Edge Davao 5 Issue 214

EDGEDAVAO P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

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That’s better!

More addicts seek treatment M ore drug dependents have voluntarily submitted themselves for treatment in the outpatient and aftercare center in Davao City, an official from the Center for Health Development (OCD) in Region 11 said.

Rustum Fanugao, Jr., program man-

Outpatients served by the center increased from 13 in 21011 to 22 this year

ager of the CHD-11 Outpatient and Aftercare Center for Drug Dependents, said in

an interview Thursday the center handled more patients this year than in 2011, with most of the patients submitting

FMORE, 11

Page 15

CASH GIFTS. Thousands of public school teachers from Davao City’s three districts flock to claim their P2,000.00 cash gifts from Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio’s “Pahalipay ni Mayor” program at Teodoro L. Palma Gil Elementary School along E. Quirino Avenue yesterday. LEAN DAVAL JR.

Gringo Honasan says:

‘Fight insurgency with better ideas, reforms’

by Che Palicte

Follow Us On

F

IGHT insurgency, rebellion, cessation, even criminality and terrorism with better ideas, reforms and good governance.

This was the take of Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, People Power hero, rebel sol-

Senator said pending bill on land use to address disaster risk reduction issue dier and member of the Philippine Senate for 15 years now, when asked to comment

MX3: HITTING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

Disclaimer:: Garcinia mangostana is a Food Supplement and not a Drug. NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIM.

on the continuing insurgency launched by certain groups in the country, including the New People’s Army which observed its 44th anniversary last December 26.

Honasan, who is the current chairman of the Senate committee on information,

FGRINGO, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

It was no bomb

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

By Che Palicte

A

device suspected to be a bomb was found in front of La Anclar Hometel in Bonifacio St. around 8:00 pm, Thursday.

Brandon Barangan, a security guard of Cebuana Lhuillier, said that during his shift about 7:30 pm he noticed something that looked like a stainless tumbler in front of the hometel. “Mura sya ug thermos kadako ug naay hose na nagbitay sa taas na parte sa tumbler,” Barangan added.

Thinking that it could have been an improvised bomb, La Anclar security

guard Gregorio Sacayan Jr. called up Central 911 for help after recalling the recent Sampaguita Hotel incident involving an alleged terrosist who was gunned down by police.

Central 911 responded right after the call, followed by the Sta. Ana police bomb squad and K9 units as well.

The bomb experts send the bomb sniffing dogs to examine the package which came out negative. One of the bomb experts tried to open the tumbler using a knife but it didn’t work so they decided it was a false alarm.

Pablo’s fury

COFFEE TABLE BOOK. Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, chairman of the Senate committee on information, hands over an autographed copy of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE FLAG The Men of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, a coffee table book

on the story of the RAM soldiers, to Edge Davao editor Antonio M. Ajero, as pioneering moderator of Kapihan sa PIA, a long running media forum which turned 25 years old yesterday. Honasan was the anniversary’s guest speaker. JOEY DALUMPINES

From Sara with love

public school Power to be restored fully in DavOr’s DCity’s teachers get cash gifts 3 hard-hit towns by January next year P

By Anthony S. Allada

T

HE Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative (DORECO) admitted it did not hit its supposed December 23 target to energize Baganga, Cateel and Boston towns of Davao Oriental despite the reinforcement of several electric cooperatives.

Engr. Gregory Dukil, chief executive officer of DORECO, said that due to the massive devastation of power lines and poles in these three towns they had the hard time speeding up the restoration of power supply there.

Dukil said as of now

generator sets are temporarily energizing poblacion areas of the three towns from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. only.

He said their crews and those from other electric cooperatives and Aboitiz Power-Davao Light did not avail of the Christmas break but continued fixing toppled power poles and damaged lines, including those cross-country lines or those installed in mountainous areas.

“As much as residents would like to have power restored immediately in their respective places, we also take this as very vital

for us,” he said.

Dukil said that they have still to connect the Baganga backbone power lines to Cateel then from Cateel to Boston.

“After this is through, we would then connect the lines to poblacion areas and neighboring barangays and this will take us more than a month,” he said.

He said that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) which is DORECO’s power supplier in Baganga area has promised to fix its transmission line to serve power in the municipality.

“Nag-inform ang NGCP sa amoa karon nga mahuman nila ang ilang restoration sa ilang transmission line up in Baganga.

Naa nay possibility nga ma-energize na namo ang Baganga poblacion ug some barangays near it with 24 hours electricity,” Dukil said.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged the efforts of Cebu Electric Cooperative for sending its crew to help the Task Force Kapatid, a group of electric cooperatives helping a cooperative experiencing power problem, to restore power supply.

CASH GIFTS. Thousands of public school teachers from Davao City’s three districts flock to claim their P2,000.00 cash gifts from Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio’s “Pahalipay ni Mayor” program at Teodoro L. Palma Gil Elementary School along E. Quirino Avenue yesterday. LEAN DAVAL JR.

uBLIC elementary and high school teachers of Davao City received cash gifts from Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio Friday afternoon at the Teodoro Palma Gil Elementary School.

Hundreds of teachers waited patiently for the gifts despite the apparent hassle in the distribution process.

Teachers in the family way did not have to fall

in line but received their cash gifts directly from a designated local government representative.

Portia Banluta, teacher of Bustamante National High School, Bunawan district, said, “We were given P2, 000 cash each by the mayor, naa nami pang New Year!”

Some of the the teachers said they hope the local government won’t get tired of giving them gifts at this time of the year.

Tacurong City Mayor unhurt in grenade blast, but one of two suspects slain

By Aquiles Z. Zonio

T

HE Tacurong City police killed in hot pursuit operation one suspect believed to be responsible for the grenade throwing in front of the residence of Mayor Emilio Salamanca of President Quirino town, Sultan Kudarat.

The mayor and his family were not hurt but his close-in bodyguard, Nilo Casas, and his helper identified as Juther Escalina were wounded in the blast.

Supt. Junny Buenacosa, Tacurong City police chief, told reporters that one of two suspects lobbed a fragmentation grenade in front of Salamanca’s house along Malvar Street, Tacurong City, around 8:00 p.m.

Thursday.

One of the suspects was killed while his companion was arrested in a hot pursuit operation launched by the police.

The unidentified suspect, Buenacosa added, threw another grenade at pursuers while trying to escape along Lapu-Lapu Street about a hundred me-

ters from Salamanca’s residence.

One bystander identified as Jonah Parreno was injured.

The law enforcers managed to catch up with the suspect inside the AbangSuizo Elementary School where he was shot dead still holding one unexploded hand grenade, according to Buenacosa.

Buenacosa identified the arrested suspect as a certain Nasser Abdullah, 40, a resident of Kabacan town in North Cotabato.

He is undergoing tactical interrogation by the police.

He claimed this was the second grenade throwing incident perpetrated against him this year.

The local police, however, clarified the grenade-throwing against mayor Salamanca had nothing with the last Wednesday’s bomb blast in downtown Tacurong City.

Three persons were injured in the attack which the police believed was terror-related.

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

3

14 Bukidnon farm-to-market roads to be funded by MRDP’s World Bank loan F

OuRTEEN farm-tomarket roads and bridges in Bukidnon with a total cost of P405.53 million were included for funding starting in 2013 under the Philippine Rural Development Program, according to records from the Provincial Development Council.

The road projects, the most expensive among them is an P85-million rehabilitation of a remote road section in Damulog, are part of the rural infrastructure “sub projects” under the PRDP, the forerunner of the Mindanao Rural Development Project, which is under the Department of Agriculture’s uS$500-million World Bank loan.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, in a letter to Bukidnon Gov. Alex Calingasan for the PDC’s endorsement of the project, said the “PRDP seeks to increase agricultural productivity and incomes, and spur job creation in the countryside.” The program, he added, is DA’s platform for “inclusive, value-chain oriented and climate-smart agriculture.”

Based on the list provided by the DA to the PDC in its December 12 meeting, the projects include the rehabilitation of the junction national road Sitio Naruganan Pocopoco to San Isidro Proper farmto-market road in Pocopoco, Damulog town (P13.35

million); rehabilitation of Sitio Sinayaran, Pocopoco Road to Tankulan proper in Tangkulan, Damulog town (P85.01 million); rehabilitation of Kinapat road to Aludas Proper in Aludas, Damulog town (P19.28 million); proposed Maican to Balaoro single lane RCDG (conventionally steel reinforced concrete deck girder) bridge in Maican, Damulog town (P44.05 million); construction and upgrading of San Antonio West-Bizmartz farm-tomarket road in Don Carlos town (P18.52 million); rehabilitation and improvement of Kibenton-Intavas farm-to-market road in Impasug-ong town(P19.72 million); and rehabilitation of Balintawak-Marapange farm-to-market road in Kibawe town (P12.51 million).

The projects also covered the upgrading of San L u i s -Tu b o d - O m a gl i n g farm-to-market road in Malitbog town (P16.6 million); upgrading of junction Tomigbong-Larapan farm-to-market road also in Malitbog town (P16 million); upgrading of junction San Luis/Siloo-Mabuhay-Bagyangon farm-tomarket road in Malitbog town (P11.9 million); upgrading of San Migara-Tingag-Tagmaray farmto-market road in Malitbog town (P39.91 million); construction of Sabangan bridge in Dalirig, Manolo Fortich town (P39.2 mil-

PAHALIPAY. Former vice mayor Louie Bonguyan welcomes members of local media in behalf of Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte during “Pahalipay ni Mayor Inday ug ni Vice Mayor Rody para sa Media” at Linmarr Davao Hotels

and Apartelles Thursday night. Louie a veteran local lawmaker and certified public accountant will run for congressman of Davao City’s First District. LEAN DAVAL JR.

lion); rehabilitation of Puntian-Sitio Tambulaog farmto-market road in Sumilao town (P16.6 million); and upgrading of Indulang-Colawingon-Salucot farmto-market road in Talakag town (P53 million).

