Edge Davao 5 Issue 228 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

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10,000 sacks vs 9 conditions

No compliance, no rice--DSWD L EADERS of an alliance of victims of Typhoon Pablo from Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley visited Friday the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s regional office to seek assurance the agency would abide by the agreement on the distribution of relief goods. The Barug Katawhan members said they wanted to make sure the DSWD would honor its word to give 10,000 sacks of rice to the victims. The militants were referring to a commitment DSWD Secretary

Barricaders want government agency to honor word DSWD wants Barug to comply with conditions first

Kinsay naay ‘palabra de honor’

Corazon Soliman reportedly made at the road block-

F10,000, 11

Page 14

LIVELIHOOD. Some chairs are lifted by a masseur to his area at the Rizal Park just off San Pedro Street, Davao City yesterday. Massage for a fee was reportedly one of the most sought services at the park last year giving a form of livelihood to out-of-school Dabawenyo youths and even vagrants. Lean Daval Jr.

Honasan says Wanted: President who’s willing to be assassinated By EJ Dominic Fernandez and Che Palicte

HE PHILIPPINES badly needs a government that is characterized by continuity and long-term sustainability, and whoever is elected President in 2016

Hopes to continue what P-Noy established

must be “willing to be assassinated” for reforms and good policies that he would doggedly pursue. This, in a nutshell, is the aspiration for

MX3: HITTING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

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

the country of re-electionist Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II who spoke before a gathering of Davao newsmen during the Hermes Club

FHONASAN, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

LTO 11 says

PHL helmet law exempts no one

HE Land Transportation Office 11 (LTO-11) warns traffic cops and traffic enforcers that they are not exempt from the use of prescribed and standard helmets as provided for by law. Macario Gonzaga, assistant regional director of LTO 11, said traffic enforcers are supposed to be the models of compliance of the helmet law so that motorists will conform to the regulation. He said the LTO will conduct random inspections of helmets worn by traffic policemen and members of the Traffic Management Center. “Road safety is the concern of everyone, in-

cluding those enforcing the law,” Gonzaga stressed, adding that more than two hundred motorists have been fined following the full enforcement of the helmet policy since January 13. Gonzaga said the LTO is only now implementing the law after the Department of Trade and Industry 11 ended its information-education campaign, assessment and attaching ICC stickers on helmets which passed the quality standard last December 28. In the first week of January, the LTO conducted random checks by way of warning motorcycle drivers to conform with the

FLTO, 11

VMR WITH COMPAÑEROS. Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte officially welcomes the delegates of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to Davao City during the fellowship night at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao Thursday night. Lean Daval Jr.

US gov’t donates $12.4-M in aid to typhoon victims By Che Palicte

HE United States government has donated a total of $12.4 million or P 508.4 million in humanitarian assistance through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for victims of Typhoon Pablo in Mindanao. This, according to Stephen Anderson, representative and country director of the United Nations World Food Program, during a press briefing at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) depot in Panacan, Davao City. Anderson said that the WFP welcomes the timely and generous cash donation given from the US

government which greatly boosts the program’s ability to support the government of the Philippines in the enormous task of helping families severely affected by the typhoon. “WFP depends entirely on voluntary donations, and we are thankful for the support of the US government and its unending help to typhoon victims. They are the largest donor,” he said. The US assistance will complement early recovery activities of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and WFP to affected communities through the cash-for-

work program which will be rolled out in areas where local markets are functioning properly. He said the program is designed to address immediate food security needs while stimulating the local economy in affected areas by empowering communities with capability to buy food items of their choice from the market. “With the program, we want the people devastated by Pablo to get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Anderson said, adding that they are giving P50 million to the program to urgently finish debris clean-up and

FUS, 11

New equipment, technology okay, but..

People’s support vital in drive vs drug abuse By EJ Dominic Fernandez and Che Palicte

TATE-OF-THE-ART equipment and advance technology are a big help to the job of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), but the biggest success factor for illegal drugs eradication is still the support of the community. So spoke Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II in a press conference held after the blessing of the new drug facilities in the PDEA 11 office last Friday. No matter how advanced the equipment and technology may be, the most effective weapon against illegal drugs is still the support of the community, said the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs who graced the occasion with Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac, PDEA executive director. According to Cacdac, the PDEA laboratory in Region 11 now has gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS),

which is a chemical analysis technology used in drug testing and environmental contaminant identification, arson investigation, engine exhaust analysis and blood monitoring in surgery. “With this capability, the job of PDEA will become faster because there will be no need to bring the evidence and the suspects for drug test and drug analysis to the PNP Crime Laboratory in Manila, as we can already do the examination here,” Cacdac added. PDEA officials in the neighboring regions of Region 12, and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, may now bring confiscated drugs and suspects for tests to this laboratory, he said, adding that there are four GCMSs in the country --in Region 1, in Cebu (for Region 7), in Iloilo (for Region 5) and in Davao(for Region 11). “The long term program of PDEA is to have

a laboratory in all regional offices before the end of this year,” the PDEA official said, adding that the laboratory will be manned by licensed chemists. Senator Honasan said, “No matter how advanced the equipment, how organized PDEA and the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) are, how dedicated the agents of PDEA in the front line of the dangerous drugs fight are, if there is no support coming from the community, then, we will still lose this war,” adding that “the intelligence, the information, the evidence, and the witnesses are mainly from the community.” “Make no mistake, we are at war, and what is at stake are our children and the future of this nation, children being our most precious and strategic resource,” he said, pointing to the importance of responsible parenthood. EJDF/CP

Theft syndicate delays power restoration in 3 DavOr towns

By Anthony S. Allada

REACHING OUT. Psychology students of the Holy Cross of Davao College reach out to street children by facilitating group games and other social activities to help enhance the latter’s

social and mental health at the Rizal Park along San Pedro Street in Davao City last night. Lean Daval Jr.

N organized theft group is operating in three severely typhoon-hit towns of Davao Oriental whose modus operandi is to steal copper wire inside transformers on electric posts. “This is not the hand-

iwork of a single person but of a syndicate. We appeal to everybody to be watchful and help us in stopping this illegal activity,” said Engr. Gregory Dukil, chief executive officer of the Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative (DORECO).

Dukil told Edge Davao Thursday that syndicate members do not only steal copper wire inside the transformers of the fallen electric posts, but also those which are still standing. “The stealing happens

FTHEFT, 11

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

P2M-earmarked for ComVal training C

OMPOSTELA Valley Governor Arturo Uy has earmarked at least P2-million for the conduct of disaster preparedness and capability trainings for disaster volunteers in the province to prepare for possible calamities in the future. ComVal was one of the provinces hardest hit by typhoon Pablo which ravaged Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte and other areas in the country when it made a landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental on December 4, 2012. “The P2 million budget is only for capability building trainings in the province because the municipalities have alloted their own budget for disaster trainings,” he said. Uy said the amount does not include equipment necessary to respond to disasters including rubberboats. Uy said the province is beefing up the know-how of its people to mitigate the devastating effects of disaster considering that Mindanao has been visited

by typhoons for the past two years with last year’s typhoon as the most devastating for the Davao Region. Contrary to earlier reports that the typhoon has a magnitude of 3 under the Typhoon Signal system, he said that Pablo is categorized as Typhoon Signal No. 5, resulting to loss of lives and destruction of property. “We did prepare but we came up short,” he said. Admittedly, he said, “kalat ang efforts naming for the first two weeks because we did not know what to do first and where to go first.” Uy thanked the thousands of volunteers who when to the province to help them immediately after the disaster. While the province continue to move forward with the battlecry “Tindog ComVal!”, he admits that there were many lessons learned from the disaster which will now become the basis of future disaster plannings and which will affect even how the city manages its

USED. Ronald Gajo washes used flour sacks at the Sta. Ana wharf in Davao City on Thursday, 17 January 2013. Gajo sells the sacks for P5 each for use as diapers. [Mindanews/ Keith Bacongco]

finances. “We now have a bigger budget for disaster preparedness programs,” he said, “Maraming kailangan...we need to capacitate

our disaster volunteers,” he added. The province, he said, has learned about the legal process of burrying the dead the hard way. “Hindi

ing started when the group of a certain Commander Bigkog of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked the position of the private armies allegedly maintained by Datu Andy Montawal, brother of Datu Montawal Mayor Datu Uttoh Montawal. Datu Andy, who is wanted for murder and rape charges, was with a certain Medtalicop Montawal, his relative, at the time, Pandita said. Pandita said the deployment of Datu Andy’s alleged private armies in some areas outside the Poblacion had angered Commander Bigkog.

