Edge Davao 5 Issue 6 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES Yehey, we are

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

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Serving a seamless society

Special Supplement Page S1

Indulge! Page A1

PNP chief praises Sara on gun ban n Director General Bartolome

says gun ban ‘necessary’

By Jade C. Zaldivar

Starmobile Page 12

now a daily!

HILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio made the right decision by declaring a month-long gun ban here. Bartolome said implementing

a gun ban during “such a big event” would be best for the city. “Yes, it was for the best. In fact the PNP supports decisions such as this. We approved the same requests during the celebrations of Sinulog, Ati-atihan, and yung Panagbenga. The same ang ginawa natin,” Bartolome told Edge Davao. The PNP chief said during events that would suddenly raise the density of people and concentrate thousands

of people in one area, the city executive has the right to order a gun ban within the locality. “Yes it is necessary. While marami ang tao, it would also give people a peace of mind. Kailangan pantaypantay, walang magdadala ng baril,” Bartolome said in an interview March 10 at the Philippine Women’s College during the Rotary International Conference of District 3860 (Discon 2012) where he was guest speaker.

have Central 911’s chief operations officer Ret. Col. Verner Monsanto replaced following numerous complaints received by the city on the performance of the emergency response unit, including her own observation. “Actually I was asked what is the status of Col. Monsanto because (the paper designating Capili as OIC) has not yet been signed. Habang wala pa napirmahan, si Col. Monsanto gihapon in principle (ang head sa 911) but kaganina si Capili na ang nagrepresent sa 911,” she said after the city’s Athletes Appreciation Night held at the Garden Oasis. The executive order that would formally designate Capili to the position has been

printed out but is yet been signed by the mayor. She clarified Saturday that the paper is already with her but she has not yet signed it as it’s a weekend and will only be formally endorsed to the Records Division first thing Monday morning. Asked whether Monsanto will be re-assigned, the mayor said: “He is a coterminous employee of the City Mayor’s Office. He will be recalled back to the City Mayor’s Office.” The mayor also bared that Monsanto has not tendered his resignation. “Wala siya nag-resign. I think nagahulat siya sa akoa. (He did not resign. I think he’s

Mayor names new 911 chief D

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio appointed a officer in charge of Central 911, the city’s much-vaunted emergency response unit. “I have talked to Assistant City Administrator Erwin Alparaque and their (Central 911) second in command is Capili. Si Capili na ang OIC,” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview Friday. The city mayor is referring to Pepito Capili, officer in charge of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Alparaque is concurrently human resource management officer of the city. The lady mayor on March 5 said she’d

FPNP, 13

FMAYOR, 13

Motoring Page 15

Follow us on FESTIVE. A lone man enjoys a leisurely ride in spacious C.M. Recto early Saturday morning. But no more once the 75th Araw ng Davao shakes this main thoroughfare

with civil-military parade and street dancing next week. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

2 THE BIG NEWS Mayor’s bodyguards not armed By Jade C. Zaldivar n But DCPO director

disagrees

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio proved enthusiastic in following her orders for a gun ban, saying her own bodyguards do not carry firearms. Duterte-Carpio said this in answer to whether her escorts have applied for an exception from the gun ban which is effective until March 31. “Wala sila nagdala ug baril (They’re not carrying guns)” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview March 9 during the city’s Athletes Appreciation Night held at Garden Oasis. The city mayor downplayed her position, saying she does not feel there’s a threat to her life.

“Wala may interesado sa akoa. Kinsa may interesado sa akoa? (No one’s interested in me. Who’s interested in me?)” Duterte-Carpio said. The Philippine National Police (PNP) approved the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) resolution dated February 28 requesting PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome to declare a month-long gun ban in Davao City as a security measure during the celebrations of the 75th Araw ng Dabaw. The reply approving the gun ban declaration was received March 7 by the local government. Cop chief disagrees Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, however, did not share the same opinion as the city chief executive.

Dela Rosa said he respects the mayor’s decision regarding her unarmed bodyguards, but would rather have it otherwise. “I’d rather that nga naa silay baril. Siya gud ang mayor sa Davao. Unsay pagdepensa sa iyang mga tao kung walay baril. Pero kung mao na iyang gusto wala koy mahimo,” dela Rosa said in an interview March 10 at the Philippine Women’s College where he escorted PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome. Asked if he’s willing to give the Mayor an unsolicited advice, dela Rosa said he would. “Dapat magdala ug armas iyang mga body guards. Mao akong advice (Her bodyguards should arm themselves. That’s my unsolicited advice)” dela Rosa said.

Also a factor is some 16,000 Filipinos living in Singapore, which encourages visits from family and friends. Overall, Singapore found 13.2 million tourists who spent over USD 22 million in tourism receipts. ”This is an indication that Filipinos enjoy Singapore because they keep coming back,” Chan told reporters at a recent briefing. Chan and tourism players in Singapore held a media briefing to announce new tourism developments in 2012 and to entice Filipinos looking forward to summer break with their tourist attractions. Among the must-sees in Singapore are the integrated resorts Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, which Chan said has changed the landscape of the island state. At the Sands, Chan said

the 150-meter infinity pool at the top of the three towers, the new Louis Vuitton Island and the Art Science Museum should be worthwhile sights. At the Resorts World, the Universal Studios began its Hollywood Parade and opened its Transformers ride last December. She said that new hotels are being put up around Singapore, which range from P1,925 to P13,200 to suit all budgets. Chan said their busy events calendar makes for an interesting visit to Singapore, with the production of the play Wicked scheduled to run until April, the World Gourmet Summit, Great Singapore Sale, Asia Fashion Exchange, Singapore Food Festival, National Day festivities, Formula 1 Grand Prix and cultural festivals spread out through the year. [PNA]

Filipinos among top visitors to Singapore: Tourism board

ILIPINOS ranked sixth in the number of tourists who visited Singapore last year, figures from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) showed. With the country’s economy faring better than other countries, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Philippines and Brunei area director Sherina Chan said it was no surprise that Filipinos are also the third largest growing tourist market for Singapore, after China and Taiwan. STB reported 678,000 Filipino visitors to Singapore last year, up 24 percent from the 544,000 who visited in 2010. Aside from positive economic sentiments in the Philippines, Chan also credited the increasing number of flights between the Philippines and Singapore, especially by low-cost carriers.

