Edge Davao 5 Issue 5 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO Sara orders ‘shoot to kill’ criminals www.edgedavao.net

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By Jade C. Zaldivar Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday gave orders to ‘shoot to kill’ criminals who obstruct the law during the celebrations of the 75thAraw ng Davao. In an official statement issued to media outlets through the City Information Office, the lady mayor said the police should not hesitate in terminating criminals with ill intent. “The police will be going after all who are outside their residence, suspected to be carrying a gun. Arrest and prosecute or shoot to kill if the lives of the public are in danger during apprehension,” DuterteCarpio said in a text message. This, as the local government received March 7 a response from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters approving the resolution declaring a month-long gun ban here. Commenting to the Mayor’s order, Police Regional Office 11 director P/C Superintendent Jaime Morente said he had given his concurrence.

FSARA, 13

Antonino: Minda power problem not ‘catastrophic’

By Lorie A. Cascaro

EGARDING a recent statement by former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on power shortages in Mindanao, describing daily brownouts as “catastrophic”, Secretary Luwalhati Antonino of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said Thursday the power situation in Mindanao is not really that bad to be regarded catastrophic. Speaking at the Philippine Information Agency regional office in Davao City, Antonino said there are solutions to the problem of the power crisis in Mindanao. She said this problem is “solvable” and

WOMEN’S RIGHTS. During the first Women’s Market opening program at the NCCC Mall Davao, Davao City Councilor Leah Librado says, “Women continue to

become a vital part of society, thus both local and national government should pay attention to their concerns.”

that people should refrain from giving immediate reactions such as calling it “catastrophic”. “Nakakatakot naman yang word na cata-

strophic,” she said, adding that prospective investors might say, “Ang gulo na nga sa Mindanao, wala pa kayong power, ayaw na namin dyan.”

[KARLOS MANLUPIG]

FANTONINO, 13

THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Women food producers hailed By Lorie A. Cascaro

ONE are the days when women were only known as weavers of straw mats, handbags, and other handicrafts. Not everyone knows that women have been recognized as food producers of the country. Saganang Amin, Portraits of Women Food Producers, organized by Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan and Oxfam Mindanao, under their campaign dubbed “Grow”, is an exhibit of women from different parts of Mindanao who are hailed as models of empowerment. This wsa be the highlight of the Philippines’ first women market held at the NCCC Mall of Davao last March 8, the International Day. At the opening program, Cherry Pie Picache, Oxfam ambassador, expressed her acknowledgment of all Filipino women, especially in the rural areas, for their significant role of providing food to the country. “Madalas kulang pa ang isang araw upang magampanan ng babae ang

tungkulin nya sa pag-aalaga sa pamilya, sa gawaing bahay at paghahanap buhay,” Pichache told the audience. She said working on the farm, fishing and planting vegetables are already being performed by women in the countryside, thus they are part of the development of the nation. “Dahil dito, nararapat na kilalanin ang kanilang kontribusyon sa lipunan,” she added. Picache also mentioned the women’s role in addressing issues on climate change and the increasing prices of prime commodities. The Grow advocates believe in supporting farmers, both women and men, as farming is the key towards sustainability of food supply, especially the kind of farming that does not destroy nature. Also at the program, Councilor Leah Librado said the women’s market is timely because women living in Davao City lack the means of livelihood, adding that the minimum wage in the city is only P276. “Women continue to become a vital part of society, thus both local and national government should

pay attention to their concerns,” Librado said. Likewise, Luwalhati Antonino, secretary of Mindanao Development Authority, expressed her praise for women food producers of the country. “It’s timely, we in Mindanao have a program for rural communities, most especially for women,” she said. She mentioned MinDA’s program on watershed, Minda NOW (Nurturing our Waters), saying that women will become farmers especially the indigenous people where they have ancestral domains near watershed areas. “Water is life and we have to preserve that. And I think the women have a very big role to play. We will look for funds for you to plant trees, maybe coffee, rubber or palm oil. Kailangan bantayan niyo yan, because we know after awhile, pagharvest time maraming magnakaw,” Antonino said. “Show the people, you’re the ones tilling and taking care of the trees. In this way mas masuportahan ninyo ang pamilya at gagaan ang inyong buhay,” she added.

on anti-smoking, nutrition, promotion of exercise, and healthy diet. “Ang among gi-highlight didto, among others is the healthy cardiovascular projects sa atoang City Health Office (CHO),” the Mayor said during her weekly press conference at the city hall conference room. The Mayor said the DOH also granted the CHO with cash prize of P100,000 along with a plaque of recognition. “They (DOH) asked if we could still join next year and I said ‘yes’ and that we will strengthen our health programs so we could show something new to them,” Duterte-Carpio said in the dialect. The local CHO won under the ‘government office’

category. Four other LGUs also received awards under a different category: - For the ‘LGU category’ the municipalities of Veruela in Agusan del Sur and Carmona in Cavite were recognized; - The Episcopal Diocese of Northern PhilippinesBontoc in Mountain Provinces won under the ‘nongovernment organizations/ institutions’ category; and - The Novartis HealthCare Philippines under the ‘business/commercial’ category. The awards are held every two years and are a joint project of the DOH with the Philippine Coalition for the Prevention and Control of NCD. [JADE C. ZALDIVAR]

Inorisa Sialana-Elento, executive director or Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions Inc. (MMCEAI), said there is a need for a local ordinance focusing on abandonment of families. The group seeks to either amend the existing ordinance for OFWs or enact a separate law that will guar-

antee assistance and protection to women and families abandoned by either partner or parent OFWs. The MMCEAI is currently serving 27 cases of abandonment with 162 individuals from its 10 partner communities: Sto. Niño, Mintal, Los Amigos, Tugbok, Calinan, Talomo, Matina Proper, Matina Pangi,

City wins healthy lifestyle award

AVAO City was recently cited by the Department of Health (DOH) for its advocacy for a healthy lifestyle. The recognition, dubbed Outstanding Healthy Lifestyle Advocacy Award, is a first for the city, City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said. The mayor said participating local government units (LGU), offices, institutions, and organizations were required to submit their programs on healthy lifestyle in the effort to prevent the spread of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the country. Of all the cities that joined in the competition, the Davao City Health Office was given recognition for its health program, especially

Ordinance mulled to solve abandonment of families

HILE the city council already approved an ordinance establishing the overseas Filipino workers center of Davao City under the city mayor’s office in 2008, proponent Councilor lawyer Leah Librado, backed by women groups, is urging for legislation on abandonment of families.

FORDINANCE, 13

POWER. Minda Secretary Lualhati Antonino says that it is not true that the power source in Mindanao is already critically low. Antonino asserted that our hydropower source

of energy in Mindanao must not be privatized. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Sara is not a robot—Rody By Jade C. Zaldivar

HE two Dutertes at the helm of the city’s leadership may sometimes be at ends on issues, but Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte welcomes it, saying both he and daughter, City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, take their job ‘very seriously.’ The elder Duterte raised the white flag concerning the implementation of a month-long gun ban following weeks of having different opinions on the matter. While Duterte-Carpio opted to declare the gun ban through a resolution under the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC), the Vice Mayor said the declaration would be useless as “only those who carry licensed firearms would follow the gun ban.» However, the Vice Mayor on Tuesday said he has backed off from the issue as he does not intend to go against the Mayor’s decision. “I would not take issue with the Mayor kay naka provide na na sa CPOC. Policy na eh. They gave the order. Mine was just an opinion,” VM Duterte said during the live airing of Ato ni Bay at the City Council conference room. He said that what is followed by national agencies,

specifically the Philippine National Police on the issue, is the order given by a city executive. “Kung muingon sila sa Manila (that they approve) we have to bow to the order of the Mayor. Wala tay mahimo. She’s the one supporting, supervising the authority of the police. She’s the one who heads CPOC so siya gyuy masunod,” VM Duterte said. Independent-minded The elder Duterte also said the City Mayor was raised “as an independent person.” “(It is) not because I want to fight with the Mayor or that just want to take issues with my daughter. You know, I raised my daughter, the Mayor now, to be an independent person – not a robot. Dili siya robot,” Duterte said. “I expected that when she became a mayor she

Quips

‘WE are moving close to our objectives which are the search for truth and to exact public accountability.’

would expect also that I would have a different view on so many things sa governance sa tao. We are not each other’s robot,” he added. The Vice Mayor also said that when he was City Mayor and Duterte-Carpio was the Vice Mayor they never ganged up on the city, deciding by themselves what they wanted to implement. “Even when she was still VM dili mi makigstorya bahin sa pagdagan sa syudad. Gusto ba mo ana, nga kami-kami magistoryahanay ingani atong buhaton tungod naa ta sa posisyon. Gusto mo ana?” Duterte said. “That was the guarantee I gave you when I presented her to you as your Mayor that we would act as professionals with our own positions to (live up to)” he added.

--Rep. Niel Tupas, on the Senate’s denial of the defense motion to suppress evidence on the bank deposits of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

DENR names priority caves F

OUR caves in Kapalong, Davao del Norte were recently identified and assessed as priority caves by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 (DENR 11) and the Davao Speleological and Conservation Society (DSpeCS). These caves are Otso , Gitgitan, Sayaw and Underground Caves. During the cave assessments done last February 1-3 the following characteristics were considered: length, height and width of the caves as well as identifying resources such as the stalagmites, stalactites, rock formations and wildlife inhabiting therein. Biological resources outside the caves were also identified. DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje through the

Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) director Theresa Mundita Lim has instructed the DENR field offices to prioritize caves for assessment and classification for 2012 in line with Republic Act No. 9072 otherwise known as the “National Caves and Caves Resources Management and Protection Act.” The identification process is done by the Regional Cave Committee (RCC) composed of different services of the DENR and other concerned institutions, agencies, academe, Local Government Units (LGUs) and NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs). This was created to ensure the implementation of the proper management, protection and conservation of caves in the region.

WOMEN’S DAY. Cherrypie Picache, an OXFAM ambassador, said on Thursday that the women sector is currently facing many threats and issues including climate change and the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities. Picache

MRDP strengthens DA-LGU partnership to boost dev’t

SIDE from improving rural incomes, the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) antipoverty program had also been instrumental in improving local governance. DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said through the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), local government units (LGUs) have been capacitated to implement various development projects.

“For each project processed and approved in MRDP, it was our paramount concern that the benefits to the farmers and fishers are clear and we augment the capacity of our partner LGUs to carry on way beyond the program duration,” Alcala said. Being the flagship poverty reduction program for Mindanao where national and local government collaborates, Alcala

said the program enjoys tremendous support from the current administration. “In the second semester of the previous year alone, a total of P920 million had been released for co-financing of the program’s rural infrastructure portfolio,” he said. Alcala said he is currently negotiating with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the National Economic and

FMRDP, 13

added that the people must unite in fighting for the rights of the women in the country. [ KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Region 11 is ranked 4th in new renal disease patients in PHL

HE Davao region is ranked 4th in the the Philippines in the number of new patients with renal disease in 2010 , according to the Philippine Renal Disease Registry 2010. The region recorded 537 new patients in 2010 compared to the higher number of cases in the National Capital Region, Region 3, and Region 4. Dr. Theresa Bad-ang of the Philippine Society of Nephrology attributed this growing number of

patients detected with renal disease to unhealthy lifestyle and other diseases that usually result to renal failure, like diabetes and hypertension. “ Davao may be identified as among those having the most number of new renal disease cases because we are the center of Mindanao . Everybody’s coming here to get diagnosed and get treatment” she explained. Albeit alarming, nephrologists like Bad-ang see the need to further

intensify the campaign on renal disease awareness as this can help prevent the onset of End Stage Kidney Disease in patients suffering from renal problems. The Philippine Society of Nephrology, together with patients having renal diseases, joined the World Kidney Day yesterday, March 8, at the SM City Entertainment Center where they discussed issues concerning renal disease. [PIA 11/FRANCES MAE GEVERA-MACAPAGAT]

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

NUJP asks Pacman to drop libel charge

AYING it was an erroneous decision, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has urged Sarangani Rep. and 8-division world boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao to drop the threecount, P75-million libel suit he filed against NUJP General Santos City chapter chairman Edwin Espejo. “We firmly believe Pacquiao errs in suing Mr. Espejo and seeking compensation that is patently outrageous,” NUJP said in a statement. The case stemmed from articles written by Espejo that appeared in Mindanews, in Asian Correspondent for which Espejo mainly writes, and Eurasia Review, which reposted the Asian Correspondent story, it added. At the Asian Correspondent, the piece was titled “Stolen car dealer finds refuge in Pacman mansion,” while MindaNews titled it “Dealer of stolen cars last seen in Pacman mansion.” Citing reports, Espejo wrote that Mohammad ‘Bong’ Akia, former head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group in Region 12, was seen disembarking from a commercial plane from Manila two weeks ago, and immediately boarded the waiting vehicle of Pacquiao who flew in on the same flight. “Reports said Akia accompanied Pacquiao in the latter’s residence and has not been seen since,” Espejo reported.

The alleged carjacker also sued Espejo for libel and sought P18 million. Espejo’s reports showed he had tried to get Pacquiao’s side. Since the boxer is in the US to promote his June 9 fight against Timothy Bradley, it was Pacquiao’s lawyer, Francisco “Bong” Gacal who told the journalist he was not aware of reports Aquia had sought refuge in his client’s home. Espejo said Gacal also promised to inform Pacquiao of the reports. Citing Espejo’s efforts to get the side of Pacquiao, the NUJP said the reporter clearly did not have malice aforethought in writing the articles, “which is a requisite for libel.” “Espejo clearly cited the source of his report as well as his efforts to get Pacquiao’s side and, failing that, sought out the boxing champion’s lawyer,” the group said. The NUJP further noted that Espejo cited statements by ranking Philippine National Police about Akia’s alleged illegal activities. “It would be a shame if Pacquiao should risk his well-deserved reputation by succumbing to the same urge that has seen abusive official after abusive official resorting to our draconian criminal libel law -- or even worse measures -- to stifle reasonable criticism and critical coverage,” it said. The group renewed its call for the decriminalization of libel. [MindaNews]

Green enterprise eyed to generate more jobs

HE Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC) on Wednesday said that the Philippines is ready for the electric vehicle industry that will produce a ripple of jobs, social benefits and new revenue. “We are promoting nothing less than a new investment agenda aimed at generating green jobs in services and manufacturing while producing margins that can secure more economic benefits for fleet operators, drivers and commuters alike,” Red Constantino, Director of iCSC said during the “Sustainable Transport in the Philippines: Strengthening Opportunities and Creating Partnerships for Electric Public Utility Vehicles” conference hosted by the British Embassy and iCSC at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City. The event brought together leading thinkers, movers and business groups working on pioneering legislative initiatives, fleet operations and battery innovations in the Philippine Electric Vehicle Industry.

