Edge Davao 5 Issue 200 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

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Mahibaloan nato ang tinuod!

Telcos

Solons push

revenue audit h

InTInG that the country’s telecommunication companies are not just cheating their consumers but could be also misdeclaring their taxes, Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento and Iloilo Rep.

Huge revenue opportunities eyed Jerry Trenas today said that the government should conduct a through audit on the revenues of telcos to find out if they are pay-

ing the right amount of taxes. So instead of imposing additional taxes on text messages as proposed by the International Monetary Fund, the government, through Congress,

FSOLON, 11

Page 15

OPENING. Performers in Christmas costumes are seen beside Davao City’s lighted Christmas tree during the formal opening of Pasko Fiesta 2012 at People’s Park Friday night. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]

Missing tuna fishermen toll climbs to 315

he number of missing fishermen from General Santos City and the neighboring areas due to the onslaught of super Typhoon Pablo has climbed to 315 on Saturday

as more fishing boats owned by tuna fishing companies based in this city were reported unaccounted to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station here. A report released by the

PCG-General Santos station cited that a total of 46 fishing boats and their crew members have been so far reported as missing by six tuna fishing companies as a result

of the weather disturbance. It said the unaccounted fishing boats, which comprised light to medium carriers and catchers, were owned by Rugela Fishing,

FMISSING, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

TUCP calls help for Pablo victims

he Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List) has called on the government agencies to extend all possible assistance to the ravaged areas in Mindanao particularly the banana industry which was badly hit by Typhoon Pablo. At least 15,000 hectares of the 30,000 hectares of banana farms in Compostela Valley owned by Sumifru, Dole, Tadeco, and Dizon Farms including those which are owned by small banana growers were devastated. Three major packing facilities were blown off by strong winds. According to Stephen Antig, PBGeA executive director of the Philippine Banana Growers and exporters Association (PBGeA), “about P5.7 billion worth of harvest for the year end” were lost due to the calamity. he said that if the destroyed infrastrucures will be included, the cost of damage to the banana industry will be around “P8 billion”. In Davao del norte alone 1,400 hect-

ares of banana hills were brought down. “Aerial survey must be done immediately to ascertain the extent of destruction of banana farms in Davao del norte, Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental and other banana areas,”vsaid Anthony Sasin, Vice Chairman of TUCP Party-List. “We also recommend that tax credits and other forms of financial assistance should be given to the banana industry for its faster rehabilitation and recovery,”added Miguel niez, the Brgy. Captain of A.O. Floirendo in Panabo City. The incumbent representative of TUCP, Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza called the attention of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS) to extend interest-free calamity loans to those who are affected by the typhoon. he also asked Secretary Proceso Alcala of the Department of Ag-

FTUCP, 11

In the Pacific

Tuna ground free for all once more

he Philippines will now have competition in the pocket of high seas that was recently opened exclusively for Filipino tuna fishermen as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) failed to reach a consensus that would have closed large areas in the Pacific Ocean that lie on the migratory path of tuna and tuna-like species. But the WCPFC was able to get delegates to its 9th regular session held at the Philippine

International Convention Center to agree to a four-month closure of four pockets of high seas to purse seine operations and FAD (fish aggregating device) fishing. The fisheries commission decided late Thursday afternoon to open Pocket 1 and three other areas in the region to all its 27 member countries subject reportedly to the same limitations and regulations imposed on Filipino tuna fishing fleets.

FTUNA, 11

EDGEDAVAO

SEND OFF. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte accompanies Fr. Bong Gonzaga as the latter blesses the city government-owned trucks that transported the third batch of relief goods the city sent to victims of Typhoon Pablo in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. The City Government of Davao first sent assistance thru the provincial governments of Compostela Province and Davao Oriental on December 5 and 6, respectively. [Davao City Information Office]

Congressman raise urgency of acquiring hospital ship T

he government should have had a swifter and more organized response in providing medical and humanitarian aid to those devastated by typhoon Pablo which left a trail of death and destruction in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley had it been equipped with at least one 100-bed hospital which can be deployed in any part of the country at a moment’s notice, Western Samar Congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento said today. According to Sarmiento, the tragedy in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley should be an eye-opener for the government to give priority towards the acquasititon of a hospital ship which should be a perfect

PARTY. Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte gives out advice to 852 prostituted women of the city during the latter’s Christmas party hosted by the city government of Davao at the Davao Convention Center on F. Torres Street Thursday night.[LEAN DAVAL JR.]

complement for the increasing accuracy of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in tracking typhoons and predicting weather conditions. “ PAGASA’s predictions have become more

dependable because of President Aquino’s decision to initiate a revamp and modernize its equipment. What we need now is the capability to quickly deploy humanitarian and medical aid even in the remotest barangay in case of calamities. Our experinece

with Pablo should already raise the urgency for us to get a hospital ship,” Sarmiento said. According to Sarmiento, a hospital ship should be a requirement in an archipelagic country like the Philippines as he noted that

FCONGRESSMAN, 11

Super typhoons struck Davao in 1912 and 1971 By Antonio V. Figueroa Historian

(Due to the recent occurrence of super typhoon Pablo, Edge Davao has requested Antonio Vn. Figueroa, who has written a number of history books on Mindanao, to share his research on typhoons, earthquakes, epidemics and other calamities that hit Mindanao, especially the then undivided Davao province, now Region 11.-The editor)

n 1912, Monkayo, an interior region, was hit by a typhoon. Based on the letters written by the missionaries, the vortex of the freak storm, presumably a super howler, entered Mindanao via the northern sector of Baganga and south of Cateel on november 27 before crossing the Agusan River between Jativa (now part of Barangay haguimitan, Monkayo) and Compostela. The basis for this observation was the people on board steamer Fernandez hermanos in Bislig, and those in the stations of Davao and Cagayan. Fr. Bernardino Llobera, a missionary at Caraga, gave a more de-

tailed about of the effects of the storm. About midday of November 27, it began to rain gently with winds from the NNE. About 5 o’clock in the afternoon the rain increased, and the people were alarmed by the whistle of the steamer Bolinao which was at anchor in Caraga Bay, and which weighed anchor and put out to sea towards the [southeast]. The barometer had then fallen to 751 millimeters. The rain continued to fall, and at about 10 p. m. the wind suddenly changed to SSW (south-southwest) and began to blow more strongly every minute. The convent shook, and sheets of zinc from the

roof began to be ripped oft; cocoanut palms were bent double and branches of trees were falling all around. The wind continued in this fashion till 3 o’clock next morning. At daybreak next morning the effects of the storm could be seen on all sides. Part of the roof of the convent had been torn off; the courthouse was practically without a roof; about a dozen houses were on the ground, and about six more had suffered a good deal. A great number of cocoanut palms [was] uprooted, [and] practically all the bananas and many other trees. The convent at Manay had its roof entirely