CHARITY. Members of the Notre Dame Alumni Association of Davao Inc. headed by Philippine Airlines vice president for sales in Mindanao Domingo Duerme

It figures

P2trillion

EXPECTED value of the country’s exports this year, according to a positive forecast of the Manila unit of the global lender HSBC. The bank anticipates exports to grow by 5 percent to around $48 billion (P2.055 trillion).

share their blessings by donating goods and financial support to the Co Su Gian Home for the Aged in Davao on Friday. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Rody cold to airport autonomy

ICE Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is pessimistic of the Davao International Airport (DIA) being granted its own autonomous body. When it was pointed out that Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are governed by authorities separate from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the vice mayor said he doubts if the DIA can stand on its own. “We cannot afford it, much as we would like to. We cannot, cannot afford it,” Duterte said during the recent live airing of Ato ni Bay at the City Council conference room. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) was created through Republic Act No. 6958 in 1990, while Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which oversees the NAIA, was created through Executive Order No. 778, series of 1982. Both MCIAA and the MIAA are attached agencies of Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Duterte said that “it is not easy to maintain a structure such as an airport.” “Walay tay enough traffic ug cargo,” Duterte said, specifically citing the DIA’s source of income from terminal fees, accommodation of cargo and landing fee. When informed that the DIA earns P400 million annually according to the Regionbal Development Council (RDC), the vice mayor expressed his doubt. “It is all talk. Dili na kaabot. Storya lang na,” Duterte said. Meanwhile, City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she would look into the possibility of the DIA getting an autonomy. Duterte-Carpio said she favors the idea of giving DIA its own governing body but pointed out that because the process involves legislation, the mayor said she would be requesting the City Council to endorse a resolution to the House of Representatives. “I will ask the (City Council) Committee of Finance if they can come up with an endorsement to the Congress,” she said. [JAde C.

PEACE. The country’s crime rate dropped by 23 percent in 2011 compared to stats in 2010 according to Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome who made a quick visit in the city as a guest speaker to the Rotary International 2012 District Conference being a rotarian himself. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Groups want PNoy to promulgate new mining policy

network of churchbased groups and non-government organizations has called on President Benigno Aquino III to “promulgate a new mining policy now,” even as they also rebuffed the responsible mining mantra of largescale mining corporations. The Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) issued the statement in anticipation of a new mining policy that would be issued by the administration anytime this month. PMPI pointed out that responsible mining is not possible in the present context due to regulatory capture, foreign ownership of mineral extraction, gross disregard for the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) for the indigenous peoples, unchecked environmental crimes and disrespect for the socio-economic, cultural and political rights of mining-affected communities, among others. Fr. Edwin Gariguez, PMPI

Quips

co-convenor and executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCPNASSA), said there is a need for greater accountability of mining corporations and access to justice by victims of corporate abuses. Gariguez said “the respect, protect and remedy framework of the UN principle on business and human rights, to which the Philippine Government was one of the signatories, is very clear on this.” PMPI, a network of 284 NGOs, people’s organizations and Church groups in the Philippines, also called on Aquino to rethink the current mining policy, which it has inherited from the previous administration that aggressively promoted mining as a key economic driver. [KeIth BACONGCO / MINdANewS]

‘HE’S a man reared up in an environment of hostility and adverse condition so we will see. It’s not a matter of me wanting him to testify or not.’ --Former Justice Serafin Cuevas, lead defense counsel of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

ZALdIvAR]

P21billion P8.5billion P1.3 billion $198million 11.2percent NET income in 2011 of SM Investments Corp., he listed holding company of billionaire Henry Sy, showing an increase 15 percent. SMI said revenues during the period rose 13 percent to P200.7 billion.

NET income in 2011 posted by Petron Corp.,one of the country’s refiners. The company’s net income grew by about 8 percent to P8.5 billion last year from P7.9 billion in 2010.

AMOUNT set aside by the government for clothing or uniform allowance of government employees this year. Each employee will now receive P5,000, compared to just P4,000 last year.

AMOUNT that Japanese carmaker Nissan said it investing to build the new Invitation compact car at its British factory. “If you have a competitive currency, if you have a good production system and you have the right selection of cars, yes, you can produce in Europe, said Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

THE rate of increase in China’s defense spending in 2012, compared to its budget last year. This is the latest in a nearly two-decade string of double-digit increase. This is perceived to be China’s reaction to moves of the Obama administration to increase US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

FMRDP, 13

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Just vote on the RH bill, women tell lawmakers

women’s group urged the House leadership to put the long-delayed Reproductive Health Bill to a vote now. The group is composed of women advocates in the grassroots communities was reacting to Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales’ statement that the House of Representatives may do a ‘test vote on the RH bill’. Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), said that if the House leadership wants to already terminate the debates on the RH bill, it can very well do so under its rules without going to a vote. The “test vote” as explained, is unnecessary. “After all, the bill has been under deliberation for more than 12 years and everything that can be discussed has already been exhausted,” Angsioco said. “Insisting on more debates is really about further delaying the vote on the RH bill,” she added. According to Angsioco DSWP members face the sad realities experienced by women in poor communities’ and are disheartened by the Department of Health report that in January alone, 50 maternal deaths have been recorded in Metro Manila. “We deeply sympathize with the families left by these women but at same time frustrated knowing that

those deaths could have been prevented if the RH law is already in place,” she said. Moreover, Angsioco cited a news account that said 10 girls were found pregnant in only one high school in Ilocos Norte. “This could have been averted if our young people have an age-appropriate RH education which is an important provision of the RH bill,” she explained. Angsioco asserted that the public has seen how powerful the House leadership is. “We know how fast the House can work on matters it deems important, just like on the ongoing impeachment cases. We have also seen how a single text message from the office of the Speaker can magically make absent Representatives appear in Plenary when they want to have a quorum,” she said. Unfortunately, the Filipino masses have yet to see the same political will on bills that will benefit ordinary people, most especially poor women, Angsioco said. “A test vote on the RH bill is unnecessary. What women need is the REAL vote that the HOR leadership can actually immediately do,” she continued. “March 8 is International Women’s Day and March is women’s month here. Let the lawmakers be reminded that they owe women this - the vote on the RH bill,” Angsioco ended. (PR)

DAY OF RAGE. Thousands of women staged a cultural protest in Davao on Thursday during the commemoration of the 101st International Women’s

