratified by the groundswell of support from the laker fans who encouraged my return and it is the principal reason why i considered the possibility.” [...]

OusTON (aP) -leBron James put on a second-half show and helped the Miami Heat finally put away Houston. James scored 32 of his season-high 38 points after halftime, chris Bosh had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Miami rallied to beat the Rockets 113-110 on Monday night. Dwyane Wade added 19 points for the Heat, who shot 47.6 percent from 3-point range (10 of 21) and 51 percent from the field overall. James went 12 for 20 from the field and 5 for 7 from 3-point range in the second half. He gave the Heat the lead for good with a driving layup with 19 seconds left. ‘’it’s the zone you hear about,’’ James said. ‘’certain players talk about getting into the zone. i wish i could get into it more. But when you’re in it, you know how it feels, you know everything you put up and how you’re going is pretty good.’’ chandler Parsons

scored a career-high 25 points and Omer asik had a career-best 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets, who led 110-106 with 90 seconds left. James was the difference, though, and Miami beat Houston for the sixth straight time. ‘’i expected him to make every single shot he threw up,’’ Bosh said. ‘’i guess, after 30 points, you think everything is going in.’’ Jeremy lin shot an airball from 3-point range with 10 seconds left, Wade caught it and the Heat bounced back from a 10486 loss to Memphis on sunday. ‘’We’ve been in this position before,’’ James said. ‘’Nothing we haven’t seen before, just trying to get stops.’’ lin, meanwhile, endured another humbling moment against the Heat. last year, his amazing run with the New York Knicks hit a detour in Miami, where he went 1 for 11 from the field and coughed up eight turnovers.

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MAN’S BEST FRIEND. Dog, man’s best friend is also emerging as man’s best running mate as displayed by this runner in the recent Milo National Marathon Qualifying Race last Sunday. (Lean Daval, Jr.)

Hooligans FC wins PFF SMART SM title

OOliGaNs fc representing Davao football association beat Philippine National Police fc of Davao del Norte fa by an aggregate score of 7 – 6 to qualify for the Mindanao finals of the Philippine football federation sMaRT National club championships held at the Tionko football Grounds recently. in their first encounter, Hooligans fc beat PNP fc, 5 – 3 with Marlon Dimapanag (1’, 4’, & 19’);

Jason Mortillero (62’); and francisco “ike” iligan (88’) connecting for the Davao club. Henrich Betio (17’) and Manuel aspellaga (39’ & 48’) scored for PNP fc. in the second game, PNP fc exacted vengeance on Hooligans fc, 3 – 2. However, this was not enough to overcome the goal difference of their first game. Betio (24’ & 90’) and Noel flores (43’) scored for PNP fc while Ruelfred Napuran (19’) and Dimapaang (88’) con-

tributed for Hooligans fc. Hooligans fc will represent southern Mindanao cluster in the Mindanao finals on 23 – 25 November at the Tionko football Grounds. Other qualifiers are advocates fc (Northern Mindanao), M’lang fc (central Mindanao), and Ramgarjal fc (Western Mindanao). The top two (2) teams will then qualify to the quarter finals, together with two (2) teams each from Visayas and luzon and 10 teams from the ongoing

united football league in the National capital Region. Hooligans fc is composed of angelo John adana, Patrock asoque, Mark anthony Bugay, Marlon Dimapanag, allan Rey fernandez, Kuizumi Yoshihoru, Kristian Hager, Roeder ignacio, francisco iligan Jr., clemens lademora, Jason Mortillero, Ruelfred Napuran, Renell Pino, Junard Pinonggan, imardino Polo, Ronald Manalo, Joven Benitez, and arman Valencia.