Edge Davao 5 Issue 33

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.5 ISSUE 33 • APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

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78 Taiwanese part of int’l syndicate

By Jade C. Zaldivar

T

HE 78 Taiwanese nationals arrested

by Taiwanese and local police teams for involvement in alleged cyber fraud are only a “pinky” of a large international syndicate.

Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, Davao City Police Police director, said on Thursday that the Taiwanese nationals

n Another house being watched

nabbed here “answer to their kingpins abroad.”

“Malaking sindikato ito, actually komingking pa lang ni sila sa kung unsa gyud sila kadako. Ang ilang mga boss, ang mga kingpin nila, tua sa Mainland China ug Taiwan,” dela Rosa said during yesterday’s I-Speak forum at the city

hall.

The arrested Taiwanese nationals, 36 of whom are women, were collared during simultaneous raids in at their 24hour ‘fake’ call center headquarters in Ladislawa Village in Buhangin; Villa Josefina Village in Matina; and Valgoson’s Building in Talomo.

The DCPO was contacted by Taiwanese police early last March, for help to

F78 TAIWANESE, 13

THE BIG NEWS Page 3 Sports Page 14

CYBER CRIMES. Acting Mayor Rodrigo Duterte talks to Taiwanese nationals, some under the age of majority, arrested by operatives of the Davao City Police Office for alleged Cyber Crimes. A total of 78 Taiwanese nationals were taken into custody in three separate raids. [JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA]

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Central 911 has 2 more ‘firsts’ C

ENTRAL 11, Davao City’s emergency response unit, has introduced two new innovations which are “firsts” in Mindanao, and perhaps in the country.

Officer-in-charge Emmanuel Jaldon said Central 911 started operating an early response team (ERT) composed of

nInnovations include early re

sponse team, mobile tracking system worth P3-M

six motorcycle-riding medics and the installation of a mobile tracking system in all its twelve ambulances.

The ERT system is modeled after the emergency response system of the United Kingdom, Jaldon said during the I-Speak Forum at the city hall.

One medic is assigned to one motorcycle equipped with first aid kit. Upon receiving the command to respond to a medical emergency call, the ERT medic

FCENTRAL, 13

2

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

A bigger Visit Samal Island A

bigger Visit Samal Island (VSI) program will be held this year with multisectoral partners linking up for the event.

This according to Cleto Gales IGaCoS City administrator, who bared that the city is only allocating a minimal budget of P250,000 despite it being much larger than last year. Gales cited the partnership of the different sectors particularly the private businesses in pushing for the VSI 2012 which links up the LGU, the Department of Tourism Region 11 and the private sector tourism stakeholders- the Samal City Resort Owners Association.

The VSI campaign which used to be a monthlong event is now extended up to three months, lasting till July. The event is marked by cultural presentations, sporting events, beach parties, concerts and other forms of merriment.

The Visit Samal 2012, banners the tagline “where life is fun.” is the second staging of the unique marketing strategy started last year which aimed at increasing tourism arrivals and putting Samal on the map as the destination of choice for domestic and local tourists.

According to Grego-

rio Boy Sarmiento the private sector representative in the VSI executive committee, they have created many first-time events which would draw in more tourists. Among these included Davao Gulf Line Fishing contest, Miss Body Beautiful pageant and a Level III shooting competition.

Also from May 4-6, the island will play host to an environment, arts and music festival dubbed as the Pigkayasan Festival under the initiative of the 2nd district congressional office under Representative Anton Ladgameo.

The VSI 2012 will formally open this April 21, with grand motorcade around Samal Island and a silent drill conducted by the visiting cadets of the Philippine Military Academy.

Jennifer Cariaga, tourism officer of the city said that they are hoping to build on the success of last year’s VSI. “According to DOT data there was 64% increase in tourism traffic compared to the same period last year.” Cariaga said citing the positive effect of last year’s campaign.

We are targeting a 100% increase in tourism arrivals.” Cariaga added hoping that a much bigger VSI would bring in more tourists to Samal. [PIA 11/RG

By Lorie A. Cascaro

for your sexual comforts” she said, adding that the US Marine’s statement referring to “scantily clad women” as a source of “fun” in the country was an insult and denigration of Filipinas.

The group demanded the immediate recall of all US troops recently deployed in the country.

Last April 16, a new round of Balikatan Exercises began in Palawan while more than 600 US commandoes, out of the 6,000, were deployed Mindanao.

To show strong protest against what the militant group calls “heightened US military intervention”, Patriyotiko Mindanao led a Mindanao-wide caravan of 4,000 delegates, which kicked off on the same date and arrived in Zamboanga City yesterday.

Sapar recounted the statement of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario that P22 billion has been funneled to the government in the form of military aid in the last decade.

ALAMA]

Women’s group warns vs Olongapo ‘remake’

T

HE Balikatan military exercises in the country with 6,000 troops deployed will lead to heightened prostitution and abuse of women, similar to the heyday of the US Army in Olongapo in the 1980’s, said May Ann Sapar, spokesperson of Gabriela Southern Mindanao.

Sapar cited that 30,000 women, majority of them only 14 to 16 years old, worked in brothels and bars in Olongapo in the 80’s.

“If Aquino and other leaders in the government will not stop kowtowing to the military agenda of the US government, then they will be judged in history for being accessory to the worst crime against women and children and for betraying their country,” she said.

The activist women’s group said the US troops came here for war, and the women who will be victimized by prostitution and abuses are the compromise in exchange of material and logistics supports from the US government.

“Filipinas are not for sale. We refuse to be used

EDGEDAVAO

SPECIAL REGISTRATION. Persons with disabilities in the city went to the lobby of the Sangguniang Building as the Commission on Election conducts a special registration for PWDs. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Davao-Malaysia flights eyed

By Jade C. Zaldivar

T

OP airline chiefs from Malaysia and the Philippines last Wednesday bared plans to open flights from the city to premier tourist destination cities in Malaysia.

Malaysian airline MASwings Sdn. Berhad (MASwings) and the Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAir) plan to have directs from the Davao International Airport to Malaysia.

MASwings chief executive officer (CEO) Mohd Nawawi Awang said they will begin to operate by the end of this year flights from Kota Kinabalu to

Postponement of barangay polls needed: Solon

C

OMMITTEE on Good Government and Public Accountability chair and Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas today reiterated his call for a swift action by Congress to postpone the 2013 barangay elections to insulate it from the influence of partisan politics.

Trenas added that with the ongoing impeachment trial against Chief Justice Renato Corona and the looming 2013 national elections, Congress only has a very limited window of opportunity to give full attention to fast-tracking the passage of a measure which would move the barangay polls to a more suitable schedule.

He noted that holding a barangay election only five months after the national polls will put an undue financial strain on the national budget, apart from the fact that partisan conflict would still be too intense if elections are held almost simultaneously within one year.

Trenas authored House Bill 6005 which seeks to reset the 2013 barangay elections to the last Monday of October 2015, instead of the October 2013 set by law.

n Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,Sandakan Davao, and SandakanSabah and Sabah-Davao flights.

MASwings is a subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines, and Awang said he is optimistic of this investment.

“Currently we have 10 turboprop aircraft, each with a seating capacity of 68 people, and we are looking forward to adding more aircrafts. We will have Davao to Malaysia flights three times a week,” Awang said in an interview at The Marco Polo Davao where a press conference was held in line with the 1st Equator Asia Air Access Forum

M

and Airlines CEO Summit.

Awang said he sees ‘continuing growth’ in the city and that there’s potential here.

“The very reason I came here (to the summit) is to propose my plans to have flights to Davao.

Davao is the gateway to Mindanao and we believe in it’s potential,” he said.

Meanwhile, SEAir president and CEO Avelino Zapanta said they’ll also open this year Kota Kinabalu-Davao and Sandakan-Davao flights.

SEAir, which was the country’s first airline to have direct flights to coun-

try members of the BIMPEAGA (Brunei-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area), did admit that their investment failed.

“It was SEAir which first opened flights in accordance with the BIMPEAGA agreement,” Zapanta said.

“But then when we opened it, there were few passengers. For this to prosper, people have to respond, but few people wanted to ride,” he added.

Zapanta is positive that “there is a market here and people from Mindanao, businessmen, will be interested in having direct flights to Malaysia,” he said.

fire’ in Mindanao.

“We need to be steadfast protecting what remains of our biodiversity and resources amid the Aquino government’s fast-tracked awarding of mining concessions to mining TNCs and coal projects to energy monopolists,” said Francis Morales, secretary general of PANALIPDAN. Morales supports the passage of the NO MINING ORDINANCE being pushed in the City Council and urged other LGUs to pass similar local laws that will strengthen environmental protection of cities which should be protected from extractive operations like large scale and foreign mining.

Noting mining’s importance to industrialization, he said the industry has to be state – regulated and controlled, primarily addressing do-

mestic needs.

Mining cannot serve national economic development if the Philippine Mining Act is still enforced, he added.

The group, along with NO TO COAL – Davao kicked off yesterday with its DEFEND PATRIMONY campaign timed for this year’s Earth Day at the Centennial Park.

The group also staged “MANALIPOD STREET ART” together with young visual and performing artists, featuring the disastrous impact of large-scale and foreign mining, and deadly energy industries like coal - fired and nuclear plants.

Young artists from SAMBAYAN, Sining Obrero, San Pedro College and Ford Academy did on-site mural painting, exhibits, tambulan (drums performance) and interpretative dancing. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

Anti-mining group ready for Pantukan camp-out

ORE than 3,000 farmers, Lumads and small scale miners affected by the impact of large scale mining will converge in Tagum City on April 22 for a camp-out and will troop to Pantukan the next day.

On April 24 and 25, Monkayo farmers will hold a camp-out against YENG YI Mining Company and the Joel Brillantes Mining Corporation (JBMC) to denounce their open-pit mining and militarization in Pasian, Monkayo.

Simultaneously, Pantukan SSM Community will hold a second campout (the first was last March) against St. Augustine Mines and Minerals.

Environmentalist network PANALIPDAN said local struggles of the rural poor farmers, lumads and small scale miners are spreading ‘like wild

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

Have a green Friday at Abreeza Mall!

I

N line with its advocacy to protect Mother Earth, Ayala Malls launches GREEN FRIDAYS, a campaign to encourage shoppers to minimize the use non-biodegradable packaging when shopping and make it a habit to use an eco-bag to save the environment.

Ayala Malls is offering a stylish, eco-friendly bag for a minimal cost, available at the Concierge counter. Every Friday, shoppers are encouraged to use their eco-bags and will be rewarded with a chance to win an Avida House and Lot or an El Nido Travel package!

Promo runs from March 9 to June 8, 2012. As a concrete pledge to save the environment and in partnership with WWF, Ayala Malls commits to plant 100 trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons redeemed.

Show that you care for the earth and start a Green Friday habit today!

provements across all the key metrics or revenues, market share, profitability, and shareholder returns. This was achieved despite the weakness and uncertainty of our global markers, slower domestic economic growth, and a step-up in the competitive dynamics in the telecom industry, the report said.

Competitive dynamics “The recent changes in our telecommunication industry structure has redefined the competitive dynamics; with our competition now owning a substantial share of the movile market, spectrum and distribution network,” he said, adding that “in the spirit of creating a truly liberalized telecom sector, we acknowledge the commitment of the regulator to create an even playing field through the re-allocation of resources, using an auction of 3G spectrum expected to commence in 2012.”

Strong operating results “Against this backdrop, Globe Telecom’s consolidated operating revenues rose by 9% to an all-time high of P71.6 billion. This was underpinned by the market’s positive response to the Company’s product and technology innovation and service enhancements.

This growth compares favorably where matched against an industry which grew by a modest 1% in 2011. Revenue growth was broad-based spanning all key product groups, brands, and market segments. The Company was made significant headway against competition during this period, gained subscriber and revenue market share in both obile and broadband.”

Globe continued to provide one of the highest dividend yields in the local market and among telecom companies in the region. The Company paid out a total of P8.2 billion in dividends in 2011 equivalent to 84% of prior year’s net income and translating to a vicident yield of 8%.

Coupled with the increase in share price, total shareholder return in share price, total shareholder return in 2011 was 51% from -4% in the prior year.

500 jobs in expansion Meanwhil e, Globe is adding about 500 jobs a year within the next five years to complement its $790 million expansion, according to Renato Yao, human resources head of the company.

Yao said Globe hires about 1,000 employees a year but it loses about 500.

“We are having several recruitment activities every year so that we can fill out the vacancies that need to be filled up, he said in an interview in ther sidelines after the annual stockholders meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel last Tuesday.

Although it has not encountered difficulty in finding new employees for rank-and-file positions, he explained that the situation is different when it comes to highly specialized positions.

The ratio between the number of applicant and the hired is about 10:1, he added.

In jobs where expertise is a necessity, although it can find applicants many of those hired leave the company when thy find better opportunities especially abroad.

“Of course the pay is better in other countries

3

JAZA cites Globe’s contributions to national development in ASM

M

AKATI CITY -“We take great pride in Globe Telecom ‘s direct and indirect contributions to national development – whether it be through the capital investments that the Company makes to build a world class telecom infrastructure for the country; the taxes and regulatory fees it pays to the government; or the businesses, jovs and livelihood generated through its relationship with over 782,000 retailers, dealers, distributors, merchandisers, and suppliers.”

