Edge Davao 5 Issue 250 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

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Indulge

Crising batters Davao

RESIDENTS WARNED TO STAY ALERT

Page A1 A4

Chocolate vs Chocolate Science /Environment Page 4 Lead-tainted medals

1 dead in Andap, New Bataan

Classes suspended in Davao City, DavNor Davao rivers under close watch

Sports

ROPICAL Depression Crising claimed yet another life in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, the village with the highest death toll when super typhoon Pablo struck the area on December 4. Marlon Esperanza, municipal information of-

Page 16

ficer, told MindaNews the body of Francisco Digaynon, Jr., 37, married and father of four, was found in Purok 16, Barangay Cabinuangan, at around 9 a.m. In Davao City, Residents of Sangilangan, Ma-a and Barangay Waan, FRESIDENTS WARNED, 11

Sec. Dinky stays firm:

No list, no rice “Even if they stage rally”

DavNor ready for DAVRAA

RESCUE TRAINING. A recruit of the Philippine Coast Guard carries a fellow trainee during a water safety and life saving course at the Sta. Ana Wharf along R. Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

O distribution list, no release of rice “kahit mag-rally pa sila” (even if they stage a rally). This was the message of Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to Barug Katawhan (People Rise Up), a group of Typhoon Pablo survivors behind the January 15 barricade in Montevista town, Compostela Valley that paralyzed transport along the Davao-Butuan highway for at least 10 hours.

The standoff was resolved later in the day when Soliman and Barug officials signed an agreement for the release of 10,000 sacks of rice that Barug, which complained of alleged irregularities in government’s distribution of relief goods, would distribute. No release of rice has been made because while Barug has submitted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) a distribution plan, it has not submitted a

distribution list. “It wasn’t released because they have not complied with our agreement, Soliman told reporters Friday after Task Force Pablo’s briefing at the provincial capitol of Compostela Valley in Nabunturan town. “What they gave us was just a list of places where they would repack the 10,000 sacks of rice. That’s not enough because we are accountable for the 10,000 sacks of rice, Soliman said,

FSEC. DINKY, 11

2 THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Aquino creates Task Force Bangsamoro Development

NO CLASS. Two pupils from the Magallanes Elementary School in Magallanes Street, Davao City wait to be fetched by their parents as school authorities declared through a streamer that classes are suspended after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 when the low pressure area that was spotted east of Mindanao developed into a tropical depression. Lean Daval Jr.

RESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III has issued a directive creating the Task Force on Bangsamoro Development to push forward the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the region. This follows the signing of the framework agreement for a peace settlement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said Tuesday. Ochoa said Administrative Order No. 37, which President Aquino signed Feb 13, will ensure that development projects and programs are implemented in Bangsamoro, a new autonomous region that will be established in Mindanao, for MILF combatants and their families as well as communities that will be affected by the framework agreement signed in October last year. The task force, according to Ochoa, is mandated to develop and implement programs that will respond

to the health, education and livelihood needs of MILF priority beneficiaries and poverty-stricken communities throughout Mindanao. “The peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao goes beyond the signing of the framework agreement. This administration wants to ensure that peace and progress go hand in hand,” Ochoa said. The Aquino administration last week took the initial step to help MILF forces and their families and affected persons and communities with the launch of the social development plan called Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program in Maguindanao. “Although the initial beneficiaries of the program will be MILF members and their families, other residents in the region will also receive the benefits of the peace agreement and the development and livelihood initiatives that go with it,” the Executive Secretary said.

HIS year’s elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is expected to be peaceful and orderly as rival candidates signed a peace covenant binding them to the election laws. Among the signatories were reelectionist Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu and challenger Mayor Tocao Mastura of Sultan Kudarat town of United Nationalist Alliance. Political observers earlier believed that Manguda-

datu and Mastura are bitter rivals in the coming polls and would use all their resources to get elected. Both used to belong to Liberal Party but parted ways and faced each other in the coming polls, raising fear among political observers that they will use their influence and money to win the provincial’s top post. Mastura is identified with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front while Mangudadatu is allied with the Moro National Liberation Front.

Driver killed in 5-car collision T

Most peaceful Maguindanao, ARMM elections are expected

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

driver of a public utility vehicle was killed on-the-spot after five vehicles collided in an afternoon domino effect crash along Buhangin area yesterday. Buhangin Police Station confirmed that one Julius Canillo, driver of a PUV multicab, was killed instantaneously

Bus loses brakes, suspect flees

fect crash. The accident happened in corner Milan facing towards the north. The bus driver who was identified only as Titomal escaped right after the accident. The people who were injured were brought to the Southern Philippines Medical Center.

after a Metro Shuttle bus rammed his vehicle after its driver admitted the bus lost its brakes. The multicab Canillo was driving was the first vehicle hit by the bus which also hit a van, a Bachelor Express bus and soft drink mini

truck. The two passengers of the soft drink panel were also injured during the mishap. The Metro Shuttle bus was said to have lost its brakes causing it to lose control which ultimately resulted to the five-car domino ef-

The SPES beneficiaries is being deployed in three batches and assigned to the different branches of McDonalds around the city: first batch of 44 beneficiaries started working last February 1 and ends on May 15, second batch will be working from May 16 to August 31 with 44 beneficiaries and the last 48 beneficiaries will start on September 1 to December 20. McDonalds Director Rebecca Roselada explained that the beneficiaries will work for 52 days and will be earning a remuneration enough to support their education. “We at McDonalds are committed to provide employment for Davao youth and we will also give opportunity to out of school youth and the less privileged,” Roselada added. She also said that out

CALM BEFORE THE STORM. A pump boat operator and his companion can be seen relaxing as the Philippine Coast Guard barred small sea vessels from travelling after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 in Davao zafter the Low Pressure Area east of Mindanao developed into a Tropical Depression, in Sta. Ana Wharf along R. Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

136 SPES beneficiaries deployed in 9 restaurants By Che Palicte

total of 136 students and out of school youth beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) program implemented by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The beneficiaries will be working in nine McDonalds food chain outlets in the city. Lilibeth Pantinople, Manager of Davao City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), bared this yesterday in a press conference held at DOLE regional office 11. McDonalds is the first food chain company which committed a oneyear partnership with DOLE’s SPES program. “We are already done with the orientation and we have 136 beneficiaries who will be employed in McDonalds under the SPES program for this year,” Pantinople said.

F136 SPES, 11

SUBURBIA 3

EDGEDAVAOVOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Secretary Soliman leads bunkhouse inauguration

OCIAL Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman led the inauguration of nine bunkhouses in New Bataan, Compostela Valley for those affected by typhoon Pablo. In her message, Soliman said that the structures, which measure 7.4 meters by 24 meters, will be the temporary shelters of families whose homes were destroyed by the typhoon, considered the strongest to hit Mindanao in the last 50 years. Soliman said the bunkhouses, each with eight units, were constructed in coordination with the provincial government and the municipal local government. She called on the beneficiaries to slowly hope for the better, pointing out that these were, “temporary because their permanent houses will hopefully be better than what they had [before the typhoon].” “Kini siya temporaryo lamang. Apan, kining pagkatemporaryo dili nata mabasa kay diha sa tent pag mokusog-kusog gani ang ulan mabasa man

ta (This bunkhouse is for temporary shelter only. However, this temporary shelter means we will not get wet anymore as compared to living in tents, when it rains hard we get soaked),” the secretary added. The bunkhouses were built using corrugated galvanized iron sheets as roofing and marine plywood as walls with a bathroom each for men and women and a one-meter by 24-meters walkway. Each bunkhouse also has a wash area and a communal kitchen. Carmelita Mamalyas of Purok, 4-B Poblacion, was elated as she posed in front of the unit assigned to her family of six. She, with her four children, expressed her gratitude to the government for including her in the list of the beneficiaries. “Ang pagpili sa mga mamuyo diri, ginasurvey nila ang mga na washout nga mga balay dayon wala nay kabalayan pud nga lote. Ang among lote naapil man og kaanod, sapa na siya karon. Dili na pwede kabalayan (The government did a survey

MESSAGE. DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman gives an inspirational message to the victims of typhoon Pablo during the Transition Shelter Turn-Over Ceremony in New Bataan, Compostela Valley.

and prioritized all houses that were washed out and those that have no more lots to build on. Out lot was among those washed out, it is now a river. We cannot build there anymore),” Mamalyas

said. “Pasalamat gani mi nga naapil mi diri sa bunkhouse. Mas okay diri. Didto [sa among barong-barong] kay sagupa pud kaayo mi sa abog kay daplin sa kalsada (We are very grateful

that we are among those who were chosen to live in the bunkhouse. It is better here. Back in our makeshift shelter, we were always exposed to dust because it’s beside the road),” she added. The unit of Mamalyas

was among the bunkhouses in the municipality as the department already completed 69 bunkhouses in the provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. [DSWD/Leslie Lao-Francisco]

for Peace, said in the press conference they welcomed the NPA’s decision to release the “POWs” on humanitarian grounds in keeping with International Humanitarian Law. He added that along with the Mindanao Movement for Just and Lasting Peace, Sowing the Seeds for Peace called on the AFP to stop military operations for the safe and orderly release of the two captives. While on temporary ceasefire in the identified areas, “the NPA remains in active defensive posture against the enemy’s attack,” Del Mundo said. “As an act of humanitarianism, the NDF deems it appropriate to archive the documentation pertaining to its preliminary investigation against the two POWs who were involved in the 60th IB and PNP’s counter-revolutionary and anti-people military operations in Comval and Agusan boundaries,” the rebel leader added. [Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews]

HE poblacion areas of New Bataan town in Compostela Valley Province would suffer the same fate as Barangay Andap if another storm as strong as Pablo would again come, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman revealed in a recent meeting of Task Force Pablo at the Provincial Capitol of Compostela Valley. She, however, said that a place about 400 meters north of the Poblacion is found safe for relocation of residents. Soliman based her revelation on the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data gathered by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which came up with inundation simulation, projecting what would happen of New Bataan in case another strong typhoon would occur. DOST Sec. Mario Montejo in the same meeting explained that the simulation was based on the LiDAR generated new topographic details of New Bataan gathered after Typhoon Pablo brought colossal devastation in the area. Based on a survey

conducted, Montejo said Typhoon Pablo caused a debris flow which spread 800 meters wide and flowed down five kilometers from Barangay Andap to New Bataan poblacion known locally as Cabinuangan. The debris flow buried a considerable portion of Brgy. Andap in 7.5 meters to 9 meters deep volume of mud, rocks and stones and pebbles which flushed down from nearby mountains in a surge of flood-waters accumulated from 170 millimeters rainfall. Projecting a recurrence of a strong typhoon bringing a 190 mm volume of rainfall, DOST created a 3D debris flow simulation. Montejo believed the simulation for New Bataan as “almost accurate”, citing the same simulation DOST made on Marikina River which overflowed just one inch above the DOST projection, when Typhoon Ondoy came. Other than New Bataan, DOST also created a 3D flood simulation for the municipalities of Compostela and Monkayo seen as high risk areas to inundation. [RGA/JMDA/PIA 11]

SOMO sought for safe release of NPA captives T

HE families of a soldier and a policeman held as “prisoners of war” by the New People’s Army (NPA) in an undisclosed place in Southern Mindanao has appealed for a suspension of military offensives (Somo) for the immediate and safe release of the captives. Pfc Jezreel Maata Culango of the 60th Infantry Battalion and PO1 Ruel Pasion were captured by the rebels last month. “Military operations in the countryside should be temporarily stopped so that the release of my husband will be safe,” Pasion’s wife Jennifer said in a press conference in Davao City. Culango’s parents Luzviminda and Jonathan aired the same appeal in the same press conference. “We are asking the NPA to release our son immediately,” Luzviminda said. The NPA ComvalNorth-Davao-South Agusan Sub-regional Command had declared they would observe a Somo

on February 19-22 for the captives’ safe release, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) said in a Feb. 17 statement. The Somo will cover Kapalong, San Isidro, Asuncion, New Corella all in Davao del Norte, and Laak in Compostela Valley, the NDFP said. It asked the military to do the same as requisite for the immediate release of the captives. “The 10th ID (Infantry Division)-AFP should reciprocate the Somo and cease from its fascist Oplan Bayanihan operations, or else further delay the release of the two POWs,” NDFP-Southern Mindanao spokesperson Rubi del Mundo said. Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson of the 10th ID said in a phone interview the AFP could not declare Somo as it did not have any military operation in the areas identified by the NPA. He said the military was doing peace and development programs and rehabilitation operations for typhoon Pablo victims.