PHL invites OIC to visit ARMM

HE Philippine government has reiterated its invitation to Ambassador Rezlan Jenie, chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference-Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (OIC-PCSP), to visit the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) later this year to see the reforms implemented by the government in the region. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles made the invitation on behalf of the Philippine government at the justconcluded second Ad Hoc High Level Group (AHLG) of the OIC-Government of the Philippines-Moro National Liberation Front (OIC-GPHMNLF) Tripartite Implementation Review Process in Bandung, Indonesia. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

Day to criticize skyrocketing of prices of basic commodities. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Samal Tourism office eyes more inland tourism sites T HE inland beauty of the Island Garden City of Samal now becomes the focus of tourism development of the city government while it also sustains its beaches as major tourist attractions. City Tourism Officer Jennifer Cariaga revealed plans of sprucing up the barangays, creating pathways to the city’s caves and mountain peaks, and developing a botanical garden to provide tourists with options to go during their visit to Island Garden City of Samal. Aside from the Guinness Book of World Record-known Monfort Bat Cave, part of the city’s tourism development plan is to establish pathways leading to entrances of caves. She said the island city has about 70 caves, and that four of

which already have trails. The city can also be a good place to spend mountain climbing especially at its White Peak where the city government is spending efforts on environmental protection activity such as tree planting at the peak’s area. Cariaga also revealed the city’s ongoing development of its botanical garden located in Bandera, Kaputian District where the city government is giving each department of the city government a 1,000-square-meter lot to cultivate a particular type of plant or tree. Meanwhile, the plan to spruce up barangays is integrated in the “Barangays in Bloom” project which is part of the “Islang Maanyag” (A Beautiful City) program aimed

at projecting the city as a garden city, indeed. “We are encouraging every barangay to make their respective place beautiful,” Cariaga said as she revealed that every barangay will be massively planting a particular type of flower through which it will be identified. On the other hand, Cariaga was looking forward for people to participate in realizing plans of providing tourists more places to see in the island city other than beaches, and for them to also benefit from the growth of the city’s tourism industry. Along this line, there are plans of training community folks to enter into souvenir-making as an enterprising activity of community folks, she said. [PIA 11/JeANevIve dURON-

pants, both men and women gender equality advocates from various sectors, gathered to unify their stand on issues concerning women’s welfare and rights. The Women Summit is annually held in the city, as mandated by the Wom-

en Development Code to discuss issues concerning their welfare and interest. For her part, Librado lauds the city’s existing laws and legislations but says “ the local government, at all costs, has to make sure such are implemented and followed to the letter.”

Librado urges women to continue their fight

SMALL ENTERPRISES. Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino shares a light moment with members of Rotary International during the 2012 District Conference (DISCON) on

Friday. Casino, a known progressive leader, talked about the role of the small and medium scale enterprises in the country’s national development. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

RESH from gracing the 13th Women’s Summit last March 1, Davao City Councilor Leah Librado-Yap feels the urgent need to address women’s concerns as the city grapples with unemployment, financial crisis and natural calamities hitting women and their children the most. “The social milieu has been calling for drastic and immediate steps to fully address the impact of development and environmental policies particularly on the women sector and how the recent natural calamities both locally and all over the country has displaced thousands of women and their families”, says Librado in her message. Close to 200 partici-

Quips

ABANGAN]

‘I’M suggesting that they go through psychological assessment so that they can be aware of the values they carry and they can be awareof the mental age that they have.’ --Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman advising members of Azkals, the national football team, to consult a shrink.

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY 5 Phoenix targets 47 new stations in Minda, reports revenue increase by 85 percent

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

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HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DEcISIONS.

By Carlo P. Mallo

NDEPENDENT oil player, Phoenix Petroleum, seeks to further strengthen its position in Mindanao by establishing 47 new stations this year. In a press conference Friday, Phoenix president and CEO Dennis Uy said that the company is already the number one brand in Mindanao, while it is currently number four nationwide after Pilipinas Shell, Petron, and Caltex Chevron. “Aside from strengthening our operations and systems, we are ensuring that our team has the capability, passion, and determination to excel and bring our company forward,” Uy said. “As we focus on further growing our business, we will strengthen our relationships with dealers and business partners and provide the best customer experience.”

Phoenix Petroleum also announced that they have recorded an 85% increase in revenue to P27.5 billion in 2011 as a result of the expansion of their retail network and growth in sales from commercial and industrial accounts. Net recurring income rose 19% from P427 million to

P510 million. In 2011, Phoenix Petroleum completed the expansions of their facilities in Davao City and Calaca, Batangas. The company opened its most modern installation yet in Cagayan de Oro last November. It will inaugurate its depot in Bacolod this March to

support growth in Visayas. Last January, Phoenix completed the acquisition of Subic Petroleum Trading and Transport Philippines, to enable expansion in the northwest and parts of Central Luzon, and establish operations inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

erations manager Antonio Luigi C. Escano said the advocacy aspires for mall clients to make it a habit to use an eco-bag to save the environment. While shopping every Friday starting March 9, mall shoppers could use any reusable bags or the Ayala Malls Eco bag available at the mall’s concierge for P50 each, Escano told the media during the Kapihan sa PIA-XI held at the Abreeza VIPinoy Lounge.

He said that incentive program is offered to participating customers who will get a chance of winning El Nido travel packages in Palawan and one unit of Avida Village House and Lot for the period covering March 9 to June 1, 2012. Grand raffle draw is on June 13. A shopper will get one raffle coupon for every use of the Ayala Malls eco bag or any reusable bags, and paper bag/box when

Ayala-mall goes green

S its contribution in protecting the environment, a mall here has embarked on a greening advocacy urging shoppers to minimize the use of plastic bags. Ayala owned Abreeza mall launched Friday, March 9, the Green Fridays campaign in collaboration with its merchants, aiming to encourage customers to use biodegradable packaging or paper bags in lieu of plastic bags. Abreeza op-

