Edge Davao 5 Issue 26

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

Indulge!

Page A1

Binay denies tieup with Nogie group

By Jade C Zaldivar

COMMUNITY SENSE Page 10

V

ICE President Jejomar Binay denied reports that his recently formed coalition with former President Joseph Estrada, the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA), is supporting former House Speaker Prospero Nograles group in the 2013 mid-term

n Migs Zubiri accompanies VP

in interview with Pastor Quiboloy local elections, some 15 months from now.

During a visit to Davao City last Monday, Binay said he had no knowledge of Nograles deciding to join the

UNA. “Hindi ko ho alam yun. Basta sa aming petition, among others ang nakapirma is si Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former President Erap, ako, at si Senator Aquilino Pimentel,” Binay said in an interview at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Buhangin.

The vice president was invited by

FBINAY, 13

Sports Page 16

STRONG AS STEEL. A construction worker starts to resume his tasks after his lunch break in a construction of a new hotel in the city. Infrastructure projects are mush-

rooming in Davao City raising the optimism of the business community. [KARLOS MAN-

Mindanao’s power situation better, but...

Follow Us On

F

EWER areas in Mindanao are now experiencing power outages, a development that the Department of Energy attributed to a Department circular that aims to rationalize the power supply in the region.

But a lawmaker said this would mean higher rates for consumers, as the additional “expensive power” is being purchased from privatized power barges at P14 per kilowatt hour (kwh).

LUPIG ]

“The Department of Energy (DOE) stresses that not all areas in Mindanao have power outages such as the areas of Cotabato, Panabo, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Davao With the issuance of the Circular, areas not experiencing interruptions now include Malaybalay, Dipolog, Dapitan, Valencia, Camiguin, Panabo, Digos, Tagum, Mati, Cotabato, Surigao, Butuan,

and Cabadbaran,” it said in a statement issued on April 3.

The DOE said DC 2012-03-0004 directs electric cooperatives to nominate their needed power to supply their demands.

“This now results to less power outage for provinces in Mindanao and current power supply deficit of 100–160 MW from

FMINDANAO’S, 13

2

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Syrian conflict

DFA 11 stresses need to repatriate OFWs

By Lorie A. Cascaro

R

EPATRIATION of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from war-torn Syria is the primary concern of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) 11 so far this year, said Conejondo Fernandez, Administrative Officer, DFA 11.

Handling an average of five cases a day concerning OFWs from Mindanao, he said most cases are requests from OFWs’ families for the repatriation of their relatives from Syria.

“Kung pwede lang tanan OFWs naa didto ang atong i-repatriate tungod sa giyera,” he added.

Most of the Mindanao OFWs who are in Syria are from Davao Oriental and the cities of Cotabato and Davao.

Citing the repatriation of 47 OFWs from Syria last April 4, Fernandez said he hopes that all requests for repatriation from Syria would be granted.

Meanwhile, the Migrante International pointed out the late response of the Philippine government to the need to repatriate OFWs from Syria.

Its chairperson, Garry Martinez said the “OFWs who were forced to accept jobs, even those deployed illegally in Syria, serve as collateral damage with the Philippine government’s wait-and-see stance in its evacuation and repatriation efforts that should have been done early last year when the conflict first erupted in Syria and its inaction to refusal to join the international community to stop the war in Syria.”

Based on DFA re-

ports, out of 17,000 OFWs in Syria, only a little more than a thousand have been repatriated following the mandatory repatriation imposed by the Philippine government in the last quarter of 2011.

No exact figure Fernandez said there is no exact figure of distressed OFWs, especially in Saudi Arabia, which has the highest number of OFWs, because even the host government does not notify the Philippine Embassy about any convicted OFW. The exact figure of OFWs in Saudi Arabia and other countries cannot also be determined due to undocumented OFWs. Migrante-Dammam Chapter in Saudi Arabia recently reported 19 undocumented OFWs apprehended by authorities in a raid undertaken by the Mottawa police and Jawasat local immigration police in Dammam, Saudi Arabia last March 30.

The OFWs are currently detained in the Dammam Central jail,10 of them women (one pregnant) and children.

In a press release last April 6, Migrante-Saudi Arabia urged Philippine embassy officials “to provide legal assistance by immediately deploying its legal team for a jail visitation and to assist the detained undocumented OFWs by working for their repatriation.”

The number of undocumented OFWs in Saudi Arabia ranges from 6,000 to 8,000, a conservative estimate of the Migrante-Middle East.

Thousands more are undocumented in Kuwait, UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and other Mid-East countries.

Bishop marks Golden Jubilee with call vs large-scale mining

D

IOCESE of Marbel Bishop Dinualdo D. Gutierrez marked the 50th year of his priestly ministry yesterday with a late afternoon thanksgiving Mass where hundreds of parishioners offered prayers for the protection of the environment from the impact of large-scale mining in the area.

For the past 30 years, Gutierrez has been the bishop of Marbel, (Koronadal, South Cotabato) whose pastoral jurisdiction includes the town of Tampakan, host of the copper and gold project of foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines, Inc. Under his leadership, the diocese has been at the forefront of the strug-

gle against the Tampakan project, which is expected to go on commercial stream in 2016.

To commemorate his Golden Jubilee, Gutierrez celebrated a Special Mass, concelebrated by at least two dozen bishops from across the country and numerous priests under the diocesan territory.

One of the prayers read by a layperson included an appeal for government officials to help the Church in protecting the environment because it is God’s creation, apparently referring to the Tampakan copper-gold project. “[May the Lord God] hear the prayers of our people,” the bishops responded. [ROMER SARMIENTO/ MINDANEWS]

GREEN WALK. Mall-goers pass by an eco-friendly designed covered walkway in a shopping center in the city on Tuesday. Various efforts are now being made to lessen the ill effects of climate change in the planet including the

transformation of the architectural designs of commercial infrastructures to become environmentally friendly. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Pastor Quiboloy:

Binay to lead 2016 presidential race

By Jade C. Zaldivar

K

INGDOM of Jesus Christ founding Pastor Apollo Quiboloy predicts Vice President Jejomar Binay will ‘most likely lead’ the presidential race in 2016.

“Siya ang nakikita nating talagang mangunguna sa presidential election,” he said in an interview Monday night at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Buhangin, this city.

“Nakikita ko na out of sa lahat ng tatakbo in 2016, si Vice President Binay ang mangunguna dahil nafifeel ko ang pulso ng masa para sa kanya,” he said.

Quiboloy said Binay is ‘seasoned’ enough to become president of the country.

“What he (Binay) did to Makati he can do it for all the country. I have sincerely talked to him about that.

That’s what I really hope for na umangat naman ang bansa natin gaya ng ibang Asian countries. Binay is really ripe and seasoned for national leadership,” said the spiritual leader of over six million followers worldwide.

Binay was Quiboloy’s special guest at the latter’s TV regular show “Give Us This Day.” Although unfamiliar with the setting, Binay said he was moved by the activ-

n Says Binay will be a ‘uniting president’ ity.

“I think this is one of the best TV programs. Hindi ko nga alam kung ano ang format nito eh. Akala ko prayer meeting ito, but it turned out to be a regular televised program. Ang ganda ng programa. It was worth it coming here,” he said.

Uniting president Quiboloy dubbed Binay a ‘uniting president’ following the latter’s coalition with former President Joseph Estrada in creating the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA).

Binay is from the Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) while Estrada’s from Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

Following UNA’s submission of a petition for recognition to the Commission on Elections, several names from different political parties cropped up as members or aspiring to be members of UNA. The spiritual leader lauded this, saying under the leadership of Binay differences among political parties will be set aside.

“Ito yung dinadalangin ko na magkaroon tayo ng presidente na ganito. This was my wish even beforeto have a uniting president,” Binay said.

“Kita ninyo sa lahat ng

partido kumakabit kay Vice President Binay sapagkat he is a uniting president, this is what our country needs today. Ito ngang biblical adage sinasabi na ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ Unity ang kailangan natin higit sa lahat,” he added.

The pastor also confirmed that former Senator Miguel Zubiri, who accompanied Binay in his visit, had asked for his (Quiboloy’s) ;blessing.

“Hindi naman mapapagkaila na napagusapan namin yung line-up ng UNA at isa na nga roon si Senator Zubiri,” Quiboloy said.

Estrada earlier issued a statement that although an ex-member of LakasKampi, the coalition of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Zubiri is considered an ‘asset’ to UNA’s senatorial ticket.

Zubiri’s membership in UNA is currently contested by member Senator Aquilino Pimentel III. It may be recalled

Quips

that in the 2007 senatorial election, Zubiri won the 12th and last seat with 11,005,866 votes against Pimentel’s 10,984,347 votes.

With a ‘losing’ margin of 21,519 votes, Pimentel filed an electoral protest citing in particular the votes from Maguindanao, where he had ‘lost’ heavily to Zubiri.

On July 2011, suspended governor Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a leading suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case, claimed that during the 2007 elections former President Arroyo’s camp had ordered that votes for three senatorial candidates be transferred in favor of Zubiri.

Amid the poll fraud controversy, Zubiri announced his resignation as senator on August 3, 2011, saying he was victim of trial by publicity.

A few days later, Pimentel was declarted the winner over Zubiri and was sworn in as senator.

‘THERE is no reason for the central office to disapprove the petition considering that the agency already approved the provisional fare increase of P0.50 in other regions.’

--Edgar Violan, spokesperson of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Region 11.ED

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

Dutertes’ net worth:

3

VM Rody richer than Mayor Sara by P1.56M

M

AYOR Sara Duterte posted a net worth of P16.24M in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) as of yearend 2010 while her father, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte declared a net worth of P17.71M, records obtained from the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao showed.

Based on their SALN 2010, the vice mayor’s net worth is higher by P1.56M compared with the mayor’s.

Mayor Duterte declared total assets worth P21.55M: P10.8M for real property and P10.74M for personal and other properties, with liabilities worth P5.30M. Vice Mayor Duterte’s total assets are smaller than his daughter’s, at P19.21M: P2.76M for real property and P16.45M for personal and other properties, but his liabilities are also smaller, at P1.50M. Mayor Duterte listed nine items under real property, totaling P10.80M: two parcels of agricultural lands in Catigan, Davao City purchased in 2007 worth P100,000 each; another agricultural land in Malagos, Davao City purchased in 2008 worth P200,000; an agricultural land in Binugao,Toril, Davao City purchased in 2006 worth P250,000; another agricultural land in Sto. Nino,

Babak, Davao del Norte purchased in 1999 worth P200,000; two residential land and building in Ecoland , Davao City purchased in 1999 one of which is marked with “Bldg. 2011,” both totaling P3.06M; a residential land in Communal, Buhangin, Davao City worth P500,000; and a condominium unit in Quezon City purchased in 2006 worth P6.39M. Under personal and other properties, Mayor Duterte’s list amounted to P10.74M: Isuzu trooper acquired in 2003 worth P1.65M; motorcycles worth P719,800; cash on hand/bank worth P3.66M, household appliances, furniture, antiques worth P520,000; jewelries worth P248,000; investments worth P2.66M and a Honda CRV purchased in 2008 by her husband, lawyer Manases R. Carpio worth P1.27M. Mayor Duterte’s liabilities, worth P5.30M include various personal loans for P2.13M and bank loan for P3.17M. Vice Mayor Duterte listed 10 items under real property, worth P2.76M: four parcels of residential land in Bago Aplaya, Talomo, Davao City, purchased in 1996 worth P120,000 each or a total of P480,000; a residential land in Maa, Davao City, purchased in 1997 worth P150,000; another residential land in Maa purchased in 1997

FVM RODY, 13

SM Cyberzone sets iButterfly campaign!

T

HE iButterfly, an Augmented Reality Application based technology, first introduced by SM Supermalls in the Philippines, has been officially launched last April 8 across all Cyberzone branches.

The cool technology was created by Japan’s Mobile Art Lab and has been successfully launched in Japan, Hongkong, Indonesia, and Singapore. iButterfly is an engaging and entertaining mobile information and couponing platform which tasks users with catching augmented reality butterflies. Each iButterfly represents one or more coupons.

With the use of 3 technologies: (1)Augmented Reality for seeing butterflies in the real world, (2) Motion Sensors for catching butterflies using a phone and (3)Global Positioning System (GPS) for finding butterflies at a location, the iButterfly campaign is sure to en-

gage Cyberzone shoppers while enjoying promos and discounts with their tablets and smartphones (Android and IOS platforms).

To join the iButterfly Hunt: • DOWNLOAD – Using your gadget, connect to the internet via data connection or Wi-Fi and go to the App store (for iOS) or Google Play (for Android).

Download and save the iButtefly application.

• CATCH – While connected, access the iButterfly application and start catching augmented virtual butterflies.

• REDEEM – Claim your free items by merely following the instructions as seen on the iButterfly and present it to the participating SM stores.

Download the iButterfly Philippines App now and get ready for the next hunt!

For more information please visit www.smcyberzone.com and like SM Cyberzone on Facebook.

SKIPPING ROPE. Ignoring the proper pedestrian lane, a group of pedestrians hop over a rope in a major street in the city on Tuesday afternoon. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Mindanao’s richest gov is Del Rosario, Maguindanao’s Mangudadatu is 2nd

O

NLY 18 of Mindanao’s 27 governors filed their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in 2010 and out of the 18, Davao del Norte governor Rodolfo del Rosario has remained the richest, with a declared net worth of P255.51M while Davao del Sur governor Douglas Cagas claimed a net worth of P5.14M, making him the poorest – or having the lowest posted net worth – as of yearend 2010, records obtained from the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao showed.

Only 27 of Mindanao’s 33 city mayors, filed their SALNs in 2010 and out of the 27, Surigao City Mayor Ernesto Matugas posted a net worth of P414.69M, making him the richest city mayor and the richest local chief executive in Mindanao, even richer than del Rosario by P159.18M. Digos City mayor Joseph Penas who posted the lowest net worth among the city mayors, claimed a net worth of P605,068. Penas and Cagas are from the same province.