He clarified that [their] peace and development teams (PDTs) are armed for the purpose of defending themselves. The soldiers were doing immersion in the villages to know their problems and not to hunt down the rebels, he added. Paniza said the military was doing repair work on houses damaged by typhoon Pablo under the Joint Task Force Tambayayong. “If you noticed, in fact, in the past weeks, the NPA easily attacked our detachments because we don’t have patrol operations,” he said. He said the AFP let its management committee handle the release of the two captives. He said the negotiators for the release of the “POWs” had been assured they would not be caught in a possible crossfire unless the rebels attacked the PDTs or military detachments. Bishop Delfin Callao of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, co-convener of Sowing the Seeds

New Bataan would likely experience fate of Andap

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EcoWaste warns

EDGEDAVAO

Beware vs lead-tainted graduation medals

N environmental network has alerted school officials about graduation medals that may be tainted with lead, a chemical that can cause permanent brain injury. In a statement, the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Chemical Safety cautioned private and public schools, as well as child care and learning centers, against procuring or accepting medals made of lead alloy or embellished with lead-containing paint. The EcoWaste Coalition issued the warning after analyzing the heavy metal contents of 30 medals, mostly for kindergarten, preparatory and grade school achievers, lent by colleagues or bought from medal makers in Sta. Cruz and Quiapo, Manila. School officials were also urged to exercise utmost precaution when choosing and giving medals, reiterating that even very low levels of lead cause brain damage in children. If the safety of the

medals ordered or purchased is not guaranteed, the EcoWaste Coalition exhorted schools to advise recipients not to play with, bite, lick or suck on their medals to avoid the possibility of ingesting lead. Children and other people are exposed to lead via inhalation, ingestion, and, in minimal cases, through skin absorption. Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, the group detected lead in 22 of the 30 samples (73%) way above the US allowable limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for lead in paint or any similar surface coatings. No detectable levels of lead were found in unpainted, generic “gold,” “silver” and “bronze” medals. A yellow-painted sample led the pack of “dirty medals,” with a whopping 123,800 ppm of lead. The other top five “dirty medals” had elevated levels of lead at 74,400, 48,000, 46,100, 39,500 and 37,000 ppm each. Two unofficial medals

showing the blue and red logo of the Department of Education (DepEd) had 943 and 14,100 of lead, respectively. “We find it odd that lead, a nasty chemical linked to delayed development, stunted growth, reduced IQ scores and behavioral problems, is used in making medals that are meant to savor a child’s academic and extra-curricular achievements,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect. “Experts have not identified a safe threshold for lead exposure, especially among kids,” she emphasized. “This is why we insist that children’s products, including medals, school supplies and toys, should be certified lead-free. We need to take every possible step to reduce lead exposure among our children,” she added. DepEd should amend its graduation guidelines and add in a policy that will protect youngsters from exposure to lead-contain-

ing medals, the EcoWaste Coalition suggested. Citing information from the World Health Organization, the EcoWaste Coalition warned that “at high levels of acute exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death.” “The consequences of

brain injury from exposure to lead in early life are loss of intelligence, shortening of attention span and disruption of behaviour. Because the human brain has little capacity for repair, these effects are untreatable and irreversible,” the WHO said. Aside from lead in products, some of the

According to Paje, the ECC covers the project located in Tampakan, South Cotabato; Malungon, Sarangani; Columbio in Sultan Kudarat; and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur. “The EMB has reviewed the requirements of the application for the project and has recommended the issuance of the ECC subject to the implementation of certain conditions presented in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in order to protect and mitigate possible adverse impacts of the project on the community health, welfare and the environment,” Paje pointed out. The environment chief directed the EMB to strictly monitor SMI’s compliance with the conditions

stipulated in the ECC to ensure that environmental considerations are incorporated in all phases and aspects of the Tampakan project. “SMI should make public the feasibility of the project, ensure that the area does not cover those where mining is prohibited, and ensure social acceptability through consultation with stakeholders,” Paje said. He also clarified that SMI could only proceed with the implementation of the project after submitting all other necessary government permits and clearances to the EMB, particularly those involving indigenous peoples, the agriculture and agrarian reform departments, and local government

units. Under the ECC, SMI is directed to conform to the provisions involving toxic and solid wastes of several laws on clean air and water and mining. SMI must observe appropriate practices on vegetative restoration, engineering structure, land use, and soil and water management, as well as ensuring proper stockpiling and disposal of generated waste materials and erosion control, the ECC stated. The mining company is also instructed to protect headwaters, implement an efficient water management system to ensure sustainable use of water, and provide the community with alternative sources of potable water supply, if needed. [PNA]

In the study, the researchers removed all the predators from three controlled freshwater ecosystems in Canada and Costa Rica and found 93 percent more carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere. Predators are bigger animals at the top of the food chain and their diets are comprised of all the smaller animals and plants in the ecosystem, either directly or indirectly, according to the researchers.

As a result, the number of predators in an ecosystem regulates the numbers of all the plants and animals lower in the food chain. It’s these smaller animals and plants that play a big role in sequestering or emitting carbon. “We knew that predators shaped ecosystems by affecting the abundance of other plants and animals but now we know that their impact extends all the way down to the biogeochemical level,” said Trisha Atwood, lead au-

thor of the study. However, predators are disappearing from our ecosystems at alarming rates because of hunting, fishing and human induced changes to their habitats, which could have significant impact on climate change. “People play a big role in predator decline and our study shows that this has significant, global implications for climate change and greenhouse gases,” said Atwood. [PNA/Xinhua]

DENR issues ECC for Tampakan project

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the $ 5.9-billion Tampakan copper-gold project of Sagittarius Mining Inc. (SMI) in Southern Mindanao. DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, however, said the grant of ECC to SMI was “subject to certain conditions,” and failure to comply may result in the cancellation of the ECC. Paje said an environmental permit was issued to SMI upon the recommendation of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), an agency attached to the DENR which reviewed the ECC application.

Carbon emissions rise as predators decline

RESHWATER ecosystems emit a lot more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when the animals at the top of the food chain are removed, a new Canadian study has found. The recently published study, led by researchers from the University of British Columbia, was aimed at measuring the role predators play in regulating carbon emissions in order to better understand the consequences of losing these animals.

other major sources of children’s exposure as identified by the WHO are lead added to petrol, lead-based paints and pigments, lead in ceramic glazes, lead in electronic waste, lead released by the incineration of lead-containing waste, and lead in the food chain, via contaminated soil.

R-12 officials monitoring possible landslides, floods ISASTER management personnel in Region 12 are closely watching portions of General Santos City and in 11 other localities in the region due to the possible occurrence of flashfloods and landslides in the wake of the continuing heavy rains spawned by tropical depression “Crising.” Jerome Barranco, Office of Civil Defense-Region 12 assistant regional director, said Tuesday they have raised the flashflood and landslide alert in the entire region as a result of the almost nonstop rains since late Monday afternoon. Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato as well as the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. Citing a flood and landslide vulnerability map issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Barranco said portions of the cities of General Santos, Cotabato, Koronadal and Kidapawan were considered critical to heavy flooding due to the continuing rains. He said the other vulnerable areas were Isulan, Lutayan and Lambayong towns in Sultan Kudarat; Norala, Tantangan, Tupi and Sto. Nino towns in

South Cotabato; and, Alabel in Sarangani. “We’re presently monitoring the water levels of the river systems in these areas as a precaution against the possible occurrence of flashfloods,” the official said. Based on an advisory issued the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the continuing rains were caused by the entry of a Low Pressure Area (LPA) that developed into a tropical depression on Monday. As of 4 a.m. Tuesday, the weather agency’s bulletin number three said the center of tropical depression “Crising” was estimated at 310 kilometers east of this city with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and was seen to move towards the west northwest direction at 22 kph. On Monday night, PAGASA placed Region 12’s four provinces under public storm warning Signal Number 1 along with 10 other provinces in Mindanao. But as of 5 a.m. Tuesday eighteen of Mindanao’s 26 provinces have been placed under Public Storm Warning Signal 1 as ‘Crising’ continues to move closer to Mindanao. (See separate story) [Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

THE ECONOMY

Globe revolutionizes prepaid with ‘create your own promo’

First-ever prepaid promo available on mobile, Globe website, and Facebook

LOBE Telecom redefines prepaid as it brings another new and game-changing experience to its subscribers by allowing them to make their own promo the way they want to. Introducing Globe

Prepaid GoSakto, the first and only service in the country that allows prepaid subscribers to create and customize a prepaid promo that fits their needs, budget, and lifestyle. Another indus-

try-shaking innovation from Globe, GoSakto empowers prepaid subscribers to design their own promo according to what they need, recognizing the fact that customers have different call, text and surfing needs. With GoSakto, customers have the flexibility to tailor-fit their prepaid pro-

mo based on what they need for the day, week, or month. To enjoy their GoSakto promo, subscribers first choose what type of promo to avail: call/text/surf, call and text, call and surf, text and surf, or a combination of all. Once subscribers have chosen their promo, Go-

PROMO. Raymund Policarpio, Prepaid Brand Usage head of Globe Telecom (right), introduces “GoSakto Choose Your Own Promo” during the company’s Promo launch at the Marco Polo Davao Monday night. Lean Daval Jr.