FAYALA, 13

THE ECONOMY

Stat Watch

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

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

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

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

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

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

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

BIR-12 plugs tax record leaks L

OCAL businesses in and around General Santos City are currently “picking up,” an official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) directed their personnel in Region 12 to intensify their crackdown against possible “leakages” with the tax records of businesses in the area. Lucita Rodriguez, BIR assistant commissioner, said their assessment showed that the region’s revenues from the value added tax (VAT) collected by local businesses should have picked up these past months with the robust growth achieved by the area’s business sector. “I think it’s true that there were leakages. I noticed that businesses here are booming so we should have expected higher collections from VAT and business taxes,” she said in a press conference in Koronadal City. Rodriguez, who heads the BIR’s Taxpayer’s Assistance Service, visited

the area last n BIR director assures that they were exert- obligations, Wednesday acknowling “all out” efforts to stop the tax record she to grace the edged that “leakages.” they should regional k i c k o f f n BIR files a criminal case against Sarangani also expand the local imof its tax Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao. plementation campaign dubbed “I love the Philip- sessment, Rodriguez said of its e-services, which inthere is a need for their volves electronic or online pines, I pay taxes.” The BIR Revenue personnel to intensify their filing and payment of taxes. Lawyer Rozil Lozares, Region No. 18 (BIR-18), tax investigations on the which covers the entire Re- tax records of businesses BIR-18 regional director, gion 12 and Maguindanao in the area, especially the assured that they were province, earlier reported high-profile personalities exerting “all out” efforts to that its total collections tax and professionals. stop the tax record “leakagShe said they should es” and related violations collections in the area last year had reached P4.4 bil- conduct their tax mapping by local businessmen and lion, surpassing its target activities on a regular basis professionals. by 6.1 percent or P254.09 and at the same time set He said that as part of more information and edu- their campaign against tax million. Region 12 covers the cation campaigns among evaders, the BIR-18 legal provinces of South Cotaba- local businessmen and department has already to, North Cotabato, Sultan professionals. filed 13 cases involving lo“We also need to reach cal businessmen. Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General San- out with them because Lozares said they retos, Koronadal, Tacurong, there were instances, es- cently sought for the issupecially among our profes- ance of alias warrants of arKidapawan and Cotabato. The BIR regional of- sionals, that they were just rest against four suspected fice said 70 percent of its not aware of their obliga- tax evaders in the area. total collections in 2011 tions or the taxes that they “Some of the cases were generated from the need to pay,” Rodriguez that we filed are undergowithholding taxes of local said. ing litigation while some To help encourage are under mediation,” he employees while 21 perbusinessmen and profes- said. cent came from the VAT. Owing to their as- sionals to promptly and The official said they properly pay their tax

have been conducting tax investigations targeting high-profile personalities in the region “to send the right signals among our residents.” On March 1, BIR-18 officials filed a criminal case against Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao in connection with their ongoing investigation into the latter’s tax payments in 2010. Lozares said they filed the charges against Pacquiao before the prosecutor’s office in Koronadal City for violation of Section 266 of the National Internal Revenue Code after the latter allegedly failed to submit copies of his tax records and income-related documents that were summoned by the agency. But Michael Brenn Evangelio, chief of staff of the Sarangani congressional office, said Pacquiao is already attending to the matter and has initiated efforts to comply with the BIR’s summons. (ALLeN v. eStABILLO/MINdANewS)

More budget eyed MSME’s urged to avail of DOST funding for agri R&D

substantial hike for agricultural research and development is being expected by the officials of the Department of Agriculture Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) under the Aquino administration. Ricardo Cachuela, executive director of PhilMech, said that in 2012 PhilMech received about P2.1 billion higher than 2011 budget of P1.2 billion. PhilMech is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture tasked to oversee the development of postharvest technology and mechanization. Part of the PhilMech function is the continued research and development of various post-harvest technology and applications which could benefit the farmers in rural farmlands and remote upland barrios. DA’s budget for research and development alone in 2012 is P4-billion and by 2013 it is expected to

be increased, Cachuela told the media during Thursday›s (Mar. 8) special edition of Kapihan sa PIA-XI. He said that the budget increase means that the Aquino administration is all-out in its support for research and development. He said that aside from the DA and the Department of Science and Technology, there are other agencies and offices conducting R&D in their fields among these include State Universities and Colleges or SUCs. Cachuela said there is a need to improve R&D in their agency particularly in the upgrade of technology since most of these tools are expensive. He cited that a Refractrometer, which is used to analyze chemicals would cost more than a million pesos, a Gastromatograph used to examine elements costs also the same amount and a machine vision technology intended for rice research would cost a couple of millions.(PIA-11/RG ALAMA)

OCCSKSARGEN’S Department of Science and Technology (DOST-12) is calling on managers and owners of micro small and medium enterprises to submit proposals for financial and other assistance deemed necessary to boost their enterprises. In a press statement sent to the Philippine Information Agency today, DOST 12 Regional Director Zenaida P. Hadji Raof-Laidan said the regional office and its provincial science and technology centers are now accepting proposals from MSMEs for funding and assistance under its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP). SETUP, according to Dr. Laidan, is a flagship program of the agency geared toward assisting MSMEs to adopt technological innovations to improve their operations and boost their productivity and competitiveness. DOST helps these MSMEs improve productivity by product quality improvement, human resources development, cost minimization and waste management, and other

operation-related activities. Support that can be availed from the program include new technologies, manpower training, access to capital ad market, use of product standards and testing facilities, appropriate packaging and product labeling, supply of raw materials, access to information and efficient transport facilities. MSMEs that may avail of assistance should be involved in the following priority sectors food processing; furniture and Home Furnishings; gifts, holiday decors and fashion accessories; marine and aquatic resources; horticulture; metals and engineering; information and communications technology; and halal, she said. For more information, interested individuals and group may see the nearest provincial S& T center: Door 4, R&E Bldg., Alim St., Kidapawan City in North Cotabato; Door 2-A, 2Flr, Mervic N Egrillo Bldg., Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat; Brgy. Hall Compound, Calumpang in General Santos City for Gensan and Sarangani Province;

and K/F Avenue Arcade, Alunan Avenue, Koronadal City in South Cotabato. A staff of North Cotabato S&T Center explained they have been directed to accept proposal until June this year. He said, proposals will be submitted to the regional office in Cotabato City for evaluation before approved projects will be submitted to the National Program Management Office (NPMO) for final evaluation and approval. In 2010, DOST poured P56.9 million as assistance to at least 415 MSMEs. Laidan said, these resulted in improved productivity of local enterprises and gave jobs to at least 34,380 individuals. In 2011, DOST 12 endorsed 10proposals to the NPMO. Of these three were approved, namely: Upgrading of Handmade Paper Production of General Santos City Gardeners Cooperative, Inc., Technology Upgrading of BACAS Production” and “Upgrading of Banana Chips and Dehydrated Fruits of Vmotril Food Products” in South Cotabato. (dedOGUILeS/PIA 12)