The PRDP promotes the development of a provincial commodity investment plans (PCIPs) as a joint undertaking by the DA and the partner provinces. The PCIPs, Alcala said in his letter, would take off from the DA’s regional agriculture and fisheries plans and the provincial agriculture and

fisheries development plan. It will be the basis for investments that will be identified and prioritized under PRDP. The 14 projects are under the rural infrastructure subprojects, which has a 90-10 percent cost sharing between the national government and the local government.

An official of DA who appeared at the PDC meeting said the basis for choosing which projects proposed by LGus they will include in the program is the local government’s capacity to offer its

counterpart.

Another set of subprojects, the rural enterprise development subprojects, require 80-20 percent cost sharing between the DA and the local government partner.

The infrastructure subprojects dubbed as “I-Build” is expected to yield strategic and climate-resilient rural infrastructure facilities along the value chain in order to improve road networks linking production areas with markets.

It also seeks to increase productivity from

the province’s 20 towns and two cities.

He said the reports from police stations have already arrived but there were no incidents related to firecrackers and other related incidents.

P03 Polinar Sencil also said there were no reported incidents around Malaybalay City.

The Malaybalay Emergency Response unit

(MERu) also reported not having received and responded to any pyro-techniques related incident.

Engr. Sony Dabe Belderol, MERu chief, said they received and responded to only one incident related to firecrackers last year. He said only one incident was also reported to them in the anticipation of the new year last year.

Lanie Sugi, an admis-

sion officer at the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center, said they had admitted no patient related to pyro techniques related incidents so far.

The Bureau of Fire Protection in Malaybalay City also received no reports of fire related to pyro techniques, according to Fire Officer Aldren Paul Ronolo.

[Walter I. Balane / MindaNews]

are in high school. under the supplementary feeding program, school children are provided with regular meals if they are enrolled in day care and supervised neighborhood play school. But school officials in the typhoon-affected areas believe that supplementary feeding will help encourage school children and even high school students to go back to school.

“Dugangan na lang nato ang supplementary feeding (We

will just augment the supplementary feeding),” she said during a dialogue with school officials to help them lure back the school children whose families were affected by the typhoon.

Soliman added that she already discussed the issue with Department Education Secretary Armin Luistro and they have agreed that classes in affected areas must be resumed immediately.

Classes, she said, need not be in a formal setting.

“Basta lang maipon

ang mga bata ug naa silay himuon nga stress debriefing pud (What is important is that the children must just be assembled and that they also undergo stress debriefing),” she said.

According to the Secretary, the Department of Public Works and Highways has also started rehabilitating the school buildings by providing these establishments with roofing. Also being rehabilitated, she added, are the hospitals. [DSWD/ Leslie Lao-Francisco]

Zero reports of firecracker injuries in Bukidnon

P

OLICE and hospital sources said there were no reported injuries in Bukidnon on pyro-techniques and related incidents during the Christmas celebration.

P03 Romando Sambile, firearms non-commissioned officer of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office, said the report is based on submissions from the police stations in

DSWD supplementary feeding to include high schoolers affected by ‘Pablo’

T

HE Supplementary Feeding Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) purposely only for grade school children will include high school students in areas affected by typhoon Pablo, Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said.

Soliman said that the Department and the provincial and municipal governments of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley will work hand-in-hand to take care of the feeding program for students who

irrigation and water supply systems and reduce productivity losses.

The PDC passed a resolution endorsing the project in its last regular session based on records of the meeting.

The PRDP, a six-year spin-off of the MRDP, covers 75-percent funding from the World Bank loan to the national government, 13 percent from the national government, 11 percent from local government units, and one percent from an international grant. [Walter I. Balane / MindaNews]

NCot PNP director relieved from post

T

HE police provincial director in North Cotabato was relieved from his post effective Wednesday, four months after he assumed the position.

Senior Supt. Roque Alcantara, provincial director in North Cotabato, admitted he received a phone call on Wednesday from the office of the Police Regional Director based in General Santos City about his relief order.

“As a good soldier, I would follow the order… no more questions asked,” said Alcantara.

Alcantara would be replaced by Sr. Supt. Danny Peralta, former provincial police director of Sultan Kudarat.

Alcantara refused to comment on the information reaching media here that his relief has something to do with the filing of a criminal charge against a staff of Rep. Nancy Catamco (2nd Dist., North Cotabato).

In November, the provincial prosecutor in North

Cotabato has filed criminal charges against Basilio Obello Jr., Catamco’s public affairs chief, for keeping an unlicensed firearm sometime May this year.

“I don’t know the reason for my relief. I have not received the copy of my order. I just received a call saying I must vacate my post,” said Alcantara.

Catamco or any of her staff has not given their reactions yet on the change in the provincial police command.

Cotabato Gov. Lala Mendoza, for her part, said that Alcantara’s stay in his command would depend much on his performance.

Early this month, the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), led by Mendoza, passed a resolution which sought police and other government agencies to act on the rising criminalities in the province, especially on the increase in the number of motorcycle theft and robbery incidents.

[Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews]

4

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

UN general assembly upgrades UNEP A

NOTHER step forward to the ‘Future We Want’ was put in place last week with a decision by the General Assembly of the united Nations to ‘strengthen and upgrade’ the uN Environment Programme (uNEP) and establish universal membership of its governing body.

The landmark resolution, aimed at increasing the role of uNEP as the leading environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, was adopted 40 years after uNEP was established by the General Assembly, following the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

The General Assembly resolution also provides for uNEP to receive secure, stable and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the uN, and calls for other uNEP donors to increase their voluntary funding.

The decision allows full participation of all 193 uN member states at the uNEP Governing Council in February 2013, and follows commitments by world leaders at the uN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last June to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development.

The provisions contained in the resolution are among the first practical steps by the uN General Assembly to implement the outcomes of Rio+20.

“The decision by the General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade uNEP is a watershed moment. universal membership of uNEP’s Governing Council establishes a new, fully-representative platform to strengthen the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and provides all governments with an equal voice on the decisions and action needed to support the global environment, and ensure a fairer share of the world’s resources for all,” said united Nations under-Secretary-General and uNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

The UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya

“The resolution reaffirms uNEP’s role as the uN’s authority on the environment, and provides the mandate to enhance our ongoing work on bringing the latest science to policy-makers, directly supporting national and regional environmental efforts, improving access to technology, and other key areas. For uNEP and the environmental community, this is a truly historic day,” added Mr. Steiner.

Improved governance In the forty years since uNEP was established, the environmental challenges facing communities around the world - from diminishing water resources and desertification, to climate change and hazardous chemicals - have increased in number and complexity.

Yet international responses to such challenges are often fragmented and weak.

The latest edition of uNEP’s Global Environment Outlook report, released in June 2012, assessed 90 of the most important environmental goals agreed by the international community, and found that significant progress had only been made in four.

The report warns that if current trends continue, several critical thresholds may be exceeded, beyond which irreversible changes to the life-support functions of the planet could occur.

The General Assembly decision reflects the commitment of member states to improve global cooperation on the environment in order to meet such challenges, and to promote the integration of the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development, as well as improving coordination within the uN system.

Prior to the new resolution, uNEP’s Governing Council consisted of 58 members only. Previous efforts to ensure wider representation in the running of uNEP resulted in the creation of the Global

The United Nations General Assembly

Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF), which brought together the world’s environment ministers for high-level meetings in parallel with the Governing Council.

Member states will have the role of implementing the provisions of the General Assembly resolution - including arrangements for the future of the GMEF - at the first meeting of the newly-enlarged Governing Council at uNEP headquarters in Nairobi on 18-22 February 2013. The meeting will be held under the theme ‘Rio+20: From Outcome to Implementation’.

The General Assembly also stressed the important role of uNEP in providing the international community with comprehensive, science-based, policy-relevant global environmental assessments, such as the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series, and others.

By endorsing the Rio+20 outcome document ‘The Future We Want’ in July 2012, and adopting the new resolution on uNEP,

the General Assembly underlined the need for uNEP to work more closely with non-governmental organizations, youth, women, indigenous peoples, local governments, business, and other interest groups, and to formalize their participation at the uNEP Governing Council and in global environmental decision-making overall. uNEP is also tasked with further strengthening the vital link between policy-makers and the scientific community.

In a separate resolution relating to another Rio+20 outcome, the General Assembly welcomed the adoption of the ten-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10YFP), to which uNEP provides the secretariat.

The 10YFP is a global framework of action to enhance international cooperation on accelerating the shift towards sustainable consumption and production in developed and developing countries. The

framework will support capacity building, and provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries.

The General Assembly also tasked uNEP with establishing a trust fund for sustainable consumption and production programmes in order to mobilize voluntary contributions from donors, the private sector and other sources, including foundations.

40 Years of uNEP The General Assembly resolution marks the first major structural change to uNEP in its four-decade history.

The first uN agency to be headquartered in a developing country, uNEP is the voice of the environment in the uN system. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review, and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. uNEP also administers many multilateral environmental agreements and conventions, including the Ozone Secretariat and the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and a growing family of chemicals-related agreements, among others.

Major uNEP landmarks and achievements over the past forty years include: • 1979: Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) established. The agreement involves 116 member states and has overseen binding agreements and action plans to protect 120 migratory species.

• 1987: Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer established. One of the most successful multilateral agreements in uN history, the protocol has overseen a 98 per cent reduction of controlled ozone depleting substances, and delivered multiple health benefits, including millions of avoided cases of cancer and eye cataracts.

• 1988 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established by uNEP and the World Meteorological Organization. The panel delivers the world’s most influential, comprehensive and scientifically-reviewed reports on climate change.

• 1995: Basel Ban Amendment barring export of hazardous wastes adopted. Ratified by 70 countries and the Eu, the agreement established a regime for minimization of health and environmental impacts of waste.

• 2002: Launch of Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles. Among other activities, the project has assisted countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to successfully phase out or begin the phase-out of leaded fuel. Associated health savings for the continent are estimated at uS$92 billion per year.