Sakto further personalizes the experience by letting them select the type and number of calls and texts they need. Type of call/text can be within the Globe/TM network or across all networks, while number can be bulk or unlimited. For subscribers who need surfing services, they can also choose between bulk (in megabytes or MBs of data) or unlimited. Finally, prepaid subscribers get to pick the validity of the calls, texts, and surfing services they availed, from 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, or 30 days. With the many levels of selection, prepaid subscribers can explore and find the best value GoSakto promo combo in over 2,000 possible combinations, another Globe-first. There are three (3) easy ways to GoSakto: via mobile phone via*143#, via the Globe website at www.globe.com.ph/gosakto, or via Facebook where they can share their promo to their friends via the GoSakto page on the social networking site. GoSakto even allows subscribers to name their created promo, as well as

let their Facebook friends register to the same promo, creating a community of GoSakto users online. With GoSakto, subscribers are spared from promo availment barriers such as maintaining balance, capping, and limited price points. A GoSakto promo is available for as low as P7, and can co-exist with another promo, giving subscribers more value for their money. “We are thrilled to disrupt the prepaid market with yet another innovation that will change the behavior of today’s subscribers when it comes to availing promos,” said KD Dizon, Head of Globe Prepaid. “With GoSakto, subscribers will bid premade and canned prepaid promos goodbye. No customer is the same as the other. One would want more voice calls, another is a heavy texter, and the other enjoys browsing. One prefers 1-day promos, the other chooses those with longer validity. At the end of the day, you are the only one who truly understand and know your needs when it comes to connecting with your friends and loved ones.”

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 Cebu Pacific Thu Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat

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

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Foreign ownership limit hindering foreign investments in energy sector

OREIGN investors see the potential of the Philippines renewable energy sector but the 60-40 equity cap and the slow progress on the feed-in tariff rules are hindering investors to put their money and technology here. British Ambassador Stephen Lillie British said investors are interested to contribute to the Philippines’ renewable energy sector. “Unfortunately there are limitations in the Philippines that are complicating investments here such as the 40-60 equity cap, which is unhelpful. Also, the slow progress on feedin tariff is impeding progress,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the UK Renewable Energy Systems and Solutions spearheaded by the British Embassy Manila, UK Trade & Investments (UKTI) and the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in Makati City Tuesday. Lilie said the Philippine government “needs to take some steps to improve the regulatory framework (in the country)” to encourage more foreign investments. He believes that “the government is well-aware that the 6040 limit is unhelpful in a whole range of sectors” since the business sector have made several moves to appeal this rule. “The business sector made many submissions to the government. It has made clear its view that it is one of the regulatory issues that needs to be tackled to create a better business environment for the Philip-

ROTARY WEEK. Rotary club presidents (from left to right) Lagring T. Acero of RC of Downtown Davao, Ronald Go of RC of East Davao, Scott Nimmo of RC of South Davao president and chair of the council of presidents, Cheryl

Gomez of RC Waling-Waling and Aimee Bautista of RC Pag-asa talk about their advocacies and their clubs’ various civic projects during the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

pines,” he said. Section 11, Article XII of the 1897 Constitution allows foreign ownership in Philippine companies but only as much as 40 percent equity while Filipino investors get the bigger chunk at 60 percent. Similarly, the Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that feed-in-tariff (FIT) incentives will be given to RE proponents that will finish their power plants ahead of the rest or based on a “first come, first serve” basis. The government has a 50MW quota for solar ener-

gy plants, 200 MW for wind, 250MW for biomass and 250MW for mini-hydro. Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla earlier said he is not worried that there will be extra power plants at the end because although the DOE will allow all the interested participants to put up the plants “it’s impossible for all of them to finish at the same time. “It’s is our intention to remove flippers here. We will give FIT to those who can finish (a power plant),” he said. Granting of FIT is stated under the Renewable Energy Act

of 2008 to encourage proponents to put up more RE projects. Under the law, RE providers will be given a definite amount of time to charge fees directly to consumers. Amid these constraints, Lilie said British renewable energy players are firm on investing in the Philippines by providing the necessary technology to further enhance the sector. “The mood in business is very positive but there are things that can always be done to make things better,” he added. [PNA]

country which include raw materials supply chain, processed tropical fruits, processed fish and marine products, leveraging industry supply chain network for tourism, processed meat and livestock, other agribased industries, coco products, rubber, information and communication technology or ICT, metals and metal works, furniture and furnishings, ceramics and pottery, mining, and renewable energy. The clusters have 34 industries, 24 of which are under the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (NICCEP). The NICCEP is the three-year project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in coordination with the DTI in developing and mobilizing pilot industry clusters nationwide. “For the 24 industries, JICA

has allotted P100 million for capacity building of industry clusters in three years. On top of this amount, JICA will be funding proposed projects of industry clusters qualified based on a set criteria,” Cruz said. These clusters under the NICCEP include eight industries in Luzon, four in Visayas, and 12 in Mindanao. In Northern Luzon, the DTI will focus on the following industry sub-clusters: bangus or milkfish (Region 1), dairy (Region 2), bamboo (Region 3), and coffee (CAR). In South Luzon, it will provide attention to information and communication technology or ICT (Region 4 A), tourism (Region 4 B), health and wellness (National Capital Region), wearable and home-style products (Region 5).

In the Visayas, particularly in Regions 6, 7 and 8, it will focus on ICT, tourism and, health and wellness, gift, decors and housewares while in Mindanao, it will concentrate on rubber (Region 9 and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM), poultry (Region 10), tuna (Region 12), oil palm (Region 13), banana, mango, coconut, tourism, seaweeds, mining, wood and ICT (Region 11). Cruz said DTI will continue to support the development of MSMEs through industry clustering as a collaborative strategy for regional development. “After thoroughly assessing the necessary assistance for these industry clusters last year, we will now execute action plans based on the assessment for each industry cluster,” she said. [PNA]

DTI allots P100 M to support industry clustering projects

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) allocated over P100 million to finance the industry clustering as part of its business development strategy for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) this year. “The money would be spent to enhance our accomplishments in industry clustering last year. Of this amount, P70 million will finance the back industry clustering activities along with additional funds from other programs supporting industry clustering like the OTOP (or One Town One Product) store and the P-TRACE (or the Program on Philippine Traceability for Revitalized Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement),” DTI Undersecretary Merly M. Cruz said. The DTI identified 14 priority industry clusters in the

5:45 5:45 6:00 6:10 7:50 7:50 8:00 9:10 9:40 11:30 12:00 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 Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila

as of august 2010

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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

13:35 15:20 12:05 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

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E-SEASON

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Teddy Casiño to Comelec: Have a heart for teachers Appeals for additional P2,000 election duty pay for teachers

Comelec reminds poll bets on common poster areas

HE Commission on Elections has reminded candidates of the rules on the use of common poster areas where they can post or exhibit their campaign paraphernalia to announce their candidacy. Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said Section 18 of Resolution No. 9615 states “common poster areas shall be allowed by the election officer only in selected public places such as plazas, markets, barangay centers and the like where posters may be readily seen or read, with the heaviest pedestrian and/ or vehicular traffic in the city or municipality.” “The Comelec resolution is very clear. Can-

“L

Casiño pointed out that the P3,000 honorarium, as well as the various allowances of P300 for transportation, P500 for sealing the book of voters and P500 for the testing of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, was not enough for their work. “Hindi naman isang araw lang ang trabaho nila. Dagdag mo pa yung bigat ng trabaho nila. Automated na nga at hindi na sila maglalamay ng pag-tala ng boto pero ang threat ay andun pa rin. Magulo pa rin sa mga presinto lalo’t clustered na. At syempre hinaharass pa rin sila. Sa totoo lang, almost 10 years ago kulang na kulang yung honorarium nila sa hirap ng trabaho, ngayon pa kayang wala pa ring increase?” he explained. The progressive solon said the government should do everything in its power to aid teachers. “Biruin mo, napaka-laki ng kontribusyon ng mga guro sa lipunan. Sila na nga ang nagtuturo sa ating mga kabataan at tumatayong pangalawang magulang nila, sila pa ang nagbabantay ng ating boto.”

edge the limitations of the partylist system and the need to amend the law to make it more progressive, nonetheless, the system remains a viable platform for genuine political parties to develop and gain significant strength,” Gutierrez said. “As such, we urge our fellow partylist groups to help in pushing for the amendment of the partylist law in the 16th Congress to make it more responsive to the people’s interests and safeguard it from those who want to use it as a backdoor channel to promote patronage politics,” Gutierrez stressed. Gutierrez pointed to the lack of a concerted information drive to raise the people’s awareness on the partylist system. “While Akbayan and several other groups do its part in educating the public on the partylist law, nothing beats a comprehensive, government-sanctioned education drive to deliver the message,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said he hoped that the government through the Commission on Elections will respond to the challenge of deepening and broadening the democratic character of our electoral process. He said based on his group’s experience, the more people are made aware of the partylist system, the more they become active in the country’s political process. “Our election body is receiving a lot of praise regarding its successful campaign in raising both the awareness of the electorate and the candidates on prohibited acts and materials during the campaign season and on Election Day. We hope they could build on that success and help us in informing the voters on the important aspects of the partylist system,” Gutierrez said. In 2010, a survey by Pulse Asia showed that nearly seven out of ten Filipinos remain unaware of the party-list representation in government, an alltime low since 2004.

didates may be allowed to put up their posters in designated common poster areas, but at their own expense. Sila ang gagastos para sa istruktura para makabit nila ang kanilang mga poster,” said Jimenez. He added: “We cannot just allow candidates to post their campaign materials on electric posts, trees and other public structures. “That is why we are allowing them to set up temporary structures in designated common poster areas for the exclusive purpose of displaying their campaign materials.” According to the resolution, parties and candidates may put up common poster areas in every

barangay. Meanwhile, Jimenez also gave assurances the poll body will also call the attention of Comelec field officials who fail to inform candidates and voters on the location of designated common poster areas. “Election officers should also make an effort to ensure that the designated CPAs are known to the candidates and the public. Failure to do so shall make him liable for gross neglect of duty,” he said. The poll body also released a two-minute video in connection with the May 13 polls, with “Boy Bawal” as poster boy against campaign violations such as over-sized posters, campaign ma-

terials posted in public vehicles, trees and public structures; vote buying, among others. At the end of the video, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. urged the public to forward complaints to Comelec regarding campaign violations. “Umpisa na ang kampanya, kapag may nakita kayong bawal, pakisumbong niyo sa amin dito sa Comelec,” he said in the video. A request has been sent to all networks for the airing of the ‘Boy Bawal Ad’ as part of the Comelec’s air time to be utilized exclusively for public information dissemination on election related-concerns. [PNA]

Akbayan to fellow partylist groups:

Cayetano said that the very reason why he ran under the administration ticket is that he and PNoy share the same vision. “I was one with PNoy in fighting against the corruption of the Arroyo administration. I am one with him in the next stage that our democracy must achieve: economic progress that is felt by the people,” Cayetano explained. “The government CCT program has also yielded tremendous success, vastly increasing the beneficiaries from 800,000 under the previous administration to 3.8 million under the present administration,” Cayetano added. “now that we have achieved economic growth, we must all work together to uplift the day to day concerns of our people by lowering prices, creating better jobs and increasing wages.” Cayetano is running on the platform of Presyo, Trabaho, Kita or lower prices and increased jobs and wages for the poor.