This was the 2011 report of Globe Telecom Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala distributed during the Annual Stockholders Meeting last Tuesday morning here.

He said “2011 proved to be a significant year for Globe Telecom. The company posted significant im-

Zobel de Ayala

FESTIVAL. A Philippine flag-inspired kite is prepared to fly up the sky over the black sand beaches of Glan Thursday, April 19, during the inter-barangay kite flying competition as one of the highlights of the opening day

FJAZA, 13

of Mahin Festival celebration. This entry of barangay Taluya won first place. Mahin Festival events in the next two days will be held at Coco Beach Resort in Gumasa.

[COCOY SEXCION/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE]

HANDGUNS. Acting Mayor Rodrigo Duterte inspects one of the handguns confiscated by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group XI during an

entrapment operation in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur early this week. Looking on is CIDG XI Chief Albert Ferro. [JOSEPH LAWRENCE GARCIA]

Urbanites: At home in Camella Northpoint

U

RBANITES. They are educated, fashion-conscious, socially engaged, techsavvy, and in tune to popular culture. They aim to live a life rich with meaning, succeeding not only in career but also in their health, family, and other personal pursuits.

Urbanites live a contemporary lifestyle steep

with urban experiences. They are described as “city-proud, medialiterate, brand-centric, trend-sensitive, culturally-aware, and time-poor” (www.urbandictionary. com).

As such, urbanites expect - not just seek - to live in a pleasant “urban village” that suits their liking in the most hip, con-

Camella Northpoint is the perfect home base for up and coming urbanites.

venient, and dynamic part of the city. And the only urban residential address that fits the bill is the British colonial-themed Camella Northpoint, the landmark condo development of Camella along JP Laurel Avenue and Buhangin Road.

Urbanites are driven by a successful, challenging career, possessing a

FURBANITES, 13

4 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Car fumes raise heart attack risk B

REATHING in heavy traffic fumes can trigger a heart attack, say UK experts.

Heart attack risk is raised for about six hours post-exposure and goes down again after that, researchers found.

They say in the British Medical Journal that pollution probably hastens rather than directly cause attacks.

But repeated exposure is still bad for health, they say, substantially shortening life expectancy, and so the advice to people remains the same - avoid as far as is possible.

Prof Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which cofunded the study, said: “This large-scale study shows conclusively that your risk of having a heart attack goes up temporarily, for around six hours, after breathing in higher levels of vehicle exhaust “We know that pollution can have a major effect on your heart health, possibly because it can ‘thicken’ the blood to make it more likely to clot, putting you at higher risk of a heart attack.

“Our advice to patients remains the same if you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, try to avoid spending long periods outside in areas where there are likely to

“Unhealthy diets and smoking et cetera are much bigger heart attack risk factors, but car fumes are the cream on the cake that can tip you over.”

be high traffic pollution levels, such as on or near busy roads.”

Early peak The research looked at the medical records of almost 80,000 heart attack patients in England and Wales, cross-referencing these details with air pollution data.

This enabled the investigators to plot hourly

Studies show exhaust fumes can thicken the blood making it more likely to clot. levels of air pollution (PM10, ozone, CO, NO2, and SO2) against onset of heart attack symptoms and see if there was any link.

Higher levels of air pollution did appear to be linked with onset of a heart attack lasting for six hours after exposure.

After this time frame,

risk went back down again.

Krishnan Bhaskaran from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research, said the findings suggested that pollution was not a major contributing factor to heart attacks.

For example, being

the 171 ug/Ncm TSP level recorded for Metro Manila in 2004, DENR noted.

The agency is aiming to further reduce Metro Manila’s TSP level to at least the 90 ug/Ncm guideline value. ”We aim to achieve such goal perhaps in a year or two,” Gonzales said.

To help further clean up the air, he reported seven additional anti-smoke belching units were deployed to man Metro Manila’s main streets this week.

The units are tasked with apprehending smoke belchers there. ”We’re focusing on mobile sources which are the big pollution contributors, accounting for some 80 percent of air pollutants,” Gonzales said.

The units’ deployment is in line with the anti-air pollution partnership DENR established in December 2011 with the transportation department, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Metro Manila’s local government units as well as private groups Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and Philippine Medical Association.

DENR-EMB already targeted establishing more air quality monitoring stations that generate real-time data to help boost its campaign

E

DENR-EMB backs more public monitoring of ECC compliance

T

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) is encouraging more public vigilance on projects nationwide and assured immediate action on environment-related complaints against these.

It noted that proponents concerned are duty-bound to implement measures for minimizing such undertakings’ respective adverse impacts on people and their surroundings. ”People can report to us and we’ll immediately respond to their concerns,” DENR-EMB Asst. Dir. Gilbert Gonzales said.

He noted that DENREMB continues monitoring projects nationwide to help further curb environmental degradation.

But it still welcomes such reports as proponents concerned must comply with conditions under respective environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) which this agency issued to them. ”We issue an ECC only after a project’s proponent shows environmental impacts of a proposed undertaking can be addressed and identifies measures for achieving this,” he said.

Such measures can include installing air pollution

control devices, treating water before discharging this into the open and establishing solid waste management systems.

DENR-EMB issues ECCs for heavy industry, resourceextractive and infrastructure undertakings as well as golf course projects since the agency considers these to be environmentally critical. ”Even government is required to secure ECCs for its projects,” Gonzales noted.

Projects in environmentally critical locations like protected areas are also required to have respective ECCs as these undertakings impact on the environment there, he added.

Elsewhere for projects having minimal impact on the environment and people, DENR-EMB issues certificates of non-coverage to proponents concerned. ”Among such projects are establishing and operating neighborhood or ‘sarisari’ stores,” Gonzales said.

DENR earlier reported improvement in Metro Manila’s air quality, saying pollutive total suspended particulates (TSP) in the area already declined to some 117 micrograms per normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm) in 2011.

Such level is lower than

exposed to a spell of medium-level rather than low-level pollution would raise heart attack risk by 5%, by his calculations.

“If anything, it looks like it brings heart attack forward by a few hours.

These are cardiac events that probably would have happened anyway.”

But he said the find-

ings should not detract from the fact that chronic exposure to air pollution was hazardous to health.

Prof Pearson from the BHF agrees: “Unhealthy diets and smoking etc are much bigger heart attack risk factors, but car fumes are the cream on the cake that can tip you over.”

Secretary Jose Rene Almendras on Thursday assured the government will observe measures to protect the environment with the construction of coal-fired power plants.

newable energy solutions instead.

“There’s enough technology today to lessen the negative impact of coal.

I’ll not go to every town and say we’ll put up a coal power plant... we’ll make sure that the negative environment impacts will be handled properly,” he said.

Almendras said coalfired power plants are part of the government’s short-term solutions to address energy problems in Mindanao.

“Kaya tayo nagtatayo ng (Why we establish) coal-fired power plants is because we need electricity two to five years from now because they are fast, cheap and doable today,” he said.

Almendras said the

plan to add 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy sources by 2030 is attainable but noted that it has to be done slowly.

“Para hindi mabigla (It should not be abrupt).

Some renewable energy sources ay mahal pa (are expensive),” he said.

In the same forum, DoE Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. said they hope to award more coal operating contracts to investors.

Environment group Greenpeace questioned the DoE’s move to push for the construction of a coal-fired power plant saying it poses harm to the environment.

The group said development of renewable energy sources would be enough to meet Mindanao’s energy shortfall. [PNA]

against dirty air. ”We’ll upgrade little by little because aside from TSP, other pollutants like particulate matter (PM) must be monitored as well,” Gonzales said.

He noted studies showing PM affects people’s health as these pollutants enter the human body.

PM can be as small as 2.5 microns, he warned.

On addressing water pollution, Gonzales reported DENR-EMB’s success in implementing its ‘Adopt-anEstero’ program. ”As of last year, we already inked with private companies in the country some 260 agreements for the latter to clean up ‘esteros’ and other waterways,” he said.

Under the program,

companies choose which ‘esteros,’ waterways or portions of these to clean up using respective resources.

DENR-EMB supports the companies’ efforts by conducting information and education campaigns that educate communities along such ‘esteros’ and waterways about dangers of disposing waste there.

Protection measures assured for coal-fired power plants NERGY

In a forum at Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, Almendras admitted the harmful effects of coal to environment but said there are ways to mitigate its negative impacts.

He made the statement after environmentalists are calling for the government to stop putting up coal-fired power plants, particularly in energy crisis-stricken Mindanao and implement re-

[PNA]

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

11. Peso per US $ 5/ 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

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

5

Malaysian airline to operate flights to Kinabalu, Sandakan A

Malaysian airline has bared interest to operate routes to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, both in Sabah in Eastern Malaysia, through its 68-seater turboprop aircraft.

Dato’ Capt Mohd Nawawi Awang, chief executive officer of MASwings, said in a press briefing during the 1st Equator Asia Air Access Forum at The Marco Polo Davao Wednesday that they are looking to start their Davao operations within this year or early next year.

“Once we start our operations in Davao, we targeted to gain 60 percent of the passenger load factor,” he said.

He said they are planning to have three flights a week from Davao to the two destinations in Malaysia and or vice versa.

The company has currently 10 turboprop aircrafts since the airline was launched in 2007, offering affordable fare rates.

The company also plans to acquire narrow-bodied jets like the Boeing 737-400/800 or the Airbus 320/319.

He said they would ensure that their Davao operations will sustain through strengthening the tourism promotions and marketing support. He said there should be a collaboration between the govern-

ment and the tourism industry.

The company will further study the economic growth, particularly of Davao City.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported that the number of passengers in the Davao International Airport is seen to increase from about 2.5 million last year to 2.8 million by the end of this year.

Of the number of passengers last year, 1.284 million were in-bound passengers.

Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas, in his speech delivered

by Undersecretary Jose Per-

for their passengers,” Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento, senior member of the transportation committee, also expressed support for House Bill 2957 authored by Marikina Rep. Marcelino R. Teodoro which, mandates the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to investigate and decide whether an air carrier, foreign air carriers or ticket agent has been engaged in an unfair or deceptive practice or an unfair method of competition in air transportation.

Unfair practices include the failure of air carriers to inform a ticketed passenger if the flight is overloaded, delivering passenger’s checked baggage beyond 24 hours after arrival of flight, not informing the passenger of a delayed flight and reason for delay; and not refunding full purchase price of an unused ticket if the passenger requests a refund within 48 hours.

Mounting complaints about these unfair practices of budget airlines have prompted several congressmen to call for a congressional inquiry on the policies and practices of domestic airlines in the country that cause unnecessary inconvenience and discomfort to passengers.

They claimed that even known domestic airlines have recently engaged in offering promo fares to consumers to encourage both domestic and foreign travels and attract patronage but without realizing that they compromise consumer’s interests, welfare and protection.

HE House of Representatives is expected to approve on final reading the proposed income tax exemption on any income derived by an international air carriers from doing business in the country, House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chair and Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas today revealed.

“The exit of international carriers from the country, where foreign carriers are taxed, has been in stark contrast to the growth in services experienced by neighboring Asian countries that either incent or do not tax foreign carriers,” Trenas said.

Trenas is author of an original measure, HB 4444, which was consolidated in HB 6022 that was approved on second reading before the Lenten recess of Congress. He lauded the move of President Aquino include the measure as one of Malacanang’s priorities.

“The country’s links with the global markets in tourism and in trade are poor relative to neighboring countries and will suffer substantial further deterioration if corrective statutes are not put in place,” Trenas said.

Trenas, who is also chairman of the House Committee on Good Government, pointed out that international air transport connectivity is the most critical infrastructure linking the Philippine to the global export markets of tourism and international business.

“Efficient air transport

petuo Lotilla, said that they are looking into the Davao International Airport as the largest international airport in Mindanao.

He said the national government is currently improving the facilities in the country’s main gateways to gain 10 million foreign visitors and 30 million domestic travelers by 2016. About P500 million was allocated for the installation of additional security screening equipment in all 45 airports, including Davao International Airport.

MASwings also eyed to service Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga City to Kota Kinabalu.

[MINDANEWS]

Solon urges regulation Tax exemption for int’l airlines set for approval of budget airlines

W

ESTERN Samar Congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento today raised the need to craft a law that would finally put a stop on the practices of budget airlines of overbooking, denied boarding, flight delays and cancellations “that cause travelers unnecessary inconvenience” as he cited the House Committee on Transportation’s ongoing initiative to standardize minimum services for budget airlines in a bid to provide fair and equal treatment for passengers.

While the increasing number of cheap airfares as part of the marketing campaigns by various airlines have brought air travel accessible even to the poor, there has also been mounting complaints about the shabby treatment of passengers availing of these budget fare promos.

Sarmiento said he fully supports four resolutions and one privilege speech that were referred to the House committee on transportation underscoring complaints by passengers of “arbitrary and unfair” policies of low-cost carriers.

According to Sarmiento budget airlines are not expected to provide services similar to full-service carriers but emphasized that passengers should be “informed of what they’re getting” and they should not be treated as “second class” citizens.