The Ombudsman’s certification showed only 18 Mindanao governors and 27 city mayors filed their SALN as of yearend 2010. The SALN for 2011 is due for submission on April 30 this year.

After del Rosario, the second richest Mindanao governor is Maguindanao’s Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who claimed a net worth of P217.25M, followed by Dinagat’s Glenda Ecleo who posted a net worth of P166.40M. Mangudadatu is the

n Richest city mayor is Surigao City Mayor Ernesto Matugas only governor in the fiveprovince ARMM who filed a SALN for 2010, the Ombudsman’s records show.

The office has no record of 2010 SALN filed by the governors of the other ARMM member-provinces -- Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Lanao del Sur --- and then Acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong.

After Cagas, the other governors with the lowest net worth are Agusan del Norte Governor Erlpe John Amante at P5.64M and Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez at P5.72M. After Matugas, the second richest city mayor in Mindanao is Zamboanga’s Celso Lobregat, at P66.32M or P348.37 million less than Matugas’, followed by Lamitan’s Roderick Furigay who posted a net worth of P30M. After Penas, the other city mayors with the lowest net worth are Bayugan’s Kim Lope Asis at P649,740 and Valencia’s Leandro Jose Catarata at P1.21M. Tagum Mayor Rey Uy was the richest city mayor as of yearend 2007, posting a net worth of P66.93M. In 2008, his net worth went down to P32.57M. Uy’s 2010 SALN includes an attachment listing lands and buildings worth P13.99M and vehicles worth P4.15M but no declaration of other investments and liabilities.

In 2007, Uy’s total real properties and motor vehicles amounted to P39.50M with total investments worth P41.77M and total other personal properties at P3.13M to make for P84.40M. His declared li-

Del Rosario

Matugas

abilities totaled P17.47M to make his net worth P66.93M. In 2008, Uy declared total property and investments at P58.43M with liabilities of P25.85M to make his net worth at P32.57M. Malaybalay mayor Zubiri and Marawi mayor Salic did not also indicate liabilities in their 2010 SALN. Under RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees), the SALN must be filed on or before April 30 of every year thereafter.

The Ombudsman’s Memorandum-Circular 95-73 issued on June 15, 1995, requires the administrative/personnel division of a government agency to consolidate all the SALNs of the officials

Mangudadatu

Lobregat

and employees in a summary report and together with the SALNs, shall be “submitted/mailed on or before 31 May of every year” to the Office of the Debuy Ombudsman for Mindanao in the case of Mindanao’s elective officials.

Under Section 11 of RA 6713, failure to submit the SALN and disclosure of business interests and financial connections, including their spouses and unmarried children under 18 living in their households “shall be punishable with imprisonment not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding P5,000, or both, and, in the discretion of the court of competent jurisdiction, disqualification to hold public office.” [CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS/MINDANEWS]

4

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

Venture capitalists in ON3 pitching tilt

L

OCAL and foreign venture capitalists will be in Davao City to judge newbie companies that will be joining the ON3 Pitching Competition-Mindanao level on April 13, 14 and 15 at Martha’s Place, Brokenshire College, Madapo Hills here.

Lawyer Samuel Matunog of the Software industry Association in Davao City said the ON3 Pitching Competition-Mindanao level stems from the successful launching of the ON3 2011 Program in Mindanao.

He said the launching was successful since two of the five companies from Davao City who joined the earlier competition won the competition. The two winning companies are Pic Lyf, a photo blogging site of Erik Su, and RAD Solutions of Rick Dayot that advocates green technology like decomposing hospital wastes.

Lizabel “Wit” Holganza, president of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao, Inc. said about 22 companies are joining the upcoming three-day competition. The contestants are coming from Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

She said day two of the competition on April 14 will be open to public so the people can hear the venture capitalists or experts on the business ideas of the competitors.

The On3 Pitching competition which is known for discovering, mobilizing and forming a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Philippines to foster the development and growth of global companies is venue for local business ideas to prosper.

Invited to join are newbie companies also called as angel investors inclined in technology especially the consumer web, internet, mobile phone, wireless connectivity, social media, gaming software, clean and biotech who owns internet protocols (IPs) with at least two founders who aim to solve a real big problem, and starters who are looking for funding as well as global business development.

Those interested participants who do not own IPs are welcome for a free IP registration during the event proper, she said.

Meanwhile, Matunog said the foreign venture capitalists will specifically come from Silicon Valley, southern part of San Francisco Bay area in Northern California, United States. The region is home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations.

He said there were 11 companies from all over the country who joined the said competition, of which five are from Davao City. They are now scheduled to go to Silicon Valley for the incubation of their product. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

SILT. Large portions of the National Power Corporation’s man-made lake in Maramag, Bukidnon have become shallow due to silt. Dredging has

been scheduled this month in a bid to restore its original power generating capacity. [MINDANEWS FILE PHOTO BY H. MARCOS C. MORDENO]

By Lorie A. Cascaro

creased again in the last quarter as most people preferred to spend Christmas at home.

Albay noted the decrease in the total number of passports released by the RCO Davao in 2011 since the electronic passport issuance started in March 2010.

RCO Davao released 66,278 passports last year and 73,964 in 2010.

She said this was because of the existence of RCOs in the cities of General Santos, Cotabato and Butuan.

Before the existence of the local RCOs, the Davao office catered to 400-500 applicants a day, but these days only an average of 350 a day.

“It took awhile before people learned that there is an RCO in their locality. We have been informing them to fully use the DFA offices there to save transportation expenses,” she said.

RCO Davao’s jurisdiction mainly covers the Davao provinces, however the office is open to all applicants, including those from outside its jurisdiction.

“While the bulk of applicants are from our jurisdiction, we still accept applicants from other regions, although ideally they should file their application within their locality,” she said.

Further, RCO Davao meantime has suspended

its mobile passporting for the first time since e-passport issuance began, because the office does not have mobile machines for the new system yet.

In the meantime, Albay said, as an alternative to mobile passporting, RCO Davao arranges with local government units (LGU) through its Public Employment Service Office (PESO) to exclusively accommodate the constituents of a specific LGU in the RCO Davao office every Saturday.

Usually, she said, some 100 or more applicants are brought by the LGUs to her office on Saturdays from 8:00AM to 12:00AM.

service are expected to be world-class and globally competitive and whose practice will be safeguarded through regulatory measures, programs and activities.

The bill repeals Presidential Decree No. 1536, otherwise known as the “Metallurgical Engineering Law,” by adding new provisions to conform to Republic Act 8981 or the PRC Modernization Act of 2000, in consonance with the standard format of all professional regulation organic laws.

“With the advancement in technological development, P.D. 1536 has been found ineffective

considering that its provisions have become obsolete in promoting and regulating the practice of the metallurgical engineering profession,” Yu said.

Yu said one of the key provisions of this measure is the creation of a Professional Regulatory Board of Metallurgical Engineering that shall supervise and regulate the practice of metallurgical engineering profession in the country.

Piamonte, on the other hand, said the increasing scope of application of the practices in the mineral processing industry over the past decades has led to the creation of vari-

ous fields of expertise and specialization resulting in a greater economic appreciation of the profession.

“This necessitates the need for a clear delineation of responsibilities for both Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and is ably addressed in some provisions of the amended law,” Piamonte said.

Piamonte said the measure is designed to implement more effective professional regulation and at the same time promote and recognize the importance of the profession in nation building and development.

Passport issuances high in first quarter E

RLINDA B. Albay, officer in charge of the Regional Consular Office (RCO)-Davao, Department of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday that the number of passport issuances was high in the first quarters of 2010 and 2011t due to the summer season, as shown by data in those years.

There was a slight decrease in the number of applicants towards May as the enrolment period approaches.

By the end of the third quarter, the number of passport applicants was high due to the approaching vacation season.

However, it de-

House okays measure regulating metallurgical engineering practice

T

ANTI-BALIKATAN. Activists are now gearing up big protest rallies against the joint US-RP military exercises this month that will held in different locations in the country including Mindanao. The group will stage a caravan from Davao City to Zamboanga on April 14-20.

HE House of Representatives has approved on third reading a bill regulating the practice of metallurgical engineering to update the obsolete provisions and make them more realistic, relevant and suitable to the needs of the profession.

Reps. Victor Yu (1st District, Zamboanga del Sur) and Mariano Piamonte Jr., (Party-list, A Teacher) authored House Bill 5851 to underscore the need to develop competent, productive, wellrounded and morally upright Metallurgical Engineers whose standards of professional practice and

EDGEDAVAO

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

3.7% 4th Qtr 2011 USD 3,342 Million Nov 2011 USD 4,985 Million Nov 2011 USD -1,643 Million Nov 2011 USD -114 Million Dec 2011 P4,442,355 Million Nov 2011

3. Exports 1/ 4. Imports 1/ 5. Trade Balance 6. Balance of Payments 2/ 7. Broad Money Liabilities 8. Interest Rates 4/

4.71% Oct 2011 P128,745 Million Nov 2011 P 4,898 Billion Oct 2011

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011) Month

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

5

DTI to launch ‘food treaties’ T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here is spearheading an information campaign to publicize the new free trade agreements (FTAs) benefitting the food industry in the country.

DTI is launching the campaign in Dumaguete City together with the Trade Commission and in partnership with Silliman University’s (SU) Nutrition and Dietetics Department.

Kicking off the campaign dubbed “Doing Business in Free Trade Areas” is a presentation on April 18 at SU’s Instructional Media and Technological Center.

The discussion will center on food-related opportunities and include notes on market opportunities and products with zero or reduced tariffs while attempting to give a larger picture of the impact of the FTAs on local trade and commerce.

It will also highlight the 2011-2013 Philippine Export Development Plan.

The following day, a session with owners of local establishments and other professionals will take place to explain the FTAs to them more comprehensively.

There are currently seven newly implemented FTAs:

Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Area (AFTA), and five ASEAN Regional FTAs with China, Japan, Korea, AustraliaNew Zealand and India.

Countries like the Philippines enter into FTAs with other countries as a means to promote trade and investment flows, penetrate international markets while offering enormous trade opportunities for exporters of various goods and services.

DTI noted last year the low level of awareness among exporters of trade opportuni-

ties under the country’s various FTAs. “Understanding emerging and new markets and its instruments such as FTAs will help exporters address new challenges in the global business environment,” Trade and Industry Sec. Gregorio Domingo said in an earlier report that appeared in Manila Bulletin.

He also noted in the same report that export companies have not fully utilized the FTAs ‘because businessmen are not properly informed of the business opportunities that the country has gained from our FTA.”

AWMAKERS today warned that the continuing infestation of thousands of coconut trees in Southern Luzon might result to the collapse of the coconut industry.

Reps. Angelo Palmones (Party-list, AGHAM) and Sonny Collantes (3rd District, Batangas) filed House Resolution 2112 calling on Congress to conduct an inquiry into the infestation of coconut trees and come up with a remedial measure to address the matter.

Palmones also expressed fear the infestation of scale insects called “aspidiotus destructor” may spread to other regions.

Palmones urged the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct the investigation to determine the extent of the infestation and come up with appropriate mitigating measures.

According to Palmones, there are reports that other palm species like Palmera, Hawaiian Palm and kaong have already been infested by insects, threatening other industries based on the palm group of plants including the ornamental and landscaping industry.

“There is a need to conduct surveillance on the extent of infestation of the coconut trees by the scale insect throughout the country and there is a need to save the coconut industry which has been providing livelihood to millions of Filipinos and boosting export earnings of the country,” Palmones said.

Palmones said the insects suck the nutrients and sap of the coconut tree causing the leaves to turn brown and even-

tually fall off.

“Infested trees lose productivity, thus reducing the number of nuts produced per tree,” Palmones said.

Citing reports, Palmones said there are some 43,389 coconut trees in seven municipalities and 41 barangays in Batangas that have been affected by the scale insects.

The other affected areas are some municipalities of Laguna and Quezon.

P a l mones said there are about 341.3 million coconut trees in the country as of 2009 producing close to 15.54 billion nuts a year of which 3.58 and 0.96 million tons of copra equivalents are exported and consumed locally.

“The coconut industry is one of the mainstay industries of

the country, accounting for an export value of $1.6 billion in 2010, and if the scale insect infestation is not addressed right away, productivity may suffer,” Palmones said.

Last year, President Aquino reported after his visit to the United States that there are entrepreneurs who are interested in importing “buko juice” valued at $1.5 million annually. (30) sb

Lawmakers fear for the collapse of coco industry due to infestation L

as of august 2010

Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat 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 MI588 / MI588 5J965 / 5J968 5J965 / 5J968

5:45 5:45 6:00 6:10 7:50 7:50 8:00 9:10 9:40 11:30 12:00 18:55 12:55 13:35

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

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 13:35 13:25 14:05

Silk Air Thu/Sun 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

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

18:55 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 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

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

6

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DOE lays out energy plan for Mindanao T

HE Department of Energy has assured energy stakeholders in Mindanao that the government is taking its best efforts in addressing the power situation in the island.

DOE Undersecretary Josefina Patricia Asirit made the assurance in the Mindanao Energy Stakeholders Meeting on Tuesday here, as she presented DOE’s undertakings and recommended solutions to improve the power supply in Mindanao.

Asirit told power distributors and electric cooperatives across Mindanao of the current power supply deficit of 100-160 mega watts in the Mindanao grid from 360 MW during the previous months.

As part of the shortterm solutions to this condition, Asirit said DOE is pushing for the reopening of the Iligan Diesel Power Plant (IDPP),

which has been shutdown since June 2010 pending evaluations and clearance by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Once operational, IDPP is expected to produce an initial power of 20-30 MW and may increase up to its full capacity of 100 MW upon rehabilitation, Asirit stated.

“We hope we can put it online within the next four months, if not earlier,” she told the media in a press conference held after the stakeholders’ meeting on the same day at the Grand Regal Hotel, this city.

Another short-term solution being mulled

by DOE is the transfer of power barges as stop-gap measures needed in Mindanao.