Pandita explained that he happened to know Bigkog’s plan because he was once part of the group. “Commander Bigkog was just defending his own people, many of them harassed by Datu Andy and his men,” he told the media here. In an interview, an irked Mayor Montawal castigated Bigkog’s group for linking him in the latest atrocity in the town. “I don’t know why these people would always blame me for Datu Andy’s activities, if there were such reports. I don’t know where my brother is hiding,” Montawal said. According to the may-

or, Commander Bigkog, also known in the community as “Transceiver,” has been wanted for murder since 2012. Montawal also accused Bigkog of siding with his political foe, Datu Montawal Vice Mayor Muhalidin Bao. Montawal and Bao are step brothers. Bao, on his last term as vice mayor, is running for mayor against Montawal. Soldiers from the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion and policemen from Datu Montawal town have been deployed to the conflict-affected areas to restore order. [Malu Cadelina Manar/MindaNews]

such experiences. But residents expect a dry season from March to May based on experience, he added. Flooding is a recurring problem here with an average of two to three floods a year, Tonga said, noting that floods usually occur after two days of continuous rains. But last year, there were about seven floods, particularly in Sitio Mahayag in Barangay Doña Andrea, he recalled. In 2011, there were three floods recorded, particularly in January, July and December in Davao del Norte, the disaster situationer report of the province’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed. Farmer Arcadio Familar, 79, said in an interview

last January 6 that barely a month after Pablo ruined his two-hectare rice field, he and his wife Crisencia, 73, had planted again only to be wiped out by another flood. “Since I was a bachelor, it’s been flooding here,” he told MindaNews, holding a pack of seven-kilo rice he received from the Relief and Children’s Alternative Program Foundation, Inc. (RECAP) at Barangay Doña Andrea. Familar said that in order for them to adapt to such inevitable condition, they planted root crops and bananas for subsistence at the elevated portion of their land. But typhoon Pablo still destroyed them all, he added. Now that their three children are married, flood-

ing has continued and even worsened, with Pablo’s water reaching the roof of their house, Familar said. Caught between two rivers Pio Bebero, 47, president of the parents’ association of Kiddie Care Center at Sitio Mahayag in Barangay Doña Andrea, said that Asuncion town is located in between two rivers that cause flooding when they overflow. He said the Ilog River, which comes from Kapalong, Davao del Norte, and the Saug River, which is a tributary of Agusan River, would converge at the Libuganon River, starting at Pagsabangan Bridge. Bebero recalled that less than a decade ago, flood seldom reached Sitio Mahayag from the village’s

Warring clans clash anew

ESIDENTS from three villages in Datu Montawal town in Maguindanao fled to safer zones after warring clans clashed anew in the Poblacion area at around 2 a.m. Friday, a former village official said. Abdul Pandita, a resident of Poblacion, said the displaced families, mostly from the villages of Tunggol, Dungguan and Talapas, have sought temporary shelter at the Dungguan Elementary School and the Ligawasan Elementary School, both in Datu Montawal and situated along the Datu Montawal-Pikit highway. Pandita said the fight-

Residents fear more floods in Asuncion

AVING experienced the worst flooding when typhoon Pablo hit last December, residents of Asuncion, Davao del Norte feared they will have more floods this year due to climate change, a village official said. Kagawad Ireneo Tonga of Barangay Doña Andrea said in an interview they had experienced six floods in about three months since November last year. He said there were two floods in November, one by Pablo, two when typhoon Auring hit last January 3 and another last January 7, which was brought by a low pressure area (LPA) that was earlier expected to hit Davao and Caraga regions. Tonga pointed out that they are expecting to have more floods with higher level of water this year after

FRESIDENTS, 11

pala basta-basta ipa mass grave yung mga patay kahit mabaho na dahil may NBI forensic procedures na dapat i-follow (we could not even bury the

dead in a mass grave even if they are in advanced stages of decomposition because of NBI forensic procedures),” he added. [LOVELY A. CARILLO]

Tents considered as polling centers in Pablo-hit areas

HE “learning spaces” or tents put up by the Department of Education (DepEd) to temporarily hold classes may be used as polling precincts in areas affected by typhoon Pablo, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Thursday. Lawyer Marlon Casquejo, Comelec-Reg ion11 assistant director, said in an interview it is possible that voting will be done inside tents if the classrooms that were totally destroyed won’t be constructed in time for the May 13 midterm elections. He noted that the provincial election supervisors in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley (ComVal) have submitted a report listing the number of barangays, polling precincts and centers that had been washed out by Pablo’s fury. Casquejo said they will follow-up the status of the classrooms if they can be restored on or before the elections. Sought for comment, DepEd-11 spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said they will allow the use of the tents if the classrooms would not be ready by then as polling precincts. He told MindaNews the Comelec needs to look at the conditions of the tents to determine how to safeguard the ballots and the entire election process. Two classrooms can fit in a tent, Atillo said, adding that so far there are 48 tents in Davao Oriental and three in ComVal that serve as temporary learning cen-

ters. He said that 172 more tents are to be delivered, of which 80 percent will go to Davao Oriental, where the typhoon-ravaged municipalities of Boston, Cateel and Baganga belong. Atillo said the replacement of school buildings with major damages “should be done before the start of school year 20132014.” Currently, he admitted that DepEd has difficulties in completing the restoration of classrooms before the conduct of elections. “That’s why we are actually relying on the tents to conduct classes in [heavily] devastated areas,” Atillo said. After Pablo hit last December, he said that 769 classrooms need replacement and 307 classrooms require rehabilitation in Davao Oriental. In ComVal, 96 classrooms were damaged and nearly 450 others need new roofs, partitions or ceilings, Atillo said. Casquejo said postponing the elections in Pablo-hit areas due to lack of classroom will not happen, noting that temporary voting centers can be put up in affected areas. Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. also reportedly said that postponing the elections in typhoon-hit areas would entail more expenses and hassles. Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon, who is running unopposed, said that elections in the province should not be cancelled. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro/MindaNews]

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Lake Sebu eyed as protected water system

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 is pushing the declaration of the scenic Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato as a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) in a bid to protect the area’s water resources from pollution and degradation. Datu Tungko Saikol, DENR-12 regional executive director, said they have identified Lake Sebu town’s famed mountain lakes as priority areas in the region for designation within this year as a WQMA or among the protected water systems in the country. He said they already

submitted a proposal to the DENR central office for the issuance of such declaration for Lake Sebu, which is home to three mountain lakes. “The declaration will mainly pave the way for the implementation of some regulatory measures that would protect and sustain the quality of the lakes’ waters amid the thriving economic activities in the area,” he said. Aside from Lake Sebu, Saikol said the agency is considering the critical Allah River system in the provinces of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat for designation as a WQMA. The DENR central of-

fice already declared the Sarangani Bay and the Silway River system, which traverses portions of South Cotabato province and this city, as among the country’s eight WQMAs. The other WQMAs are the Taguibo River in Agusan del Norte; Sinocalan-Dagupan River System in Pangasinan; Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System; areas within the Laguna Lake Development Authority’s jurisdiction; and, the Tigum-Aganan Watershed and Iloilo-Batiano river systems in Iloilo. Saikol said they identified Lake Sebu as priority area for the program being home to various vital

water resources. Aside from the three lakes, the town has drawn interest from ecotourism enthusiasts due to its seven waterfalls and the Trankini springs. “Lake Sebu is considered as the ecotourism center of Region 12 and the area has remained our top source of quality and tasty Tilapia,” the official said. If eventually declared as a WQMA, he said a governing body will be created by the DENR to oversee the formulation and implementation of the protection mechanisms for the Lake Sebu’s water resources. He said the declaration

A US Navy minesweeper, the USS Guardian, ran aground yesterday morning and damaged coral in Tubbataha. The US Navy has reportedly secured the area and would not let local park official near the stuck ship. “Tubbataha is a World Heritage Site. Damaging corals is tantamount to killing the species that thrive in it. US presence is poison, a plague to our seas and sovereignty,” Crisostomo said. The youth leader add-

ed that Aquino’s silence on the matter and lack of outrage is sign of puppetry. “The Aquino administration must also be held accountable for allowing unbridled entry of US ships, his being an Amboy is costing us our natural resources,” said Crisostomo. He said this is proof that VFA should be scrapped and US troops should stop operations in our country. “We have been calling to junk VFA with all its one-sided provisions, but government did nothing.

Now look at the US Navy leaving the government in powerless to even probe the damage,” he said. The Visiting Forces Agreement grants immunity to US military personnel deployed in the Philippines. “The agreement gives them the nerve to act like we are their subordinates, that they can disregard our laws. It’s time to junk the VFA before further damage is done to our seas and our sovereignty,” he said

or post-consumer materials during the three month-long campaign. From posters to small tokens, we can eliminate unnecessary waste by avoiding plastics and Styrofoam. This 2013, I urge everyone to run a campaign that will not harm the environment,” she said. Legarda, currently the Chair of the Senate

Committee on Climate Change and the UN Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, noted that campaign teams should avoid nailing paraphernalia to trees and take appropriate measures to ensure that waste materials are disposed of properly before leaving the area.

“It is up to every single one of us to work for a cleaner and greener Philippines. I appeal to my fellow candidates to take their place at the frontline of spreading awareness about environmental concerns and ensure that all campaign guidelines, whether legal or environmental, are duly met,” she concluded.

will set the classification of the area and lake’s uses as well as the allowed economic ventures there. “The classification of the area is very crucial because in the upstream sites, for example, the building or construction of business establishments,” Saikol said. The declaration of the WQMAs, done through an administrative order issued by the DENR Secretary, is pursuant to Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. The Clean Water Act has given the DENR the power to declare certain areas in the country as WQMAs.

It also provides that the declared areas will be managed by a Board composed of representatives from local government units, national government agencies, non-government organizations, water utility sector and business sector. The board, which will be chaired by the regional director of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau, will be in charge of monitoring the area and tasked to review the WQMA action plan, a plan containing proposed sewerage and septage system, water pollution control strategies and water quality information and education program among others. [PNA]

Destruction of Tubbataha corals slammed Tyhoon Pablo damaged

HE youth group Anakbayan slammed the US Navy for damaging Tubbataha corals and blocking the investigation on the incident, saying the US ships’ presence is “poison” to our seas and our sovereignty. “The area is off-limits to the ship yet the US Navy has the gall to keep the probe to themselves and make us wait, this is a grave offense to our independence,” Anakbayan Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said.