FSUPER, 11

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

4 SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Dolfo bats for declaration of DavNor as calamity area D

AVAO del norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario is hopeful that the province will be declared as a calamity area by next week in order to respond to the financial needs of the community. “I have already submitted my proposal to the Sangguniang Bayan and I am hopeful that they will approve it by next week,” del Rosario said while waiting for the arrival of President Benigno S. Aquino III at the Davao International Airport Friday. he said the declaration of the province as a calamity area will help the provincial government provide financial and other assistance to the residents. he added that the president has assured them that the national government is ready to provide assistance to the provinces hit by the typhoon. While the province has zero casualty, its agriculture was badly hit by the flooding and strong winds that came as Typhoon Pablo made a landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental on December 4, 2012. The declaration, he said, will help us tap financial assistance and extend credit to residents who may need it as a result of the disaster. “Up to 10 hectares of

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario

crops have been damaged, most of them planted to bananas,” he said. The damage to the province’s agriculture is estimated to be at P2 billion already, he added. The typhoon has also affected up to 100 school buildings in the province. Despite the economic losses brought by the Typhoon to the region, del Rosario said they are still thankful that the region has zero casualty which can also be attributed to the preparation efforts of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC). “One of the lessons learned from this tragedy is the importance of establishing risk reduction offices all over the country,” he said. But while the province was well-prepared, he acknowledged that no amount of preparation can prevent what happened in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. [LAC]

RELIEF AND REHABILITATION. President Noy and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman release in Boston Friday financial assistance to Butulan sisters whose parents and niece perished in the recent Typhoon Pablo. The president and some cabi-

Compostela-Cateel highway impassable; homeless residents pitch tents on road

UnDReDS of residents displaced or rendered homeless by Typhoon Pablo have pitched makeshift tents on portions of the Compostela-Cateel highway, awaiting assistance, particularly food, water, tents, blankets,

ComVal officials appeal for help for typhoon victims

OMPOSTeLA Valley Governor Arturo Uy appealed Friday to the national government, private sector and even to international donor groups to extend any form of assistance to his calamity-stricken province. Speaking to reporters, Uy said the typhoon victims are in immediate need of more food and medicine supplies. “We need donors, doctors to help us. Growing ‘yung problema natin ngayon especially sa health (our problems now especially on health are growing). We need to address ‘yung pagkain nila (their food), [their] medical needs, then after that yung shelter naman nila (the victims’ shelter),” he said shortly before the arrival of President Benigno Aquino III.

In this town alone, Typhoon Pablo left 129 persons dead and displaced almost 3,000 persons as of noontime Friday. The local disaster office also recorded almost 400 persons who were still missing, as search and rescue operations continue. The displaced villagers here have been staying in the gymnasium and in the sports complex. A makeshift clinic has been setup inside the gymnasium to treat injured and sick refugees. Uy said that about 70 percent of the population in the province was affected by the storm. he admitted that the affected villagers may stay longer in the evacuation centers as the provincial government will still have to build temporary

net members visited the town to meet up with local officials and assure residents of government relief and rehabilitation initiatives. [DSWD/Carmela Cadigal-Duron]

shelters. Then a final relocation site will be built for the displaced villagers, the governor said. As the stench of death wafted in the air, Rep. Ma. Carmen Zamora also appealed for some groups or local government units to donate coffins, particularly for the casualties in this town. Zamora said the cadavers recovered from this town were taken to the nearby towns of Montevista and nabunturan, as the local funeral shop was also devastated by the storm. “There are no lumbers left here in the funeral shops to make coffin,” she told reporters. Uy said there has been no discussion yet among local officials to stop the rescue or retrieval operations. [Keith

BACongCo/

MindAnews]

mat, clothing, flashlights and candles. The 65-kilometer highway that connects the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental was rendered impassable as tree trunks, electric posts and landslides blocked the road, leaving residents along that stretch isolated, a number of them stranded, including an ambulance ferrying a 13-year old girl who had just been discharged from a hospital in Davao City and who was returning home to Boston town in Davao Oriental, one of the towns where Typhoon Pablo slammed when it made landfall in Baganga town at around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday. The Compostela-Cateel highway cuts travel time by two and half hours from Davao City – as it takes, rather took until Pablo came, only about five hours from the city to Cateel, a town in Davao Oriental also hit hard by the typhoon, via this “shortcut” route compared with the 7.5 hours travel from Davao City to Cateel via Mati City. These days, one can’t also proceed to Cateel via Mati because the bridge connecting Caraga town with Baganga and Cateel towns was also destroyed. Only habal-habal (motorcycles) could navigate

through at least ten landslides from Barangay Osmena all the way to the small-scale mining sites in Mambusao, Pulang Lupa and Bango. At least two major landslides have made traveling to Bango very difficult even for the habal-habal motorcycles, one of which carried a corpse from the mining site to the poblacion Wednesday afternoon. Joy Mesiona, 37, operations chief of a smallscale mining frim in Bango, hiked at least 20 kilometers in his muddy boots, looking so dazed. “Mga balay nangawala” (the houses disappeared), he told Mindanews at Purok 10 Ambawan, the last area where four-wheel vehicles can pass, less than two kilometers from the junction in Montevista town. he said he learned as he was coming down, that one person was killed in nursery and one in Mambusao. But he estimates about 25 persons missing among their neighbors as five households were buried in a landslide. he said neighbors were still searching for the missing when he left early Wednesday morning. Jonjong Sarno, ground operations chief of the same mining firm, said a

team of four had just gotten out of the tunnel at 4 a.m. when the “kusog kaayo nga hangin” (very strong winds) struck the area, forcing them to go back to the tunnel where they stayed until 6 a.m. with only sheer will to survive. The winds had cut off their electricity supply much earlier and while there was no ventilation inside the tunnel, it was, for them at that point, the “safest area.” Mesiona said 18 of them got inside the tunnel, enduring the heat, the dark and the lack of ventilation . Riding on a habal-habal from Purok 10 Ambawan, one could clearly see how portions of the mountain road felt like winter, minus the snow, as falcatta and other trees were shorn of its leaves. In other parts, the crowns of coconut trees were ripped off by the strong winds. In the poblacion leading to the mountain, on either side of the road along Barangay Osmena, houses made mostly of light materials turned upside down or were totally destroyed along with thousands of hectares of banana plants cut in half by the “kusog kaayo nga hangin” and flashfloods unleashed by Pablo from 4:30 a.m. to around 7 a.m. Tuesday. [CAroLyn o. ArguiLLAs/MindAnews]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

6 MOTORING

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

Car Review:

EDGEDAVAO

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ W

heTheR Chevrolet likes it or not, the Sonic story actually starts with the Aveo, a cheap and crummy sub-compact from parent General Motors’ Korean subsidiary, Daewoo. It certainly was cheap for its time, but it wasn’t cheerful in any sense of the word. It was one unsatisfying car to drive with a dismal design and abysmal driving dynamics. It was so bad that Chevrolet’s micro car, the Spark, was a much better drive. That was 2004. Fast forward almost ten years later and Chevrolet has rightfully decided to retire the Aveo name and replaced it with a new one: Sonic. And despite a few kinks here and there, it has thankfully erased all memories of Chevrolet’s less than acceptable offering in the sub-compact segment way back in 2004. What a difference a generation makes. By just looking at it, you know Chevrolet’s on to something with the Sonic. It actually looks young, sporty and somewhat aggressive with the two character lines running from the front wheel well towards the rear of the car. Upfront, it’s got one of the best and unique faces seen in years thanks to oversized fog lamps and projector-style headlights which are mounted without traditional lens covers. It creates a very three-dimensional appearance, especially when viewed from just the front corners. The wheel wells are filled with the right stuff: five-spoke alloys with a split-spoke design and 205/55R16 tires. At the back, the four-door’s not bad, but it takes a more conservative turn compared to the hatchback with its unique “hidden” door handles. Clearly, the Sonic isn’t the staid and boring car that the Aveo was before. The Sonic is meant to be taken seriously by people who actually enjoy driv-

ing, so once you slip inside, you’re greeted by an instrument panel that looks like it was plucked straight from a motorcycle. The large, hooded tachometer is flanked by a digital display for the speedometer and fuel gauge with the odometer, PRnD indicator, and other functions sprinkled at the top and bottom of the main display. This instrument panel treatment is one of the most unique and coolest done in a car, but the ice blue lighting can get somewhat blinding when driving at night (there’s no instrument panel dimmer). Aside from the motorcycle-influenced instrument panel though, the Sonic’s cabin takes its design cues straight from the Cruze, which isn’t a bad thing. The materials used are understandably the hard variety, but the two-tone black and gray motif actually makes the interior airier and very hospitable for everyday driving. There’s a good spattering of painted silver plastics around as well. Oddly enough there’s not one ounce of leather in here, which puts at a disadvantage compared to its sub-compact rivals which offer at least a leather steering wheel (others even have leather seating). Despite not offering cow hide anywhere in the standard features list, the Sonic does have a comfortable interior with ample space for four adults. The driver seat features four-way adjustment which is complemented by the good leg and hip room thanks to the “dual cockpit” design. Those in the back won’t feel squeezed out with good knee room and adjustable headrests, at least for the outboard passengers. And in terms of in-car entertainment, the Sonic satisfies with its standard six-speaker system as well as a built-in stereo with Apple iPod connectivity and even Bluetooth hands-free.

Upgrading the Honda CR-V

he much-anticipated remake of one of honda’s finest road specie is in the works. The final pieces of the Thai puzzle are finally in place as honda Cars Philippines has announced the availability of the Thai-built CRVs starting today at all honda dealerships nationwide. While the Japan-made CR-V models dubbed 2.0 LX and 2.4 eX are available for a limited and at a discount (P 100,000 for the 2.0 LX and P 130,000 for the 2.4 eX), the arrival of the Thai-built CR-V means more variants, more features, and of course, a cheaper price tag. Dropping the LX and eX mon-

ikers, the Thaibuilt

CR-V will now be designated as V, S, and SX—matching the 2011 models. There are 4 variants in total: 2.0 V M/T, 2.0 V A/T, 2.0 S A/T, and 2.4 SX A/T all boasting of more features and slightly cheaper prices than their Japanese counterparts. Outside, all CR-Vs will receive a slightly re-tweaked front

bumper which fits the Philippine number plates better than the Japanese model. In addition, the black plastic cladding has been replaced by a “classier” gray one. The daytime running lights, of course, are gone but in its place are projector headlights with hID for all models except the base V. Likewise, the side mirrors are now power folding and feature new LeD turn signal indicators.

Mazda CX-5 is Japan Car of the Year 2012

AZDA Motor Corporation’s compact crossover SUV, the CX-5 has been named the 2012-2013 Car of the Year Japan. The award was announced by the Japan Car of the Year committee on november 29, 2012. The CX-5 was the first model to adopt the full suite of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies including the engine, transmission, body and chassis. It offers a predictable and refined driving experience together with outstanding environmental and safety performance. It is also the first model to fully embody Mazda’s new design theme, KODO–Soul of Motion. With finely-honed vitality and dynamism, its styling is

reminiscent of a cheetah about to pounce on its prey. The CX-5 equipped with Mazda’s new-generation SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine boasts powerful driving comparable to a 4.0-liter V8 gasoline engine vehicle thanks to 420 n-m of maximum torque. At the same time, it achieves an SUV class-topping fuel economy rating of 18.6 km/L (JC08 test cycle mode with FWD model). In approximately nine months since sales of the CX-5 started in February, Mazda has received 37,000 orders; equivalent to more than three years of sales at the anticipated volume of 1,000 units per month, and sales continue to be strong.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

The trouble with democracy ( 1st of two parts ) ANALYSIS By DaviD RohDe

T EDITORIAL

Pablo as window of opportunity

ne could cry seeing the devastation wrought by freak storm Pablo on many towns in the provinces of Davao del norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. The most unproductive thing we can do at this juncture is to indulge in the blame game just like what environment Secretary emmanuel Paje did the other day. It is easy to blame everybody –legal or illegal loggers, illegal or legal small scale and big-scale miners – only to come to realize that it was after all a failure of government (of which Paje has been a part of for the past many years) to enforce the law for whatever excuses. Finger-pointing can only boomerang. First things first. The most urgent task right now is how to get the needed assistance to the victims so they can survive. True, government doesn’t have all the money in the world to provide for the needed assistance, but it can marshal forces and resources under its command, those of neighboring countries and those of the private sector here at home. We have to congratulate the local government units of the three provinces --Davao del norte, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental--for a clearly well-organized response to the disaster. Zero destruction is out of the question. It is impossible, even in the most advanced

EDGEDAVAO

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countries in the world, including the United States which was hit by super typhoon Sandy recently, to achieve zero damage. The lesson that can be learned from the fact that Pablo flattened almost everything that stood in its path, including gyms and similar structures that served as shelters, is for LGUs to build structures that can withstand the fiercest of tropical cyclones to serve as evacuation centers. This latest catastrophe is also a window of opportunity for government planners to henceforth prepare for the worst that future violent acts of a mischievous mother nature can do. There are limits to what can be achieved by man-made acts of mitigation, but certainly there is plenty of room for improvement. And that is in the realm of understanding what has been happening to planet earth. It is time we listened to those who make it their life work to study what makes nature behave the way it does from time to time. Perhaps the world’s scientists are right after all about what they have been telling us all along about climate change, global warming and all that kind of jazz, and that is: “DO nOT DO UnTO MOTheR nATURe WhAT We DOn’T WAnT MOTheR nATURe TO DO UnTO US!” Shades of the Kyoto Protocol! ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

ALBERTO DALILAN Managing NEILWIN L. BRAVO Sports and Motoring ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