Asirit said two power barges are up for transfer next year that would provide 120 MW and 70 MW respectively. “This would certainly be more than

n Iligan Diesel Power Plant to be reopened n Power barges to be transferred to Mindanao

Marine Inc. (TMI).

The government instructed for the blending of the cheap power generated from Agus and the costly power generated from power barges and diesel plants as an immediate solution to the power shortage.

“The cost of power is cheapest here in Mindanao. And even if rate adjustments will be made, consumers in Mindanao will just have to pay P3.50 as power cost, still way cheaper than the existing approved rate in Luzon and Visayas which runs from P5 to P6,” The official clarified that consumers need not worry on certain claims that rate adjustments could go as high as P12 per kWh. “You will just be paying the cost of the blended mix.”

Asirit cited the experience of some electric cooperatives which showed that the increase in the power cost runs at 50 centavos per kwh.

“This is the easiest solution we could think of but it also comes with a manageable cost,” she said.

The energy department is asking the consumers to bear with these adjustments as the stakeholders are doing both short- and long-term solutions to this power shortage.

Energy officials expect these adjustments to be temporary as the government pursues to find other sources like the rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex and the building of more power plants in Mindanao.

Also turned-over were infrastructure projects to barangays in Carmen town. These include a P7million concreting project of the Aroman-Lanoon road, P700,000 worth of one-classroom school building at Pebpoloan, and P983,159 power distribution line for barangay Kitulaan.

Other projects include a covered court in Carmen worth P2. 5 million, and a new rural health unit for barangay Poblacion built at P4 million.

“You are all accountable for the safekeeping of these projects. Use them

for the benefit of the many and use them with care so that these projects can continue to provide service to the people in your barangays for a long time,” Mendoza said.

Turned-over projects in Aleosan town included a P1.2-million box culvert project charged against the province’s calamity fund in barangay New Panay, as well as concreting project of the public market worth P4.7 million and P5 million road concreting project in barangay Poblacion , which were both charged to the 20% economic development fund.

enough to help augment the 200 MW shortfall,” she stated.

She said there is one power barge existing with a 32-MW capacity but is only generating 5 MW due to its location in a cement plant.

The rest of the existing power barges also with a 32-MW capacity each require maintenance to operate full generation capacity, she added.

DOE’s short-term solutions include the installation of the Mindanao Coal-fired Power Plant of the STEAG State Power, Inc. which has a 10 MW un-contracted capacity, and the acceleration of energy efficiency program.

Asirit explained that these short-term solutions are temporary just as not to hamper the de-

Power barges to spike cost of electricity by P0.50 per kwh

P

OWER consumers in Mindanao may only have to pay additional 50 to 80 centavos per kWh to their electricity cost as electric cooperatives have started getting supply from power barges like Therma Marine.

During the stakeholders’ meeting initiated by the Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday at the Grand Regal Hotel, this city, Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia Asirit explained that consumers will only have to pay a very minimal additional amount from the generation of power from expensive technologies like power barges and blending it with power generated from Mindanao plants.

At present, there are two power barges in Mindanao operated by the Aboitiz-owned Therma

NorCot turn overs P29.7-M infra

A

T least P29.7 million worth of infrastructure projects were turned-over in March by the provincial government of North Cotabato to five of its municipalities.

Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza on March 10 handed over to the LGUs of Matalam and Carmen P17 million worth of infrastructure projects.

These included water systems worth P500,000 each for barangays Kilada ang Latagan as well as P500,000 multi-purpose buildings for barangays Marbel and New Abra, all in Matalam town.

velopment of the industry, while DOE is also making efforts for the long-term solutions.

In averting the power situation in Mindanao from becoming a crisis in the future, DOE saw the need for technical rehabilitation and upgratdng of power generation plants to generate more power.

The DOE official said the 180-MW Pulangi Complex run-off river hydropower plant will need to be repaired starting this month to operate in its full generation capacity.

For the period of April to May, Pulangi river will be at its lowest water elevations which will reduce power generation of about 100-130 MW. However, Asirit clarified that Pulangi Complex is still generating in its full

capacity of 180MW as of this time, and explained that the rehabilitation plan is aimed at preventing the plant from further damage.

The Agus 6 Complex, a hydropower plant, is also set for rehabilitation and uprading in June this year, she said adding that the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has already approved three weeks ago the P2.6 budget for the plant’s repair.

Asirit said the rehabilitation of the Units 1 and 2 of the Agus 6 plant will bring about additional 19 MW to produce a total of 44 MW, and will ensure another 30 years of existence.

The Energy Undersecretary has also reported that the issuance of DOE Circular DC201203-00419 in March 2012 aiming to rationalize the power supply in Mindanao has already gained

positive results.

The Circular directs electric cooperatives to nominate their needed power to supply their demands which DOE said has resulted to reduction of power outages.

Asirit said that as of Sunday, only nine out of the 27 electric cooperatives in Mindanao have experienced brownouts since January this year, with reduced duration of at least 30 minutes to two hours.

She clarified that not all areas in Mindanao have power outages such as the areas of Cotabato, Panabo, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Davao.

With the issuance of the Circular, areas not experiencing interruptions now include Malaybalay, Dipolog, Dapitan, Valencia, Camiguin, Panabo, Digos, Tagum, Mati, Cotabato, Surigao, Butuan, and Cabadbaran, DOE said. (PIA)

ploying more than 10 people, and P240 for workers in retail/service sector employing not more than 10 people.

The wage order also specifies that the second tranche of COLA will be effective December 1, 2012.

It specifies that the second tranche of daily COLA will be P4 for agriculture plantation sector, P6 for agriculture nonplantation workers, P4 for retail/service sector with more than 10 workers and P6 for retail/service sector with not more than 10 workers.

Once the second tranche of increases becomes effective in December, minimum daily wages should be P270 for workers in non-agriculture sector, P252 for workers in agriculture plantation workers, P249 for agriculture non-plantation workers, P250 for workers in retail/ service establishments employing more than P10 people, and P246 for workers in retail/service establishments employing not more than 10 people.

The previous wage order, Wage Order RBXII-16, became effective on October 31, 2010.

“There being no petition, the RTWPB 12 re-

solved to review, moto proprio, the minimum wage rates in the region,” said board secretary Jessie dela Cruz.

Region 12 or Soccsksargen region covers the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato as well as the cities of Cotabato. Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.

Dela Cruz explained that the decision to grant a wage increase was prompted by the results of studies on the socio-economic conditions of the region, public consultations on January 25 and 26 in Kidapawan City and General Santos City, respectively, and series of deliberations of the board.

The new minimum wage order, he added, should be implemented “regardless of their position, designation, status of employment and irrespective of the method by which these wages are paid.”

As in the previous wage orders exemption may be granted on certain types of establishments such as those distressed establishments and those whose assets are not more than P3 million, dela Cruz said.

Wage hike in Soccsksargen to start on April 18

A

FTER complying with the 15-day regulation publication, the new wage order for Soccsksargen Region’s private sector workforce will be effective April 18, the Department of Labor and Employment – 12 announced this morning.

DOLE 12 regional Director Chona Mantilla and chairperson of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-12 said that Wage Order RBXII-17 was issued on March 28, 2012.

Official publication of the wage order started today.

“Under the new wage order, the cost of living allowance of P15 (mandated in Wage Order RXII16) was integrated in the basic salary and the new COLA ranging from P10 P14 will be implemented in two tranches,” Mantilla said.

Except for workers on the non-agriculture sector, who will get the full COLA of P10 once the wage order takes effect on April 18, those working in agriculture sector will receive P8 per day COLA while those working in the retail/service sector will receive P6 increase at the first tranche.

Thus, on April 18 minimum daily wages in the region should stand at P270 for non-agriculture workers, P248 for plantation agriculture workers, P243 for agriculture nonplantation workers, P246 for workers in retail/service establishments em-

Quips

‘WE need to undertake both, structural and organizational reforms in the BOC (Bureu of Customs) to finally put an end to this menace that affects the lives of local hog and poultry raisers.’

--Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon on efforts to stop smuggling of frozen meat and poultry. BM

EDGEDAVAO

ICT HUB

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

Titanic records goes online A

website published more than 200,000 documents on Monday relating to the sinking of the Titanic, to mark the disaster’s 100th anniversary.

The collection, published by British family history website Ancestry.co.uk, includes a list of passengers as well as the wills ofEdward Smith, the doomed liner’s captain, and US tycoons Benjamin Guggenheim and John Jacob Astor.

The three men were among around 1,500 passengers and crew who perished when the “unsinkable” ship hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York, and disappeared beneath the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912.

The documents also

include more than 300 coroner inquest files, records of 328 bodies recovered at sea, and images of the gravestones of 121 Titanic passengers.

The database, which can be accessed for free until May 31, also includes a passenger list from the Carpathia, a ship that came to Titanic’s aid and picked up almost all of the disaster’s survivors, numbering around 700.

“Over the generations, many families may have heard rumours that they had an ancestor aboard the Titanic, or even lost the evidence proving it,” said Miriam Silverman, content manager for Ancestry.co.uk.

“We’re very pleased to be able to offer access

to these valuable records for free, enabling thousands to uncover the story of their ancestor’s tragic voyage.”

The centenary is being marked by the release of a new 3D version of James Cameron’s epic 1997 film, “Titanic”, as well as a British television drama sold to 86 countries and a flurry of new books and music.

A cruise ship carrying descendants of some of the victims set sail from Southampton on Sunday to retrace the Titanic’s route.

An official British inquiry into the disaster in 1912 said there were 711 survivors, but estimates of both the number of casualties and survivors have varied.

Microsoft trumps Amazon, others for AOL Inc’s patents

M

I C R O S O F T trumped Amazon, eBay and other tech giants with its more than $1 billion purchase of the majority of AOL Inc’s patent trove.

AOL said it was selling more than 800 patents related to advertising, search, e-commerce and mobile to Redmond, Wash-based company, surprising investors with the size of the deal and sending AOL shares up more than 40 percent.

The sale includes technology rights from AOL’s current and former businesses, ranging from Netscape, ICQ and MapQuest to CompuServe, Advertising.com and others, according to a source close to the matter.

The sale process, which AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong described as a “full-blown dynamic auction,” started last fall after board approval.

Armstrong said he made a call to Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer alerting him of the decision to sell the patents.

The auction included e-commerce companies Amazon and eBay, both of which have been largely absent from the recent patent wars, as well as Google and Facebook, according to the source.

Spokesmen for Google, Facebook, eBay and Amazon were not immediately available for

LOGO. The AOL logo is seen on the outside of the building housing the company’s corporate headquarters in New York . its intellectual property. comment.

A final buyer was Google also acted as the selected late on April 5, stalking-horse bid for Nortel Networks’ wireless Armstrong said.

Technology compa- patents.

Microsoft was part nies in recent years have sparked a frenzy for pat- of the group led by Apple ents, bidding up prices in Inc that won the Nortel a defensive move to keep patents.

Yahoo has launched a competitors at bay.

The AOL deal is one lawsuit against rival Faceof the larger patent auc- book for patent infringetions in recent times, rep- ment involving advertisresenting roughly $1.3 ing.

SURPRISING PRICE million per issued patent, TAG according to the source.

AOL and Microsoft That compares with the bankrupt Nortel Net- are no strangers to partworks patent auction nerships. Last year the last year -- considered a two companies along blowout $4.5 billion sale with Yahoo formed an adof its 6,000 patents -- for vertising alliance.

Microsoft’s latest roughly $1.05 million per issued patent, the source move with AOL proves it is keen on shoring up its said.

The Nortel deal patent portfolio.

“Investors had anticisparked a wave of patent sales and litigation and pated little to no value for played a part in AOL’s de- the portfolio - a few huncision to launch a patent dred million at the most,” said Clayton Moran, an auction.

Google is in the pro- analyst with Benchmark.

AOL said a “significess of buying Motorola Mobility Holdings for cant portion” of the pro$12.5 billion mainly for ceeds would be passed on

FMICROSOFT, 13

HI-TECH. Orangutans watch a video on an iPad held up to the glass of their enclosure at Milwaukee County Zoo. Zoo keepers have been using iPads as enrichment tools for nearly a year now and is retrofitting their building

7

with wifi so the playful primates can soon have ‘playdates’ with orangutans at other zoos using livestreaming video applications like FaceTime.

Going ape for apps: Young orangutan plays with iPad

T

HE young orangutan reaches his hand through the cage and rubs his knuckles over an iPad, drawing wide colors across the screen with his favorite app.

A few minutes later, Mahal presses his face up against the mesh, stretches out his long tongue and taps the screen to make it light up and play his favorite song, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

Soon Mahal and the two other orangutans at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin county zoo will be able to use their iPad for something even more exciting: “play dates” with orangutans at other zoos and wildlife preserves.

They’re already fascinated by videos of orangutans they’ve watched on the tablet. Their keepers are hoping a live video feed will be even more engaging.

“We’re excited to see where that goes,” said Trish Kahn, the zoo’s primate coordinator.

“It could be they don’t care at all, but, from what I understand of them, I think they’re definitely going to be able to understand this is real time and they’re looking at another orangutan.”

Nearly a year after the zoo introduced iPads as a form of enrichment, the primate building is being rewired for wifi so the orangutans can have their play dates and the public can watch them on a webcam.

Several other zoos have also introduced tablets to primates with the help of the non-profit Orangutan Outreach, which launched the “Apps for Apes” campaign after seeing how much the Milwaukee orangutans enjoyed playing with the iPads.

The goal is twofold: to bring a powerful new

enrichment activity to the orangutans and to get zoo visitors engaged in the fight to protect an endangered species.

“It’s really important for the public to connect with these animals because we’re losing them in the wild -- they’re facing extinction,” Kahn told AFP. “For me the most important thing is for people to recognize these are sentient beings that are so incredible, that have all these wonderful adaptations and a profound brain.”

So in addition to the playtime in their private feeding area, the zoo also offers iPad enrichment in the public viewing area, where volunteer Scott Engel shows them videos through the thick glass.