“Giving passengers the shabby treatment just because they are paying less is absolutely unacceptable. Even these budget airlines should provide an acceptable level of comfort

T

connectivity enables the movement of more than 8.2 million Overseas Filipino Workers, including those in ship crewing, health care, IT, and hospitality industries,” he said.

Likewise, he added, the airlines are providing seamless travel connections for customers and suppliers of service exporters like those in health tourism, retirement, logistics, creative industries, business process outsourcing, high yield backroom operations and regional headquarters that require direct access and easy entry and exit to and from the Philippines.

“In other words, the imposition of said income tax means more losses than gains for the government,” Trenas said.

Trenas noted that carriers with extensive global networks have already left the Philippines, shifting capacity to benefit neighboring countries’ tourism and trade,” he added.

He also noted that the once restricted market of China and Japan are liberalizing access and have invested in infrastructure to attract foreign carriers.

“This measure seeks to advance Philippine tourism, trade and employment and economic integration with the rest of the world eliminating the negative impact of Common Carriers Tax (CCT) and Gross Philippine Billings (GPB) on the country’s international connectivity and competitiveness as an international investment destination,” Trenas concluded.

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 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

NorthCot businesses suffer from blackouts

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big number of business establishments, especially the smaller ones, on Kidapawan City and in the whole of North Cotabato province have already closed shop because of the long power outages, further exacerbated with the announcement of the local electric cooperative that the blackouts will last form six to eight hours starting today.

Dan Sambrano, of the Metro Kidapawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (MKCCFI), said that since last month, around 50 percent of small businesses in the province have already closed shops due to unstable power supply.

Many of these establishments, he said, are internet shops and beauty salons.

This morning, some establishments did not bother to open their businesses with the announcement of a six- to eight-hour power outages.

“What income would we get with these long hours of brownouts? For how long are we going to suffer?” asked Armalyn Bravo, one of the beauticians at a local salon here.

Armalyn’s salon, located along Quezon Boulevard here was supposed to open at 8 a.m. But with the announcement, she just had to close her store.

Vicente Baguio, spokesman for the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (COTELCO), said the power was shut off around 8:22 a.m. today and was restored only around 12:45 p.m., or after more than four hours.

Blackout was to resume later in the afternoon, for three to four hours more starting at 3 p.m.

The rotating blackouts in North Cotabato started October last year.

But it got worse starting last February, according to Baguio, when the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) deducted at least 30 per-

It figures

112

VOLUME of water in billion cubic meters, or 70 percent of the Philippines’ total water resources, lost or wasted each year, due to leaks and illegal connections, and other reasons, according to a study by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

cent from the regular load dispatched for COTELCO. Starting today, Baguio said COTELCO was given only 42.8 percent of the total power requirement of North Cotabato, or only 15.4 megawatts of the usual 36MW. “This is the reason why starting Wednesday our service areas would be experiencing six to eight hours of rotating brownouts daily,” he explained.

The cooperative, however, is working out that it be given a provisional authority by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) so it could buy power, at least 8MW, from a power barge in Davao City.

Meantime, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in North Cotabato is also bent on filing a case against the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) and the Power Sectors Assets, Liabilities, and Management (PSALM) for their refusal to grant the COTELCO 26MW from the two geothermal power plants located at Mount Apo within Kidapawan.

The provincial council also believes that as host of these plants, North Cotabato is entitled to a 25-percent load dispatch daily from the geothermal plants.

“Despite the existing laws, we are at the mercy of the power transmission and generation facilities as to whether or not they would give us the needed power for the province. We’re doing now a very careful study of the cases that would be filed against these agencies. We don’t want to go wrong this time,” said Cotabato 2nd district board member Jose Ping Tejada, chair of the SP’s committee on power.

Earlier, the SP warned it would go to court if NAPOCOR and PSALM still refuse to dispatch 26MW from the 104MW geothermal plants at the Mount Apo. [MALU CADELIÑA MANAR / MINDANEWS]

16

NUMBER of major government agencies having a hand over Philippine water resources, according to Sen. Edgardo Angara, author of the proposed Water Sector Reform Act or WSRA (Senate Bill 2997) for the effective management of water in the country.

EDGEDAVAO

IMPROVEMENT. Customers pass through the skybridge linking the main building of the SM City Davao and its newly-opened Annex building. [KARLOS

7 out of 10 Pinoys own a house, but no savings MANLUPIG]

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EVEN out of 10 Filipinos own a house or other sort of real estate, however most do not have financial security of holding bank savings, making them more vulnerable to the ‘rainy days’ or lean season, a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral Pilipinas (BSP) said.

The BSP’s Consumer Finance Survey (CFS) said the most common assets of an average Filipinos are own residence, home appliance and retirement insurance, with 68.8 percent own their house and

lot while 30.8 percent own only their house.

Thirteen percent pay house rent while 18 percent do not own nor rent a house, a minority or 0.2 percent declined to answer.

Housing is largely paid through cash payment or inheritance or gift while 6.7 percent borrowed money for their housing, mostly through government housing institution.

Interestingly, eight in 10 household, or 78.5 percent of the respondents, are found to have insufficient fund for their own

savings. Some 92.8 percent of them reasoned out they did not have enough money for a bank deposit. Some of them said they don’t need a bank/cash account, cannot manage an account, the minimum balance is too high and 1.8 percent of them said they did not want to deal with bank/financial institutions.

The survey also said 73.4 percent of those surveyed pay an annual interest rate of 10 percent and below, some 14.1 percent pay 11-20 percent per annum and a minority of

them pay even a high of 21 to 60 percent per annum.

The survey also said most of the respondents own other forms of assets such as farms, business and motor vehicles.

The CFS result indicate a significant increase in the country’s labor force over the next decade. The sample size of the said survey was 10,520 mainly from National Capital Region and areas outside NCR such as regions 1,7 and 11 during November 2009 to January 2010, with 89.4 percent response rate. [PNA]

LOBE Telecom Inc. claimed that competition was alarmed when its market share went up by two points last year.

The cellular market is currently dominated by Smart Communications Inc., the country’s No. 1 mobile-phone operator.

Globe ranks second, followed by Sun Cellular.

“We gained two points in market share in 2011 and we saw competition got shaken by that,” said Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Peter Bithos. Broadband reve-

nue market share was also higher by 3.6 percent last year based on two-player market.

Based on last year’s mobile revenue market share data, Smart cornered two-thirds of the market with 53.8 percent, Globe with 35.9 percent and Sun Cellular with 10.3 percent.

Globe mobile subscribers stood at 30 million in 2011. The wireless units of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) now have a combined subscriber base of 65 million.

Of the total, 50 million are from Smart, Talk ’N Txt and

Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprises Inc. (CURE). The remaining 15 million subscribers are from Sun Cellular, the mobile brand of Digitel, which was acquired by PLDT last year.

With Digitel folded into the PLDT group, the telco giant now has 70-percent control of the domestic mobile market.

“We are ready for the challenge,” added Bithos when asked how Globe will position itself in the two-player market.

Globe is owned by Ayala Corp. and SingTel.

Ayala Corp. Chairman Jaime Agusto Zobel de Ayala told company shareholders that Globe “remains a strong challenger.”

Ernest Cu, president of Globe, explained that there is nothing wrong in being a challenger as efforts are expected to pay off soon.

“We are a challenger before we become a leader.

It takes steps. The difference in gap is quite large.

We had a much narrower gap before they acquired the third player. You don’t gain market share in one year,” he said.

Globe’s market share improves G $2.59million

AMOUNT the government still owes French company Oberthur Technologies, electronic passport (epassport) service provider, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The payment has not been made because the firm has not yet merged the database from machine-readable to e-passport.

2 and 2

TWO Filipino companies and two Filipino individuals are among 475 firms and 450 individuals worldwide barred from participating in projects funded by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank due to past violations.

15percent

GROWTH rate every year of the business-process outsourcing (BPO) sector expected by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

This growth rate will generate 3.15 million direct and indirect jobs and taxes in the amount of $6 billion every year.

17.7billion tons VOLUME of oil and gas reserves that the Spratlys has, according to findings of the Geology and Resources Ministry of China, dwarfing those of Kuwait’s 13 billion tons of reserves and making it the fourth biggest oil and gas deposit in the world.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

AGRITRENDS

7

Abaca: The premier natural fiber from the Philippines

Text and Photos by Jims Vincent T. Capuno

W

HAT do pili nut and abaca have one thing in common? Both are endemic to the Philippines , that’s what. But among the two, abaca has already captured the world attention.

In fact, the Philippines holds the distinction of being the abaca capital of the world. The reason for this: the country accounts for about 84% of the total world abaca fiber production. Such market dominance has made abaca one of its top dollar earners, contributing an average of US$76.8 million annually in export earnings during the last decade.

“The abaca industry is of particular importance as it supports the livelihood of around 140,000 abaca farm workers and strippers, as well as 78,00o small farmers with approximately more than 430,000 dependents and 143,429 strippers,” a report from the Department of Science and Technology said.

“The fiber craft industry, which produces bags, rugs, placemats, hats, hot pads, coasters, yarns, and handwoven fabrics, provides livelihood to rural women and out-of-school youths.”

Because of its economic importance, the government is pushing for abaca’s further development. “We have to push all commercial uses of abaca.

Once fully developed, this industry can be a huge driver of economic and jobs growth,” said Senator Loren Legarda, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs.

But for how long the country will dominate the global abaca market, no one can predict. Some countries, including Ecuador , are already etching to dislodge the country of its supremacy.

This is bad news as the abaca industry in the country is not doing well. This was the finding of the study entitled, “Supply Chain of Abaca Fiber in Selected Areas in the Philippines : Phase 1.” It was funded by the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

The study found that the abaca fiber production has been relatively stagnant. “Although abaca is indigenous to the Philippines , its production cannot seem to catch up with

local and international consumption,” it disclosed.

Data from the National Statistical Coordination Board showed that abaca export has declined at the rate of 2.8 per year primarily due to its declining average yield. In addition, the annual growth of abaca fiber production (0.37 percent) could not keep up with the annual growth of domestic abaca fiber consumption (1.32 percent).

Domestic consumption of abaca fiber is largely accounted for by processing sectors, particularly (1) pulp, (2) cordage, yarns, and twines, and (3) fiber crafts and fabric manufacturers. Low abaca productivity appears to be the core problem of the industry, according to country’s major supply chains of abaca fiber.

Three factors have been attributed to the poor quality of abaca fibers: (1) fibers are not classified at farm level due to inadequate technical knowledge, (2) the abaca stripping device is not used, and (3) storage/postharvest facility is lacking.

Another layer in the multifarious problems of the abaca industry are inadequate extension service, poor roads, and high transportation cost.

“These logistical issues affect the efficiency and flexibility of the supply chain and in turn, influence the nature, characteristics and condition of the abaca fiber while in transit to the final customer,” the study said.

Low productivity is attributed to inadequate replanting effort, declining area planted to abaca, farmers’ non-adoption of recommended technologies, limited value-adding and/or value-creating options at the farm level, and inclement weather.

Disease infestation also add to the diminishing abaca production. Industry insiders say three main diseases, the abaca bunchy top, abaca mosaic and abaca bract mosaic continue to wreak havoc on thousands of hectares of abaca plantations: In Samar and Leyte alone, around 26,000 hectares of land planted to abaca are reportedly affected by these diseases.

The gross demandsupply mismatch, the PCARRD-funded study cautioned, can have a serious implication on the country’s export if not promptly augmented, es-

Abaca fiber pecially in the light of the growing abaca industry in competing countries.

Known worldwide as Manila hemp, abaca is obtained from a tree-like banana plant, scientifically called Mussa textiles. It is indigenous to the Philippines but is also found in Borneo , Indonesia and Central America .

Manila hemp replaced bark, which was once the primary source of cloth before the Europeans arrived in the Philippines . It was not until 1685 that abaca was known in the western world. In 1820, John White brought few abaca fibers to the United States . By 1825, importation of abaca fiber took place.

Abaca was first cultivated on a large scale in Sumatra , Indonesia in 1925 under the Dutch, who had observed its cultivation in the Philippines for cordage. This was followed up by plantings in Central America sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With the commencement of World War II, the supply from the Philippines was eliminated by the Japanese. When the war ended, the Philippines again became the world’s biggest abaca supplier.

But on the onrush of modern technology, abaca was relegated to the background. Only to be brought back again in recent years – thanks to the global shortage of many natural resources and the

pollution being wrought by synthetic products on the environment.

Former Davao City Councilor Leo Avila reported that some countries are now using abaca as a substitute for plastic bags, nylon ropes, and fiberglass for some cars.

“The use of nylon ropes for example is now changed with ropes made from abaca. People have the difficulty in disposing nylon ropes, while with abaca, they can recycle it and utilize it again,” he said.

Abaca fiber is superior over all other fibers of its class because of its great strength and its resistance to the action of water. Considered the strongest of natural fibers, it is three times stronger than cotton. No wonder, it is the cordage of choice for ropes used in oil dredging or exploration, navies and merchant shipping.

Because of its strength and unusual durability, the fibers are also used in making currency papers and weatherproof bristols, industrial papers like power cable papers, insulating boards for motors; vacuum clear bags, tape papers, absorbent saturating papers (used for gasket work), sack papers, and abrasive base papers.