Constantino called on the private sector to “shift from the tired practice of dole outs and rebrandingmotivated corporate social responsibility programs. “The mandate of business is to pursue the bottomline, but in ways that secure long-term goals instead of short-term gains. We need to create business models that work for everyone,” Constantino continued. iCSC said an electric vehicle industry in the Philippines could also be feasible once more and more people start using electric powered vehicles. “It will produce a ripple of jobs, social benefits and new revenue. The Philippines is ready for the electric vehicle industry revolution,” said May-i Fabros, iCSC spokesperson. Speaking for the commercial sustainable transport sector, Ejeepney Transport Corporation chief executive officer Yuri Sarmiento said that the Electric jeepneys is just the start and are ready to help grow green enterprises that are locally sourced and financed. [PNA]

FOOD TERMINAL. Mayor Jon Marco M. Dayanghirang of Manay [2nd from right], Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon of Davao Oriental, and DSWD Director Ester A. Versoza lower the time capsule Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Construction of Food Terminal in Barangay Holy Cross, Manay town in Davao Oriental. The P1,270,618worth sub-project is made possible through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan –Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Makamasang

Obstacles to Tampakan project cited

HE open-pit mining ban in South Cotabato, anti-mining sentiments, security risks and securing environmental permits remain the key stumbling blocks needing to be hurdled to bring the massive Tampakan copper-gold project to commercial stream, a company presentation released on Wednesday showed. In its “Overview and update[d] investor presentation,” Indophil Resources NL said that despite the risks, it will aintain a direct and active interest in the development of the Tampakan project, the company’s flagship asset. Indophil holds a 37.5% stake at Sagittarius Mines, Inc., the Philippine company pursuing the Tampakan project, which is controlled by Xstrata Copper, the world’s fourth largest copper producer. The release of Indophil’s investor presentation came as the Aquino administration is in the process of coming out with a new mining policy. Indophil said it welcomes the engagement of the Philippine government “in brokering a solution,” apparently in reference to the challenges facing the Tampakan project. “We now have the government’s full attention via a mining policy review process,” the company claimed, adding that President Benigno S. Aquino III is due to report on it soon. The President was expected to unveil the new mining policy through an executive order. The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) and the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce of the Philippines earlier raised the concern that the mining policy revision may scare foreign investors away.

Tugon modality. Under this scheme, 12 barangays in Manay have prioritized other community sub-projects such as Farm-To-Market Road, Day Care Center, Barangay Health Station with Safe Birthing Facility, Potable Water System, Concrete Pathway and Classroom Building with a total funding of P11,541,362 including a local government counterpart of over P3 million. [DSWD/Carmela Cadigal-Duron]

Women seek participation in disaster risk measures

OMEN from various sectors in Davao City have sought assurance of their involvement in the planning and implementation of the local disaster risk reduction measures in the city. The women leaders and advocates have articulated in the 2012 Women Summit Resolutions their assertion for women’s participation in special bodies such as in the disaster, rescue, relief, and rehabilitation management council. The drive was raised during the 13th Citywide Women Summit on March 1 in Davao City, which tackled women’s active involvement in environmental decision-making at all levels. Davao woman leader and advocate Rosena Sanchez has shared the same advocacy to push for more women at the ranks of decision makers in the council “in order to formulate policies on environment.” Sanchez emphasized the need of the women’s participation to environmental decision-making,

noting that women get the multiple burdens and are more at a disadvantage during calamities. “Women are often left at the evacuation centers to attend to their children, with no privacy, no food and no water, while the men continue to work for a living. But it is usually the women who could solve the problem,” she told the 500 women participants to the women summit. Geologist Beverly Mae Brebante of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in the region affirmed Sanchez statement, saying that “the consequences of hazards often turn out to be more severe for women than men due to culture and tradition.” Brebante said that women with special needs such as the elderly, differently-abled, pregnant, and nursing women are left behind, or become the last to leave dangerous areas. Exclusion of women from the disaster risk reduction measures has detrimental effects to women, she said, citing that early warning systems fail

to reach women. She pushed for a gender and development to be mainstreamed in all stages of the disaster risk reduction program, to include both men and women as decision makers from prevention to recovery planning. “Regard women, just like men, as providers instead of passive receivers of support and protection,” stated Brebante, adding that “Women know more of the needs of the family and the community, especially on what to provide for their children.” She urged the women to initiate information dissemination “starting in your families and in your communities,” as well as to participate in seminars and workshops on geohazards. Sanchez and Brebante were among the resource persons during the 13th Citywide Women Summit where the 2012 Women Summit Resolutions were endorsed to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio through City Social Services and Development Office. [PIA 11/CARINA L. CAYON]

Lawmakers to investigate importation of galunggong

PPOSITION lawmakers have called for a congressional inquiry into reports that the Department of Agriculture (DA) had allowed the importation of “galunggong” or round scad. House Minority Leader Rep. Danilo Suarez (3rd District, Quezon) principally authored House Resolution 2113 calling for an investigation on the importation of “galunggong”, once considered as the poor man’s fish. Suarez urged the House Committee on Ag-

riculture and Food to invite the officials of DA, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and leaders of fishermen groups. Suarez said the House should investigate the reports that the local market has been opened to imported fish because the domestic fish catch has been declining. Citing reports, Suarez said a big part of the country’s galunggong supply now comes from either China or Taiwan, as reported by the Bureau of Fisher-

ies and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Suarez expressed apprehension over the report of the BFAR that the country imported large quantities of galunggong, representing a big volume of the 900,000 metric tons of fish being imported by the Philippines from China and Taiwan. Suarez revealed that the DA and BFAR were compelled to open the domestic market to imported fish because fish catch continued to decline due to over exploitation of the fishing grounds.

EDGEDAVAO

Stat Watch

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

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

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

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

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

5 The women farmers of Ibuan and Hawilian THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

HO says farming is plainly a man’s work, and women should not do it simply because they could hardly endure this backbreaking job even if the family’s survival is at stake? This isn’t so in the case of women like Gloria Bolando who shares this tedious job with her husband apart from doing household chores at the same time. Bolando, a Manobo mother of six in sitio Ibuan, barangay Mampi maintains a four-hectare abaca farm in addition to growing sweet potatoes or camote, banana and vegetables for sustenance. Her husband plants corn and other root crops in a separate tract of land. With their parcels of land located in different parts of the village, she makes sure she could work for a day in one of these farms. But on Sundays, she has to rest because they have to go to church. Nestled in the mountainous portion of this coastal town, sitio Ibuan is home to both the Mamanwa and Manobo tribes who are growing abaca in the slopes of the village for a living. One can reach here via barangay Agsam, which lies along the Lanuza-Surigao City national highway. The main mode of transport is habal-habal

or single motorcycles, although four-wheel drive vehicles can negotiate the dirt road depending on the road condition. In an interview, the 53-year old mother said she inherited the land, which is part of the ancestral domain, from her parents. “This was already cleared by my parents a long time ago, they have been planting root crops here for hears, “ said Bolando as she stood on top of a fallen log beside the abaca and banana farm, which is nestled in the middle of the forested slope. Since harvesting abaca takes place once every three months, her family relies on vegetables and root crops for their daily needs. “Most of our crops are for our daily consumption. The rest we sell for the children’s schooling and household needs,” she explained. Bolando was able to send their sons to college on the income she derives from her farms. One of her sons is now a teacher in an elementary school right in front of their house. She recalled that their parents sent them to grade school in Agsam, which meant a daily 4-hour walk carrying several kilos of camote and vegetables for sustenance while staying with their friends or relatives

there. “We did not pay for our stay in Agsam because we lived with relatives and acquaintances,” recalled Nanay Gloria who was already 16 when she finished Grade 6 after which she became a wife through an arranged marriage, a common practice among indigenous peoples. But the New People’s Army (NPA) killed her first husband, with whom she had four children, in 1976 for being suspected as a government spy. Then sometime in the 1990s, she married again a Mamanwa. They have two children. Communal herbal garden The Ibuan villagers, more particularly the women, are also maintaining a communal herbal garden beside Nanay Gloria’s farm. They would use the herbal plants for the illnesses among the children. One of these plants is the turmeric, locally known as duyaw, which they use to arthritic pains, skin diseases, stomach acidity and other health problems. The village is 17 kilometers away from the nearest hospital and the government health workers only visit the place just twice a year. Woman rubber farmer in Agusan Like Bolando, 44-

year old Dory Cabato grows vegetables for sustenance and to augment their daily needs. At the same time she has planted rubber in her farm – all by herself. Cabato, who has separated from her husband for eight years already, has single-handedly raised her six children in Barangay Hawilian in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. As early as five in the morning, she is already up and starts her day by preparing food, cleaning the house and doing other chores. Two hours later, she would pack her food and prepare to leave for her farm, which is at least three kilometers from her house. Sometimes she has to walk for at least an hour. But there are times that one of his sons would ferry her to the farm on a motorcycle. “I did all by myself. I worked hard to raise my kids all by myself. I worked in our farm almost everyday to be able to feed my family,” said Cabato. She has grown at least 500 rubber trees in her one-hectare farm. It took her about two months to plant all the seedlings because she could not afford to pay her fellow farmers to help her. Since she has yet to wait for five years until she could finally make money from the rubber,

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

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

ANCESTRAL DOMAIN. Gloria Bolando, a Manobo, harvests kamote (sweet potato) at her farm in Sitio Ibuan, Barangay Mampi in the town of Lanuza, Surigao del Sur Province. The land she tills is part of the ancestral domain

which she and her siblings inherited from their parents. MindaNews Photo by Ruby Thursday More

Cabato planted vegetables in between the rows of the rubber trees. But the vegetables did not thrive because the soil was not suited to it. Women’s Market

Bolando and Cabato are just among the eight woman farmers to be featured in the Women’s Market that kicked off during International Women’s Day last Thursday, March 8.

Organized by the Oxfam Philippines Program, Women’s Market is the first market of women’s products and ideas that would give the public a chance to concretely help some of the rural women and to make a statement that they count because they grow part of the country’s food supply. First held in Manila last year, the Women’s Market will run until March 9 at the NCCC Mall in Davao City.

The activity offers food and wellness products produced by women from all over Mindanao such as fresh fruits and vegetables; root crops such as camote; fresh seafood like crabs, squid and seaweed; luyang dilaw (turmeric); organic rice; fruit jams; tablea; banana chips; rice and corn coffee and gumamela tea; lemongrass and ginger granules and coconut sugar; dried boneless bangus and cooked dilis; vinegar; passion fruit juice; malunggay polvoron and suman; embutido and bottled bangus pate; homemade peanut butter; chili sauce; and many more. It will also feature skill-sharing sessions on vermiculture, preparing halal and native delicacies, and forums on how small farmers can engage the market and government programs for rural women. The event is part of Oxfam’s Grow campaign, which pushes for better ways to produce food as scarce resources are threatened by climate change impacts. (KEITH BACONGCO/MINDANEWS)

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

THE ECONOMY

BFAR 12 offers fisheries scholarship for June ‘12

UREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources - Region 12 (BFAR -12) is calling on graduating high school students and high school graduates interested in pursuing a career in fisheries to avail of the agency’s scholarship grant. BFAR announced this week that they are still looking for scholarship grantees in Region 12 for its Fisheries Scholarship Program (FSP), implemented in cooperation with the Department of Education and local government units. The 20th National Competitive Examination for the FSP will be held on March 17, 2012 at Irineo L. Santiago National High School in General Santos City. The scholarship is open to graduating high school graduating students or high school graduates in the Region who have not earned any unit in college. Applicants must not be more than 20 year old and should belong to the top 10 of their graduating class to qualify in the said scholarship, the announcement said. Successful examinees shall be entitled to a scholarship package and will be allowed to enroll with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fisheries in any of the following schools in June this year: University of the Philippines in the Visayas in Miag-ao, Iloilo; Central Luzon State University in Munoz, Nueva Ecija; or Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences. The scholarship

package is inclusive of free matriculation and other school fees, allowances, and other support provided they satisfy the minimum requirements that are stipulated in the contract between BFAR and the scholars. BFAR 12 Regional Director Sani D. Macabalang said that the scholarship is one way of searching and molding future key players and potential leaders who will promote the development and welfare of globally competitive fisheries and aquatic resources in the Philippines. Jean Griengo, a parent of one of the aspirants said that the offered scholarship is indeed a great help for to parents. “I am praying that my daughter would be one of the fortunate students who will acquire the scholarship and if that happens I would be much thankful,” Griengo said while submitting the filled out application form of her child. The examination will be conducted simultaneously in 17 regions nationwide. Only the top 10 passers from each of these regions will be identified. Their names shall be published in national dailies before the opening of classes for the first semester of school year 2012-2013. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their filled out application forms to the FSP regional coordinators at BFAR Regional Offices in Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City.