Crowds of people are drawn to Engel and pepper him with questions about the orangutans and the iPad. They laugh when he tells them that Mahal likes to watch penguin videos while his adoptive mother MJ hankers for BBC nature shows by David Attenborough.

They lean in to take pictures when MJ taps on the glass to get Engel to start the next video.

And they listen when he tells them how orangutans are losing their natural habits as rainforests in Indonesia are burned to make way for palm oil plantations.

Engel, a freelance photographer who has been visiting the zoo to hone his craft for years, got the program going as a bit of a lark after a doctored photo of a

Quips

gorilla playing with an iPad made the rounds online.

He made contact with the Milwaukee zoo’s gorilla keeper over Facebook and offered to donate his old iPad after he upgraded to the iPad 3.

Now, he’s coming to the zoo several times a week to show the orangutans videos -- many of which he shoots himself.

“It’s just amazing to make a connection with an animal,” Engel said. “They can brighten your day.”

Mahal will raise his hands and clap when he sees Engel and likes to play peek-a-boo by bending under the window frame.

MJ taps her forehead to get Engel to show her the top of his head, or points to her eyes to get him to wipe his face for her.

The most special moments, Engel said, come when the zoo’s introverted and somewhat anxious 30-year-old male orangutan comes out of his corner to say hello.

Tommy used to spend most of his days out of sight or with his back to the window.

But he’s excited about the iPad, and having Engel stand outside his window seems to have made Tommy more interested in watching other people as they lean in to get a look at his long orange fur and flat black face.

“To see him out and about and engaging and not hiding in his corner is wonderful to us,” Kahn said. “He’s incredible, and we want people to see him.”

‘THE President is sending the right tone, good governance and level playing field. We have the right direction, the right team so we are here for the long term.’

--Edgar Chua, country chairman of the Shell Group of Companies in the Philippines, on the firm’s expansion plans and additional investment of P3B. BW

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Discomforting apology SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS

I

EDITORIALS

T

Another murder

HERE are killings and there are killings. But there are also killings that are just plain murders, which are particularly perplexing if not abhorrent to law-abiding Dabawenyos. One of these was the Easter Sunday killing of Aldion Narciso Layao, one of the city’s youngest barangay captains.

We are perplexed why the life of such a young man, a promising community leader like Layao, only 34 summers, had to be wasted in such a violent way.

We search in our minds for any reason why the Lacson barangay chief was murdered in the first place.

Coming from a poor family, Layao reportedly worked his way to college, first as a work scholar at the University of Mindanao, then started out as a reporter for GMA Super Radyo. A believer in education as an economic liberator, the radio reporter, now family man, would save from his meager salary to fund his masteral education.

Layao left seven kids with his wife when three bullets to the throat felled him last Sunday evening.

M

Friday the 13th

INDANAOANS who are exasperated by the rotating brownouts, such as those who are living and doing business in neighboring General Santos City are hopeful President Noynoy’s trip to Davao City this week for the

EDGEDAVAO Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

ALBERTO DALILAN Managing

Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

NEILWIN L. BRAVO Sports and Motoring

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc.

OLIVIA D. VELASCO General Manager

We pity the orphans who will from here on bear the full impact of the loss of the family’s main breadwinner and a father’s love.

The only hope for Layao’s family to get justice due them is an efficient investigation by members of Task Force Layao formed by Calinan police station commander Sr. Insp. Jessie Jay Francia.

Considering that Layao was not only an elected barangay captain, but also a former radio broadcaster, we can only imagine the pressure brought to bear on the task force.

Making speculations on the case will not help the investigation any. However, let all those who have useful information come out and bare what they know to investigators.

The fact that this was another crime perpetrated by gunmen riding in tandem aboard a motorcycle makes us wonder when and how our police authorities can, once and for all, put a stop to such modus operandi killings.

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

Mindanao power summit would translate to a solution to the problem..

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that something positive comes out of the Friday the 13th gathering.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO CARLO P. MALLO Associate Features and Lifestyle KENNETH IRVING K. ONG KARLOS C. MANLUPIG • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR., Creative Solutions Photography LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURA Staff Writers

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

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

RICHARD C. EBONA IMELDA P. LEE Advertising Specialists

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 942-1503

BY MARCOS C. MORDENO

T’S BEEN seventy years since the Death March that followed the defeat of the combined US and Filipino forces in the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army, the second humiliation of the American military after Pearl Harbor.

As usual, the country marked the day with perfunctory rites, although like other skeptics, I continue to wonder why we love to officially remember a defeat. Ironic that the occasion came a day after the whole Christendom celebrated Easter Sunday, a day symbolizing victory over death.

Perhaps time has somehow assuaged the bitter memories of the pains and of a tragedy that shall remain a grim reminder of the folly of war. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of those Japanese soldiers who inflicted the horrors had passed away – hopefully, not before asking Heaven for forgiveness. Hopefully too, the victims, both the living and the dead, had uttered words of forgiveness for the sheer inhumanity that was done to them.

In this morning’s ceremony at the World War II memorial on Mount Samat, the Japanese ambassador mouthed an apology for the sufferings caused by his country’s war of aggression. However, it was rather too short and sounded too casual for acts so despicable that anybody would always be at a loss for words to describe them.

Worse, as in previous years, the fate of the “comfort women,” the Filipino women who were forced to become sex slaves by the Japanese military, was never mentioned. Not by the Japanese government. Not by our own government.

It’s been seventy, long years, and like a few souls out there, I have always hoped that the Japanese government will finally be humble enough to admit the humiliation, indignities and injustice that its soldiers committed against those hapless women. Who knows, one of the victims may have been the grandmother of anyone who happens to read this column but has or had chosen to suffer in silence.

It’s been twenty, long years since Maria Rosa Henson came out in public to reveal her ordeal as a comfort woman, inspiring hundreds of others like herself to come out too. In 2010, the surviving comfort women led by Isabelita Vinuya petitioned government to push for reparations and official apology from Japan for their ordeal. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court, in a ruling that was alleged to be a product of a twisted interpretation of a plagiarized legal theory, dismissed the petition.

So strange and revolting that our own Supreme Court had to go to the extent of handing down a dubious jurisprudence to perpetuate a grave injustice against our Lolas.

Meanwhile, many other Filipinas, driven mainly by poverty, have become contemporary comfort women.

History does not repeat itself; injustice does. [MindaNews/H. Marcos C. Mordeno writes mainly on the environment, human rights and politics.

He can be reached at hmcmordeno@ gmail.com]

EDGEDAVAO

I

MAGINE if Jesus Christ were a half-naked man, just about to be crucified, agonizing over His last hours on earth, praying to His father God in heaven to forgive all those who have sinned, as He sat at the sixth row of the benches at the San Pedro Cathedral last Holy Week.

And imagine if the church authorities represented by its security guards, egged and taunted by some rich churchgoers, to drive away this half-naked, crazylooking man, beaten by a heavy stick and even punched and driven away out of the church.

Images of the Christ more than 2,000 years ago, despised and rejected

by Jewish church authorities, driven out by guards of the High Priests and Pharisees,--- come rushing to our minds, when He was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane.

Probably thinking this man was out of his mind because He told the High Priest that He is the Son of God, He was slapped, spat on and then beaten and punched inside the Temple.

This was exactly what happened last Holy Week when a shirtless, halfnaked man was driven out of the San Pedro Cathedral by a church security guard who was probably just enforcing the church dress code.

Philippine Daily Inquirer and Edge Davao photojournalist Karlos Manlupig

C

R E AT I O N OF LAWS ON POPULATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT – There are good reasons that once in a while we have to veer away from our usual subject, which is about economic motivations; they are a way of life. At this stage, I have another crucial topic in mind that needs an intelligent debate. Well, just like the rest of our countrymen I was deeply troubled by continuing reports that population growth is straining the country’s resources – slowly but gradually.

If reports are accurate that population growth is really draining the country’s resources, it is therefore appropriate that government should act posthaste for the creation of meaningful laws aimed to benefit the majority in the field of population and human development agendas. We should always bear in mind that the Philippines was one of the first countries in Asia to launch its population control program in the 70’s and even became model to its neighbors. At that time the country’s population was only about 36 million.

However, the government then was ineffective in implementing its population control program compared to its neighboring countries, which have a much lower yearly population rate. Had the government earnestly maintained its population control program, population would only be around 60 million in the advent of the new millennium.

Since then the population grew at the rate of 2.36 percent annually and the country is now home to an estimated 95 million people. If the annual population growth rate continues at accelerating pace, the country’s population is expected to double in approximately 30 years, ac-

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

The half-naked man at San Pedro Cathedral

captured the entire episode on digital film, wrote the story and even posted the pictures on Facebook, attracting some 1,000 comments, mostly angry at the church, with a few flaks aimed at Karlos himself. The pictures were shared more than 12,000 times.

I don’t know if the “high priests” of San Pedro Cathedral can see the symbolic meanings of this Holy Week episode which happened during that time when there were only a few people inside the church. I’m stressing this, because to me, this has stronger meaning to me than all the religious rituals and memorized prayers mumbled by all the Roman Catholic priests in Davao during the Holy Week.

This half-naked man, even if he was a “escapee” from the Davao Mental Hospital, went to the church, along with other people, to pray. He simply wanted to talk to God. Doesn’t he have the right, even if he’s out of his mind, to pray? To talk to God? Between this madman and all these priests (and even pastors) his heart is probably more pure than all of them.

Remember the two thieves crucified with Jesus on the cross? One of them told Jesus: “ Lord, remember me when you go back to your Kingdom”. Jesus, his head all bloodied from the crown of thorns, told him:” Truly, today you will come with me to Paradise” --- because even this thief believed this was Jesus, not just a half-naked man who strayed into a church.

What really made me so angry

was the fact that someone, described

by Karlos as wearing shorts with big gemstones earrings dangling from his ears, complained to the church guard about the half-naked man, saying, “Hindi puede yan sa Maynila, bawal yan walang saplot ang katawan magsimba, dapat paalisin mo yan!”

This egging by the rich-looking churchgoer, probably prompted the guard to force the half-naked man out of the church.

One of the reasons why the Facebook posting of this incident drew over 1,000 comments was the deeper, symbolic meaning of the half-naked man, the guard, the rich man and the church where it happened, seen and recognized by those who made those comments.

Now, if the Catholic priests at San Pedro Church cannot see what they saw, lets all pray and ask God to open the eyes of these priests to the truth that’s hidden in this strange event.

Remember that Biblical verse that said,” I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, and I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear…” ?

At the very least, the guard or any priest at San Pedro Church, could have given the half-naked man a shirt to wear and allow him to continue praying--instead of listening to the complaints of that rich, gem-studded Manila churchgoer--- who, by the way, went to church only in his shorts…

(Comments ? Email: tradingpost_ davao@yahoo.com)

An advocacy worth our support and cooperation (Part 1) cording to a concerned government agency estimate.

Overpopulation, more than anything else, is draining a nation’s resources.

Based on a study conducted by the UN Statistics Division some years back, we have more people per square kilometers than China and Indonesia combined and that was in 2002. It was also probably the last time the government conducted its own study and research and provided the wary public with population statistics.

Population experts noted that if the present dispensation similar to the Arroyo administration will accord lesser concern to the country’s burgeoning population, the annual growth rate could be above 2.6 percent or maybe slightly higher. Now comes this dominant question; with population increasing at accelerating speed, will we be able to double in 30 years – the number of our homes, jobs and classrooms?

What about food, shelter, clothing, water, power, medical care and health services? What about social services, peace and security? What about criminality and brutal lawlessness – will we be able to double the number of courts and prisoner cells?

Remember, all the problems that go with these social aberrations are expected to swell.

If you were to closely examine the background, the several millions of pesos that the government has previously earmarked for its population control and family planning program have not produce any appreciable result. The government’s population control and family planning program was ineffective and remained so because according to some groups advocating population control and human development program the present and previous administrations refused to release fresh budget for artificial contraception

such as birth control pills, condoms and intra-uterine devises, among others.

And besides concerned government entities find it more difficult to sustain a cash-strapped project certainly because the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the biggest supplier and donor of contraceptives in the Philippines for the past 30 years has phased out its donation program and ended the project several years back.

There is a widespread belief that no one who has studied and conducted thorough research about the country’s population and family planning problem sees the various aggravating circumstances.

For instance, the previous leadership notably the moribund Arroyo administration avoided a clash with the powerful and influential Catholic Church who strongly condemned artificial method in birth control.

Being a predominantly Catholic country, our leaders then, GMA above all, adhered to dictations of the church that is against any method controlling senseless births except the rhythm method, which is, of course, persistently “violated” by both married and unmarried couples particularly those who through no fault of their own have gain lesser access to family planning and population control program. Certainly, the powerful and influential Catholic Church, which counts more than 85 percent of the population as members, surely will not tolerate any government scheme that would promote an expansive use of contraceptives.

Perhaps our present top officials and concerned government agencies should not look to solve the critical problem by subscribing to the dictations of the church but instead enlightened them about the social aberrations cause by overpopulation, and accept that their view of things may be just right as theirs. (To be continued)

Crisis in Mindanao: Emergency Powers (1)

9

RIVERMAN’S VISTA

T

BY DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

HE looming energy crisis in Mindanao has sparked a debate on whether emergency powers should be granted the President in order to address the problem. While the President expressed some doubts on whether such grant would be appropriate for the moment, a bill was already filed by his ally in congress, Senator Antonio Trillanes, seeking to grant him emergency powers to help put an end to the energy crisis in Mindanao. While the Constitution definitely allows such option, there is a need to pause, and take stock of the propriety of taking such drastic measure. Rather than a knee-jerk reaction and headlong rush for a solution, a circumspect and deliberate consideration of the surrounding circumstances and the measures that need to be taken would be the more judicious path.

The use of emergency powers almost always presents democratic constitutional governments with a paradox: how can such a government adequately provide for emergencies and yet retain its limited character? Kathleen Sullivan, former dean of Stanford Law School, encapsulated it perfectly when she said that the theory of constitutionalism is inconsistent with an emergency exception. And yet, all constitutional democracies must live with this irony to preserve its own existence.