kbayan Party-list appealed to fellow partylist groups to use the 90-day campaign period as an occasion to raise the voting public’s awareness of the party-list system, which the group said remains dismally low. Akbayan partylist nominee Barry Gutierrez said that genuine party-list groups should use the midterm election to collectively engage in a massive education campaign to address the people’s dismal level of awareness on the partylist system. “It is not enough that we go out and campaign for our respective partylist organizations. It is imperative that we go out of the way and inform the voting public that the party-list system was made to represent the interests of ordinary Filipinos,” Gutierrez said. “Even as many partylist groups such as Akbayan have been instrumental in popularizing the partylist system,

much is left to be done in deepening the people’s understanding of the system,” Gutierrez added. Gutierrez said the party-list system has been a useful mechanism to give the marginalized and underrepresented sectors a voice in crafting important reform measures. “We owe a lot of our victories such as the Reproductive Health, Cheaper medicines, Overseas Absentee Voting, Sin Tax, Kasambahay, and Marcos Compensation laws to the efforts of party-list legislators,” Gutierrez said. “In fact, to this day, partylist lawmakers are some of the most vocal advocates of reforms inside the House of Representatives,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez also said that aside from the party-list system’s track record in crafting important pieces of legislation, the system provided real spaces for genuine political parties with programs to develop. “While we acknowl-

Cayetano: UNA wrong in criticizing PNoy administration economic gains AST year’s economic growth rate was a huge economic milestone for the nation and the administration ticket will make sure that its effects trickle down to the poor,” Senator Alan Cayetano said yesterday in a statement. “We all want the poor to feel the effects of economic growth. Personally i want lower prices, more jobs and higher income for our countrymen. But UNA is wrong in its criticism of the economic achievements of the administration because the trickling down of the effects of economic progress takes time,” Cayetano emphasized. “Since the start of the campaign, I have been going around the country talking and listening to fishermen, flower vendors, market vendors and workers. They are unanimous in their support for President Aquino and his anti-corruption agenda and believe that they will soon feel the effects of economic growth,” Cayetano explained.

AKABAYAN senatorial bet Teddy Casiño today appealed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to have a heart for teachers and increase their election duty pay by P2,000. “Teachers should be rewarded for their great service to the country by giving them an additional P2,000 honorarium. With their current honorarium pegged at rates almost a decade ago, I believe it is unjust that the government give them a mere P3,000 for guarding our votes and ensuring smooth operations on election day,» said the three-term congressman during the 66th anniversary celebration of the Manila Public School Teachers Association (MPSTA) this afternoon. Casino gave away his Teddy Care bears to teachers to show his appreciation for the work teachers are doing during schooldays and during election day. He is the author of House Bill 2141 which seeks to upgrade the minimum salary grade of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to 15.

Contest election to educate voters on party-list system A

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO Who would pull the trigger against this gentle Tausug?

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

( 2nd of four parts )

PERSONAL ESSAY BY PENELOPE C. SANZ

“H EDITORIAL

Sabah standoff

HE two-week standoff in Sabah between the Malaysian police forces and an armed group of Filipino Muslims is scary. It is admittedly a flashpoint that could erupt into a bloody confrontation anytime. The Tausugs and Badjaos, led by Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram, arrived in Lahad Datu, a Sabah village, in batches from Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. They are armed as revealed by Kiram himself and some 300 of them are there to pursue the claim that Sabah belongs to the Sulu Sultanate. The Malaysian authorities have rejected all their demands and cordoned off the place where they are holed up. Kiram’s men are not leaving the area, arguing that they own it, in fact the Malaysians are pay-

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ing rent to them. Peace-loving Filipinos in the Philippines and those who have settled in Sabah and other parts of Malaysia are afraid the stalemate might erupt into a shooting war. If the situation becomes this messy, it can throw a monkey wrench on the P-Noy administration to strike peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which has advanced with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Note that Kiram has claimed that their move in Sabah was precipitated by the sultanate’s being left out in the framework agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF. Indeed, this is another test to the leadership of President Aquino, one that he cannot afford to bungle, considering the tremendous cost involved. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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UH? I am the maid of honor?,” I quizzed him as I had yet to meet his bride. But Alber was unable to explain. Although confused about what was going on, I carried out his marching orders like one dutiful lieutenant: stay by Irene’s side. One by one, the women from Alber’s large family, dressed in their elegant and colorful silk dresses, took turns in paying homage to Irene, embracing and welcoming her warmly to their family. I believe that the only constructive contribution I made in the whole affair was to take lots of pictures and to hand Irene a pen for her to sign their marriage documents. Towards noon, Alber took me aside to another secluded portion of their big house and inquired if I would like to witness a female circumcision ritual. “What?! You’re joking right?,” I was horrified that they have this practice and that of all days it has to be during their wedding day. “Hindi. Totoo ‘to (No. This is real.),” he said. “Gagawin sa aking mga pamangkin (It will be done to my nieces).” “What?!”, I exclaimed. “Ano man? (What now?),” Alber prodded that I should see it. For ethnography’s sake, I said, “yes”. But on human rights terms, I was conflicted. I was put in a moral, ethical, and political dilemma more so when I saw his sister and her two young daughters with an elderly woman sitting in a circle on the floor, and at the center a small glass lamp burner was lighted. I approached them nervously, asking myself should I stop it or not especially when the elderly woman began heating a small blade on the flame. It is not even sterilized! Then she started praying in Tausug. What am I going to do? When I was about to speak out, she made some hand motions to one of the girls whose legs were now spread-eagled. As it turned it out, female circumcision was symbolical. There was no cutting of flesh. No blood dripping. No screams. Soon after, Alber came back for me with a sheepish smile on his face. I punched him on his upper arm and laughed with relief. By then, visitors were streaming in. As the wedding ceremony drew near, the Husin women helped Irene put on her red long skirt and white long sleeved blouse made of silk and other traditional shiny wedding ornaments on her head and neck. I watched Irene carefully retouch her make up and slip on her white shoes. She was composed and resolved. Then her sister burst into the room. Irene brightened up especially when she was told that their father was also outside. It was only then that I understood that her mother had yet to accept that her daughter was marrying a Tausug and converting to Islam. When I talked to Irene that morning Alber died, she was at a loss as to how to tell their kids that he is now gone. How indeed can she shepherd her two children in front of Alber’s grave that same day he died? I bit my tongue so as not to cry while she was bawling. When she had to put down the phone because they will be traveling back to Zamboanga City where they will bury him just before sundown, I felt so empty, numbed, as I stared blankly at snowflakes falling from the sky. Suddenly in seconds, there was this sharp pain in my heart as if some unseen hands were wringing and ripping it apart. I could not breathe.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

What makes a senator?

REATER CONCERN TO THE EXPLOITED VOTERS – Senatorial candidates were pitch perfect the day when their respective party proclamation rallies were held that also signified the start of the campaign period. The “common-man” senate pretenders, engaged, resolved and persevering, or so it seems - is the image the Liberal Party’s (LP) Team PNoy and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) Tatak Binay group’s political campaign scheme probably are saving for the entire stretch up to the last emotional moments of the May 2013 midterm elections. It is certainly the memory that LP and UNA want the Filipino voters to carry into the voting booth. Senate aspirants, as their wont, come with a lot of pledges and promises during the campaign jaunts, but after the election and as a result if some were lucky enough to grab a slot, would never or seldom visit their political turfs specifically the depressed areas across the country. Whenever an election is held, the disillusioned voters are put in a position of trying to choose the lesser of two evils. But in the course of time, the lesser becomes the worst of all. So what really makes a senator? Voters found the senate pretenders’ litany of pledges and promises rather disquieting most particularly their deceptive TV ads. Each party and candidates have their own platforms of government full of hope and aspirations such as improving the citizens’ living standard – delivery of basic services, health care, education, employment and sustainable economic development. It is valid to note that having an impressive track record in their respective field of endeavor and the political assurance to “deliver the goods” is not

VANTAGE POINTS

HE minimum wage debate is back, thanks to President Barack Obama. In his State of the Union address this week, he noted that a full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour would earn $14,500 a year. This is an amount that would be very low for a single adult living alone, let alone the parent with two children whom the president invoked in his speech. And so he called for a sharp increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9 an hour, an amount that would be indexed to inflation, as a way to fight poverty and to give the economy a boost. What the president didn’t mention is that the share of full-time workers who earn the federal minimum wage is very low. Mark Perry, an economist affiliated with the right-of-center American Enterprise Institute, observes that as of 2011, only 1.7 percent of full-time hourly employees were earning the minimum wage or less. Minimum-wage earners were more common among those aged 16 to 19 – 22.8 percent of these workers were earning the minimum wage or less. Of course, many of these workers live with their parents and are generally not the sole source of support for themselves or their families. Another reason why so few workers earn the federal minimum wage is that as the value of the federal minimum wage has eroded, dozens of states have established or raised their own minimum wag-

a guarantee of achieving a successful candidacy. Pledges, promises! Forget all the hullabaloos about the candidates’ program of government once elected into office. It’s all hokum, bunkum and hyperboles. The real question is: “Who are sincere, honest and upright”? Well, the voters know for a fact who are not! And that’s pretty fundamental to the upcoming midterm polls. But it is rather strange why only now some of the aspirants who have been in Congress for many years notably the “old guards and returnees” talked about free education, free hospitalization and other improbable gratis and complimentary in the lives of the ordinary people on the streets? Some crafty and illusory senate bets and their political handlers even criticize the Aquino leadership aimed indirectly toward the administration candidates by simply enumerating the miscues such as the alleged “artificial” economic growth and that Filipinos have never had it so good under the present dispensation. They claim there have been progress but “the economic gains have not trickled down to the people.” It is senseless to bicker over whether they have been part of the success or failure of government. What is of greater concern to the wary voters is that some of these outspoken and blabber-mouthed pretenders after scoring poorly while serving the sen-

A poor solution

ate and other government posts, leapfrogged over more qualified aspirants who were waiting in line for a coveted senate slot. Sadly, candidates oozing with cash, powerful connections and poor test scores cut in front of qualified and desirable men waiting for their turn. The debate is not only about the relevance of accomplishment, leadership prowess and administrative skill; it is about character and moral values. At this early stage some senate bets and their over-bearing handlers who have the flair for self-aggrandizement did a good job of besmirching the image of the Aquino administration, but that was not good enough. That they are likewise flawed as human beings is clear from their campaign strategies to promote their candidacies at the expense of the alleged “shortcomings” of the present leadership. The sole purpose of their superficial scheme actually is to grasp attention and gain the support and sympathy of voters. It is shameful to realize only after many of the senate hopefuls have been previously installed into office that voters were duped about their much-publicized and altered records as lawmakers. Most if not all of them are facing credibility problem, which is convincing enough the Filipino voters don’t trust them anymore. The electorate desperately wants members of the Senate who are truthful, trustworthy and straightforward and capable of enacting laws of gorgeous foundation aimed at improving the domestic economy, socio-political conditions and uplifting the sad plight of the marginal sector. Voters therefore must be careful enough about how they cast their ballots during the midterm elections.