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

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

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he return of protests, tanks and death to the streets of Cairo this week is harrowing. So is the power of the rampant conspiracy theories that cause Muslim Brotherhood members and their secular opponents to sincerely believe they are defending egypt’s revolution. Both sides are behaving abominably. Criticisms of President Mohamed Mursi’s foolish and unnecessary power grab and rushed constitutional process are legitimate. So are complaints that the country’s secular opposition is poorly organized, lacks majority support and refuses to compromise. Barring a surprising change in direction, egypt’s experiment with democracy is headed toward failure. The country’s flawed constitution will likely be ratified in a referendum on Dec. 15. A frustrated and distrustful opposition will boycott subsequent parliamentary elections. Mursi will lead a “soft authoritarian” government similar to that of former President hosni Mubarak. Small opposition parties will exist, but the Muslim Brotherhood’s dominance of the state, politics and society will never be in doubt. U.S. officials ever eager for stability in the Middle east will turn a blind eye and establish a “working relationship” with Mursi. “I think the impulse of most American administrations is to show up in an Arab country and say, ‘Take me to your leader,’ ” nathan Brown, a George Washington University professor and leading expert on egypt, told me in a bleak interview today. “I don’t think we have many alternatives. The United States is not in the position to back a military coup or the opposition.” Brown is correct. Yes, the United States has some economic leverage in Cairo, but in general America remains radioactive in post-Mubarak egypt. After 40 years of the U.S. backing egyptian strongmen who made peace with Israel, Washington is hugely mistrusted. A September 2012 Gallup Poll found that 82 percent of egyptians opposed the country’s government accepting any economic aid from the United States. By comparison, 42 percent of egyptians surveyed roughly half that number opposed the country’s peace treaty with Israel. Let me be blunt to those who think more “American leadership” is the answer. A U.S.-backed military coup which it is doubtful the U.S. could engineer – would radicalize Islamists across the region and be an enormous gift to al Qaeda. Similarly, if Washington openly backs the country’s secular opposition, those opponents will be viewed as American stooges and lose popular support. “A much more effective strategy for the United States is to call for a dialogue between Mursi’s government and the opposition behind closed doors,” said Dalia Mogahed, the American scholar who conducted the Gallup survey. “The U.S. coming out publicly on the side of the opposition will be used against them.” The only small cause for hope is that egypt’s struggles are not unprecedented. Other countries have undergone agonizing and turbulent transitions as well. Thomas Carothers, an expert on transitions to democracy at the Carnegie endowment for International Peace, said that what is occurring today in egypt is typical when a long-disenfranchised group gains power. Distrustful and insular after years of struggles, it is often reluctant to share power and still views itself as deeply vulnerable.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

Making Headway

Untimely is uncool

n its latest report, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (Miga) is expecting a rise in foreign direct investment in the Asia Pacific region including the Philippines. It also expects the Philippines to corner much of the job-creating investments that could lift more people out of poverty. Miga is a unit of the World Bank which extends guarantees to investments in developing countries, now what has the Philippines done right to merit this attention? Investors are particularly enticed by a growing consumer base, the availability of natural resources and ongoing improvements in investment climate. The Philippines has indeed experienced sustained growth since after the presidential election. It has also embarked on a serious effort to spread the wealth around my making growth more inclusive (see previous article dated 04 Dec

12). The result is a growing and wealthier consumer base. no doubt that the country has enormous natural resources. But access in the past has been hampered by absent or archaic rules and regulations. no longer is this the case now. Indeed there is a continuing effort to provide when absent and to improve existing rules and regulations for access to and utilization of natural resources. The regulatory regime for mining for instance is systematically and continuously being refined in view of lessons learned from initial experiences. A

particularly important consideration is the participation of local stakeholders, such as lumad communities, to avoid social conflicts. Previous regulatory regimes have completely ignored this all important concern which has resulted in violent social conflicts. Investment climate is as much a function of good governance. Since tariff reform initiated by the 8th Congress, of which I’ve been a proud member, significant improvements are continuously being made on the rules of the game so to speak. Apparently, investors have also noticed the serious the effort being made and the early successes by President noynoy Aquino in mitigating if not yet completely eliminating graft and corruption. We’re not really there yet. But we’re indeed making significant headway. Apparently, foreign investors have noticed.

COMMENTARY

seeking a U.n. imprimatur. It’s a proposal, championed by some African countries and India, that introduces a new revenue stream by imposing what amounts to a tax on Web publishers. That scheme would have a chilling effect. As it stands, I pay for broadband — the door-to-door Internet pipe that gets, say, a Netflix video to my screen. Under the proposed scheme, Netflix would be subject to a new fee if the amount of data it streams (because I ask for it) exceeds some carrier-set bandwidth limit. That would be like sending Netflix the bill when you go over your smartphone Internet plan. It would definitely cause Netflix to rethink a few things. Video consumes much more bandwidth than e-mail, for example, but the core concept of “net neutrality” holds that all Internet traffic is created equal — and for good reason. If carriers can put up roadblocks, they can keep you from gaining access to Web services, or at least make it extremely painful in the pocketbook. They can force customers to use worse alternatives. They can extort … let’s call them “access fees” … from content creators. It would end the Internet as we know it and slow the development of new services. The power to tax is not the power to destroy, unless it is. If we had taxed elevators higher marginal rates for the highest floors! there would be no skyscrapers. But I am a hopeless optimist. The concerted pushback outside the ITU meeting’s closed doors to anything that might be going on inside will probably be enough to stop anything crazy. And something good may come of all this. The first ITU conference in a quarter century ago is probably the biggest shot that this kind of U.n.-sanctioned, state-sponsored, anti-Internet villainy will have for another quarter century. What’s that they say about what doesn’t kill us making us stronger?

How the United Nations could ruin the Internet

VOL.5 ISSUE 199 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7-8, 2012

he Internet has sustained some pretty intense assaults in the past couple of years. There was the heavy-handed attempt to stamp out content piracy with SOPA/PIPA, the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality ruling, which many saw assplitting the baby, and that whack job who claimed to own a patent on the World Wide Web. It is again open season on the Internet in Dubai, where the International Telecommunication Union, a United nations agency whose mandate includes global communications is weighing proposals from many of its 193 member nations. Some of these proposals such as decentralizing the assignment of website names and eliminating Internet anonymity would make enormous changes to the organization and management of the Internet. The ITU meeting, which began on Monday, runs through Dec. 14. Its agenda, and even the fact the proceedings are taking place at all, set off alarms among the Internet’s guardian angels. Among the most vocal critics are a founder of the Internet, Vint Cerf, and of the Web, Tim Berners-Lee. Theirs is not some misplaced paternal instinct or senior graybeard moment or cry for attention. These guys are worried. And if they are worried, we all should be. Still not sure this is serious business? The U.S. house of Representatives, which cannot agree on anything, voted unanimously to ban ITU regulation of the Internet before it even happens. The european Union did that last month, before the ITU even met. Whether or not any policy directive emerges (or is abided by anyone) is not the point. The danger is in allowing any country to entertain the notion that Internet protocols can be put up for a vote. It’s not as if the ITU is inherently evil. The U.n. agency’s previous convention, in 1988, focused on voice communications