Granted, emergency is an elastic concept, ranging from wars or invasion, insurrection, economic depression to natural disasters. The Executive, with its intelligence-gathering capacity and quick-response capabilities, is traditionally the repository of crisis government powers, and thus must be accorded the proper flexibility to respond to the situation. Consequently, the courts are generally averse to passing judgment upon what amounts as discretionary actions of the Executive. The concomitant concentration of governmental power and its expansion in the Presidency in an emergency greatly magnifies the danger that unbridled powers would be used to the detriment of society and eventually, the destruction of the duly-constituted government.

Constitutions are primarily designed, not to achieve efficiency, but to create an intricate system of checks and balances among the branches of government. By and large, it reflects a great distrust on the part of government to exercise powers entrusted to it in a responsible manner, most notably the Executive branch. Nowhere is it truer than in the present 1987 Constitution, the pervading theme of which is to do away with all possibilities of strongman rule, no doubt a painful lesson of the Marcos dictatorship.

Several years ago I actually did a short treatise on the subject matter which concluded that an indiscriminate and injudicious grant of emergency powers entails some very serious inherent dangers. Indeed, emergency powers should only be invoked as a last resort. If options, less ominous, are conferred to the executive by the constitution and the laws sufficient to meet the declared national emergency, then by all means they must be preferred. Indeed, the slippery slope of frequent recourse to an emergency rule is the ever-present possibility that such will slide into a permanent and unconstitutional regime.

In that treatise I made a comparative analysis of the varying situations that triggered the grant of such emergency powers and how the presidents, from Marcos, to Arroyo, responded to it. The paper seeks to illustrate the dangers of haphazard employment of these extraordinary powers, though constitutional as they may be, to solve problems which can be addressed by the plethora of powers already made available to the three branches of government by the present Constitution. Extraordinary powers are powers of last resort, and rightfully so - they straddle the fine line between constitutionalism and authoritarianism. Unnecessary exercise dilutes the significance of emergencies as a legal and justified pretext to what Clinton Rossiter, in his seminal work, has termed as a constitutional dictatorship. The Philippine experience shows us the inherent dangers in this practice, and the slippery slope to which it may lead us. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson stated it so aptly when he warned that emergency power tends to kindle emergencies.

If only to caution us of the inherent dangers that attend a not-so-well-thought-of congressional grant of emergency powers, I decided to write a four (4) part series of articles (including this article) based in part on the paper entitled: Extraordinary Measures: Constitutional Powers in Times of Crisis, which I co-authored with Anna Liza Su and Edgar Bonto. This series presents a discussion on how four Philippine presidents, namely: Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo, came to grips with the enormous emergency powers granted to them and how their exercise thereof impacted on the nation as a whole. I decided however to forego Marcos since the horrendous consequences of his exercise of absolute and tyrannical powers is well documented and extensively discussed.

[Tomorrow: The Cory Experience] [MindaNews/Dean Tony La Viña is a human rights and environmental lawyer from Cagayan de Oro City. He was a member of the Government of the Philippines Peace Panel that negotiated with the MILF from January to June 2010.

He is currently the Dean of the Ateneo School of Government. Dean Tony can be reached at Tonylavs@gmail.com. Follow him on Facebook: tlavina@yahoo.com and on Twitter: tonylavs]

10 COMMUNITY SENSE TUCP graduates 214 scholars

T

HE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party, under the auspices of Congressman Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza sponsored a total of 214 scholars for the last quarter of 2011. Classes started on the last week of October 2011 until the second week of January 2012. This is in cooperation and coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The scholarship program is the party’s way of contributing to the national mission of poverty alleviation. When members of the families are provided with technical training and skills, they can position themselves in the different industries, thus improving their lifestyles.

The qualifications considered were: Food and Beverage NC II at the Computer Sense College of Communication and Technology and Health Care Services NC II at the Saint Patrick Math-Sci School. Graduation rites

were held on January 26, 2012 and March 25, 2012 respectively.

The selection of scholars was done by the party’s Political Affairs Officer, Maria Hilda U. Antig with the assistance of parish priests and GKK leaders. The scholarship was not limited to young high school graduates and outof-school youth but also extended to young mothers as well they are the ones who are very eager to earn for the family. The required passing rate by Tesda is 85% and employment rate should be 55%.

As a whole, the party had 100% passing average and so far 60% employment rate. Employment placements were arranged by the partner schools of TUCP. The second phase of the scholarship program is coming very soon. The number of scholars will be doubled. And hopefully, the party can go beyond Davao City. Depressed areas in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur will be included.

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

Peri-peri opens first store at SM Davao The Annex!

P

Mozorella sticks at Peri-peri.

Friends enjoying Portuguese chicken at The Annex.

2nd Southeast Asian Conference on Autism slated on April 28

A

UTISM Society Philippines (ASP) invites Dabawenyos to its 12th National Conference on Autism and 2nd Southeast Asian Conference on Autism on April 28 and 29, 2012 (Saturday and Sunday), with the theme “Living with Autism: Hope@Home” at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Ortigas Avenue corner ADB Avenue, Quezon City.

This year’s conference aims to promote, first and foremost, acceptance of autism within the family. It seeks to empower families to make informed decisions and to take bolder steps to ensure quality life for their member with autism.

It will also provide a fresh perspective to professionals as collaborative and supportive partners of families in the management of autism.

It will feature interactive web interviews with Dr. Temple Grandin and Dr. Stephen Shore, two of the renowned experts on autism in the world. Also sharing their knowledge during the conference are local experts Dr. Alexis L. Reyes, one of the country’s leading Develop-

mental Pediatricians, Dr. Michael Tan, and Dr. Lourdes “Honey” Carandang. It will showcase local experiences of parents, siblings and persons with autism as self-advocates.

It will also showcase initiatives of the government (Carmona, Cavite) and the private sector [Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)], both in the rural and urban settings, to provide programs and services for families and communities facing the challenges of autism.

A special registration rate is available for a group of ten (10) participants. Registrants may pay by depositing payment to Autism Society Philippines, MetrobankKamias Branch, Savings Account No. 047-304751874-2. Kindly fax to (632)9266941 or email to the address below a copy of the deposit slip with the name/s of the participant/s.

For more information on the conference, please contact our Conference Coordinator, Reynaldo Refran at telephones (02)926-6941, (02)9298447, mobile number (0926)694-4936 or email aspnc2012@ gmail . com .

EDGEDAVAO

ORTUGUESE treat, peri-peri chicken is now within the reach of Davaoeños. Periperi Charcoal Chicken, which specializes in chicken marinated in chilli with oil, salt, lemon or lime opened its doors to the Davao taste buds last March 22 at the Ground Floor of SM City Davao’s new building, The Annex.

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken’s old-style Portuguese recipe captures the full flavor of the peri-peri marinade. Using only imported African bird’s eye chilli for the marinade, their dish is sure to give a truly distinct Portuguese flavor. Peri-peri promises a unique experience of a “gradual feeling of heat in the mouth”.

Each whole chicken is “butterflied”, marinated and cooked in a rotisserie grill to allow the special mixture of chilli and spices in the peri-peri marinade to fully infuse into the chicken.

Non-fans of spicy food may prefer a lemon and garlic peri-peri marinade or the mild peri-peri marinade, for a little chilli kick. Hard core chilli fans can go for the hot marinade for a full peri-peri flavor!

Sink your teeth in a peri-peri chicken or delight you mouth with rappas, pizza, pasta, fajitas, quesadillas and other Portuguese-inspired dishes! Visit Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken at the City’s hippest hub, The Annex!

Peri-peri chicken on Java rice.

First Peri-peri in Mindanao opens at SM The Annex.

Fajitas

Defense academy to launch info drive in Davao City

A

five-member delegation from the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) will visit Davao City on April 25, 2012, to introduce the Masters in National Security Administration (MNSA) Program in the region.

Dubbed “MNSA Information Drive”, the NDCP has been conducting proactive, aggressive, nationwide marketing initiatives nationwide.

Areas visited include

Batanes, Cebu, Bohol and Bicol and Ilocos Regions.

A total of 300 executives from different government agencies and private organizations are expected to attend any of the three MNSA info drives in Davao (April 25, 9-11AM), Gen Santos City (April 26, 9-11 AM) and Koronadal (April 26, 2-4PM).

The MNSA is a free one-year full-time academic scholarship pro-

gram consisting of the thirty-nine (39) units of multi-disciplinary courses involving the political, economic, socio-cultural, techno-scientific, environmental, and military dimensions of national security; three integrating courses of national security management, policy science, and research methods; and a master’s thesis.

Qualified nominees are recruited in their capacities as national de-

fense leaders, senior officials of government agencies and local government units, and top level executives from the private sector.

For more information with regard to the MNSA Program and the MNSA Information Drive, you may contact Segfrey D Gonzales through telephone nos. (02) 912.9125 or (02) 911.6001 loc 4558. You may also log on to the NDCP website at: www.ndcp.edu.ph.

EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

11

Go Gumasa for the biggest beach party this summer T

IRED of the maddening crowd of Boracay? The crass commercialism of Panglao? Or the prohibitive and princely price tag of El Nido?

Save your bed and dine budget and get more adventurous.

Pack those bags and fly farther south for a summer retreat where onegets the most rural of setting, yet lusts for one of nature’s few remaining unspoiled beauties.

Welcome to Gumasa in Sarangani, home to Mindanao’s biggest beach party – the Sarangani Bay Festival.

It is in this part of Mindanao where you can still frolic in the most powdery white sands, watch beach volley and soccer, build sand castles, snorkel and skinny dip in crystal-clear sea waters and party all night long. On the side, shout your hearts out as you cheer for your favorite 5-man relay team swim and race against many others in the shark-infested Sarangani Bay, a distance of 15 kilometers across the channel. (Don’t worry. The sheer number of sea crafts, swimmers and spectators are driving those sharks away.) Oh, lest you forget, watch dolphins playfully swim with the human tankers at a safe distance.

When there are no sharks, there are dolphins, period.

Gumasa, they say, is what Boracay was 25 years ago when the world-known tourist destination was not yet, well, as crowded as it is today. When being in with the Boracay beach crowd means spending half a year’s salary for a Metro Manila minimum wage earner for a two night stay good for two.

You can spend half of that and stay in Gumasa for four days. That’s practically more than half the price tag of Boracay! But, dig this. You can happily bring home along with you the bragging rights of telling friends when you grow those grey hairs that you were there in Gumasa when one can practically own the place by his or her lonesome during off seasons. That is one of life’s priceless moments and memories.

Just ask Supreme Court administrator Midas Marquez who was at the bay festival two years ago and was seen tightly clasping a bottle of ice cold San Mig Lights while watching Cueshe live on stage. Or

Tina Muñoz Palma who had her moment with youthful Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez along the beach-front one breezy and cloudy afternoon the year before.

Dominguez said the late Filipino rock icon Karl Roy once suddenly popped out from the crowd and went upstage to jam with the local band. Eric Gancio of the lamented and missed Yano band is a regular performer here. Eric is a friend of the governor.

Recent Pinoy Big Brother fourth placer Paco Evangelista is also a regular at the bay festival.

Sarbay, as organizers have coined it, now proudly owns the tag as Mindanao’s biggest beach party and Gumasa is the resident host of Sarangani Bay Festival.

The festival itself has become the province’s great leveler – where a farmhand can rub elbows with celebrities. Where Sarangani’s officials are part of the crowd – not the crowd.

“I think we can claim it has become the bigger beach party in the country where people party literally from sundown to sunrise,” the governor said.

Dominguez said last year the bay festival was able to attract 35,000 local tourists – up from 6,000 in 2006.

Have you seen your vice governor break dance on stage in your place? Try Gumasa.

The bay festival was one of the first activity concepts pushed by Dominguez immediately after he was elected governor of the province for the first time in 2004.

Sarangani province however shares the bay with nearby General Santos City. (Sarangani’s six coastal towns are evenly separated by GenSan.) After failed attempts to jointly host Sarbay with General Santos, Dominguez gave his signal to proceed with the concept that has now become a buzzword in Mindanao.

This year’s Sarangani Bay Festival has been shortened to two days – May 18-19. This should give visitors enough time to enjoy the serenity of the place and explore other places before and after Sarbay.

The bay fest is adventure enough but if one wants to extend his stay, he or she can para-glide

and get an eagle eye’s view of the blue waters of Sarangani Bay. The Tan brothers of SAFII Group of Companies are offering this latest craze to hit Sarangani.

If one is a dive enthusiast and wants to explore the earth’s remaining frontier, there is the Lemlunay Dive Resort operated by the Partridge family in Tinoto, Maasim, also in Sarangani. The Tinoto Wall is dubbed as one of the best dive spots in Mindanao.

The wall drops more than 500 feet you can almost “see” the abyss. Lemlunay also offers world-class accommodation with an infiniti pool to drool for.

If security arrangement can be made, a trek into the hidden waterfalls of Kiamba town or a visit to one of the pre-historic burial caves of Maitum will be a big bonus.

But you can still wet your butt in white-water rubber-tubing adventure in La Union, Maitum. Sarangani Rep. Manny once said the 1.5-kilometer stretch of rapids ride was one like he never had before. Unfortunately, until Manny retires from boxing, you will not get to see him at the festival as he often fights during the month.

Travel light. You do not have to dress up and bring your costly gears. After all, Gumasa is a backpacker’s ultimate paradise. Book a flight from your place of origin to General Santos City. There are at least four flights daily from Manila and back and two flights from Cebu on some days.

Taxis at the airport are available. Drivers however are not keen on using the taxi meter, though. Haggle with them. Airport to downtown fare should not be more than P300.

You can ask the driver where to bring you to the hotel or inn that best suits your taste or budget. Don’t look for 5-star accommodation. There is none yet in the city. You can make arrangements with the hotel front desk for transfer accommodation to one of the beach resorts in Gumasa. If you are to join the bay festival, an outdoor carry-on portable tent is advisable if you cannot have prior bookings.