Use of environment-friendly campaign materials urged

S the 2013 campaign season draws closer, reelectionist Senator Loren Legarda encouraged her fellow political candidates to use only environment-friendly campaign materials. “There is no better manifestation of concern for our country and our people than the use of biodegradable, recycled,

P94-M DENR 11 projects

YPHOON Pablo damaged a total of PhP 94-million-worth of forestry and coastal management projects of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 11. Based on the Geographical Information System (GIS) data, Pablo wiped out PhP28 million worth of seedlings planted under the National Greening Program (NGP) in 2011 and 2012. Most seedlings planted in the affected areas were falcata, rubber, narra, cacao, coffee, indigenous species and other fruit trees. The damage on its Integrated Costal Resource Management Project (ICRMP) was pegged at PhP 37.5 million, while damage on its Upland Development Program (UDP) established in 2009-2011 was placed at PhP17.3 million. The damage brought

on its Community-Based Forest ManagementComprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CBFM-CARP) reached to over PhP8.3 million, while the Soil Conservation Watershed Management project has a damage cost of PhP2.8 million. The ICRMP, which is an on-going project in Davao Oriental that started in 2006, generally aims to provide for the sustainable management and increased income for the communities of the province. The NGP, on the other hand, is one of the priority programs of the government intended for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The program is spelled out in Executive Order No. 26 signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III on February 24, 2011. [DENR 11]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

BoC now watching smuggled cigarets, liquor via ‘backdoor’ W

ICE CREAM LOVERS. On a shoe-string budget, ice cream lovers can still enjoy the pleasure of eating their favorite heat beater without spending much with the help of ice cream on the road better known as “flavor of the road” manufactured by a backyard micro enterprise. Lean Daval Jr.

ITH the “sin tax” law now in effect, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and maritime law enforcement agencies here have tightened their monitoring on the entry of smuggled cigarettes, liquor and other related products via the “backdoor” or the coasts of General Santos City and the neighboring areas. Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said the agency has strengthened its coordination with maritime law enforcement units as well as other concerned sectors to avert the entry of illegal shipments of imported cigarettes, liquor and other consumer goods from nearby Indonesia and other countries. He noted that illegal traders have been taking advantage of the area’s long open shorelines and its proximity to Indonesian islands to smuggle their products. “GenSan is so close to Indonesia and traders easily move the illegal shipments into these areas using bancas that don’t utilize our ports,” said Biazon, who led the inauguration of the new BoC offices at the Makar port here on Thursday. To curb the problem, the official said they have enhanced their anti-smuggling campaign in the area through interagency cooperation. The BoC has forged agreements with maritime law enforcement agencies,

specifically the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy and Maritime police, for the conduct of joint and coordinated operations against smuggling. Navy and PCG vessels stationed in this city and the coastal town of Glan in Sarangani have been conducting regular patrols along the Sarangani Bay against illegal shipments and other related activities. A number of major illegal shipments had been intercepted these past years by the interagency patrols but many shipments also managed to slip past them. The smuggled products that usually proliferate in the local markets comprise cigarettes, liquor, soap, beauty care products and even pirated DVDs and CDs. Most of these products were usually sold by peddlers, some stalls in local public markets and private business establishments. Biazon said the most effective way to counter the entry of smuggled products in by regularly monitoring their entry and movements into the area. “We’re putting pressure on our people not to allow these (illegal activities) to happen,” he said. City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said they have been assisting the campaign against smuggling by making sure that these products don’t end up in local public markets and other business establishments. [PNA]

PHL ’12 BOP surplus hits US$ 9.24 billion

HE Philippines registered a US$ 9.24 billion balance of payment (BOP) surplus in 2012 exceeding the US$ 6.8 billion target for the year. The BOP surplus last year, which was announced Friday by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. during the annual dinner reception of the central bank for the banking community, is higher than the US$ 8.6 billion surplus in 2011. ”This continues to enhance confidence in our ability to potential shocks,” Tetangco said after citing the strong growth of the economy in the first three quarters of last year. The domestic economy grew, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), by 6.5 percent as of end-September 2012, higher than the five to six percent target of the government for the full-year.

In the third quarter alone, the domestic economy posted the highest growth in the ASEAN at 7.1 percent, next in Asia after China’s 7.4 percent. Consequently, the Chinese economy grew by 7.8 percent last year, higher than the government’s target of 7.5 percent. Relatively, Tetangco announced that gross international reserves (GIR) of the Philippines totalled to US$ 83.8 billion last year, also higher than the upwardly-revised target of US$ 83 billion. The continued rise in the BOP surplus, which is the sum of a country’s transactions with the rest of the world, and the dollar reserves of the country along with the continued resiliency of the banking sector are the home-grown source of resilience of the domestic economy, he said. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

CAR REVIEW

MOTORING 7

Toyota Furia: The upcoming Corolla T

OYOTA revealed the Corolla Furia Concept at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This exciting compact sedan concept hints at the styling cues consumers can expect to see on the next-generation Corolla. The concept represents an exterior styling study by Toyota designers, and it builds on the brand’s product development priority to develop more dramatic, expressively designed vehicles. The Furia is designed around a theme of “Iconic Dynamism,” which uses

pure and simple surface elements to create a confident, decisive and recognizable appearance appealing to more youthful consumers. It features a more provocative, dynamic interpretation of a compact sedan that displays a more stable, athletic stance with 19-inch allow wheels pushed to the vehicle’s corners with short overhangs to help emphasize its long wheelbase. The Corolla Furia design includes a swept windshield, with a sloped roof line and pronounced fender flares, to help communicate a sense of mo-

tion even when the car is stationary. The aggressively styled front fascia, with a blacked-out grille treatment, helps highlight a pair of sculpted front LED headlamps that combine with the rear composite LED taillight assemblies to add a sense of advanced technology to the Furia’s impactful exterior. Carbon fiber accents adorn the Corolla Furia Concept’s wheel wells, rocker panels, and rear valance, which includes ornate metal exhaust outlet surrounds to add a sense of modern athleticism.

Honda offers New Year treats

Jazz-Based Crossover by Honda

N all-new Honda “Urban SUV Concept” vehicle made its world debut today at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The dynamic and youthful concept hints at the styling direction of an all-new small SUV slated to launch in Japan by the end of 2013. The Urban SUV Concept is intended to provide the basis for a fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient small SUV with aspirational design, flexible packaging and next-generation connectivity targeting active lifestyle customers. The concept showcases clean and sophisticated styling, dynamic character lines and a strong stance, with hidden rear door handles giving the SUV a coupelike presence. Measuring 169.3 inches long, the Urban SUV Concept is nine inches shorter than the Honda CR-V, making it the ideal size for navigating

both crowded city streets and open mountain roads. The Urban SUV Concept represents the expansion of vehicles based on Honda’s Global Compact Series, which includes the Honda Jazz subcompact and the Honda City subcompact sedan. The all-new small SUV based on the Urban SUV Concept will feature fuel-efficient Earth Dreams™ Technology and be priced and positioned below the CR-V within the Honda light-truck lineup. Part of Honda’s Global Compact Series, and utilizing the Honda-original center-tank layout featured on the Jazz, the model will include Honda’s configurable ULT setup that can provide a host of passenger and cargo options, including a fold-flat mode for maximum cargo capacity. The all-new model will also feature next-generation telematics and a modern interior.

OLIDAYS may be over but Honda Cars Philippines, Inc is offering improved treats for New Year. With more banks signing up, Honda has now expanded financing schemes that customers may avail through the Honda Financing Options (HFO). BPI Family Savings Bank, RCBC Savings Bank, BDO, PS Bank, Eastwest Bank and Unionbank are proud partners of the Honda Financing Options Program. Unlike the usual financing schemes that offer huge discounts but eventually recover this through astronomical interest rate, the Honda Financing Options provides customers with true savings through low down payment, low interest rates and all-in packages. This can be verified

by the customers’ total payment computation for their vehicle. In owning a Honda, you get more than your money’s worth. As an added treat, customers may get P25,00 to P150,000 discount for certain models. Honda Financing Options For the first time through the HFO program, Honda vehicles may now be availed for as low as 10% down payment. Customers may also opt to avail of the special interest rates for as low as 5.43% for the low monthly scheme, or an All-in package inclusive of chattel mortgage, LTO registration and one year comprehensive insurance; plus an inclusion of 3 years preventive maintenance if customers avail from Eastwest Bank.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

The countries we should worry about COMMENTARY

POOLED EDITORIAL

Take a stand, don’t cop out on FOI

T IS the season of elections and all political parties and candidates are wont to spin a slew of promises yet again in their drive for votes. But before they start courting voters yet again, the first order of business is this: Political parties and candidates must deliver on a promise they’ve made in elections past by taking and making known their party and personal stand on the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. Over the last 15 years, from the 11th to the 15th Congress, the FOI bill has been stuck in the legislative wringer for lack of clarity and coherence in how lawmakers and their political parties stand on the issue. Even as President Aquino himself as a candidate in May 2010 had promised to push the FOI into law, members of his ruling Liberal Party and its allies in the majority coalition of the Nacionalista Party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the National Unity Party, have separately come out as either the most ardent champions or the most strident critics of the FOI bill.