By John C aBell at a time when most phone companies were state-regulated monopolies. It took a global body to break up the cartels and ensure that phone service in every corner of the world adhered to global standards. This ensured that the system could work on the international level. But the ITU has no inherent power to regulate the Internet. nothing that makes the Internet work, nothing that has made the Internet great, has been the work of the ITU, which is inserting itself into this debate for the first time. Today’s scenario is the exact opposite of the phone system dynamic The Internet has flourished exactly because it has always been a global standard, and some now want to regulate it at the state level. There is an element of east-West, First-Third World envy in the proceedings. The Internet Corporation for Assigned names and numbers (ICAnn), is a U.S.-based organization that controls the distribution of every Web address in the world. Russia thinks ICAnn’s system can be improved upon. It wants countries to “have equal rights to manage their Internet including in regard to the allotment, assignment and reclamation of Internet numbering, naming addressing and identification resources.” That is a recipe for the chaos ICAnn prevents. Other proposals have a similarly power-hungry bent. One is a call to individually identify all Internet users — ideal for an autocrat’s retribution streak and surely on the wish list of every regime that sees the Internet as a metaphysical threat. Politics aside, the most insidious proposal is one that nations can try on their own, and yet the countries are still

19-year old student of mine requested for a deadline extension for the submission of her homework. She reasoned that she had to care for her sick baby and could not find the time to finish the assignment. I agreed to extend the deadline for another two hours though I normally do not accept late papers. A young single mother needs all the help she can get, I thought. She did not make the deadline. Two celebrity single moms pose for a magazine in which they are recognized as hot mamas. Sexily clad and glamorous looking, they speak about the hardships they went through and how they emerged strong, victorious, and apparently beautiful. The magazine peddled them as sex symbols despite the untimely pregnancies. A posse of collegialas intentionally gets pregnant because it is the “in” thing. Raising babies within a sisterhood while still managing to look all dolled-up seems very cool and worldly. All these are very real accounts and seem to epitomize the young contemporary woman who can make decisions for herself and still look fabulous despite bearing children in less than ideal circumstances. If we choose to be politically correct and liberal about things, we view them as strong-willed women making their mark on the world with their courageous decisions; women who stand by their actions no matter the consequences. Well and good. But if we look deeper and work within the framework of love and respect, there seems to be something very off. The untimely pregnancies are precisely that, untimely. Untimely and hurting. The 19year old student will surely get a failing grade. The celebrity single moms will convey the message that what they went through is just okay and very doable. The collegialas will elevate the status of single mom to cool mom. This is hurting because they compromise their education. This is hurting because young girls may assume that having untimely and unprotected sex is par for the course and is a hallmark of sophistication. This is hurting because the institution and sacrament of marriage which is the foundation of building a family is disrespected. But these are only surface hurts. Personal hurts and disillusionment have not yet even been considered. The disappointed parents, broken hearts, bruised egos, aching bodies also make up the rest of the proverbial iceberg. Whatever drama may have played out, the biggest consequence that withstands the battering of fate is the child that is unwittingly borne of unbridled passions. Then like a band-aid of sorts, the very cute and adorable baby is declared as someone who is worth all the hurts, deep-seated and otherwise. The baby then becomes a trophy of sorts for having emerged from battles of many sorts. Battle against family’s expectations, battle against societal norms, battle against financial demands, battle against personal aspirations, battle against pain, etc, etc. This seeming victory may be very heartwarming and inspiring as it serves as a testament to the human spirit. A precious human being becomes justification for turmoil gone through. True, a child can never be a mistake and may even erase one’s own mistakes. however, the untimely and hurtful can never be a good to be proud of even if the result is an angelic little person that makes your eyes shine and heart flutter. The student tells me it was really just sipyat or an error that she had her baby. The celebrity single moms say with chutzpah that they have found themselves in their babies and the fathers do not have to be in the picture. The collegialas move on to other pursuits and leave the babies with their parents who have since transformed into cooing and spoiling grandparents.

COMPETITIVE EDGE 10 NATION/WORLD

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Alsons Properties, one of Davao City’s leading real-estate firms, recently received recognition from the Department of Education for the company’s contribution to DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program. Alsons Properties has been an active partner of the said program since 2006, with initiatives that include classroom rehabilitation and building, educational staffing, and scholarship programs. (L-R: DepEd USEC for Finance and Adminstration Francisco Varela, Alcantara Group Corporate HR Director Sylvia M. Duque, DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luisitro, FSC and DepEd USEC for Regional Operations Rizalino Rivera)

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

Solons...

TUCP...

FFROM 1

should exercise its inherent oversight powers to ensure that the telcos are paying the correct amount of taxes. “Why can’t government look into the possibility of conducting an independent third-party audit of the country’s robust telecommunications companies which earn tens of millions of pesos each day, just from the people’s text messages,” said Sarmiento. Sarmiento proposed that the national Telecommunications Commission should explore the possibility of examining the process or system on which the Telcos base the taxes that they pay the government especially on its short messaging system (SMS) services. he said that an independent audit of the Telco firms could unearth huge revenue opportunities

Missing...

FFROM 2

without the consuming public shouldering the tax burden. For Trenas, an independent audit on the books of the country’s telcos is necessary because these companies provide services that are embedded with public interest and the franchise given to them were merely granted by Congress. “It is important that the government should continue to exercise oversight over these telcos because apart from the fact that public welfare is at stake, these telcos operate on the basis of a franchise that is supposed to belong to our people and Congress is merely acting on their behalf,” Trenas said. he added that there are mounting complaints especially among prepaid users on the rapidly deteriorating quality of ser-

vices being provided by the telcos such as recurring dropped calls and load losses which could be deliberate schemes to rake in huge profits at the expense of their consumers. “Maybe the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the nTC should collaborate to review the system by which Telcos are being taxed. There is a great chance that loopholes in the current taxation system could be identified and save government of tens of millions, if not billions of pesos in lost revenues annually,” Trenas stressed. “no body will believe that these Telcos are not raking in tremendously huge profits due to loopholes in the taxation system or the government monitoring efforts,” he added.

miles off the Davao Oriental seaboard when the storm warning came, he said. Aniversario said most of them were then working on their “payaos” or fish aggregating devices set up in the area. The official said most of the unaccounted fishing vessels were already heading towards the nearest ports in Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental area when the storm had caught on them. he said the PCG, Philippine navy and several other fishing companies are presently conducting massive search and rescue operations for the missing fishing boats and their crewmembers. Aniversario reiterated that they had given sufficient warnings and advisories to the fishing companies here regarding Typhoon “Pablo,” days ahead of its predicted entry into

the Philippine area of responsibility last Monday. “We relayed every weather forecast that we received from PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) as well as advisories from the nDRRMC (national Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council),” he said in an interview with a local television. Aniversario believed the affected fishing companies should be held responsible over what happened to the crewmembers. “They should answer for what had happened to the victims, they are under their employ,” he said. The official said they are set to summon officials of the affected fishing companies for a special inquiry over the incident. [ALLen V. estABiLLo/

allowed to fish in Pocket 1 high Seas, an area of about 560,000 square miles east of Indonesia and north of Palau starting October this year following the Guam meeting of WCPFC last March. Only tuna catcher vessels with a maximum capacity 250 tons were, however, allowed and the use of refrigerated transport vessels was prohibited. Philippine tuna catcher vessels are without storage hulls but are complemented with service boats, which are fitted with

ice-chiller hulls to transport their catches to Philippine ports. Majority of these catches are landed at the General Santos City Fishing Port complex. The number of Philippine catcher vessels was also limited to 36 catcher boats and a ceiling of 4,659 fishing vessels days. Several countries have protested the Philippine exemption to the two-year ban which took effect in 2010 and was supposed to end in 2011. [edwin g. espejo/MindAnews