You may inquire with event organizers at stipc@ yahoo.com or call Telefax (083) 508-5230 or 5085244. (Edwin Espejo / MindaNews contributor)

Sarangani events

Peace and order council meeting

Gov. Migs welcomes back exonerated employee

International Monitoring Team courtesy call

Newly-appointed councilor of Malapatan takes oath of office

12

NATION/WORLD

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

LOCATION Matina, Davao City Matina(Diversion) Davao City Bunawan, Davao City Indangan, Davao City Bincungan, Tagum City

AREA (sq.m.) PRICE/sq.m.

17,940

P2,500

3,831

P1,500

41,408

P800

7,056

P1,200

27,411

P1,000

LOCATION

AREA (sq.m.) PRICE/sq.m.

Villa Josefina Resort Village, Dumoy Toril, Davao City

Minimum of 240 sq.m.

P5,985

St. Joseph Homes, Sirawan, Toril,Davao City

3,831

P3,600

LOCATION Lot Area Flr. Area Blk. 4, Lot 10 Villa Josefina Resort Village 240 sq.m. 177.31 sq.m Dumoy, Toril, Davao City

For Inquiries: Please Call : PRYCE CORPORATION c/o SONNY MOLE Contact No. : 0922-­‐879-­‐0036 / (082) 224-­‐2686 Email ADD : sonitomole1223@yahoo.com

PRICE P4.8 M

TALKS. Mali’s speaker of parliament Dioncounda Traore (R, with glasses) stands next to Captain Amadou Sanogo (C) after they met at the Kati military barracks outside Bamako. Mali’s coup leader held talks on Monday on

when he would hand over power to allow the return of democratic rule in the troubled west African nation, now half controlled by Islamists and rebels.

Mali’s future president meets with coup leader

M

ALI’S coup leader held talks on Monday on when he would hand over power to allow the return of democratic rule in the troubled west African nation, now half controlled by Islamists and rebels.

The constitutional court was expected to expedite the transfer of power on Tuesday by officially registering the resignation of Mali’s president, paving the way for the current parliament speaker to be sworn in effectively ending the putsch, a source close to the court said.

Army Captain Amadou Sanogo, who seized power with other soldiers on March 22, held talks Monday with the speaker Dioncounda Traore, who is set to become Mali’s interim

president and oversee the transition back to constitutional rule.

Traore met Sanogo in the presence of international mediators for about an hour at a military camp near the capital Bamako.

The March coup set off a sequence of events that saw the northern desert half of the vast and deeply impoverished nation fall to Tuareg rebels and their Islamist allies, triggering a major humanitarian crisis.

Sanogo told reporters the encounter “went well”, adding that more information would be released soon.

“We established a framework” of focus points, said Ivory Coast’s African Integration Minister Adama Bictogo who, along with Burkina Faso’s

Foreign Minister Djibrill Bassole, is acting as mediator.

“No-one lost anything and no-one won anything,” he added.

The meeting came the day after Amadou Toumani Toure, who was ousted in the coup, formally resigned Mali’s presidency under the deal which also saw the lifting of sanctions that had been imposed by west African states.

Under the transition deal, Toure’s departure means Sanogo must prepare to step down and allow for Traore to be sworn in as interim president, which could happen on Tuesday, a source at the constitutional court said.

There was no official confirmation of the date or timing.

zone 140 kilometers west of ROK’s Byeonsan Peninsula while the second stage is expected to fall in an area 190 kilometers east of Luzon,” NDRRMC said.

Montejo sees no radiation threats from the planned launch, saying North Korea “still has no capability to miniaturize nuclear warhead to fit its rocket.”

“I also can’t see why the North Koreans would load dangerous chemicals unto the rocket - they said this was designed to carry a satellite,” he said.

Citing a report from the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, NDRRMC said North Korea decided to launch into polar orbit

its earth observation satellite named Kwangmyongsong-3.

The launch will be made from North Korea’s new satellite launching site west of the Korean peninsula near the border with China, NDRRMC reported.

Government isn’t discounting the possibility of the rocket veering away from its planned trajectory.

Other areas in Luzon can be affected if such incident happens, NDRRMC noted.

“The possibility for error is there,” said NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos, noting a one degree deviation from the planned trajectory is significant already.

DOST chief calms Pinoys on NoKor rocket launch

D

EPARTMENT of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo has allayed fears about North Korea’s plan to launch a rocket between April 12 and 16 this year, saying this device has no nuclear components and it’s unlikely to contain dangerous chemicals as well.

“There’s a remote chance harmful debris from the rocket will hit us,” he said.

He gave the assurance as National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) warned the rocket will “follow a southward trajectory, reportedly along or over Republic of Korea (ROK) towards Taiwan and the Philippines.”

NDRRMC noted the eastern seaboard areas of Region 2, Polilio Island as well as Camarines Norte and Catanduanes provinces are under threat from the rocket’s expected fallout.

The rocket’s first stage “will separate and fall in a

Quips

IT is time that government seriously consider the implications of a growing motorcycle population in the country, as well as address problems of corruption which continues to hamper the education and discipline of the motorcycle-riding community.’

--Rep. Teddy Casino ED

EDGEDAVAO

Mindanao’s...

Binay...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy as guest of the Davao-based international evangelist’s TV program “Give Us this Day.” Following Pimentel’s disclosure of UNA’s filing of petition for recognition with the Comission on Elections, Estrada reportedly said he has no problem supporting allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo so long as they have “no connection with whatever anomalies there were” during Arroyo’s nineyear rule.

Binay affirmed this, saying those who have manifested to join UNA have done it “on their own individual capacities.”

The vice president also appeared riled by his alleged support of several politicians allied with former President Arroyo.

“Yung namang nagbibintang na yung UNA ay kumukuha ng mga Arroyo allies hindi naman ganon.

Sabi ko nga, look who’s

talking, meron ngang iba jan na wow, akala mo kung ano-ano pero nung panahon ni GMA (naririnig mong nagsasabi) ‘Maam we love you very much maam’ o ngayon kung mag-aacuse akala mo...” Binay said, not finishing his sentence.

“Kami hindi naman namin sinasabing ‘Arroyo allies’, yung mga sumasama sa amin on their own choice yun. We do not look at who are from so and so party, no. There’s room for political parties and there’s room for individual applicants,” he added.

Binay, who in February announced his intent to run for president in the 2016 elections, brushed off heated reactions to the alliance formed between his party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

“Nag-file lang nga kami ng motion for rec-

VM Rody...

ognition muna eh then it was already big talk.

Para bang election na nitong taon. Sa isang taon pa ho ang election,” he said.

Confirmed as member of UNA is Zambales Representative Milagros Magsaysay, an ally of Arroyo and resigned Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri who was formerly a Lakas-Kampi member.

Zubiri, who intends to run again for senator in the 2013 elections, accompanied Binay in his visit here.

During Quiboloy’s TV program, Binay gave an update on his work as chairman of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), Presidential Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR), the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), as well as his monitoring the Pag-ibig Fund, and the National Housing Authority.

FFROM 3

worth P50,000; a residential land and building in Buhangin, Davao City purchased in 2008 worth P500,000; and three items under the name of Veronica A. Duterte, his daughter who turned six years old in 2010: a residential land in Matina, Davao City purchased in 2005 worth P380,000; residential land and building in 2007 whose mode of acquisition was “exchanged” but without indication with whom or with what it was exchanged for; and an agricultural land in Malagos, Davao City purchased in 2008 worth P1.2M. Under personal and other properties, the mayor declared a total of P16.45M: a Volks sedan acquired in 1978 worth P40,000; a Toyota Rav 4 acquired in 1996 worth P800,000; a Nissan Patrol acquired in 1998 worth P500,000; motorcycles worth P350,000; cash on hand/bank worth P10.38M; household appliances, furniture, antiques worth P400,000; jewelries worth P250,000 and investments worth P3.72M. Vice Mayor Duterte declared under liabilities, “miscellaneous payables” worth P1.5M. He declared a net worth of P9.6M as of yearend 2007; P7.02M as of yearend 2004; P6.5M as of yearend 2003.

13

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

Under “business interests and financial connections,” Mayor Duterte listed four firms where she is “incorporator/stockholder”: Davao Emerging Taipan Corporation, since 2004; Davao Bounty Times Food Corporation, since 2007; City Hall King Chow Foods Corp., since 2007; and SGT Fortune Horse Corp., since 2010 .

She also listed CYKT, Inc., where she is incorporator along with husband Maneses Carpio, since 2010.

Vice Mayor Duterte listed only one item under “business interests and financial connections”: as incorporator since 1997 in Honda cars, General Santos City.

Based on the SALNs filed with the Ombudsman’s Office in Mindanao, Mayor Duterte declared a net worth of P7.25M as of yearend 2007 and P18.49M as of yearend 2008 while Vice Mayor Duterte declared a net worth of P6.5M as of yearend 2003; P7.02M as of yearend 2004 and P9.6M as of yearend 2007.

Mayor Duterte served as vice mayor from 2007 to 2010 and was elected mayor in 2010. Her father Rodrigo served as city mayor from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010, and congressman from 1998 to 2001. [CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS/MINDANEWS]

360 MW during the previous months. However, the DOE continues to monitor its implementation to ensure strict compliance to the Circular among stakeholders,” the agency said in the same statement.

But Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño today said Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras has ordered Mindanao electric cooperatives last week to buy “expensive power” from privatized power barges at P14 per kwh, with government shouldering the P9/ kwh diesel cost.

The secretary also reportedly ordered local government officials to immediately approve the environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for at least two new coal fired power plants in Mindanao.

The approval of ECCs is a function of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Casiño said this could mean “the upcoming Mindanao Power Summit was already a done deal, with agreements to jack up power rates in Mindanao and put up environmentally-hazardous coal plants already sealed during a pre-summit meeting organized by the Department of Energy last week.”

“If that is the case then the power summit would just be a rubber stamp for DOE circular 2012-03-

Microsoft...

FFROM 7

to its shareholders.

As part of the deal, AOL will continue to hold more than 300 patents related to key strategic areas for the company, including advertising, search, and social media, and will receive a license to the patents being sold to Microsoft. Also, Microsoft will be granted a nonexclusive license to the patents AOL retains.

“We think this move is a big win for AOL in both the speed at which the sale was made and the actual amount it received,” wrote Anthony DiClemente, an analyst with Barclays Research.

AOL shares soared $7.87 to $26.29 in afternoon trade.

One of the pioneering companies during the early days of the Internet, AOL was known for e-mail and dial-up access services. It has been trying to reshape itself into a media and entertainment powerhouse dependent on advertising revenue.

Activist shareholder Starboard Value LP had pressed AOL manage-

ment to pursue a patent auction, arguing the portfolio could produce more than $1 billion in licensing income if properly monetized.

The deal, expected to be completed by the end of 2012, includes the sale of an AOL unit, on which AOL expects to record a capital loss for tax purposes.

AOL said it expected to use about $40 million of its existing deferred tax assets -- 20 percent of its total -- to offset any ordinary income taxes resulting from the licensing of its remaining patent portfolio.

Evercore Partners and Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisers to AOL. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner acted as legal counsel.

Covington and Burling LLP offered legal advice to Microsoft.

If the deal falls through, Microsoft may pay AOL a termination fee of $211.2 million, AOL said in a regulatory filing.

0004 which forces consumers to pay an additional 50 to 80 centavos per kWh for their electricity due to the manipulations of favored private power generators like Therma Marine Inc. owned by the Aboitizes, ” he said.

“The summit is also meant to convince the people of Mindanao of the supposed need to deploy more coal-fired and diesel power plants despite Mindanao’s abundance in clean and renewable energy sources,” he added.

The lawmaker said he found it strange that government is willing to subsidize diesel power at P9/kWh when it would be cheaper and sustainable to subsidize solar and other renewable energy sources.

“Is there a conspiracy to ram fossil-fuel power as the solution? Would this not reduce the power summit to a farce, giving Mindanao consumers no choice but to stick to more expensive, dirty, non-renewable power?” Casiño asked.

Almendras had earlier denied the DOE was conniving with private companies causing the current power situation in Mindanao.

“We are not siding with anyone but just highlighting the truth of the situation. One such truth is that our actions have resulted in revenue reduction for some corporations clearly proving that we are not favoring big business,” the secretary said in a statement issued last month.

The DOE further said in its April 3 statement that it may also consider other solutions such as the operation of the Iligan Diesel Power Plant, which will be able to produce an initial power of 15–20 MW that may increase upon rehabilitation, and the improvements of the Agus and Pulangui hydropower plants.

It said the Pulangui plant will be rehabilitated this month, and the DOE is already studying ways on how to mitigate its effect on the power supply. The Agus plant, however, will be rehabilitated in June.

In a statement dated April 4, the DOE said it had received 69 bids for 38 coal areas in its fourth Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR4) for coal last March 30, 2012, in line with its “thrust to explore, develop, and utilize indigenous energy resources.”

“The number of applicants is overwhelming and is obviously a testament to the confidence of investors in the Aquino administration. We look forward to harnessing our indigenous coal resources to reduce our reliance on imports,” Energy Undersecretary Jay Layug said.

Among the coal areas where there are multiple bids are in Bislig and Lingig in Surigao del Sur, Layug said.

But Casiño accused the DOE of “blackmailing” Mindanao consumers into paying for “expensive, fossil-fuel based power or nothing at all.”

“What makes Mindanao different from Visayas and Luzon is its rich potential for renewable energy – from solar, hydro, geothermal to biomass.

Why not tap these instead of the more expensive and dirty fossil fuel technologies?” he stressed.

He described the impact of the government’s solution as heavy. “In terms of price, its P50P80 additional for those who consume 100 kWh per month, P100-P160 for those who consume 200 kWh and so forth. This is on top of the approved increase by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for Napocor generation rates.” [H. MARCOS C. MORDENO/MINDANEWS]

Bubba...

FFROM 15

handed) to get it free of the dense jungle growth.