• 2012: Launch of Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce ShortLived Climate Pollutants: Voluntary initiative to reduce emissions of black carbon, methane, low-level ozone, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and other short-lived climate pollutants (SCLPs), to tackle climate change and improve human health. In less than 12 months, some 25 governments and additional partners have joined the coalition.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

THE ECONOMY 5

6 THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DOLE provides emergency employment, livelihood projects for Pablo survivors T

DYING INDUSTRY. An attendant of a sidewalk photocopy shop relaxes while waiting for customers along Magallanes Street yesterday. Photocopy business is a moribund-

industry caused by the more sophisticated and cheaper printers that’s slowly eating up its market. LEAN DAVAL JR.

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 11 allotted a total of P6.5 million assistance from its special funds for emergency employment in the municipalities hit by Typhoon Pablo, a government official said.

DOLE 11 regional director Joffrey Suyao said in an interview the Student Assistance through Government Internship Program (SAGIP) Mag-aaral and SAGIP Manggagawa under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Disadvantaged Workers or TuPAD were the department’s project interventions so far.

He said mostly farm workers and students residing in Compostela Valley (ComVal) and Davao Oriental affected by Pablo will benefit from the projects.

A student or a worker will receive P225.75 a day or 75 percent of the minimum wage in the region, which is P301, as a compensation for an eighthour work, Suyao said. He added that the program will be 10 working days for students and 15 days for workers.

The emergency employment projects will cover 200 workers and 100 students for each of the municipalities of New Bataan, Compostela, Monkayo, Montevista and Laak in ComVal, and Baganga, Cateel, Boston and Caraga in Davao Oriental.

Suyao said the SAGIP Manggagawa will be officially rolled out in January, although the municipality of Boston had already begun the employment as it depends on the work programs of the local government units (LGu).

The jobs will be declogging of canals and clearing of debris, among other public works needed by each LGu, he said.

“These projects will assist the affected workers to start up somehow and give them a sense of ‘bayanihan’ (community work) or caring for their community,” he told reporters.

A total of 134 students were given orientation for the SAGIP Mag-aaral Project last Dec. 18 at the DOLE-11 regional office and 90 of them were deployed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 Relief Operations Center in the city.

But Suyao said only some 60 students reported to the DSWD 11, while the rest were deployed in their respective municipalities to conduct profiling of victims.

He added that the profiling will help the depart-

ment gather data for future program of interventions in the affected areas.

About 200 students were also given orientation on Dec. 19 at the university of Mindanao-Tagum College.

Livelihood assistance DOLE-11, along with Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, conducted a consultation in Tagum City last Dec. 19 with some 60 officials from union federations in the provinces for possible assistance.

At the meeting, the DOLE-11 gave certificates of entitlement for livelihood projects worth P250,000 each to three unions, namely, Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farms (NAMASuFA), Freshmax Workers union (FWu) and Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa San Jose (NAMASAN) under the National Federation of Labor unions-Kilusang Mayo uno.

Suyao cited that the livelihood projects were rice trading and meat processing for NAMASuFA, and consumer stores for FWu and NAMASAN. But he said the assistance will be given in a form of materials and equipment to be purchased by January as the funds will be coming from the regular livelihood fund for 2013.

The LGu will have a counterpart in the form of tools and equipment, he added.

Suyao said the 2012 livelihood fund worth P9 million was already consumed, but there are many projects in the pipeline to be covered by the 2013 budget, which will be released by January.

The livelihood projects of the three unions will be prioritized awaiting the release of budget, while the leg-working and other preparations are ongoing, he said.

Noting that it is a reorientation of an existing livelihood project to help workers start up from their loss due to the calamity, Suyao said all unions in Davao Oriental and some in ComVal already submitted project proposals to his office for approval.

He added that they will conduct assessment of the livelihood projects after a few months for possible additional assistance.

Suyao said the damages of Typhoon Pablo was overwhelming, considering the future of the people affected, citing that most of them had left their municipalities to seek employment. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro / MindaNews]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

YEARENDER

MOTORING

7

Carguide.ph bares Top 5 in 2012 C

AR review website Carguide.ph, one of the best sources for auto reviews in the Philippine car market has bared its top 5 picks in the year 2012. We have followed the reviews of this website and here are its top choices for the year.

2 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

Mitsubishi resurrects an old nameplate to bring forth an interesting new concept: Mirage. Designed as an “in-betweener” in the sub-B (micro) and B (sub-compact) category cars, the Mirage is extremely simple and efficient in its design. Function triumphs over form in every aspect of the Mirage: it may have a small footprint, but thanks to clever packaging, it’s got a cavernous interior. It may not look sharp, but it’s extremely aerodynamic. The 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine may not push out the numbers its rivals may boast, but thanks to a sub-900 kilogram curb weight, it propels this car with gusto. And who can forget the Mirage’s extremely generous equipment level (GPS navigation, Smart Key keyless entry, push button engine start/stop, to name a few) and surprisingly affordable price tag.

3 FORD FOCUS

Ford brings their A-Game with the all-new Focus. Packed with class-leading technology, the Focus redefines “bang for the buck” with features such as Active Park Assist, BLIS, and other electronic aids commonly seen in luxury cars. Plus, crammed into the stylish new body is a family of new engines headlined by the segment’s first-ever direct-injection gasoline engine. And the Focus isn’t just about good looks and exciting new features, it manages to retain its sharp driving dynamics—the biggest reason why it became so popular in the first place. And you’d think all this tech, all this sportiness won’t come cheap; fear not. The Focus is actually budget-friendly as well.

4 SUBARU XV

Normally, raising the suspension on a compact car is a recipe for disaster, but Subaru did it right when it transformed the fourth-generation Impreza into the XV. Now, it’s the Swiss Army Knife of cars with 220 mm of ground clearance (5 mm more than the Forester XS), good off-road capability, and good on-road driving dynamics. Plus, it’s mighty comfortable, reasonably loaded as well (standard moon roof), and very safe (standard 6 airbags, traction control, and of course, all-wheel drive). The XV is also one of the new breed of Subaru which offers excellent fuel economy to go with that stellar all-weather capability.

5 MAZDA CX-5

Who says you can’t combine driving fun, frugality, and practicality all into one package? The Mazda CX-5 may sport a crossover body style, but it handles like a sports sedan with sharp handling and quick reflexes. The magic formula is called SKYACTIV which combines a slew of technologies all in the name of efficiency without sacrificing the ‘zoom-zoom’ ethos the brand’s known for. Plus, the CX-5 is actually available with a six-speed manual which incidentally is one of the best equipped in a mainstream vehicle. All this and you’ve got ample space for five and enough luggage space for that trip to S&R.

1TOYOTA 86 It took a directive from Toyota’s company chairman and the help of Subaru to make it, but the end result is the best, most driver-centric car to come out of Japan in ages: the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. The ingredients of the so-called “Toyobaru” twins are simple: a light curb weight, a balanced chassis, low center of gravity, and a great drivetrain that matches. Plus, when these ingredients are put together, the result is more than the sum of their parts. The 86 and BRZ aren’t about sledgehammering through corners; it’s more about finesse. Plus, they’re actually livable enough to be driven every day with a decent trunk, fuel economy, and ground clearance. Now, if only we can have a better radio…

Cars that bit the dust in 2012

W

HILE we’re preparing to ring in the New Year, let’s take a look back at the cars, trucks, and SuVs that won’t be joining us in 2013. While nameplates like Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Hyundai Veracruz died in 2012, their places in their respective automakers lineups were replaced by updated models like the F12 Berlinetta and long-wheelbase Santa Fe. Instead, this list is dedicated to the vehicles that have announced their departure or left the marketplace in 2012 without any direct replacement.

Acura ZDX: The Acura ZDX was never really well-received by the automotive press or the public. The four-seat crossover had a coupelike roofline and controversial styling, limited utility, and a price tag that made it hard to justify its purchase over the mechanically related MDX. Chevrolet Avalanche: unlike other vehicles on this list, the

Chevrolet Avalanche isn’t being discontinued because it’s a bad vehicle – it’s leaving us as a result of parental neglect. The second-generation of the innovative Avalanche debuted in 2007 and saw its only real update in 2009, when the four-speed auto was replaced by a six-speed slushbox.

Because the Avalanche was never kept fresh, sales dwindled, eventually resulting in its discontinuation.

Lexus HS 250h: First introduced in 2009, the Lexus HS 250h didn’t live up to Lexus’ sales or its customers’ fuel economy expectations. The problem may have been that most customers expected the HS 250h to net fuel economy comparable to the similarly sized Toyota Prius. Since the HS 250h used a modified version of the Toyota Camry Hybrid’s powertrain, that never happened. The end result was a slow-selling unattractive car, discontinued after just three years on the marketplace.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Malls and midnight sales

E

EDITORIAL

Ruffy’s cue

C

ONCERNED Dabawenyos are currently talking about last week’s decision of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao dismissing from the service a former district collector and a subordinate in the Bureau of Customs for certain unlawful acts.

The Ombudsman’s verdict meted punishment on former Davao acting customs collector Anju Nereo C. Castigador, a lawyer, and acting assistant wharfinger Alicodsaman Palao Dimasicil with dismissal for “grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and violation of Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as ‘The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.’” The administrative complaint which included two other customs employees penalized with six-month suspension, was filed by businessman Rodolfo C. Reta, owner of a container yard earlier contracted by the BOC to house its designated examination area (DEA) with an x-ray machine.

Reta charged Castigador with illegally revoking the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between him and the BOC and other related illegal acts.

The decision vindicates Reta, although it is doubtful for him to be euphoria as he still has to recover the millions of lost income he had suffered during the last three years.

More importantly, the decision, 24 pages in all, details the questionable acts perpetrated by Castigador and his co-accused. Note that this case involves an attempt at smug-

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gling through mis-declaration of imported cargo, collusion between customsmen and smugglers masquerading as consignees or brokers, and other illegal acts. Simply put, the case is added confirmation that indeed the BOC is one of the country’s top centers of corruption.