WOMEN’S MARKET. Various women’s association from the different provinces of Mindanao display their different products on the 1st Women’s

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Depositors still trust us: PSBank P

HILIPPINE Savings Bank (PSBank) said it has maintained the confidence of its depositors amid being in the middle of the on-going impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. “PSBank has successfully maintained the confidence of all its depositors including its most high- profile customers for the past 52 years,” it said in a one-sentence statement Wednesday. Corona was impeached by lawmakers in the Lower House due to among others the allegations that he was a midnight appointee and that he failed to submit his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as required from all government officials and employees. On Wednesday, Corona, in a GMA-7 interview, said he withdrew P37

million from his account in PSBank Katipunan branch on Dec. 12, 2011 – the same day he was impeached in the House of Representative, because he lost trust in PSBank. The Chief Justice disclosed that he was informed as early as November last year that people were talking about his accounts and even heard the branch manager talking about his accounts. Earlier, Corona’s defense lawyers said the P37 million in the accounts that were scrutinized by the Impeachment Court did not belong to the Chief Justice but that of the Basa-Guidote Enterprises, Inc. (BGEI), a corporation owned by the relatives of Corona’s wife. Corona, in a radio interview, said he would disclose details of his dollar accounts whether or not there was a temporary restraining order

(TRO) from the Supreme Court (SC). Details of Corona’s dollar accounts have not been disclosed to the Impeachment Court after SC issued a TRO for this on back of PSBank’s request, which cited that making details of foreign currency accounts public without the written consent of its depositor is a violation of the confidentiality clause stated under Republic Act 6426, otherwise known as the Foreign Currency Deposit Act of the Philippines. The Chief Justice disclosed that he was informed as early as November last year that people were talking about his accounts and even heard the branch manager talking about his accounts. Earlier, Corona’s defense lawyers said the P37 million in the accounts that were scrutinized by the Impeachment Court

did not belong to the Chief Justice but that of the Basa-Guidote Enterprises, Inc. (BGEI), a corporation owned by the relatives of Corona’s wife. Corona, in a radio interview, said he would disclose details of his dollar accounts whether or not there was a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court (SC). Details of Corona’s dollar accounts have not been disclosed to the Impeachment Court after SC issued a TRO for this on back of PSBank’s request, which cited that making details of foreign currency accounts public without the written consent of its depositor is a violation of the confidentiality clause stated under Republic Act 6426, otherwise known as the Foreign Currency Deposit Act of the Philippines.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala declared during the 1st National Coconut Sap Sugar Congress last March 5 here in Davao City that coco sap sugar is the new and upcoming “superstar “ product in the agri-export industry. He said there is an increasing demand for coco sap sugar as an alternative sweetener both in the local and international markets due to its health benefits, and the global market

for coconut sap sugar is now about US$1 billion, dominated by Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The DA chief said Philippine coco sap sugar is currently exported to the United States, Middle East, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries. He said coco sap sugar has a low glycemic index (GI) of about 35, making it a natural, safe sweeter and ideal

for diabetics, based on research studies conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology and the DA’s Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). “I am a certified coco sap sugar user myself,” said Secretary Alcala, who confessed is one of the eight million Filipinos suffering from diabetes. “I always use coco sap sugar for my coffee.” This early, he cautioned stakeholders to be vigilant and must not compromise the quality of their products so that coco sap sugar would not suffer the same fate as nata de coco or coconut gel. For her part, Erelyn C. Manohar, chairperson of the Coconut Sap Sugar Congress, said currently there are 36 coco sap sugar producers nationwide, mostly in Mindanao, and the rest in Luzon and Visayas. She said Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) has 11 producers, followed by Region 12 (Soccsksargen) with seven, while Regions 13 (Caraga) and 11 (Davao) have five producers each. Manohar said commitment from all the stakeholders of the industry is necessary to maximize its full potential and seize a big chunk of the export market. She said producers and exporters should standardize the process of production, secure certification from reputable organic farming certification bodies, and

ensure enough production volume and sustainability of supply, among others. Manohar said in 2011 the country has an estimated 340 million bearing coconut trees, according to DA’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. Of the total trees, the industry is only aiming to utilize 2.3 million bearing trees to produce the targeted 210,000 kilograms of coco sap sugar. Manohar said production will be increased yearly through 2016, totaling 17 million kilograms, produced from 0.055 percent of the total bearing coconut trees in the country. Hence, coconut sap sugar will not at all affect the coconut oil or copra industry, she added. Some of the highlights of the two-day activity include presentation of success stories of three of the country’s top coco sap sugar producers, among them Succhero, Spythe Global and Aroman Women’s Natural Food Producers Multipurpose Cooperative. Secretary Alcala also led the signing of a Pledge of Commitment among coconut sap industry stakeholders, along with DA’s Philipine Coconut Authority Administrator Euclides G. Forbes, Department of Agrarian Reform Undersecretary Jerry E. Pacturan, Ms. Manohar and other coco sap producers and exporters. (Socorro R. Supiño, DA Davao Region Info Div.)

(PNA)

DA banks on coco sap sugar

Market in the country held in Davao City on Thursday. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

EDGEDAVAO

AGRITRENDS 7

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Mindanao women propagate malunggay 3 new tramlines for domestic and international markets to benefit tribal communities

OMEN in Agusan del Norte are propagating “malunggay” (Moringa oleifera) to supply requirements both for domestic and international markets. Jessan S. Catre, interim program coordinator of Oxfam, said about a hundred women are involved in this project that is being piloted in Kitcharao and Javunga towns at an initial area of 30 hectares. The Oxfam assisted this women-dominated cooperative in coordination with the Agri-Aqua Development Coalition in Agusan del Norte. The project started in 2009 and last year already completed a supply agreement with Secura International for its market in the US and the Green Botanicals to supply the local market. He said malunggay is processed for pharmaceutical purposes wherein Secura International requires the harvested malunggay to reach their plant within one and onehalf hours to retain its freshness. Once the volume of production becomes big, Secura International will put up a processing plant within the production farm. Catre said malunggay becomes fully grown in five months from the time

its is planted. He said that Oxfam has extended funding and technical support to the cooperative amounting to P20 million. Catre said they are also looking at the regions of Caraga and Maguindanao as possible areas for Moringa production. Meanwhile, the Moringa products will also be exhibited at the Women’s Market that will open on March 8 at the NCCC Mall in Matina, this city. The Women’s Market (WM) was first held in Manila and travels to Davao City on March 8 to 9, 2012. Oxfam ambassadors Cherry Pie Picache and Ping Medina will

grace the opening ceremonies on Thursday in celebration of the International Day of Women. The Women’s Market champions women smallscale food producers who grow food through sustainable agriculture. It will offer food and wellness products like fresh fruits, vegetables, rootcrops, organic rice, fruit jams, tablea (cacao); banana chips, rice and corn coffee and gumamela tea, lemongrass and ginger granules and coconut sugar, passion fruit juice, malunggay polvoron, chili sauce and many more. It will also showcase Saganang Amin, an exhibit of portraits of women food

producers from different parts of the country. The activity will also be accompanied with a sharing session on vermiculture, preparing halal and native delicacies and on fora on how small farmers can engage the market and government programs for rural women. The Women’s Market is a continuing initiative of the Pambansang Koalisyon ng mga Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK) and international nonprofit Oxfam under its “Grow,” a campaign for better ways to produce food as scarce resources are threatened by climate change impacts. [PNA]

yield. With the technology, the potential income is a higher P115,000 at 2.5 MT bean yield, Eleazar explained. The planting materials were provided by Nestle which has an extensive research work on coffee globally. When successful, Eleazar said the coffee clones should give many benefits to the economy and generate rural employment. The potential of the study includes the planting of coffee on 50,000 hectares in Bukidnon where 6,000 hectares are already planted. In 2008, Nestlè’s research and development facility in France announced its development of clones of Robusta coffee plants that have the unique characteristic of being suitable to particular countries. Nestle intended to distribute its clones to countless coffee growers across the globe which supply green beans for Nestle’s instant Nescafe brand coffee manufacturing, Eleazar said. Each plant is genetically identical, as they are produced in a lab by somatic embryogenesis, a form of tissue culture, the BAR chief said. Should a pest, disease or pathogen infect a farm planted with a particular clone of

coffee plant, it is likely to wipe out every genetically identical tree on the farm, as well as every genetically identical tree planted within reach of the infection, he said. Seven clones of Robusta namely FRT 65, FRT 17, FRT 23, FRT 07, FRT 11, FRT 01, and FRT 62 will be validated by the project to prove the best clones that have resistance to pests or are high yielding. Of these seven, four clones are highly promising for productivity in different coffee production environments, Eleazar said. The good coffee clone may also be judged based on the appropriateness of nursery management practice that can be easily be used for propagation. To date the most prevalent problem associated with the coffee industry is the insufficient volume of quality planting materials that have resistance to pests. “Our aim is to develop high yielding clones that can be used for planting and establishment of coffee plantations nationwide,” he said. Aside from the tree’s ability for carbon sequestration, coffee has been considered a climate change-battling crop as it can be planted in hedgerows or as alley crops, controlling erosion. [PNA]

HE Department of Agrarian Reform and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have agreed to launch the Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development Project (MINSAAD) that will provide P4.4 billion worth of support services to some 69,000 farmer-beneficiaries in Mindanao. DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Jerry Pacturan said the five-year project seeks to improve agricultural production in 11,620 hectares of farmlands. More than 2,000 hectares of the farmlands

HE Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has completed the construction of three tramlines in Mindanao which will greatly benefit tribal and indigenous communities who rely on vegetable farming for their livelihood. The completed tramlines are located in the municipalities of Maragusan and New Bataan in Compostela Valley, and in Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City in Davao del Sur, which are all upland farming communities. Each of the three tramlines have a length of at least one kilometer and coast at least P1 million to construct. These were completed during the last quarter of the year. PhilMech Executive Director Ricardo Cachuela said that the tramlines in Maragusan (Compostela Valley) and Barangay Kapatagan (Davao del Sur) will benefit members of the Mansaka Tribe who have gone into vegetable farming, while the tramline in New Bataan (Compostela Valley) will benefit the Mandayaw tribe who have gone into farming. “With the new tramline, the tribal communities engaged in vegetable farming in the three localities now have a stronger link with their markets because the tramlines make it more efficient for them to transport their vegetables to the trading

posts,” Cachuela said. The major markets for the vegetables grown in the three localities are Davao city, Cagayan de Oro and other major urban cities in Mindanao. The tramline in New Bataan (Compostela Valley) will serve at least 30 hectares of farmland which are planted to vegetables by mostly members of the Mandayaw tribe, while the one in Maragusan will serve at least 75 hectares of land cultivated mostly by members of the Mansaka tribe. The tramline in Barangay Kapatagan will serve at least 100 hectares of land tended mostly by members of the Mansaka tribe. When the tramline were not yet established, the farmers in the three localities had to pay at least P50 to transport one large basket (kaing) of vegetables to the trading posts. The only way to transport vegetables in the uplands was through human labor or horses. With the tramlines, the cost has been reduced to P10 to P15 per large basket, while postharvest losses has been reduced from around 20% to 50%. “The economic impact of the tramlines on agriculture communities can never be discounted,” Cachuela sad. The three new finished tramlines in Mindanao is part of the more than 100 tramlines that the PhilMech will construct in various farming communities nationwide.

would be provided with irrigation facilities to increase income of 69,091 farmer-beneficiaries in 12 settlement areas. He added that a total of 395.2 kilometers of farm-to-market roads would also be constructed, as well as a total of 952-linear meter bridges and 58 post-harvest facilities. “The project is in line with the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) aimed at developing a competitive, sustainable and technologybased agriculture sector to ensure food security, increase farmer’s income, attract investments and

generate employment opportunities,” Pacturan said. He said the project would also help reduce risk through climate change adaptation and mitigation and rational use of our agricultural land. “Hopefully, the project will help make our agriculture industry sustainable and competitive with our Asian neighbors, with the implementation of badly needed infrastructure projects and the conduct of capacity building support measures for our farmer-beneficiaries from 2012 to 2016,” Pacturan said. [PNA]

doxa and other Fusarium species. At the commercial level, chemicals or fungicides are often used to control that disease. Crown rot can be controlled chemically by submerging hands or clusters of banana in fungicide solution. Philmech scientist

Dr. Dionisio Alvindia discovered a breakthrough in the biological control of banana crown rot. Because of his efforts, he garnered the AFMA Beat Paper Award in the recently concluded Bureau of Agricultural Research National R & D symposium.

PHL mulls producing French-origin P4.4-B infra project forged to boost Mindanao’s agricultural productivity Robusta coffee clones for Nestle

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is optimistic that its project for the reproduction of the French-origin Robusta coffee clones would help raise yield of farmers supplying green coffee beans for Nestle’s instant coffee manufacturing. Being implemented in partnership with the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and Nestle Philippines, the project dubbed “Technology Piloting, Evaluation, and Production of Promising of Coffee Clones in Different Environments” started in the Northern Mindanao region last October. It will last for two years. The project, according to BAR director Nicomedes Eleazar is expected to yield an average of 2.5 metric tons (MT) of coffee beans from a one–hectare plantation which is 150 percent higher than the one ton in the local Robusta. He said BAR has allocated P1 million for the project which also aims to develop coffee as climate changemitigating reforestation crop. Another P1 million in counterpart fund coming from different agencies has been earmarked. Income from existing coffee varieties ranges from P38,000 to75,000 at 0.5 to 1.0 MT per hectare of bean

Philmech scientist discovers solution to control banana crown rot disease

ROWN rot is the most severe postharvest diseases besetting the banana industry in the country today. Scientists identified the disease as a syndrome caused by several fungi like Lasiodplodia theobromae, Colletotichum musae, Thielavopsis para-

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Investing a dubious future in ASEAN ANALYSIS By Kavi Chongkittavorn

EDITORIAL

The two faces of mining

INDANAO Business Council (MBC) chairman Vicente Lao hit the nail right on the head when he said that the “benefits of mining far exceed the negative effects”. He made the statement when he guested in last Wednesday’s Club 888 Forum at The Marco Polo Davao in the presence of local media. It was a bold utterance that will certainly raise the hackles of the anti-mining people in this country whose numbers may be few but whose voices are loud enough to be heard around the world. There certainly is a big difference between “responsible” mining and mining that is unregulated, haphazard and, well, outright “irresponsible” as practiced in the past by “get-rich-quick” mining firms that did not care about what the future held for the environment and humanity as long as they could extract metals and other minerals from the earth –the faster the better—and go whistling a merry tune on their way to the bank. And then, of course—let’s not forget the thousands of miners in this country who may be categorized as “small scale” but, when added together, their destruction of the environment eventually amounts to “big scale.” They are just as irresponsible as their

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big brothers who are engaged in the same racket. But, without metals and other minerals, civilization will be back to the stone age. No steel or cement for vital structures No oil and coal to run factories. A world without steamships and airplanes. no computers nor television nor celphones (what a horrible thought for avid texters). No books nor your favorite (ehem) newspaper. So forth and so on. What kind of a world would we have then without mining? People tend to take for granted all the wonderful things that make life worth living that come from the bowels of the earth— through mining, which is not evil per se. It becomes evil only when men of evil minds cross the border that separates mining activities into Responsible and Irresponsible. That’s what has been wrong all along. This country does not lack men and women with enough intelligence to realize what is really wrong with our mining industry--and how to go about righting that wrong . We have said it many, many times. God put all those metals and other minerals in the earth for a reason. And God gave man the intelligence to extract them sensibly and make use of them wisely. Then, let’s do it. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

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

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(Conclusion)