( 1st of two parts )

COMMENTARY BY REIHAN SALAM es. Thus far, only the state of Washington has a minimum wage, at $9.19 an hour and indexed to inflation, higher than the president’s proposal. One study, by economists Joseph Sabia and Richard Burkhauser, estimates that only 11.3 percent of the workers who would gain from an increase in the federal minimum wage to $9.50 are in low-income households, assuming no job losses result from the increase. The rest tend to be the aforementioned teenagers, spouses working part-time and semi-retired older workers. Interestingly, that was less true of the last federal minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $7.25.Sabia and Burkhauser find that 15.8 percent of the individuals who gained from that increase lived in low-income households. Conservative opponents of the minimum wage often argue that if a $9 minimum wage is a good thing, a $90 minimum wage must be a good thing as well, and of course a $90 minimum wage strikes most people as absurd. Sabia and Burkhauser’s work reminds us that there really is a difference between raising the minimum wage to $9 and raising it to $90, as a $9 minimum wage prices far fewer lessskilled workers out of the labor market.

While increases in the federal minimum wage are popular with the public, they aren’t the most efficient approach to alleviating poverty. The Earned Income Tax Credit, established in 1975 and expanded several times over the course of the intervening decades, is a highly efficient tool for raising household incomes. It is targeted at exactly the kind of low-wage workers President Obama has in mind, and it is higher for the parents of two or more children than it is for the parents of one child or childless adults. To the president’s credit, he has backed a more targeted approach to poverty alleviation. The 2009 federal stimulus law, for example, created a Making Work Pay (MWP) tax credit that was extremely well-targeted. According to the left-of-center think tank Citizens for Tax Justice, 50.3 percent of the benefits of MWP went to households in the bottom three-fifths of the income distribution while only 22.2 percent went to households in the top fifth. The Social Security payroll tax cut that replaced MWP as part of the bipartisan 2010 Tax Hike Prevention Act delivered 46.8 percent of its benefits to households in the top fifth and only 26.8 percent of its benefits to households in the bottom three-fifths. Now both the Making Work Pay tax credit and the Social Security payroll tax cut are history, in part because of Republican opposition to redistribution in the tax code.

China, technology and the U.S. middle class ( 1st of two parts ) ANALYSIS BY CHRYSTIA FREELAND

RESIDENT Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech this week confirmed it: The pre-eminent political and economic challenge in the industrialized democracies is how to make capitalism work for the middle class. There is nothing mysterious about that. The most important fact about the United States in this century is that middle-class incomes are stagnating. The financial crisis has revealed an equally stark structural problem in much of Europe. Even in a relatively prosperous age — for all of today’s woes, we have left behind the dark, satanic mills and workhouses of the 19th century — this decline of the middle class is more than an economic issue. It is also a political one. The main point of democracy is to deliver positive results for the majority. All of which is why understanding what is happening to the middle class is urgently important. There is no better place to start than by talking to David Autor, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Autor is one of the leading students of the most striking trend bedeviling the middle class: the polarization of the job market. That is a nice way of saying the economy is being cleaved into high-paying jobs at the top and low-paying jobs at the bottom, while the middle-skill and middle-wage jobs that used to form society’s backbone are being hollowed out. But when I asked him this week what had gone wrong for the U.S. middle class, he gave a different answer: “The main problem is we’ve just had a decade of incredibly anemic employment growth. All of a sudden, around 2000 and 2001, things just slowed down.” Academics can usually be counted on to have a confident explanation for everything. That is why I was surprised and impressed by Autor’s answer when I asked him where the jobs had gone. “No one really understands why that is the case,” he said. It was a winningly modest reply. But work by Autor and two colleagues — David Dorn, a visiting professor at Harvard, and Gordon Hanson of the University of California, San Diego — is starting to untangle the two forces that both the conventional wisdom and the academy agree are probably responsible for a lot of what is happening to the middle class. Those forces are technological change and trade. The easy assumption is that the two go together. After all, trade needs technology — it is hard to imagine outsourcing without the Internet, sophisticated logistics systems and jet travel. Technology is dependent on trade, too: The opportunity for global scale is one reason technological innovation has yielded such outsize rewards. But in a careful study of local labor markets in the United States, Autor, Dorn and Hanson have found that trade and technology had very different consequences for jobs.

10 AGRITRENDS

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

PHL’s coffee makers keeping ‘trade secrets’ to themselves

OFFEE industry farmers and processors hampered by lack of information sharing among the industry’s shareholders will soon see some relief in the coming months. A recent workshop report submitted to consultants of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) revealed that many coffee farmers in this region had been keeping “technology secrets” to themselves, without sharing them with other coffee farmers. Some coffee processors, on the other hand, had been keeping many “trade secrets” to themselves without sharing them with other processors in the region, according to the industry cluster report. “Communication among these stakeholders is poor, limited--or there is no communication at all,” the report said. As such, projects and activities in the coming months had been designed to open communication links among coffee farmers and coffee processors.

One of the clusters’ projects is an industry forum where the industry stakeholders are expected to share common interests, industry information and updates on the growth and development of the coffee industry. The coffee cluster have decided to strengthen the industry group by coming up with a “Coffee Congress” among coffee cooperatives, farmers, associations, entrepreneurs, etc. that will cover production, processing, quality control, marketing, and various aspects of the coffee business in the region. Cluster members are planning to set up “values formation” training seminars among farmers and processors to make them recognize the importance of sharing industry information with each other. The coffee cluster team is also looking at setting up investment promo campaigns to entice local or foreign investors to put up coffee processing plants in the region in a bid to move the growing industry forward. [PNA]

Banana growers spend for foreign DA 12 mechanizes travels to get better market price farms in Mindanao

HE Federation of Cooperative in Mindanao (FEDCO) have opted to meet their prospective foreign buyers in their respective places just to get a good market price for their exportable bananas. FEDCO chief executive officer Ireneo Dalayon said he and other officials will be going to Japan to talk to about five prospective buyers saying that talking directly with potential buyers is a way of getting best results in terms of market price.

This would also mean huge expenses for the banana growers, Dalayon said although he added their trip is in time for the Food Expo. “We will be in Japan on March 4 to 5 to do some marketing. You can get a higher price if you go directly to your potential buyers,” Dalayon said. FEDCO, which has about 3,000 members, is producing 7,000 boxes of exportable bananas per week at US$ 12 CNF (cost and freight) per box. Aside from Japan,

FEDCO is targeting buyers from the Middle East, which Dalayon described as among the new market for the Philippine bananas. Dalayon said banana growers have to spend a lot like traveling in order get higher price for their bananas, otherwise it will end up only in the local markets at very low price. Marketing is among the many problems confronting the banana industry. Other problems include the Panama disease and funding, Dalayon said.

Panama disease is a plant disease attacking the roots of the banana plants. It has no cure and can not be controlled by fungicide. Dalayon said banana growers will be discussing with the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and of Agriculture (DA) in Region 11 (Southern Mindanao) on the marketing of bananas with the onset of the peak months of February, March and May. “We have to rationalize the marketing,” he said.[PNA]

with new technology to produce high quality coir products for the global export market,” says Undersecretary Merly Cruz of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which spearheaded the technology mission to India. The Philippine technology mission team from DTI, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Departments of Agriculture (DA) and of Science and Technology (DOST), private sector, visited and toured the coir factories in the city of Aleppey, India considered the nerve center of Kerala’s coir industry.

Coir is a natural fiber extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses among others. Here, the mission watch how the factories produced world-class coir products like multi-colored tufted mats, carpets and matting using tufting machines. Export markets for these high quality coir products from India include China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe and the USA, according to the mission report. Impressed by the ef-

ficiency of the machines used in Kerala’s coir manufacturing facilities, PCA came out with a shopping list of machinery and equipment that can be bought from India. Among these machinery are mobile decorticators, geotextile tensile strength testing machine and a tufting machinery and equipment. The mission team visited and toured the stateowned factories of the Kerala State Coir Corp and the Foam Mattings India Ltd, as well two private firms, the D.C. Mills Ltd and Travancore Cocotuft Pvt Ltd. [PNA]

India agrees to help PHL coco coir industry

HE Kerala state of India has agreed to help the Philippine government in developing its coconut coir industry. In a recent technology mission to India led by a Philippine delegation of key government agencies, Kerala state officials agreed on supplying coir machinery and equipment, provide technical training, technology transfer, information exchange and help the local coco coir industry with marketing and investments. “This is a big push for our coco coir industry, it will help the industry

N a bid to attain food sufficiency in Region 12, Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala over the weekend led the distribution of various agricultural machineries to beneficiary farmers and fisherfolk. Alcala and other agriculture officials were here over to join some 2,500 DA-12 officials, farmers and fisherfolk in the “Ulat sa Bayan” and Farmers’ Hearts Day. The program was launched by DA to recognize and appreciate the farmers’ contribution in the government’s efforts to attain Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Program. Forty hand tractors, 20 units floating tiller, 35 units shallow tube well engines and seven units of mini-4-WD tractors from Agri-Pinoy Palayan program were distributed by Alcala and DA-12 regional director Amalia Jayag-Datukan to farmer beneficiaries from North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Saranggani, Sultan Kudarat, Gen. Santos City and Cotabato City. Under the Agri-Pinoy Maisan Program, Alcala and Datukan distributed three units of cassava granulator cum shredder, two sets of moisture

meter, two units of disc harrow, 2 disc plow, one unit 90 horsepower 4-WD tractor, two units village type corn-oncobs dryer, eight units of hermetic cocoon and two units shredder. Alcala also distributed under Agri-Pinoy High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) 13 units power sprayer; 1,700 tins of onion seedlings; 35 plastic water drums; 1,800 meters of HDPE pipes; 14 units knapsack sprayer; one unit of hand tractor with complete accessories for LGU-Malungon, Saranggani and another 35 HP 4-WD tractor for LGU-Tupi, South Cotabato. The tractor distribution was under the 85-15 percent counterpart schemed of high value crops program. Under the Organic Agriculture program, Alcala handed over under the Organic Agriculture Program three units of 1.5 ton capacity shredder and three unhits of bag closer to the local governments of Kidapawan, General Santos and Columbio, Sultan Kudarat while three units of chiller and two units of chest type freezer were turned over to the Barangay Food Terminals. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Residents warned... FFROM 1

in Calinan District here were evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to rising water in Davao River. As of press time, the Davao City Risk Reduction and Management Office (DCRRMO) has yet to determine the number of families evacuated. At around 12:30 p.m., the DCRRMO already raised alarm on residents living near riverbanks and advised them to be on standby for evacuation after the water level in Davao and Lasang rivers have reached alarming level. Davao City has been experiencing continuous rainfall due to tropical depression “Crising” since Monday afternoon. Nineteen areas including Davao City has been placed under storm signal no. 1. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio ordered the suspension of classes from preschool to high school yesterday due to bad weather brought about by tropical depression Crising. She also placed all rescue units run by the Emergency Response Center Central 911 and the barangays rescue groups on heightened alert due to the possible swelling of Davao River and other tributaries in the city and landslide on the highland areas. “Per Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGA-