He carded a triple-bogey 7, falling from 8-under to 5-under. And although he wouldn’t bogey another hole, he left too many putts too short. He finished right where he started, at minus-8, staring up an impassable two-stroke incline at the leaders.

Other highlights included two aces at No. 16, carded by Bo Van Pelt and Adam Scott, and Van Pelt’s astonishing 8-under run to tie a Masters record.

Lee Westwood didn’t do his usual major fade, but his 4-under day to get to

minus-8 simply wasn’t enough. Matt Kuchar and 54-hole leader Peter Hanson both took turns at the lead, but couldn’t hold. And Tiger Woods? A 2-over 74 to finish a dismal plus-5.

In the end, though, the final lingering image of this Masters was a tearful Bubba Watson, embracing his mother as the last of the light faded from the day. He’d finally broken into the ranks of golf’s major winners with a well-deserved, hardearned victory, and there was little more to do at that moment than weep in gratitude.

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

The tale of 3 Davao boxers I

T has all come down to this. The country’s hopes for an Olympic medal is down to the shoulders of three brave warriors from Davao.

One by one they took the challenge.

By far, only one has gotten through.

The brightest hope of them all—Rey Saludar— is gone.

It now boils down to whether or not Charly Suarez will join Mark Anthony Barriga to London.

All three are products of the most successful grassroots boxing program in the country—Davao del Norte’s Barangay Una—under the watchful eyes of sports patron Tonyboy Floirendo.

Mark Anthony Barriga, fighting in the light flyweight division (46-49 kg), made the Olympics in

last year’s World Boxing Championships in Azerbaijian, despite bowing to the highly-fancied Shi Ming Zou of China. Barriga advanced to the round of 16 fight against the Chinese after he upset former world champion Stefan Caslarov of Romania in the eliminations and Ireland’s Patrick Barnes.

In an interview with EDGE from Kazakhstan, the 19-year old Barriga said he was glad he survived the tough eliminations in Azerbaijian.

“Puros kusog akong mga kalaban,” Barriga said. “Katong taga China lisod gyud pildihon pero paningkamotan nako sa sunod kung magkita mi usab. Si Shi Ming gihapon kusog pero naa ay lain nga mga kusog sa India ug Thailand,” he added.

Barriga is in Kazakhstan with the other hope-

fuls from the Philippines including Suarez and Saludar.

“Maayo unta ug naa pa koy makauban sa Olympics,” Barriga wished after Saludar’s exit left only Suarez with the chance to snatch another slot.

Saludar bid his Olympic hopes goodbye losing his 52 kg. clash via secondround RSC to Tsogsogt Nyambayar of Mongolia.

Suarez could join Barriga in London if he hurdles his next fight in the Asian Olympic Qualifying event in Kazakhstan. Suarez came close to that by scoring 14-5 impressive victory over Abdalai Anarbai Uulu of Tajikistan in their 60 kg quarterfinals battle.

Suarez faces Japanese champion Daisuke Narimatsu, who edged Myrat Pazzyyev of Turkmenistan, in his next fight.

Fresno State in the NCAA, defeated Muhammad Abid, 6-2, 6-1. Arcilla, who set the pace for the Philippines’ sweep by nailing the first singles match of the tie, wrapped it up with a straight set victory over Yasir Khan, 6-3, 6-4.

The Philippines never dropped a set in the tie against Pakistan en route to a third round showdown with Indonesia on September 14 to 16 with the winner advancing to Group I. Pakistan played without its top player AisamUl-Haq Qureshi as the 2010 finalist in mixed doubles and men’s doubles in the US Open re-

portedly pulled out of the competition due to a knee injury.

The tie started Friday despite falling on a Holy Week to synchronize with the other Davis Cup matches around the world.

Arcilla began the tie with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ageel Khan while Treat Huey made it 2-0 after he defeated Yasir Khan, 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, moving one victory away from a seat into the next round.

Huey and Ruben Gonzales teamed up in the doubles competition on Saturday to defeat Ageel Khan and Yasir Khan, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to seal the win.

Charly Suarez keeps Olympic hope alive

D

AVAO pride Charly Suarez kept the Philippine flag afloat in the Asian Olympic Qualifying event in Kazakhstan late Monday night with a smashing 14-5 victory over Abdalai Anarbai Uulu of Tajikistan in their 60 kg quarterfinals battle.

Suarez, the last man standing for the country in the eight-day slugfest, immediately showed who is the boss by taking a 4-1 lead in the first round before his foe staged a mini comeback in the second that saw the score at 10-4

Suarez still in Suarez’s favor.

But in the third round, Suarez poured almost everything and settled the issue.

Next up for Suarez

Phl netters sweep Pakistan Saludar falls

T

HE Philippine Davis Cup team swept the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group II tie defeating Pakistan to officially advance into the third round where a promotion to the next group is at stake.

The Filipino netters formalized their dominance against a shorthanded Pakistani team with Francis Casey Alcantara and Johnny Arcilla dispatching separate foes Sunday at the Philippine Columbian Association courts in Paco, Manila.

Alcantara, the former juniors standout making his return to the Davis Cup play after a stint with

T out.

HE country’s brightest hope for an Olympic gold is

Rey Saludar, a gold medalist in the 2010 Asian Games and a product of Davao del Norte’s Barangay Una boxing program, bowed out in his 52 kg. clash via second-round RSC to Tsogsogt Nyambayar of Mongolia, while Wilfredo Lopez and Dennis Galvan (64 kg) also suffered the same fate in the Olympic Qualifiers in

Saludar Astana, Kazakhstan.

Only Charly Suarez (60 kg) and Joegin Ladon (56 kg) survived the initial onslaught. Ladon would

is Japanese champion Daisuke Narimatsu, who edged Myrat Pazzyyev of Turkmenistan.

Suarez, however, needs to top his event to make it to London since only one allocation is available in this weight category. Suarez is a product of the Barangay Una boxing program of Davao del Norte.

Getting the pink slip early in the event are fellow Davao del Norte-Barangay Una product Rey Saludar, Dennis Galvan, Wilfredo Lopez and Joegin Ladon.

later get eliminated leaving Suarez (see separate story) as the country’s last man standing in Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan slugfest will be the last chance for Asian fighters to make the trip to the London Olympics, scheduled July 27 to August 12.

The Philippines is pinning its hopes on boxing in the Olympics and as of this time, only one boxer — light-fly Mark Anthony Barriga — has earned a booking.

INdulge!

Diet, interrupted MOTHERHOOD

34-24-34… So it figured. 6 years ago, my petite frame, standing only 5’2 in height, was practically paperweight at 89 pounds.

Add 11 pounds to that, post pregnancy. (Sound bite: John Mayer singing. “I worry, I weigh three times my body.”)

Since then, everyday has become a battle against calories --- these tiny little creatures that creep through the night and shrink my clothes.

Gone are the years when I’d naturally and effortlessly stayed thin despite a 3 huge meals and heavy snacking. I could wolf down 3 large orders of McDonald’s fries for a midnight snack, and wake up feeling light and showing no signs of excess baggage. But now, with my busy schedule at work and at home, I rarely find the time for any significant calorie burning activity other than graceful strides around the mall, muscle toning action by pulling out clothes off boutique racks, and sporadic weight lifting of my growing 5 year old daughter.

Friends think I freak out about weight too much. I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from being an anorexic. Body conscious, to me, is a better label. Being a mother does not automatically translate to an I-don’tcare-anymore-how-I’ll-look kind of living. I try to watch my figure and what I eat, given my perspiration-denied lifestyle. Counting calories gained and burned ain’t my thing. After all, I was never good in math. Numbers give me nausea. I try to stick to my morsel diet as much as I can, whenever I can. I get a bit of everything and try to eat less at the strike of 6:00 PM. Weekends are cheat days when I’d give myself the liberty to pig out and enjoy the saccharine joys of chocolate and everything caloric. On special days, when we have events at work, I dine together with my writer-friends and give in to the irresistible temptation of our buffet spread. Plates wiped clean, my friends would leave to sweat off the calories in the gym, for their regular dagdag-bawas routine post dinner event, whereas my short frame would swear off carbs and oil for the next 3 days to resume to my pre-dinner event shape.

March was a bountiful month for me, food-wise.

The Mediterranean festival at

LEFT: Steak Town in Tagaytay. RIGHT: Cafe Marco’s Prawn and Scallop St. Tropez.

lar night out’s with friends Sherwin, Norby, and Lia saw hefty amount of bite size delicacies on the table, some of which were Lia’s homemade kitchen wonders. A sidetrip to Tagaytay on one sunny weekend added more meat into my flesh with a special treat at Lia’s family Café Marco marked the prelude to my month-long calorie fest. Friends Pretend I’m a model talking --- If I were dreaming to pose as cover girl for April, my figure on magazine print would show a lot of curves. Yes, curves and bumps on my tummy that were the product of countless dinner get together with friends, majority of which were with NFF (new found friends) and BFF’s (boyfriend’s friends) in Manila. My morsel diet turned into Super Size Me pig out’s in between appointments, courtesy of my boyfriend (who disapproves of my diet regimen). Manille, my own hometown that never sleeps, became the land of Oz for a brief period with series of munching, added with teeth action, broken promises, and shattered dreams of achieving a Blake Lively bod. “Tomorrow is another day to diet” was my usual excuse whenever temptation would win over determination.

I tried to control the little bites I had in between, on top of my heavy meals, but it didn’t help that my family, friends, and boyfriend were such avid fans (and followers) of food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the boyfriend’s family demanded a lot of vacant space in my stomach as their English speaking cook was known for her legendary fried chicken, sinigang, and gourmet concoctions. There’s also an endless choice of food at my family’s place, which came to my daughter’s advantage. My family, making up for lost time, granted all of my daughter’s wishes and cravings. Regu-

restaurant, Steak Town.

A phone call from my friend Raul Matias, the Machiavelli Chocolatier himself, became my ticket to chocolate heaven, a few days after our coffee date in Rockwell with friends Harold Geronimo and Cecile Van Straten. Just when

Machiavelli Chocolatier in Rustan’s Makati and a delicious display of gourmand pralines.

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO I thought I was only picking up my friend’s order of chocolates bars in his shop at Rustan’s, Raul surprised me with a paper bag full of his gourmand chocolates.

His generous box of colourful pralines sustained my little snacker in the plane enroute back to Davao.

Back to Davao, back to reality, and back to my diet.

So I tried. And I still do. The main agenda was to get my porker of a belly back to the only existing size in my closet, figuratively.

The weight loss challenge was back with revenge.

Tummy, don’t fail me now.

Oh, did I mention we’re opening our Japanese Cuiscene at Café Marco this

week? Sushi, sashimi, tempura, teppanyaki, and ramen galore --- irresistible delights from the land of the rising sun. Well, I guess I’ll sacrifice a bit this weekend so I can enjoy every delectable bite come opening day. After all, there is not fat much to worry about with Japanese food. Still, I’d gladly cut my appetite in half and swim through the spread with any willing and able body.

Care to share the calories, anyone?

--Got questions? Send in your emails to meggy.patricia@ gmail.com. Visit her blog site at http://meg-has-scene-it. blogspot.com/

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

BOOKS

The Dukan Diet

by Dr. Pierre Dukan Devised by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French medical doctor who has spent his career helping people to lose weight, the Dukan Diet rejects counting calories and promises permanent weight loss while allowing adherents to eat as much as they like.

Originally published in 2000, the Dukan Diet swept across France, championed by people who successfully lost weight following its unique four phase regime. The Dukan Diet has helped millions in France, where it has been number one for more than ten years and adopted in twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Korea and Brazil. All together, The Dukan Diet has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.

French Kids Eat Everything

by Karen Le Billon Moving her young family to her husband’s hometown in northern France, Karen Le Billon is prepared for some cultural adjustment but is surprised by the food education she and her family (at first unwillingly) receive. In contrast to her daughters, French children feed themselves neatly and happily—eating everything from beets to broccoli, salad to spinach, mussels to muesli. The family’s food habits soon come under scrutiny, as Karen is lectured for slipping her fussing toddler a snack—”a recipe for obesity!”—and forbidden from packing her older daughter a lunch in lieu of the elaborate school meal.

Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat

by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle In Japan, people live longer than anywhere else on Earth; obesity is virtually unknown, and 40-year-old women look like they’re 20. The secret: Japanese homestyle cooking, and an approach to eating that is not about self-deprivation, but about celebrating and savouring food. Raised in Tokyo and on her grandparents’ mountainside farm, author Naomi Moriyama first travelled to the West as a college student, and promptly gained 25 pounds eating an American diet. Returning home for the holidays, she found that the weight melted off as she returned to the healthy, soulful food of her mother’s tiny kitchen: satisfying soups, fresh vegetables, delicate grilled fish; mouthwatering meals that never left her feeling hungry. Filled with delicious recipes and evocative reminiscences, this book is for all those who are tired of counting calories and carbs, and finding themselves on diets that don’t work. “Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat” offers a delightfully fresh and easy approach to a healthier, slimmer, and longer lifestyle.

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

HEALTH

Understanding obesity

O

BESITY is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight.

The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index or BMI. A person is considered overweight if his or her BMI is between 25 and 29.9; a person is considered obese if his or her BMI is over 30.

“Morbid obesity” means that a person is either 50%-100% over normal weight, more than 100 pounds over normal weight, has a BMI of 40 or higher, or is sufficiently overweight to severely interfere with health or normal function.

What causes obesity?

Obesity occurs when a person consumes more calories than he or she burns. For many people this boils down to eating too much and exercising too little. But there are other factors that also play a role in obesity. These may include: • Age. As you get older, your body’s ability to metabolize food slows down and you do not require as many calories to maintain your weight. This is why people note that they eat the same and do the same activities as they did when they were 20 years old, but at age 40, gain weight.

• Gender. Women tend to be more overweight than men. Men have a higher resting metabolic rate (meaning they burn more energy at rest) than women, so men require more calories to maintain their body weight.

Additionally, when women become postmenopausal, their metabolic rate decreases. That is partly why many women gain weight after menopause.