OWEVER, this time around, Surin also urged that his government should go a little bit further by inviting the ASEAN officials from their capitals directly to observe the polling stations, as “it will boost transparency, which will add to international goodwill.” As the case may be, each ASEAN member can dispatch its own officials, if so desires, with or without local media corps, to observe the polls. After Surin’s recent trip to Burma, the Burmese government and the opposition party leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, have further strengthened engagements with him and the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat. For nearly two years after Cyclone Nargis, which killed more than 140,000 people and devastated the Irrawaddy delta, Surin and the secretariat worked together with Burmese and international organisations to rehabilitate the affected region and assist cyclone victims. Of late, Naypyidaw has been more forthcoming with the role that the ASEAN Secretariat played in the wake of the cyclone. For Suu Kyi, the meeting with Surin served as an ice-breaker between her and the bloc which had turned against her for nearly two decades. However, her spirit of reconciliation with the Thein Sein government has benefitted ASEAN as well. Suddenly, it was no longer taboo to hold a meeting with her. When Surin called on Suu Kyi for the first time in February, she confirmed her wish of seeing Burma further develop over the coming decade. If that is the case, Suu Kyi needs to get acquainted with ASEAN affairs and its relevant activities. Surin told reporters after his latest Burmese trip that he was impressed by her intelligence and vitality. “She is the region’s political icon,” he said, referring to Suu Kyi’s popularity inside and outside Burma. “ASEAN can serve as a bridge between Burma and the outside world.” If she wins her parliamentary seat, she will also have ample opportunity to travel within the region and connect with ASEAN politicians, thereby further engaging in various ASEAN activities and programs. In the case that the Thein Sein government does decide to invite ASEAN diplomats from their capitals directly, it would be a milestone in ASEAN-Burma relations. First of all, it further strengthens ties that have often felt the strain of Naypyidaw’s non compliance, as well as setting precedence for the next general election in 2015. Secondly, it would be the first time that Burma has sought out electoral assistance from ASEAN. In 2000, Indonesia bypassed the ASEAN principle of non-interference by inviting individual ASEAN members to dispatch troops to East Timor, which comprised international peacekeeping. Former President B J Habibi preferred to ASEAN peacekeepers on board than international peacekeepers. What is clear is that Thein Sein wants the outcome of the April by-elections to be positive enough for the US and EU to end sanctions, but this is still a tall order. So far, ASEAN has been consistent in urging its dialogue partners to get rid of sanctions against Burma. The EU could be first to react to the election as the grouping’s foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on 23 April in Brussels to review overall policy towards Burma. In this regard, having the ASEAN representatives on the ground during the vote would help to convince the EU to lift remaining sanctions. In a similar vein, the US would respond positively if ASEAN endorses the electoral results as free and fair. After the ASEAN leaders expressed support for Burma’s chairing of the bloc in 2014, the US and EU moved quickly to mend fences with Burma, and within the past six months, they have started the process of normalising relations and increasing humanitarian assistance. But whether or not the government in Burma decides to engage ASEAN for the April election will be test of how willing the president is to reach out to international partners, and a signal of how far he will allow the political opposition to play a role in government.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

S Rep. Manny Pacquiao being sued by the government for his wellchronicled association with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? On Wednesday, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed a criminal case against Pacquiao for reportedly failing to answer summons which is a violation of Article 266 of the New Internal Revenue Code. The BIR said it is trying to determine if there are deficiencies in the congressman’s tax payments. It has ordered Pacquiao to produce books account and copies of his advertising and endorsement contracts for 2010 (underscored). The BIR claimed Pacquiao has not complied with the order. Pacquiao had earlier declared his net worth as well over P1 billion with no liabilities, making him the richest member of the House of Representatives. Pacquiao won in the 2010 election for the lone congressional seat of Sarangani. He ran under his own People’s Camp Movement party with coalesced with defeated presidential candidate Manny Villar. His aide Bren Evangelio said that Pacquiao just recently changed the venue where to file his income tax following the congressman’s election. The congressman used to file his income taxes in Quezon City. He is now a registered taxpayer of Region 12. Evangelio said they will comply with the BIR order upon orders from Pacquiao, who is the region’s biggest taxpayer.

ETIRED J e s u i t priest Fr. Catalino Arevalo, spiritual adviser of the late Cory Aquino last week chided Sen. Miriam Santiago over the solon’s verbal massacre of the prosecutors in the Corona impeachment trial. Arevalo said in a homily, that the lady solon from Iloilo is “worthy of the fires of hell.” “If you call a brother or sister “gago” or fool, you are bound to be thrown to hell, Arevalo said quoting the Gospel of St. Matthew. Miriam countered: “Under the Vatican II, there is no hell, but even if there is, there is nobody there.” I have always held the view that clerics and other religious persons should be mature enough and leave politics to politicians. We should not preach religion to politicians because they are a special breed of mammals. They have their own unique religion, and it’s not about heaven and hell. It’s all about power and money. oooOooo Cristy Ramos, match commissioner of the Asian Football Confederation

Monkey Business

Political fallout

tive voted to impeach now-resigned Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, also a known Arroyo ally. OPINION Pacquiao is now having a hard time securing the P200 million earBy Edwin Espejo lier pledged by Malacañang for his While the government is well within pet hospital project for Sarangani. its rights to make sure that every tax- Despite his popularity, Pacquiao payer pays the right taxes, recent devel- seems out of the radar screen as far opments are giving impression that it is as the good graces of Malacañang. going after individuals and personalities Now this criminal case. who are closely identified with the forMalacañang or the BIR could mer president. have just issued Arroyo herself is ‘Arroyo herself is facing a host of a press statement facing a host of crimithat it was still nal charges and is criminal charges and is the poster waiting for Pacthe poster girl of the quiao to produce Aquino government’s girl of the Aquino government’s the summoned subject for his antidocuments but it corruption drive. subject for his anti-corruption drive. chose instead to Arroyo’s son Mikey, announce that it also a member of the Arroyo’s son Mikey, also a member of is suing Pacquiao House of Representafor doing so. tive, is facing tax eva-the House of Representative, is facing Pacquiao sion charges, in fact. is a member of Supreme Court tax evasion charges, in fact.’ Congress and Chief Justice Renato thus deserves Corona, whose “midrespectful treatment from members night appointment” by Arroyo was of a co-equal branch of government. questioned, is now facing impeach- As such one cannot be forgiven if he ment trial. adduces malice behind the “persecuPacquiao is no longer a favorite tion” and strengthens perception of guest of Malacañang that he used to vindictiveness of the Aquino governnbe under the Arroyo administration. ment. Pacquiao now surely knows He may have incurred the ire of how it is when political climate President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino shifts and is no longer in his favor. III when the former twitted his “No” (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asianvote when the House of Representa- correspondent.com.)

Is there hell? last week filed a sexual harassment P-Noy, according to Antonio Trillanes. complaint with the AFC disciplinary Former military officers are behind it, committee against two Filipino mem- Trillanes said in a telephone interview. bers of the Philippine men’s foot ball I think we better believe him. He team popularly known as Azkals. certainly knows that he is talking Ms. Ramos, about considering daughter of former ‘Trillanes has not made his mark as that he is an expert President Fidel Racoup plotter. The mos, alleged that a lawmaker. Maybe he is eyeing a only sour note is two Azkals committhat he failed in all ted acts of disre- comeback as a trouble maker, or his coup attempts spect when she visagainst PGMA. ited the Philippine being a political John the Baptist, Trillanes has team in the dugout not made his mark at the Rizal Memo- crying in the wilderness about the as a lawmaker. rial Stadium hours Maybe he is eyebefore the exhibiing a comeback as coming of a messiah.’ tion game against a trouble maker, or the Malaysian national squad. being a political John the Baptist, cryAccording to Ms. Ramos, one playing in the wilderness about the coming er faced her wearing only an under- of a messiah. wear, while the other player inquired ooOoo playfully, about the size of her bra. The Senate cited in contempt Atty. If Cristy’s allegations are found Vitaliano Aguirre, but decided against to be true after an investigation, I detaining him at the Senate building. think it stands to reason that the two It merely admonished him to watch his guilty players should be removed from tongue when he appears in court. the team. They certainly acted like Aguirre was profuse with thanks, “askals” or asong kalye. but it seemed that he has the last word Let’s stop calling the players Az- about the incident. He said that even if kals. Rascals is more apt. one is magaling (bright), if he doesn’t ooOoo respect others, he is nothing. (Was he There’s a real coup plot to topple referring to himself, too?).

VANTAGE POINTS

Prosperity, autocracy and democracy COMMENTARY By Chrystia Freeland

(Conclusion)

N the early Putin era, the Acemoglu and Robinson approach was very much a minority view. As recently as 2008, an essay in Foreign Affairs by another pair of influential Western scholars laid out the ‘‘conventional explanation for Vladimir Putin’s popularity’’ thus: ‘‘Since 2000, under Putin, order has returned, the economy has flourished, and the average Russian is living better than ever before. As political freedom has decreased, economic growth has increased. Putin may have rolled back democratic gains, the story goes, but these were necessary sacrifices on the altar of stability and growth.’’ But in their Foreign Affairs essay those scholars strongly disagreed: ‘‘This conventional narrative is wrong, based almost entirely on a spurious correlation between autocracy and growth. The emergence of Russian democracy in the 1990s did indeed coincide with state breakdown and economic decline, but it did not cause either. The reemergence of Russian autocracy under Putin, conversely, has coincided with economic growth but not caused it (high oil prices and recovery from the transition away from communism deserve most of the credit).’’ The essay’s authors concluded with a prediction about Russia’s future that fits neatly within the framework of extractive versus inclusive institutions and labels Putin’s Russia the former: ‘‘The Kremlin talks about creating the next China, but Russia’s path is more likely to be something like that of Angola — an oil-dependent state that is growing now because of high oil prices but has floundered in the past when oil prices were low and whose leaders seem more intent on maintaining themselves in office to control oil revenues and other rents than on providing public goods and services to a beleaguered population.’’ Acemoglu and Robinson are pretty tough on Western experts, officials and business people who, they believe, are too easily seduced by the leaders of extractive regimes, particularly ones enjoying temporary bursts of prosperity. But the 2008 Foreign Affairs essay highlights a very important exception. One of the authors of that devastating critique of Putinism was Michael A. McFaul, the new U.S. ambassador to Moscow. That appointment, lauded by many inside and outside Russia for utilizing the skills of an acknowledged Russia expert, may be one reason to be hopeful about Russia today.

Quips

‘THE continued strengthening of our macroeconomic fundamentals, positive outlook on the growth of our listed companies and confidence in your administration’s good governance drive, among others, have been catching the attention of investors local and globally.’ --Phil. Stock Exchange chair Jose Pardo speaking before President Aquino.

10 COMMUNITY SENSE

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Davao women push for more VAWC desks D

PASALUBONG CENTER. Governor Migs Dominguez and Board Member Virgilio Clark Tobias buy Sarangani products produced by Association of Sarangani Quality

Products (ASAP) at Sarangani Pasalubong Center during its opening Thursday, March 8, at Alabel Town Center, the newest economic zone in the province’s capital town.

AVAO’S women leaders and gender advocates have pushed for the creation and assurance for the full operation of the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks or offices at the barangay level. In a resolution presented during the 13th Citywide Women Summit, the women called on the local government to further strengthen the efforts of institutionalizing VAWC desk in every barangay in the city. The resolution also asked for the provision of counseling services in the VAWC desk for the victims/survivors and doers of violence, as well as shelter for victims/survivors who suffer mental depression. The call was among the several other concerns of women from the communities integrated in the 2012 Women Summit Resolutions which were endorsed to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio through a representative during the Women Summit held on March 1, this city. In her acceptance of the resolutions and message of commitments through City Social Services and Development

Office chief Maria Luisa Bermudo, the mayor acknowledged that VAWC is a major social concern. “The City Government is one with you in meeting these (resolutions), but we also need your support for our programs for women to be successful,” Duterte-Carpio stated. She said that based on the report of the city government’s Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD), 50 barangays in the city have already created their VAWC desks. She urged the women to help push for the creation of their VAWC desks in their areas if they are not yet in place. The Mayor stated that reduction of VAWC cases is one of the indicators for good governance set by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Duterte-Carpio also cited the free legal assistance for VAWC concerns through the legal counsel at the IGDD, and the Sidlakan Women Crises Center managed by the CSSDO for the victims of domestic violence. In support for the full implementation of laws protecting women and

children against violence, the city government has enjoined all its 182 barangay units to create their respective VAWC desks. IGDD executive director Lorna Mandin said that the LGU is strengthening its program in facilitating the full implementation of Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women and Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004. Mandin said that both laws mandate each barangay to create its VAWC desk that will be established in the barangay hall to give appropriate assistance and referrals to abused women and children. IGDD spearheaded the 13th Citywide Women Summit on March 1 at Grand Men Seng Hotel, as a kick-off to the 102nd International Women’s Day celebration. Around 500 women leaders from the local and national government units, the Barangay Council for Women, people’s organizations, non-government organizations, academe, and the private sector also participated in the summit. [PIA]

SAN ISIDRO, Davao del Norte: In his visit to far-flung barangay Igangon of San Isidro, Davao del Norte, 1st District Representative Anthony del Rosario bared that national funding for projects is underway. Among the projects he revealed with national funding are rural electrification, the upleveling and concreting of the national road from Asuncion to the municipality of Laak in Compostela Valley, and the development of local tourist sites. Joining the Convergence for Peace and Development forum with barangay officials, he said Davao del Norte is due to receive this year a P38 million rural electrification package for outskirt areas which have not been lighted up. He promised barangay officials of Igangon to request for the inclusion of its unlighted puroks in case Igangon is not included in this year’s list. Igangon Barangay Capt. Federico C. Juan said that his barangays needs a total of 72 electric posts to illume puroks 2-B, 3, 1-C, 6A and 6-B. The national government will also be pouring in this year P70 million for the Asuncion-Laak Road. The fund is in ad-

dition to the P95 million given last year for the upleveling and concreting of such road connecting the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley. “The president (Benigno Simeon Aquino III) wants to see that road finished when he retires in 2016,” he said. Meanwhile, Del Rosario said that Davao del Norte is among the provinces that can take a slice of the national budget for tourism development priorities. He is expecting the “not so obvious areas” like Igangon to be among those identified for tourism site development. “We hope that Igangon would become part of it. We can always develop dili obvious nga mga areas para maapil sad (so they can also be included),” he said. His reference of national funding to Barangay Igangon was in answer to requests of the barangay for assistance to projects it had identified in its list of priority concerns presented to provincial government officials during the recent Convergence for Peace and Development. Igangon is located 25 kilometers away from Tagum City which is the

capital city of Davao del Norte. The Armed Forces of the Philippines identifies it as a rebel-influenced area where families of members of New People’s Army reportedly are residing. On the other hand, Del Rosario assured barangay officials of Igangon that he will see through the completion of the barangay terminal that he had started funding, and that he will be pouring in funds to improve the water system of the barangay. He also informed constituents of Brgy Igangon that they can access his P200,000 congressional funds for health assistance parked at the Kapalong District Hospital which is much nearer than the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City. Del Rosario also bared congressional funds for health assistance that he channeled through the Davao Regional Hospital where he gave P1 million, and Southern Philippines Medical Center (in Davao City) with P150,000. He also had funds channeled through the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney Center and the Philippine General Hospital. (PIA-11/

DavNor solon bares nat’l funding for projects to come this year

JEANEVIVE DURON-ABANGAN)

EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA 11

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Binay lauds Tagum’s transformation V

ice President Jejomar C. Binay commended Tagum City’s transformation since its creation as a city 14 years ago during a five-hour visit to the city, in time for its 14th Araw ng Tagum celebration last Wednesday.