Unknowingly, the enzyme of abaca is now being widely used in cosmetics, particularly in the production of organic, handcrafted therapeutic skin care products such as soap

and beauty cream. Abaca soap, which has anti-ageing and therapeutic properties, is now marketed in the United States , Japan , and even Europe .

In the Philippines , the abaca fibers are used in fishing nets, as they are particularly resistant to salt water. Abaca cords can be found aboard almost any marine vessel because of this trait. In addition, the country’s Central Bank is using 20% abaca for its 200, 500 and 1,000 peso bills.

Abaca is grown in 48 provinces with Catanduanes as the country’s top abaca producer. Its estimated fiber production from January to May 2010 is 14,140 metric tons, according to the regional office of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA).

The nine other provinces in the top 10 producers are Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, Davao del Sur, Sulu, Sorsogon, and Western Samar .

The heyday of abaca in Davao was in the 1900s when Davao could barely be called a bustling town.

History stated that a Ohta Kyosaburu, a Japanese merchant from Kobe , came to the Philippines in the early 1900s “to arrange the importation of job–seeking Japanese laborers who were readily hired by abaca plantation workers because of dire

lack of local hands.”

Agriculturists say the country’s agroclimatic conditions are perfect to grow abaca, which many people still mistake for banana plant. In the Philippines , abaca has been found growing in virtually all types of soils and climate. But it is found most productive in areas where the soil is volcanic in origin, rich in organic matter, loose, friable, and welldrained, clay loam type.

Abaca requires a water table of 80 centimeters with 60-80% saturation and a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Undulating or rolling to hilly or mountainous areas less than 500 m above sea level with deep surface soil with slopes from 200 to 600 are ideal for abaca production. For normal growth of abaca plants, the soil must contain adequate amounts of organic matter, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Abaca is easier to manage than most staple crops although it requires regular maintenance and harvest operations. It can be grown as an intercrop with coconuts and other tall, slender trees.

It can also establish itself in newly-cleared cogon grasslands, and outgrow them.

Abaca gains foothold in an area in a short time. In a year, the plant can produce four to eight suckers.

Within 18 months from planting, abaca is ready for the first harvest.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

Hot spots in the beauty industry

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EDITORIAL

Hypocrisy

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HE Philippines leads the world in the number of people who believe in God, said one news account about a study yesterday. Datelined Washington, the story said the study in the United States also found that the elderly across all countries tend to be the most religious.

“Belief in God tends to be strongest in the United States and Catholic countries and lowest in Scandinavia and former Soviet states,” according to the study by a reasearch group based in the University of Chicago.

The study found that 94 percent of people in the Philippines said they had always believed in God, followed by Chile with 88 percent and the US with 81 percent.

Superficially, the figures tend to hearten Filipinos, we who are running out of things we can be proud of what with so many scandals rocking our country every so often.

We certainly hope that the above find-

EDGEDAVAO

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

ings would mean that things in this country would get better, since religious people are supposed to be good citizens, are not greedy, believe in justice, abhor corruption and other forms of venalities.

And yet, how often do we see people, our leaders, especially, go to church and contribute to charity only for show? We know them to be corrupt and grossly unfair in dealing with their fellowmen.

Another finding is that senior citizens tend to be closer to God than the younger set. And yet, a few oldies are in reality among the most vicious men who run crime syndicates with everybody, from the lowly patrolman to the highly regarded magistrates and powerful politicians in their pockets.

Indeed, hypocrisy is as old as prostitution and sin.

In the future, we want to see studies on religiosity that reveal findings that are more relevant to society instead of those which only tend to show the hypocrisy of some superficially religious people.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

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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

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EDGEDAVAO

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

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CONOMIC JOURNALISM – The technique remains the same, an old one: forget the notion that business and economic stories are all about figures.

Economists and financial expert remind wouldbe business and economic writers that business reporting is complex, but not impossible to learn. Their most basic tips, of course, is to fully understand the trade through study and research, focused reading on business news updates and understanding economic jargon.

Business reporters must have a basic understanding of economics, the relationship between the money people earn and the money they need. Like reporting on politics, crime, weather or the environment, lifestyle and sports, business and economic writing is basically about people. It’s about people making a living, all kinds of living.

An understanding of economics is an understanding of life’s principal preoccupation – economics is about what we earn and what we get for it. However, the job is not going to be an easy one. These days there are many things that the business and economic journalists will have to battle against. For instance, there is social apathy, or the way people do things and look at things – administrative inefficiency, political power seeking and corruption.

Some helpful tips make specific recommendations to aspiring business and economic writers, and I’m becoming to be one. Among them are: books and handy guides designed primarily to immediately improve one’s business writing skill. The hardest part, though, is how to turn all the verbiage and figures into stories that are interesting and intelligible to the average reader.

But if that sounds too tough for an aspiring business writer or reporter, then he or she may want to continue to concentrate on the police and crime beat, sports and lifestyle events, or even the political beat and spend their mornings in the coffee shops. Nevertheless, if you don’t get to become a business and economic journalist, you will be missing something – something to do with real life, real work and real people. o-BEAUTY PATRONS – Beauty and skin care clinics and hairstyling saloons are turning its attention to the rapidly expanding beauty market. Davao City is a case in point. Here, shops of beauty specialists and hair styling experts armed with a vast array of beauty and hair care products – branded shampoo, conditioners, gels, top-of-the-line and popular cosmetic supplements could be worth a visit for the beauty conscious people.

The proliferation of beauty and skin care and hair styling outlets in the city, which can be categorized in different classes are good for the highly demanding beauty patrons. The highly profitable beauty industry already has a strong presence not only in Davao City, but throughout the country and the rest of the world.

Different ideal customers will find them anywhere - in numerous commercial centers, shopping malls, entertainment complex, or even in street corners.

Perhaps beauty conscious women or even some men nowadays put an average of 7 products on their faces each morning or maybe even more before they get out of the front door. And we’ve not even mention the hair care supplements they applied on their sensitive hairs. That is precisely the reason why beauty and skin care and hair styling business managed to identify all the hot spots of growth in the beauty industry.

As ever, with the successes of the beauty industry, entrepreneurs take an innovative approach. Medium to top beauty and skin care clinics and hair styling shops have to innovate things that would appeal to both ends of the age spectrum and to the very different customer levels. And most importantly, they have to be good at guessing what the customers really want.

Some analysts cite the other bigger beauty and hair care companies’ advertising and promotions budget and the fact is that its result is more efficient than that of other line of businesses. Less prestigious outlets, however, rely heavily on the mass market therefore we see no reason why the beauty industry shouldn’t keep on growing including even the smallest ones.

EDGEDAVAO

I

‘VE been writing on profiles of women of power, but this time allow me to talk about women and power, the kind that has everyone riled up for quite some time now, and gained the attention of no less than the President who came to Davao last Friday for the Mindanao Power Summit.

Many of the primary movers of the power summit are women. First, it was the feisty Sec. Luwalhati Antonino, chair of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), who led the agency to hold this gathering of all sectors affected by the power issue.

MinDA Executive Director Janet Lopoz and Director for Support to Operations Cora Ginete were at the lead of their team of mostly female staff in organizing and holding a successful event (not to discount the equal contribution of the male staff). And how apt that the summit was organized by an agency with a woman’s name, Minda.

Also present during the summit was Mindanao Commission on Women (MCW) chair Inday Santiago, Gov. Lala Taliño-Mendoza, and Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, three women personalities who have been very vocal about Mindanao’s power problem.

And that is not to mention other women from the LGUs, NGOs, civil society organizations, government agencies, and the private sector who all went to the summit.

One of the presentors was the equally vocal Dr. Melchie Ambalong of the Lanao Power Consumers Federation (LAPOCOF) and MCW, who pointed out the seemingly insignificant but very real impact of the power problem on women and their families.

Ambalong cited that women hold the household budget, 25% of which goes to the electricity bill. I was impressed at how accurate that was, as every month I find myself gnashing my teeth as I write a check for our electricity bill which takes about a quarter chunk off my household budget.

I

SN’T it flattering when people, especially students, ask you if you’re a graduate of Ateneo because they think you can articulare well in English? Well, actually I still can’t figure out why people who speak English very well are instantly identified as Ateneans, when there are so many schools in Davao which aren’t as “classy” and “elite” as Ateneo, but which churn out impressive English-speaking graduates.

I’m a college dropout and my professors at the University of Mindanao refer to me as an “undergraduate.” I refused to graduate and earn a degree after spending six years because I couldn’t figure out what I really want to do after college. I thought then than it’s a very personal decision whether to finish college, even my own mother (bless her soul) couldn’t do anything about it, after all I was working my way through college. UM gave me a work scholarship to do what I love most--painting. I spent most of my early college years, balancing myself on top of a scaffolding inside a classroom with an artist’s palette and brushes, finishing mural illustrations of human skeletons, frogs, intestines, and even the nine planets in our Milky Way. There were just so many paintings I needed to finish in several class laboratories at UM. No one spoke to me while I was painting, but once in a while high on a scaffolding, a teacher below me would introduce me to the students, not as Michelangelo but simply as “Boy” because they didn’t know how to call me--- and my nickname was born.

During those early college years, I lived a quiet artist’s life until one day when a lady feature writer of the campus paper Mind-

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

Women and power In fact my power bill has increased by at least a couple of hundreds per month this year, and just this April by twice as much as that. I don’t care to mention the exact bill amount as it makes me hyperventilate just thinking about it. I am just astonished at the rate it is increasing, given that our consumption has not increased over the same period of time.

As women apportion a quarter of their household budget to pay for power, we resort to cutting back on other essentials to make ends meet. This can take many faces, depending on the circumstances women find themselves in. It could be scratching off purchases for a child’s needs such as a pair of shoes or clothing, postponing a medical treatment if one can still manage the symptoms, or as simple as trimming down the food budget.

I don’t need to be melodramatic to show how the mere cutting down of the household budget can mean a lot of hardship for those already hard up (and with spiralling prices of basic needs and commodities these days, who isn’t?)

Bottomline is that women are at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to feeding the family. If you’re familiar with the saying “isusubo na lang ng ina, ibibigay pa sa anak nya”, that line did not come from just imagination. So when the family is hard up, women mostly bear the brunt of it.

One can easily lose herself in all the figures and rhetoric presented during the power summit, but the worries are the same for women as it is for men. Dr. Ambalong summarized the issues as the privatization of the Agus-Pulangui hydro power complex, the sale of the power barges, the entry of coalfired power plants, and the proposed LeyteMindanao Interconnection.

I am not an expert on the power issue, but from what I understand, these issues should make us worry. Why? Because it all leads to higher power rates in Mindanao.

If the Agus-Pulangui hydro power complex is sold to the highest bidder, it goes without saying that the investor’s goal would be to make a quick buck to recover his investment

and ensure profit.

If we buy electricity from power barges, we have to pay more for the fuel it consumes to generate power. Coal-fired power plants mean higher power rates as their generation cost is much higher than that of a hydro power plant.

And lastly but not the least, the LeyteMindanao Interconnection provides us with power that is priced at Visayas rates. According to Dr. Ambalong, effective March 2009, the generation charges approved by ERC for the Visayas is P4.0339/kwh as against the P2.8177/kwh for Mindanao. These figures say it all.

But is it just me or has the power issue become so convoluted these past months, so much so that many have become confused and have lost track of what the real issues are.

There have been many personalities, groups, and sectors that have jumped into the fray.

But the fact remains that common people like us will be the ones to bear the strain of rotating brownouts and increasing power rates.

Enduring the brownouts may not sound that bad amid all the issues swirling around of late. But try placing yourself in a woman’s shoes, alone at home during a power outage.

With the full impact of the summer heat bearing down on you, you swelter while you do your chores and take care of young children.

You have spoiled food in the fridge to deal with, a mountain of soiled clothes to wash manually, and shrieking young children who can’t sleep in the heat or in the dark.

Now, compound that with the thought of your power bill eating up your household budget.

These alone are enough to frazzle the nerves of any woman. I get warning visions of an oncoming migraine just thinking of it.

I would have wanted to end this article with some witty remark, but I’m afraid the issue at hand does nothing to draw my creative juices. Whatever short- or long-term solutions are arrived at over the coming weeks or months, here’s to hoping these solutions won’t flicker on and off like the power supply in this island-region we call home.

anao Collegian wrote an article about me and made me a bit well-known among my classmates in all my Engineering classes. At the time, I was taking up Civil Engineering simply because I topped a Physics exam at UM Tagum high school. Mastering English was farthest away from what I wanted to do with my life.

After taking a summer class in News Writing, I found myself part of a new set of editorial staff of the Mindanao Collegian and began to establish myself as writer and editor of the campus paper. It was easy to blend with other college editors like Cesar Decena, Jun Magsuci, Rene Pagatpatan, Tony Ajero, Fred Javier, Boy Manigbas, Rose Medina, Bing Cerezo, Faye Jalandoni, and others whose names escape me at the moment---until one day when we had a devastating column against the Engineering Deparment Raging in anger and fury, Engineering students gathered hundreds of copies of the Mindanao Collegian and put them to the torch, cheering and jeering, shaking their fists, as flames consumed our college paper. It was one of my most exciting times as a campus editor at UM, possibly the only school in Mindanao that allows press freedom, the way it should be.