FFROM 1

RAFI Inc., RLG Fishing, DSG Fishing, LPS Fishing and Salazar Fishing. The six fishing companies have submitted documents containing the names of the missing crewmembers of the unaccounted fishing boats. On Friday, at least 30 fishing boats with 175 crewmembers were initially reported as missing by the affected fishing companies to the PCG station here. Commander nelbert Aniversario, PCG-General Santos station chief, said most of the unaccounted fishing boats lost contact with their bases here last Monday afternoon, which was about the time the super typhoon was reported to have started battering the seas off the eastern coasts of Mindanao. The missing fishing fleets were reportedly located around 115 nautical

Tuna...

MindAnews]

FFROM 2 Jerry Damalerio of Damalerio Fishing, however, said they still have to receive copies of the full document of the conservation and management measure discussed and approved during the plenary sessions. he said that until the full texts of the documents are released, they still cannot determine the effects of the WCPFC decision to Filipino tuna catchers. The WCPCF website has yet to post the results of the Manila meeting which ended Thursday. The Philippines was

ContriButor]

riculture and Secretary Gil delos Reyes of the Department of Agrarian Reform to help the affected growers and farmers in banana areas who are now crying for urgent assistance. “For far too long, government has behaved with benign neglect with respect to the banana industry. Perhaps “Pablo” is their wake-up call,” said Mendoza. “The banana industry employs at least 300,000 workers which contribute largely to the export earnings and the development of the country”

explained Mendoza. On the other hand, Sasin said that the “government is generating at least P1.5 billion in direct taxes from the industry per year” excluding the other financial and material benefits derived from its allied and support industries. “When will the government help the banana industry in Mindanao which had paved the way for peace and progress in areas that were formerly infested by insurgents and all sorts of criminals because of poverty?” niez asked. “The

industry must be saved as it also faces possible extinction because of the Panama Disease,” added Sasin. “After the China boycott of our bananas, Panama disease and the continuing benign neglect of DAR and DA, typhoon “Pablo” might be the last nail on our coffin,” complained niez. The TUCP Party-List is mounting relief operations in selected areas in Mindanao to extend assistance to the victims of typhoon Pablo. [press reLeAse]

Congressman... FFROM 2

the government should be more proactive instead of being reactive during disaster situations. he said that even without disaster situations, this hospital ship can be used to provide regular medical care to remote island barangays, most of which does not even have a small clinic and would need to travel for hours just to reach the nearest hospital only to find out the it is also ill-equipped. “By the time they reach the hospital, their patients are either dead or are told that they don’t

have the right equipment and competent medical specialists. This is the reality that most of our people in small island communities face almost everyday. For a country like the Philippines which has more that 7,000 islands, a hospital ship should be a necessity,” Sarmiento noted. Sarmiento has proposed that the government should acquire a medium-sized hospital ship with at least 100bed capacity to enhance the government’s health care program even in the most secluded island and at the same time allow a

quick deployment of humanitarian and medical aid during calamities. Sarmiento said that investing on 100-bed hospital ship equipped with the latest medical and surgical facilities is a lot more practical than doing the same on every municipal, provincial and regional hospital nationwide. he said the ship can be maintained by the Philippine navy or the Philippine Coast Guard but the hospital operation will be under the direct control and supervision of the Department of health.

view completely have entirely disappeared. Many trees were uprooted and the rest being stripped clean of leaves. In none of the towns struck by the typhoon could I find a house in which to lodge, as they had been all swept away by the fury of the storm.” Meanwhile, according to Wikipedia, Super Titang was the second of two super typhoons to strike the Philippines within a week in October 1970, the first being Super Typhoon Joan. As a result, Kate produced heavy damage and over 631 casualties. At the time, Kate was the deadliest typhoon to strike the Philippines. In southern Mindanao, over 5,000 houses and other such structures were damaged or destroyed by storm surge, heavy rains and strong winds produced

by Typhoon Kate. Damage from the storm was estimated at $50 million, making it one of the costliest typhoons on record at the time. A total of 631 people were confirmed to have been killed by the storm and 284 others were listed as missing. This ranked Kate as the deadliest typhoon to strike the Philippines at the time; however, it has since been surpassed by eighteen other storms. The previous deadliest typhoon was a storm in the 1960s which killed 200 people in Manila. The large loss of life from the typhoon is believed to be related to the lack of tropical cyclone experience for residents in southern Mindanao. [sourCes: Antonio V. FigueroA.

Super... FFROM 2

removed and the church destroyed along with several neighborhood houses. In Santa Fe, the church, courthouse, and more houses collapsed. At Manurigao and Baculin the story was no different. Baganga was completely destroyed, while five houses remained standing in Cateel. Fr. Raimundo Villa, who was assigned in Cateel, revealed that the people told him no typhoon of equal severity had been felt in the place since its existence, and that it would take a decade to recover from its effects. Meanwhile, Fr. Cristobal Sastre, a missionary on the Agusan, reported that the “typhoon destroyed all the towns of the higher Agusan, especially those between Jativa and Compostela. The two walls of vegetation on each side of river that shut in the

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

Last Dance

SPORTS 13

Will doubts be laid to rest today?

By Neil Bravo

et’s do the math. thirty six rounds, 108 minutes, four knockouts, three fights, three controversies and a hundred doubts. Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are a riddle to boxing it will take another fight to finally put the debate to sleep. that is if today’s fourth fight will ever settle the argument. Whatever, the Pacquiao-Marquez animosity has become one of boxing’s most storied rivalries. Pacquiao and Marquez do what could be their Last Dance on saturday night (sunday in Manila) at the sold-out MGM Arena. Both will battle in a welterweight fight with no titles at stake, only respect and pride

and an assured bookmarked page in boxing history. the Pacquiao-Marquez quadrilogy thus becomes the final or maybe only the latest chapter of bad blood that ran through the past eight years. this rivalry is even more intense and heated than the one Pacquiao had with Floyd Mayweather which is relegated thus far outside the ring. With Floyd, only words were thrown. With Marquez, hundreds of punches have been exchanged. By mid day today in the Philippines where the streets will once again be as deserted as a storm’s aftermath, the outcome will be settled. Hopefully. Finally. Conclusively.

A fourth fight between two world class fighters is almost unheard of in a day when top fighters rarely enter the ring more than twice a year. AP

P1.2B payday for Manny L AS VeGAS – It’s going to be another cash windfall for Manny Pacquiao. Another day with Juan Manuel Marquez will net him from a guaranteed P920 Million to P1.2 Billion payday. not bad for one coming off a loss in his last fight, but Pacquao is still bound to get more in prize money for his Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) welterweight showdown with Marquez. Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank Promotions, revealed that under the fight contract the Filipino ring icon will be receiving a guaranteed purse of US$23 million, or P920 million based on the prevailing rate of P40$1, regardless of the number of pay-per-view buys. The numbers could go up as high as P1.2 Billion including the pay-per-view buys.