Hopefully, Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon, the youthful customs commissioner, will take the cue from this decided case and make it the launching pad of a more vigorous and more effective campaign against corruption in his turf.

He can be very scientific about it by directing a thorough study of the DEA system with an eye of engaging the intervention of third-party watchdog groups from civil society. As Fr. Albert “Pareng Bert” Alejo, a Jesuit priest active with the People Power Volunteers for Reform (PPVR) and People Action Against Corruption (PAAC), said many government agencies are now engaging third-party watchdog units to help check corruption in their ranks. Right in Davao, there is a surfeit of advocates of transparency in governance raring to get into the act.

If this new system works, Mr. Biazon can stop whining about being helpless against well-entrenched smuggling syndicates in the country aided by lack of effective laws. Many Filipinos who believe in President Aquino’s daang matuwid (straight path) governance would love to see Ruffy transform from a whiner into a dragon slayer.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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

RAMON M. MAXEy Consultant

kENNETH IRVING k. ONG Creative Solutions

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate

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

JADE C. ZALDIVAR • VICky BERDINA M. DE GuZMAN ANTHONy S. ALLADA • AQuILES Z. ZONIO Staff Writers

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

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance AGuSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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xtended mall hours and midnight sales galore are turning to be such convenient delights for us consumers. No time for shopping is no longer a valid excuse unless you are the hapless laborer forced to keep store until your eyebags turn dark. Gifts that money can buy are found in shopping malls staffed by people with little buying and socioeconomic power so they are forced to toil during the holidays. Persons become mere statistics so that the consuming public can consume more; so that wealthy mall owners become wealthier. Such is business. Such is life. When you are not at the top of the food chain, you get eaten. When you are a laborer, you toil and meekly follow the powers that be or risk not toiling at all. When you are a mall owner, power lies in the extensive market you have cornered and employees and suppliers are your pawns. Of course, considerable investment has been made so it is just right to recoup everything and more.

Even if it means straddling the line of injustice; even if it means that people become objects; even if the laws need to be bent every now and then.

It is a cherished principle in ethics that one who has more has the moral imperative to take care of those who have less. We try to live this in our small business. However, since our business hinges on the power of a mall giant, we in turn become powerless pawns which make it difficult for us to really take care of our employees. Delayed payments, undue demands, systemic flaws, red tape are all par for the course. We want their business therefore we just deal. It is interesting and galling to learn of corporate cultures that look so polished on the outside but is actually riddled with shadows on the inside. Such is business.

Such is life.

A university exhibit that was supposed to be held at the less costly mall was transferred to a more upscale location despite budgetary constraints. The head of the project was dismayed at the nitpicking demands and the arduous task of getting arrangements and agreements approved. Next time around, the university decided to spend more at a different exhibit area than deal with a culture that was determined to make its reach and power constantly felt.

The extended mall hours, more so the rise of malls in the city and neighboring provinces, speaks of a culture that is determined to find meaning in things that money could buy. I will not deny the reality that my heart smiles when I am able to buy a pair of stylish heels or when I receive a nifty gadget. But the constant bombardment and exposure to the material and superficial leaves us with the notion that not being able to buy things makes us less. True, there is a sense of power and freedom when we can acquire more. But this should never be the overriding value of how we perceive others and ourselves. I was a bit saddened when the playmates of my 8-year old nephew kept on harping how rich he is.

This may be evident because of his many toys and gadgets. Even children give importance to trappings of socioeconomic status and in the process lose sensitivity to humanity and the intangibles that give real meaning to living. It is scary to think that such children may grow up to perpetuate the consumerism that handily justifies,” Such is business. Such is life.”

But it is scarier to think that those who currently have the power to feed consumerism have a hand in rearing such children. And we unthinkingly allow it because we get giddy over mushrooming malls and midnight sales.

EDGEDAVAO

Hello World

“G

ood morning sunshine! Hello world!”

That was how I greeted December 21, the day the world was supposed to end, according to the prophecy of the Mexican Indian tribe Mayan.

I guess most people all over the world, made the same greeting upon seeing the sun rose that December 21 morning.

Well, the world didn’t end, as we all know. But what ended were the rantings of doomsayers – the cult leaders-cum-crackpots.

The world, or planet earth, is very much around, and how glad we are to still have the privilege seeing, hearing and feeling all the beautiful as well as not-so-beautiful things on this earth, like: The chirping of the birds; the barking of the dogs; the mooing of cows; the blowing of the horns of motor vehicles; the thunderous roar of airplanes; The rock-and-roll music of Elvis Presley and the Beatles; the rhythmic beat of Michael Jackson; the soothing ballads of Frank Sinatra and Matt Monroe; the burlesque songs of Lady Gaga and Madonna; the sen-

L

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

suous songs of Jennifer Lopez; the high notes of Luciano Pavarotti; the classical music of Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart; The ringtones of cellphones; the monotone rap music; the robot-like dance; the Gangnam style dance of Psy; the corny comedy TV shows and movies; The high-flying dunks of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffins; the goal-shattering dunks of Dwight Howard; the magical bounce passes of Steve Nash and Chris Paul; the turn-around dunks of Kobe Bryant; the elegant strokes of Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer; the sexy tennis attire of Maria Sharapova.

Of course, we don’t want all of the above to come to pass. The world is a beautiful piece of creation. It’s full of wonders --- majestic mountains, long winding rivers, blue skies, magnificent trees, beautiful beaches, grand

man-made structures (Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, The Grand Canyon, the Liberty Statue, and many more).

Scientists have calculated the age of planet earth as over four billion years. Changes have taken place, but the earth is more or less the same. It’s still round.

Now, will the earth have an end?

Will it disappear from the galaxy?

The Great One created the earth.

Now, why would He create it and later destroy it? It makes no sense.

The Great Deluge (40 days and 40 nights of steady rain) destroyed mankind, or the people on earth, except Noah and his family. But the earth was not destroyed.

The Rapture that pastors and cult leaders talk about concerns the people of God, the good people or the universe. When the Rapture occurs, the good people go to heaven, say the preachers, and the bad ones go elsewhere where it’s hot.

The next time those doomsayers talk about the end of the world, give them the thumbs down sign, and tell them to plant camote, make turons and go into business. And forget about love offerings.

Gloom haunts Europe amid crisis, austerity

OLA Olmedo, a divorced single mother in southern Spanish city of Seville, finds herself hardly in a festive mood as Christmas draws near.

“I could be fired as early as next year. I might have to do odd jobs, such as cooking meals for other people, or whatever else I can manage,” said the 53-year-old who now works for a public company planning on redundancy.

“My salary dropped from 2,000 to 900 euros, and I am saving for my kids’ university fees. The future is completely black,” she added.

Her frustration was shared by many others from eurozone countries in the middle of a three-year-old sovereign debt crisis and unpopular austerity measures. For the past months, the single currency zone was on track to establish a fiscal union and a banking union as a long-run solution for the debt crisis, while Athens was granted 50-billion-worth new aid to avert a catastrophic default.

But still, high unemployment and welfare cuts had triggered widespread social discontent over austerity and economic recession over recent years.

Dozens of large-scale protests took place in 2012, particularly in such countries as Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Belgium. Most of them failed to block governments’ austerity plans, but led to massive economic losses nevertheless in the process of venting public anger. November 14 saw a European-wide protest organized by labor unions, during which protesters in Madrid clashed with police, Portugal was nearly paralyzed by a general strike, while Italian police arrested a few people, among others.

SPECIAl FEATURE

By Miao Xiaojuan, Rahul Venkit Austerity measures, often imposed upon troubled economies in exchange for bailout funds from the Eu, were accused of aggravating recession and mass unemployment through salary and welfare cuts, investment shrink, tax hike among others.

In fact, an increasing number of eurozone countries were trying to shift their focus from spending cuts to economic growth and structural reforms this year, as they realized the function of austerity as a double-edged sword that could hurt investment, jobs and consumption. The current unemployment rate, increasingly high and yet disproportionate among eurozone countries, largely resulted from tough austerity measures and labor market reforms as well as economic stagnation.

“It is hard to find a job in Brussels, but in my home country Spain, it is seen as a miracle... Going back is no longer an option or solution for me,” said Esteban Perez Resina, a graduate student in Belgium.

Eu statistics showed the eurozone’s unemployment rate, expected to peak by next year, stood at 11.7 percent last month, while youth unemployment rate was nearly 24 percent on average. The figure is even higher in southern Europe.

According to Dr. Stephanie Hare, senior analyst with global consulting firm Oxford Analytica, unemployment will continue to rise next year, mainly hurting those under age 25 and women who

tend to work in public sectors.

“There is a rise in poverty levels, a widening gap between the haves and the have nots... There will be further protests,” she said in an interview with Xinhua.

The eurozone is forecast to remain in recession and the 17-member bloc’s GDP is expected to mildly contract next year. Even the economic powerhouse of Germany is likely to witness flat growth in 2013.

Earlier this month, European Central Bank president Mario Draghi also warned that Europe would not leave the crisis until the second half of next year by the earliest.

“It depends on whether Europe gets its act together on the reforms and finds innovative ways to get people working again... It also depends on growth prospect in the uS and emerging economies,” Hare said.

In the year 2013, Eu leaders are scheduled to continue hard negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget plan as well as on completing fiscal and banking union, while two heavyweight member states -- Germany and Italy -will go through national elections.

The bloc is also expanding itself in spite of crisis and skepticism, as Croatia is set to become the Eu’s 28th member state next year and Latvia will be preparing to join the eurozone in 2014.

Olmedo, as the only breadwinner in her family and with little clue of Eu economic and political affairs at the highest level, put all her hope on the next generation.