VP AND MAYOR. A candid moment of two leaders: Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy. Taken during the 14th Araw

ng Tagum, Civic Parade on March 7, 2012. [FRANCIS ABRENICA OF CIO TAGUM]

“Tunay ngang napakarami na ng inyong nakamit bilang isang lokal na pamahalaan sa loob lamang ng 14 taong pagkalungsod. Kaya para sa akin, pinatitibay lamang nito ang matagal ko nang paniniwala na ang pagkamit ng kaunlaran ng isang lokalidad ay nakasalalay sa mga taong nakatira rito, at sa kung paano nila harapin ang kombinasyon ng hamon, balakid, at oportunidad na ibinabato sa kanila ng tadhana at kasaysayan,” Binay said in his speech at the Rotary Gym at the culmination of the civic parade. Mayor Rey T. Uy joined the visiting vice president and Congresswoman Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay in this mammoth civic parade, which passed through the city’s major thoroughfares. Throughout the 45-minute parade, these leaders gamely walked along the city’s streets and mingled with the people along the

streets and obliged to requests of photo-ops. “Ang tagumpay na tinatamo ng Tagum ngayon ay bunga ng masidhing paghangad sa kadakilaan at pagbabago na sa tingin ko’y nananalaytay sa bawat tao sa simula pa. Mahusay namang nagamit ng inyong mga pinuno, sa pangunguna ni Mayor Rey Uy, ang likas na kagalingan at paghangad na ito ng mga mamamayan ng Tagum. Pinag-isa niya ang mga kagalingang ito upang maging lakas para sa kapakanan ng buong Tagum,” Binay said. In his speech, Mayor Uy thanked the country’s second official for it is the first time in his term that the city was visited by a sitting vice president. But it can be recalled that Binay already visited the city in the past, most notable of which was when he personally went here to sign the sisterhood ties between Tagum and Makati, the city where he served as mayor before elected as the country’s vice president. “Sa inyong kasaysayan at kasalukuyan, hindi ko mapigilan ang aking sariling magbalik tanaw sa tila kakambal na tadhana ng lungsod ng Makati na matagal ko ring pinamunuan. Hindi ako mangingiming mang-hinuha na hindi malayong makamit ng lungsod ng Tagum ang nakamit ng Makati,” Binay said. MASS INTERACTIONS City officials also treated the visiting officials to a boodle fight at Tagum City’s Public Market, to the amusement of market folks. The vice president also formally turned-over two sets of wheel chairs to disabled persons of the city, as recommended by the City Social Welfare and Development Office. The Vice President also took a glimpse of the Mayor Uy’s “Care for School Chairs” Program at the Fabrication Section

of the city’s motorpool where he said he was impressed by how the Local Government Unit of Tagum fabricated school chairs from confiscated logs. Cong. Magsaysay stressed she was “surprised” since she thought these are sold to schools upon his arrival at the Fabrication Section, only to found out later from Mayor Uy that these are given for free. The team also visited the RTU-Suaybaguio Relocation in Barangay Apokon where the two leaders met with families who were relocated by the city government. Tagum’s local chief executive raised the city’s social responsibility a notch higher during that day by distributing school chairs in Panabo National High School, Davao del Norte. PEOPLE’S DAY Wednesday’s event was also considered as “People’s Day” as the celebration also focused on the Tagumeños. The spot-

light was focused not on politicians’ speeches but on ordinary people who witnessed the transformation of the city and how it helped in changing the lives of their respective families. Dr. Glenn A. Pono, a medical practitioner, Miss Lucky Valera representing the youth sector and Mr. Roel Baclayon, a night market vendor spoke about their experiences that magnified stories that are interwoven into the lives of the Tagumeños. Thousands of Tagumeños trooped to Tagum City Pavilion inside the city’s trade and cultural center to avail of the Free Social Services provided by the local government. These services include dental, blood pressure monitoring, minor surgery, bloodletting, NSO processing and authentication, therapeutic massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut and Libreng Tawag courtesy of Globe Telecom.

HEALTHCARE. Vice President Jejomar Binay hands-in cash assistance and a wheel chair to a beneficiary selected by the City Social Welfare and Development Office at the Tagum

City Pavilion this is part of the Free Social Services program during the 14th Araw ng Tagum, March 7, 2012.

NATIONAL AND LOCAL. City Officials pose with Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and Rep. Mitos Magsaysay at the Fabrication Section of the Tagum City Motorpool where thousands of chairs are fabricated and are given for free

[LOUIE LAPAT OF CIO TAGUM]

by the local government of Tagum to different schools in Davao Region. Taken during the 14th Araw ng Tagum, March 7, 2012. [FRANCIS ABRENICA OF CIO TAGUM.]

NATION /WORLD

NATION BRIEFS

Ouster plot

HIEF Justice Renato Corona on Wednesday accused Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of being part of a plot to oust him so he could take over his position. “Hindi mo maaalis sakin na magduda kasi matagal na niya (Carpio) gusto maging chief justice. Ang alam ko mga partner sa law office niya, sila ang gumagalaw,” Corona said in an interview in GMA7’s “Unang Hirit.”

Change

ORMER First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos strongly recommended that the country’s national football team, the Azkals, change its moniker, saying the team acted like stray dogs that the name calls to mind, and displayed lack of respect when the Match Commissioner of the Asian Football Confederation checked on their credentials before a friendly match against Malaysia last week. The Match Commissioner of the AFC, Christy Ramos, is the daughter of former President Fidel V. Ramos. She filed a complaint of sexual harassment with AFC Chairman of Disciplinary Committee Lim Kia Tong against Azkals players Angel Guirado and Lexton Moy.

Languages

HE Department of Education said it will start using 12 major languages as medium of instruction and as subject matter when classes open in June as part of the Mother Tongue-Based MultiLingual Education program. As a medium of instruction, the mother tongue will be used in all learning areas from kinder to grade 3 except in the teaching of Filipino and English subjects.

Ban

TARTING next September, pharmaceutical companies will no longer give doctors and healthcare professionals freebies and junkets in exchange for promoting their products. This is part of efforts to raise the standards in the relationship between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry. The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines(PHAP) released a newly revised Code of Practice banning their member-companies from giving gifts.

Mining

lawmaker stressed the necessity to come up with solutions to issues that concern the country’s mining sector. A report from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies(PDIS) cited economic benefit from mining but the government should consider effects that go beyond return on investments, said Sen. Edgardo Angara.

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EDGEDAVAO

US urges China to prove intentions U

S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on China to show in “concrete ways” that its rise is in the world’s interest, saying that Beijing needs to take greater responsibility. In a wide-ranging speech on relations between the Pacific powers, Clinton renewed US calls on China to protect the rights of foreign businesses, adjust the “unfair” value of its currency and improve its human rights record. Clinton adamantly rejected perceptions in Beijing that the United States is trying to contain China, and insisted that a stronger and more prosperous China would ultimately benefit both countries. But Clinton said that China’s growth means that it cannot “have it both ways” by asking to be treated as a rising power in some areas and as a developing nation with fewer responsibilities in others. “The world is looking for China to play a role that is commensurate with its new standing and that means it can no longer be a selective stakeholder” in world affairs, Clinton said at the US Institute of Peace. “It is understandable that the international community wants some confidence that a country’s growing power will be used for the benefit of all,” Clinton said. “Given the historic challenges to security and stability posed by rising powers, they do have a special obligation to demonstrate in concrete ways that they are going to pursue a constructive path,” she said. “This is particularly true for a country that has grown as rapidly and as dramatically as China has,” Clinton said. China announced Sunday that its military spend-

Solidified

HINA’S parliament unveiled legislation on Thursday solidifying police powers to hold dissidents in secret criminal detention, prompting an outcry from artist Ai Weiwei and rights advocates caught in a surge of clandestine detentions last year. Others said, however, the ruling Communist Party had retreated from the most draconian part of new rules for another kind of secretive detention, called “residential surveillance”, which were proposed last year.

Scrapped

CHALLENGED. The sun rises over red flags in Tiananmen square in Beijing. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on China to show in “concrete ways” that its rise is

ing would top $100 billion in 2012, the latest sharp increase that has caused unease among Asian nations which claim Beijing has been increasingly assertive on territorial disputes. Clinton recognized that China has taken a greater leadership role in a number of areas, including through its contribution to anti-piracy operations off Somalia and in efforts toward global recovery from a crippling recession. But Clinton said that China needed to answer questions about its policies elsewhere -- and pointed to ongoing bloodshed in Syria. “Will it use its power to help end brutal violence against civilians in places like Syria?” Clinton asked. “Will it explain its military buildup and the ultimate goals of its military strategies, policies and programs... to reassure its neighbors, to avoid misunderstandings and to contribute to maintaining re-

in the world’s interest, saying that Beijing needs to take greater responsibility.

gional security?” China joined Russia in vetoing two draft UN Security Council resolutions that would have pressured Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. After intense US criticism, China sent an envoy to Damascus to promote a plan that would end the violence but allow Assad to stay in power. Clinton renewed calls on China to address economic concerns including the value of the yuan, which US officials say is artificially undervalued, and spoke of “long and profound disagreements” over human rights. “We do believe -- not just in China, but everywhere -- in religious and linguistic differences, cultural differences, being respected,” she said. “Reforms that support these goals give people a greater stake in the success of their nations, which in turn makes societies more stable, prosperous and peaceful,” she said. More than 20 Tibetans

have set themselves on fire over the past year in protest at what they see as repressive Chinese rule. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, addressing the same forum by video link from Beijing, called on Washington to “honor its commitments” on Tibet and self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, “so as to prevent setbacks in US-China relations and ensure their steady growth.” “China is committed to peaceful development. We hope that the United States will see China’s development in the right and objective way and take more steps to increase our mutual trust,” Yang said. The conference marked the 40th anniversary of US president Richard Nixon’s history-changing trip to China. Clinton said the United States has consistently tried to work with China since then and confirmed she will pay her latest visit to Beijing in May.

Cheers! Four PHL Embassies closure universities in top a ‘great disservice’ 50 debate societies to Pinoys abroad

OUR Philippine universities are in the top 50 debate societies in the world, according to the latest rankings of the International Debate Education Association (IDEA). The Ateneo de Manila University ranked 7th, with 3,070 points scored by 31 teams, is the only Asian university in the top 10 of the World University Debate Rankings. The University of the Philippines Diliman came in 23rd, with 2,171 points scored by 22 teams, while UP Manila followed at the 40th spot with 1,511 points by 15 teams. De La Salle University Manila placed 42nd with 1,485 points scored by 23 teams. “The World University Debate Rankings draw from the results of 33 high-profile tournaments across the

WORLD TODAY

world to show an accurate representation of the comparative strength of debating societies against each other,” IDEA said on its website. Emeritus member and former Chair of the World Debating Council Colm Flynn maintains the rankings which include 500 debating societies. “The totals are calculated by adding the results of all the teams that society fielded in the tournaments we track over the course of the year, right up to the largest event – the World Universities Debating Championships,” IDEA added. The Philippines hosted the 2011 World Universities Debating Championships, considered as the “Olympics of Debate,” last December. It was held in DLSU Manila with 1,400 participants from 43 countries.

HE government may be committing a “great disservice” to the Filipinos abroad by closing down at least 10 embassies and consulates mostly in Europe, a senator said on Thursday. Sen. Ralph Recto, chair of the Senate committee on ways and means, pointed out that closing down embassies is a “wrong cost-cutting strategy.” “Serving Filipinos abroad through the presence of embassies should not be treated as a budgetary expense but an investment or rather an obligatory ‘thank you’ note,” Recto said in a statement. He noted that the estimated savings of P100 to P150 million is nothing compared to the contributions of the overseas Filipino workers working in Europe and other major cities in the world. “I care for our Middle

East OFWs who really need more help from the government but this does not preclude me from also caring for our OFWs in Europe and other parts of the globe,” Recto said. The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that it is closing down 10 to 12 embassies and consulates around the world to save money to be channeled to missions in the Middle East, where OFWs are under threat from bloody civil uprisings. Among the embassies and consulates marked for termination this July are in Koror, Palau; Caracas, Venezuela; Dublin, Ireland; Stockholm, Sweden; Havana, Cuba; Bucharest, Romania; and Helsinki, Finland, as well as the Consulates General in Barcelona, Spain; Frankfurt, Germany; and Saipan.

ALAYSIA has scrapped a proposed government wage scheme that gave top officials hefty pay rises, state news agency Bernama said on Thursday, as Prime Minister Najib Razak tries to shore up support ahead of elections widely expected this year. Najib told a meeting of civil servants in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya that the government will set up a commission to improve the wage system, the news agency said.

Lashed

USTRALIA’S sodden southeast was hit with new flooding Thursday as Sydney was lashed by its heaviest rainfall in five years and the inland town of Forbes was inundated. Large tracts of New South Wales state are under water, with Sydney feeling the force of a La Nina weather system as an estimated 119 millimetres (4.7 inches) of rain fell on the city -- the highest daily total since 2007.

Promote

comic has been published to promote cultural diversity to kids in Korea. The book titled “Hello! Global Citizens” aims to teach children about peace, human rights and sustainable development. UNESCO AsiaPacific Centre of Education for International Understanding created the educational comic aimed to help elementary and high school students overcome cultural differences.

Richest

EXICO telecoms czar Carlos Slim topped the Forbes annual world’s richest list, holding the edge over Microsoft’s Bill Gates who continued to give away billions of his fortune to charity. Despite a $6 billion hit to his wealth from slumping stock marketsover the past year, Forbes said Slim’s $69 billion was enough to keep him on top of its global billionaires list for the third straight year.

EDGEDAVAO

Sara...