SA) Heavy Rainfall Yellow Advisory No. 1 issued at 8:53pm Monday, Davao City is expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall due to the weather system, so classes will be suspended from preschool to high school on February 19, 2013,” Duterte-Carpio said. She said the suspension of classes for college and post-graduate levels and work in private sector will be left to the discretion of school administrators and employers, respectively. Genelito Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education in Davao Region affirmed the suspension of classes in preschool and highschool in all areas placed under the tropical storm signal no. 1 in Davao Region namely, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley. Commander Jose Luspo, chief of the Sta. Ana Wharf Detachment of the Philippine Coast Guard ordered the suspension of sea travel from Davao City to Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal and Talikud Island which are also placed under tropical storm signal no. 1. He said that travelling towards these destinations takes one-hour and will surely expose people to rough seas. Luspo said that the ferry service and the sea travel between Kilometer 11 Sasa, Davao City and Villa

Rica, Island Garden City of Samal will continue in order not to totally isolate the access of residents to the main land. He explained it only takes 15 minutes to travel in these sea lanes. The operation center of the Office of Civil Defense XI also warned the local risk reduction management councils to take precautionary measures and to observe red alert. The PAGASA reported as of 4:00 am Tuesday, the center of tropical depression Crising was estimated based on available data at 310 kilometers east of General Santos City with maximum sustained winds at 45 kilometers per hour near the center and it estimated to move west northwest at 22 kilometers per hour. Classes suspended in 8 DavNor towns In Davao del Norte, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario has declared the suspension of classes in eight municipalities in the province in view of Tropical Depression “Crising” which, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), was moving closer to the Southern tip of Davao del Sur as of 11 A.M. Tuesday (Feb. 19). “The Governor has declared the suspension of classes only in the eight municipalities under the

Davao del Norte-Department of Education Schools Division,” Provincial Information Officer Romulo Tagalo said yesterday. The declaration does not include the three cities of Samal, Tagum and Panabo, he added. Tagalo said del Rosario’s pronouncement came after the water levels in the different rivers in the province have started to swell and continue to do so because of the weather condition. “The Governor was anticipating that the rains will continue because of the Tropical Depression and he just wants everyone to be safe,” he said. Tagalo said the province has stepped up its advocacy to ensure the safety of the residents considering the changing weather patterns in Mindanao. The province has officially launched “Oplan ANDAM” Monday. He said they have started their barangay visits on February 6 for their information dissemination activity and have visited barangays Dujali, Kapalong and New Corella. They were supposed to visit barangay Gupitan yesterday, he said, but the visit was postponed due to the weather condition. During their visits, the PDRRMC conducts a lecture on climate change and a workshop for the community members. “It is the people themselves

who will map out the areas usually flooded as well as the evacuation centers during the workshop,” he added. Under Oplan ANDAM, the provincial government through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) will raffle off up to 20 emergency grab kits for every barangay with an estimated cost of P800 each. The grab kits include batteries, flashlight, transistor radio with AM/FM, rice, noodles, whistle and a First Aid Kit. DavNor LGU vigilant as river continues to rise In Tagum City, the response team of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) in Davao del Norte continues to be vigilant even as the water levels in the different tributaries in the province continue to rise. “The water levels in the different tributaries are gradually on the rise due to the continued rains,” PDRRMC Executive Officer Sonio Sanchez said. He said there is a noted swelling of the waters in Libuganon, Saub and other tributaries in the province as a result of Tropical Depression Crising which, as of 11 A.M. Tuesday was moving closer to the Southern tip of Davao del Sur. Sanchez said pre-emptive evacuations are being done in Talaingod where the river has started to

swell. In Sto. Tomas town, he said, residents have been alerted for possible evacuation because of the swelling of the Tuganay River. As of 9 A.M. yesterday, PDRRMC reported that Barangay Florida in Kapalong is already flooded and is no longer passable. “We are now preparing our rubber boats and other equipment for any emergency,” he said. However, he added, they are trying to evacuate the residents early while the water is still at a manageable level as it would be very difficult to do that at night time. He said the swelling of the rivers will tend to accumulate water and will flood downstream communities so pre-emptive evacuation is highly recommended. We have already warned the highly-distressed areas like Carmen, Braulio Dujali and Tagum City, he added. PDRRMC has also installed the Disaster Monitoring Board at the Center so that reports from the different agencies involved in rescue and pre-emptive evacuation activities can be mapped out and collated. He said that if the movement of TD Crising continues they expect a landfall in San Agustin Davao Oriental. However, if it reduces its speed then it can make a landfall in Davao City or when further reduced, in Zamboanga City. (MindaNews/Carolyn Arguillas, Jess Casalda/PNA and PIA XI)

kami” (No matter how many rallies they would stage, we cannot release the rice unless they submit the distribution list because we are responsible for that), she said. Barug agreed in the January 15 document signed with Soliman, on the following: the submission of a distribution plan which includes place and time; distribution list containing the names of recipients and addresses; names of responsible persons who shall guarantee safe distribution; place of distribution (barangay/purok); and distribution to be witnessed by DSWD representative and a provincial and local government unit (LGU) representative. The agreement also provides that the release of rice will be done at DSWD regional office depot; that the goods are acknowledged as coming from DSWD and PLGU (provincial LGU); that a report after distribution be rendered; and that proper storage of the rice following safety standards is ensured. According to the distribution plan it submitted, Barug will distribute the rice in eight towns in Compostela Valley (Nabunturan, Montevista, Laak, Mawab, Compostela, Maragusan, New Bataan and Monkayo); three towns in Davao Oriental (Baganga,

Cateel and Boston); one town in Davao del Norte (Kapalong); and three towns in Agusan del Sur (Veruela, Loreto and Trento). Compostela, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte belong to Region 11 or the Davao region while Agusan del Sur belongs to Caraga region. ‘Afraid’ Barug organizers expressed fears the list would be used for something else. In a press statement dated February 11 and e-mailed to media outlets by BAYAN-Southern Mindanao, Barug called for Soliman’s ouster, citing alleged irregularities. It alleged that the DSWD has been “conniving with the fascist AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) for its counter-insurgency program in demanding the names of rice recipients--a questionable government procedure given the relief and quick assistance nature of such a service.” “The DSWD’s insistence (on the distribution list) bolters our suspicion that the names could be used against other members of Barug Katawhan so that they too could be charged with similar criminal offenses, earlier filed against Barug Katawhan leaders. Eight members and supporters of Barug are facing charges for leading the Montevista barricade. Bello Tindasan, Barug’s farmer sector lead-

er, said residents fear the military’s participation in the rehabilitation program might be used for counter-insurgency. “We have received threats from the military, saying that those who joined the barricade were members of the NPA (New People’s Army),” he said. Soliman said the police filed cases against eight leaders of the group for alleged public disorder, among others. No charges were filed against those who participated in the barricade, she said. About a hundred members of Barug picketed in front of the DSWD regional office on February 12

calling for Soliman’s ouster, citing DSWD’s alleged corrupt and inept implementation of relief and rehabilitation operations. “On the corruption and allegation… it is important to have evidence,” Soliman said. On calls for her ouster, Soliman said: “I serve at the pleasure of the President.” “Serving at the pleasure of a President who is equally insensitive to the plight of the poor fits her well enough…she did the same kind of ‘pleasurable’ service, too, under the hated regime of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” said lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, second nominee

of Bayan Muna partylist. Bayan Southern Mindanao spokesperson Sheena Duazo said the recent exposé and cases filed against the DSWD are “glaring proof that the agency is lying about transparency.” Suazon said the January 15 barricade was a concrete proof of DSWD’s negligence. Grace Curso, Barug’s women sector leader, claimed Barug represents the “real” voices of the victims and that their group will investigate any compaint related to government’s relief and rehabilitation program. [Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews with a report from Carolyn O. Arguillas]

continue to help students and out of school youth all-year round. “This is a good vehicle to provide work experience,” he said. Suyao added that 40 percent of the salary will be coming from DOLE and 60 percent comes from McDonalds. “Of course they will be receiving the minimum wage and with this, it will be of great help in supporting their studies,” he said. Suyao also bared that aside from the city gov-

ernment who helps the SPES program 15 private employers also committed to support and accept SPES beneficiaries. “It’s good to know that a lot of companies are extending their commitment in helping the youth, in order to get trained and earn money for their studies. We are hopeful that there are more employers to open their doors so that many youth can benefit on the SPES program,” Suyao said.

Sec. Dinky...

FFROM 1

adding, “kahit magrally pa sila… labag sa batas ang pinaggagawa nila sa amin” (even if they stage a rally, we cannot release the rice because what they want us to do is a violation of law). She said the distribution list is not a special requirement for Barug but a requirement for all. Other entities asking for rice such as municipalities, comply with the requirement, she said. Soliman said this is the reason why there are family access cards. “This is being done at the barangay and municipal levels. This is not new and this is not during disasters only but in all other programs such as 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). We have a list of names with addresses and we have a system where the Commission on Audit can come to us, or it can go to the beneficiaries to check on them. That is the reason why we are asking for a list but until now they have not given it.” She explained that the DSWD will have to account for the 10,000 sacks of rice which cost millions of pesos. A sack of rice at the National Food Authority costs P1,350. Ten thousand sacks would cost at least P10 million pesos. “So kahit na mag-rally sila nang mag-rally, hanggat hindi nila ibibigay yung listahan, hindi rin namin maibibigay kasi may responsibilidad

136 SPES...

FFROM 2

of the 102 SPES beneficiaries in 2012, 26 were hired as employees of the food chain. “McDonalds will provide a lifetime chance to get employed regularly regardless of your educational attainment and this will be based on the performance you have shown during the time you are employed on us under SPES program” she added. Joffrey Suyao, Regional Director of DOLE said that the program will

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VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

SPORTS 13

Ivanovic advances in Dubai D

UBAI (Reuters) - Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3 7-6 in the first round of the Dubai tennis championships on Monday while U.S. teenager Sloane Stephens was eliminated in three sets to cap a miserable debut trip to the Gulf. Ivanovic’s career has dipped since she won the French title in 2008, sinking from number one in the world rankings to 13th, and she was far from flawless on the floodlit Dubai court. The Serb slipped from 4-0 up in the second set to 6-6 as her first serve percentage plunged, before winning the subsequent tiebreak 7-5. She was still too strong for 21-year-old Pavlyuchenkova, breaking in the first game and remaining largely in control thereafter, with her Russian opponent’s forehand too often found wanting to really put her higher-ranked adversary in trouble. “I really want to, you know, break into the top 10 again,” Ivanovic said. “I feel I have the game, but I just haven’t been consistent enough, especially against the top players.” Ivanovic broke for a second time to go 4-1 up in the first set, a fierce cross-court return earning a break point she converted after Pavlyuchenkova thumped a forehand into the net. Yet Ivanovic immediately

lost her own serve to love as the world number 29 closed to 4-3 but the 25-year-old roused herself again, dropping only two points in the next two games as Pavlyuchenkova double-faulted to gift her the first set. The Serb blamed her second set slump on a troubled shoulder. “I have been struggling for weeks now,” Ivanovic said. “I was kind of afraid to hit the ball because it was getting a bit sore, but I was just so happy to win in two (sets) so I can regenerate more and try to be ready for the next one.” STEPHENS STRUGGLES AGAIN Stephens, who suffered a second-round exit in last week’s Qatar Open, was beaten 5-7 6-3 6-2 by Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and the world number 16 said she had found it tough going in her first trip to the Gulf. “It’s two tournaments in a place I have never been before, a very different situation for me,” Stephens said. “Some days you’re going to be on court and it’s not just going to turn out the way you want. Today I didn’t play my best tennis, and last week I didn’t play my best tennis.” The 19-year-old, who defeated newly installed world number one Serena Williams on the way to reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, started confidently in front of a sparse Dubai crowd.