“I don’t see prospects for 2013... All I want is a better future for my children,” she said. [PNA/Xinhua]

9

How to fulfill our potential as a nation (or the story of G+C+I for Juan de la Cruz)

I

( Conclusion )

T has to be made c l e a r, however, that “C” is not just a factor of remittances and exchange rates. One of the strongest contributors to domestic consumption is the framework of our own Philippine taipans and other businesspeople who, basically anchor their own investments on Filipino consumption.

The biggest Filipino companies serve to satiate demand for telecommunication services, retail spaces and consumer goods (trivia: did you know that the biggest consumer expense of an average Filipino family is - no, not cell phone load but – soft drinks?). We are, in large part, a consumer-driven economy. We love our malls. We love trying out branches of international franchise chains, whether for gadgets, clothing, food or concept goods. We love to spend on our selves and our loved ones.

However, our consumerist attitude begs the question: what defines the purchasing power of the Filipino? Which leads us to the third parameter of economic growth: investments (or “I”).

“I” is the reason why Filipinos who have jobs have jobs.

Investments can come from both the domestic or international fronts. In the case of the Philippines, majority of domestic investments cater to domestic consumption while foreign investments address heavy industry, manufacturing, utilities, technology and exports.

In the past decade, domestic investments have been able to adequately contribute to our economic growth, but what remains sorely lacking in the equation of our progress is foreign direct investments or FDI to the Philippines.

We need FDI because local investors still lack the technical and financial capacity to provide large-scale heavy industrial, manufacturing, technology and export quality goods and services in an efficient and cost effective manner. It is only FDI that has the potential to provide massive employment with better compensation packages to talented Filipinos.

A review of the performance of different industries for the third quarter of the year reveals that agriculture, fisheries, mining, power and energy, and manufacturing contributed the least to economic growth despite what we perceive as a stellar performance by the Philippines for the same time period. This only means that these sectors have yet to fulfill their full potential and contribute significantly to the good of this nation.

In the story of G+C+I for Juan de la Cruz, the missing part of the equation is the FDI in the “I”. If the present administration is able to do for these types of investments what it has done for the way governance is done in this country, it will not be too far-fetched to say that the Philippines can attain double-digit growth and lead to the fulfillment of the full potential of this nation. In order for the government to attract more FDIs, it has to ensure that infrastructure support facilities, peace and order condition, and streamlined business registration processes are put in place. unless the initiatives for governance are translated into solid economic gains for all the variables that define domestic economic growth, what we will be left with is growth, yes, but not truly world-class development.

This means that we will not be at par anymore with Cambodia in terms of our competitiveness for stimulating investments, but we could set the new global standard for how a nation could rise from mediocrity to greatness.

This is the story of G+C+I for Juan de la Cruz. This is how we can fulfill our potential as a nation.

10 COMMUNITY SENSE

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DavNor relief outreach to Davao Oriental continues B

RINGING the spirit of Christmas, Davao del Norte’s Provincial Social and Welfare Development and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management team took a long haul to Davao Oriental, recently.

With a truck load filled with hundreds of boxes of canned goods, noodles and sacks of rice, the team brings in more than just food but with good faith that those affected with typhoon “Pablo” shall be spared from hunger this season.

Said goods were delivered at the Provincial Capitol of Davao Oriental in Mati City which

served as the Central Command Post for its relief operations where bulks of goods are being re-packed for distribution, an area for briefing/press conference, and volunteers from both government and non-government organizations.

“I would like to thank Governor Del Rosario of Davao del Norte, for giving us this assistance especially at this much needed period in the history of our province. Your empathy, kindness will be greatly treasured and we will always be grateful for this...” Gov. Corazon Malanyaon of Davao Oriental said.

PDRRMC team unloads the relief goods at the Central Command Post – FMBolipata

DavNor PDRRMC helps in re-packing the goods at the Central Command Post of Davao Oriental – FMBolipata

Unloading the sacks of rice inside the Central Command Post - FMBolipata

PDRRMC Special Operations Officer IV Mr. Sonio J. Sanchez, PSWDO Head Ms. Arlene M. Semblante with Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon at the Central Command Post inside the Provincial Capitol of Davao Oriental – FMBolipata

SPORTS 11 Palace to parents: Watch your children during New Year revelry

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

More...

FFROM 1

themselves voluntarily for treatment.

He cited that the number of outpatients served by the center increased from 13 last year to 22 this year.

Since 2004, the center has handled almost 400 drug dependents coming from the region and from as far as the Cotabato area, he added.

Shabu, the “poor man’s cocaine,” and marijuana were the most abused illegal drugs, Fanugao said.

He told MindaNews that such “good news,” referring to the voluntary submission for treatment of drug addicts, is a result of a multi-sectoral approach in the advocacy campaign against drug addiction.

Fanugao noted that the CHD-11 is a part of an interagency group that also includes the police, local government units, religious leaders, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

First nationwide The newly constructed two-story building of the Outpatient and Aftercare Center for Drug Dependents located at the CHD-11 compound in Davao City had a soft opening last Thursday.

It was the first government-run outpatient and aftercare center for drug dependents nationwide, Fanugao said.

He said the Office of the President allocat-

Gringo...

ed P7 million for the infrastructure, while the Department of Health (DOH) will provide funds for operational expenses.

Fanugao said that the DOH-11 proposed the establishment of the center to the Office of the President in February 2011, and the budget was released in April this year.

“The proposal gave a big impression to the Office of the President because of the outcome of our services,” he said.

Free of charge, the services offered in the center include drug dependency examination, psychosocial and social evaluations, home visitation, urine drug test, group and individual sessions, and family counseling.

“We also try to provide common medicines for the patients’ maintenance such as for hypertension and anti-depressant,” Fanugao said.

He said the target outpatients are employees, students and drivers, noting that everybody is welcome to be treated in the center for free.

The aftercare program is an 18-month follow-up treatment for patients who were temporarily discharged from a rehabilitation center, he explained.

Fanugao said that while the center has only eight staff members, including a psychologist and a social work-

er, it has 80 community partners composing the “after care team” deployed to districts and municipalities in the region.

Currently, the center can only handle up to 70 outpatients undergoing a long-term program at the same time, he said, adding there are plans to expand the capacity of the center.

Having seven outpatients and 69 patients for aftercare program, the center is working at its ideal capacity at present, Fanugao said.

Economical approach Fanugao said the center has proven that outpatient program in treating drug dependents is an economical approach.

The monthly operational expenses of the center is at least P50,000, which covers the salaries of the staff, snacks for every session and drug test kits, he said.

He said the Colombo Plan International, an international non-government organization, has expressed its intentions to assist the center’s operations through additional staff and materials for information and education in two years.

At current rates, a stay-in patient spends about P60,000 for a six-month drug rehabilitation program in a government facility, but pays about P25,000 per month or a total of P150,000 in a private facility. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro/MindaNews]

peace negotiations to use the National unification Commission (NuC) reference manual to accelerate the on-going peace process in order to induce unity, address the root causes “so that we can address more serious forms of violence which are the violence of hunger, social injustice, homelessness and too much political partisan activity.”

It was during the Ramos administration that Honasan and other rebel soldiers who had launched a series of coup attempts against the government under the late President Corazon C. Aquino returned to the folds of the law and were given amnesty.

Honasan remained hopeful that the much-ballyhooed Freedom of Information (FOI)

Bill will become a law before the current Congress adjourns.

He however said that he is also pushing for a Land use Bill as it will address the issue of disaster risk reduction and related problems.

This bill will strengthen the system of identifying geo-hazard areas and institutionalize forcible evacuation of people from areas identified to be prone to disasters.

Honasan also occasion to give an autographed copy of “The Brotherhood of the Flag The Men of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM)”, a coffee table book to Edge Davao editor Antonio M. Ajero, pioneering moderator of 25-year old Kapihan sa PIA. The book is not for sale but only to be given

by Senator Honasan.

FFROM 1

was guest of the Kapihan sa PIA, a media forum in Davao City, which marked its 25th anniversary yesterday.

“The battleground for such a fight is the hearts and minds of the people,” according to the lawmaker, who first made a name as one of the leaders of the so-called RAM (Reform the Armed Forces Movement), a group of idealistic Philippine Military Academy-trained soldiers.

He said that the current peace process needs a long-term peace policy addressing the root causes of the armed conflict which are social injustice and unequal distribution of the benefits and opportunities in a pluralistic democratic society.

Honasan suggested to government and all the parties involved in

M

ALACANANG appealed to parents Friday to watch their children to avoid firecracker-related injuries or deaths as the country celebrates the New Year.

In a media briefing in Malacanang on Friday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte asked the members of the press to help the government raise public awareness about the ill-effects of fire cracker.

“To our friends in the media, please help us reach the families especially the parents. The DOH (Department of Health) has been actively promoting the ‘Iwas Paputok’ campaign,” Valte said.

Valte asked the parents to supervise their children to reduce the number of injuries or deaths during the hol-

idays. “Loosing fingers or limbs is a bad way of welcoming the New Year,” she said.

“Hopefully, let’s keep it that way; let’s keep the number of injuries down. Please watch your children, huwag nating hayaang magpaputok ng mga piccolo… maraming list of banned fireworks,” Valte said.

“Please, let us keep a very tight watch on our children kasi kawawa naman sila. But nonetheless, the DOH and our public hospitals are very well-prepared for what we hope to be minimal cases of fireworks-related injuries,” From Dec 21 20 26 this year, there were 71 fireworks-related injuries and one stray bullet case.

However, the DOH stressed the number of cases is 33 percent lower compared to the same

period last year.

According to the DOH, there were no deaths reported adding that for the same period last year there were 108 fireworks-related injuries: 99 from fireworks, 8 from stray bullets, and 1 from firecracker ingestion.

The Philippine National Police is strictly enforcing the law on firecrackers and pyrotechnics, Lacierda stressed.

In a press briefing Thursday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government continues to step up its campaign against dangerous firecrackers and pyrotechnics to ensure public safety.

The campaign also aims to avoid or minimize the adverse effects of firecrackers to the environment, he said.

[PNA]

of disreputable or harmful character; and that they shall not commit any crime and shall conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

Violation of any of the said conditions shall result in their respective sentence being imposed “in full force and effect.”