“he gets that money no matter what happens. In other words, when no one buys the pay-per-view, he still gets US$23 million,” said Arum, who will turn 81 exactly on Saturday. But there’s bound to be more as the 33-year-old Pacquiao also gets a percentage of the share in pay-per-view (PPV) buys. “So the way it looks now he’ll probably end up, I would say, with around US$28 million (P1.1 billion), maybe US$30 million (P1.2 billion),” Arum added. Marquez likewise gets a share of the pie in the form of $6 million plus an upside on the PPV, which once totaled, could hit in the $8 million to US$9 million career purse for the 39-year-old Mexican, Arum estimated.

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

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VOL.5 ISSUE 200 â&#x20AC;˘ SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

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WEDDINGS

A wedding seven years in By Kenneth Irving Ong It was a wedding that was seven years in the making as Dr. King Medidas, a resident of the Sounthern Philippines Medical Center, married teresa Photos by Eight Jalotjot last November 20, 2012. Productions

The wedding was held at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish that was followed by a reception at the Grand Ballroom of the Davao Convention and trade

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Cebu Pacific launches flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok

Expands regional network from Cebu ThE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) expands its regional network from Cebu, with the launch of direct twice weekly services to both Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

CEB will begin operating a Tuesday, Saturday service from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur on December 8, 2012. The maiden flight will leave Cebu at 4:45pm, and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 8:10pm. The return flight will depart Cebu at 8:55pm, and will arrive at 12:20am the next day. On December 9, 2012, CEB will launch its Thursday, Sunday service from Cebu to Bangkok. The flight will depart Cebu at 4:50pm, and arrive in Bangkok at 7:20pm. The return flight leaves Bangkok at 8:10pm and arrives in Cebu at 12:40am the next day. CEB already operates approximately 25 weekly flights from Cebu to Seoul (Incheon), Pusan, hong Kong and Singapore. “Cebuanos can now book our trademark lowest fares for a weekend of adventure in Kuala Lumpur or shopping in Bangkok. We are confident these direct flights will also contribute to Cebu’s booming tourism and travel industry, which remain one of our priorities. We will continue to grow our Cebu hub to encourage even more Juans to fly,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog. She added that passengers can now take any of CEB’s 20 direct domestic flights to Cebu, and connect to South Korea, Singapore, hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. Sending off CEB’s first passengers from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur are Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Chief of Staff Artemio Orozco, and representatives from the Embassy of Malaysia, Department of Tourism, Lapu Lapu City, and travel and tourism associations in Cebu. The next day, Thailand Ambassador Prasas Prasasvinitchai and government and tourism partners will send off CEB’s maiden flight from Cebu to Bangkok. “Congratulations to Cebu Pacific on its inaugural flight between Cebu and Bangkok!” said Ambassador Prasasvinitchai. “We hope this will further strengthen the relationship between two great nations, and create prosperity to both countries, especially in tourism,” said Embassy of Malaysia Tourism Attaché and Tourism Malaysia-Manila Director Masrina Mohd Bakri. For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www. cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales and promos can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

EVENTS

An afternoon with the

Von Trapps

The Von Trapp singers, Sofia, Justin, Amanda & Melanie.

JuSt mention the title The Sound of Music to anyone and you are sure to get excited memories of watching the hit movie musical The Sound of Music and singing to songs like Maria, Do Re Mi, My Favorite Things, and Eidelweiss. So imagine the excitement I had waiting for the day the great-grandchildren of tHE Captain Von trapp will be visiting Durianburg and doing a performance at SM Lanang Premier. Meeting, Melanie, Amanda, and Justin von trapp last Friday on a pre-event press con (Sofia could not make it for the press meet-and-greet since she was feeling a bit sick and had to rest for the upcoming performance), I can’t help but be amazed at these siblings and the musical legacy they carry in their voices. According to Melanie, music actually skipped a generation, as their parents are not at all musical. But forming a singing group to cheer up their grandfather Werner von trapp (the incorrigible Kurt in the movie), who had suffered a stroke, changed all that. And from that day on, plus a guesting on the Oprah show, the siblings have continued the tradition of the family’s exceptional musical gift and love of singing, sharing songs and heart-warming family stories of life before and

The Equivocate warmed up the crowd before the Von Trapps went on stage.

after moving to America. Their performance at The Atrium of SM Lanang Premier was, for the lack of words, utterly touching as you can see the faces in the crowd smile and shed a tear or two when they sang The Hills are Alive. They literally brought me and everyone at the performance back to our childhoods of raindrops on roses and crisp apple strudel. The foursome also performed Christmas songs to liven up the season. It was a truly magical experience to be so close to everyone’s favorite Captain Georg and Maria, and I was glad SM Lanang Premier was there to make it happen for Dabawenyos.

SM Lanang Premier’s Atrium was filled with music and people.

The song Do-Re-Mi had the crowd singing along with them.

CEB takEs dElivEry of 41st airCraft. the Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific air (PsE:CEB) took delivery of its 41st aircraft with tail number rP-C3271 last december 1, 2012. acquired brand-new from the airbus facility in toulouse, france, CEB’s 41st aircraft was ferried to Cairo, fujairah, Bangkok and finally to Manila. CEB is the only airline in the Philippines with its fleet acquired 100% brand-new, making it one of the youngest and most modern aircraft fleets in asia. CEB now operates a fleet of 23 airbus a320, 10 airbus a319 and 8 atr 72-500 aircraft, the largest airbus fleet in the Philippines. it expects delivery of 7 airbus a320 and 2 airbus a330300 aircraft in 2013.

Justin singing Eidelweiss.

Dabawenyos lined up to have their albums signed after the performance.

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

Christina Aguilera talks giving Hillary Clinton an eyeful of cleavage

ELLEN DEGENERES couldn’t help but ask Christina Aguilera about that photo of her and hillary Clinton.

“That looks like it was Photoshopped, but it’s not. That was a real moment,” the Voice judge said in an interview airing tomorrow on Ellen, referring to the shot of the Secretary of State seemingly appraising Aguilera’s decolletage at a leadership-awards ceremony in October. “Could you feel her gazing down on your...breastesses?” quipped Ellen. “She’s such like, you know, a force in a room,” gushed Aguilera. “She’s got that star charisma and everything about her. I couldn’t take me eyes off her either—so, it was mutual.” “Is that bad?” the singer wondered. “I don’t know

maybe I shouldn’t say that. I’m so inappropriate.” Speaking of pushing the envelope, Aguilera also talked about her new album, Lotus, the cover of which she notably posed

nude for. “I like to be free,” she said. “Sometimes, the less clothing the better. I’m just comfortable in my skin and my body. “had I had this beauti-

ful sweater...I would have worn that on the cover of Lotus,” she added, motioning to the holly-jolly Christmas sweater Ellen gave her. Oh, and according to Aguilera, she waves those signature fans around on The Voice for a reason. “It’s our third season in and us as coaches have hit our stride,” Aguilera, who has no team members left in the competition this season, explained why she seemed more relaxed these days. “We get what it’s all about. We’re invested in our teams and I’m sitting next to [Blake Shelton] the whole time, so how can I not laugh? “Between him and [Cee Lo Green], with his gas over there. Then there’s [Adam Levine] over there, very competitive.” “That’s why I have the fan, you know,” Aguilera cracked.