When you have this kind of academic freedom and school authorities allow you to write anything you want, including attacks against the school and the administrators themselves, your whole creative boundaries are limitless and you simply fly free, high and endless, astounding even your own self as you discover just how much potential you have as a writer within you that’s crying out to be free.

It was this same freedom that allowed me to explore the world of theater, drama, script writing and stage production. I didn’t even know there were many students also yearning to act on stage and turn a stage play like Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero’s “Wanted

: A Chaperon” into life. They were also as fascinated as I was to turn a piece of Philippine literature alive onstage, breathing life into all its characters, exposing the Filipino audience to the wealth of our country’s literature.

The result of being exposed for several years to memorizing scripts of Filipino plays in English, dramatic readings and performances of classic English plays which all require precise English articulation and right accents, etc--- all changed the way we speak at UM. Surprisingly, our professors had nothing to do with our stage plays and how we learned to speak English so well at the UM Dramatic Guild which I founded and led for three years. With the guiding hand of the late E.O. Fuentes who taught Philippine Literature, I trained several actors and directors along the way with the scholarship in acting and directing I got from the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), then under Cecile Guidote-Alvarez.

UM may not have the classy “elite” brand names of Ateneo, UP, La Salle, etc, but human resource managers who only hire graduates from these exclusive schools have it all wrong. Because they’re so bookish and so detached from the real world, many of these “elite” students end up as clerks in banks and hotels, while most UM graduates (and even dropouts) end up as mayors, councilors, branch managers, project engineers, lawyers, editors, journalists,-in other words, leaders in their chosen fields in Mindanao. Yes, sir, there was a time when more than half of the political leaders, leading professionals and businessmen and heads of government regional agencies were UM graduates.

Being so brand-conscious doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll always get the high quality you want in a product.

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

What do you really want to be?

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9

Roxas in a fix

HE next presidential election is still four years away. Next year’s midterm election however will be pivotal for anybody who wishes to run for president in 2016. Vice President Jejomar, who has publicly declared his intention to run for the highest post, has started his own preparations by initiating an alliance which is fast shaping up as a major opposition bloc despite denials he has parted ways with President Benigno S. Aquino III. Binay, presumptive leader of the United Nationalist Alliance or UNA, is just waiting for Malacañang to announce who will carry the flag for the administration Liberal Party. It seems the Palace is biding its time. It is not even testing the waters but simply standing on the shore keeping a keen watch on movements on the horizon.

Just because he has limited his response to issuing calibrated statements on the noise in the emerging opposition camp does not mean that Aquino is sitting idly by. The day of reckoning is too distant to even think of how to deal a final blow. He knows that the constantly shifting “loyalties” – in short, opportunism – of our politicians makes it difficult to predict with absolute certainty the final alignment of forces.

Another factor that may have prevented Aquino from taking UNA’s bait is the absence of a strong presidential contender within the LP. Communication and Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas is still smarting from his loss to Binay in 2010, although he had questioned the result and filed a protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. No one else within the party can give Binay a respectable fight if elections were held today. In fact, the vice president has gone around a lot, using as official cover his position as housing czar.

If Roxas wants to regain lost political ground, the best way is to run again for the Senate next year and mount the kind of campaign that enabled him to land on top in 2004. His current Cabinet post is not the ideal launching pad for the presidency. Unlike, say, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the DOTC hardly rings a bell to the masses, although it allows him to rub elbows with big business.

Moreover, Binay’s position in the Cabinet, though not as prestigious as Roxas’, gives Mr. “Sa Makati” a direct line to the lower classes.

But Roxas faces a dilemma: If he runs next year, it would mean abandoning his protest at the PET and conceding the vice presidency to Binay. Worse, he may not fare good enough in the Senate race for at least two reasons – the presence of other strong candidates like reelectionists Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda, and the stigma of his having lost in the bigger battle.

For now, the LP can only wish that UNA would implode from having to accommodate a cacophony of interests and bizarre bedfellows like Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and forced-to-resign senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. [MindaNews/H. Marcos C. Mordeno writes mainly on the environment, human rights and politics. He can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com.]

10 SUBURBIA

Mahin launches summer festivals

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LAN’S Mahin Festival kicks off vacation fun in Sarangani as this is the onset of summer festivals that would climax with a sunset-to-sunrise beach party during the famed SarBay Fest next month in the white sands of Gumasa.

The successful maiden celebration of Mahin Festival last year triggered expectations of a bigger crowd to the three-day festivity starting tomorrow (April 19) until April 21.

As usual, Lumba sa Kabayo (horse race), Palupad Tabanog (kite flying), Bangkarera (boat race), Pintados (body painting), beach volleyball and football, Bikini Open, concerts (featuring Blakdyak) and fireworks display are the lined up activities.

Events during the first day (April 19) will be held at The Grove Beach in barangay Tango while in the next two days will be at Coco Beach in Gumasa.

What makes it distinct from Sarangani Bay Festival (SarBay Fest) on May 18-19, as a local historian in Glan and Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Tourism chair Dr. Jose Tranquilino L. Ruiz has once said, Mahin is a festival which “brings

back traditional beach activities the townsfolk have been fond of doing since then like horse racing at the shoreline.”

“Games like this are now being forgotten,” Ruiz lamented.

Mahin is a Blaan word for ‘beach’ signifying the tranquility, calmness and mystery of water while the term was also coined to pay tribute to the first tribal inhabitants of Glan who are the Blaans.

Ruiz explained Mahin was basically conceptualized to also provide a generic name for both of the white and black sand beaches, which are the second top revenue earners in Glan next to copra production.

Special Ordinance No 19-05 declaring April 2011 and every year thereafter to support the holding of celebration of Mahin Festival was also introduced.

As stipulated in the ordinance, Mahin will “spur tourism development” as this serves as an avenue to inculcate in the minds of the people the importance of uplifting their “economic and social lives.”

Sandwiched between Mahin Festival and SarBay Fest is Maitum’s Binuyugan Festival on May 3 to 7.

Serbisyo Caravan arrives in DavSur

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HE Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies Region XI (ARENA XI) is set to bring its banner project “Serbisyo Caravan,” a one-stop-shop delivery of government services to the province of Davao del Sur this month.

The ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan will have its first stop in the municipality of Sta. Cruz on April 20 where about 30 national government agencies (NGAs) are expected to provide their respective programs and services to the constituents.

The general assembly of beneficiaries and the general public will be gathered at the municipal gym, while the various services from the different NGAs will be provided at the Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall.

Among the NGAs that would render its services to its beneficiaries is the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which is slated to put up three consultation desks for its Beneficiary Update System, Compliance Verification System and Grievance Redress System.

DSWD will also conduct Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) regis-

tration and membership.

The Department of Health will assist rural health units in the distribution of medicines worth P25,000 and information, education and communication (IEC) materials.

Consultation, checkup and blood pressure screening will be given by the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples to its IP beneficiaries.

The National Food Authority will distribute rice through rolling stores, and will hold advocacy campaign on NFA Programs, while the Department of Science and Technology will offer demo on candle making and consultancy services on food processing.

The Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Environment and Natural Resources will have its distribution of land titles during the caravan, while the Department of Agriculture will handle technical cliniquing on its different banner programs.

The Department of Transportation and Communications, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, and Land Transportation Office will conduct lectures.

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

ATU PEACE program hailed Comval Gov. Chiongkee Uy shows off the famed Solidarity Ring to Yukiko Ito of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) mission team. The ADB and DSWD are in Comval to know more of the ATU PEACE project that the province has implemented. Said project is a replication of the DSWD’s KALAHI-CIDDS scheme. (R. ANTIBO/IDS COMVAL)

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ABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley— The Asian Development Bank (ADB) led by Joel Mangahas and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) led by Dir. Edgar G. Pato of the KC-National Project Management Office and their team visited the provincial capitol on April 18 to know more of the ATU PEACE project that the province has implemented.

The visit is part of the team’s scoping mission to evaluate the coordination of the provincial government on its implementation of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) of the DSWD. Coined as the ATU PEACE or Assistance Towards Unity for Progress thru Empowerment, Accountability, Cooperation and Efficiency, the program has been guided by the KALAHI-CIDSS Community Empowerment Activity Cycle which adopts the community-driven development approach.

Gov. Arturo T. Uy has replicated the program based on his past experiences as an official where he saw for himself that some projects and services were identified according to the whims and caprices of few leaders with same political lineage.

“There are barangays granted with many projects because of their persistence in lobbying while those in far-flung areas are left unattended for simple reason that their leaders were not able to regularly pay courtesy call to the Governor.” He said the basic concept of community

based intervention was somehow compromised to political patronage.

And so knowing the importance of a participatory democracy in every undertaking of the government, the governor has adopted and replicated the key processes of the KALAHICIDSS scheme.

Under the ATU-PEACE Program, it allows the barangays to identify priority projects to be implemented for the greater welfare of its constituents and provides the province an avenue to appropriately extend its financial assistance to all the barangays.

Each barangay will receive Php300,000.00 to be released by batch within a 3 year period. To date, Comval LGU has appropriated P25 million pesos since its inception to fund the identified priority programs and projects of the 251 barangays of Comval.

Gerard Servais, a member of the ADB mission team, hailed the ATU PEACE saying he “was impressed with the details” particularly on the process

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) visits Compostela Valley on April 18 to know more of the ATU PEACE project that the province has implemented. It is replicated from the DSWD’s KALAHI-CIDDS scheme. (R. ANTIBO/IDS COMVAL)

of project identification and prioritization as well as its cost efficient implementation.

Likewise, the team was also impressed with the “Kalinga sa Kabataan: Bayanihan sa Paaralan” program, an innovative approach of constructing school buildings through volunteerism and pooling of resources from public and private institutions and individuals.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Josephine Frasco also

bared that Comval is the only province in Mindanao they have visited, the others are Leyte in Luzon and Legazpi for Visayas.

Also present during the briefing are DSWD Regional Director Ester A. Versoza and her staff, Yukiko Ito of ADB, Provincial Administrator Virgie Allones, Executive Assistant Belo Melendres, PSWDO head Josephine Frasco, PPDO head Romy Celeste and other Department heads of Comval. (FE MAESTRE/IDS COMVAL)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

COMMUNITY SENSE

Earth Rescue

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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

FOR REFORESATATION. Manuel Bendeta shows his rubber tree seedlings at his nursery in Pintatagan, Davao Oriental. He sold it per hill at P25. [SARX LANOS]

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

Minimum of 150 sq.m.

P3,600

MGA BAYANI NG KALIKASAN. Members of the Pintatagan Forest Developers Association who planted and maintained trees in an area that was burned by forest fire years back. [IPID NEWS SERVICE]

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: AHON BAYAN. Lafayette Lim [left], Executive Director of NCCC Cares, Inc. and Ptr. Dante Montenegro of Living Stones Orphanage sign the Memorandum of Agreement on NCCC Cares educational grant for the disadvantaged children at the orphanage. The educational assistance project is being undertaken through the DSWD Ahon Bayan Program wherein projects of non-government organizations or even local government units are matched with resource providers or donor communities for partnership and program-related collaboration. Witnessing the event are [from left] Raquel E. Nunez and Nestor E. Estampa of DSWD, Aileen Gajo of NCCC Cares, and DSWD Director Ester A. Versoza.

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

12

NATION/WORLD

NATION BRIEFS Installed

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HILIPPINE National Police (PNP) DirectorGeneral Nicanor Bartolome formally installed on Thursday eight senior police officers to key positions in the PNP Directorial Staff and National Support Units.

Bartolome said the last round of reorganization of officers occupying key positions was recommended by the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board (SOPPB) that aims to enhance organizational performance by “putting the right person in the right job.”

Directed

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XECUTIVE Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. has directed all government employees and concerned agencies to give their full support and participate in activities recognizing the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature (N7WN).

“Our campaign in making the PPUR as one of the world-famous tourist spots in our country was a success and we anticipate that it will further attract international interest as well as boost tourism and investment that will benefit our country,” he added.

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Joint probe

HE Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman) and the Commission on Audit (COA) on Wednesday formed a Joint Investigation Team for speedy prosecution of cases against government officials and employees.

As members of the InterAgency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAACC), the COA and the Ombudsman have collaborated their anti-corruption initiatives to enhance the filing and prosecution of cases of graft and corruption, and violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

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Declined

OURT of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Noel Tijam declined to inhibit from handling a petition of former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan.

The detained former ARMM governor would like the CA to exclude him from the Maguindanao massacre case saying that he has already prejudged his case.

Tijam is one of the justices who dismissed the petition of former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan, Sr. asking that he be excluded as among the principal accused in the Maguindanao massacre case.

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Assurance

ALACANANG made an assurance that it would come up with a well-defined mining policy soon after having extensive consultations with mining stakeholders.

“We can expect it soon.

There are just a few more notes that need to go between some of the departments and then that should be out in a relatively short amount of time. We understand the concerns and it is exactly what we are trying to come up with -- a welldefined mining policy from which will flow specific actions,” said Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO).

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

N.Korea threatens retaliation A

bristling North Korea said on Wednesday it was ready to retaliate in the face of international condemnation over its failed rocket launch, increasing the likelihood the hermit state will push ahead with a third nuclear test.