Meanwhile, two other inmates had their original sentence commuted, namely, Aurelio O. Amolong, who was originally sentenced to suffer an indeterminate prison term of six years and one day up to ten years, had his sentence commuted to four years to nine years, but his obligation to pay the death indemnity of P50,000 stands. He is now 85 and has been in prison for more than four years and nine months; Celerino T. Sanchez, who was originally sentenced to suffer an indeterminate prison term of eight years and one month up to 15 years, had his sentence commuted to five years to ten years, but his obligation to pay the death indemnity of P165,000 stands. He is now 82 and has been in prison for more than five years and ten months.

Having served the

minimum of their imprisonment sentence, as commuted, they become eligible to apply for parole and, should they successfully qualify, may thereafter be released on parole.

According to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), five of the six inmates granted conditional pardon were released from detention on Dec. 22, 2012.

The BuCor is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). However, the release of the remaining inmate “was temporarily deferred awaiting the schedule of ship that will ferry him to his destination….”

“This humanitarian act on the part of the President is a signal that the recognition of the principle of restorative justice prevails in our justice system,” DOJ Secretary Leila M. De Lima said. “We don’t only wish to give these inmates the gift of freedom, but also to give them and their loved ones the opportunity to spend this period of time together as a family. After all, that is what Christmas is about to us Filipinos: family, love and forgiveness,” De Lima added. [PNA]

Pres. Aquino grants executive clemency to 8 elderly inmates

I

N line with the spirit of Christmas and its message of love, forgiveness and redemption, President Benigno S. Aquino III has granted executive clemency to eight elderly inmates, whose ages range from 71 to 85 years.

Among the eight inmates, six were granted “Conditional Pardon with Parole Conditions.”

They are Agustin A. Caballero, 71, imprisoned for more than nine and a half years; Nicanor B. Medel, 72, imprisoned for more than nine years and four months, sickly and now partially paralyzed after suffering from a hypertension attack; -- Clarita L. Miranda, 71, imprisoned for more than 11 years and eight months; Pablito L. Estrada, 73, imprisoned for more than 11 years and ten months; Felipe I. Gahit, Sr., 72, imprisoned for more than eight years and 11 months; and Venerando G. Generalo, 83, imprisoned for more than ten years and four months.

Among the conditions imposed for their pardon and release are: that they shall indulge in no injurious or vicious habits, and shall avoid places or persons

12 ClASSIFIEDS ADS There’s a better way Koronadal to get attention.

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Gen. Santos Drive, Koronadal City Telefax No.: (083) 520-0816 Mobile No.: 0922-843-9427 email: manggorio09@yahoo.com

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LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the interstate of the late Luciana Dingo Alberto and Lamano S. Alberto was extra judicially settled among their heirs before Notary Public Atty.

Mariano L. Apao, Jr. per Doc. No. 333; Page No. 66; Book No. VII, Series of 2012

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EDGEDavao Gensan Partners HAVEN BODY WORKS SPA & SALON Door 5 Kaykay Baloons Bldg., Laurel North Cor. Bayabas St. General Santos City Tel # (083) 301- 1991

Tel No. (083) 553-2211 / (083) 877-0019 / (083) 878-0308

We offer Pasta, Pizza and all Filipino foods and international cuisine

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DEcISIONS.

South Osmeña, General Santos City Cell No. 09999923588 Tel. No. (083) 552-3297

SPORTS 13

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012 Realty FOR SALE:

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

NBA star could be headed for PBA A

WELL-KNOWN agent is making a bid to bring in NBA star forward Kenyon Martin for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, although there’s no word yet on whether a move to the local pro

league would interest the NBA star.

Player agent Sheryl Reyes said she has started negotiations with the camp of the high-flying Martin, a 12-year NBA veteran who is without a team after a

stint with the Los Angeles Clippers last season where he averaged 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 42 games.

“I am moving heaven and earth to bring him here. Kenyon is now weighing his options,” said Reyes.

The 6-9 forward would be a big boost for any team in the tournament that will feature imports of unlimited height, but Reyes declined to reveal which PBA ballclub she is representing in the negotiations.

NBA star Kenyon Martin is without an NBA team after a stint with the Los Angeles Clippers last season and could be headed for a PBA stint.

REPuBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COuRT 11TH JuDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COuRT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY

HOME DEVELOPMENT MuTuAL FuND, or Pag-ibig Fund, Mortgagee -versus-

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13, 838-12

MANuEL L. LOZADA, married to Elizabeth T. Lozada Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JuDICIAL SALE upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the mortgagee Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) Pag-ibig against MANuEL L. LOZADA, married to Elizabeth T. Lozada, mortgagors with postal address at Blk. 06 Lot 56 , Bahay Pagibig Heights Subdivision, Catalunan Grande, Davao City to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of October 18, 2011 amounted to Php 243,913.65 Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest, penalty charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to TEN ( 10%) of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on February 7, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate of Title No. T- 282216 “ A parcel of land (Lot 5, Blk. 6 of the subd. plan Pcs-11-000352, being a portion of lots xxx situated in the Barangay of Catalunan Grande, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao.xxx Containing an area of ONE HuNDREDTWENTY (120) SQuARE METERS, more or less” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date,it shall be held on March 07, 2013 without further notice.

This NOTICE will be posted in three(3) conspicuous public places in the City of Davao and in the place where the property is located and where the auction sale will take place for the information of the general public and the parties.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, December 5, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

Noted by:

(SGD.) SERGIO LEONARDO J. TuPAS Sheriff IV

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff (edge12/24,31,01/7)

Clips crush Celtics

L

OS ANGELES — Matt Barnes tied his season high with 21 points off the bench, Chris Paul had 11 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated Boston 106-77 on Thursday night (Friday, Manila time), becoming the first team to win 15 consecutive games since the Celtics four years ago.

Fellow reserve Jamal Crawford added 17 points, Blake Griffin had 15 points and Caron Butler 14 to help the Clippers improve the NBA’s best record to 23-6.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points for Boston, which never led in dropping to .500 at 14-14 with its fifth loss in seven games. Paul Pierce and Jeff Green added 12 points each to go with 10 apiece from Jason Terry and Rajon Rondo.

Boston’s winning streak extended to 19 games in 2008-09.

Barnes had the Clippers’ first five points in a 9-0 run that opened the fourth quarter and boosted their lead to 90-67. Willie Green briefly played; otherwise the Clippers’ other starters rested to close out the game.

The Celtics were held to 10 points in the final 12 minutes.

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

DUNLOP-ZESTO JUNIOR TENNIS

EDGEDAVAO

Ringia, Amazona on collision course

By Neil Bravo

T

oP-seeded Mikko Ringia and second seed Jeleardo Amazona set themselves up for a possible double collision with contrasting wins to the semifinals in the Dunlop-Zesto Junior Tennis Championship at the GSIS Tennis Center.

Amazona, the Davao Oriental pride, turned back Jonathan Palac 6-3 6-1 to arrange a semis duel with upset-conscious James Sumaylo who dropped the upset axe on third seed Paolo Cansino 6-4, 6-3 earlier in the first round of the boys 18-under.

In the top end of the draw, the no. 1 seed Ringia had to go through the virtual eye of the needle before surviving the tough stand of Ivan Diamante, 6-4 1-6 12-10, and booked a semis clash with Angelo Factora who booted out fourth seed Christian Fel Lopez 7-5 6-3.

In the boys 16-under, the top-ranked Ringia arranged a semis duel against fourth seed Factora while no. 2 seed Amazona will face no. 3 seed Lopez.

In other fronts, boys 14-under top seed seed Janus Ringia defeated

Merwin Estrellado 6-4 6-1 to advance to the semifinals against no. 3 Jeric Delos Santos, a 6-4 6-1 winner over Harry Karon. In the lower draw, AJ Alejandre will face Carlo Anino in the semis.

Alejandre, seeded second, bucked a first set loss to defeat Jefferson Alqueza 2-6 7-5 10-7, while no.

7 Anino turned the tables around no. 4 Stephen Tubbs, 6-2 6-4.

In the 12-under class, top seed Janus Ringia set himself up for a quarterfinals duel against no. 5 Joshua Regino, while second seed Mark Directo

will take on 6th seed Cyrin Martinez in the round of 8.

In the 10-under unisex, top seed Mark Directo advanced to the semifinals against unseeded Jan Santos while second seed Eric Comendador will face no. 3 John David Velez.

The Group 3 event, sponsored by Dunlop Fort balls and Zesto Juice Drinks, is sanctioned by Philta and organized by Philta Region XI-B director Titong Cansino.

The girls division swing into action Thursday.

JELIC AMAZONA. Second seed.

Wade suspended, Howard fined

N

EW YORK — Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been suspended one game without pay by the NBA for flailing his leg and making contact with the groin of Charlotte Bobcats’ Ramon Sessions.

The suspension was announced Thursday (Friday, Manila time) by Stu Jackson, the NBA’s executive vice president for basketball operations.

The incident happened with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 105-92 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time).

Sessions was called for a foul on the play.

Wade will serve the suspension Friday night (Saturday, Manila time) when the Heat visit the Detroit Pistons.

Meantime, Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Thursday (Friday, Manila time) for a flagrant foul against Denver’s Kenneth Faried.

Howard was ejected with 5:02 left in the third quarter in the Lakers’ 126-114 loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday

night. He was called for a flagrant foul 2 when he jammed his hand in Faried’s face as the Denver forward drove the lane. Faried tumbled to the floor, but shook off the fall to stay in the game.

After the game, Howard acknowledged it was a hard foul and that it looked bad when seeing it on replay, but he didn’t think it merited ejection.

“I was surprised it was a flagrant 2,” he said. “My intention was never to hurt Faried. I like the young fellow and my intention was just to foul. I come down the lane, somebody is going to foul me hard, put me on the free throw line and make me shoot free throws. It was the same kind of thing.”