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

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

PH exporters should focus on artisanship: foreign buyers

HE revival of the handicraft industry and the distinct artisanal quality of Philippine-made products were highlighted by trade experts from the USA and Japan as the Philippines’ strength at the Manila FAME International trade show. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) invited experts from Japan’s Manufactured Imports and Investment Promotion Organization (MIPRO), and USA’s By Hand Consulting, and Materials ConneXion to share market strategies for Philippine manufacturers to gain more market access in foreign countries and help make Philippine export products more viable in the international market. According to US market expert Colvin English, one of the areas the Philippines can explore is the production of green products that capitalizes on the Philippine artisanal products as an advantage. “The nature of production processes in the Philippines falls within renewable and sustainable. So much work here is done by artisans, using the hand, and it all falls in the green, sustainable, and fair trade models of business right now that is worth exploring,” said English, co-founder of By Hand Consulting, a USAbased firm that offers product design, marketing and training expertise to penetrate export markets. Japanese market expert Kiyotaka Hishida, Director of Planning and Coordination Department of MIPRO, a Japanese company that explores business opportunities and promotes small lot imports, said indigenous Philippine materials and fine craftsmanship are the strong points of Philippine exports that would interest the Japanese market. “The craftsmanship that Filipinos have is appealing for the Japanese consumers. Philippine products made from materials that are not available in the Japanese market, and very fine craftwork are the Philippine products’ strengths.” He further noted that Philippine products do not need to compete with cheaper priced exports from neighboring Asian countries like China and Taiwan. “Products from China are widely-distributed and price wise, these are very cheap. If you can-

not compete with Chinese products in terms of price, you should continue to develop products with high quality, because even if Japanese prefer lowerpriced products, they also value quality especially for luxury items. So you don’t have to compromise quality for the price. And from what I’ve seen, Filipino craftwork is suitable for middle to high-end Japanese consumers,” Hishida added. English agreed that while price is an important component to compete in the market, the Philippines should focus on different business aspects to become more competitive. “When we talk about the demands of the marketplace, we are talking about several categories: we look at design, we look at price, customer service, delivery. We have to compete in all of those areas in order for us to be more attractive, more competitive in the marketplace. So if you can’t compete on price effectively, you can highlight other aspects of your business: in the innovation, the design, the customer service, and the delivery aspects of your business.” According to George Beylerian, international design visionary and Founder and CEO of Materials ConneXion—a global materials consultancy firm that offers the world’s library of advanced, innovative and sustainable materials and processes, there is more to the Philippine export industry that what it is now. “I don’t particularly share the feeling that everything you see in the Philippines should be cheap, but it takes a little bit of effort to change that concept in people’s minds because people want to come here because they want to buy cheap things. I feel this is a good time to tell people to come here for creativity, for innovation. As well as to make the Philippines known for its extraordinary material richness.” In terms of meeting production quantities,

Quips

‘I feel vindicated of the accusations against me and other officials.’ --Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Dutete-Carpio, on Comelec’s decision junking of the protest filed by rival mayoralty candidate Prospero C. Nograles in 2010.

English mentioned that the Philippines can very well address the export demand. “The Philippines has to match its target audience with its production capabilities. Perhaps it can’t work with the same type of buyer as China’s, but it doesn’t mean that buyers that are appropriate for that type of production capacities that it has available are not out there. There are a lot of buyers now that are looking for resources that have a more boutique-level production skill that can offer them a wider range of services, a wider range of product categories, with a more controlled production capacity.” “And actually, the Philippines can produce for mass quantities. It has such a good network of artisans. It might be difficult to do so because it is working with less formal production settings than what it is dealing with in Southeast Asia. But it can be settled by just better determining the logistics and being realistic about it,” English related. Organized by CITEM, Manila FAME is a trade show that showcased export quality Philippine products and also held business forums and meetings between Philippine exporters and the foreign trade experts. “Aside from establishing the Philippines as a design destination in Asia, one of the main goals of Manila FAME is to provide local manufacturers with a venue to touch base with experts in foreign trade who can provide inside information on how to boost Philippine exports in their markets. This opens more opportunities for local manufacturers to be adept with market trends and hit export targets head on,” said Rosvi Gaetos, Executive Director of CITEM. Manila FAME’s upcoming edition promises to be more exciting for buyers and visitors as the show is now dubbed as “A Design and Lifestyle Event”, scheduled from March 14 to 17, 2012 at

the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. The international trade experts further revealed market strategies that can help local manufacturers work well in the international market they are eyeing to penetrate.

English opines, “Philippine manufacturers can become more competitive by being immersed in the international market and learning more about competitors and trends to address market needs. “I think understanding their

customers’ needs better and presenting their product in a way that is familiar and comfortable to that target customer is the best way for them to penetrate any new market, particularly the US market.”

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

The threatened low-lying fruit

EDITORIAL

Action is needed now

HE continued inaction of the national government on the deterioration of the Davao International Airport has made our political and business leaders in the region look like fools and helpless. In fairness to them, our leaders both in government and the private sector have been complaining about the sorry state of the DIA for years now. They’ve gone on the record during the meetings of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and other multi-sectoral bodies and have, in fact, written about it to the civil aviation authorities in imperial Manila. Unfortunately, their complaints have so far fallen on deaf ears. They can not also be faulted for lack of trying to find a lasting solution. For instances there have been attempts to pass a law creating a Davao International Airport Authority like the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) which allows the airport authority to retain its earnings and plow them back to fund development projects and other needs.

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The proposals have been shot down in Congress one after another on the argument that DIA’s income is not even enough to cover its operations and that the much-vaunted international facility is actually being subsidized by the national government through the Air Transportation Office (ATO), now the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). Due to its deteriorated facilities, the airport has been downgraded by standards auditors. Indeed, the safety, let alone convenience, of millions of passengers who use the airport is compromised. The CAAP is playing deaf and dumb to the problems, even those that do not require the release of funds. Meanwhile, recent press releases from the Department of Transportation and Communication had trumpeted about billions of pesos set aside by the DOTC for rehabilitation and repair of airports in the country. Somebody ought to ask DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas quick whether there is some money for the Davao International Airport’s rehab or just upkeep. As it is, the DIA is not even mentioned in the press releases. 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