The North also ditched an agreement to allow back inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. That followed a U.S. decision, in response to a rocket launch the United States says was a disguised long-range missile test, to break off a deal earlier this year to provide the impoverished state with food aid.

Pyongyang called the U.S. move a hostile act and said it was no longer bound to stick to its side of the February 29 agreement, dashing any hopes that new leader Kim Jongun would soften a foreign policy that has for years been based on the threat of an atomic arsenal to leverage concessions out of regional powers.

“We have thus become able to take necessary retaliatory measures, free from the agreement,” the

CELEBRATION. A portrait of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung is shown during a concert in Pyongyang April 16, 2012.

The concert was part of the celebration on the centenary of the birth of Kim. official KCNA news agency said, without specifying what actions it might take.

Many analysts expect that with its third test, North Korea will for the first time try a nuclear device using highly enriched uranium, something it was long suspected of developing but which it only publicly admitted to about two years ago.

“If it conducts a nuclear test, it will be uranium rather than plutonium because North Korea would want to use the test as a

big global advertisement for its newer, bigger nuclear capabilities,” said Baek Seung-joo of the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Defence Analysis.

Defence experts say that by successfully enriching uranium, to make bombs of the type dropped on Hiroshima nearly 70 years ago, the North would be able to significantly build it up stocks of weapons-grade nuclear material.

It would also allow it more easily to manufacture a nuclear warhead

to mount on a long-range missile.

The latest international outcry against Pyongyang followed last week’s rocket launch, which the United States and others said was in reality the test of a long range missile with the potential to reach the U.S. mainland.

China, the North’s main economic and diplomatic backer, called for “dialogue and communication” and continued engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.

d’affaires of the Philippine embassy on Sunday and Wednesday to lodge representations over the row.

“We urge the Philippines to bear in mind the overall good relationship between China and the Philippines,” Liu said.

The dispute centres on a group of islands known in the Philippines as Scarborough Shoal and called Huangyan island in Chinese and claimed by both countries.

It first erupted last week when Chinese vessels blocked a Filipino warship from arresting the crews of Chinese fishing boats in the area, and spiked this week when Chinese vessels

were accused of harassing a Filipino research ship.

Beijing, however, claims the warship harassed the fishing boats, and has urged the archaeological research vessel to “leave the area immediately”.

“Philippine military vessels’ harassment of Chinese fishing vessels around Huangyan island have drawn the high concern of China,” Liu told reporters.

“We hope the Philippine side will honour its commitments and withdraw its ships in relevant waters immediately so that the waters off Huangyan island can return to peace and stability.”

The incidents are some of the most highprofile flare-ups in recent years between the two countries over their competing territorial claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

China insists it has sovereign rights to all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coast of other countries and hundreds of kilometres (miles) from its own landmass.

The Philippines says it has sovereign rights over areas of the sea within its 200-nauticalmile exclusive economic zone, and that its position is supported by international law.

China summons Filipino diplomat

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HINA on Wednesday summoned a top Philippine diplomat and expressed concern over the “harassment” of Chinese fishing boats in disputed waters in the South China Sea, as a maritime stand-off rumbled on.

The two countries have traded barbs for more than a week over a territorial dispute that centres on a disputed shoal not far from the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, and has increased tensions in the region.

On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying had summoned the charge

FULLY ABLED. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo delivers his keynote message during the launching of the “Fully Abled Nation” campaign at Makati Shangri-La in Makati City on

Wednesday. The nationwide campaign aims to increase the participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the 2013 Philippine midterm election and other democratic processes. [PNA/GIL S. CALINGA]

WORLD TODAY Threatened

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ADRID has threatened to retaliate after Argentina announced it will expropriate a subsidiary of Spanish oil giant Repsol, warning the move breaks a “good understanding” between the countries.

Spain will take “all measures it considers appropriate” to defend the interests of Repsol and Spanish businesses abroad, Industry Minister Jose Manuel Soria saidm adding that Spain is considering action on diplomacy, trade, industry and energy without giving further details.

New bloodshed

S

YRIAN troops continue to pound rebel strongholds with deadly fire while the regime sought to reassure an increasingly sceptical world that it is committed to a week-old ceasefire.

As UN observers were greeted by hundreds of anti-regime protesters on the streets of Damascus, Washington said their mission was not being given the necessary freedom to properly monitor a halt to hostilities.

Investigation

U

NITED Nations officials are investigating allegations that China supplied technology for a North Korean missile launcher in a possible breach of UN sanctions, a leading defence journal said Thursday.

IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly quoted a senior official close to a United Nations Security Council sanctions committee as saying that an associated panel of experts was “aware of the situation and will pursue enquiries”.

A

Expert

N FBI agent testifying in the trial of the suspected Bali bombmaker said Thursday the accused had been identified as an explosives expert by other Islamic militants and had planned to kill US troops.

Indonesian prosecutors accuse Umar Patek, who was arrested last year in the same Pakistani town where US commandos later killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, of constructing the bombs that killed 202 people, mostly Westerners.

A

Jailed

Chinese fisherman was jailed for 30 years on Thursday for murdering a South Korean coastguard officer during an operation to stop illegal fishing, court authorities said.

Cheng Dawei, a 43-yearold fishing boat skipper, was also fined 20 million won ($17,500) by the court in the western port city of Incheon. The skipper fatally stabbed one officer with a knife and seriously wounded another on December 12, after they boarded his boat inside South Korea’s exclusive economic zone in the Yellow Sea.

EDGEDAVAO

78 Taiwanese...

Central...

FFROM 1

monitor the presence of the Taiwanese nationals in the city.

Dela Rosa said it was “very easy” to pinpoint the suspects as they “arrived in groups.”

“They were all within the age range of 20 to 30 and it was very easy to detect them because they arrived in groups of six, ten, or twelve and would all go to one of the houses,” he said.

The modus operandi of the syndicate is to target their countrymen or those from mainland China, threatening arrest if they do not pay their bills. “They take turns, with the 33 people working in shifts or an average of 11 per house working in the morning, afternoon and sa gabi. Kumbaga 24-hours na fake call center,” dela Rosa said.

“If the person involved in money laundering in mainland China or Taiwan does not pay up, the syndicate threatens to inform concerned au-

FFROM 1

thorities abroad about the fraud. The money involved, dela Rosa, said is in the millions of dollars.

“Yung napatakbo nila sa kanilang money laundering.”

Continuing investigation The DCPO and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 11 are continuing to help the Taiwanese police team investigate the case, evenb as they suspect another house is serving as a den of the syndicate.

“We are monitoring one house, but we still have to come up with an arrest warrant in order to raid the house,” dela Rosa said.

The local police also want to know who has been helping the syndicate in finding houses for renting who could be a local Filipino or a Taiwanese who is familiar with the city.

Dela Rosa said the Taiwanese police suspect

that the dens found here could also be among other bases the international syndicate has set up in the country.

The DCPO chief expressed satisfaction with the success of the arrests, considering this is the biggest police operation hereabouts this year.

“We do not want Davao City to have the negative image of tolerating these acts,” said dela Rosa. “We hope to show the city as peaceful, although we also think this is the reason they came here, that no one would suspect them of committing a crime.”

Grave penalty Dela Rosa said the Taiwanese police would not be spending so much to send a team of investigators here if they did not consider a serious crime was being committed against Taiwnese and Chinese. “Malaking krimen ito sa kanila. Mabigat na parusa ang ibibigay sa kanila.”

dishes, to pizza and pancakes. Over to the south is a row of homegrown restaurants along Torres Avenue, Mabini, and Rizal, where an eclectic mix of bistros, coffee shops, tea house, and other dining places abound. Urbanites can also jaunt off to hotel restaurants or smaller food joints around downtown area.

These fashion conscious yuppies will also find it very convenient to get the latest apparel and accessories to fit their style, as living in Camella Northpoint makes them quite near to commercial and retail centers where shopping is the name of the game.

After a hard day’s work, these energetic and modish city dwellers will want to have a night out to party work stresses away, or simply enjoy the evening with an intimate group of friends.

They don’t have to travel far with the close proximity of bars, watering holes, and other night haunts in the city.

Better yet, they can just drive the short distance to home, and invite their friends over to Camella Northpoint’s charming clubhouse, Wakefield Manor, with its stately multi-purpose hall, salinated wellness pool, cabanas and grill pits. Unwinding within Northpoint’s green, open

spaces and the fragrant Caribbean pine trees is a refreshingly unique experience they will not find anywhere else in the city.

All these short distance driving or commute add up and can save the urbanites effort, time and even money from fuel efficiency. Recreation, dining, and shopping centers, high-end malls and other mixed-use developments are near Northpoint, allowing urbanites to live the modern lifestyle they seek.

A subsidiary of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Camella holds office at 2/F Delgar Building, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City, (082) 222-0963 and (082) 2225221. It offers studio units and two-bedroom condo units in Camella Northpoint that are just what urbanites need, with affordable and easyon-the-pocket financial schemes especially for those conscious about budget.

Living within the posh ambiance of Camella Northpoint is a clear mark of success in life, a badge of achievement urbanites can be proud of. That’s because the exclusive reputation of Northpoint reflects their aspirations in life, uplifting their status as nearing their way to the top.

Urbanites...

FFROM 3

demanding corporate job that requires them to be accessible and available at all times; hence proximity to the workplace is important. With its central location within the city’s urban growth area, Camella Northpoint makes it easy for its resident urbanites to drive the short distance to their workplace.

They can whip up a quick breakfast at their expedient condo kitchen before going off to work, or grab a sandwich and coffee at the many coffee shops and 24-hour takeouts around Northpoint’s vicinity. The condo community’s strategic urban location allows them to make a quick dash home anytime they choose to.

After knocking off from work, urbanites can drive a few minutes to one of the many eating joints within close range of Northpoint. There’s the restaurant row at Abreeza Ayala Mall, Victoria Plaza, or Gaisano Mall – not to mention another soon-toopen mall - all a stone’s throw away and offering a wide array of cuisines such as Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, American, Italian, and other specialties such as seafood, steak, and pasta.

To the north are Damosa Gateway and Robinson’s Cybergate with their own line of restaurants from Thai to Spanish

13

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

will go ahead of the ambulance to the area.

“This is to address the problem on traffic, because unlike the ambulance the motorcycle is more versatile. Upon arriving, having been trained on emergency medical situations, the medic will do the first aid and make the assessment,” Jaldon said.

“By the time the ambulance arrives at the scene much time has been saved before the patient is brought to the hospital because the ERT medic shall have made an assessment beforehand,” he added.

Jaldon said the six ERT medics have been highly trained to drive motorcycle and to act in response to an emergen-

JAZA...

FFROM 3

that hire them,” he said.

He added the company, which has started the expansion project in Davao City in December, has not had any problem with hiring new employees in posts that need expertise because it has invested on them by training them to cope with the demand of new technology like equipment.

When the company

cy situation. He looks forward to adding more personnel and motorcycles to be assigned to the new ERT unit.

Mobile tracking system Central 911 is currently utilizing a mobile tracking system which keeps track of the location of its vehicles.

Jaldon said the technology for this was donated by the Davao Light and Power Company Inc. (DLPC), an Aboitiz company, and was financed

by Jaime Jose Aboitiz, currently executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Visayan Electric Company Inc. The technology was turned-over to the city January of this year and is in full use by Central

911’s twelve ambulances and other vehicles, Jaldon said. “Through the tracking system we will know the progress of each emergency response.”

DLPC vice president for communication Rossano Luga said the utility firm turned over 35 units of the tracking devices, 28 of which have been installed.

“This tracking system cost P3 million, and we are glad to hand it over to the Central 911, optimistic that this will be of great help in the service of the Davawenyos,” Luga said during the same forum.

Jaldon said the tracking system is also installed in the mobile patrols assigned to the Public Safety Command Center. [JADE C.

contracts an equipment provider, part of the contract is for the provider to educate its employees on the new technology.

“So it is hard for quantify how much is the company allocating for the skills development,” he added.

The company has embarked on what it claimed as a”future-proof” expansion after its main competi-

tor, Smart Communications, gobbled up the third player, Sun Cellular of the Gokongwei group.

Last month, Petet Bithos, company adviser on consumer business, earlier said that the company identified Davao City as uts jump-off point in its expansion project so it can strengthen its presencein the city.

ZALDIVAR]

14 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

A Dream Finale I

The stage is set for the Commissioner’s Cup Finals between B MEG and Talk N Text.

Talk ‘N Text vs B Meg in Finals A

ND then, there were two.

It’s going to be a Talk ‘N Text versus B MEG Llamados in the finals.

One team is making its fifth straight finals appearance, the other is taking its coach to his 24th. Definitely, a big encounter looms on the floor and in the bench.

The finals cast was completed Wednesday night after Talk ‘N Text clinched the series against Barako Bull in Game 5

of their semifinals clash.

After successfully keeping the Philippine Cup last conference, the Texters will now have a chance to defend the Commissioner’s Cup. The Tropang Texters made a return trip to the finals with a hard-earned 10190 triumph over Barako Bull in their do-or-die semifinals match Wednesday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Old reliables Jimmy Ala-

pag and Ranidel de Ocampo delivered big down the stretch, picking up from where import Donnel Harvey left off.