Antonino...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1 “Yan naman is a call to police officers if there is threat to life. Siyempre self-defense in the use of firearms is justified,” Morente said on local TV. The city mayor’s orders coincided with Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s statement March 6 regarding criminals. Duterte said on top of the police’ job is the public’s safety. “Kung tan-aw nimo naay posibilidad nga ang tao nga naay baril mandamay ug ubang tao tumbaha na. Ang pulis mupatay man gyud na. Ilaha nang trabaho,” Duterte said during the live airing of Ato ni Bay at the City Council conference room. In a formal correspondence to the mayor received March 7, the national police gave its nod to the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) resolution dated February 28 requesting Director General Nicanor Bartolome to declare a gun ban in Davao City as a security measure during the celebrations of the 75th Araw ng Davao. The mayor earlier said she is “merely applying measures to be done by the police as a sure-fire means against criminality.” “This is to ensure the safety of the public and our visitors during the celebration,” the mayor said. Gun ban effective Morente announced that all permit to carry firearms given to civilians will be cancelled for this month, emphasizing visitors should be aware of this. “Gusto ko lang ipaalam sa lahat, lalo na sa yung nabigyan ng mga permit to carry firearms outside of their residence or PTC, galing man dito man o sa karatig na probinsya, the PTC is suspended for a period of one (1) month starting March 1 to 31,” Morente said. The city mayor during the February CPOC meeting said the guidelines for the gun ban will follow those delineated during the elections which states that: - No person shall bear, carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same. - Only regular members of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agencies of the Government who are duly deputized…may be authorized to carry and possess firearms. Duterte-Carpio on

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

February 28 clarified that those under the witness protection program should make an appeal to the Department of Interior and Local Government for an exemption. Araw security set PRO 11 director Morente said the police will continue conducting checkpoints, in and outside the city in securing Davao City. “Most of these will be random checkpoints. (We will continue) our utility of uniforms and yung mga covert operatives natin just ensure that the celebrations will be safe and mapigilan ang mga gunrelated incidents during the celebration,” Morente said. Meanwhile, Davao City Public Safety officer Magno Adalin Jr. said the city will be installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in strategic areas of the city in aid of monitoring. “We cannot tell you exactly where we will be putting these CCTV cameras but these will be installed as a security measure,” Adalin said yesterday said during the weekly I-Speak forum at the City Hall conference room. During the CPOC meeting held March 7 at the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC), heads of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Task Force Davao (TFD) vowed to secure a peaceful Araw ng Davao celebration. The police earlier announced that the city is currently on high-alert status as security groups are on their toes keeping the city’s security. “The police is 101 percent committed,” said DCPO director Senior Supt. Ronald dela Rosa while TFD commander Colonel Marcos Norman S. Flores Jr. assured that the anti-terrorist unit “is fully committed.” Flores said almost 100 percent of the TFD personnel will be deployed while Dela Rosa summed up that security personnel during Araw celebrations will reach 2,000 coming from the DCPO and other peacekeeping agencies. Augmentation to the police force will come from the Task Force Davao (TFD) together with the Special Cafgu Active Auxilliary (SCAA), the Regional Public Safety Battalion, Davao City Public Safety Command Center, Philippine Maritime Group, Highway Patrol Group, the Central 911, the Bureau of Fire Protection, Army Reserved Command, Traffic Management Center, and civilian volunteers.

Antonino said she would ask the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) the reason for the daily brownouts when she meets Tuesday with the Department of Energy and Mindanao legislators. “I’d just like to question NGCP bakit tayo nagkakaroon ng brownouts at this time. Onset na ba ng El Niño? Bumaba na ba ang level ng river sa Pulangi at Agus?” she said. She told reporters that the National Power Corporation had said they could still supply 45 megawatts (MW) since last month, adding that the NGCP consumes only 180 MW from Pulangi River 1 when it can supply 225 MW. “So may 45 MW pa, bakit ngayon nagkakaroon ng brownout?” she said. Agus River Dam has a power generating capacity of 150 MW, she added, but the NGCP only avails of 130 MW, thus there is an extra of 20 MW. Adding all the excess generating capacities of the two rivers, Antonino said, “That’s 65 na pwede pa namang gamitin for now.” She already talked to Secretary Almendras about her problem with the NGCP. Since the last semester of 2011, certain areas in Mindanao, particularly General Santos City, Polomolok, Sarangani and Tampakan have been experiencing daily brownouts for at least two hours duration. Zeroing-in Being a resident of General Santos City who is also affected by the daily brownouts, Antonino suspects that they are being “zeroed-in” by the NGCP for opposing the deal between the South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO 1) and Conal Holdings Corporation, owner of a coal-fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani. The cooperative is will-

ing to buy electricity from Conal, she noted, but they are not willing to sign the contract. “That is why I’m very passionate about this because bakit meron kaming brownout eh meron pa kayong hindi kinukuha sa Pulangi? Para bang what are you trying to tell us? I-zezeroin nyo talaga kami? Why? Just because we don’t want to sign the contract?” “That is so onerous,” she said. She said, stated in the contract is that the base load of SOCOTECO1 will be sourced from Conal. At present, 70 percent of their power source comes from the hydro power plants, while the rest are from the national grid. With the contract, 70% of their base load will be provided by Conal, which is “twice as much as expensive as the hydro,” she said, adding that it’s the NGCP that allocates distribution of electricity to regions. “Sila ang nag aallocate kaya nga sinsiro kami sa Gensan kasi pinakamaingay ang grupo sa Gensan. And that’s the work of NGCP,” she added. Antonino said she wants the NGCP to be more truthful and give a full disclosure so the people will know the real score. “It’s unfair for Mindanaoans to suffer brownouts if there is indeed available power coming from the hydro power plant,” she said. Don’t privatize hydro Antonino also said that Mindanaoans should unite against the privatization of hydro power plants. She said the hydro power plants give almost 40% profit. “Biruin mo napakalaking profit for whoever buys the hydro electric power plant. Kung may pera lang ako, ako na ang unang bibili kasi sigurado na 40 percent ang income ko,” she said.

Ordinance...

FFROM 3 Bucana and Barangay 23-C. The number of cases of abandonment of OFWs is alarming, Elento said, saying that the Integrated Gender and Development Division of Davao City Government recorded 65 cases. This is to note that there are still unrecorded cases existing in the city alone; the national scenario is even worse. In a multi-sectoral forum on women and migration last Wednesday at Lispher Inn, Juna Subdivision, Davao City, Librado said Philippine law is “apparently blank when it comes to abandoned women, particularly those abandoned by OFW partners or husbands and parents.” She also mentioned the ineffective enforcement of laws such as on sexual harassment, rape, anti-trafficking, and violence against women and their children which has hampered a lot of women from pursuing charges against male perpetrators. “As cited earlier by a

local study on abandoned OFW families in the city, the statistics dismally point out the fact that more and more families are affected by migration and its consequences,” she said. Collateral damage Elento disagrees with the government’s statement that abandonment of families is a “collateral damage” from labor migration, such that “everyone is defenseless and it is something that should be prepared for.” “Abandonment is voluntarily denying or ignoring key responsibilities, like parental or marital obligations. Therefore, abandoning a wife and children is intentional. There are no words that will best describe the trauma a wife or husband is feeling, especially if both parties agreed that either of them will be leaving the country to ensure the bright future of their children but end up desertion,” Elento said. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

MRDP.. FFROM 3 Development Authority (NEDA) for MRDP’s extension and additional financing. As per loan agreement, MRDP will supposedly be closing end of this year “but the demand from LGUs and beneficiaries are tremendously increasing,” Alcala said adding that the initial response from DOF and NEDA are encouraging considering the program’s successful engagement with LGUs. He said MRDP also complements the present administration’s goal of promoting good governance as it capacitates the covered LGUs to implement projects in a transparent and efficient way. “The procurement processes of MRDP are already being replicated in other DA projects as well as in harmonizing our LGU project engagements. We are training additional staff members on geo-tagging,” he added. Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification such as globe coordinates to various media like photos or video, websites, and SMS messages. In the case of MRDP, geotag is applied to rural infrastructure projects such as access roads and water facilities. Alcala commended MRDP for taking the lead in using geotagging in project implementation to avoid duplication as well as in verifying its existence and in monitoring its progress. Meanwhile, World

Bank (WB) lead rural development specialist Carol Geron said MRDP was conceptualized to complement the Local Government Code as it aims to enable the LGUs to be in the frontline in the delivery of basic agricultural services. “The second phase of MRDP has two development objectives which is to improve livelihood of participating communities and at the same time institute a decentralize delivery of agricultural services that promotes transparency and greater accountability,” Geron said. Geron along with the WB team of consultants commended MRDP for gaining broad-based support from various agencies particularly the LGUs to spur rural development across Mindanao. Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario cited MRDP’s demanddriven approach as a means to enable LGUs to observe sound investment. “MRDP’s funding assistance is not by allocation but based on LGUs’ ability to compete and capability implement development projects so money will not be wasted,” he said. As the representative of Mindanao provincial LGUs in MRDP board, del Rosario said the intent demand-driven funding allocation is to promote decentralization where LGUs can learn to implement its own program. [NOEL T. PROVIDO/DA-MRDP]

Researchers... FFROM 14

lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) called Kamilah. Researchers searched through more than 11,000 genes in her genome, as well as in the published versions of the human, chimp and orangutan genetic codes, for changes important in evolution. “Our most significant findings reveal not only differences between the species, reflecting millions of years of evolutionary divergence, but also similarities in parallel changes over time since their common ancestor,” said Chris Tyler-Smith, who works with Dr Durbin. Comparative studies will also shed more light on the evolution of all the Great Apes; but the key question is whether the bounty of genetic information contains clues to the moment when the first genes emerged that made humans capable of abstract thought. “This is the question we are all fascinated by,” Dr Durbin told BBC News. It is unlikely that a single development led to our species’ advance towards modernity, or that all developments along that path were genetic.

Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) emerged around 200,000 years ago, but it was not until about 50,000 years ago that our bigger brains began to make a difference. Until then, humanity was one among small number of apes in Africa, probably living not very differently from gorillas. So, something happened very rapidly around that time that led to the emergence of abstract thought, allowing humans to invent advanced tools and use them to shape the environment. “There will have been genetic factors,” said Dr Durbin, “but also cultural and historic factors.” The one Great Ape not to be sequenced so far is the bonobo, a close relative of the chimp. That project is underway, and scientists expect its genome and that of the chimp to be very similar. The availability of the genomes of all the Great Apes will help scientists answer what happened over the past 200,000 years to enable our species become what we are now.

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO Earth braces for biggest space storm in five years

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Researchers decipher T gorilla’s genetic code R

ESEARCHERS in Cambridge have deciphered the genetic code of the gorilla - the last of the Great Ape genuses to be sequenced. Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists say that researchers can now begin to examine the similarities and differences between the apes. Genome sequences of humans, chimpanzees and orangutans are already published. The team hopes their work will help to uncover genetic mutations that led to language, culture and science. «I›d like to think that in the next 20 or 30 years we will get a deeper understanding of what happened genetically in our evolutionary history, and of how those genes affect the brain and other properties that make us modern humans,» said Richard Durbin of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, who led the study. Initial comparisons

Researchers in Cambridge can now compare human DNA with that of all the other apes

confirm that chimpanzees are our closest relatives, sharing 99% of our DNA. Gorillas come a close second with 98%, and orangutans third with a 97%

The Business PAPER

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Davao

share. That reflects the evolutionary history of apes. Genome comparison indicates that the human lineage separated from orangutans 14 million years ago, gorillas 10 million years ago, and chimps 6 million years ago. That order of events is not a surprise, but the dates are earlier than many scientists had thought. Although on average we are closest to chimps, many of our individual genes are more like those of gorillas. Among them is a gene that enables us and gorillas to hear better than other apes. Until now, some sci-

entists had thought that the development of hearing was what enabled us to develop language - but as a result of this research, we now know this theory is wrong. Fifteen percent of the human genome is closer to the gorilla than the chimpanzee, and 15% of the chimpanzee genome is closer to the gorilla than to humans. One genetic difference that will be of interest to medical researchers is a mutation that results in dementia in humans, but seems to leave gorillas completely unaffected. Rapid emergence The genome unravelled in the research came from a female western

HE biggest space weather storm in five years is hurtling towardEarth, threatening to disrupt power grids, GPS systems, satellites and airline flights, experts say. The brunt of the storm is expected to strike early Thursday and last through Friday, possibly garbling some of Earthlings’ most prized gadgets but also giving viewers in parts of Central Asia a prime look at the aurora borealis, or northern lights, when darkness falls on Thursday. “Space weather has gotten very interesting over the past 24 hours,” said Joseph Kunches, a space weather scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on Wednesday. Meanwhile, NASA warned of a “severe” storm event that would impact both the Earth and Mars as well as some key space agency satellites. The fuss began late Sunday at an active region on the Sun known as 1429, with a big solar flare that was associated with a burst of solar wind and plasma known as a coronal mass ejection that thrust toward the Earth at some four mil-

lion miles per hour (6.4 million kilometers per hour). A pair of solar flares and a CME followed overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, setting off a strong geomagnetic and solar radiation storm registering at level three on a five-step scale. NASA said the first of the two flares on March 6-7 -- classified in the potent X class and facing directly at the Earth -- was the biggest this year and one of the largest of this cycle known as the solar minimum, which began in early 2007. In fact, it was second only to a stronger one that erupted in August, and the leading edge of the CME it sparked is expected to reach Earth at 0525 GMT on March 8, plus or minus seven hours. “Such a CME could result in a severe geomagnetic storm, causing aurora at low latitudes, with possible disruption to high frequency radio communication, global positioning systems (GPS) and power grids,” NASA said. The solar flares alone caused brief high frequency radio blackouts that have now passed, according to NOAA.

SOLAR FLARES. This image obtained from NASA shows one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle on March 6, 2012 at 7PM ET. A pair of scorching explosions on the

Sun’s surface is sparking the biggest radiation and geomagnetic storm the Earth has experienced in five years, space weather experts said

her baby, and a large male who broke off branches to throw at them. It is even possible, the researchers say, that this could be a kind of orangutan refugee camp - with

several groups moving into the same area following widespread forest fires. The team of scientists is now working with local groups to try to protect the area.

New rare orangutan find in Borneo FRESEARCHERS, 13

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

hitherto unknown population of orangutans numbering perhaps 1-2,000 has been found on the island of Borneo, conservation researchers say. Members of the reclusive endangered species were found by scientists acting on tip-offs from local people. Much of the orangutan’s tropical forest habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia has been cut down for timber extraction and to create palm oil plantations. About 50,000 orangutans are thought to remain in the wild. “The reclusive redhaired primates were found in a rugged, largely inaccessible mountainous region,” Erik Meijaard, of Nature Conservancy Indonesia, said. The journey to the region took 10 hours by car, another five by boat and then a couple more hours

The reclusive red-haired primates

hiking. The team found more than 200 nests crammed into just a few kilometres and spotted three wild orangutans in the canopy above them - a mother and

INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

MUSIC

Excursion Tour Davao brings a welcome blast of noise By Cheekie Albay Photos by Mon Punzalan of TeamManila

Gaijin’s Raimund Marasigan, Jesse Grinter, and guest guitarist Diego Castillo

DAvAO can get awfully quiet sometimes. For all our pride in being one of the “most livable cities in Asia,” with our relatively low crime rate and relatively congestion-free roads and kindly cab drivers who hand over exact change, sometimes, we just long for a little excitement. We want to hear loud music pounding and harsh feedback grating in our ears. We want to hear cheering and screaming and the occasional heckling from a rabid, sweatdrenched crowd. And yes, we want to see a rock star bodysurf onto an ea- DJ Mon of TeamManila ger sea of grabbing, adoring hands. We want to hear cheering and screaming and the occasional

The crowd

Good thing Manilabased bands Pedicab, Taken By Cars, and Gaijin, along with DJ tandem The Diegos and DJ Mon of TeamManila, were more than thrilled to shake us out of our suburban slumber one Saturday night for the Excursion Tour Davao, held on February 18 at the strip of Sales St. just outside Sa’Less Diner. After a triumphant first stop in Baguio City September of last year, the artists expected Excursion Tour Davao to be nothing short of, as Pedicab multimedia man RA Rivera would put it, “superb”. “Davao has always been my favorite city to play in outside of Manila, and I think each one of us in the band would attest to this,” Jason Caballa, guitarist of Pedicab, says. “The audience is always receptive, if not totally appreciative. They know how to go wild without being disruptive.” On February 18, an assortment of Davao youth stomped to the street party with a shared mission: to do just that. After local bands Alto Indio, Planeta, Pedro, Kwatro Medya, and Super Seniors took the stage, the first of the Excursionists, Gaijin, came on. Many Davaoenos unfamiliar with Pinoy rock icon Raimund Marasigan’s newest band became fast fans after he, vocalist Jesse Grinter,

heckling from a rabid, sweat-drenched crowd. And yes, we want to see a rock star bodysurf onto an eager sea of grabbing, adoring hands.