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady welcome baby girl Vivian Lake

GISELE BüNDCHEN is a model mama twice over!

The supermodel and hubby tom Brady welcomed their second child on Wednesday, a baby girl named Vivian Lake. The 32-year-old Brazilian beauty shared the ecstatic news on Facebook Friday morning, along with an adorable photo of her holding her new daughter’s hand. “We feel so lucky to have been able to experience the miracle of birth once again and are forever grateful for the opportunity to be the parents of another little an-

gel,” she wrote. “Vivian Lake was born at home on Dec. 5. She is healthy and full of life. Thank you all for your support and well wishes. We wish you and your families many blessings.” Despite speculation early on that she was on the baby way, Bündchen never officially confirmed her pregnancy, although she certainly never shied away from flaunting her blossoming baby bump. She and Brady also have a 3-year-old son, Benjamin. Congrats to the happy new parents!

A4 INdulge! WEDDINGS

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

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Center. Floral designer, Wendell Gartes of Floral Pink Designs created an elegant space that harkens back to the style and glamour of 1920’s America, the centerpiece of which is a beautiful floral arc flanked by a multi-tiered wedding cake by Osvaldo’s

The Groom wore a barong tagalog that was custom-made by Lorenzo’s Executive Design while the bride wore a stunningly beautiful art-deco inspired serpentine gown studded with crystals by John Belandres of Atelier 115.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

SPORTS15

RPSB cagers book semis slot R

OMMeL Cameros stepped up in the homestretch to power the Regional Public Safety Battalion to a 80 – 70 come from behind victory over Philippine navy and took the last ticket to the semi-final round in the Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte – 10th AFP-PnP Basketball Tournament on Thursday at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. Cameros, a reliable lefty shooting guard, tossed in 19 of his total 26 points in the second half, including a go ahead basket over three minutes left of the pay off period as RPSB (7-3) took the no. 4 spot in the semi-final round. Bull-strong forward Mark Innocentes contributed vastly with his 20 points output for RPSB which will battle top-seed Vice Mayor’s Office and the SP-based dribbler’s twice to beat incentive in the semis. Down 34 – 42 at the half, RPSB got back to life

behind Cameros and Innocentes in the final half to seal the victory and boot out the navymen in the final four race. The navymen (6-4) waxed hot courtesy of Michael Lagula but uncharacteristically cooled off down the stretch in time of the resurgence of the RPSB. Roberto Munar registered 15 points while Lagula scored 10 of his 14 baskets in the opening period and was a non-factor the rest of the way. Lester normandia scored 12 baskets from the bench for RPSB which will last play the winless Philippine Coast Guard in the elimination round. Coming off from a four game winning streak, no. 2 seed Davao City Police Office will battle it out with Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the no. 3 seed, in the other semi-final round. Like the VMO, the wards of PSSupt. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa enjoy a twice to beat advantage in the semis.

GIRL POWER. Sydney Tancontian of the Philippines, fighting out of Davao City, tries to submit her male opponent from Uzbekistan in the finals of the Jag Sports judo competition held recently in Singapore. Sydney Tancontian settled for the silver but was awarded most outstanding player in the tournament.

OKC beat short-handed Lakers

KLAhOMA CITY — In a reversal of roles, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers know they’re the predators trying to track down Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder. They have some work to do. Durant had 36 points, Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half to stake Oklahoma City to a commanding lead and the Thunder beat the short-handed Lakers 114-108 Friday night (Saturday, Manila time). “They’re a team that everybody likes. As a young team coming up, you always want to beat the best,” Westbrook said.

“I think that’s one of the things that motivates us.” Bryant had 35 points for Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 19 before rallying to get within four in the final minute. Dwight howard added 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers, who were eliminated by the Thunder in five games in last season’s Western Conference semifinals. howard and Steve nash were part of an offseason overhaul to try and catch up to the Thunder. Instead, the Lakers are 9-11 and focusing on small gains that give them the belief they’ll eventually turn it around. “It’s 82 games. This

team has just gotten together,” howard said. “It’s not like we’re going to get together and start winning right away... We’re learning how to play together. We’re getting better. This is not on anybody’s time table but ours.” Westbrook’s big first half put the Thunder in control, but L.A. charged back with a late 27-12 run to make it interesting. The game grew tense when Metta World Peace — already a public enemy in Oklahoma City after he clocked James harden last season — and Serge Ibaka each got technical fouls for a confrontation in the closing minutes.

Promising Chino Tancontian of the Philippines shows why he is now among the most promising judokas in the country. Chino Tancontian won two gold medals recently in the Jag Sports tournament in Singapore.

Sweet revenge for Tigers

Russell Westbrook scores 27 of his 33 in the first half to stake Oklahoma City to a commanding lead. AP

nIVeRSITY of Santo Tomas exacted revenge on UAAP conqueror Ateneo, winning Game Three of the title series 81-76 to rule the Philippine Collegiate Champions League On Friday night at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. After a tight contest in the first three quarters, the Growling Tigers poured in seven consecutive points capped by a Jeric Teng triple for a 67-60 lead early in the final canto. UST continued to dictate the tempo as it hammered the Blue eagles with a 12-3 run and the lead ballooned to 7965 with 2:53 on the clock. Ryan Buenafe answered back with his own seven-point spurt to slice down Ateneo’s deficit to five, 74-79. Kiefer Ravena made his two charities to further inch closer, 76-79, with 30.5 ticks left to play. But the Pido Jarencio-led squad widened the gap, 81-76, with a Kevin Ferrer

putback off a miss by Karim Abdul. “Actually from the start, before ng game, sinabi ko sa mga players it’s about time na ma-prove natin kung ano tayo, kung ano ang worth ng team natin,” said UST coach Jarencio. “hindi pwedeng everytime natatalo tayo na we’re a bunch of losers. Ayoko ng ganyang attitude.” “Tinanghal tayo na no. 1 team sa more than 200 teams,” Jarencio added. “Sobra pa ‘to sa UAAP na achievement.” Teng, who was named Most Valuable Player, came up with 22 points, including five triples. Ferrer and Jeric Fortuna chipped in 21 and 11 markers respectively for UST. “hindi importante ‘yung MVP,” said Teng. “Ang gusto ko lang mag-champion, mabigyan ko ng championship sina (Melo) Afuang at (Jeric) Fortuna (who are graduating).” The Growling Tigers, who bowed to Ateneo in the UAAP championship in October, savored their revenge.

VOL.5 ISSUE 200 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO