Edge Davao 5 Issue 246 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

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Feasts of love Science /Environment

Page 5 DECLINING POPULARITY. A man accepts from a florist a bouquet of fresh roses he ordered as a Valentine’s Day gift for his loved one at the flower stalls in Bankerohan Public Market, Davao City yesterday. According to a survey conducted by the University of Mindanao’s Institute of Popular Opinion, giving of

flowers is Davao men’s the most preferred form of expressing, while it’s the least preferred by the women. Lean Daval Jr.

Valentine study

Water management Sports

Page 16

Flowers’ popularity down, survey says Women prefer real love to wealth, men with wit and humor

By Che Palicte

Ginebra wants ex-Laker Mbenga

LMA UY, the first lady of Tagum City, prefers a romantic text message coming from millionaire husband Mayor Rey Uy, rather than expensive gifts to mark today’s Valentine’s day and similar special occasions. “For me, a text message coming from Rey is also enough for Valentine’s Day,” she bared yesterday at the weekly Club 888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao. Mrs. Uy’s statement jibed with the findings of the In-

stitute of Popular Opinion of the University of Mindanao discussed in the Club 888 media forum taken up ahead of Tagum Musikahan which she was promoting. The IPO-UM study on Dabawenyos’ perception of love in its various manifestations was discussed by Dr. Ma. Linda Arquiza, IPO-UM executive director and Dr. Adrian Tamayo, the institute’s economic specialist. Dr. Arquiza said that the interviews conducted

FVALENTINE STUDY, 11

Effectiveness of herbal medicines rechecked

ESEARCHERS in the Davao Region are conducting a study rechecking the effectiveness of herbal medicines which have tremendous potential in curing certain health problems. This was bared by Dr. Warlito Vicente, chair of the Regional Health Research and Development Consortium in the Davao Region (RHRDC) 11 . Dr. Vicente said most of their research work is designed to come up with scientific remedies to the health concerns of ordinary residents.

He said the consortium is studying herbal medicines that might be helpful on burn management, diabetes and dengue fever. Vicente said he is conducting the second phase or clinical study on the effect of Tamano oil to burns. He said a separate study is also conducted on the miracle fruit called calabash and tawa-tawa which are used respectively by residents for treatment of diabetes and dengue, respectively. “We have conducted studies on plants like Tamano for burn man-

FEFFECTIVENESS, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Name of unique college inspired by People’s Park

EDGEDAVAO

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

HE proponent of a novel lifelong education system to be introduced in Davao soon has been inspired to name his school after the People’s Park. Peter Reger, a German economist who stayed in Davao City for four years as economic consultant of the BIMP-Eaga (Borneo Indonesia Malaysia Philippines- East Asia Growth Area) and the Mindanao Business Council (MBC), is establishing an affordable, lifelong educational system open to the common people to attain a sustainable system in the Philippines. The system is called People’s College International (PCI). Reger, CEO of PCI, attended yesterday’s Club

888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao to explain the learning system which is affordable to common people, especially those who are already above the college level age. He said People’s College is so-called because it is an open system like the People’s Park, which is open to all Dabawenyos and visitors. “Honestly, the name came from People’s Park because it is open to everyone, and I was thinking of a name for a college which is open to everyone, I thought, ‘People’s College’ would be the best name for it,” he said, by way of explaining the background of PCI’s name. Reger said that his

FNAME,11

From Tagum to the world

10 million plus expected to watch Musikahan By ChePalicte

RGANIZERS of the grand Musikahan Festival in Tagum City are confident that the more than 10 million people who watched the extravaganza’s live streaming last year will be exceeded by this year festival. For one, the live streaming was viewed in 28 countries worldwide, according to Mrs. Alma Uy, first lady of Tagum City and chairperson of the 12thMusikahan Festival

2013. Mrs. Uy bared appeared in yesterday’s Club 888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao to give updates on the preparations for the upcoming event that will commence on February 19 . She said the organizers are anticipating that they will have more actual viewers as well as the live streaming audiences. “Live streaming was successful last year so we launched it again this

FFROM TAGUM,11

SURVEY ON LOVE. Dr. Maria Linda Arquiza, University of Mindanao’s Institute of Popular Opinion (IPO) executive director (right), says that according to their latest survey about love, Dabawenyas are more attracted to men who have humor, wit and intelli-

MDF brought 80% of Mindanao’s problems to the Phil Dev’t Forum S

OME 80 percent of the peace and development concerns were considered in the national level indicating that the Mindanao Development Forum succeeded in bringing the development concerns of Mindanao to the national level through the Philippine Development Forum which was held back to back with MDF in Davao City at the beginning of February, according to the Mindnano Development Authority (MinDA). MinDA Policy & Project Development officer Reyzaldy Tan bared in

yesterday’s Club 888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao yesterday that the MDF and PDF were both “very” successful. Tan said that 80% of the peace and development concerns were “considered” during the PDF along with five other concerns, one from each of the five clusters, namely, climate change, governance, economic development, peace and security, and human development. Tan explained the term “considered” saying, “When we say considered, bilateral government, international

development partners, and other national entities will consider the development concerns of Mindanao in terms of the four “P”s which stand for Policies, Plans, Programs and “Pera” (funds).” “But these are not automatic, which means, with MinDA taking the lead, we will take due diligence in term of preparatory activities to reach our advocacies,” he added. For the climate change mitigation and adaptation cluster, the banner program of MinDA, which is MindaNOW (Nurture Our Waters), was the

“There will be 200 delegates at the MICECon event from all over the world, specifically from Australia, Singapore and HongKong,” she said, adding that this will become an avenue for the promotion of Davao City. With 20 local travel agents joining the occasion, airlines participating in the event are Cebu Pacific Airlines, Tiger Airways, Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), Air Asia and Zest Air while also supporting the event are Tourism Malaysia and Sabah Tourism. DTAA vice president Fraz Pasquil said that this year’s DMTS will be bigger because besides partnering with MICECon, “we will hold this event for four days this year compared to last year’s three days, where we were able to achieve P50 million in gross sale.” Pasquil invited people to the event, saying, “If you drop by, you will definitely get amazing discounts on huge packages.”

TENEO de Davao University 4thyear mass communication students spearheaded by Charles Michael Tolosa presented at the weekly Club 888 media forum at The Marco Polo Davao their advocacy of applying the “pushcart classroom” idea initiated by Cable News Network (CNN) hero Efren Peñaflorida. “This is a charity event inspired by Efren Peñaflorida who used pushcarts in to teach street children,” Tolosa said. He added that on February 16, Tulak adBOOKasyon will gather people from the community who are willing to push wooden carts (kariton) that will collect unused textbooks from

4th Davao Mega Travel Sale slated

ASH WEDNESDAY. A Roman Catholic lay minister places ashes on the forehead of a devotee during the Ash Wednesday mass celebration at San Pedro Cathedral along San Pedro Street, Davao City yesterday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and celebrated as a reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. Lean Daval Jr.

gence than good looks while Dr. Adrian Tamayo, UM-IPO economic specialist, shares that Dabawenyos are easily attracted to women who have wealth and abundance in the weekly Club 888 media forum at the Marco Polo Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

HE 4th Davao Mega Travel Sale on March 7 to 10 will be bigger this year as it will be partnering with the globally renowned travel event Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions and Exhibit markets (MICECon) to be hosted by Davao City for the first time ever this year. With the theme “Making your travel ideas into corporate experience,” Davao Travel Agencies Association president Krizia Tan announced during the Club 888 Forum at The Marco Polo Davao yesterday that the event will be held the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City. Tan said, “For this event, we have invited various airlines, hotels and other tourism businesses to offer very affordable special prices, and we expect positive results as this is an international event, especially because of our partnership with MICECon.”

major concern considered during the PDF. MindaNOW is an initiative with the goal of institutionalizing the sustainable development and management of Minanao’s natural resources. For the Governance cluster, PDF considered the concern about strengthening the capacity of claimholders (common people, community, civil society) to demand for good governance from the duty farers (national government and other entities of authority) and also to strengthen

FMDF,11

Tulak adBOOKasyon: Pushing for knowledge

different houses of Dona Vicenta Village, Bajada Davao City which will be given to the kids of Balay Pasilungan in Bankerohan, which houses male children aged 9-15. “We already went to Dona Vicenta to inform the households so that by Saturday all books are ready and we are happy to receive good feedback on it,” Tolosa bared, adding that they are currently calling for volunteers to be involved in their advocacy even as they are accepting educational books that will be helpful to the beneficiaries. “Volunteers will simply invest time and effort and it will be only selfless individuals doing selfless acts,” Tolosa explained.

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

DavNor steps up grassroots disaster readiness campaign

S natural catastrophes continue to worsen resulting from climate change, the provincial government directly confronted the threat of calamities by making the vulnerable communities ready and resilient at all times. Over a thousand families have already benefitted from the heightened household-based disaster preparedness campaign since the province launched Oplan A.N.D.A.M. (Advocacy on Natural Disasters Awareness and Management) last week. Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said the onslaught of Super Typhoon Pablo last December and the succeeding low pressure areas in January, which brought several destructive flooding in the province, have strengthened Capitol’s resolve to beef up its grassroots disaster risk reduction and management efforts.

The governor created the technical working group (TWG) on barangay disaster risk preparedness and response, which now spearheads the conduct of a oneday orientation on climate change, household preparation techniques and community-level early warning system. As part of the activity, a workshop also eggs the residents on to identify vital resources and structures essential in coping with the hazards of typhoons, floods, landslides, and the likes. Emergency kits were further raffled out to lucky participants during the activity. Assistant Provincial Administrator Romulo Tagalo, who is a member of the TWG, said the activity is timely following the spate of calamities in the province. He explained the province is now putting greater emphasis on community-based ap-

LAUNCHING. (Front R-L) PDRRM Action Officer Sonio Sanchez, OIC-Provincial Information Officer Romulo Tagalo, Municipal Administrator Gaspar Balingao, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Martina Galleno and Desiree Pingol of the

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office facilitate the launch of the Oplan A.N.D.A.M. in Gabuyan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. [Noel Baguio]

proaches since the local government units alone cannot achieve significant and sustainable

strides in risk reduction and management. Oplan A.N.D.A.M., which was launched si-

multaneously with the start of the government’s cash-for-work program in the province, will stop

over in 50 disaster-prone barangays before winding up on May 2013. [Noel Baguio]

yearend evaluation and assessment showed that Region 12’s four provinces were the program’s top performers so far in terms of project implementation and fund disbursement. Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. “We’re now looking at expanding further the program’s implementation

in Region 12 based on this accomplishment,” said Alcala, who graced the turnover of various farm machineries and inputs to farmers in the region late Monday afternoon. The simple turnover rites coincided with the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Region 12’s “Ulat sa Bayan” and “Farmers Hearts Day” celebration held at the regional research center in Barangay Bololmala in Tupi town. [Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews]

Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II), said Wednesday they were forced to increase the area’s daily outages by another hour from the previous average of three hours to cope with the drastic power supply cuts imposed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in the last two days. She said an advisory released by the NGCP to the electric cooperative cited that the load cuts were mainly due to

the significant drop in the generation capacity of the hydroelectric plants that was attributed to the declining water levels at the Pulangi and Agus dams in Bukidnon and Lanao provinces, respectively. In its website, the NGCP said Mindanao grid’s system capacity as of Wednesday morning only reaches 915 megawatts (MW) or 253 MW short of the area’s system peak of 1,168 MW. [Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews]

imposed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in the last two days. She said an advisory released by the NGCP to the electric cooperative cited that the load cuts were mainly due to the significant drop in the generation capacity of the hydroelectric plants that was attributed to the declining water levels at the Pulangi and Agus dams in Bukidnon and Lanao provinces, respectively. In its website, the NGCP said Mindanao grid’s system capacity as of Wednesday morning only reaches 915 megawatts (MW) or 253 MW short of the area’s system peak of 1,168 MW. “Our (power) deficit

has so far increased to around 40 to 45 MW because of this situation,” Alora said in a radio interview. Socoteco II’s franchise area covers this city, the seven municipalities of Sarangani Province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato. The electric cooperative has been implementing almost daily rotating brownouts in the area since January last year that range from one to three hours. As of this month, Alora said the area’s daily power demand currently peaks at 120 MW, increasing by 10 to 15 MW since last year. But she said the combined power supply deliv-

ered by the NPC and the Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. to the area recently dropped to around 70 to 75 MW because of the NGCP’s load-shedding scheme. From the previous average of 70 to 75 MW, Socoteco II’s supply contract with the NPC for this month went down to just 40 to 45 MW. Therma Marine, which has a running power sales agreement with Socoteco II, augments the area’s requirements by 30 MW. Alora said the electric cooperative is currently maximizing the distribution of the available power supplies to the area’s six feeder groups. [Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews]

‘THIS kind of transparency and accountability leads to increased efficiency of agencies and redounds to real results: Money saved, programs improved, and people helped.’

Region 12 is top performer in WB-assisted MRDP

EGION 12 or the Soccsksargen Region has emerged as the top implementer among Mindanao’s six regions of various socio-economic and development projects funded by the World Bank-supported Mindanao Rural Development Program–Adaptable Program Loan Phase 2 (MRDP-2) in the last two years. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the results of the MRDP-2’s

SouthCot, Sarangani suffer 4-hour brownouts

SouthCot, Sarangani suffer 4-hour brownouts QUIPS

HE daily rotating brownouts in General Santos City and in nearby South Cotabato and Sarangani province have stretched to four hours as Mindanao’s power deficit plunged anew into critical levels in the last several days due to the reduced generation capacity of the National Power Corporation’s (NPC) hydroelectric plants. Joy Celeste Alora, information officer of the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II), said Wednesday they were forced to increase the area’s daily outages by another hour from the previous average of three hours to cope with the drastic power supply cuts

--PRESIDENT Aquino, boasting about the reforms done in the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. (PDI, Febuary 7, 2013)

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

UN kicks off year promoting int’l cooperation on water management T

HE United Nations on Monday launched the International Year of Water Cooperation, which seeks to provide a platform for countries to collaborate in the management of the precious resource for peace and development. “Water is central to the well-being of people and the planet,” UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said in his video message for the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013. “We must work together to protect and carefully manage this fragile, finite resource.” More than half of the world’s people depend daily on water resources shared by more than one country and 90 percent of the global population live in countries that share river or lake basins. However, 60 percent of the world’s 276 international river basins lack any type of cooperative management framework. With rising demands and changing climate conditions, it will be crucial for countries to work together to ensure every person has access to quality water, Ban said. “Each year brings new pressures on water,” said the UN chief. “ One-third of the world’s people already live in countries with moderate to high water stress.” “Competition is growing between farmers and herders; industry and agriculture; town and country,” Ban noted. “Upstream and downstream, and across borders, we need to cooperate for the benefit of all -- now and in the future.” In 2010, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2013 International Year for Water Cooperation,

following a proposal from Tajikistan. The Year will serve to raise awareness and prompt action on the multiple dimensions of water cooperation, such as sustainable and economic development, climate change and food security. “Over-exploitation, management, financing of water resources, all of these aspects are incredibly important and cooperation at different levels is therefore critical,” UNESCO Science Specialist Ana Persic said during a press conference to mark the start of the Year at the UN headquarters in New York. Persic added that the benefits of intensifying cooperation include poverty reduction, equity, economic growth, and the protection of the environment. “We know water is critical for human life, but it is also critical for life on Earth if we want to protect and sustainably manage the planet we have.” Paul Egerton, the UN representative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), underlined the link between climate change and water, stressing that extreme weather events result in desertification or extreme flooding in different areas and hinder development and access to safe water. “Water scarcity triggers migration, refugees, situations where basic human rights are weakened or threatened,” Egerton said, adding that fewer resources can also trigger conflict and governments need to address these risks immediately. The official launch of the Year took place on Monday at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s head-

quarters in Paris, France. Opened by the agency’s Director-General Irina Bokova, the event drew representatives from inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organization (NGOs), scientists and policymakers from around the world to discuss issues such as existing mechanisms for water cooperation as well as regional, national and local cooperation around river basins. As part of the launch, an exhibition titled “Water at the Heart of Science” was inaugurated at the UN cultural agency,

World youth pledge to promote environmental sustainability

HE global youth pledged on Monday to rally behind efforts to promote the green agenda through sustainable consumption, ecosystems restoration alongside activities to reduce chemical and food waste. The young environmental stewards gathered at the 2013 Tunza International Youth Conference on Environment in Nairobi, reiterated their commitment to advance environmental sustainability in their respective countries. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner said young people are trailblazers when it comes to new, creative solutions to the world’s

most critical environmental challenges. “In order to follow this example and to ensure a fair share of the world’s resources for all, governments, industry and others must also commit to firm actions that can place the world on a more sustainable path,” Steiner told delegates from 100 countries. Over 800 young people from Kenya and across the globe are attending one of the world’s biggest environmental youth conferences. The 2013 TUNZA International Youth Conference on the Environment will see young people from over 100 countries examine ways in which they can directly tackle

today’s most pressing environmental issues, and encourage their peers to take action. Links between health and the environment, actions to cut food waste, and the role of social media in promoting sustainable lifestyles are among the issues on the agenda. The week-long conference is organized by the Nairobi-based UNEP. The conference aims to equip young readers with the latest information on the current state of the global environment. Active participation of the youth in environmental conservation will advance the green agenda alongside social and political cohesion among nations. [PNA/Xinhua]

known as UNESCO, and students from Japan traveled to meet their French counterparts to share their experiences relating to water and prepare a youth declaration on water cooperation to be presented to other participants. Cooperation on water issues will also be the theme for World Water Day, to be observed on March 22. Also at the press conference here, Csaba Korosi, the permanent representative of Hungry to the UN, called on the international community to focus on water cooper-

ation as a critical part of sustainability and peace. “Water cooperation is critical for sustainability and for peace, “ he said. “Today more people die due to water related problems than wars and other natural disasters combined,” he said. “By 2020 more than 60 percent of the world population will live in small and large urban settlements where access to safe drinking, sanitation and wastewater management will pose a particularly heavy challenge.” Speaking at the same press conference, Ana Persic, a UNESCO science

specialist, offered insight into the importance of “ intensified water cooperation” among the global community. “When we talk about water cooperation we are talking about cooperation in regards to water allocation decisions, upstream and downstream impacts of water pollution and infrastructure,” she said. “Cooperation of water is extremely important for the protection of water resources and the environment. We know water is critical for life, not only for human life it is for all life in general.” [PNA/Xinhua]

lages that are frequently experiencing flood. In June 30, the villages of MatinaPangi and Talomo were the hardest hit by the flood that killed more than 30, most of them children. “The Project Life Boat-e is inspired by the prototype life raft being used by many flood victims themselves. TV5 believes that if all barangays in Davao will have the capability to rescue and protect the residents through the availability of improvised raft boats, like the Life Boat-e, more lives will be saved during water calamities,” said TaynaMiclat, station manager of TV5-Davao. Project Life Boat-e hopes to help and support flood-prone communities build their own life rafts or boats that can be

used during floods. Rafts can only carry about 6-8 people while makeshift rafts or boats can carry as much as 20 people. Communities are then asked to collect empty plastic bottles which will be turned into life rafts. “These barangays will also be encouraged to build plastic boats to sell to barangays in other cities or municipalities. Or those who have the knowhow on how to make the plastic boats will be asked to assist in training other barangays to multiply the number of participating barangays to the project,” the project paper said. With this, Miclat said, the flood-prone villages will “standby life raft and/or boat made of plastic bottles to save lives and properties in case of floods.”

TV5 launches Project Life Boat-e

V5 Davao is launching a special project that responds to the present time that calls for everyone to be environmentally-aware and disaster-ready. Project Life Boat-e, aims to stir awareness on waste management through recycling of plastic bottles; disaster Risk Management through the barangay’s preparedness program; Barangay programs competitiveness. It also is also seen as a potential livelihood avenue for communities in Davao villages which will be the Kapatid Network’s partner in the implementation of the project. The target communities MatinaPangi, Talomo, MatinaAplaya, BagoAplaya, Matina Crossing, Los Amigos, Calinan, Lizada in Toril—the same vil-

THE ECONOMY

Stat Watch

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

5.8% 1st Qtr 2012

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

6.4 % 1st Qtr 2012

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

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

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

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

P 42.78 Jun 2012

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

5,091.2 May 2012

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

130.1 Jun 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.8 Jun 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.7 Jun 2012

16. Visitor Arrivals

349,779 Apr 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18.8 % Jan 2012

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.2 % Jan 2012

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

2012

2011

2010

42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

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

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

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

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Economic managers welcome upgrade in PHL’s rating outlook E

CONOMIC managers welcomed the upgrade on the Philippines’ rating outlook by a Korean-based credit rating agency saying that this will increase the economy’s attractiveness to foreign investors. Nice Investors Service maintained its ‘BB+’ foreign currency rating and ‘BBB-‘ local currency rating for the Philippines but changed to “positive” from “stable” its rating outlook after noting the improvement in fiscal condition, the continued fiscal consolidation and resilient services sector among others. It noted the government’s fiscal consolidation effort such as the amendment in the Sin Tax Law. “As the government has consistently enhanced the business environment to attract more investment, the efforts are expected to begin to deliver visible outcomes in the future,” it said. The credit rating agency does not see “significant” inflation pressures in the near term due to strong peso and the “stagnant global demands and decreasing food and oil prices.” As of last January, inflation stood at three percent, the lower end of the three to five percent target for this year until 2014. In 2012, rate of price increases averaged at 3.2 percent, also at the lower end of the three to five target range. Similarly, the banking sector’s non-performing loans (NPLs) is also projected to remain at bay citing that “even though economic growth is facilitated by loans that have outgrown the nominal GDP, tight loan management has helped sustain sound bank lending practices,” it added.

the Marco Polo Davao yesterday. At left is MinDA Technical Consultant Rafael Evangelista who said that the problem of high transportation cost in the country is the reason why goods in Mindanao have become uncompetitive. Lean Daval Jr.

The central bank said universal and commercial banks’ (U/ KBs) NPL ratio continue to decline and stood at two percent as of end-October 2012 due to continued rise in total loan portfolio (TLP) and improvement in banks’ asset quality among others. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., in a statement said the ratings action “confirms the strong credit story of the Philippines.” He said the Nice Investors Service’s decision “will help the Philippines in the Korean market and its investors, especially in projecting the improvements in the economy as well as in gover-

nance.” “On the part of the BSP, we will continue to implement monetary, external and financial sector policies that will help maintain a sound macroeconomic environment and a healthy financial system, supportive of non-inflationary growth,” he added. Similarly, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the government has “always been confident that good governance will lead to good economics and this positive ratings action is a recognition of our commitment to removing the country’s constraints to growth.” “The market already pric-

es our debt as it would a much higher-rated country, and I believe formal recognition of our investment grade status by the credit ratings agencies is imminent,” he added. To date, the Philippines has a rating of one notch below investment grade among the three major credit rating agencies Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s), Standard & Poor’s (S&P) and Fitch Ratings. It has received 11 positive credit rating actions since June 2010 due to continued improvement in the country’s external position, banking sector, and fiscal position and management. [PNA]

against other Asian economies. Comparison was made in terms of profitability, good management, and reasonable salary. The country recorded a 71.9 percent profitability which was attributed to the very promising performance of the country in export oriented business as opposed to China with 54.6 percent profit and India at 55.3 percent. Conducted from October to November 2012 with Japanese-affiliated companies in Asia and Oceania as the respondents, the survey primarily aimed to compare the business competitiveness of the Philip-

pines against other Asian economies such as China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and India. Among the eight countries subjected for comparison in the survey, Japanese businesses in the Philippines came out to have the least challenges. And although the Japanese companies find difficulty in local procurement of raw materials and parts the most challenging at 67.7 percent, the country registered the least difficulty in recruiting general staff at 4.3 percent beating Indonesia with 6.8 percent and Vietnam with 13.8 percent.

China topped the difficulty rating at 35.5 percent primarily because of stricter working environment. The Philippines also fared well with the least number of strikes and/or lockouts from year 2008 to 2011 with only two recorded in 2011 citing reports of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) while Vietnam has 857, according to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids & Social Affairs. India recorded a total of 389 during the same year records from the India Ministry of Labor & Employment showed. [PNA]

PHL remains as Japanese most profitable investment destination

APANESE investors continued to regard the Philippines as the most profitable and desirable investment and business destination, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) said in its report released through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday. Philippines emerged as a profitable center for Japanese companies in a survey conducted from October to November 2012 on Japanese-affiliated companies in Asia and Oceania which was done primarily to compare the business competitiveness of the Philippines

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

SUCCESSFUL. Reyzaldy Tan, policy & project development officer of Mindanao Development Authority, right, says that the recently-concluded Mindanao Development Forum and the Philippine Development Forum which were both held in Davao City were very successful during Club 888 forum at

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

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

as of august 2010

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 09:05 13:25 14:05

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

MI588 / MI588 MI566 / MI566 MI551 / MI551 5J507 / 5J598 15:55 Z2524 / Z2525 5J967 / 5J600 PR813 / PR814 5J215 / 5J216 5971 / 5J970 5J973 / 5J974 5J969 / 5J972 2P987 / 2P988 PR821 / PR822 PR821 / PR822

18:55 18:55 15:45 15:00 Mani2Mani 16:05 16:35 16:55 18:00 18:40 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:20 22:20

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

13:35 15:20 12:05 15:30 16:45 17:05 17:45 18:20 19:10 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:50 22:50

THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

WB study says postharvest projects most viable livelihood

World Bank quality review study for the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) revealed that pre and postharvest facilities are the most viable livelihood projects. Felizardo Virtucio, WB task team leader for MRDP said pre and postharvest facilities surfaced as the most viable livelihood as these provided farmers immediate income. The quality review study aims to quantify incidences of quality control slippages in MRDP rural infrastructure and livelihood projects. It also aims to establish necessary interventions to improve project viability. MRDP is a special project implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and jointly funded by the World Bank, the national government, and the local government units (LGUs). The project, which supposedly ended last year, was granted a two-year extension to continue implement and monitor project across Mindanao. The study further revealed that next to postharvest facilities, food processing is viable as this could also provide farmers particularly rural women immediate income. On the other hand, livestock and poultry projects were observed to provide minimal income as they are usually prone to diseases and animal stress. “Fish projects were

observed to be least viable as fishing activities are subjected to weather vagaries,” Virtucio said. MRDP program director Lealyn Ramos said the program along with its consultation with beneficiaries has identified postharvest facilities as one of the livelihood projects to be funded to help small farmers improve their product. “Adequate postharvest facilities will not only reduce losses and improve quality of produce but will also help farmers establish their own farm-level value- added processing business,” Ramos said. Citing the experience of postharvest beneficiaries in in Banga, South Cotabato, Ramos said farmers are now processing cassava into chips and pellets and regularly supplies a leading animal feeds manufacturer in General Santos City. “After availing themselves of a P3.5 million postharvest facilities such as solar and flatbed dryers, chipper, granulator, and truck scale, the farmers’ co-op did not only reduce losses but also boosted their confidence to meet the required quality and volume paving the way for them to forge a marketing agreement with a private company,” Ramos said. Another viable postharvest assistance provided by the program is the “sago” flour-processing center in Veruela, Agusan del Sur where Manobo farmers are produc-

BIGGER. Davao Travel Agencies Association President Krizia Tan, right, say that this year’s Davao Mega Travel Sale will be bigger as it will be partnering with the globally renowned travel event Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions and Exhibit markets

ENHANCED. Abraham Oso of San Jose Multi-purpose Cooperative in Banga, South Cotabato explains how the postharvest facility they have availed themselves of from MRDP enhanced their capacity to meet the quality and volume requirements of institutional buyer.

ing flour from sago palm. “The KASAMACOR (Kayumbyahan Sago Manobo Corporation) was able to access P5 million to expand their sago flour processing. The said amount provided the coop additional machine to hasten stripping and milling of sago flour and for the construction of a bigger drying facility,” Ramos added. Meanwhile, Corazon Aragon, WB consultant for project quality review said among the causes of livelihood projects’ non-viability include wrong technical assumptions, poor selection of project sites, and lack of proper guidance

among beneficiaries. “An example of poor selection of project site for instance, is a bee keeping project which is located near a banana plantation which is difficult for bees to increase its population,” she said. In terms of wrong technical assumption, Aragon cited a native chicken project where beneficiaries bought an incubator worth P40, 000 but they were not able to use it since native chicken does not lay egg daily. “Wrong technical assumption can be avoided if project beneficiaries were given proper guidance. Implementation of

(MICECon) during the Club 888 media forum at the Marco Polo Davao yesterday. The 4th Davao Mega Travel Sale is slated on March 7 to 10 hosted by Davao City for the first time. At left is DTAA vice president Fraz Pasquil. Lean Daval Jr.

non-viable projects can be avoided if there is proper evaluation and appraisal,” Aragon said. She also said that most of the livelihood beneficiaries needs further training on feasibility study and business plan.

“Part of the social preparation should include addressing organizational problems and conduct of leadership and entrepreneurship training including simple book keeping,” she said. (Noel T. Provido/DA-MRDP)

Better road and port facilities eyed to boost vegetable and fruit sectors

NSUFFICIENT road and port facilities in Mindanao have hampered the growth of the vegetable and fruit sectors in the island, results of a twoyear Australian-funded research study released Wednesday showed. Owing to this, the study recommended that more investments should be poured for road and port infrastructures in Mindanao to accelerate the movement of vegetables and fruits produced in the island. Better roll-on-rolloff shipping services for greater connectivity of markets and port operation should also be provided, according to the study titled “Strengthening Markets of High-Value Fruits and Vegetables in Mindanao: The Case of Transport and Shipping Service Improvement.” Accurate and timely market information, especially to farmers, should likewise be generated, the study also urged. The study is the output of a two-year research project titled “Transport Policy Study: Promoting Efficiency and Productivity of Flow of Goods – A Focus on

the Transportation Needs of Mindanao Region.” Funded by the Australian Research Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the study was implemented by the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Region al Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA). Los Baños-based SEARCA, headed by Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., is one of the 20 regional centers of SEAMEO, an intergovernment treaty organization founded in 1965 to promote cooperation among Southeast Asian nations through activities in education, science, and culture. Citing the study, SEARCA said in a statement that Mindanao, as the country’s major source of agricultural commodities, produced 1.54 million tons of food and live animals in 2009, of which 1.43 million tons were shipped to Luzon (49 percent) and the Visayas (44 percent). [Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews]

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Valentine Hottie ( 1st of two parts )

EDITORIAL

Benedict’s journey

ENEDICT XVI will be formally stepping down as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28. The 85-year old Pope said he lacks the strength to fulfil his duties and will become the first ever pontiff to resign in 600 years. Not too many knew that Benedict had a special place for Filipinos in his heart. In his 8-year tenure, he has appointed 9 archbishops and 22 bishops. Not to mention having canonized as Saint our very own Pedro Calungsod and appointed a Cardinal in Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila. The 9 archbishops appointed by Benedict XVI included Davao’s Archbishop Romulo Valles. The 22 bishops appointed also included George Rimando of Davao. In stepping down as Pope, Benedict emphasized that the “path of power is not the road of God” and that he is doing this for the good of the church. Benedict’s resignation may have rocked the conservative faithfuls of the church. But he has also left a strong legacy of how leaders should be. When he felt he is no longer strong to

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lead, whether that strength is physical or moral, Benedict’s acceptance of his weakness and limitations and his acknowledgment of the road of God as not the path of power, should teach our politicians and government leaders a strong lesson in leadership. The road of God is not about power but it is about people and about life. It is not about one’s self as being powerful and about people in power being self-centered. Benedict leaves the Church where no one in 600 years has done before. He did not have to wait for his death, not wait for illness to slow him down. His words are still sharp and its lessons living in us. Yes, Benedict knows in his heart that he has walked the road of God. It’s time for someone else to continue the journey. He would not cling on to the position when he is at the stage where his physical strength betrays his spiritual will. As we enter into the early stage of the electoral campaign, let Benedict’s message of moral and selfless leadership guide us in choosing our next national officials. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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I to a l l ! Y e s I’m back on Planet Earth! It feels soooo good to be back here. There were some changes done on my column but I hope you like it. The column title has been renamed “Life Force” since the topics usually presented in my column are on wellness, health, nutrition and living a good life. I hope that you will continue to read my column and enjoy it as much as I enjoy gathering information, preparing and discussing topics and issues for and with you. For starters of Life Force lets’s talk about being a hottie on Valentine’s Day! Yes you can!!! We all can be a hottie if we want to. Now Valentine’s Day is here so read this quick and apply! Valentine Hottie Start your day with a hot message Why not? Sending a Valentine card is somewhat old fashioned these days. A raunchy text, however, is not. Send your partner a kinky message in the morning. It can be something like ‘I really want you tonight.’, or something fun like “menu for tonight: Durian and Me.” There’s so many things you can text your partner…you know what turns him/her on so let that be your guide. Letting them know you’re thinking about them in a sexual way is a big turn on, and they won’t be able to stop thinking about you all day. Touch them somewhere new If you want great sex the best way to impress your partner is to do things that no-one else has done for them. For the girls, run your fingers down the side of your man’s torso or down the joint between your man’s legs and his groin. Grab his hair when kissing him and use your nails. For the guys, rub your girl’s stomach, just above the pubic bone. The base of her spine and her feet are also highly sensitive areas that don’t often get much attention. Well, I just gathered these… try it! It’ll be fun! Dress up Lingerie can be expensive though so keep it simple with some stilettos. If you can’t walk very well in heels, don’t worry. Just wearing them in bed is enough. You can turn up the heat by adding some sexy stockings or socks. Other simple yet effective props include wearing nothing but a simple leather belt, a necklace or a soaking wet t-shirt. Clean up your act Much to our disappointment, Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday. So, when you get home from work there’s a chance that you both will be stressed and tired. To make sure your late-night bed fun does not get sidelined, take a steamy hot shower together. The heat will relax you both, plus it’s hard not to get intimate when you’re standing so close together. You can also light a scented candle, use an invigorating shower gel or bring out the massage oil.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Antagonistic undercurrents

DEEP SENSE OF DISAPPOINTMENT – Maintaining a decent image does not mean denying either with a smile or shrugging shoulders that there are no interlocking problems confronting society. It means acknowledging them, then offering potential solutions. In the face of such test, police and military officials in Davao City and the region have yet to demonstrate their mettle. Just recently, they spearheaded an assembly dubbed as “Advocacy Rally for Peace and Development.” The occasion draws earnest support from various sections in society – academe, students, professionals and workers’ groups. The specific agenda of the well-attended gathering indicated the need to inform the people about the continuous “psychological warfare” undertaken by the underground movement using wittingly its so-called legal fronts – left-leaning activists, different militant and progressive organizations. At the center of controversy is the mounting criticism over unsolved crimes, police brutality; military abuses and human rights violations. The deep-rooted issues had been on the boil for quite some time, with radical militants and leftist instigators making their case heard over and over again in the streets. Still and all, law authorities emphasize that government is exerting all the necessary efforts to address the foremost concern. Top police and military officials in the locality noted during the assembly that the main goal of the government “destabilizers” now is to stretch out further their improbable demands, short of saying that authorities must kowtow to their baseless quirks and caprices. But most of that seemed to be for personal consumption, since it was clear that these boisterous groups have engaged in smear drive, severely criticizing whoever is holding the levers of power. They

VANTAGE POINTS

also haughtily set lots of condition when demanding something from the government. Not surprisingly, local police and military brass took turns in castigating the handiworks of the communist insurgents, which is to lure the marginal sector into believing that they are pro-poor and pro-people. Such move of law authorities would normally spark alarm in the ranks of the underground movement and their cohorts who are masquerading as members of the oppressed sector. Radical groups, militants and progressive organizations, as a matter of fact, are habitual fault-finders. They are harsh on whoever are the country’s leaders, expecting them to build Camelots. One ranking police officer even commented angrily that the muchhyped progressive groups should no longer be called as such instead they should be named “problematic groups,” which is only suitable with their status in society. We’ve been saying all along that through the years power-obsessed leaders and die-hard members of left-leaning organizations perfected the art of deception. One glaring example is their never-ending complaint over human right abuses committed by police and military personnel against helpless settlers in the rural communities. Sad to lament, though, they are concealing their own human rights abuses against the poor farmers in the hinterland barangays. Their stage managed move had been expected anyway.

These deceptive figures have set the political temperature higher to suit their hidden agendas and vested interests. There are other antagonistic undercurrents, too. Law authorities saw the series of “noise barrage” organized by different militant groups and fanatical protesters as another maneuver to boost their pro-poor, pro-people stature by taking advantage of the people’s woes. In the eyes of the average Filipinos these suspicious personalities might as well have contributed much to the miseries of the masses. Their ruthless armed personnel persistently collect “revolutionary taxes” from poor farmers and ordinary businessmen, and failure to abide with their rules means stiffer penalty, or worse – even death. What these people are doing actually runs counter to the government’s socio-economic trust and infrastructure development. In simple terms, it’s anti-poor, anti-people and anti-progress and prosperity. A deep sense of disappointment has replaced the promise of a good life and better future and the activities of the underground movement had become very unpopular to the masses and are doomed to fail. The irony is that starting from militant leaders some decades ago they achieved so much less than it promised to the marginal sector. The new generation of militant leaders and activists just inherited the same ideology and similar lines of arguments – worn-out statements, hackneyed phrases and lofty promises. It is at the end as we imagined that their previous leaders grew old and had become lonely, almost tragic figures, deeply unpopular, politically spent and increasingly irrelevant. A decade from now, today’s militant leaders and left-leaning followers must fully understand that a similar fate likewise would apply to them as well.

ing a finger. I’ve been getting several text messages in recent weeks asking me “what’s the best stock to buy” this time as the stock index continues crawling up the steep slope. There was a method I revealed to participants of my stock trading forum held in 2010-2011 here in Davao, a “secret” I discovered in the course of my years of research of the Philippine stock market, using the methods I learned from noted US stock traders. One of my Chinoy participants who followed this method, made over P250,000 net profits in less than 10 days after he bought (and sold) a big chunk of Petron shares right after SMC took over the petrochemical firm. He started with a trading capital of P500,000, part of the “trust fund” he yanked out of his bank and moved to stocks.

It’s nice when you have a big trading capital of P500,000 because a 50% gain in a very short time can mean a quarter of a million in profits. ( I don’t have this kind of capital, I usually trade only in very small amounts like P10T or P25T which I considered only as “training capital”) Since I’ve already revealed this “secret” ( picking the right stock ) to many seminar participants, I won’t reveal it here. I hate to use the word “dumb” but I found out that many people trying to get into the stock market still can’t understand what you’re talking about---so it’s no use. Most beginners who try to invest their savings in the stock market lost most value of their investment --- they get out mostly as losers than winners because they simply don’t understand how the market behaves. Even if you teach them basic “trading rules”, most don’t follow them amidst falling prices and a falling market. Warren Buffet, the world’s greatest investor said,”I’m fearful when everyone’s happy and happy when everyone’s fearful”… (Comments? Email me at -- tradingpost_davao@yahoo.com)

Secret method of picking the right stock

F YOU’RE a battle-scarred veteran of several booms and busts of the stock market and survived a number of global financial crisis, you won’t be like everyone else celebrating the historic high of the Philippine stock market index, even if it hits 7000 next week. With the stock index this high, I would be getting nervous if I were still holding on a number of stocks and making good profits. If you don’t know when to get off and sell all your stocks, you’ll surely lose all the profits you made from this booming market. This is the view of a stock trader who makes the most of the profits he makes from a rising market like this one and getting more nervous as ever, because anytime this market can collapse and wipe out all your profits--- or even the original value of your stocks. But if you’re an investor of a mutual fund that invests in a basket of 20 strong, growing “blue chip”stocks, like PLDT, SM, Ayala, Metrobank, BPI, Banco de Oro, you can relax a bit since the fund will just “ride out” the ups and downs of the market thru the years. The longer you keep your money in a mutual fund, the bigger you can earn over the years without lift-

What women want

T’S Valentine’s week, and what better to talk about than what women want, not necessarily only for this day of love, but for life in general. But what exactly do women want? The answer to that usually emerges when likeminded women gather together, and discussion inevitably turns to hopes, desires, and wishes in life. I find that sometimes women want something as simple as joy; other times it’s as complex as a woman can be. We want flowers. They’re pretty, sweet-smelling, and give us joy to look, smell, and touch them. A beautiful bouquet on a woman’s desk is like a trophy she can be proud of. It’s a statement that someone out there thinks she’s as pretty and as sweet-smelling as the colorful blooms she was given. For me, a perfect bouquet is one with different kinds of flowers in different colors and shapes, and they must all smell heavenly too. We want communication. Not with our family and friends, but most especially with our man. Being able to communicate our thoughts and feelings is very important to us. When our openness is reciprocated by those we communicate with, it makes us feel connected to them. A sense of connection with our family, loved ones, siblings, and friends, makes us so much more spontaneous and free. When everything and everyone that matters to us feel connected to us, it makes our universe feel aligned. We want to be your #1. A hubby or a boyfriend who does not make us feel important is in danger of earning our ire. Who wants to play second fiddle to their loved one’s demanding jobs, barkada, or even hobby? We can accept one or two dates you can’t keep because of your demanding job, but third time in a row just doesn’t sit well on us. We can understand your night out with your barkada, or basketball, firing, or biking with friends, but not if it runs over a date that’s important to us. We want chivalry. Yes, opening doors for us or letting us go first do count. In these times of empowered women, most men—and even some women—think small, chivalrous acts such as these will be treated with either scorn or amusement. But equality of the sexes should not signal the death of chivalry. So if you’re thinking of giving up your seat on the bus to a woman on her feet, or the last space in a full elevator, or letting her go before you at the checkout counter (even when you both arrived at the same time), oh please, go ahead. Small gestures such as these make the world a better place. We want to feel protected. Nothing elaborate or fantastical as ‘protect me from the end of the world’ kind of thing. It can be as simple as leading the way when we’re crossing traffic, or keeping us close when we’re in a dense crowd. But if you insist on ‘saving us from the end of the world’ kind of thing, that works for us too! We want Aragorn. Or if we listen to the multitudes of women around the world who swooned over the long, golden stresses of Orlando Bloom’s character in the Lord of the Rings, we want Legolas, too. There’s a reason why women swoon over brave, gallant, and heroic characters on screen like Aragorn and Legolas. Despite their rough and tough adventures that bring them to unspeakable evil and chaos, they are still the epitome of gallantry. Aragorn is gentle, respectful, and thoughtful towards women. He is passionately loyal to his people and exhibits exemplary courage and selflessness in battling evil. Despite being a king himself, he humbly bows in deference to the King of Rohan. He shows the noble integrity of a man of his word, aptly exhibited when he said ‘I hold your oath fulfilled’ to the ghastly souls that fought for him as their king. He is tender, loving, and honorable at one end, and bold, courageous, and ferociously fearless on the other. The type that is on the wish list of most women. Ahh, if only there is an Aragorn in these modern times. I’d want one, too.

E-SEASON

Legarda bats for improved benefits of Filipino soldiers

ENATOR Loren Legarda, senatorial candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), yesterday said that she will continue to pursue the rights of Filipino soldiers and will work on the improvement of their benefits. Legarda, a reserve officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said that while the government is on the path of pursuing a genuine peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the needs of Filipino soldiers should also be given due importance. “Our soldiers are the frontliners in defending our country. They are the

protector of the people, tasked to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory. They are even at the frontline in rescue operations during disasters. However, they are among the lowest paid public servants,” she said. The Senator noted that while soldiers’ salary follows the basic salary standardization scheme, the dangerous circumstances under which they sometimes perform their duties in the combat zone entitles them to additional remuneration in the form of combat pay, which at present is only at PhP240 per month.

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Kabataan Party wants genuine change, pushes for 4Es bid A

S the campaign period for both the national candidates and party-lists starts last Monday, Kabataan Party, the first and only youth sectoral party in Congress, marks this day with an even greater determination to effect genuine change through a simultaneous activities launched by its formation all over Mindanao. “Election is not just about exercising our right to suffrage. It is more of strengthening the foundation for a brighter future,” said Bai Ali Indayla, Min-

Councilor, scholars salute Nograles for winning award

ONGRATULATORY messages have continuously flowed in to the direction of Davao City First District Rep. Karlo B. Nograles who has been chosen by a prestigious international branding and polling outfit as one of the Most Outstanding Congressmen of the Philippines. Councilor Joanne Bonguyan and an organization of college scholars were among the well-wishers of Nograles who recently received the Superbrands’ Most Outstanding Congressman Award in just his first term at the House of Representatives. They said “Nograles made Davao City proud.” “Davao City is indeed walking tall,” Fe Orig Maloloy-on wrote on the Karlo Nograles Fan Page in the social networking site Facebook. “We are proud of you,” she added. “Well deserved, Karlo,” Gailey Gonzales, for his part, said. “Thank you for being an example,” said Blue Avelino. “We need

EDGEDAVAO

more like you!” Task Force Pagbabago was also among the hundreds who sent in congratulatory messages to Nograles while many leaders of District 1 called the congressman their “superhero.” “We have a superhero in District 1,” said Bing Layno. “Congratulations to our superhero,” said Bobby Palma Gil. The Oplan Kaalam Scholars of University of the Southeaster Philippines Office of Student Service (USEP-OSS) said Nograles deserved the citation. The group said that the Nograles Scholarship Program has helped thousands of poor but deserving college students secure brighter future. The award-giving body actually highlighted Nograles’s education agenda as among top reasons for giving him the prestigious award. “His program Oplan Kaalam currently supports full tuition and fees of 4,538 students enrolled at the state-owned University of

Southeastern Philippines and 373 students of the University of the Philippines – Mindanao,” Superbrand said in a tribute article for Nograles. “It also provides tuition fee assistance to 2,200 students enrolled in various private colleges and universities of Davao City.” Superbrands also mentioned that Nograles was elected in the 15th Congress as House assistant majority leader right on his first term. It likewise noted that the young Nograles authored several measures approved on Third Reading, such as HB 4512, creating 3 additional branches of the Regional Trial Court in Davao City; HB 5977, creating the Philippine Trade Representative Office; and HB 6052, strengthening the Juvenile Justice System in the Philippines. He is also one of the co-authors of RA 10168 or the Terrorism Financing and Suppression Act of 2012 and HB 4575, encouraging corporate social responsibility.

them to roll back the political and social gains we have won in the last two years,” Gutierrez added. Akbayan Partylist said the country is at a crucial juncture in its process of reforms. The group said the people must sustain the momentum of change and make permanent the reforms achieved in the past years. “The midterm elections will become a battleground between those who want us to surge forward and deepen the process of reforms and those who want us to slide back to a past marred by largescale corruption and impunity,” Gutierrez said. “The people must support candidates who will protect their hard-

fought victories. We must pack the government with more public officials who can capably push forward the public’s reform agenda,” Gutierrez asserted. Gutierrez also said there are several reform measures that the public must protect and push for such as the reproductive health law and the freedom of information bill, respectively. “The reproductive health law is under threat of becoming an unfunded law unless we ensure that pro-RH lawmakers are elected to guarantee that Congress will provide sufficient yearly funding for the implementation of the law,” Gutierrez said.

danao Spokesperson and second nominee of Kabataan Party. Indayla said that in order to achieve this, the youth and students believe that four things are imperative: education, employment, environment and electoral change (4Es). This as the depressing situation of the Filipino people and the youth continues. The youth leader cited independent think tank Ibon Foundation’s estimate of an 11.9 Million total unemployed and underemployed Filipinos (as of

2012). She also noted data from the National Wages Productivity Commission and Inflation data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (as of June 2012) showing a wide gap between the family living wage of P1,022 and the minimum wage (NCR) of P446. “The Aquino government’s declaration of a ‘robust economy’ is certainly not felt by the millions of hungry Filipinos especially that its fiscal priorities are on debt servicing and militarization instead of education, health and housing,” Indayla emphasized.

Kabataan also scored the relentless commercialization of education saying that a 108.35 percent tuition fee hike was recorded from 2001 to 2012. The non-stop budget cuts and schemes to privatize State Colleges and Universities (SCUs) as well as the implementation of educational programs and policies such as the controversial K+12 dispel the constitutional right to education. The hundreds of thousands of soon-to-be graduates will eventually be part of the growing unemployment statistics.

Casiño eyes big reforms for senate

AKABAYAN senatorial bet Teddy Casino today chided both LP and UNA for foisting the false “maganda vs matuwid na daan” debate when in fact what is needed is for government to take the “tamang landas” of reforms for the common tao. “Aanhin ang maganda o tuwid na daan kung mali naman ang direksyon? Ang importante ay tama ang landas kahit pa ito’y lubak-lubak o paliko-liko. What is important is that we bring the country to the right direction even if the road is rough and has

“Hindi maganda o tuwid na daan kundi tamang landas” many twists and turns,” the three-term congressman said. “Ang ating ipaglalaban sa Senado ay tatlong malalaking reporma,” he said during the opening day campaign run to the Senate. Casiño told his supporters and fellow runners that among the first things he will work on once elected to the upper house of Congress is to

improve agriculture and local industries by filing laws on genuine agrarian reform and support and on development of local enterprises and manufacturers. “Pag maunlad ang kabuhayan ng ating magsasaka, uunlad po ang mayorya ng sambayanang Pilipino, matitiyak natin ang pagkain sa bawat lamesa,” the three-term Bayan Muna congressman pointed out.

Akbayan Party warns voters vs. ‘lolongs’

N the first day of the campaign for the national and partylist elections, Akbayan Party-list called on the voting public to junk “lolongs” who the group said will only use the country’s electoral process to gain power to further patronage politics. “Lolong, the world’s biggest crocodile may be dead, but the ‘lolongs’ inside and outside the government are still here and making a mockery of our electoral system,” Akbayan National Spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said. “We cannot afford to elect these politicians who will continually devour our democratic process. We cannot allow

SENATORIAL BET. A poster of senatorial candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva is being attached to a vehicle by his supporters before the start of a motorcade around the main streets of Davao

City last Monday, the first day of the election campaign period, in Magallanes Street, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 Love to a Dabawenyo

Love is Sacrifice Understanding Respect Time Merciful Forgiving Romance

Valentine study...

61.17 50.33 46.14 44.66 43.68 31.69 19.54

FFROM 1

with 1,120 scientifically selected respondents revealed that 57.26 percent of women in Davao are delighted to receive romantic messages sent by their loved ones, although almost the same number of women (57.65 percent) are still impressed with expensive gifts. The survey conducted last January 26-February 7 was done on respondents aged 18 and above using a margin of error of five percent and a confidence interval of 95 percent. Giving flowers less popular The study likewise indicated that 55. 68 percent of women find kissing and dating as an important part of the relationship, 49.59 percent say “I love you” and the least preferred expression of love is the giving of flowers at 45.90 percent. Not knowing about the changing preferences of women, the survey indicated that men continue giving of flowers as an expression of love (54.10 percent), kissing and dating (44.32 percent) as an important part of the relationship. Many men believe that uttering the words “I love you” (52.30 percent) is still one of the best expressions of affection. Dr. Tamayo said that men express their love

by serving (43.05 percent), second in their list is sending romantic messages through cards, letters or text message (41.94 percent). Giving of expensive gifts is the least with (41.84 percent). Love means sacrifice To an ordinary Dabawenyo their view on love is: ultimately a sacrifice (61.17 percent), understanding (50.33 percent), displaying deep respect (46.14 percent), merciful (43.68 percent), forgiving (31.69 percent) and romantic (19.54 percent). When the survey respondent men and women were asked what attributes they are looking for in potential partners, they ranked responsible as top attribute with 67.90 percent; sympathetic and serious (64.94 percent), religious (57.39 percent), honest (41.21 percent), good-looking (46.06 percent), romantic blended with sense of humor (32 percent), wealthy (27.42 percent) and witty and intelligent (27.42 percent). Mercifully, “Dabawenyos are not particular about wealth but instead they want real love,” Arquiza said. Attributes women want in their men The study also found that Dabawenyas are more attracted to men who have a sense of hu-

Effectiveness...

mor (55.90 percent), wit and intelligence (54.90 percent), romantic nature (52.05 percent), and religious (50.93 percent). “Women believe that being religious means strong in faith and having a good heart and would make for longer and more stable relationship,” Arquiza added. The characteristics that men desire in women are: well-off (57.49%), responsible (54.66 percent), sympathetic (52.97 percent), good looking (49.50 percent) and religious (48.93 percent). Dr. Tamayo said that men want a romantic partner (47.95 percent) and the least two are wit and intelligence (45.60 percent) and (44.10 percent) for sense of humor. “As we can see from the survey, the top answers of the women are the least answers for men, so it simply shows that they both have opposite views when it comes to love,” Arquiza added. The survey also revealed that 12 out of 100 men admitted to cheating while in a relationship. However the same percentage of women also admitted to committing the same “crime”. About the same percentage of men and women claim that they say “I love you” to their partners always to reinforce their action.

be mapping areas where many people got sick with dengue fever. The RHRDC conducted yesterday the second day of strategic planning at the Davao Medical School Foundation, participated in by partner agencies and representatives from universities and colleges in the city. Vicente recalled that in 2012, several researches were conducted and 54 research proposals had been reviewed for possible support funds. “We are assessing the relevance of our work. We

Comelec Region 12 sees smooth elections in May T

HE conduct of the May 13 midterm local and national elections in General Santos City and other parts of Region 12 is seen to run smoothly in the absence so far of any potential election watchlist area or hotspots in the region. Lawyer Remlane Tambuang, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 12 director, said the entire region has remained clear of any possible

Name...

election hotspot based on recent security assessments made by local police units and government troops operating in the area. He said the region’s security situation has remained stable in the last several weeks and they don’t expect any major election-related incident to occur in the area in the run-up to, and during, election day. None among the region’s four provinces and

five cities is considered as threatened or has reported significant movements by armed groups that might possibly disrupt the conduct of the polls, he said. “The PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) have not yet recommended the declaration of any locality within the region as a hotspot,” Tambuang told reporters. [Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews]

challenge that PCI can address by providing lifelong learning and affordable educational system to everyone to develop himself or herself.” Regor, who is German, based this educational system on the more than 110 years of experience in the adult learning system in Germany which has more than six million participants each year. He said that there are many well-trained people in Davao City who are equipped with the right knowledge and there are schools which are not used at night. He pointed out that, “if the mayor says, let’s use these resources for learning, then we can link the people with knowledge and facilities to those who need it.” “This (People’s College) can be a corner stone

for job creation and poverty reduction because even citizens aged 30, 50, or 60 can learn through these lifelong learning systems, the latest technologies in Information technology which is designed to help communities in the Philippines to reach educational challenges and establish a sustainable system in the localities of the people,” Reger said. Reger said, “We need three months feasibility study for this educational system and we will be presenting it to the government and wait for them to say yes to it.” He also added that there will be a 20 peso per hour charge for participation in this educational system because “when you give it for free, people may not value it.”

ing Tagum City because we don’t have any tourist destinations, ” Uy said. She added that the New Tagum City Hall is almost finished and this will be a new attraction of Tagum as it has a state-of-the art design. Apart from that, she said that Tagum City is

prepared for the coming of the expected 2,000 participants in the 12thMusikahan Festival. “Tagum City hotels, inns and pension are all set for the accommodation of the guests and participants of the festival,” Uy added.

danao to Manila is very expensive, which is why goods from Mindanao hav become uncompetitive,” he said, adding, “It’s more expensive to transport goods from Mindanao to Manila than from Bangkok to the Philippines, and this is one major item that we presented.” For the peace and security cluster, Tan said the major concern considered is the support for basic socio-economic development initiatives in conflict-affected, conflict-vulnerable and post-conflict areas, es-

pecially the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where the Framework Agreement for the Bangasmoro is concentrated. The Mindanao Development Goals (MDG) was the major concern considered for the human development and social commission cluster, according to Tan, saying, “There are three logging regions in Mindanao, namely, Caraga, Region 9, and ARMM which need an accelerated catching up in terms of the MDG by 2015.”

FFROM 2

proposed college system, which he still has to discuss with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, was an answer to one of the concerns discussed in the human development cluster headed by Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman during the Philippine Development Forum at The Marco Polo Davao last February 4. He said the cluster came up with one recommendation, which is to integrate a system or policy for lifelong learning for the Philippine Development Plan. “This is where PCI comes in because, people are the main resource of the Philippines and we need to give people aged 30 to 50 access to knowledge, competence and skills development,” he said. He said “this is the

From Tagum...

FFROM 2

year and there will be 10 participating schools from Tagum who will be making websites for Musikahan”, Uy added. She added that the festival is among the 14 festivals that Tagum City is holding every year. “This is one way of marketing and promot-

MDF...

FFROM 2

FFROM 1

agement, calabash for diabetes and tawa-tawa for dengue. We are on the phase of validating initial results if they really work,” Vicente said. He also said that they will be conducting a study on climate change, by looking at the relationship between dengue fever and the changes in the weather. Vicente said the study will try to identify certain areas where mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus might proliferate during the rainy season. He said they will also

look at areas of improvement like sustaining our networking with institutions and strengthen our competence,” he said. Vicente said the RHRDC XI is one of the leading consortia in the country since 1986. He said Davao Region research group is also working on the core thrusts like climate change and its impact on health, herbal medicine, tropical diseases, maternal and child health and the use of information technology on health. [RGA/JSD/PIA]

the capacity of local government units to carry out transparency and accountability mechanism. The multimodal transportation and logistics program was the major concern considered for the economic development cluster of PDF along with the Mindanao Integrated Coconut development Program, according to Tan. MinDA Technical Consultant Rafael Evangelista said, “Multimodal transport is very important because transportation cost of goods from Min-

12 COMMUNITY SENSE

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

DA-MRDP builds more roads, opportunities in Mindanao

BARANGAY LASANG. A Medical Mission organized by 2nd district Congresswoman Mylene Garcia was recently held at barangay Lasang, Bunawan district with Dr. Antonio Solar Jr. leading the medical team. Barangay Lasang was hit by the floods when

the Lasang river overflowed and Rep. Garcia was concerned with the health of the flood victims specially with the rise of leptospirosis cases in the city.

HERE are more road networks now in Mindanao, driving more economic opportunities for the rural people especially farmers. Lealyn A. Ramos, Program director of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) said the program has completed a total of 489.10 kilometer farmto-market (FMR) roads amounting to P995.23 million, among other projects under the rural infrastructure (RI) component. “As the completed FMR measuring a total length of close to 500 kilometers and constructing over 800 kilometers more we are not just creating a network of community linkages but also generating jobs and other opportunities in many rural areas,” Ramos said. In the program’s report during the recently conducted World Bank review mission in Davao, the rural infrastructure component reflected that 71% of its 495 subprojects were FMRs; while communal irrigation projects account for 14%; potable water systems, 8%; bridges, 6%; and postharvest facilities mostly solar dryers and warehouses only 1%. “These roads stimulates agricultural production by providing access to markets. It also facilitates in the transition from subsistence farming to market-oriented production, which we expect as we scale-up famers in the value-chain of various commodities,” said

Ramos, who is also the regional executive director of DA office in Northern Mindanao. Roads, Ramos added, also increase rural nonfarm enterprise and even creates off-farm income thus providing further economic even employment opportunities. She said that for a long time, Mindanao badly needs roads that link communities especially the remote places to town centers, and the partnership of the local government units and the program has created impressive impact to respond this problem. Ramos added the infrastructure projects have benefitted over 400,000 farmers who for the longest time had to endure bad road conditions and inaccessibility. “Despite all these, we understand more still needs to be done. The output of our partnership with the local government units and the DA regional field units as forefront of implementation are a little achievement for the bigger need of better and more road networks,” she said. These roads have also improved the rapid and easy access of the residents to hospitals, increased attendance of children at school and enhanced the LGUs delivery of social services. “Some LGUs testified that with better roads they could actually conduct office caravans in remote areas where all the divisions of the LGU go from barangay to barangay,” Ramos said.(Sherwin B. Manual/DAMRDP)

BETTER ROAD. Farmers and the commuting public in Kibawe, Bukidnon now has safer and faster travel as MRDP completed the rehabilitation of the four-kilometer Kikipot-Natulongan FMR that serves at least 500 hectares of farmland mostly planted to corn.[ Sherwin B. Manual]

SPORTS 13

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Lebron sets mark as Heat wins M

IAMI (AP) -- It’s not the type of streak that LeBron James ever thought about, this run of putting together at least 30 points and 60 percent shooting in six straight games. Still, it’s something he’ll savor. He’s rolling right now, and so are the Miami Heat. James scored 30 points on 11 for 15 shooting to get into the NBA record books, Chris Bosh scored

32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Heat wound up beating the Portland Trail Blazers 117-104 in a wild, momentum-swinging game on Tuesday night. It was the 1,000th regular-season win in Heat history. But on this night, the only history anyone will remember was what James accomplished. Dwyane Wade added 24 points for Miami, which wasted a pair of 14-point

leads - then put the game away with a 14-0 run in the final minutes. Ray Allen added 14 for Miami. Damian Lillard had a game-high 33 points for Portland, which got 29 from LaMarcus Aldridge and 20 from Wesley Matthews. Just like the Heat, the Blazers also saw a 14-point lead slip away in the game, and then simply got shut down late by a stretch of airtight Miami defense.

back until I’m 110 percent. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be any time. It’s just that I’m not coming back until I’m ready.’’ He was asked how close he is to 110 percent. ‘’Right now, probably in the high 80s,’’ he said. ‘’Far away. Far away.’’ Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a playoff-opening win over Philadelphia, and the top-seeded Bulls wound up losing to the 76ers in the first round. The Bulls’ point guard has granted few inter-

views since then, mostly limiting his comments to a shoe company campaign focusing on his recovery. He did not make himself available for comment on Tuesday. The Bulls, meanwhile, have repeatedly said they are taking a patient approach with their superstar, that they won’t rush him back. As for Rose saying he could return any day - or next year? ‘’That’s what we’ve been saying all along,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. ‘’It’s all the same. When he’s ready, he’ll play.’’ He said Rose is ‘’right where he should be’’ in his recovery.

D-Rose far from returning

Lebron James set another milestone in leading the Heat to a win over the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA.

EERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose still has no target date for his return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and he even indicated he might sit out the season. In an interview with USA Today posted on Tuesday, the three-time All-Star point guard said he’s ‘’far away’’ from being ready to play. Rose has been practicing and traveling with the team, but he has no specific timetable for a return from an injury he suffered in the playoffs last season. ‘’I don’t have a set date,’’ Rose told the newspaper. ‘’I’m not coming

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VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Realty

EDGEDAVAO

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INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

Feasts of love at SM Lanang Premier VALENTINES DAY is about dining out with your loved one and this February, SM Lanang Premier hand-picked the best dining deals at The Fountain Court with a wide selection of Valentine inspired menus to choose from for couples, families, and friends to celebrate the LOVEliest month of the year. Hog’s Breath Café Celebrate Valentines with Hogs and Kisses at Australia’s favorite steakhouse, Hog’s Breath Café! Set a date from February 13 to 16 to avail any of their Valentine’s Day set menu and receive a complimentary bouquet, chocolate, and a 50% discount for a bottle of wine.

Hog’s Breath Cafe’s Prime Ribeye Steak.

Bistro Selera’s Mangosteen Ice Cream.

Cellar de BoCa Cellar de BoCa merges comforts of Filipino and Spanish food that are delicious, down-toearth cooking that also reminds you of home. Aside from a selection of quality wines from Lagarde, Cellar de Boca also offers innovative creations of Chef Him Uy de Baron and Chef Brando Clasara with the help of Chef Gemma Harradura and Chef Miguel Pengson brought together to offer you and your date a unique Valentine experience. Bistro Selera If you’re looking for a sumptuous dessert with a Filipino Flair, try Bistro Selera’s Mangosteen ice cream. You’ll also be surprised to find a whisper of Durian in some of their dishes. And If you and your date are up for a night of unwinding, check out their wide bar

repertoire with crowd Bulgogi Brother’s Special. favorites: Michael’s Madness and Lychee Martini and pair these with their cocktail food, relaxing music and cozy ambiance. Bulgogi Brothers Discover your love for Korean dishes at Bulgogi Brothers. Get a taste of authentic dishes that include Jjigae (stew), noodles Kimchi-jjigae, Heumul Gungjung Mandu and Dubu Steak. Cap the hearty delight with a wide range of wines such as Laughing Lizard Merlot, Banrock Cabernet Sauvignon, Banrock Chardonnay and Laughing Lizard Chardonnay—all fit to make your Valentine’s date more ro-

Cellar de BoCa’s BoCa Steak.

mantic. For more updates you can contact SM Lanang Premier on twitter @

smlanangpremier and on facefook at www.facebook.com/smlanangpremier

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT Globe ‘future-proofing’ its network GLOBE TELECOM is currently building a brand new network in anticipation of increasing voice, text and mobile data usage among cellular phone subscribers. “As early as now, Globe is future-proofing its network to prepare for the increase in call and text traffic, as well as the coming explosion of mobile data use,” said Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu at a recent Globe Kamustahan event in Davao City. “We’re not just upgrading our old system, we are building an entirely new network that is truly built to handle smartphone traffic,” he said further, adding that “We feel this is important, because customer experience is at the heart of everything we do at Globe.” Cu said that more and more customers are buying smartphones, which in turn put an inordinate amount of load on the network. “Today, about 20% of our public use smartphones, but as prices continue to come down, this will increase tremendously,” said Cu. “It behoves us telco providers to transform our network into one that is suited to driving and delivering the traffic needed by smartphones,” he added. Globe is in the midst of a US$700 million network modernization program that is meant to increase network capacity and resiliency and to accommodate more voice, SMS, and data traffic. The first phase of the network upgrade is on track with 88% completion in various cell sites all over the country. “It’s our mission to provide the best in customer experience, and everything we do is targeted towards this goal. We want to make sure that this is happening today,” said Cu.

Love is in the air at Marco Polo

WONDERING where to go on February 14? Wonder no more. Love is expressed in delectable terms in Marco Polo Davao’s award-winning restaurants. Café Marco offers the world on a plate that you can refill to your heart’s content. Imagine tender U.S. Prime Rib, Garlic-Studded Leg of Lamb, Pork Loin Wellington, and Lechon amidst the splendor of other justly famous international dishes. Savor the world’s best cuisines as well as a glass of red or white wine and chocolate pralines for only Php 1,300 net per person. Your lady love gets a long-stemmed red rose, too. If you’re in the mood for Cantonese dishes, head on to Lotus Court as they offer their Set Menu featuring the Roast Peking Duck and other Seafood items. Over at the vibrant Polo Bistro, set menus are designed with love in mind. Superbly grilled delights are preceded by creamy soups and concluded with desserts to swoon over. Punctuate each lovely mouthful with a sip of red or white wine. At the Lobby Lounge, February 14 is all about love. Have your choice of pasta and fish or meat fillet with a fresh garden salad and a cream soup for only Php 979 net per person only. Be serenaded by a mellow bossa nova band made more magical by a saxophonist. Celebrate the season of love with family and friends at Marco Polo Davao, where the language of love is spoken with an accent on rich, romantic flavors. For reservations and Inquiries, please call (82) 2210888 local 7228.

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

FOOD

Feast for the heart

HAPPY VALENTINE’S Day every one! It is that time of the year where the world seems to be enveloped with red, heart shaped pastries and cakes line the shops and lovers are all out. Flowers of all sorts and colors are being given and handed as the day turn into a big bouquet. Indeed, valentine’s day is one of the most celebrated days of the year – all over the world. Never love anybody who treats you like you’re ordinary. Oscar Wilde Here is a bit of 411 on our favorite feast day: Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration. The day was said to appertain to romantic love in the High Middle Ages (tradition of courtly love). By 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion wherein lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, and sending greeting cards. Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heartshaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Valentinus, a Christian saint, was said to be imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians (such was persecuted under the Roman Empire). During his imprisonment, he was said to have healed the daughter of his jailer and that before his execution he wrote “from your Valentine” as a farewell to her. Valentine’s Day was once said to fall on July 6th in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine and on July 30th in honor of the Bishop of Interamna. (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Valentines_day) As special as today is, I came up with a cake that I believe summarizes how I feel about today. I love pastries as I love chocolates (although I am not supposed to indulge on some) and I love how the two can equate to love and the feeling of love. Try this simple yet appetizingly delicious cake recipe and see how you fair up

the love meter once you serve this to your friends or loved ones. Death by Tablea and Coffee Cake I have never been fond of baking but when I feel like slaving myself inside the kitchen, I grab my apron and whip up something that I can call my masterpiece. Having eaten a sumptuous and chocolate filled cake months ago while on vacation, I decided to make my own version but this time, I made use of tablea and coffee – two of my favorite ingredients. If you are not into baking, here’s a cheat deal that I learned from my favorite Chef, Jamie Oliver: use store bought chiffon/angel/sponge cake and play with the idea of decorating it – they will never know you cheated anyway! Sponge Cake Ingredients: 2-1/2 cups cake flour, sifted 3 tsp. baking powder 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup oil (vegetable oil) 7 egg yolks, at room temperature 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup cold water 7 egg whites, at room temperature 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 3/4 cup sugar, white

Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 10-inch ungreased tube pan. In a bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well at the center and add oil, egg yolks, water and vanilla. Beat until smooth and there are no more lumps. If you do not have an electric beater, whisk profusely until well incorporated. Set aside. Using a mixer, beat egg whites until frothy and add cream of tartar. Continue beating (HIGH SPEED) until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar Add sugar very gradually and continue beating until meringue is glossy and stiff. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the meringue until well blended, ensuring that you scrap the bottom of the bowl as you fold. Pour into prepared ungreased tube pan. I used 6 pieces of individual sized round cake molds. Bake until golden and middle springs back when touched for about 45 minutes. Once done, let cook in a rack then flip. Set aside. Tablea and Coffee Ingredients: 6 pieces tablea rounds, chopped 1 10 gram instant coffee, dissolved in 3 tablespoons of tepid water ½ cup of evaporated milk ½ bar of unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons cinnamon powder Method: In a pan, combine all ingredients except for butter. Over low heat,

combine and dissolve ingredients until paste like. Make sure all there are no lumps. Continue stirring. Add butter at the last stretch. Incorporate well. Turn off heat and set aside. Praline Nuts Ingredients: ½ cup salted roasted nuts 5 tablespoon raw sugar Peanut oil Method: In a pan over low heat, combine all ingredients until nuts are completely covered with caramel. Pour mixture over parchment paper. Spread evenly and let cool. Once cooled, break into pieces and set aside. Assembly: Place cake on rotating cake stand. Cut in half. Dab chocolate liqueur on both sides and top again. With your cake spatula, cover cake with your tablea and coffee mixture. Make sure all sides are covered; from top to bottom. Soak spatula in tepid water to ensure a smooth finish. Once covered, top with praline nuts and chill. This cake is best eaten the day after as the flavors tend to be bold and thus tastier to the palate. Note: If you want, you can make batches of the tablea and coffee mixture and store in airtight container and kept chilled. Heat before using. Do you want to be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit? Send me your recipes, questions, suggestions and comments and be featured. If you are interested, then email me at leebai@chefroyale.com or visit www.chefroyale.com for more recipes. Happy Cooking!

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Lady Gaga postpones four shows, reveals she’s in too much pain to walk

LADY GAGA can’t go on this way. The pop star revealed Tuesday via Twitter that a condition called synovitis, or severe joint inflammation, has left her unable to walk and she has been forced to postpone her next four shows. “I’ve been hiding a show injury and chronic pain for sometime now,over the past month it has worsened,” Gaga tweeted. “I’ve been praying it would

heal.” She continued: “I hid it from my staff, I didn’t want to disappoint my amazing fans. However after last nights performance I could not walk and still can’t.” Concerts scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Chicago, Saturday in Detroit and Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, have been canceled for now, with makeup dates to be announced later.