Alapag and De Ocampo’s clutch baskets in the final three and a half minutes helped weather the final uprising by Barako Bull, which pushed the favored Tropang Texters in the series.

“It’s always a special feeling to get to the finals,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes

after the game. “I had high regard for Danny Seigle, one of my all-time favorite players, Willie Miller, Wynne Arboleda, and Dorian Pena. We had no illusions about the other team because we know they know how to play the game.”

“Coach Junel Baculi and Bong Ramos put together a game plan where they had a chance of winning, but in this series, it’s the team who can make the big shots down the stretch which mattered the most. Tonight, we saw Ranidel making a four-point play and Jimmy Alapag hitting a threepointer. In the finals, we expect that it’s going to be that way again.”

Alapag’s three-pointer at the 3:39 mark of the fourth quarter shoved the Tropang Texters lead up to eight, 9284. After Tubid made back-toback shots to give Barako Bull a lease on life, De Ocampo hit a dagger four-point play to knock the spirit out of the Energy.

The Tropang Texters have made it to the championship round for the fifth straight time. The last time to team make five straight finals appearances was the San Miguel Beermen, which entered the championship round from the 2000 Commissioner’s Cup to the 2001 Governors’ Cup.

EDGEDAVAO

Deaf-Ed?

know the Davraa incident involving young athletes forced to play under unplayable conditions will, as always, fall in deaf ears again.

Deaf as in Deaf-Ed. We were hoping the Department of Education or whoever is responsible for such intolerable negligence will at least explain the incident. However, there seems to be no one interested in explaining this.

You see, when people are used to doing things wrongly, they pass it off as right. By simply arguing that there were no available alternate venue for the football matches that is why they had to play the competitions

‘Oh well, we cannot

perhaps fault DepEd if they do not issue an explanation. Until today, no one from among the city and provincial delegations filed a formal complaint.’ in a quasi-football pitch quasi-ricefield is a lame excuse.

Oh well, we cannot perhaps fault DepEd if they do not issue an explanation. Until today, no one from among the city and provincial delegations filed a formal complaint.

Sila sila lang yan eh.

It will still boil down to the officials of DepEd in the city and provincial level or those participat-

ing in the Davraa to file the complaint. As it is, no one dared. Not even the Davao City Division Office of DepEd. You see, the parents can only grumble at the sorry incident their children had to go through.

They can shout all invectives but hell will not break loose until and unless the complaint will come from the proper authorities. In this case, the City Schools Division Office should do it in behalf of its players.

But would you think the Division Office of the DepEd will do that?

I doubt.

Hahaha.

That’s almost impossible.

The hierarchy of DepEd is by its nature very parochial. Very protective.

We have to live with it. Year in and year out.

Every Davraa has its own story and they never learn.

I am just intrigued here. Why is it that the delegation from Davao del Norte did not complain too? They played against Davao City and won in the finals played in that basakan of a pitch.

Does it mean the pitch is acceptable to them?

Is it what you call “homecourt advantage?”

Just asking.

Chot vs. Tim: Battle Volcanoes advance to finals between two Friends T

FRIENDS. Tim Cone of B MEG meets former assistant Chot Reyes (Talk N Text).

T

HERE is another battle looming in the PBA Finals. This one involves two good friends.

Two great coaches too.

But something has to give. For now, in the Finals, at least.

Friendship has to be set aside when coaches Tim Cone of B-MEG and Chot Reyes take centerstage on Monday’s opening salvo of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals.

The two men go back a long way. Reyes’ first job as a PBA assistant coach was with Alaska, as a deputy for Cone.

They have gone on to become two of the most successful coaches in PBA history, with Cone winning 13 titles and Reyes having eight under his belt.

They will be meeting for the sixth time in the championship round, with Reyes holding a 3-2 lead in their matchup.

Cone said it’s always a pleasure coaching against his friend and rival.

“Chot brings out the best in you,” said Cone, who defeated Reyes in the 1996 All-Filipino Conference and the 2003 Invitational Conference.

Reyes, who has vic-

tories over his friend in the 1994 Commissioner’s Cup, the 2002 All-Filipino Conference, and the 2008-09 Philippine Cup, said he’s looking forward to matching wits once more against Cone, who is gunning for his first title since leaving Alaska.

“Tim and I go back a long way and I will always cherish the opportunity playing against him,” he said.

“But he has a different set of pieces right now.

Meeting Tim always demands the best in me. As coaches that’s what we live for. You make your team do their best.”

HE Philippine national men’s rugby union team continued its winning run in the Asian Five Nations Division I tournament, defeating Chinese Taipei, 34-12, Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The Volcanoes set up a title showdown with Sri Lanka, which also remained undefeated in the competition after beating Singapore, 3510, in the earlier match.

Saturday’s match between the Philippines and Sri Lanka serves as the title match, with the winner earning a promotion to the Top 5 division.

Division I is the second tier of competition in Asian Five Nations

Players of the Philippine Volcanoes whoop it up after winning over Chinese Taipei in the 5 Nations Rugby at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. rugby, next only to the Top 5. Last year, the Philippines lost in the semi-

finals to South Korea, which was promoted to the Top 5.

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 33 • APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

STYLE

Sabroso-delicious!

DABAWENYOS love to eat! Be it fine dining, fun dining, or even street food. Everyone has a special “someplace” to have the best barbecued chicken or “somewhere” where the paella is just spectacular.

This passion for food extends beyond basic eating as the Sabroso Sunday Market proves.

Bringing together food enthusiasts, food start-ups, and hidden food establishments this food market held every Sunday at the Yellow Haus along V. Mapa allows Dabawenyos to taste family recipes and hidden foodie finds that, dare I say, will be hidden no more.

My favorite would be the most sinful grilled burger in the city that

is topped off with a slice of fatty, delicious foie gras. Crazy! Add s o m e ot he r foodie finds and we have a sure winner of a diet buster. Based on the crazy crowd that attended the event, I can say Dabawenyos approve!

Catch this Sunday’s Sabroso Market at the Yellow Haus from 3pm to 9 pm.

Follow me on twitter @kennethkingong for more foodie and culture finds.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 33 • APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

CULTURE

There is a Simsimi in all of us…

I

By Ariel Balofinos

recently got introduced to Simsimi (pronounced Shim-shimee) by my officemates and friends.

While I have been seeing this mentioned in a number of posts of friends at Facebook, I didn’t bother to check this out.

And with some encouragement from peers, I found myself checking it one day and then that was when I began to understand what this is all about.

So who or what is Simsimi? According to a story that was posted by the International Business Times dated 23 January 2012, it is an iPhone and Android app that is “an artificial intelligence conversation program that has the world laughing. Created in 2002 (so it took about 9 years before I got introduced to it! Ha ha ha) by the Korean tech company ISMaker, it uses artificial intelligence (or AI) to converse with human users. “ The blog spot, simsimi000.blogspot.com, is quoted by the IBT post to provide further explanation on how it works: “SimSimi is a super advanced chatting robot that makes amusing conversations to engage with users.

Using this app is really simple. Just start a talk session at your touch screen then Simsimi will instantly greet you with a cheerful chat.”

So, “who answers the questions and your messages?” The said app, according to IBT, “draws on a base of about 10 million question-and-answer conversations to come up with what many users describe as the best conversation app they have ever used. The IBT goes on to explain that “when a user sends a text to the Simsimi app on their iPhone or Android device, or communicates with it on their computer, the app responds by automatically scanning for related conversations in its massive database, then spitting out a relevant, and often hilarious, response. The blog spot cited in the report adds, “Don’t be surprised

by Simsimi’s fast response. It’s a superduper robot, you know!”

I saw that, up to some extent, it did look like any common messaging programs such as Skype or Yahoo Messenger. When you key in a sentence, be it a question or a statement, it readily answers back. And take note, dear friends, it can answer back in Tagalog and Cebuano plus other local languages (I think I even recognized Maguindanaon there!)

So how was my experience? Well, there were times when answers by Simsimi were indeed hilarious; others were just downright, well, blah, out of this world, or plainly off…

Hits: Me: I’m fine! How about you?

Simsimi: I’m great, thanks!

Me: Kasabot ka og bisaya?

Simsimi: Taronga og explain para kasabot ko…

Misses: Me: How are you doing?

Simsimi: Mrs. McLain is really awesome, isn’t she? (ha?!!!)

Me: nag breakfast na ka?

Simsimi: oo, nabuang si Mariella!

But it’s not merely about the wonderful (and perhaps not-so-wonderful) technical and technological features of Simsimi that made me interested to talk about it here. It’s how, I realized, it can reflect real life situations, particularly on h o w we hit a n d miss i n our conversations…our natural “Simsimi moments”. But never mind the hits, the really funny and interesting ones are the misses... I came across an article on how we try to answer questions but end up not really answering them directly, and this, it says, is typically Filipino. To illustrate: Q: Saan ka na? Kanina pa kami naghihintay!

A: Malapit na ako!

Q: Guwapo ba sya?

A: Matangkad sya!

Q: Oo nga, pero gwapo ba sya?

A: Mabait!

Q: Anong oras na?

A: Maaga pa Q: Kumain ka na?

A: Busog pa ako And my conversation with the Carlo Mallo yesterday went like: Ariel: Sino kasama mo?

Carlo: Di mo kilala eh

It’s quite funny if you really think about how we have these conversations or variations of such and what’s interesting is that these conversations have somehow become part of the norm. I asked a few friends why we have these “Simsimi moments” and they gave several reasons. A number of them have attributed these to evasiveness, i.e. when one is guilty of committing something that is likely to displease the other, then we skirt the question or statement and try to come up with a response that we think would be non- or less- incriminating, yet may be more or less related.

Others say that it could perhaps be a case of being too polite (given our being too sentimental or sensitive as a people). So naturally, if you ask about a person’s trait that s/he may not necessarily have, then you point to a differ-

ent, and hopefully, obvious, characteristic, hoping that there will be no more follow-through question.

Related to this would be our tendencies to deny or gloss over something in order to tone down what are glaringly weak spots, just to advance self interests or desires, such as, “Q: effective ba talaga yang moisturizer na yan? A: ay naku, ito baya gyud ang gigamit ni Anne Curtis sa mukha nya kaya bilhin mo na gyud i t o da!”

I n m a n y cases, many of us do not pay attention to the question. Either we are too pre-occupied or are just too bored to really listen and respond (note: Simsimi comes from the word simsim, meaning bored) that we just blurt out a response to the word(s) that might have registered in our heads. Again, could be a typical case of us wanting to be polite by keeping the conversation alive, even if, it no longer seems like an good one.

And then there are those that I would group to be on the extreme end: the case of those who have poor active listening skills, those who really can’t train themselves to listen very well, or probably those who refuse to listen… In my own office, I have seen people whose relationships crumble just because they fail to effectively listen, and also communicate their thoughts and feelings.

I have seen a number of staff members uncomfortably go through a web of discussions because one is raising the question and the other feels, perceives, or is actually being attacked by the question.

And in the end, the original question or statement is not addressed. I would say that this can potentially be worse because while the Simsimi robot may “learn”, these people may just not be able to do so…

Simsimi may just be a technological fad or perhaps evolve into something more complicated. I would also like to think that these programs somehow resonate our desire to communicate and to have someone to communicate with.

No matter what form it is, I believe that it will still most likely end up reflecting the quality of conversations that we will have several years from now. However, that as long as we still aim at understanding each other and being there for each other, then these all just adds to dynamism, layers, and color of our every day communication. However, let us all be reminded not to stray far from and to make the effort to get the real message.

VOL.5 ISSUE 33 • APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

NOW SHOWING

Zac Efron is the Lucky One

ZAC Efron really is a lucky fella.

Not only does he having his new flick, The Lucky One, hitting theaters on Friday…

But Mr. Efron, 24, has some really steamy scenes in the flick with his beautiful costar Taylor Schilling, 27.

“We had great chemistry,” Zac told me at last night’s Lucky’s premiere in Hollywood.

The sexy work didn’t come until they had been working together for about four or five months. “We knew each other every which way,” Efron said, adding, “It felt great.” (When I mention that he has similar scenes with Nicole Kidman in the upcoming The Paper Boy, Efron beamed, “Yeah, hot blondes!”)

“We were so comfortable with each other,” Schilling said.

“Honestly, I was more nervous about some of the more emotional scenes then I was about that.”

Efron impressed offscreen as much as he did on. Said Courtney J. Clark, who plays Efron’s

sister in the flick, “He taught the little boys who play my sons in the movie how to peel a banana like a monkey.”

Better than teaching them how to remove a bra, right?

Efron and Schilling made for quite a pretty pair last night as

TV legend signs off at 82 TIME sadly caught up with America’s oldest teenager.

Dick Clark, the iconic TV host and producer who put younger folks to shame with his work ethic and energy until he was slowed by a stroke eight years ago, has died.

He was 82.

He suffered what his agent, Paul Shefrin, described as a “massive heart attack” this morning while at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, where he was recovering from an outpatient procedure he has last night.

“Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful,” Shefrin said in a statement. “He is survived by his wife Kari and his three children, RAC, Duane and Cindy.”