Raimund Marasigan of Pedicab

The author with Maynard Castillo and Buddy Congson

The Diegos’ Diego Castillo and Diego Mapa

and drummer Shinji Tanaka—with guest guitarist Diego Castillo— paraded their part-punk, part-alt, all-rock sound. Next up came electro indie band Taken By Cars, led by frontwoman Sarah Marco. The group, set to fly to Austin, Texas on March 9 to represent the country in this year’s SXSW Festival, swept up the gathering with their glorious, globetrotting ruckus as they launched into “Uh Oh”, “A Weeknight Memoir (in High Definition)”, and “This Is Our City”. Dance-punk five-piece Pedicab followed, and by this time, the crowd that had gathered in front of the stage had truly let go, the combined effect of cranked-up rock music and continuous beer refills kicking in. Hits like “FX”, “Simulan Mo Na”, “Dito Tayo sa Dilim”, and “Ang Pusa Mo” had the crowd shout-

ing boisterously along, and when vocalist Diego Mapa dove into the sea of limbs that waved before him, the revelers raised their enthusiastic arms to catch him—the ultimate show of fan fervor. After the band sets, DJ Mon of TeamManila and The Diegos’ Mapa and Castillo kept the energy at fever pitch by spinning electro beats in relentless succession. At past midnight, the crowd had started thinning out, but the brave souls that remained danced enough for an entire concert-going army. “We want to be back, definitely,” Caballa said, speaking for the rest of Pedicab, and hopefully, for the rest of the Excursionists. “I can’t say how soon, though. What do you Davaoenos think?” Speaking for Davaoeno youth, we wouldn’t mind having our eardrums pounded week after week.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

Hot or Not

ENTERTAINMENT

Jessica simpson poses nude, in all her pregnant glory, on the cover of elle magazine. Looks familiar? Demi moore did the same for Vanity Fair in 1991.

Bon Jovi is scorching hot at 50! Yes, the rockstar is 50 years old and he is hotness personified. Posing for the Summer 2012 campaign of fashion house versace, Bon Jovi shows that even at 50 you can still rock it.

2012 seems to be the year for Anne Curtis. Based on her recent tweet, she got another endorsement in the bag and we can’t just wait to find out what it is! Do you have any idea what this endorsement could be about? Send your comments to IndulgeTweets@gmail. com.

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Reviewing Rihanna’s Talk That Talk

F you do not know Rihanna, then you’ve probably been hiding under a rock for the past three years or so. She is currently one of the hottest acts in the international music scene and one that is much favoured by partyphiles the world over. The fact that she dishes out album after album of dance floor-friendly hits makes her repertoire a safe choice for any casual party you plan to throw.

Her new album, Talk That Talk, is months old, but it seems like a quick follow-up to her last hit-filled album: Loud. In fact, with Rihanna’s music, it seems like there is no break from promoting the last single of her previous album and promoting the first from this one; giving the impression that this album might be rushed or is simply a compilation of fillers that didn’t make the cut for Loud. To help you decide whether to purchase the album or download the stand-outs I have prepared a run-down of Talk That Talk track by track. 1.) You Da One: In my opinion this is a curious choice for an opening number as the song does not start with a bang. Unlike most album openers, this one starts low and then builds up to a big crescendo. This mid-tempo ditty shows off Rihanna’s signature staccato style with broken and repetitive syllables that highlight her Barbadian accent and is enveloped in layer upon layer of backing vocals that ultimately help her (sometimes) shrilly voice. 2.) Where Have You Been: Starts off with a jumpy piano riff which makes it sound like many party anthems of the 1990s and early 2000s with a repetitive loop of lyrics. It gets a more modern vibe once the beats come in, the synthesizers work their magic, and fake claps surround Rihanna’s musings of long lost love. Before the second part of the song begins, the beats increase to an overwhelming production and then quiets down to make way for an instrumental section (which in my opinion is a bit premature) that only serves as a prelude to the second verse which did not take too long to get out of the way until we are once again received by repetitive vocals that fall in to instrumental riffs that quite honestly make the song. When the instrumentals are more beautiful than the parts with vocals, it’s time to rethink your career as a “singer”. 3.) We Found Love: Once the track starts it already sounds like a party waiting to happen. It’s light, enthusiastic, very danceable, and quite positive. The chorus is composed of the line “We Found Love in a hopeless place” repeated four times. And oddly, it’s enough. Rihanna has never been known to be a literary genius, but she knows how to make records that sell. And the mass-appeal of this one is hard to deny. The track is safe to play during any event at any time. 4.) Talk That Talk: The albums namesake features Jay Z in their second collaboration since ultra-hit, Umbrella. I only survived a minute of the track until my ears started vomiting and my fingers

unconsciously pressed the “next” button. It seems like a filler, a song added to an album for the sole purpose of completing it. It may also bring in some star factor from Jay-Z but in the end, his lackluster rapping just leaves the track bland. 5.) Cockiness (I Love It): So this track is good for shock value and nothing else. Its lyrics are explicit enough to actually make you stop and listen closer. Unfortunately, that might leave you disappointed as the track is smothered in overt sexuality which is underlined by sexual allusions. Once you get over all the sexual puns and profanity though, you are left with a song that is painfully boring and nonsensical. In many ways, this song is the musical equivalent to those annoying home shopping channels that try to sell you stuff you already have or don’t need. I know sex sells, but honey, this is over selling. 6.) Birthday Cake: Only lasts a minute and twenty seconds. It starts off with a noise that sounds like the most irritating car speeding past you sixteen thousand times throughout the duration of the song. If anything, it acts like a bridge that takes you from the crudeness of the previous song to the more serious topic of the next. 7.) We All Want love: This mid-tempo ballad is set over a pleasing guitar riff. Unlike most songs in the album, this one is a little more quiet, a little more reserved. Still, it’s a bit more noisy than the ballads we’re used to; but then again, sometimes overwhelming production helps an underwhelming vocal performance. 8.) Drunk On Love: Starts off with a interesting beat that is actually a sample of “The xx”. At times I do not understand what she’s singing. Her voice is strained in parts but somehow the screaming

works well with the hard-hitting beats. Unlike most songs in this album, it isn’t over produced. Ironically, the best moments of this song happens during the quieter parts where the gaps between the beats seem to add a level of excitement and anticipation that slowly lead up to a hard-hitting chorus. After several listens, the song actually made me feel dizzy and heavy. Now I understand why it’s called Drunk on Love. It got me craving for something audibly lighter; a cure for a musical hangover. 9.) Roc Me Out: The track’s opening notes are haunting and deep, and then the main spine of the beat starts to play and instantly waters down the track to just-another-pop-track. It sounds like one of her previous outings: Rude Boy. It repeats the theme of Rude Boy. It echoes the lyrics of Rude Boy. In many ways it is like Rude Boy’s updated, watered-down twin. Oh, and it is also quite reminiscent to most popular 90s bubble gum pop outings. 10.) Watch N Learn: Sounds like a milder version of Cockiness with the repetitive beats, auto-tuned harmonies, and crude lyrics. It also sounds like some of the earlier songs of R&B super-group, Destiny’s Child. However, the vibe of the track is a little more carefree and the presence of perussions that sound like drums from a marching band helps a lot to give this track some character. The track is non-abrasive and is a good choice to play during casual parties. 11.) Farewell: I get the strong feeling that the only reason why this was placed last is because it’s entitled Farewell (same way You Da One is the 1st track). The track’s percussions sound like thunder highlighted and is paired with the sound of light viscous strings that paints a cold and sad picture. Structurally, the song follows bigger hits from other artists like Kelly Clarkson’s Already Gone and Beyonce’s Halo (which also sound alike anyway). Unfortunately, both divas have better voices than Rihanna which makes this version pale in comparison as compared with the aforementioned. The good news is that it doesn’t sound like the rest of the album which, although makes it seems isolated from the whole record, makes it a good listen.

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Republiq celebrates Araw ng Davao

rAw ng Dabaw is right around the corner and although much can be said about living in Davao, it may seem that Davao’s party scene is in a bit of a conundrum.

Thankfully, the people of Manila’s republiq and Party Animal Events Productions in cooperation with the Garden Oases Convention Center are replicating republiq in Davao, a one night only event featuring the Club DJs of republiq, DJs Martin Pulgar, Ace ramos and Nina Saputil spinning the latest and the hottest progressive house beats. Taking the stage for Davao are local DJs Gary, richie rich, roxxie ross and of course DJ Party Animal himself. “we decided to bring republiq to Davao City since we felt that it is about time that Davao should experience how a party is supposed to be.” beams Jommel “Party Animal” Bañez “it has been a while since Davao had a proper club and for one night, one of Manila’s top club, republiq, will be recreated here in Davao for everyone to enjoy and have a good time.” This event is sponsored by Premiere Condoms, The Bar Tequila, M Magazine, and the Kiwi Bar. Tickets to the republiq in Davao on March 16 are still available for Php600 per person inclusive of two drinks. The gates of the Garden Oases Convention Center will open at 6pm. Interested parties may call 0932-491-6663.

DJ Martin Pulgar

DJ Nina Saputil

ROYALTY. Earlier this morning, in Kingston Jamaica, Prince Harry had a chance to meet Usain Bolt during his Jubilee Tour of Island Nations. The two convened at the University of the West Indies track for a meet-and-greet and mini sprint session. During the day’s events, Harry was seen striking the famous Usain Bolt “To Di World” pose, taking a few sprint tips from the world’s fastest man, and even matching his quick wit against Bolt’s speed by asking Usain from the blocks, “I think your friends are calling you!” before promptly charging off the line.

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

EVENT

Four hands and a piano BONDING with the kids.

TAKING a bow after a wonderful performance.

Jinggoy Salvador, Maite, and Kay gempesaw.

W HAT do you get when you have a pair of the Phil ippi n e s’ finest talents play piano duets all on one keyboard? You get an unforgettable evening of fantastic music. And that was what the Side-by-Side piano concert was, breathtakingly unforgettable.

The concert featured 2007 Aliw Awardee for the Best Instrumentalist Category and 2010 GSIS MuseongSining Awardee, Mary Anne Espina back to back with Daphne Jocson, Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines Concerto Competition prize winner and finalist in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ National Music Competitions for Young Artists Piano Category C in 1995. Mary Anne is one of the most sought-after collaborating artists in the country today. She continues to team up with outstanding local and international artists in all major concerts and recitals in the country. Some of her notable collaborations are those with renowned Filipino pianist Nena del Rosario-villanueva; French violinist Frederic Pellassy; Israeli violinist Hagai Shaham; Russian violinist Anastacia Chebotareva, winner of the Tchaikovsky and Paganini Competitions; soprano Joan Gibbons; renowned Filipino tenor Otoniel Gonzaga; American cellist Stephen Framil, Filipino cellists Wilfredo Pasamba and victor Michael Coo; German violinist Angelo Bard, Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu and French baritone, Jerome Correas. A favorite in the local scene, she was the pianist for the CCP’s Special Concert Series II in cooperation with the Goethe Institute in “Konsiyertong Tatlong Kusing” staged at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino. Mary Anne was

DENNIS and Chinchin Santos.

DAPHNE Jocson and Mary Anne Espina.

MALOUCHI Gahol, Emil Sitjar and Marissa Salonga-Tionko.

I can see tears in people’s eyes but many of them smiled, indicative of their joy and pride of being there to witness two piano virtuosos playing side-by-side

likewise the pianist for the full-length staging of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Great Moments in Grand Opera,” “verdi, After Aida,” “Puccini: A Retrospect,” which featured Japanese soprano Kaori Sato and the Philippine premiere of Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle,” with Andrew Fernando and Clarissa Ocampo. In 2002, she joined the Manila Woodwind Ensemble in Seoul, Korea at the Asia Music Festival. She was the repetiteur and keyboard player of the hit Broadway musical “Miss Saigon” in Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore. And most recently, as keyboard player in the Atlantis’s production of Hairspray, the musical, manifesting her versatility as a pianist. Daphne on the other hand is a recipient of a full scholarship at the Mannes College of Music in New York City, Daphne studied piano with Prof. vera Berskaya and Dr. Hugo Goldensweig, and chamber music with Prof. Nancy Garniez and the Alaria Chamber Ensemble. Daphne received her first piano training from Prof. Encarnita Fernandez in Davao City. She eventually was under the tutelage of Prof. Alice Araneta-Lim and Prof. virginia Laico-villanueva at the St. Scholastica’s College of Music Recently, she was engaged as pianist/repetiteur for several productions, among others, Dulaang U.P.’s “Noli Me Tangere” and Ryan Cay-

abyab’s musical “Ageless Passion.” Moreover, she was an accompanist during the 2011 National Music Competitions for Young Artists The concert started promptly at 6 p.m. at the Apo view Hotel Ballroom with no seats to spare as it was a full house. The Mary Anne and Daphne started with duets composed by Mozart, Faure and the famous Hungarian Dances of Brahms. After the intermission, arrangements from the Baroque period and by Fritz Kreisler filled the air as the duo’s fingers made music fly like butterflies on a summer breeze. The concert winded up with well-loved Filipino songs that were masterfully arranged by Agot Espino. I can see tears in people’s eyes but many of them smiled, indicative of their joy and pride of being there to witness two piano virtuosos playing side-by-side, four beautiful hands sharing one keyboard and making one moving, beautiful, and unforgettable evening.

MARY Anne, Wency Cornejo, and Daphne.

EDGEDAVAO

The case of the black mask

However, Bryant found the mask uncomfortable, claiming it fogged up and got way too hot. To fix these issues, he’s changed his mask, opting for a black one. Except that made him look even more ridiculous, as if he decided to dress up as a caped crusader for a comicbook convention. Sadly, the experiment was short-lived. At end of the first half, Kobe had switched back to the clear mask, likely

AST Wednesday, Kobe Bryant dealt with the broken nose he suffered in the All-Star game by wearing a transparent protective mask. Lots of players have donned similar pieces in the past, but none have been quite so funny as this one, mostly because Kobe takes himself incredibly seriously on the court. Luckily for him, he’s played pretty well while wearing the mask, scoring at least 30 points in all three games.

in the hope of correcting his 2-of-10 shooting from the field before halftime. Prior to the game, Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell explained why Kobe picked the black mask: Bryant actually had three new masks made in Detroit — by the maker of Richard Hamilton’s masks — that he tried on at the team’s shootaround on Tuesday morning, and the black one was simply the most comfortable of the five

(including the two he already had), according to athletic trainer Gary Vitti. Comfort is a suitable reason for picking this mask, even if it didn’t work out in the long run. But that’s not going to stop fans from Photoshopping him into photos of the Lone Ranger and Zorro. The image is too ridiculous to avoid. With any luck, we’ll see Kobe opt for a full Batman mask, complete with ears, for his next game. It’s the logical next step.

SCORES NBA Davao official was original Match Comm, not Cristy Eastern Conference Standings W L Atlantic 17 Philadelphia 23 20 18 Boston 18 21 New York 13 26 Toronto 13 27 New Jersey W L Central 33 8 Chicago 23 14 Indiana 15 24 Milwaukee 14 23 Cleveland 13 26 Detroit W L Southeast 30 9 Miami 25 15 Orlando 23 16 Atlanta 29 Washington 9 5 32 Charlotte Western Conference Standings W L Southwest 12 San Antonio 26 22 15 Memphis 23 17 Dallas 21 19 Houston 30 New Orleans 9 W L Northwest 8 Oklahoma City 31 22 18 Denver 21 19 Minnesota 19 19 Utah 19 20 Portland W L Pacific 22 15 LA Clippers 23 16 LA Lakers 17 21 Phoenix 20 Golden State 15 26 Sacramento 13 Results LA LAKERS 101 WASHINGTON 106 UTAH 99 CHARLOTTE 93 HOUSTON 98 TORONTO 116 BOSTON 71 PHILADELPHIA 103 ATLANTA 86 MIAMI 89 CHICAGO 106 MILWAUKEE 104 LA CLIPPERS 100 NEW JERSEY 101 PHOENIX 104 OKLAHOMA 115 PORTLAND 94 MINNESOTA 106 NEW YORK 105 SAN ANTONIO 118 CLEVELAND 100 DENVER 99 NEW ORLEANS 98 SACRAMENTO 99 MEMPHIS 99 GOLDEN STATE 81

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

RISTY Ramos was reportedly only a substitute as Match Commissioner of the Philippine Azkals friendly match against the Malaysia Tigers last February 29. According to a source close to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), Davao’s David Dwight Penano was supposed to work on the international friendly match at the Rizal Memorial Stadium which ended in a 1-all draw but was reportedly unavailable paving the way for his replacement. Cristy’s assignment as Match Commissioner in the Azkals match stirred a storm after the former presidential daughter filed sexual harassment complaint against two

popular Azkals players. Ramos wrote the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) last March 2 to file the complaint against two Azkals—Angel Guirado and Lexton Moy. The Azkals players allegedly committed sexual innuendoes to the former president of the Philippine Olympic Committee who is now a licensed Match Commissioner. Cristy is the daughter of former President Fidel Ramos. According to the source, Penano, who also served as Match Commissioner in the Azkals-LA Galaxy match, was reportedly not available for the Malaysia friendly due to conflict of schedule. Penano recently worked on the India-Myanmar match in the AIFF.

NBA Spurs deal Knicks another blow, Wizards rally to beat Lakers

T doesn’t seem like the New York Knicks are good with both their big star Carmelo Anthony and their new sensation Jeremy Lin. The San Antonio Spurs dealt the Knicks another loss 118-105 as the Knicks go down 2-5 with both players on the floor. Anthony had 27 while Lin had 15, but it was the comeback of Tony Parker for the Spurs that mattered. Parker had 32 for the Spurs which also got 17 apiece from Manu Gi-

nobili and Tim Duncan. In Washington, the Wizards came back from 21 points down to hand the Los Angeles Lakers their second straight loss. Kobe Bryant returned to his clear mask, but the result was bleak in a bizarre finish. He hit only one of 10 and his 30-point total was inconsequential. In Milwaukee, Derrick Rose faked like he was going to drive to the basket again, creating just enough of a cushion on defender Brandon

Jennings. Then he slid to his left in a split second, drilling a winning shot at the buzzer. The reigning league MVP sure knows how to thrill a stadium filled with Bulls fans—even when he isn’t playing at home. Rose’s off-balance shot just inside the 3-point line capped a 30-point night that powered the Chicago Bulls to a 106-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

to sever our ties with him,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “I already warned him before but he missed several of our practices and made acts detrimental to the image of the team.” Bates was hired last Oct. 15 to be one of the assistant coaches of the Patriots after being elevated to the PBA Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, the Patriots hope to bounce back from a fight-marred 6866 defeat to the San Miguel Beermen last Sunday against the Indonesian Warriors – the team they beat, 86-73, on Jan. 28 at the San Juan gym. After Jakarta, the Patriots, co-owned by Tony

Boy Cojuangco and Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero, will proceed to Vietnam to face the Saigon Heat on Wednesday. They will cap their three-game road schedule with an exciting duel with co-leaders the Westports Kuala Lumpur Dragons on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur. Both the Patriots and the Dragons have similar 7-2 records while the Beermen has a 7-3 mark. The Patriots, however, will be without import Anthony Johnson, Erick Rodriguez and Ardy Larong when they face the Heat as they will serve their one-game suspension for being involved in the melee last Sunday.

ABL:PH Patriots fire Billy Ray Bates

A M E Friday(Mahaka Square, Jakarta) 5 p.m. – Indonesia vs AirAsia-PH MANILA-- The toughest stretch for the AirAsia-Philippine Patriots in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League starts Friday in Jakarta without their skills coach -- PBA Hall of Famer Billy Ray Bates. Bates, the most recognizable import to ever play in the Philippines pro league, has been dropped from the team for repeated misconduct and acts detrimental to the team and the league. “We’re sincere to help him but he’s misbehaving of late and we have no other option but

(PNA)

Momentum

JUVIC Pagunsan of the Philippines will tee off at 12:20 pm today in the World Golf Championships at the Doral-Blue Monster course. Pagunsan will be up against the top 50 players of the world.

Tiger, Rory build up different ways

ORAL, Fla.—Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are at Doral to build momentum in different ways. McIlroy is the new No. 1 in golf after winning the Honda Classic. He is not concerned with how long he can stay there as much as he is winning the Cadillac Championship in his last tournament before Augusta National. “This is a World Golf Championship, and it’s my last event before the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I’d love to give myself a chance to win here again

this week, and go into that three-week break with a lot of confidence.” Woods is coming off a 62, the lowest final round of his career, hopeful that it’s the strongest sign yet that he is close to a full return to form that made him No. 1 longer than anyone. For both, last week is nothing but a memory, albeit a happy one. “Doesn’t count,” Woods said Wednesday before going out for a practice round on the TPC Blue Monster at Doral. “That tournament is over with, whether you

missed the cut or won the tournament. It’s over. Now we’re on to a new week, a new golf course, and have to learn it and be ready by Thursday.” What remains to be seen is which moment is more meaningful going forward. Not only was it the best score for Woods in more than two years, it was nearly nine shots better than the average score in the final round at windswept PGA National. He ended his big charge with a 5-iron that was exquisite, finishing 8 feet away for eagle.

16 SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 5 • MARCH 9-10, 2012

Mayor fetes DC athletes tonight T

HE city’s top performing athletes and coaches will be honored tonight in the first ever Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte Athletes Recognition Night at the Ritz Hotel-Garden Oases. City Sports Development Office officer-incharge Pocholo Elegino

said awards will be given to athletes who have excelled in different disciplines and who have brought honor to the city in the field of athletic competitions. “We aim to uplift the performance of local athletes in future competitions by giving them something to look forward to,” said Elegino.

BULLFIGHT. Players from Solido Youth and M7 United clash on air for the pigskin in this bit of action in the ongoing 2012 DFA Secpnd Division

Among those who will be receiving their recognition and incentives are five karatekas from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) headed by Rommel Tan. Also to be presented are the newly-crowned National Students Basketball Championships (NSBC) champions Jose Maria College Kings (col-

lege) and the Assumption College of Davao Warriors (high school). The recognition night is part of the annual Araw ng Dabaw celebration. Mayor Duterte will be personally handing over the awards—a first ever in local sports that the city government will be feting athletes in formal ceremonies.(NEIL BRAVO)

League. Action resumes on Sunday. (Dapoy Diamante)

CDO to send 10 bets in Smart-Head Tour F

Metro TMS face Intangibles FC, Solido Youth takes on Instatech

Cagayan de Oro’s JJ Llavore, in action in this file photo, will bring his no. 6 ranking to the Smart-Head Tour.

ALLACAS Tennis Camp of Cagayan de Oro City is sending ten entries to the forthcoming Smart-Head Junior Tennis Tour and Sattelite Circuit 2012 Leg 1 on April 1-5 in Davao City. The CDO bets will be led by Janella Carmella “Titan” Llavore, current no. 1 in the 12-under girls in the country who will be moving up in the 14-under bracket where she is rated no. 6. Also seeing action in the Philta Group 2 tournament is Titan’s younger brother Jonelle Christian Llavore, erstwhile no. 6 in the 10-under category. The Llavores are the children of former Davao tennis standout JonelleLlavore who also served as president of Ateneo’sBrebeuf Club in his collegiate days. Llavore now serves as Team Pallacas’ head coach. The team will also be joined by executive director Atty. TibsPalasan, and conditioning coach Marlon Castro. Other CDO bets seeing action are Matt Steve Palasan, no. 3 12-under boys, Lynette Palasan, no. 3 18-under girls, JRVacalares, no. 7 14-under boys, Scooby Casino, no. 5 12-under boys, Gen Pagente, no. 2 12-under girls, Aubrey Calma, no. 10 12-under girls, Spencer Sagrado, no. 9 16-under boys, and Kent Malalis, no. 12 16-under boys. (NEIL BRAVO)

RESH from a rousing triumph over rivals SolidoFil-Chi FC, Metro TMS square off with Intangibles FC at the resumption of the 2012 DFA Second Division League at the Tionko Field.Metro TMS revived its hopes after a loss to a veteran-laden KMMPC when they defeated their archnemesisSolidoFil-Chi last weekend, 3-1, in the tournament organized by the Davao Football Association (DFA). The Intangibles FC side will definitely be no pushovers themselves. The Lupon-based squad blanked Eden FC 6-0 in their last outing thus making this match interesting. Metro TMS will be relying on their explosive but error-prone striker Eric Sedighpour and George Valenzona with Manny Yu and Carl Fabre also providing scoring threats for the Metros. Intangibles will lean on RJ Concordo, MikoGarpisano and Prudence Visto. The match is set at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday at Tionko Field 2. Sunday’s matches will also feature M7 United against Aquino Coliseum/ KMMPC at 7:30 am and SolidoFil-Chi vs. Eden FC at 9:30 on Field 1. Solido Youth will take on Instatech at 9:30 am on Field 2. (NJB)

EDGEDAVAO

Dissecting the Cristy-Azkals issue The Philippine Azkals are in the stream of controversy. Serious one in fact. The accusations, and subsequent filing of sexual harassment complaint by Match Commissioner Cristy Ramos against two Azkals, should not be taken lightly. In fact, Senator Pia Cayetano has already called for a probe. Let us revisit the facts. Cristy Ramos, daughter of former President FVR and now a licensed Match Commissioner of the Asian Football Confederation, was commissioned to be on duty for the Azkals’ Friendly against a visiting Malaysian Tigers last February 29. During a pre-match check inside the locker room of the Azkals, Ramos said she was subjected to sexual innuendoes and named in particular Angel Guirado and Lexter Moy as the culprits. According to reports, Cristy narrated that some of the boys were in their briefs when she got in and some were kind of talking about brassier size. One of the Azkals reportedly asked her of her size. Cristy later on admitted in a report that she was thinking of calling off the match but reconsidered citing the bigger picture— preparations and the paying football fans who came to see the Azkals and the defending AFC champion Tigers. On March 2, Cristy filed the complaint before the AFC. The Philippine Football Federation has already called a probe. Team Manager Dan Palami has issued an apology and at the same an explanation. The two Azkals meantime have asked for apologies but they maintained innocence citing the normal pre-game atmosphere inside a locker room and the usual practice of players getting dressed before the match. They also explained that the brassier talk was the subject of their pre-game bantering even before Cristy came inside the changing room. I took the effort of finding out what are the responsibilities of a Match Commissioner in a football match and I found this from ezinearticles.com. A Match Commissioner has five specific roles: 1. Carry out joint inspection of the field of play prior to the start of a game 2. Ensure that there is adequate security arrangement put in place by the host team 3. Presides over the meeting of referees and officials of both teams prior to the start of a game 4. E n s u r e that unauthorized persons or objects do not enter the field or stadium 5. Submit a detailed report The above specific roles

did not state the pre-game changing room checks. However, in her complaint, Cristy cited the AFC Regulations and Official Countdown. The purpose, according to the complaint letter, is to check the player accreditation cards and kits. To my understanding, the accreditation cards and kits are normally issued in regular tournaments like the World Cup, Challenge Cup, and other sanctioned international tournaments. I do not know if this is a strict requirement in an international friendly like the Feb. 29 match. If there is anything more concerning than the pre-game check, there is more to worry outside than inside. I believe the Match Commissioner should have been wary that the Rizal Memorial Stadium football field was not a “friendly” pitch on that day. Field inspection is usually done in the morning before the match and that includes also the security checks (roles 1 and 2). The Malaysians lamented the condition of the pitch after the match. If you watch the game on television, you would think that the goalmouth is a virtual mess. Brown patches dot the field. Without knowing who the Match Comm is, I was already thinking why the match was held at all given the condition of the field. I think that more than gender sensitivity, the issue here is propriety. Somebody should have been more careful and prudent from the appointment of officials to the priorities to ensure the safety of players on the field. I have heard and read of locker room tales of the past. Some of those are very close to this. We are still on the level of an emerging football country in the hierarchy of the sport. The responsibilities of our football officials do not border on the football team and its performance alone, but also in ensuring that we are breeding our players well as gentlemen not beasts. On the other hand, prudence dictates that locker rooms for men are not the friendliest places for women and we must take higher standards of precaution to protect women officials from possible harassment and disrespect—whether intentional or unintentional. Things can be avoided before they happen. We cannot also recklessly endanger ourselves in a situation we can avoid with prudence and anticipation.