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

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OR almost a decade now, business process outsourcing has been the saving grace of our economy. It has become the home of new and yet unskilled college graduates that our country produces year in and year out. Add to this the number of undergraduates or college dropouts who are almost bound to positively contribute to the unemployment figures. Even those already employed are lured into joining the bandwagon because of the more lucrative compensation and the less stressful and more appealing work environment in the call centers. As of 2011, the BPO industry generated about US $9 billion in revenues - accounting for a 4.8 percent share of the country’s GDP, and employs more than 640,000 full-time call center agents. The horizon of the business outsourcing industry seems unending and limitless. BPO companies continue to grow; some have expanded the line of their services and operations while the larger ones have gone into geographic expansion. As a response to the latter, many local government units have offered them “space” as possible investment location of BPOs. Not bad because of the reward that they bring to the local economy and to local residents. Such reward is within reach and easy to reap. There areseveral threats to the industry, though. First is the possible saturation of the market. Many opine however that this will not happen very soon as the industry is still very much in the stage of diversification and expansion. Second is the presence of competitor-host countries like India. While this is a real threat in the future, we can probably address this by further developing the skills and knowledge of our human resource to respond to the growing and expanding needs and requirements of outsourced services such software development, paralegal services, animation and game development to name a few. The third threat the industry faves is the pronouncement of US President Obama in his State of the Union in January 2012 where he strongly campaigned against the relocation of jobs and services overseas, and urged the US and other foreign business leaders to reinvest in American workers and proposed tax reforms to lawmakers to provide incentives and promote insourcing. In December last year, a bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives that seeks to discourage American companies from outsourcing customer calls outside the US. Among others, the bill – co-sponsored by Republican and Democrat representatives – would require US companies to fully disclose their outsourcing operations and disqualify them from Federal grants and guaranteed loans. Likewise, the bill – once passed – will mandate all offshore agents in the formal sector to disclose their geographic location to their customers and offer them a choice to be transferred to their American counterparts. Being the biggest call center services provider in the world, the Philippines is put at great risk with this pending US bill. It seems, however, that the government and the BPO industry are taking things lightly. On the other hand, there could be some wisdom in not over reacting as many believe that there is a strong likelihood that the bill will not be passed. For one, and from a commonsensical perspective, the proposed legislation will only restrain US companies from being competitive and cost efficient. Outsourcing allows companies to minimize their operating costs while delivering the same, if not much better, quality of service. If only for this, there is no reason for our BPO industry to panic because the quest for more cost efficient ways of doing things will surely govern global market forces more than any piece of legislation. Notwithstanding these, we should not be too complacent. Even if the proposed billf ails to pass or even if the legislation is seen merely as a political rather than an economic move, our BPO industry needs to be vigilant against such and similar threats in the future.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

FACEBOOK: Friend or Foe

started with Friendster and I was forever hooked with social networking. It was just the right timing. I was in a remote city, first time away from my parents and loved-ones. I needed to be connected. Not that my parents are techy. They are even the exact opposite of it. My yearning to be connected stemmed from a lack of a list of things to do, simply put. Years after, when Facebook was created, I didn’t think it would be a tough competition to Friendster but eventually almost everyone I know migrated to Facebook! You cannot believe how many are into Facebook now. According to current statistics, there are 27,720,300 Facebook users in the Philippines, which makes it #8 in the ranking of all Facebook statistics by country. I don’t know who introduced what to whom but my boys have their own accounts. But I take the blame. It’s my fault, entirely. A home that’s DSL and Wi-fi ready? What else can they do but use it, right? Plus they see their mom taking time on the pc, uploading pictures, sharing links and updating my status… When games and applications came about, the HOURS I spent planting and harvesting my crops in Farmville! It became ridiculous when I would hurry back home because I didn’t want my crops to wither?! I know of some people who could relate to this. Especially the ones who give me gifts and water my crops when I am away, that means, when I am not online. I would be

clicking and clicking and asking myself…. “What the hell am I doing?!” I knew right then that I had to stop. No more apps for me. So Facebook friends, no more game invitations for me, please. I hope you understand. There was this amusing facebook link which said: “You want to earn easy money? There are three easy steps : 1.) Log-out facebook 2.) Turn laptop off 3.) Get up from your chair. LOL! I also feel my thighs and hips have become slightly bigger from all that sitting. My doctor partner even warned me about the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I just know that I already have it. It’s a pain you feel in your hand because it stayed in one position for a long period of time. There are numerous benefits having Facebook. I got the chance to see my classmates on all levels including Kindergarten. One grade school classmate relayed a memory he has of me. He was crying in class and I told him to stop because if he doesn’t his eyes will shrink. At least that’s how I translate it to English. He found what I said funny so he laughed. He laughed hard he had to cover his nose and you could probably guess why. I am elated to learn something about myself or how I acted when I was a child. Then came the never-ending supply of class or batch reunions!!! I became hungry for news of my close buddies in high school. The ones I sat beside in class, the person who got me in trouble because we talked and talked while our teacher is desperately trying to get the attention of some ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) students. Maybe now, we can be diagnosed as having this disorder. Haha!

One problem I see with people so engrossed with being online is and I can better explain it by giving you a familiar scenario: 2 or 3 people in a coffee shop. 2 people with their I-phones and the other one in an I-Pad all connected through WI-Fi and all 3 connected to Facebook… no talk, pantomime or sign language perhaps? I don’t want to think that companionship and camaraderie have been reduced to this. Tsk,tsk,tsk. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned talk-a-thon?? I feel happy and proud learning about the successes of my classmates. I can see all the statuses in the facebook stream. Ofcourse, not everyone would have positive posts and I am guilty of sometimes airing my negative sentiments as well…I know. I see posts from angry friends meant for one person. And you can only say to yourself: “ If posts could kill…” I have once told my sons not to make Facebook a medium for the release of their frustrations and anxieties. I told them how it made me feel reading them and how it may affect their friends who may have already read it. It is comforting to know that we are not alone. That somewhere in another part of the world, one person is feeling the same way you do. That whatever we may be feeling, whatever we may be going through, someone has been there and climbed out of it. That’s where I got the idea of how my account should look like, how it can create a positive effect. Since I am looking for some justification why I am sitting in front of my pc every day, I found the answer. I resolve to devote time lifting the spirit of one person and that person may even be…ME.