PRETTY AND POWERFUL. Ana Ivanovic hits a backhand return.

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

DavNor is 2014 PRISAA Nat’l Games host

By Neil Bravo

HE Province of Davao del Norte was the hands down choice as host to the 2014 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games. Provincial Information Officer Romulo Tagalo told EDGE Davao in an interview late Monday the province’s winning bid for the hosting rights of the biggest collegiate sports conclave. The bidding was conducted in Lingayen, Pangasinan last week during the 2013 PRISAA National Games. Tagalo said Vice Governor Baby Suaybaguio and provincial sports coordinator Giovani Gulanes presented the bid for Davao del Norte. “We won the bidding unanimously after the PRISAA Board found our offer as the best there is,” Tagalo bared. The PRISAA National Games thus becomes the biggest sports event in the

Davao Region since Socsargen hosted the Palarong Pambansa in 1996. The province is also hosting the 2013 Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet beginning this Sunday at the newly-reconstructed Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center. With the completion of the P242-Million sports complex, Davao del Norte is also eyeing the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa in 2015 when the turn of Mindanao comes. The 60-year old PRISAA attracts some 5,000 athletes and officials in every staging of the national championships featuring the best collegiate athletes of the country. In the recent PRISAA National Games in Pangasinan and Dagupan, Central Visayas retained the overall championship while Davao Region fin- CHAMPS. The Ateneo de Davao University mini squad received their championship trophy after winning over the Assumption College of Davao in the Mini Division Finals of ished fourth. the 1st Emilio Escandor Cup at the DCRC Gym. (NJB)

Go explodes for 58

ONG Go exploded for 58 points and not even an entire 911 brigade can do something about the wildfire. If the figures were awesome, think again. Those 58 points were not even the highest individual score for the night. Even with 58 points, Go lost a shooting duel with Emerson Bentulan who scorched the net with 60 for the night as the two hotshots combined for a record 118 points, the highest combined output by two opposing players in recent memory. Despite losing their individual battle, Go had the bigger smile after his Sanguniang Panlalawigan squad that has been playing lackadaisical lately is finally back on the winning track.

After seeing his team in an unusual position in the standings, the dreaded spitfire came to the match locked and loaded. Once he got into his shooting groove, the SP triggerman got all his guns ablaze for his biggest outburst in the tournament. An incensed Go was all that the SP cagers needed to spark what has been a lacklustre performance in the tournament so far as they dropped Central 91, 120-100, in the ongoing 76th Araw ng Dabaw – DACHEA Basketball Tournament (Category A) at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. Not even the cold weather and the throng of 911 defenders could cool Go as he burned the hoop all night like a gunman running amuck.

ONE ON ONE. Francis Gabriel Escandor of Ateneo Blue Knights goes one on one in this sequence during the Passerelle finals of the 1st Emilio Escandor Cup at the DCRC Gym. The Blue Knights bowed to Holy Child. (TRMH Photo)

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

STYLE

Promod opens its 13th store in SM Lanang Premier THE FRENCH women’s fashion brand Promod strengthens its presence in the Philippines with the opening of a new store in SM Lanang Premier last February 14. The store, which covers 170 m² of the upper ground floor of the mall, sells all prêt-à-porter and accessory collections designed by Promod. Promod set up in the Philippines in 2007 with the opening of its first store in Manila. Since then, other stores have been opened in various malls in the region, and later on in Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro. Promod is an independent family business that started by selling professional clothing which they chose to not to list on the stock market. After eventually crossing over to mainstream fashion, the brand was created in France in 1975 and now has over 1000 stores in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It achieved a turnover of 950 million Euros in 2011, a significant growth compared to the previous year. It appeals to over 225 million visitors per year and employs around 6,500 people worldwide. Promod is one of the fastest growing French ladies’ apparel brands. The brand’s collections are designed by an integrated team of stylists who create women’s garments and ac-

cessories that are easy to wear for young, active, and casual women. The brand’s over-all aesthetic embodies the ‘je ne sais quoi’ feel of the Parisian high street with its modern fashion that seamlessly blends in with the classic and trendy. Promod responds to emerging fashion by bringing au courant collections that are fine-tuned to what all women want. Spring collection offers a feminine mix of military and grunge with pronounced ethnic inspiration from the Indian and Native American tribal styles; think embroidery and lace inserts paired with graphic Cherokee and cashmere prints in the coolest fabrics of cotton, voile, denim and viscose. The ubiquity of the button down denim shirt and khaki hues keep the themes intertwined to create a strong message of urban ethnic. Always keeping it modern, Promod constantly updates its retail collection with fresh and original merchandise that will keep

women coming back. Collections are renewed every two weeks with exciting new stories and themes being developed each time. Whether on line or in stores, each and every one can discover their themes and colors of the moment for constantly up-to-date shopping.

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A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

SM Lanang Premier Cyberzone has IT all!

LOCATED at the 3rd floor of SM Lanang Premier is the Cyberzone, a leader in the business of selling gadgets. It houses more than 20 stores of services and retail to provide the most interactive and technological experience for its shoppers. Mobile Phones The new generation of mobile phones has turned out to be an all the rage medium for entertainment and functionality. Check out the sleekest and smartest phones in the market at 8telecom, Infinitech, Tekpone, Ytelecom and Herrera. Solid Nokia or Samsung mobile fans may also visit respective stores for updates. Laptops and Computers The right computer can be the center of your digital home — everyday tasks and homework, plus photos, music and games! Enjoy excellent product selections and resources of computer ports, hardware, electronics and more. For your PC/laptop-related needs, visit Acer, Asianic, Columbia, Comworks, Lenovo, Octagon, PC Quickbuys and Technomart. For repairs and checkups, SST Laptop and Techspecs may just be the heroes you are looking for. Accessories Jazz up your gadgets! Grab accessories for your smartphones, computers laptops and gaming consoles from Capdase, CDR-King, Cyberwidget and Games & Gadgets. It’s one thing to have your gadget on hand. It’s another to have it personalized. Cameras Are you a professional photographer, hobbyist or just a plain shutterbug? Fret not. iClick and Nikon has the right gears for your type of photography. Avail of amazing deals on cameras, lenses and whole lot more! Specialty Shops For the latest in computer gaming, visit Datablitz and Gameplace. Checkout Qube for your security camera needs. Providing nothing but excellent product selection and resources, Cyberzone is also home to service centers such as Globe, Samsung IT and the Sun Shop. For all your IT needs, SM Lanang Premier Cyberzone has IT all and so much more! For inquiries, call 285.0943. Like SM Lanang Premier on Facebook or follow @SMLanangPremier on Twitter for event and promo updates.

More than pancakes, Pancake House opens at SM Lanang Premier! SM Lanang Premier continues to bring definitive shopping and dining experience to its shoppers as Pancake House Inc., opens at the 3rd level of the mall. Pancake House continues to blaze new trails and steadily developed its house of brands to appeal to varying palates and age groups having built its base as the first and only restaurant that offered pancakes and waffles to a market accustomed mostly to ricebased food. Where plain and flavored pancakes and waffles were once just a delightful breakfast treat in a cozy restaurant with a backdrop of classic movie

posters, these are now part of Pancake House’s strong array of interna-

tional and local dishes. From Classic pancakes and waffles to International delights, soups and fresh garden salads, and special sets of hale and hearty mains. Originally established in 1970 and later acquired in 2000, Pancake House today never fails to be associated with delicious comfort food, distinctly homey dining experience, and friendly service – all of which have kept generations of families coming back for more. Pancake House remains prudent and deliberate in its ventures, knowing that it has generations of loyal customers who expect nothing less. Visit Pancake House

now at the 3rd level of SM Lanang Premier and have a taste of more than just great pancakes! Pancake house is also located at the 2nd floor main mall of SM City Davao and at the ground floor of SM City General Santos.

A BALLROOM VALENTINES AT THE WATERFRONT INSULAR HOTEL DAVAO. It was a special Valentines evening for couples and families at the Ballroom Valentines event at the Garden Tent of the Waterfront Insular Hotel. Five Vibe serenaded guests with love songs, as Jappy & Co. gave a dance production number of love dances that accompanied guests for the whole night of romantic music and dancing. Buffet stations serving pasta to freshly grilled seafood and sweet and beautifully presented pastries by expert Waterfront chefs captured the hearts of guests that made them want to return for another lovely evening next Valentine day, hopefully with the same companion as a date.

INdulge! A3

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

Doc Nielsen’s search for the bluebanded sea snake continues this Wednesday on Born To Be Wild IN famous Lake Taal , Doc Nielsen and his team have documented two out of the three species of water snakes that can be found in the area – the file snake or duhol basahan and the endemic Lake Taal water snake or duhol matapang. Last on his list is the blue-banded sea krait or walo-walo. According to locals, however, it’s been a while since they last saw this species of water snake. Based on history, Lake Taal was once part of Balayan Bay . A series of eruptions from Mt. Taal formed the lake the people know now. Some say that blue banded sea snake sightings dwindled after these eruptions. And even after decades of being a popular tourist site, it seems there is still

more to uncover beneath this fascinating lake. Will Doc Nielsen find out the truth about the presence of the blue-banded sea snake in Lake Taal ? Meanwhile, Doc Ferds has joined a team of experts studying bats in Bohol . He enters a majestic cave and witnesses a powerful force in the sky – thousands of bats flying out to forage. And as the bats come out, predators lurk to eat them one by one. Doc Ferds also

joins the experts in getting blood samples from bats to find out whether human activities have affected their health. Although long considered creatures of darkness and even seen as pests, bats play a crucial role in the ecosystem, and a crash in nature’s balance is not unlikely should these bats disappear. Find out why on Born To Be Wild this Wednesday, February 20, after Saksi on GMA-7!

SOUNDS like Harry Styles won’t be penning any songs about his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift anytime soon! The One Direction heartthrob has finally broken his silence about his split from the country superstar, telling Capital FM, a UK radio station, that he’s doing “OK” since the couple called it quits in early January. “Yeah, I’m good,” he says.