• Genetics. Obesity (and thinness) tends to run in families. In a study of adults who were adopted as children, researchers found that participating adult weights were closer to their biological parents’ weights than their adoptive parents’. The environment provided by the adoptive family apparently had less influence on the development of obesity than the person’s genetic makeup. In fact, if your biological mother is heavy as an adult, there is approximately a 75% chance that you will be heavy. If your biological mother is thin, there is also a 75% chance that you will be thin. Nevertheless, people

One of the most painful aspects of obesity may be the emotional suffering it causes.

Society places great emphasis on physical appearance, often equating attractiveness with slimness or muscularity. w h o feel that their genes h a v e doomed them to a lifetime of obesity shou l d t a k e heart. Many people genetically predisposed to obesity do not become obese or are able to lose weight and keep it off.

• Environmental factors. Although genes are an important factor in many cases of obesity, a person’s environment also plays a significant role. Environmental factors include lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and how active he or she is.

• Physical activity. Active individuals require more calories than less active ones to maintain their weight. Additionally, physical activity tends to decrease appetite in obese individuals while increasing the body’s ability to preferentially metabolize fat as an energy source. Much of the increase in obesity in the last 20 years is thought to have resulted from the decreased level of daily physical activity.

• Psychological factors. Psychological factors also influence eating habits and obesity. Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger. People who have difficulty with weight management may be facing more emotional and psychological issues; about 30% of people who seek treatment for serious weight problems have difficulties with binge eating. During a binge-eating episode, people eat large amounts of food while feeling they can’t control how much they are eating.

• Illness. Although not as common as

many believe, there are some illnesses that can cause obesity. These include hormone problems such as hypothyroidism (poorly acting thyroid slows metabolism), depression, and some rare diseases of the brain that can lead to overeating.

• Medication. Certain drugs, such as steroids and some antidepressants, may cause excessive weight gain.

Emotional aspects of obesity One of the most painful aspects of obesity may be the emotional suffering it causes. Society places great emphasis on physical appearance, often equating attractiveness with slimness or muscularity. In addition, many people wrongly stereotype obese people as gluttonous, lazy, or both. However, more and more evidence contradicts this assumption. Obese people often face prejudice or discrimination at work, at school, while looking for a job, and in social situations. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression are common.

When to seek help for obesity You should call your doctor if you are having emotional or psychological issues related to your obesity, need help losing weight, or if you fall into either of the following categories.

• If your BMI is 30 or greater, you’re considered obese. You should talk to your doctor about losing weight since you are at high risk of having health problems.

• If you have an “apple shape” -- a socalled, “potbelly” or “spare tire” -- you carry more fat in and around your abdominal organs. Fat deposited primarily around your middle increases your risk of many of the serious conditions associated with obesity. Women’s waist measurement should fall below 35 inches. Men’s should be less than 40 inches. If you have a large waist circumference, talk to your doctor about how you can lose weight.

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

The Avengers’ tickets are sold out in the US! A month before it opens, The Avengers is already selling out movie theaters.

Yes, Batman, already.

AMC Theatres announced Thursday that geeked-up moviegovers had cleaned it out of $40 tickets for a one-day-only, superhero-movie marathon set to culminate with The Avengers’ midnight May 4 release.

The chain said it was adding screenings to the 10 North American locations hosting next month’s so-called “Ultimate Marvel Marathon,” featuring 12 straight hours of Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and Avengers action.

With demand now for The Avengers officially not just high, but fanatical, the movie’s box-office prospects are not just great, but perhaps epic.

Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock says it’s “entirely possible” that the Robert Downey Jr.led Avengers could top The Dark Knight for bragging rights as the biggestopening superhero movie ($158.4 million).

But, no, Batman, you’re not being dismissed.

Bock foresees a scenario where The Avengers defeats The Dark Knight, and tops Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which, with a $169.2 mil-

lion Friday-Sunday debut last year, is Hollywood’s all-time opener, but only hangs onto the record until The Dark Knight Rises

HOT NOT or

opens July 20.

Asks Bock of the latter film: “Is $200 million even possible?”

Well, now, that we know

members of fandom are more than willing to sign up and sit down for superhero-endurance tests, we won’t doubt their powers.

Victoria Beckham’s red hair on Harper’s Bazaar China VICTORIA Beckham channels her inner avatar for the cover of the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar China.

We scarcely recognized Posh with that flaming red hair, bold feathered brows, deep grey and gold shadow, silver hair ornaments and enormous earrings— which we really hope are not actually in her ears.

This isn’t the only cover she’ll be gracing this month...

The 37-year-old mother of Brooklyn Joseph, 13, Romeo James, 10, Cruz Da-

vid, 7, and Harper Seven, 9 months, also appears on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar U.K. this month looking way tamer in a Prada jumpsuit.

The China cover, photographed by Chen Man, shows a fierce Becks looking more like a character out of the Final Fantasy video game than her usual simple double-belted self.

This striking, bold and fiery Victoria looks redhot. Even her eyes seem to have that fire within glow, which seems perfectly suitable. After all, it is the year of the dragon.

A4 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

G by Guess at SM Davao The Annex!

IN early 2007, the US clothing line Guess introduced a new business concept known as G

by Guess. Founded by Maurice Marciano & Paul Marciano, G

by Guess focuses on a younger target audience. The brand attracts its fans with more competitive prices and a style that gives a “nod to old Hollywood.”

G by Guess gives equally sexy and designer looks without the expensive designer prices. With G by Guess known for its innovative style, GUESS continues to dress and accessorize the world

with fashion-forward apparel, handbags, watches, shoes and more.

Get that adventurous and

young lifestyle look.Visit Davao’s first G by Guess shop located at the Ground Floor of the City’s hippest hub—The Annex.

Sabroso Sunday Market at Coffee at the Yellow Haus FROM the organizers of The White Christmas Bazaar comes the newest weekend food market, Sabroso Sunday Market.

The Sabroso Sunday Market is a great venue to taste gastronomic delicacies and pastries from novice cook to gourmet chefs alike. The Sabroso Sunday Market will be the new food haven of Davao.

The event will start on April

15, 2012 and run every Sunday to May 6, 2012 , from 3:00pm to 9:00 pm at Coffee at Yellow Hauz, V. Mapa Mabini Street Davao City.

For more information on the many different food exhibitors or if you want to be a part of the Sabroso Sunday Market, you may contact +639228585554, +639157984990, or 2280724 and look for April, Sandy or Chiche.

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

BUBBA A POP VICTORY HUG. Bubba Watson of the US studies his line of putt (top photo) and then later hugs his mother Molly Watson and his caddie Ted Scott after sinking his putt during a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen (left) of South Africa to win the 76th Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on Augusta, Georgia.

Bubba’s Waston ‘s Hook Shot is the stroke of the Masters

A

UGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters tournament involves approximately 100 players taking a total of around 20,000 strokes. But in the end, it came down to just two: Louis Oosthuizen’s astonishing albatross on No. 2, and Bubba Watson’s ungodly pop-fly wedge shot from the woods on the second hole of a playoff. Both shots are now part of Masters lore, but only one man won a green jacket.

The Masters that began with so many players finished up with just two, Oosthuizen and Watson, in a sudden-death playoff: Both players got good looks at a birdie on 18, with Watson barely missing a Masters-winning putt. Possibly rattled by that, Watson stuck his tee shot on No. 10 into the deep woods right of the green, but then uncorked a shot not even a videogame player could imagine: a straight-up wedge that landed within 15 feet for birdie. Needing two shots to win, Watson put his first putt close then tapped in his second for his first major win.

Oosthuizen played a largely undistinguished round of golf, with one notable exception: a 3-under double eagle on the second hole that surely ranks as one of the greatest shots in Masters history. The 260-yard shot was enough to keep the field at bay for most of the round, and enough to give Oosthuizen a little room to waver through the course of the round. He steadied himself on the back nine, bringing home the same 10-under that he’d staked himself to on the second hole.

Once again, Watson found himself in a playoff for a major championship.

In 2010, he fell to Martin Kaymer in the PGA Championship. This year, there would be no such fade.

The conventional wisdom was that Watson would either shoot in the low 60s or the high 70s, no middle ground. And indeed, he seemed on the verge of losing control right from the start, griping at the air en route to bogeying the very first hole. But he settled down,

surrendering only one stroke the rest of the way and putting on a spectacular four-birdie run from Nos. 13 to 16. That was enough to put him 10-under and into a tie for the lead, a tie that would hold up into the playoff.

Phil Mickelson, the

favorite coming into the day, played 17 solid holes at a level good enough to stay in the hunt, if not own it. The problem was the fourth, where he piledrove a shot into the side of a grandstand and then needed two right-handed shots (Mickelson is left-

Now what, Tiger?

A

UGUSTA, Ga. -- He needs “more reps” to “keep progressing” because he still fights the “old motor patterns.”

Even if his performance in his 18th Masters appearance was surprising, the manner in which Tiger Woods explained was predictable.

The four-time champion birdied his final hole early Sunday afternoon as a consolation prize in a round of two-over-par 74, but his performance in the 76th Masters was by all accounts one of his poorest as he ended up T-41 with a 5-over 293 aggregate total. Both tied his career worst showing at Augusta National GC; he finished T-41

at 293 in his Masters debut as an amateur in 1995. As a professional, Woods previously had not finished worse than T-22 in 2004.

Woods did not break par in any of his four rounds, only the third time he had done that. The others were ‘95 and 2007, the latter when he finished T-2 amid brutally tough conditions.

“I didn’t hit the ball very good this week, and what’s frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don’t do it,” Woods, 36, said after his second-highest score in the final round. “I get out there and I just don’t trust it at all. I fall back into the same old patterns again, and I just need

to do more reps. Thank God my short game was good this week and my putting was really good. Unfortunately, they were all for pars, not for birdies. If I look back on the week, I played the parâ¿¿5s atrociously. This is a golf course you just have to dominate the par 5s, and I did not do that at all this week.”

Woods played the par 5s in one-under par. He was 13 under on them in his recordbreaking first Masters victory in 1997. He failed to birdie either par 5 on the back nine all week, and with an inward 37 Sunday, he extended to five his rounds in which he hasn’t broken par on the second nine.

FBUBBA, 13

15

Bulilit

cross the message board thousands of miles away in Astana, Kazakhstan was Mark Anthony Barriga.

Mark Anthony, the amateur boxer from Panabo City, is in Astana not to compete but to cheer for his teammates in the Philippine Team eyeing for slots in the 2012 London Olympics.

The 19-year old boy is the tiniest pug among the national boxers. For his pint-sized frame, he goes around by the name “Bulilit” (which literally means small).

But Bulilit is not the smallest in terms of achievements. In fact, he stands ten feet taller than his peers.

In Astana, Bulilit had the luxury of watching the opposition he might face in London.

He has already booked for himself a seat in the Olympic Games after taking one of the slots contested in the 2011 World Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan.

B u lilit beat a Rumanian bronze medalist from the 2008 Beijing Games and another Irish boxer before succumbing to reigning lightflyweight Olympic gold medalist Shi Ming Zou of China.

The University of Mindanao-Panabo Campus student says that he is

high on his preparations for the London Games and is wary of the tough foes from India and Thailand aside from Shi Ming Zou. “Ensayo pirmi sir kay kusog kayo ang mga kalaban. Dili lang si Shi Ming, daghan pa mga kusog. Si Shi Ming lang ang ilado,” Barriga told this Hangtimer by direct message.

Barriga, whose parents Edgar and Melita Barriga support him all the way with the latter appearing with him in an endorsement for a consumer brand.

Bulilit is but one of three Panabo boxers who are considered the country’s best bets for the Olympics. Rey Saludar, Asian Games gold medalist, has bowed out of the race losing in Astana recently while Charly Suarez will be climbing up the ring for the last slot in the Olympics.

I doff my hat to Bulilit and Rey despite the opposite directions in their Olympic dreams. To Charly, here’s hoping he can make it too.

‘In Astana, Bulilit had the luxury of watching the opposition he might face in London. He has already booked for himself a seat in the Olympic Games after taking one of the slots contested in the 2011 World Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan.’

What happens now to Tiger Woods? Will he continue the changes in his swing?

16

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 26 • APRIL 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Done with

Dallas

Lamar Odom’s marriage with Dallas lasted for only four months. Now, is he headed back to Los Angeles where no. 1 Laker fan Jack Nickolson (right) could cheer him up with Kobe Bryant?

D

ALLAS (AP) The Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom are done with each other.

The NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the defending NBA champions who are trying to make sure they get back to the playoffs made it clear Monday that the partnership is over after an underwhelming 50game stint. ‘’We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,’’ general manager Donnie Nelson said. ‘’Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s

going through a very, very tough personal time. We certainly understand that.

But we’re in the thick of it in the West and we’ve got to win games.’’

Odom will be on the inactive list and not play again for the Mavericks, who were seventh in the Western Conference standings with nine games left in the regular season.

Even when wife and reality TV co-star Khloe Kardashian was in the stands near the Mavericks bench, Odom never seemed happy or comfortable in Dallas. His averages of 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 20.5 minutes were career lows,

and he was booed by the home crowd as the sluggish performances multiplied.

Odom agreed with Nelson that it was a mutual decision for him to step away from the team. ‘’I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for both of us,’’ Odom told ESPN.com. ‘’But I wish the Mavs’ organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.’’

Odom was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to Dallas in a deal just before the lockout-shortened season.

The Lakers seemed compelled to move the

6-foot-10 forward after trying to send him to New Orleans in a Chris Paul deal that was nixed by the league. For the Mavericks, it was considered a lowrisk move to use the trade exception from a deal that sent Tyson Chandler to the New York Knicks.

The ending in Dallas came almost as abruptly. ‘’These things never come at the best of times, so we felt with the playoff push coming up it was probably in everyone’s best interest,’’ Nelson said. ‘’Look, it’s been a frustrating situation. Lamar hasn’t performed like he wants to perform, is capable of performing. ...

We just need to move on.’’