Gaga is hoping to resume her Born This Way Ball Tour next Tuesday in Philadelphia. “To the fans in Chicago Detroit & Hamilton I hope you can forgive me, as it is nearly impossible for me to forgive myself. Im devasted & sad,” she continued to tweet, adding, “It will hopefully heal as soon as possible, I hate this. I hate this so much. I love you and Im sorry.” Get better soon, Gaga!

Kate Middleton’s new baby bump photo scandal: Palace “disappointed” by “clear breach” of privacy

KATE MIDDLETON is the subject of yet another royal photo scandal. The palace is upset after Italian magazine Chi, the same outlet that printed the controversial topless sun-bathing pics of the Duchess of Cambridge in September, published photos of Prince William’s pregnant wife in a bikini while the couple are currently on vacation in Mustique. “We are disappointed that photographs of the Duke and Duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas,” the palace said in a statement about the baby bump photos. “This is a clear breach of the couple’s right to privacy.” The paparazzi pic reportedly show the 31-year-old mom-to-be strolling with her husband on the beach of the secluded Caribbean island. The new photo scandal comes almost five

A MOMENT IN TIME Coco Martin , Julia Montes GP

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

FLIGHT Denzel Washington , Don Cheadle R-13

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DIE HARD

months after Chi and its French sister publication Closer printed snapshots of Middleton sun-bathing topless on vacation in Provence, France. The couple filed a criminal complaint against Closer soon after. No word if the

royals will take any legal action against Chi this time around. Chi has a long history of printing salacious photos. In 2006, they published pics of Princess Diana’s body after the 1997 car crash that killed her.

Bruce Willis , Jai Courtney PG-13

12:00 | 2:00 | | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

SAFE HAVEN Julianne Hough , Josh Duhamel PG-13

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | | 10:00 LFS

A4 INdulge! FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

One saucy fix The return to Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken I have to admit, I was excited last year on the opening of PeriPeri Charcoal Chicken at the Ground Floor, of SM City Davao’s Annex. But somehow, my first taste of PeriPeri was nothing too special. I guess it must have been something in the gravy that made an otherwise tasty meals is that you can just roasted chicken taste add a little extra and then “funny”. you get unlimited soup of I had not been back until last week when Tessa sent me an invite to try what is new at Peri-Peri. Knowing that there was something new, means giving the African-Portuguese chicken another taste test, and I am glad to announce that the chicken is good and that the gravy has been fixed. Of course it had to be emphasised that it is not the gravy that made Peri-Peri’s Charcoal-Grilled Chicken taste good, but it was thanks to their original Peri-Peri sauce made of African bird’s eye chilli and spiced olive oil that elevates the moist flavourful chicken into something special. Peri-Peri’s chicken is available in quarter meals or in a beautiful whole butterflied serving on top of lots of java rice. What I love about the chicken

the day and as well as bottomless drinks. I was so happy with the new taste of Peri-Peri that I went back with my friends for an afternoon snack where we tried their Roast Chicken Fajita and their Cheeseburger Pizza, both of course are perfect for sharing with the barkada and also pair well with their Peri-Peri sauce. I guess they should try considering bottling the magical sauce and selling it so that I can have a steady supply of it at home. You can say that my return to Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken erased my gravy peeve and replaced it with a Peri-Peri sauce obsession. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more food finds, travel pics and happenings in and around Durianburg.

The bright and cheerful interiors of the restaurant.

Stone top grilled cheeseburger pizza.

Peri-Peri’s whole butterflied chicken, best enjoyed with the Peri-Peri African Bird’s Eye Chilli sauce and spiced olive oil.

Peri-Peri’s Clubhouse Fajita.

Mixing up Peri-Peri’s sauces.

Crispy chicken tenders.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 246 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ESCANDOR CUP

SPORTS 15

Ateneo seeks three titles

By Neil Bravo

1st Emilio D. Escandor Memorial Cup Championships February 17, 2013 @ Almendras Gym, Davao City

10:00am ADDU vs ACD (mini) 11:45am ADDU vs HCSD (pass) 1:30pm ADDU vs HCSD (jrs) 3:30pm Awarding of Trophies and Cash Prizes

F THREE straight titles are called three-peat, what are three straight titles in one day in three divisions called? Don’t tire yourself google-ing. The answer is spelled in one word— domination. That too is what is written on the foreheads of the three Ateneo de Davao University squads seeking a sweep of all three titles at stake in the Finals of the 1st Emilio D. Escandor Memorial Cup on Sunday at the Davao City Recreation Center. First to take a crack at the coveted triple crown is the Blue Knights’ Mini squad which takes on Assumption College of Davao at 10:00 a.m. Next up will be their

Ateneo de Davao University’s aggressiveness will be their main advantage when they shoot for three of three titles in the 1st Emiliio D. Escandor Cup on Feb. 17. (Right) Ep-Ep “El Aparador” Escandor will be the man in the middle for the Blue Knights. (TRMH PHOTOS)

Passerelle squad which goes up against archrival Holy Child School of Davao at 11:45 a.m. The Blue Knights are taking an immaculate record to the championship

and should have the upperhand in this exciting match-up. The last title at stake will be the Juniors crown where Ateneo takes on another Holy Child side

for the championship at 1:30 p.m. “Ateneo has the edge in the match ups but you can never count out the chances of Holy Child and Assumption.

On any given day, upsets can happen,” said Jek Melendres, tournament commissioner. Awarding ceremonies will follow at 3:30 p.m. with no less than Glen

Escandor, Gen. Manager of the sponsoring Royal Mandaya Hotel, presiding over the trophy rites in this tournament held in honor of the late Emilio D. Escandor.

Things got out of hand with several different clusters of players getting into shouting and shoving matches. Green Archers player Elle Cagayanan rushed from the sidelines to try a flying kick against Kaya’s Dario Dakic. Cagayanan and team manager Monchu Garcia, who was involved in a verbal altercation with several Kaya players, were sent off from the pitch. Kaya coach Maor Rozen was also ejected from the sidelines. Caligdong and Kaya goalkeeper Saba Sadeghi

were two of five players who received yellow cards over the incident. Shortly afterwards, Green Archers striker Tating Pasilan scored on lucky a goal at the 90th minute to tie the match at 1-1. The referees called for eight minutes of added time, which was enough to Kaya to break the deadlock as substitute Janrick Soriano scored at the 97th minute. Kaya grabbed its first victory of the season, while Green Archers dropped their second straight match.

and Marquez will push through despite conflicting reports from both camps, Salud thinks so. “Yes. Yan ang gusto nina Bob Arum at Freddie Roach.” Salud, a member of Pacquiao’s inner circle in boxing, also believes Marquez is just playing hard to get to secure a better fight purse. “Papayag din yun. Nasa negosayson at pakikipag-usap na ni

Arum yun. Wala na siyang makukuhang mas malaki pang kita kungdi kay Manny,” said Salud of Marquez, who earlier said there’s no need for him to fight Pacquiao for a fifth time after winning their welterweight bout last December. If the fight goes on, Marquez is expected to earn more than the US$8 million he received during his fourth meeting with the `Pacman.’

Fight erupts in Kaya FC’s win

EVEN cards and three ejections marred Kaya FC’s 2-1 victory over Green Archers United Globe in a heated encounter in the United Football League Tuesday night at the Emperador Stadium in in Taguig. Kaya was leading, 1-0, on an OJ Porteria goal at the 27th minute, before all hell broke loose midway through the second half. The melee began after an altercation between Azkals star Chieffy Caligdong of Green Archers and defender Eddie Mallari of Kaya.

It’s Marquez’ time Perfect attendance for Gilas to play hard to get Part of the heated action between Solido FC and M7 United in the DFC League Matchday 2. Solido won this match. (DFC PHOTO/ KIX LATAYAN)

NATIONAL TEAM BEGINS TRAINING

he SMART-Gilas Pilipinas pool turned up for their first practice with a full complement and national coach Chot Reyes couldn’t be happier. And he got it Monday night when the Philippine team members all showed at the PhilSports Arena for practice. “That’s the main goal. We want to make sure everyone was all in,” Reyes said. Gabe Norwood, who

had been a member of the pool since last year, said Reyes took it easy on the players in their first practice back. “He didn’t really have to ask us to buckle down to work quickly. I think we were excited to get out there and make the most out of our only practice this week,” said Norwood. “I wouldn’t say it was intense, but it was productive and efficient. We were reintroduced to the system and

terminology. Getting everyone comfortable is important.” Most members of the pool are already familiar with Reyes system, having either played under him in the PBA or in the national team. Of the 17 players in the pool, only San Mig Coffee defensive demon Marc Pingris and Petron Blaze rookie center June Mar Fajardo have not had a chance to play under the coach.

ETERAN boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud thinks Juan Manuel Marquez is only playing hard to get. Salud, the longtime confidante of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, believes Marquez will eventually sign up for a fifth fight against the 34-year old Filipino ring legend. Asked if a September bout between Pacquiao

16 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 246 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Ginebra wants ex-Laker Mbenga G

INEBRA’S search for a new import could end up with a big catch. The most popular team in the PBA is bent on getting the services of former Los Angeles Laker back-up DJ Mbenga, who had already been sent a formal offer, according to popular import agent Sheryl Reyes. “Nakapag-pasa na ng offer sheet yung Kings, hinihintay na lang ang response ni Mbenga,” Reyes said. Early indications showed the 7-foot Congolese-Belgian will likely accept the Ginebra offer as his bid to land a spot in the current Lakers’ roster turned dim as Los Angeles reportedly tendered Jerome Jordan a 10-day contract. Ironically, Jordan is also another import prospect for Ginebra. If and when he agrees to take on the job, Mbenga is definitely going to be a big addition to the Ginebra roster of coach Alfrancis Chua, who is certainly

on the lookout for a dominant big man as likely replacement for Herbert Hill. “The fact that we told DJ that Ginebra is the most popular team in the PBA makes it more appealing to him to try his luck in the Philippines,” said Reyes, the same agent responsible for bringing current Commissioner’s Cup imports Renaldo Balkman (Petron), Justin Williams (Global Port), and Robert Dozier (Alaska). Should Mbenga sign the contract by Wednesday, he’ll be sent his plane ticket right away, and hopefully, suit up for the Kings when they play the Globalport Batang Pier this Friday. An eight-year NBA veteran, Mbenga was part of the Lakers’ backto-back championship teams in the 2009 and 2010 seasons, playing

alongside star players Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. He was originally considered as import of Alaska this conference.