And, needless to say, generations of fans who could have picked any decade and tuned into Clark on radio or TV. From the pioneering song-and-dance series American Bandstand— the format of which is still being copied to this day—to his annual Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve, the New York native was a fixture of the entertainment scene.

Even when he wasn’t on camera, Dick Clark Productions (which he sold in 2007 for a reported $175 million) was a force behind event television like the Golden Globes, the American Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and So You Think You Can Dance.

Since he first heralded the dropping of the ball in Times Square for ABC in 1972, Clark missed hosting his New Year’s Eve show exactly once: He

took the night off in 2004 after suffering a stroke earlier in the month, but was back on the air in 2005 along with cohost and ultimate successor Ryan Seacrest. (For the record, Rockin’ Eve was preempted in 1999, but Clark still pulled countdown duty.)

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Clark said on the air as he waited for 2006 to arrive.

Most recently, he and Seacrest ushered in 2012 together.

both were wearing Calvin Klein.

Also at the premiere were the film’s Blythe Danner, Jay R. Ferguson and Riley Thomas Stew-

art, director Scott Hicks, Nicholas Sparks, 90210 hottie Matt Lanter and Efron’s High School Musical costar Ashley Tisdale.

A4 INdulge!

TRAVEL

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 33 • APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

Top travel tips

TRAVELLING can either be a breeze or a huge hassle. When it all boils down to it; the success of any travel relies largely on how prepared you are. And this is often brought by good judgment from years of experience. Unfortunately, some of us do not have the luxury to allow teacher time to impart its travel lessons just because we want every trip to be a success. Not everyone finds adventure in discovering something in the form of a travel mishap. So how can one learn all that he has to without actually going through some bad travel experiences? He could continue reading.

I am not exactly the most well-travelled writer in the industry; but I have gone to enough places (to look for hot parties, of course) to know a thing or two about travelling.

Although the following pieces of advice are not exactly breakthroughs, these are some ideas and tips I have come up with during my years of back packing. So sit back, relax, and try to keep reading this host of tips to help your travels.

Tip # 1: Always bring a spare pair of shoes. The thing is, shoes are too bulky and with light travels, shoes are something that should kept at a minimum.

Most people (especially men) wear the pair of shoes they intend to use for the duration of their stay when they board the plane, bus, or road vehicle that will take them to their destination. Most people think it is sensible to bring a pair of shoes that goes well with everything you packed. Unfortunately, I used to be ‘most people’. However, a ridiculously rainy evening in Cagayan de Oro taught me that wearing the same pair of shoes you intend to use for the duration of the trip is a big mistake. Rain gets you shoes wet and stinky. Obviously, you don’t have the time to dry them out in a sunny place to get rid of the moisture. The best thing to do then is to use another pair of shoes and let the wet pair dry. Ergo, bringing a spare pair, no matter how bulky it makes your backpack, is a must.

Tip # 2: Always keep your money safe. You know they always say that you should keep your money in different places?

I am a firm believer of this. But this does not mean that you can have a friend keep your money. No matter how long you’ve known them or how close you are. Never trust anyone with your money. The fact that it isn’t theirs would simply make them less cautious.

So here is the deal. No matter how drunk you predict you’ll be; keep some money with you and keep some in your purse and luggage. I always take money that is enough for any immediate purchase and keep that amount in my pocket.

That way, when I need to pay for something, people around me while I’m making the purchase wouldn’t see how much I have in my wallet. Keep a larger amount in your wallet as well. Aside from this, keep a couple of thousands in an obscure pocket inside your bag or purse. Also leave a couple of thousands inside your luggage which should be safe in your hotel room. I lost thirteen thousand in Boracay once.

Trust me. This is worth all the hassle.

Tip # 3: Always bring a medicine kit. Take some decongestant, anti allergy, pain killer, paracetamol, and some lozenges at the very least. Feeling sickly during a vacation or trip is bad. What makes it even worse is having to shell out a huge amount on medication when you can spend your moolah on something more worthwhile… like a cocktail. Also, taking some decongestant before a flight helps keep your sinuses

unclogged which makes it less likely for you to suffer from headaches caused by pent up pressure in that area.

Tip # 4: Always reserve a hotel room at least a month before your scheduled trip then follow the reservation up by calling the hotel a three days before you reach your destination; looking for a hotel a couple of days before leaving for your destination leaves you with very little options. Not reserving a hotel at all is just suicidal. Trust me.

The last thing you would want to happen is to check in to an inn that is below your standard just because you can not find any other place to stay in.

Tip # 5: Bring as little toiletries as possible. This is one tip not many people apply but I think it is very important. If you use a brand of soap or shampoo that you can buy in any convenience store or sari-sari store, then don’t bring a stash with you. Instead, purchase your toiletries at your destination. Why? Toiletries don’t pack well. You can’t squeeze them in or push them around. Some toiletries even spill during the travel and get your clothes all sticky. Of course, you could also keep them inside a Ziploc bag but really, why don’t you just leave them behind and purchase shampoo, soap, and toothpaste at your destination?

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (The Radio Show) on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesdays from 6 to 9 PM. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist on twitter. com/zhaun

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

15

P1M, cars for hole-in-one scores in 7th Pomelo Tee T

HOSE dreaming of scoring a rare hole-in-one should be awe-struck by the whopping bonanza awaiting the lucky ace scorer in the 7th Pomelo Tee. The lucky one-shotwonder will be swept away with its top bonanza--P1 million cash—on holes No. 6, 11 and 17. A Subaru Forester and a Royal Caribbean Asian Tour are also up for grabs at all par 3 holes.

The annual Pomelo Tee Invitational golf tournament, now on its seventh edition, hits the tees on May 17 to 20 at the posh Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

Expected to draw another record field of 400, the Pomelo Tee will be staking cash bonanza and trophies as well as golf merchandise and appliances in the raffles.

Organizers say it prom-

ises to be another exciting year for the Pomelo Tee participants as the tournament will be as competitive as usual but with the mix of fun and entertainment.

Larry Miculob, the RPVGCC media relations committee member bared the details of the tournament during the weekly Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn early this week.

Up for grabs are net and gross titles and prizes in Classes A, B, C and D. Miculob said participants from Visayas and Luzon are expected to crowd the hunt with the locals in the three-day golfest which dedicates part of its proceeds to the Pablo Lorenzo National High School’s computer literacy program.

Registration fee is P3,500 per entry.

Lin, Tebow in Top 100 Most Influential People

N

EW York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, who captured the world’s imagination earlier this season with his Cinderella run for the struggling NBA team, has been named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Tim Tebow, another sports celebrity with an Asian history, made it to the list. Tebow, the Denver Brincos quarterback who was later traded to the New York Jets following the Broncos’ loss in the NFL semis, was born in Makati City to missionary parents assigned here two decades ago.

Tebow is known for “Tebowing” or the act of kneeling down in prayer during games. He also popularized the wearing of face bandages with biblical sayings scribbled on them.

Tebow’s Foundation is set to open a hospital project in Davao City, Philippines, according to his website.

Lin, an Asian-American product of Harvard University, overcame long odds to become a cult hero for fans of the struggling Knicks. United Stated education secretary Arne Duncan, a fellow Harvard alumnus and also a former Crimson

basketball player, wrote Lin’s profile for Time.

“He’s dispelled the idea that Asian-American guards somehow couldn’t hack it in the NBA,” Duncan said, “and that being a world-class athlete on the court is somehow at odds with being an excellent student off the court.”

Left undrafted by NBA teams last season, Lin was signed to a twoyear deal by the Golden State Warriors after an impressive performance in summer camp. But he was unable to get any significant playing time with the Warriors, and was cut twice in his second season — first by Golden State and then by the Houston Rockets — before being picked up by the Knicks.

Lin was on the verge of being cut by the Knicks when former coach Mike D’Antoni took a flyer on the untested guard, and he responded by stringing along several memorable performances, leading the team to wins without stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

But Lin’s amazing year was cut abruptly after he suffered a knee injury. He underwent surgery in April for a lateral meniscus tear, which rendered him out for the season.

Didier Drogba (R) vies with Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets (L).

LONE GOAL. Chelsea’s Ivorian forward Didier Drogba celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match between Chelsea and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in London, England. Chelsea won 1-0.

DETHRONED

Chelsea boots out Barcelona 1-0

L

ONDON — Roberto Di Matteo said Chelsea’s old guard had silenced their critics after leading the club to a 1-0 upset of holders Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.

The elder statesman of the Chelsea line-up — 34-year-old Didier Drogba — scored the winner as the Premier League side withstood a furious Barcelona onslaught to hang on for a memorable first-leg victory.

Chelsea’s win came despite being outplayed by long periods, with Barcelona enjoying 72 percent possession throughout the match to their opponents’ 28.

The Spaniards also had 24 attempts on goal while Chelsea’s only shot on target came in the shape of Drogba’s winner.

Nevertheless the win was a triumph for Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech as Barcelona were sent crashing to their first European

defeat this season.

“In the past a lot of the public opinion has been that these boys are over the line and too old to play two games at this level,” Di Matteo told reporters, referring to Chelsea’s FA Cup semifinal win over Tottenham on Sunday.

“It wasn’t just (Drogba) — we had other players on the pitch that you regard as old guard that have played two games in such a short period of time. I think they gave their answer on the pitch tonight.”

Di Matteo had surprised many pundits by electing to start with Drogba in attack ahead of £50 million man Fernando Torres.

However the interim Chelsea manager admitted he had chosen Drogba to start after being impressed by his goalscoring contribution to Sunday’s 5-1 drubbing of Spurs at Wembley.

“I felt I had to be fair looking back at the game on Sunday with the way we

wanted to play. For today’s game he was the right man to play,” Di Matteo said.

While praising the veterans of Chelsea’s line-up, Di Matteo was at pains to pay tribute to a “tremendous” collective effort.

“I think that the balance has to be good within the team. It’s not just the defenders defending — it’s the whole team,” Di Matteo said.

“So I think you need to be able to close down the space as much as possible and limit their threat as much as possible. But ultimately with the quality of the individuals they have they will create some problems.

“But it wasn’t just our defenders it was a collective defensive performance.

“We’re delighted with the performance of the team and the result we got today.

We’ve won all our Champions League games at home this season and we’ve faced some tough opponents.

“I think tonight was one

of the biggest challenges we’ve had for many years.”

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola meanwhile said the defeat had left Chelsea as favourites to advance to next month’s final in Munich.

“They are favourites,” Guardiola said. “They have a good result but at least we have the challenge to play 90 minutes. And in that time we have the opportunity to create chances. But 1-0 is a very good result for them.”

Di Matteo brushed off Guardiola’s assessment of the tie however.

“I don’t think it makes us favourites,” he said. “It’s 50-50 for both teams to go through to the final.

“You know what to expect when you go to the Camp Nou — it’s going to be very very difficult. We still have to believe that we might be able to score a goal there. It’s going to be a tough game, it’s a tough game for anyone going there.

“We’ll have to be at our best again. We’re very pleased but it’s only halftime and nothing has been decided. We’ve another game to play yet.”

Guardiola meanwhile dismissed suggestions that Barcelona had been robbed of victory given their overwhelming dominance of possession and shots on goal.

“They won, that’s football,” Guardiola said. “It’s not a question of fairness.

They scored, and we didn’t.

Congratulations Chelsea.

“If football matches were awarded to teams who had the most average possession of the ball we would win every game. But the most difficult thing is getting the ball into the net.”

16

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 33• APRIL 20 - 21, 2012

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DFA U-13. Davao’s DFA Under-13 Girls squad with coaches Reynalyn Ravanes and Analou Ingles. The team won its first match on Wednesday in Bacolod City 4-1 against defending champion RIFA-Manila.

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avao’s schedule: APRIL 19 4pm -Davao FA vs. Bacolod APRIL 21 2pm-Davao FA vs.Dumanguete APRIL 22 1pm-Davao FA vs,San Carlos The Davao Under-13 Girls squad dropped the upset axe on defending champion RIFA-Manila 4-1 on Wednesday to begin their campaign in an auspicious note in the PFF Under-13 Girls football eliminations in Bacolod City.

Zuleika Yee blasted home a pair of markers and her teammates Moira Calizo and Elizabeth Santos backed her up with a goal each against the favoured bets from Manila in this tournament serving as the qualifying school for the Under-13 Philippine Girls Team set to compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U13 Girls Festival of Football 2012 this June in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

The Davao squad’s

participation is bankrolled by the Davao Football Association (DFA) under President Chaya Lam. The participating teams are Bacolod, San Carlos City, Dumaguete, RIFA-Manila and Davao.

The Philippine Football Federation, in a circular, has designated the tournament as the selection process for the national U-13 girls team.

The DFA-Davao squad is composed of Bea De Luna, Joannah Adao, Pa-

tricia Francisco, Therese Reyes, Kyra Gabinete, Kyra Paronda, Michaela Co, and Drew Datumanong of Ateneo de Davao University, Moira Calizo, Zuleika Yee, Sofia Paredes, Jade Carasig, Arwen Allado and Felice Tuazon of Sakya, Joyce Semacio of Black Knights, Elizabeth Santos of Tambayan and Kim Villacencio of St. Paul. Coaching the team is Reynalyn Ravanes with Analou Ingles as her assistant.