But was the 19-yearold British sensation also feeling “OK” about Swift’s possible diss towards him during her performance at the Grammys, during which she adopted a British accent? Sorry, but Styles won’t be giving Swift, 23, any song-writing fuel as he’s quick to praise his ex when asked about her performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back

Together.” “She’s a great performer. She always performs great and she’s always good on the stage,” Styles says. “She’s done it for a long time. She knows what she’s doing on stage. It was just another good Taylor Swift performance. It was good.” Swift and Styles will be reunited soon as both are expected to perform at the Brit Awards Feb. 20.

Harry Styles breaks silence on split from Taylor Swift: “I’m good”

Fergie and Josh Duhamel confirm singer’s pregnancy: “My lovely baby bump” AFTER dodging pregnancy rumors earlier this month, Fergie and Josh Duhamel have confirmed they are expecting their first child together. “Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!! #mylovelybabybump,” Fergie tweeted Monday, along with a photo of herself and Duhamel as children. Her 40-year-old Safe Haven star hubby also announced the news on his Facebook page, writing “Fergie and Me and BABY makes three. #MyLovelyBabyBump,” along with the same photo. While Duhamel stayed mum when we asked him about baby bump

rumors at his recent Safe Haven premiere in Los Angeles, the thesp did say having a child would be his “greatest life achievement.”

The 37-year-old Black Eyed Peas singer and Duhamel tied the knot in 2009 in a lavish, star-studded ceremony in Malibu. Congrats!

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 250 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

HEALTH

Chocolate vs chocolate

What are the nutritional differences between dark and milk chocolate?

EVERBODY loves chocolate. But which type is the healthiest—milk chocolate or dark chocolate? To help you make the smartest decision, here are some facts that may have you thinking twice about your chocolate of choice. Chocolate and heart health For what it’s worth, chocolate is rich in fat to start, but milk chocolate is the biggest culprit here—compared to dark chocolate, milk chocolate contains more saturated fat, which in excess is associated with high blood cholesterol and heart problems. On the contrary, epidemiological and correlational studies have identified associations between dark chocolate and improved heart health. For instance, a 2012 study published by the British Medical Journal showed that hypertensive patients experienced fewer instances of “cardiovascular events” after eating dark chocolate daily. Other studies show correlations between dark chocolate consumption and a reduced risk of death from a heart attack. On the contrary, no studies have identified beneficial cardiovascular links with increased milk chocolate consumption. Chocolate and calories We all know it: Eating too many calories causes weight gain (as well as a slew of associated health risks, such as diabetes). It’s easy—incredibly easy,

some might say—to overdo your caloric intake when chocolate is involved, but is one chocolate necessarily better than the other? Unfortunately, healthier

a myth that eating healthier chocolate will make you gain less weight simply because it has more health benefits. Your body does not differentiate between healthy or unhealthy calo-

For a good dose of antioxidants, most diet experts recommend dark chocolate over milk, thanks to a few studies that gained national attention. doesn’t necessarily mean fewer calories here. On average, milk chocolate and dark chocolate carry the same amount of calories—usually around 560 calories per 100 gram serving—which can both help pile on the pounds if you’re not careful with your caloric intake. It’s also

ries; if you eat too many calories, you’ll gain weight, regardless of what you’re eating. Chocolate and antioxidants For a good dose of antioxidants, most diet experts recommend dark chocolate over milk, thanks to

a few studies that gained national attention. And it’s true: Dark chocolate does carry antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. But dark chocolate isn’t the only beneficial chocolate here. According to Penny Kris-Etherton, a nutrition professor from Penn State, some types of milk chocolate (namely the high-quality kinds) carry bioactive molecules, which can benefit your health. If you opt for milk chocolate with nuts such as almonds, you’ll get a double whammy: antioxidants and monounsaturated fat, which may reduce your heart disease risk. Dark chocolate versus milk chocolate: Which is best? While more health benefits are linked to daily dark chocolate consumption, it’s not as powerful as you think—consuming too much dark chocolate can still make you gain weight and put you at risk for obesity-associated illnesses, such as diabetes. On the contrary, milk chocolate doesn’t contain as many health benefits, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely bad for you; in moderation, having a bar of milk chocolate won’t affect your health. The takeaway: If you’re really concerned about your health, consider dark chocolate, but don’t stress if you choose milk chocolate. Both are good options for your partner for special occasions—in moderation.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL.5 ISSUE 250 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Can the Lakers survive the funk?

Kobe Bryant feels the world crumbling down on the Lakers.

OUSTON (AP) -Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers turned their attention Monday from bad basketball and trade talk to more somber matters. The death of Jerry Buss, their longtime owner, was a blow for a franchise that was so often in championship chase under his leadership. With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and finally Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers won 10 titles under since Buss became owner in 1979. The Bryant-Gasol-Dwight Howard-Steve Nash combination wasn’t working nearly as well. The Lakers are 25-29, currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, miles behind the Clippers in their division and their own building, and out of the playoff race. Gasol is hurt and Howard has been unhappy, leading to spec-

ulation he could be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline even though the Lakers have said otherwise. Yet Bryant spoke confidently of a turnaround Sunday after the All-Star game, just hours before Buss’ death at 80. ‘’I think we’ve been playing pretty well coming into the break,’’ Bryant said. ‘’We laid a couple of eggs there against the Celtics and the Clippers, but all in all we’ve been playing pretty well, much better than we have been. We just have to continue to improve and we’ll do much better in the second half.’’ It starts Tuesday, with the Lakers looking to get back on track, the Miami Heat in command in the East and LeBron James in command of everyone. Bryant blocked James’ shots twice in the final minutes of the West’s 143138 victory over the East on Sunday in the All-Star

game. It was a rare failure for James, who has been sensational all season and whose Heat have hit their stride. Miami ran off seven straight victories going into the break and starting to build a comfortable lead in the conference. ‘’We just want to play our game,’’ he said. ‘’We want to continue to get better each and every game. Not waste an opportunity when we get on the floor. Play as a team and if we do that, we’ll be fine. The Heat overwhelmed the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday in an NBA Finals rematch, improving to just 13-11 on the road. AllStar forward Chris Bosh said Miami is only a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, believing the Heat still have to put together a string of road victories to prove they are really in championship form. ‘’Just the fact that we had room to improve, we

Kobe Bryant horses around with Jerry Buss who purchased the Lakers for $16 million in 1979. Buss taught Bryant the importance of loyalty. (AP)

can play better on the road and we’re still first in the East, that means a lot to us and that means we can get a lot better,’’ Bosh said. New York is the closest challenger in the standings, while Indiana and Chicago have already beaten Miami this season and could become stronger with Danny Granger soon returning to the Pacers and perhaps Derrick Rose coming back to the Bulls at some point.

San Antonio, with the league’s best record, Oklahoma City and the Clippers are the teams in best position to face the Heat if they reach their third straight finals. The Lakers were considered a candidate, but that was long ago. The summer acquisitions of Howard and Nash were supposed to get the Lakers right back to the top. But Nash was hurt early and Howard has never

fully recovered from back surgery, adding a torn labrum in his right shoulder to his problems. He has not fit well in Mike D’Antoni’s offense and has acknowledged not always having fun this season. What’s more, he has given the Lakers no guarantee he will return when he becomes a free agent in July. But would they really deal a player who was the NBA’s dominant big man before his injuries?

Lakers owner dies It couldn’t get sadder than this

OS ANGELES – Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner who transformed the team into the glamour franchise of a revitalized NBA, died on Monday at the age of 79, the Los Angeles Times reported. Buss had been reported to be in hospital last week fighting an undisclosed form of cancer. Buss purchased the Lakers, their former Forum arena, the Los Angeles Kings National Hockey League team and a 13,000-acre Kern County ranch from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million in 1979. When Buss bought the Lakers, they had won one championship in the previous 25 seasons. Buss made the Lakers one of the biggest draws in Los Angeles with a combination of shrewd personnel moves on and

Jerry Buss off the court and a feel for show business glamour. The Lakers have the highest payroll in the NBA at $100 million, but they were recently valued by Forbes magazine as being worth $1 billion — second in the NBA only to the New York Knicks. Buss’s 10 champion-

ships as an owner are the most in NBA history and he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Buss has handed over control of the franchise to son Jim, who looks after the basketball side of the club, while his daughter Jeanie oversees business matters.

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EDGEDAVAO

DavNor ready for DAVRAA By Neil Bravo

AVAO del Norte’s preparation for the 2013 Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) meet is down to the final trimmings of what could be a dry-run for bigger sporting events to come in the province. With just five days into the opening of the weeklong sports competition, Davao del Norte provincial government is ensuring security and organizational details of the week-long sports competition where some 5,000 athletes and officials from the six cities and

four provinces of the Davao Region will converge. The Davraa will be staged from February 25-March 1. The annual sports con-

clave among the region’s school-based elementary and secondary athletes will also sample the spanking new 12-hectare Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center (DNSCC) in Barangay Mankilam, Ta g u m C i t y. T h e newly-restored facility which w a s razed by fire years b a c k now features an all-weather track oval, 2,000 seat main grandstand, 10-lane Olympic-sized pool with a 1,000-seat bleacher, warm up pool, club house, and a professional lighting system that allows for night games. The facility was restored to the tune of P242-million under the administration of Governor Rodolfo Del Rosario. T h i s year’s Davraa meet

SLAM. Holy Child of Davao forward Al-Rashid Indon slams in the fourth quarter off a dish by Rowl Dignos to power the Reds past Ateneo de Davao University in the finals.

will feature 18 events for the elementary and secondary divisions. The events and their respective venues are: arnis (New Tagum City Hall), archery (DNSCC), athletics (DNSCC), badminton (New Tagum City Hall), baseball (Energy Park), basketball secondary boys (Rotary Park), basketball secondary girls (Bgy. San Miguel Gym), basketball elementary boys (Bgy. Apokon Gym), boxing (Tagum Freedom Park), chess (Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Provincial Capitol), football (DNSCC), gymnastics (New Tagum City Hall), lawn tennis (Rotary TC), sepak takraw (Tagum Trade and Cultural Center), sipa (Bgy. Mankilam Gym), softball (DNSCC), swimming (DNSCC), taekwondo (New Tagum City Hall), table tennis (NCCC Tagum), volleyball sec. Boys (UMTC Gym), volleyball sec. Girls (TCNHS), volleyball elem. boys (Bgy. Visayan Village Gym), and volleyball elem. girls (Bgy. Magugpo East Gym). Davao del Norte provincial information officer Romulo Tagalo said the opening program will be on February 25 at 3:00 p.m. with a short parade snaking from the Provincial Capitol to the nearby DNSCC. Davao del Norte first district Congressman Anthony del Rosario will be the keynote speaker with Governor Del Rosario welcoming the delegations from Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Digos City, Island Garden City of Samal, Mati City, Panabo City and Tagum City. Tagalo said a 15-minute foreworks display will cap the opening ceremonies.

The Reds won 99-85 to bag the Juniors crown of the 1st Emilio Escandor Cup. (TRMH PHOTO)