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Between the pros and the cons in the FOI bill equation, that is where these political parties are: fence-sitters with neither leadership nor clarity of purpose with respect to the constitutionally guaranteed state policies of transparency and accountability that the FOI bill upholds. Political will from all the political parties could yet assure the passage of the FOI bill in the remaining nine session days from Jan. 21 to Feb. 8, 2013, or before Congress adjourns for the elections. Calling for a conscience vote on the FOI bill is a clear cop-out by political parties and candidates now aspiring to be elected into office. All voters must carefully scrutinize how these parties and their candidates for the 2013 elections will stand on FOI in their remaining nine session days. The countdown begins today. Where they stand on the FOI bill, and if at all they will take a stand on this all-important reform measure, will give us an idea whether or not they deserve our vote in the coming May elections. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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By Ian Bremmer

SN’T it nice to finally emerge from the last four years of financial crisis? Oh, you didn’t notice? Are all the pundits’ discussions of fiscal cliffs, debt ceilings and deficit emergencies making you think we’re still in the midst of a never-ending crisis? Well, they’re wrong. We’ve spent the last four years so conditioned to crisis — The banks are imploding! The dollar is ending! The double-dip recession is coming! — that now, away from crisis, we’re still feeding off it. But note that few of the apocalyptic scenarios came true. The United States didn’t nationalize its banking sector, the primacy of the dollar is unquestioned, and it was England, not the States, that returned to recession. Granted, America did ”suffer” a debt downgrade, but that didn’t lead to disaster: It sent investors scrambling into the safest trade they knew — U.S. treasuries. These doomsday scenarios didn’t play out as predicted because the United States is actually much more stable than it initially seemed. But the countries leading the world’s growth — emerging markets such as China, India, South Africa, etc. — are far less stable. These are the countries we should be worried about, not our own. Emerging markets make up two-thirds of the world’s economic growth, but they’re countries in which the politics matter as much as the economics. One revolution, one coup, or one sanction can turn growth into risk. This is the precarious global economy in which we now live. Nassim Nicholas Taleb might call these emerging markets brittle. In his new, insightful book Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Taleb outlines a different spectrum by which to judge whether an institution is hearty or not. How a country (or company, or organization, etc.) responds to crisis is what really matters. In 2013, the defining characteristic of health isn’t growth, but antifragility. “Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire,” Taleb writes in his prologue. “You want to be the fire and wish for the wind.” Can emerging markets not just withstand crisis, but use it to change for the better? Can they withstand it at all? Mass protests continue in China about the country’s draconian stance on the free-flow of information, most recently stoked by censorship in the Southern Weekly paper. India has been convulsed by a national conversation over women’s rights after a brutal gang rape in December. South Africa’s union members are enraged after police opened fire on striking miners in 2012. Ideally, these countries will use these crises to become stronger. We’ve seen that happen in Europe, where a financial crisis has helped strengthen the European Union, largely because Europe revealed itself to be antifragile. “The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better,” Taleb writes. With the help of existing democratic structures, we’ve seen the European Union move toward a more integrated system for all of its countries, Greece included. Can we say the same for emerging markets? China is on its way to becoming the world’s largest economy, and when it does we’ll have something to seriously worry about. We like to think the problems of the U.S., whose antifragility hasn’t really been tested since it bailed out banks in 2008, are the ones that are going to matter most. But in the coming years it’s the emerging markets that will. The United States, remember, is stuck binging on crisis even though there isn’t one to binge on. The debt ceiling is just a sideshow, not a real wind of change that could force the country to become stronger.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

Read to live

OOKS are magic carpets. They could take us to strange interesting lands and tickle our imagination. Boring, intimidating, or uninteresting they may seemingly be, books do not just give information. They elevate humanity. Big words for a lowly sheaf of pages (or a tablet/computer monitor filled with text, as the case may be). But truth can come in the most humble of forms. A few days ago, the fact of the dwindling reading public was featured in the news. We could readily surmise that the Internet with its distracting instant information and social networking sites is a major culprit. More than external factors, it is really when parents and primary caregivers fail to instill in children the value of reading books that we produce uninterested and un-textured adults. When practicality and monetary concerns are the driving forces of one’s life, certain richness is inevitably lost.Reading, along with other more soulful and nuanced activities, falls by the wayside when everything is about work, material needs, and hitting the bottomline. There must always be space in our lives for reading books just for the sheer pleasure of it even if we are struggling to make ends meet or have debts that reach our ears. At three years old, I distinctly remember how I sat beside my father as he was reading, got my own grown up book without pictures and mimicked him. I

quietly turned the pages and acted absorbed in the book even if the words just swam meaninglessly before my eyes. The first fullfledged really serious book was given to be by mother at five years old. It was a biography of Florence Nightingale, an English reformer who served as a nurse in the 1850s Crimean War and is today recognized as the founder of modern nursing. Afterwards, I voraciously devoured books of various genres. At a very young age, I was already oriented towards the value of the written word. I do not belong to a wealthy family but this did not stop my parents from letting me enjoy my books. This did not stop my parents from just letting me be. Consequently, I have a more textured grasp of life and the world. As I encounter more and more college students and applicants to be employed for our business, I am convinced that there is an appalling dearth of good reading practice. Thoughts elicited from them are shallow and poorly expressed. A student candidly confessed that she

would rather surf the Net than read. She has a failing grade. An applicant to a managerial position could not converse about other topics aside from industry concerns. We did not accept him. Even if men and women have reached positions of leadership but reading has not been part of their lifestyle, small-mindedness still becomes obvious in the culture they set for their people. More often than not, it is this small-mindedness that lowers productivity, demoralizes employees, and hinders progress. Small-mindedness could even lead to heartlessness when people are treated as tools and objects because non-reader leaders do not know any better, or worse, do not want to know any better. As one of my brighter students succinctly expressed, “Wisdom is a call of duty.” The journey towards wisdom definitely calls for reading, reading, and reading. Oh, one can still be good, productive, and loving without reading. But reading deepens and elevates our humanity. It adds color, depth, and profundity to who we are and how we view the world. We do not get dragged down by the drudgery of mundane living because larger and interesting vistas are open to us. It is thus a call of duty for all of us to read and to let our children read because the pursuit of greater things is also jumpstarted by a lowly sheaf of pages.

SPECIAl FEATURE

was convinced I was riding the strongest jeepney in the Philippines. Finally, we arrived. We must be in the belly of a huge mountain. I heard the rushing water not from the river but from a falls tucked somewhere. On foot, we clambered up a mountainside and I wondered why on earth we’re doing this when there was hardly anything up but trees. I was wrong. When we reached the top, a house sat there – and right beside a cliff! Talk about real-life monastery, Pinoy -style. Thick fog naturally enveloped us most of the time, though we rarely went outside, immersed in our individual spiritual quests. But one night, while asleep, an earthquake struck, and the first thing that came through my mind was, what if the house crumbled down the cliff? That journey would not be complete without attending oneself to the waterfalls below whose sounds kept calling us. Ice-cold and inhabited by colorful butterflies guarded by dark sharp boulders, it became our ritual of baptism, a connection to the spirit world, if you will. That was six years ago. Last December, one week before Typhoon Pablo battered the province I visited a banana plantation there. Most of the stalks were about to bear fruits. How terribly sad they were all flattened and wasted to the ground a few days after. [Ramon Jorge Sarabosing/MindaNews]

Remembering ComVal

TRANGELY, I always associate Compostela Valley with Mawab, a once tiny village settled along the Davao-Butuan highway. Mawab, created as a regular municipality in 1959, became famous to me after I read Leoncio Deriada’s award-winning short story, “The Road to Mawab,” published in the long-gone Asiaweek Magazine in the early ‘80’s. I was a first year Mass Com college student in Silliman University then and the beautiful, poignant story stuck in my mind. When Mr. Deriada became my teacher I told him the story was my most favorite and he told me he actually lived there once. When I started going to Davao years after that I made sure I would peek outside the bus as it passed by Mawab. I felt an unknown connection. In the early 2000, I meet a friend from way back in high school who told me he was going to Monkayo to look for his younger brother. His brother left home one day and it took them weeks to know he had joined a group of gold panners in the gold-rich mountain of Monkayo. Someone told them he became one of the guards of a private tunnel owned by a local politician who became filthy rich. I asked him if his brother became rich too, and he said he could be because a few years later someone saw him in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, looking, well,

By ramon Jorge SaraBoSIng rich enough. He was driving an expensive car. “I have to let him come home, at least to see our ailing mom who wanted to see him badly,” he said. My friend migrated to Canada and I learned his brother did come home to see the mother but was never heard of again. They suspected he could have been a victim of cave-ins or of foul play. Six years ago, I took a trip to Maragusan, the town nearest to New Bataan. I went there as summer began. The unpaved road on most part was unfriendly that our vehicle, an old sturdy jeepney, had to grudgingly snake up in what seemed like an eternity. The river below, forming like a crack with its boulders looked so menacing, I never took a second look. I think it was worse going to the Mountain Province, way up in Baguio. After two to three hours, we reached Maragusan. The town seemed so quiet. We headed straight to the market and bought some goods. We were, after all, going beyond the town proper, to a retreat center up in the mountains. The forest, ah, was so thick, lush and mysterious. But the road going up further was horribly inconvenient, making us twist and turn that we ended up laughing. I

VANTAGE POINTS

Global fight against terrorism ( Conclusion) SPECIAl FEATURE By WIllIam m. reIlly

UI noted that China’s west has been suffering terrorist attacks for years from the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement and stressed that, “All terrorist activities, regardless of who commits them under what pretext and no matter where and when they take place, should be condemned and fought back. There should not be different standards for different attacks.” “We should not bring ideology into the fight against terrorism or link it to any specific country, government, nationality or religion,” Cui said. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, senior minister of state for Britain’s foreign and commonwealth affairs, picked up on a thread introduced at the debate by the UN secretary-general, info-tech, saying terrorists were quick to exploit technology. “In the field of cyber security, the UK is playing a key role in shaping an international cyber strategy, including hosting the 2011 London Conference on Cyberspace,” she said. “We welcome international initiatives, particularly in the United Nations, aimed at reducing the threat we face from cyber-crime.” Warsi said there were 31 international entities involved in combating terrorism and endorsed Ban’s call for a counter-terrorism coordinator. “We would need the right mandate, and we would need to think carefully about how best to use the available resources,” she aid. “But we remain convinced that more effective coordination within and between international organizations is crucial to our success in tackling the global terrorist threat.” Youssef Amrani, Morocco’s delegate minister for foreign affairs and cooperation, endorsed the global counter-terrorism effort and the United Nations’ leading role in the endeavor. However, he took the occasion to remind diplomats that Morocco had warned of terrorist activities in the Sahel, the region of North Africa encompassing the Sahara desert and stretching across Africa. “Two thirds of its territory now lies in the hands of terrorist elements whose confidence is ever increasing given the slow response of the international community to dislodge them,” he said. “This state of mind has been reflected by their actions last week, when they broke the ongoing de-facto six months cease-fire, thereby defying the decisions taken by the Security Council by taking over the town of Konna and progressing further southwards,” Amrani added. He voiced Morocco’s support for the Malian government’s recent call for “outside assistance to combat these terrorist elements and the response that is now being provided by bilateral partners.” Last week, France dispatched troops at the request of Mali to the western African nation to dislodge Islamist rebels from its northern tier. (PNA/Xinhua)

10 COMMUNITY SENSE

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

Donor Mission visits DavOriental, ComVal D

AVAO City -The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) headed by Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and the Donor Mission visited Baganga, Davao Oriental and New Bataan, Compostela Valley on January 15 and 16. Together with Secretary Soliman were New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Reuben Levermore; Vicente Selles Zaragozi, General Coordinator of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID); Octavia Borthwick, Minister Counsellor for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID); Luke Myers, Head of Cooperation of the Canadi-

an International Development Agency (CIDA); Reed Aeschliman, Deputy Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Ugochi Daniels, Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); William Wairoa-Harrison, Security Advisor, United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and Asaka Nyangara, Deputy Country Director for the Philippines, World Food Programme (WFP). The group visited the Incident Command Post (ICP) in Baganga for a brief cluster meeting. Provincial Planning and Development Officer Engr. Freddie Bendulo presented the

Reconstruction and Development Framework of the province. He said, Davao Oriental aims to continuously provide Emergency Humanitarian Response of Relief Operations until June 2013 and Early Recovery or Rehabilitation and Provision of Livelihood from January to December 2013. Moreover, they are looking into a new concept named ‘Building Back Better’ or the land use and sectoral re-planning for the reconstruction, livelihood and industry development from January 2013 until December 2016. The estimated cost of the said reconstruction and development framework is around P 2.78 bil-

Ugochi Daniels, Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) assures the affected families that international and local donors will continue to provide assistance for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the damaged communities brought by “Pablo”.

EDGEDAVAO

DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman leads the Donor Mission in Baganga, Davao Oriental on Wednesday, January 16. With her is Gov. Corazon Malanyaon and New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Reuben Levermore.

lion, he added. “The objective of the Mission is for us, the international donors, to see what the challenges are in the area and what the responses should be. We like the province’s concept of ‘building back better’ and integrating it to the medium and long-term plans,” said Ugochi Daniels of the UNFPA. The Mission also aims to ensure that the support coming from the international humanitarian communities are appropriate and pertinent to the needs of the internally-displaced persons (IDPs). On the other hand, Lieutenant Colonel Krishnamurti Mortela of ICP Baganga informed that the extent of damage that ‘Pablo’ brought surmounted to around P 13M based on the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC - Davao Oriental). LTC Mortela said that all 18 barangays in Baganga are 95% damaged as to infra-

structure and agriculture. The team also saw the bunkhouses built by DSWD and IOM (International Organization for Migration) in Barangay Mainit, Cateel town. On Tuesday, the team visited Compostela Valley where Gov. Arturo T. Uy reported the Typhoon Pablo Provincial Response. He shared that the province is currently looking for areas for permanent shelter and to acquire such area as soon as possible. “For those residing in ‘no build’ zone, they have to be relocated to a safe area.” He revealed that some 15,000 hectares of banana plantation were devastated displacing over 5,000 workers and laborers in the banana industry. Damage to infrastructure has reached P 4 million, he said. “The road to recovery will take a long time that’s why we are coming up with a blue print for recovery,” he added. Daniels retorted, “It

is reassuring and I very much appreciate your focus on rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction. This is important as we move into this stage of response.” As of to date, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has extended 92,598 sacks of rice and 34,000 sacks from the Indonesian Government. USAID has also contributed P504.4 million to purchase rice and roll out cash-for-work activities through WFP while IOM has constructed bunkhouses. Further, in Baganga town, conducted were 18,231 medical consultations, feeding to 6,584 children as well as psycho-social activities to 739 children. Meanwhile, DSWD has provided a total of 1,588,662,010.00-worth of assistance which covers food and non-food items including financial assistance and construction of bunk houses.[DSWD]

Sun, Smart donate P10 M to help victims

EADING telecommunications firms Sun Cellular and Smart Communications recently donated P10 million to the PLDT-SMART Foundation to help rebuild communities of the Typhoon Pablo victims in Mindanao. Apart from setting up free call stations and emergency communication measures in the typhoon-affected areas, Sun and Smart have gone further to support the MVP Group and the PLDT-SMART. Foundation in raising funds for relief as well as the rebuilding of homes and restoration of livelihood sources for the typhoon victims. “Seeing how this typhoon has devastated Mindanao, we join the rest of the nation in its ongoing support operations and extend our resources to help our

typhoon-hit kapatids rise through these tough times,” said Orlando B. Vea, concurrent Chief Executive Officer for Sun Cellular and Chief Wireless Advisor for Smart. With the developmental planning and community restoration efforts already underway, Sun and Smart also continue to spark generosity among mobile subscribers by tapping on their existing over-theair technologies and putting up a centralized text donation service for the benefit of these typhoon victims. “As we aim to facilitate the coming in of more relief funds, we have also made it easier and more seamless for our subscribers to send in their donations through text,” explained Vea. “This way, we hope to foster the bayanihan spirit and encourage more Filipinos to

Left to right. Reuben S.J. Pangan, Vice President-Customer Relationship Management of Sun Cellular; Orlando B. Vea, CEO of Sun Cellular & Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart; Napoleon L. Nazareno, President and CEO of PLDT & Smart; Manuel V. Pangilinan,

Chairman, PLDT & Smart; Esther O. Santos, President of the PLDT-SMART Foundation; and Ramon R. Isberto, Head of PLDT & SMART Public Affairs.

help out their fellowmen, especially in these times of need.” Both members of the

nies, Sun Cellular and Smart Communications continue to join forces and partner with differ-

country’s largest telecommunications conglomerate, as well as the MVP Group of Compa-

ent organizations to put up sustainable programs for disaster response and emergency relief.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

10,000... FFROM 1

ade put up January 15 by some 5,000 militants in Montevista, Compostela Valley to criticize the government’s manner of distributing relief goods. Regional director Priscilla Razon and assistant regional director Mila Segovia met with the representatives of Barug Katawhan in Montevista, Compostela Valley led by Carlos Trangia. Segovia said the DSWD “always keeps its commitments,” adding it is waiting for the Barug members to comply with nine conditions. The agreement says the members shall provide a distribution plan, including the names of recipients and their addresses and the name of

Honasan..

a responsible person who shall guarantee the safe distribution. It adds the distribution shall be witnessed by representatives from the DSWD and provincial governments of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. As agreed, the release of rice will be done at the DSWD regional office depot, and Barug will acknowledge that the goods are from the DSWD and provincial governments, give a report after the distribution and ensure proper storage of the rice following safety standards. The undated agreement does not indicate the quantity in each bag of rice.

The Barug members requested that each bag should contain 50 kilos of rice, and Segovia and Razon agreed with them.

Each victim will receive 10 kilos of rice each. The Barug members said they are now in the process of completing the lists of recipients. However, Segovia pointed out that they need to reconcile the records of beneficiaries to avoid redundancy in distribution. Rolando Florencia, a Barug member, replied that reconciling of records should be done after addressing the hunger suffered by Pablo victims. He said they joined the barricade because gov-

FFROM 1

media forum at Waterfront Insular Hotel Friday. Honasan, who had led revolts against the Philippine government in the past, said one of the main problems of the nation is lack of predictability because every time there is a new set of officials elected along with a new President, a new set of policies replaces the last one. The veteran lawmaker said such a practice discourages foreign investors from doing business in the Philippines, adding that most big-time investors hesitate to gamble

US..

Theft..

their money with a new set of government officials who are expected to disregard good established policies and change them with their untested ideas. Honasan hopes that whatever good foundation the Noynoy Aquino administration has established would be continued by the next President. The new President “must be willing to go against narrow vested selfish interest groups, must also be willing to forget about his personal security and focus only on

God, country and family.” Honasan paraphrased the words of the late senator, Raul Roco, on what a public official should be, especially a senator. According to him, the late lawmaker, Roco, said that senators are placed in the Senate not as soldiers, lawyers, or showbiz personalities, but as legislators to vote on laws and policies, some of which would determine in the long term who will live and who will die, adding that senators assume the role of god with a small “g.”

ment Authority (MINDA) executive director Janet Lopoz. He added that the balance of aid will be handed over in February. Steele said that the amount given by the US government may not replace the lives lost to Typhoon Pablo, but they are impressed and they appreciate the effort of the Philippine government in its outstanding cooper-

ation in the entire relief operations. “Mindanao has always been the priority of the United States in the last 20 years, and we will continue to help Mindanao not only during disasters but in follow-up projects to be implemented, such as economic growth and health education for Mindanaoans,” Steele said.

“And the sad thing is that once a transformer is damaged it will no longer be used and should be replaced. A transformer costs P50,000 each,” he said. “We already have incurred huge debts just to restore power in the province and here come these thieves people who have taken advantage of the situation for their own good,” he said. He doubted that their target to energize Cateel

and Boston before the month ends could be realized because of this thievery. As of now, more than 600 households in Baganga have become energized even as Task Force Restoration has doubled its efforts to bring back power to all areas of the province. “Hopefully, we can complete the Baganga to Cateel line by Friday to give 24-hour service to Cateel,” he said.

FFROM 2

during the night and early dawn, taking advantage of the blackout and absence of police personnel in the area, especially in remote barangays,” Dukil said. He asked people for help because they alone cannot monitor all the areas even as the Davao Oriental provincial police office was already informed about the problem. Dukil said copper wire is expensive, hence has been subjected to massive theft.

LTO..

The USAID held Friday morning a ceremonial handover of donations amounting to P164 million or US$4 million. The contribution, the USAID, said enabled the World Food Programme to purchase 3,400,000 kilograms of rice enough to feed 170,000 people for two months, and to roll out cash for work activities. Turned over were a total of 1,750,000 kilograms of rice as an initial distribution, the balance of which is expected to be handed over in February. Razon said donations for Pablo victims that were channeled through the DSWD had reached over a billion pesos already.

She cited that the donations included P595,000 for food assistance, P3 million for burial assistance, P24 million for cash for work, P100 million for Noche Buena packs, and P11.5 million for 21 bunk houses. For her part, Anding said she was wary of the government’s promise. She noted that the assistance has not trickled down to the remote communities despite the huge amount of donations received by the government. “Had we not protested, the government would not have heeded our calls for food assistance,” she added in Cebuano. [Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews]

and spokesperson of DTIDavao City, said the public has been given ample time to avail of the ICC stickers since the mandatory certification was passed into law in 2009, and with the implementation of the supposedly last August 1. The Department of Transportation and Communications ordered the LTO to hold the enforcement of the law until January, 2013 to give the DTI enough time to check if the existing helmets and imported ones had ICC stickers on them issued by the Bureau of Product Standards. “The issue here is the driver’s safety. We want to make sure that the hel-

met can really protect and prevent head injuries in case of accident,” Barlis pointed out, saying that in Davao City alone the DTI inspected 20,000 helmets and issued corresponding ICC stickers. Republic Act No. 10054, which mandates all motorcycle riders to wear standard protective helmets while driving, imposes fines for violators at P1,500 for the first offense; P3,000 for the second offense, P5,000 for the thirds offense and P10,000 plus confiscation of driver’s license for the fourth and succeeding offenses. [PIA 11/Joey Sem G. Dalumpines]

sos.” Romulo Tagalo, Davao del Norte information officer, said that under the 2013 Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, desilting of rivers shall be one of the mitigating actions that will be given priority, by buying a floating backhoe. Land use conversion Zelda Galagala, RECAP executive director, told MindaNews that land use conversion, particularly planting forestal lands with bananas for export, had contributed to the worsening floods. Providing relief assistance to the province since 1988, Galagala said she has witnessed the worsening of floods in the area as banana plantations expanded three to four years ago. She explained that the expansion of banana plantations from the lowlands to highlands, replacing the forest cover to monocrop plantation, has intensified soil erosion, causing siltation of the rivers. The Davao del Norte

provincial government has no data on banana expansion in Asuncion. But Rene Dalayon, president and chief executive officer of the Federation of Banana Cooperatives in Davao (Fedco), told MindaNews Friday that, according to an assessor, Asuncion has about 20,000 hectares (ha) of banana plantations in 2009. Presently, he said at least 25,000 ha are planted to bananas in Asuncion, which means an increase of 5,000 ha in the last three years. Climate in crisis Rose Latonio, executive director of Network towards the Empowerment, Transformation and Sustainability of Communities and Organizations (NETSCO), said in an interview the worsening floods is a “clear indication” of a climate in crisis, brought by the historical dumping of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by the world’s largest economies. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro/MindaNews]

FFROM 2

support the livelihood of people in ravaged areas. Anderson led the handover ceremony of the first 1,750 of the 5,550 metric tons of rice donated by USAID together with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director Gloria Steele, DSWD regional director Priscilla Razon and Mindanao Develop-

ernment relief goods had not reached their areas. Cerila Anding, also a member from Barangay Poblacion, Compostela town said they had received relief goods from the DSWD only twice since Pablo. But Razon said the government’s distribution of relief assistance was always up-to-date, citing that the victims had received food assistance enough for a week. Enough supply The DSWD has enough supply of rice, Razon told reporters, citing the recent donations from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for Pablo victims.

use of standard helmets— or else. “We launched full implementation of the law only this week, extending to the outer districts of the city. Despite the initial apprehension, I observed that many drivers in the city follow the helmet law,” Gonzaga said, adding that the intent of the law is to promote the safety of motorcycle riders. Earlier, the city field office of the DTI no longer extended the issuance of free Import Commodity Clearance stickers for helmets of motorists who failed to beat the deadline on December 28, 2012. Roberto Barlis, consumer welfare officer

Residents..

FFROM 3

center a kilometer away, adding that if there was flood, the water level barely reached the knee. In the last few years, however, Sitio Mahayag would be flooded up to the waist after at least two days of continuous rains, he said. When typhoon Pablo hit their village, the water level was chest-high, Bebero said. Joint resolution In early 2012, Tonga said that nine barangays in Asuncion submitted a joint resolution to the provincial and municipal engineering offices to de-silt the Ilog River as solution to the flooding problem. He identified the nine barangays as Pamantayon, New Loon, Doña Andrea, Camuning, San Vicente, New Bantayan, Magapos, New Santiago and Poblacion. Tonga said the provincial engineer’s office told them that the provincial government has yet to act on their proposal due to lack of funds as the project would need “billions of pe-

12 ClASSIFIEDS ADS

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

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

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, (HDMF) or Pag-ibig Fund, Mortgagee -versus-

EJF-REM CASE NO. 13, 736-12

GINA G. APATAN married to Rey G. Apatan 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 or Pag-ibig Fund against GINA G. APATAN married to Rey G. Apatan with postal address at Lot 5 Blk. 7 Elenita Garden Villas, Catalunan Grande, Davao City to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of September 14, 2012 amounts to ( Php 1,139.012.99) 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- 428657 “ A parcel of land xxx (Lot 5, Blk. 7,xxx) , situated in Barangay Catalunan Grande, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao.xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) 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.

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 17, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

Noted by:

(SGD.) ROBERT M. MEDIALDEA Sheriff IV

(SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff (edge 01/13,20,27)

EDGEDavao

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11th Judicial Region BRANCH 12 Davao City

Serving a seamless society

Account Executives (2) - Male / Female, not more than 30 years old - Candidate must posses a Bachelor/ College Degree in any Business field. - Willing to work under pressure, flexible, persuasive, can speak fluently and computer literate - A team player - With Basic Salary, Transportation, Communication, allowance + Commission

IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF THE FOREIGN DIVORCE BETWEEN KATSUHIRO OKAHARA AND GRESILDA MANUBAY ORTILLA SP PROC. NO.: 12,359-12 GRESILDA MANUBAY ORTILLA, Petitioner x----------------------------------------------------------------x ORDER

This is a verified Petition for Recognition of the Foreign Divorce between Katsuhiro Okahara and Gresilda Manubay Ortilla, praying that upon due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered judicially confirming and recognizing the Divorce obtained in Japan involving the Petitioner Gresilda Manubay Ortilla and Katsuhiro Okahara. Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, set the hearing of this petition on March 7, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

WHEREFORE, Petitioner is hereby directed to cause the publication of this Order at her expense, in a newspaper of general circulation in the City and (3) provinces of Davao, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks. Petitioner is further directed to furnish the Office of the Solicitor General a copy of this petition.

Likewise, let a copy of this Order be furnished the Local Civil Registrar, Davao City.

Any person interested or who seeks to oppose the instant petition may appear to state why the petition should not be granted. SO ORDERED Davao City, Philippines, January 3, 2013 (EDGE 1/21/28,2/4)

(SGD) PELAGIO S. PAGUICAN JUDGE

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate A PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular Service RONALD T. PACANA, Petitioner

Case No.2003-XI-01184

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

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular Service on the route: INAWAYAN ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on July 28, 2013. In the petition filed on October 8, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized. NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JANUARY 28, 2013 at 09:10 a.m. at this office at the above address. At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time. This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence. WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 12th day of October 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

For interested applicants, you may send your resume to: HR Department EDGEDavao Doors 13 & 14 Alcrej B;dg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel. No. (082) 221-3601 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFiCATE OF FULL PAYMENT NO(S). 10004730 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No(s) NNN400090672 issued to BERNADETH N. PANTINOPLE was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

(Edge 1/21,28,2/4)

NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No(s).21045756 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No(s) 187233-1 / NNN430005322 issued to RIMORIN, PERLA C. was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void. (Edge 01/14, 21, 28)

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 HUNDRED TWENTY ONE (121) 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.

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 (edge 01/7, 14, 21)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate A FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service NOEL COTON DE CASTRO, Petitioner

Case No.2010-XI-00786

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

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service on the route: BANGKAL ROUTE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on December 21, 2012. In the petition filed on October 25, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized. NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JANUARY 29, 2013 at 09:30 a.m. at this office at the above address. At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time. This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence. WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 29th day of October 2012 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

Durant scores 52 as OKC nip Mavs

AMWAY RUN. Leni Olmedo (left), Country Manager of Amway Philippines, presents the 1K@Amway Fun Run in Davao City. Right photo, race organizer Kenneth Sai explains the race course in front of a life-sized Enchong Dee image. Dee, a popular actor, ran in the Manila leg of the race. Lean Daval, Jr.

Amway Run set Feb. 9 By Neil Bravo

LOBAL BUSINESS network Amway will be staging the first ever 1K@Amway Run Davao leg on February 9 in a short course that starts and ends at Quimpo Boulevard. The race is open to Independent Business Operators (IBOs) and non-IBOs of Amway. Race categories are 5-Kilometer for men and women and the 1-Kilometer also for men and women IBOs and non-IBOs. Exciting

prizes await winners in all categories. Leni Olmedo, Amway Country Manager, said they are expecting over 1,000 runners to take part in the event which also serves as a fund-raiser for Amway’s Adopt-A-School program in partnership with the Department of Education. “There are already around 1,000 runners who have registered and most of them are IBOs and their families. We

EDGEDAVAO

expect more to register in the coming days,” said Olmedo who presented the race profile in a press briefing at the newly-opened Amway Davao City office. Olmedo was joined in the briefing by Tet Tagaro, Regional Trainer, and race organizer Kenneth Sai of Vantage Sports. Registration is open at the Amway office along Quimpo Boulevard for only P595 inclusive of race kit complete with race sin-

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

glet, race bib, and Nutrilite vitamins plus the chance to join the raffles where a brand new iTouch awaits the lucky winner. As a unique incentive of the race, all 5-K finishers are qualified to join Amway without having to pay the membership fee of P1,000. “We want everybody to know that it’s very very easy to join Amway with just P1,000. All it takes is your first kilometre,” Olmedo said.