Monkey Business

Corona and his perceived nemesis in the High Tribunal, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, are no strangers to the governor. It was Carpio who administered the oath of office of Dominguez when the latter first won in 2004 and again in 2010. (Dominguez is on his third and last term.) Dominguez also invited Corona during the groundbreaking ceremony of the annex building of the Hall of Justice in Sarangani, which was funded largely by Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. (During the trial, it was revealed that Mrs Corona traveled to General Santos City in 2011 using a PAL platinum card issued to the Chief Justice. This coincided with the March 3, 2011 official visit of her husband in nearby Sarangani, where the latter was guest of honor during the said groundbreaking ceremony.) General Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonino Custodio, a former congresswoman who signed all 3 impeachment complaints against Corona’s benefactor and former boss ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said she is so far satisfied with the conduct of the trial. Public trust “My only hope is for the process to take its course,” Custodio added. She conceded that the trial is divisive but stressed it’s part of a healthy political process. The city mayor however said Corona may no longer have the moral ascendancy to remain in office, regardless of the outcome of the trial. “For me, public office is a public trust. If the public does not trust you anymore, whether it is valid or not…it (Corona’s continued stay as chief justice) is going to be a disservice to the institution,” Custodio added. Custodio’s observation is shared by lawyer Carlos Zarate, immediate past president of the Integrated Bar of the

Philippines’s (IBP) Davao City chapter. Incumbent IBP Davao City chapter president Jonathan “Butch” Jocom said Corona’s impeachment trial should serve as a wake-up call for Supreme Court justices. But Jocom stressed that their chapter has adopted the stand of the IBP national leadership. The lawyers’ group is perceived to be supportive of Corona and has criticized the way the House rushed the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice. Roan Libarios, IBP national president, is from Butuan City and, like Gov Moreno, was also part of the prosecution panel during the Estrada impeachment trial. A member of the left-leaning lawyer’s group Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao, Zarate believes one of the reasons behind the impeachment of Corona was the Supreme Court’s decision on Hacienda Luisita, which is owned by the Cojuangco side of the President’s family. Predictably, the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao sees the Corona impeachment trial as an extension of the contradiction between and among the country’s “ruling elite.” “(The trial) only shows the irreconcilable conflict of self-interest within the ruling class, and furthermore exposes just how deep and barefaced bureaucrat-capitalism has rapaciously divested from the Filipino people,” communist leader George Madlos said in a statement issued on January 20, four days after the trial began. Its Moro counterpart has also taken a disinterested stand on the trial of the country’s chief magistrate. Majority of the Mindanaoans, after all, have more pressing concerns, such as recurring brownouts and security threats.

ISAMIS Oriental Gov Oscar Moreno knows what it takes to prosecute a high public official. In December 2000, he was one of the members of the House of Representatives who impeached and prosecuted then President Joseph Estrada. If he had his way, Moreno would prefer not to comment on how his peers have been prosecuting the second Philippine official to be impeached in a decade, Chief Justice Renato Corona. When asked about it, he merely said: “I just hope the country will emerge stronger, wiser and more mature after the trial, regardless of the outcome.” Moreno declined to comment on how the prosecution has handled the case so far. He’s apparently wished them well though. In one of the sessions of the ongoing trial, Moreno was seen bantering with members of the prosecution panel. Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, has not issued any public statement on the trial. But he is said to have told those who repeatedly sought his comments that he just wanted the trial to “take its due course.” Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez likewise initially refused to comment on what has transpired so far in the trial. But he later said the exercise is fast turning into a “circus.” He added: “I just hope that when all these are over with, we will be able to restore the respect and dignity of public office.”

Mindanao leaders on Corona’s trial

Flexible business mechanism

A N D I D SHOTS – Crime is always a serious problem. We need evidence-based crime policies that are really tough on lawbreaking, and laws that mete stiffer penalties, but are strong on crime prevention. The government should stop adopting alarmist rhetoric in regards to criminality, instead of directing the police establishment to improve public safety on the streets. It is true that the fight against crime is of utmost importance. We have to remember that crime rates have been going up at accelerating pace. If we want to be tough on crime we must first be strict on guns, make gang recruitment illegal, create a new stand-alone offense for rape-murder, robbery-holdup, home invasion, carjacking and other heinous crimes. We would all like to feel safer at home, at the workplace and in the streets therefore government should increase support for crime prevention initiatives. With the crime rate going up, government should commit to further reduce crime through better programs in youth activity and early childhood education, and address the underlying causes of crime such as poverty, inequality and racism. --o-UNDERGROUND ECONOMY – Sidewalkvending in our country usually is associated with the obligatory manner to survive. The primary reason why sidewalk and ambulant vendors proliferate in a bustling metropolis and other urban centers is unemployment. The big cities are drowned in density. Job opportunity is scarce therefore many of our countrymen turn to other income-generating ventures in order to survive. Most often you will hear them say, “mabuti na lang ang magtinda sa bangketa kahit bawal ayon sa batas kaysa magnakaw.” (It’s better to be vending in the sidewalks even it is against the law than stealing.) First, let us look closely at the economic situation. There might be radical shift in our economic development, but it is not enough to improve the lot of our people. You see, there is a very deep infirmity in a society where illegal sidewalk peddling is more desirable than going home to the province to start a new, possibly better life. For the past years, the problem has become global in scoop and bigger and more serious in developing countries like the Philippines. The root cause of sidewalk- vending and its twin –street-hawking, is unemployment. And sense sidewalk-vending does not make one rich or just being able to provide for the needs of a family that keeps on growing, thanks to the government’s failure to pursue a serious population program the sidewalk vendors remains poor or even poorer. It is vicious cycle, an unbroken curse, you might say. Economists estimate that more than one in three of the nation’s population is living below the poverty level. As a result, many of the unemployed resort to sidewalk vending, which is the fastest way to earn instant money. Well, we have seen the phenomenal rise of sidewalk vendors and street peddlers not only in Davao City, but throughout the country. Even top-level officials admit that it is not that easy to regulate the sidewalk vending trade, and even more difficult to adopt measures to clear the sidewalks of vendors and ambulant peddlers. . Local government units, Davao City included, adopt maximum tolerance as unwritten policy on sidewalk vending. This is cascaded to law enforcers who in turn become confused if not frustrated and eventually ineffective in dealing with the problem. In sum, this government’s leniency has encouraged vendors to become abusive and arrogant even to the extent of defying law enforcers and lawful orders. Still, ironically, sidewalk-vending, illegitimate and illegal it may be, contributes tremendously to the country’s economic wellbeing through what we call the “underground economy.” Yet everybody agrees that it is high time for the city government to adopt a clear policy on sidewalk vending. There’s so much room for government’s creativity to find solutions for this nagging problem. One good way to start is stop looking at the vendors as potential voters.