Faried said he thought Howard might have been frustrated and also sensed his determined drive to the basket.

“He saw my eyes. I wasn’t going to back down. I wasn’t going to try to float it,” Faried said. “I was going to try to dunk on him. He saw it. That’s why he put his hand directly in my face.”

MIKKO RINGIA. Top seed.

Weiss’ contract subject to review

T

HE Philippine Football Federation said that the decision of extending the contract of coach Hans Michael Weiss with the Azkals will depend on what the country’s football body and the team management deem as “best to Philippine football.”

PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes said that the country’s football body and Azkals management will discuss the status of Weiss’ contract, which will expire on January 16, 2013, after the German coach’s return from holi-

day vacation.

“PFF and the team management shall consider all relevant factors and shall treat the matter guided by what is best, in particular, for the national team and, in general, to Philippine football,” Gastanes said.

In 2011, upon the recommendation of the German Football Association, which gave an assistance package for the country’s football development, Weiss was hired to steer the Azkals for the next two years. His hiring came shortly after the Azkals’ memorable Cinderella run

to the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup semifinals in 2010.

Over the course of Weiss’ tenure, the Azkals have enjoyed the privilege of training abroad and playing international friendly matches, as well as the influx of foreign-based players with Filipino lineage to bolster the squad.

Weiss guided the Azkals to their highest FIFA World Ranking in history at 143rd. He piloted the team to a third place finish in the 2012 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last March and a ti-

tle in the 2012 Philippine Football Peace Cup, the country’s first football title in almost a century.

He also helped the squad duplicate its semifinal finish in this year’s Suzuki Cup, where they fell to eventual champion Singapore.

In an earlier interview, Weiss said that he is prepared for whatever the decision on his contract will be.

“I’m prepared for either way. I have requests from other clubs, federations so I’m not worried too much,” Weiss said.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

ARTS & CULTURE

The faces of Jose Rizal

By Carlo P. Mallo

In every town and city in the country, there is at least one street, one park, and one public school named after Jose Potracio Mercado Rizal, more commonly known as Jose Rizal – the national hero.

Everyone knows Jose Rizal as the national hero who penned two great novels, Noli Mi Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which ignited the hearts of the Filipinos to fight for their freedom. But Rizal was not just the national hero, the literary great, the man who stands atop the pedestal overlooking the Manila Bay in Luneta. Rizal was also human.

The person most Filipinos only regard as a national hero was also a son, a brother, a woman’s man, an Atenean, and most of all, a Filipino.

Rizal was a Filipino who dreamed of a better coun-

try for his fellowmen and the future generations.

Someone who refused to be held back by the status quo and fought for what he believed was right.

He may have not carried a bolo and screamed “sugod mga kapatid,” neither did he kill a single Spaniard. But he did so much more. He made people see the ills of the society that everyone seems to have accepted as another fact of life during that time. He made people believe that they are capable, if not even better, than the conquistadors.

As we commemorate the death of our national hero, let us live with the greatest

legacy that Rizal has handed down: to hope and work for a better Philippines.

You can now buy your weekly paper fill of in-depth business news and features from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

A2 INdulge!

BOOKS

The 5 most entertaining books of the year DEpEnDing on where you sit on the literary spectrum, 2012 was either an amazing year for books or a horrible one.

On the one hand, Fifty Shades of grey, a book that uses the phrases “inner goddess” and “holy crap” ad nauseam, topped the charts while celebrity memoirs tanked one after another.

On the other hand, amidst the fall of print, the nation came together around the product of a critically ignored genre— fan fiction—and proved that a self-published book can make an unknown author rich as a Romney. isn’t that the American Dream?

Whether you loved or hated whatever passed through your sexy new ereader this year, there’s no arguing that it wasn’t an epic year for books in pop culture.

5. DARTH VADER AND SON, JEFFREY BROWN Children’s books are getting more and more fun now that they’re aimed just as much as the parents as the kids. That’s one reason why we loved Darth Vader and Son, a heartwarming reimagining of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s relationship. it’s the perfect warm-up for raising a child that has an appropriate love of Star Wars.

4. TELEGRAPH AVENUE, MICHAEL CHABON While lady writers dominated the fiction realm this year, Michael Chabon repped for the guys by stepping in with yet another critically acclaimed novel, Telegraph Avenue. Set in 2004, it shows how the downfall of an industry—in this case that of buying music—can add intensity and irony to the lives of two families. Luckily for Chabon, people still seem to be buying books.

3. WILD, CHERYL STRAYED in 2006, Elizabeth gilbert’s Eat, pray, Love proved that women everywhere have a thirst for memoirs featuring Julia Roberts-types finding themselves through travel.

This year, Oprah’s Book Club gifted them with the suggestion of Wild: From Lost to Found on The Specific Crest Trail. Author Cheryl Strayed’s choice to head into the belly of nature to recover after her mother’s death (and a messy divorce sprinkled with drug use) scandalized, frightened and inspired its way to the top.

2. THE CASUAL VACANCY, J.K. ROWLING Harry potter author J.K. Rowling proved she can write more than just wizarding novels this year by releasing her first novel aimed at grown-ups, The Casual Vacancy. Among the subjects that Rowling dives into are heroin abuse, abusive dads, cutting, the British welfare system and sudden brain aneurisms.

A dark turn for the author who has spoken about her own history of depression and near-poverty, but then again Harry potter rowed some dark waters himself too.

1. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, E.L. JAMES What began as self-published Twilight fanfic rocked ladies’ Kindles across the nation with tales of not-so-vanilla sex. Unlike the series of novels that inspired it, Fifty Shades wasn’t about glittery vampires and well-muscled werewolves, but about getting straight down to business with a guy who sends you MacBooks against your will. Whether you loved it or hated it, this book probably at least caused you to have an awkward conversation about sex with an aunt or a hairdresser.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EnTERTAinMEnT

Best of 2012: Top 10 fresh faces of the year Any year that includes a presidential election, Olympic games and a new season of Real Housewives is sure to bring a bumper crop of memorable personalities out of the woodwork.

From the triumphant to the trashy, 2012 treated us to all kinds of new faces. Here are 10 names we’ve been especially glad to learn over the last 12 months—some easier to pronounce than others.

10. QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS

Faces don’t get much fresher than that of this small girl with a big name and even bigger screen presence. As the star of this year’s breakout indie feature Beasts of the Southern Wild, the now-9-year-old Wallis is the effortless engine that drives a strange and spellbinding allegory set in the floodthreatened bayous of Louisiana. Her future roles may be less fantastical, but we’re betting they’ll be just as luminous.

9. RYAN LOCHTE The record-breaking swimmer wasn’t content to hoard medals during this summer’s Olympic games. He also snatched up shares of the pop culture zeitgeist and more than 1 million Twitter followers to become a bona fide media phenomenon. praised for his chiseled physique and occasionally derided for his bro-next-door musings, he even went so far as to trademark his signature catchphrase “Jeah.”

8. Y.N.RICH KIDS pSy’s “gangnam Style” may have been the year’s most explosive viralvideo smash, but it’d be a mistake to overlook these young Minneapolis rappers and their snack-obsessed summer anthem “Hot Cheetos & Takis.” Cracking the 4 million mark in youTube views ain’t too shabby for an afterschool music project, and while pSy’s lyrics have a surreal kind of who-cares-what-thewords-mean appeal, these kids’ irresistibly bouncy tribute to their own chilidust-caked fingers is as real as it gets.

7. SAMANTHA BARKS When your first feature film role finds you in the company of heavy hitters like Hugh Jackman, Anne Hatha-

way and Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper, you’d better know what the H you’re doing. Thankfully for Barks, her first movie gig was playing Eponine in Les Miserables—a role she’d already been nailing on the London stage.

She’s a stunner in Hooper’s epic film, and whether or not she herself gets a nod from the Academy in the coming weeks, it’s a sign of magnifique things to come.

6. RITA ORA She’s only on her first album, but this British pop powerhouse already has the pipes, the charisma and the fearless fashion sense to run alongside reigning divas like Lady gaga and Rihanna (who shares her status as a stunning Jay-Z protégé). Ora has already gone no. 1 in her native UK, and with the seductive thump of tracks like “How We Do (party) and “Radioactive,” she’s rightly won a growing army of fans on this side of the Atlantic, too.

5. STEPHEN AMELL Stare at Amell long enough and you’ll wonder what you ever saw in schlubs like Ryan gosling and Chris Hemsworth. The supernaturally handsome Canadian has put in plenty of time on network TV, from one-off roles in crime dramas like CSi: Miami and nCiS: Los Angeles to a softer stints on 90210 and new girl. But 2012 was the year he stepped up to the big league, bringing timeless DC Comics hero green Arrow—aka Oliver Queen—to life in the CW’s new Arrow. At a time when serious acting chops have become a prerequisite for playing a comic book icon, Amell has the skills and the ripped abs.

4. RICHARD AYOADE Brits have known about Ayoade for years thanks to his intrepid work as a writer, actor and music video director. it wasn’t until his face started showing up alongside Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn on U.S. billboards and buses— in ads for the summer comedy The Watch—that Americans began to truly take note of his talents. in the new year, keep your eyes peeled for The Double, which stars Jesse Eisenberg and flaunts Ayoade’s formidable skills behind the camera as writer/director.

3. LIL BUB

internet memes come and go, but LOLcats as a collective force are still pretty unstoppable. And if they had to choose a leader, odds are it would be this striped “perma-kitten” with buggy eyes and a toothless, tongue-flopping mug. in spite of—or because of—his unorthodox cuteness, Bub has become a minor media darling, even outside of crazy-cat-person circles (a ViCE-produced documentary about him is on the way). in his own(er’s) simple words: “Falling for me is just about the best thing you can do. Let it happen, you won’t regret it.”