ALLAS — Kevin Durant scored a career-high 52 points, including the go-ahead basket with 16.5 seconds left in overtime, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a Dallas Mavericks rally for a 117-114 victory Friday night (Saturday, Manila time). The Thunder, who won their sixth straight, snapped a season-high four-game winning streak for the Mavericks. It was Oklahoma City’s second overtime win against Dallas this season. Mavericks guard O.J. Mayo forced overtime by hitting a 3-pointer with two defenders in his face with 2.3 seconds left in regulation. Mike James had put Dallas ahead with a 3 pointer in overtime, but his shot from well behind the arc in the final seconds of the extra period fell short. Russell Westbrook, who scored 31, missed a

free throw to give the Mavericks one more chance to tie, but Vince Carter’s desperation 3 at the buzzer was short. Carter led Dallas with a season-high 29 points. Durant was 13 of 31 from the field and made all 21 free throws in the first 50-point game for an NBA player this season. The Thunder hit 12 freebies in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Mayo hit the tying 3 after two free throws by Westbrook with 5.9 seconds left. The Thunder blew a 14-point second-half lead and almost lost for the first time in 28 games when leading after three quarters. Durant put Oklahoma City ahead 99-98 on a pair of free throws after he was fouled on a drive with 1:32 left. He hit two more after he was fouled following a rebound of a miss by Dirk Nowitzki, and Oklahoma City kept the lead until Mayo’s tying 3-pointer.

Serena storms

• Murray advances to fourth round • Del Potro beaten • Azarenka survives

ELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka advanced in contrasting styles Saturday to the fourth round at the Australian Open. Williams, the tournament favorite aiming for a third consecutive major title, recovered from a break down in the second set to win six straight games and finish off a 6-1, 6-3 win over Japan’s Ayumi Morita

in 66 minutes. Azarenka, the topranked defending champion, struggled to hold off injured American Jamie Hampton 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and she didn’t help herself with six double-faults. At least she survived. Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, lost a marathon match 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-3 to Jeremy Chardy of France, leaving only three major winners in the men’s

Maria Sharapova exults after winning over Venus Williams in the third round.

draw. Andy Murray, who joined the ranks of the Grand Slam winners at last year’s U.S. Open, advanced with a gritty 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis. Second-ranked Roger Federer, who has four Australian titles among his record 17 majors, was playing Bernard Tomic later Saturday after No. 1 Novak Djokovic took another step toward his third consecu-

tive Australian title with a third-round win Friday. After taking del Potro out of the top section of the draw, Chardy will next face No. 21 Andreas Seppi of Italy, who ousted No. 12 Marin Cilic with a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory. A pair of Frenchmen advanced and will meet in the fourth round, with No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beating Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to set up a meeting with No. 9 Richard Gasquet, who fended off Croatia’s Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-0. Williams surprised herself with another serve at 128 mph in an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, matching a career best that she hit earlier in the tournament. ‘’I tried to hit it really hard. I hit 207 (kph) the other day and I thought it was luck,’’ she said. ‘’But I did it again and I was like, ‘Whew! I’m going to try to go for 210.’ We’ll see.’’ Azarenka appeared frustrated at times, but overcame an early break and fended off triple break point in the seventh game

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Mike James in fourth-quarter action. AP

of the deciding set before clinching the match in 2 hours, 9 minutes. Hampton needed a medical timeout for a lower back problem before she served out the second set. She winced in pain and was frequently on the verge of tears throughout the third set, but still managed 41 winners to keep the Belarusian under pressure. ‘’She played incredible, went for every single shot. I felt it was touching every single line,’’ Azarenka said. ‘’She took a medical timeout but she rips winners all over the place and I was like, ‘Can I have a back problem?’ I’m feeling great, but I’m missing every shot.’’ After wasting two set points on Azarenka’s serve late in the second set, Hampton had to leave the court for nine minutes to have treatment on her

back. Azarenka practiced her backhands and serve while Hampton was in the locker room, but the break didn’t help her immediately. Hampton returned and held in the next game and needed more treatment in the break at the end of the set. Even with the pain of two herniated disks, the 23-year-old Hampton, from Auburn, Ala., went down swinging - making 47 unforced errors to go with the winners that caught Azarenka off guard and had her asking, loudly at one point, what she could do to counter them. Sensing an upset, and stirred by the obvious signs of pain, the crowd in Rod Laver Arena got right behind the No. 63-ranked Hampton, who had never previously gone past the second round at a major.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

Fit for a king

By Niel Bravo

YOU COULDN’T be wishing for a fine way to start the year than by finding an invitation on your email inbox for an experience like no other. So off I went to the Queen City of the South, Cebu, on the first week of the year of the Water Snake to spend some weekend getaway at Imperial Palace Waterpark Resport and Spa. Thanks to the invitation of Ms. Angela Emphasis, PR manager of Cebu’s foremost resort hotel destination. Before the weekend stay, I

browsed through the net to do my advance research of the Palace—all of 8 hectares, the waterpark resort promises to be a big splash. So, this grand five-star resort hotel is the only one of its kind in the country. Located some 15 minutes from Mactan International Airport on the coastline of Maribago in Lapu-Lapu, I as-

sured myself getting there could just be a breeze. But there’s more to the Palace than meets the eye. Not all that a hotel website says are what the real experience gives. High expectations generally set you up for a disappointment, but that’s not true with the Pal-

FFIT, A4

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP AnD ABOUT

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

FOOD

Cebu Pacific Air New Orleans updates menu: announces direct daily flights to Dubai Infuses more local ingredients

with cajun and creole flavors

ThE PhiLiPPinEs’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PsE:CEB) announced it will operate direct daily flights between Manila and Dubai, beginning October 7, By Kenneth Irving Ong 2013. CEB will be the only Filipino carrier to fly direct to Dubai. DAvAO has a repuDaily flights from Manila to Dubai are scheduled tation when it comes to depart at 4:40PM (Manila time), while flights from to food. Seafood is Dubai to Manila depart at 11:10PM (Dubai time). it will always fresh as are the ingredients that be the budget airline’s first long haul destination. “CEB is proud to be the only Filipino carrier to fly can be found all over direct to Dubai. We are glad to be of service to over the city. That is why 700,000 Global Filipinos who are in UAE. now, our ka- Murray’s New Orbabayans in Dubai can enjoy fares that are up to 40% leans Burbon Steaks lower than current offerings and fly direct to Manila, is updating their a mere 9 hours away from their loved ones, via a CEB menu to accommoflight,” said Alex Reyes Cebu Pacific General Manager, date more local ingredients. Long haul Division. “With CEB’s direct service to Dubai, Filipinos overseas can look forward to going home more often. Their relatives and friends can also visit them in Dubai more often,” added Reyes. Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) shows that UAE ranks second to saudi Arabia in terms of number of land-based new hires and rehires. in 2010, there were 201,214 land-based workers deployed to UAE. “Dubai is the largest long-haul market to and from the Philippines. iATA Paxis data indicate more than 70% of passengers in this route take multiple stops, and connecting flights because no home carrier offers a non-stop service,” said Reyes.

CEB’s Manila-Dubai flights will be operated on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a configuration of more than 400 all-economy class seats. Guests can also enjoy WiFi connectivity inflight. CEB previously announced that it will lease up to 8 Airbus A330-300 aircraft for its long haul operations. The airline will take delivery of 2 Airbus A330 aircraft this year, and an additional 2 in 2014. The Airbus A330 has a range of up to 11 hours which means CEB could serve markets such as Australia, Middle East, parts of Europe and the Us. CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 23 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. its fleet of 41 aircraft is the one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2013 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 19 more Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft orders. CEB operates the most extensive network in the Philippines with 32 domestic destinations and hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark Kalibo, iloilo and Davao. it also offers 20 international destinations, namely Bangkok, Bali, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Guangzhou, hanoi, ho Chi Minh, hong Kong, incheon (seoul), Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, shanghai, siem Reap, singapore, Taipei and Xiamen.

New on Murray’s New Orleans Burbon Steaks and Oysters is a 4-part Blackened Tuna Sisig, a surprising mix of tuna loin, blackmeat, bihod, and bagaybay. Another new and surprising offering is their Creole Tuna Egg Sizzlers, that is rich and flavourful. Another appetiser that is sure to win fans is New Orleans’ Pre-popcorn. Executive chef, Peter Ayson named it the Pre-popcorn since the dish contains butter, salt and spices that are normally found in popcorn, only the dish uses sweet corn that is instead sautéed in butter and seasoned just right. New Orleans also introduces a new and more affordable 24 ounce Porter House Steak that uses locally sourced beef cooked the New Orleans way with a spicy, salty crust while having a juicy and tender interior. The introduction of more locally sourced ingredients like shellfish, crabs, and now beef also allows New Orleans to lower the prices of the menu items that utilise the local ingredients. “With the new menu around 80% of our menu will now be locally sourced,” beams Chef

Ayson “not only are the savings and lower prices passed-on to out restaurant guests, but they also get fresher, seasonal ingredients, that taste as well as or even better then the imported ingredient.” For dessert, New Orleans is introducing a Banana Foster Chesecake. A delicious tangy cheesecake topped with buttery, caramelised slices of banana, that pairs well with an after-dinner coffee or tea. Murray’s New Orleans Burbon Steaks and Oysters is located at the ground floor of SM Lanang Premier’s Fountain Court.

VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

EnTERTAinMEnT

Lance Armstrong’s Oprah interview scores big ratings

OnE person’s shame Exclusive had the cyclist “i don’t know if i have a and ridicule is another admitting to doping to great answer. i will start person’s ratings gold! win races starting in the my answer by saying this A whopping 4.3 million viewers tuned in to last night’s Oprah’s next Chapter to watch Oprah Winfrey grill Lance Armstrong about his alleged doping scandal, making it the highest rated weekday telecast in OWn history. And that was only part one! Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide

mid ‘90s. “i viewed [taking drugs] as very simple— oxygen-boosting drugs that were incredibly beneficial for performance sports. And that’s all you needed. My cocktail was only EPO—not a lot, transfusions and testosterone.” When asked why he didn’t come clean sooner, Armstrong simply said:

is too late…and that’s my fault. i view this situation as one big lie that i repeated many times.” Part two (airing tonight on OWn) will feature more conversations between Oprah and Armstrong about his past use of performance-enhancement drugs and probably more kind-of-saying-sorry but not really.

Wives’ Club remark (“i beat Meryl!”) caught Lindsay Lohan’s ear—and if Lohan thought the line sounded wrong, imagine how it played to some of the more temperate members of the Academy. Chastain, by contrast, gave a pitch-perfect acceptance speech. The bottom line for now: Silver Linings’ Playbook’s Lawrence is still being given the edge, but Zero Dark Thirty’s Chastain is gaining on her. Best Picture: We love nikki Finke’s theory on Deadline.com that steven spielberg “overreach[ed]” by landing Bill Clinton to

introduce Lincoln at the Globes. But the oddsmakers are still in love with the stove-pipe hat, and no other film, not even Globes champ Argo, is really close. Best Actor: Lincoln’s Daniel Day-Lewis. still. Best Supporting Actor: Clearly, the hollywood Foreign Press didn’t love Lincoln as much as, well, we thought they were going to love Lincoln. But, cheer up, Tommy Lee Jones, you’re still expected to do all right with the Academy. Best Supporting Actress: Les Misérables’ Anne hathaway. still.

Oscar predictions: Latest odds on Jennifer Lawrence vs. Jessica Chastain and Lincoln vs. Argo

JEnniFER LAWREnCE big-timed Merylstreep (or did she?) at the Golden Globes. And Jessica Chastain undeniably charmed.

Are these little things difference makers? A look at where the top Oscar races stand, per the oddsmakers, post-Globes: Best Actress: The presumptive Oscar frontrunners, Lawrence and Chastain, didn’t go headto-head at the Globes. And even if they had, the Globes are the Globes. You know the drilll: There is no voter crossover between that show and the Academy Awards; nothing that happened last weekend means anything in the greater awardseason scheme of things; Lawrence and Chastain are still both at the top of the pack. And yet… With all that said, Lawrence’s reputed First

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ic treat with the Palace’s 8 restaurants which feature international flavours. I met Executive Sous Chef Kenny Yong Tze Hin who is a culinary genius. A day in the Palace is sure to add poundage to food lovers like me. Amidst all that though, one very lasting imprint that will reside in my mind (and heart) is one you would not find in the flyers or in the website. It’s the warmth of its staff who make sure you will feel really at home and at ease without the memorized lines and the automated

greetings taught by HRM schools. Whether it be “hello”, or “an nyoung ha se yo” or simply “maayong adlaw,” you know that it is said in a way so warm and so real. The Palace experience is indeed very Gangnam, and yet very Cebuano. (The author would like to thank Ms. Angela Emphasis, PR Manager, Ms. Natalia Baum, PR Officer, Ms. Ann Ditching, Sales Acct. Manager, Ms. Lexie Baylon, Reservations Supervisor, Mr. Kenny Yong Tze Hin, Executive Sous Chef, and to all the amigos and amigas of The Imperial Palace.)

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 228 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 20-21, 2013

SPORTS 15

LANCE ARMSTRONG. “I took drugs.”

HICAGO — Lance Armstrong finally cracked. Not while expressing deep remorse or regrets, though there was plenty of that in Friday night’s second part of Armstrong’s interview with Oprah Winfrey (Saturday, Manila time). It wasn’t over the US$75 million in sponsorship deals that evaporated over the course of two days, or having to walk away from the Livestrong cancer charity he founded and called his “sixth child.” It wasn’t even about his lifetime ban from competition, though he said that was more than he deserved. It was another bit of collateral damage that Armstrong said he wasn’t prepared to deal with. “I saw my son defending me and saying, ‘That’s not true. What you’re saying about my dad is not true,’”Armstrong recalled. “That’s when I knew I had to tell him.” Armstrong was near tears at that point, referring to 13-year-old Luke, the oldest of his five children. He blinked, looked away from Winfrey, and with his lip trembling, struggled to compose himself. It came just past the midpoint of the hour-long program on Winfrey’s OWN network. In the first part, broadcast Thursday, the disgraced cycling champion admitted using performance-enhancing drugs when he won seven straight Tour de France titles. Critics said he hadn’t been contrite enough in the first half of the interview, which was taped Monday in Austin, but Armstrong seemed to lose his composure when Winfrey

zeroed in on the emotional drama involving his personal life. “What did you say?” Winfrey asked. “I said, ‘Listen, there’s been a lot of questions about your dad. My career. Whether I doped or did not dope. I’ve always denied that and I’ve always been ruthless and defiant about that. You guys have seen that. That’s probably why you trusted me on it.’ Which makes it even sicker,” Armstrong said. “And uh, I told Luke, I said,” and here Armstrong paused for a long time to collect himself, “I said, ‘Don’t defend me anymore. Don’t.’ “He said OK. He just said, ‘Look, I love you. You’re my dad. This won’t change that.” Winfrey also drew Armstrong out on his ex-wife, Kristin, whom he claimed knew just enough about both the doping and lying to ask him to stop. He credited her with making him promise that his comeback in 2009 would be drugfree. “She said to me, ‘You can do it under one condition: That you never cross that line again,’” Armstrong recalled. “The line of drugs?” Winfrey asked. “Yes. And I said, ‘You’ve got a deal,’” he replied. “And I never would have betrayed that with her.” A US Anti-Doping Agency report that exposed Armstrong as the leader of an elaborate doping scheme on his US Postal Service cycling team included witness statements from at least three former teammates who said Kristin Arm-

strong participated in or at least knew about doping on the teams and knew team code names for erythropoietin kept in her refrigerator. Postal rider Jonathan Vaughters testified that she handed riders cortisone pills wrapped in foil. Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he had stayed clean in the comeback, a claim that runs counter to the USADA report. And that wasn’t the only portion of the interview likely to rile anti-doping officials. Winfrey asked Armstrong about a “60 Minutes Sports” interview in which USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said a representative of the cyclist had offered a donation that the agency turned down. “Were you trying to pay off USADA?” she asked. “No, that’s not true,” he replied, repeating, “That is not true.” Winfrey asks the question three more times, in different forms. “That is not true,” he insisted. USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner replied in a statement: “ W e

stand by the facts both in the reasoned decision and in the ‘60 Minutes’ interview.” Armstrong has talked with USADA officials, and a meeting with Tygart near the Denver airport reportedly ended in an argument over the possibility of modifying the lifetime ban. A person familiar with those conversations said Armstrong could provide information that might get his ban reduced to eight years. By then, he would be 49. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential matter. After retiring from cycling in 2011, Armstrong returned to triathlons, where he began his professional career as a teenager, and he has told people he’s desperate to get back. Winfrey asked if that was why he agreed to the interview. “If you’re asking me, do I want to compete again... the answer is hell, yes,” Armstrong said. “I’m a competitor. It’s what I’ve done my whole life. I love to train. I love to race. I love to toe the line —

and I don’t expect it to happen.” Yet just three questions later, a flash of the old Armstrong emerged. “Frankly,” he said, “this may not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it. Maybe not right now... (but) if I could go back to that time and say, ‘OK, you’re trading my story for a six-month suspension?’ Because that’s what people got.” “What other people got?” Winfrey asked. “What everybody got,” he replied. Eleven former Armstrong teammates, including several who previously tested positive for PEDs, testified about the USPS team’s doping scheme in exchange for more lenient punishments. Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he knew his “fate was sealed” when his most trusted lieutenant, George Hincapie, who was alongside him for all seven Tour wins between 1999-2005, was forced to give Armstrong up to anti-doping authorities. “So I got a death penalty and they got... six months,” Armstrong resumed. “I’m not saying that that’s unfair, necessarily, but I’m saying it’s different.” Armstrong said the most “humbling” moment in the aftermath of the USADA report was leaving Livestrong lest his association damage the foundation’s ability to raise money and continue its advocacy programs on behalf of cancer victims. Originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the

cyclist created it the year after he was diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. Doctors gave him 50-50 odds of surviving. “I wouldn’t at all say forced out, told to leave,” he said of Livestrong. “I was aware of the pressure. But it hurt like hell. ... “That was the lowest,” Armstrong said. “The lowest.” Armstrong’s personal fortune had sustained a big hit days earlier. One by one, his sponsors called to end their associations with him: Nike; Trek Bicycles; Giro, which manufactures cycling helmets and other accessories; Anheuser-Busch. “That was a $75 million day,” Armstrong said. “That just went out of your life,” Winfrey said. “Gone.” “Gone?” Winfrey repeated. “Gone,” he replied, “and probably never coming back.” So was there a moral to his story? “I can look at what I did,” he said. “Cheating to win bike races, lying about it, bullying people. Of course, you’re not supposed to do those things. That’s what we teach our children.” Armstrong paused to compose himself before a final mea culpa. “I just think it was about the ride and losing myself, getting caught up in that, and doing all those things along the way that enabled that,” he said. “The ultimate crime is, uh, is the betrayal of those people that supported me and believed in me. “They got lied to.”

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