2. FRANK OCEAN if you still haven’t taken the time to check out Ocean’s Channel Orange Lp, consider yourself asleep at the musical wheel. From yeezy’s own ipod to the secret volcanic island where grammy voters dwell, his smooth yet forwardthinking brand of modern R&B provided a sublime soundtrack throughout the back half of 2012. Expect more deliciousness from this 21st-century soul man in years to come.

1. AIDY BRYANT

With every new crop of SnL cast members come the waves of predictions about who’ll survive and who’ll soon be back on the semi-pro improv circuit in flyover country. Second City alum Bryant has proved herself not only a survivor among the new blood, but a fresh and reliable funnymaker on nBC’s weekend comedy staple. Foremost in our minds this holiday season is her raunchy take on Mrs. Claus during a recent Weekend Update, inviting rapper 2 Chainz to see how her booty shakes like a bowl full of jelly.

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

EnTERTAinMEnT

Meet the new hubby: 5 things to know about Kate Winslet’s third husband KATE Winslet up and married ned Rocknroll before we had much of a chance to get to know him better.

in fact, they swapped vows before anyone even knew that Rocknroll was Winslet’s fiancé!

Figuring you may have a few questions about the gent who swept the estimable Oscar winner off her feet, we’ve got five things for you to know about Winslet’s new husband: 1. nepotism is Alive and Well: Rocknroll—he was born Abel Smith but had it legally changed—is a nephew of billionaire Virgin group founder Richard Branson, and the 34-yearold Brit reportedly works for his uncle’s Virgin galactic, the space-travel division of the Branson empire. Doing what, we can’t be sure, but he has proved adept over the past year at flying all over the place to be by Winslet’s side.

2. He’s a smooth operator: it’s unclear whether they had ever met before, but all the non-Vips know is that Winslet arrived at Branson’s vacation home on necker island in August 2011 with her kids and Burberry model Louis Dowler and left with Rocknroll. Maybe the recently divorced fellow played a hero when the whole party had to evacuate after a fire broke out at the house, after which Branson thanked Winslet for being among the guests who helped carry his 90year-old mum to safety.

Dowler told London’s Dai-

ly Mail a few months later that he didn’t think Winslet properly handled the, er, transition. “i don’t think Kate behaved well and it is still very raw for me,” he said of their breakup.

3. This isn’t His First Rodeo: Rocknroll was married for two years to British socialite Eliza pearson, daughter of peregrine John Dickinson pearson, or the Viscount of Cowdray (a county in West Sussex).

4. He proved Trustworthy: Winslet didn’t wait very long to introduce Rocknroll to her two kids from her two previous marriages. The cozy quartet were spotted touching down at new Jersey’s newark international Airport around Halloween 2011, just a few months

after the necker island episode. “There’s no way that i’m going to allow my children to be f--ked up because my marriages haven’t worked out,” Winslet told the november 2011 issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK not long after she was first linked to Rocknroll. “i so wish that that wasn’t the case—that that hadn’t happened in my life. But it has, so i will make the best of it—and i am.”

5. He Makes great Arm Candy—and a great Shadow: They made their red carpet debut at the 2012 golden globes—and Rocknroll was by her side (or standing at a respectable distance behind her so that she could pose for pics) ever after.

Katie Holmes’ broadway run cut short Katie Holmes’ latest Broadway run isn’t going the distance.

Dead Accounts, which received mixed reviews when it premiered last month, will close Jan. 6, seven weeks ahead of schedule. “i am extremely proud of this production and the cast,” producer Jeffrey Finn said in a statement obtained by E! news.

“Theresa Rebeck and Jack O’Brien have created an inspiring and hilarious new play and we are all sad to see Dead Accounts end on Broadway. i look forward to working with this remarkably talented cast and creative team again very soon.”

Dead Accounts, which

starred Holmes as an Ohio woman whose secretharboring brother returns

to the family homestead after a long time away, will close after 27 preview performances and 44 regular performances at the Music Box Theatre. its originally scheduled end date was Feb. 24.

Rebeck’s dark comedy isn’t the first high-profile play with a strong pedigree to fall prey to tough economic times in new york this month—David Mamet’s The Anarchist, starring Broadway legend patti Lupone and Debra Winger, closed Dec. 16 after only 23 previews and 17 regular shows.

Holmes had previously acted on the great White Way in a revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons in 2008.

INdulge! A3

A4 INdulge! pEOpLE

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

INdulge asks:

How will you celebrate on New Year’s Eve?

WITH 2013 on the horizon Edge Davao asked how do Dabawenyos plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve and and welcome the new year. Here is a sampling of what they plan to do.

Pal Raine, Businesswoman Celebrating it at home with my family, we traditionally lit candle outside our gate and pray. NO FIREWORKS! Renz Bulseco, Air Traffic Controller Trainee Celebrate it with my family at our home. And yeah, it comes with overflowing home-made food and desserts!

Liloh Evangelista, PR Practitioner I will be at the new year countdown at the Royal Mandaya Hotel with my kids and grandkids!

Serving

a

Henrylito Tacio, Journalist As usual, I will be with my family: having fun, eating together, and singing karaoke. Of course, there will be fireworks as my brothers to welcome the year with bang 86 kilometers away from Davao City.

Emil Sitjar, Professional Jeweler/ Jewelry Designer As a tradition, we simply greet the new year at home.

Seamless

society

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Davao

We open all the lights, have media noche. This year is extra special as it’s our first time to celebrate it with Santi Darry T. Gallego, Lawyer Prepare lots of food to attract more prosperity for the incoming year.

Allen Gatan, Sales and Technical Representative A simple buffet celebrating 9th Wedding Anniversary on new years eve with wife.

Erickson Suarez, Customer Care Specialist, nurse I will celebrate with my family eating our Media Noche handa while watching Manila’s fireworks display on TV John Paul Punsalan, Caterer At home with my family.

We’ll eat, drink and reminisce about the past year while watching the 30 minute fireworks display from our yard organized by the city government.

Otoi Mercado, makeup artist /fashion stylist/ ex party maniac In bed asleep.....

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

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

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DEcISIONS.

Jeffrey Gupit Agot, PDI Foreman, DIPSSCOR I’ll be at the port (Davao), same last year. I’ll just have to bring something to eat.

Shealthiel Jech Oczon / Collection Specialist (Loss Mitigation Specialist) I have two plans, either to stay at home and have a simple family dinner while enjoying the fireworks display of the entire Metro Manila skyline from our unit at the 14th floor or probably be right where the action is...party all night in Eastwood, Rockwell, or Ayala Ave along with NewYear’s well wishers. But prior to these, will be doing either skype or Viber with our family members in Davao. We may be islands apart but distance shouldn’t divide us from celebrating New Year’s eve together.

Bryan de Baltazar, RN (ICU Nurse) I usually celebrate my new year’s eve in the hospital. This time its gonna be a different one. We will sing and bring gifts to the patients.

Rover N. Magdale, Asst.

Magdale Optical Clinic Sit down sakit batok meals with relatives, cousins, niece and nephews.

Manuel Calora, owner STATION 28 netcafe and Business Center Simple salo-salo with my family as usual, chat with my mother and sister in Chicago that would definitely complete our New Years Eve.......... I almost forgot take some shots with our very own FLYSOUL cocktail.

Jolen Crame, Marketing Assistant Chillax and bond with my family... working hard all year round deserves one big break from all.stress!

Alden Cedo, Creative Artist, Philippine Daily Inquirer In my room, I want to sleep... I’ve been awake since January 2012...

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

WIN OR GO HOME Pingris guarantees Game 5 win B

Gabe Norwood, shown here in sequence of photos slamming home in Game 4, will try to lead Rain Or Shine past SanMig Coffee in Game 5.

EEN there, done that.

Marc Pingris’ confidence has obviously not been dented after a 74-83 loss on Thursday left San Mig Coffee in a 1-3 hole in their PBA Philippine Cup playoff against Rain or Shine, with the Mixers bruiser guaranteeing a Game Five victory on Saturday while putting his bets on the series going to a Game Seven.

“Ang layo na narating namin tapos bibigay lang kami basta basta?” said the San Mig big man.

“Hindi pwede yun, kaya bukas mananalo kami!”

Pingris is so confident, in fact, he sees the series going more or less the same route as the two

teams’ Finals showdown in the last Governors Cup, which saw San Mig force a winner-take-all match after falling behind 1-3. The Painters, though, went on to win the do-or-die game.

“Oo confident ako na magkaka-Game Seven,” said Pingris a day before the two rivals square off again beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena. “Alam ko mahirap pero kailangan naming mag-trabaho.”

Pingris said he has no intentions of going on vacation, even during the holiday festivities.

“Ayaw ko pa magbakasyon,” he said. “Sayang ang pinaghirapan namin dito.”

BA veterans Renaldo Balkman and Herbert Hill are set to reinforce Petron Blaze and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, respectively, in the PBA’s Commissioner’s Cup beginning on February 8.

San Miguel Corp. sports director Noli Eala confirmed the twin signings on Twitter, welcoming the arrival of Balkman who he expects to be a “solid worker, hard nose defender and energy guy” for the Boosters.

Listed at 6-8, Balkman was a crowd favorite in New York after the Knicks drafted him 20th overall in 2006. The 28-year-old moved to the Denver Nuggets in the 2008-2010 season before being reacquired by the Knicks in the 2010-2011 season.

The university of South Carolina alum was released by the Knicks in February to make room for shooter JR Smith.

T h e Boosters now h o p e to feed on the hus-

tle and energy of Balkman, as they try to redeem themselves after an early exit in the season-opening Philippine Cup. On the other hand, the Gin Kings put premium on height and rebounding in going for the 6-10 Hill, who was drafted in the second round at 55th overall by the utah Jazz in the 2007 draft before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 28-year-old Hill recently played for the Incheon Elephants in the Korean Basketball League and is expected to provide a strong inside presence for the Gin Kings, who bowed out at the quarterfinal stage in the Philippine Cup.

Petron tabs former Knick N

BALKMAN

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VOL.5 ISSUE 214 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, DECEMBER 30-31, 2012

EDGEDAVAO