EDGEDAVAO 10 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEFS More Christian than Muslim migrants wORLD TODAY VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Deferred

HE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday deferred the granting of a provisional 50-centavo fare hike to transport sector pending results of its consultation with other government agencies. LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway said the board would still hold discussions and meeting with other government agencies to get their opinion and advice on the effect of any fare hike on the overall situation.

welcomed

ALACAñANG welcomed the considerable improvement of the Philippines’ ranking in the latest index of economic freedom report by the Heritage Foundation. “We welcome the country’s improvement in the world ranking of Economic Freedom of the Heritage Foundation (HF) that placed the Philippines eight notches higher compared to last year’s results,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Helicopters

EFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin formally received four new W-3A Sokol combat utility helicopters the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ordered from Poland during simple ceremonies here Friday morning.

HRISTIANS far outnumber Muslims as migrants around the world, including in the European Union where debates about immigration usually focus on new Muslim arrivals, according to a new study issued on Thursday. Of the world’s 214 million people who have moved from their home country to live in another, about 106 million (49 percent) are Christians while around 60 million (27 percent) are Muslims, the study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said. Only 3.6 million Jews around the world have moved across international borders, the study said, but that is 25 percent of the world’s Jewish population, by far the highest proportion on the move of any faith group. “Many experts think that, on the whole, economic opportunities - better jobs and higher wages - have been the single biggest driver of international migration,” it said. “At the same time, religion remains a factor in some people’s decisions to leave their countries of birth and their choices of where to go.” The study defined migrants as people living in another country in 2010 for over a year, including estimates of illegal immigrants and long-term refugees including Pales-

T MIGRANT SHELTER. A woman and a child walk past crosses set up outside a migrant shelter in the small town of Altar, about 60 miles (97 km) south of the

tinians and their descendants. “Perhaps contrary to popular perception, ... Christian immigrants outnumber Muslim immigrants in the European Union as a whole,” the report said, indirectly referring to far-right parties that have long campaigned against Muslim newcomers. Of the 47 million migrants in the EU, 26 million (56 percent) are Christians, double the 13 million Muslim migrants, who make up only 27 percent of the total, it said. The gap narrows when intra-EU migration - for example, Christian

U.S.-Mexico border in the Mexican state of Sonora, December 28, 2010.

Greeks to Germany or French-born Muslims to Britain - is excluded, but Christians migrating from outside the EU still outnumber non-EU Muslim migrants by about 13 million to 12 million. CHRISTIANS HEAD FOR U.S. The United States is the leading destination for Christian migrants, who account for 32 million (74 percent) of its 43 millionstrong foreign-born population. Two-thirds of them are from Latin America.

“The United States has received about as many immigrants from Mexico alone (more than 12 million, including both legal immigrants and unauthorised ones) as any other nation has received from all sources combined,” the study said. The U.S. is also the world’s top destination for Buddhists, many from Vietnam. “About five percent of U.S. immigrants are Muslims, a much lower share than in Europe,” it added.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH Judicial Region Branch 33 Davao City

IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF SUYANNE CITA UY SORIANO SPL.PROC. NO. 11,740-2012 GERARDO UGAY SORIANO Petitioner x---------------------------------------------------x ORDER This is a verified petition for adoption of minor Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano ,filed by Gerardo Ugay Soriano, praying that after due notice, and hearing judgment be entered adjudging, that the minor child, Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano be freed from all legal obligations of obedience and maintenance with respect to her natural parent and that she be declared to all legal intents and purposes, the child of the herein petitioner. Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, set hearing of this petition on August 2, 2012 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning. Pursuant to Section 11, Article IV of the Domestic Adoption Act of 1998, petitioners are hereby directed to submit themselves to Ms Lorelie Basillote, a social worker of this Court, for the preparation of the required case to conduct a case study on minor Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano her biological parents and petitioner, and to submit a report (home and child study reports) and recommendation thereon within (30) days from receipt of this Order. Pursuant to Sec. 12 (6) of A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC, Ms. Lorelie Basillote, is also directed to conduct counseling sessions with the biological parents (if known) on the matter of adoption of the adoptee and to submit her report before the date of hearing. Petitioner is hereby directed to cause the publication of this Order at his expense, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, which has been selected after a raffle, in the City and the four (4) provinces of Davao. Likewise, petitioner is further directed to furnish the Office of the Solicitor General a copy of this petition and to submit proof of compliance thereto. Any person interested or who seeks to oppose the instant petition may appear to state why the petition should not be granted. SO ORDERED. Davao City, Philippines, January 31, 2012 (Sgd) LOPE L.CALIO Judge (Edge 2/27,3/5,12)

In tears

HE wife of detained Tibetan documentary maker Dhondup Wangchen broke down in tears Friday in New York as she blamedChinese rule for a wave of self-immolations by protesters in her homeland. Lhamo Tso, a petite woman who last spoke to her husband in 2008, appealed for help at an openair press conference held in Times Square, where excerpts of Wangchen’s banned documentary, “Leaving Fear Behind,” were also shown.

Returned

HINA has repatriated all 31 North Korean refugees it arrested last month despite international pressure against the move, refugee advocates in South Korea said Friday. The advocates say the refugees could suffer abuse or even execution for fleeing North Korea during the mourning period for its late leader Kim Jong-Il.

Sabotage

APAN’S Antarctic whaling fleet has killed less than a third of the animals it planned to because of sabotage by activists, Tokyo said Friday as it announced the end of the season’s hunt. Japan’s Fisheries Agency said the fleet was on its way home from the Antarctic “on schedule”, but admitted that at 267 the catch was way down on expectations.

worst

major crackdown on dissent following protests across the Arab world made 2011 the worst year for human rights in China in a decade, a pressure group said Friday. Long jail terms, enforced disappearances and torture of dissidents amounted to a “downward spiral” in China’s record, Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said in its annual report.

Breakthrough

HE United States on Friday signed a deal transferring the controversial Bagram prison to Afghan control, marking a breakthrough in negotiations over a strategic treaty between the two nations. The handover of the US-run prison -- sometimes called Afghanistan’s Guantanamo Bay -- has been a key sticking point in talks between Washington and the Afghan government on concluding a longterm partnership pact.

EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA 11

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

PNoy assures completion of Asuncion-Laak Road P

RESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III has assured the completion of the 40-kilometer Asuncion, Davao del Norte – Laak, Compostela Valley Road before his term ends in 2016. 1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario said the president personally told him he wants to see the project completed before he steps down in the next presidential election. “The president wants to see that road finished when he retires in 2016,” del Rosario told local officials at the third outreach of the Davao del Norte Convergence for Peace and Development in Igangon, San Isidro, this province. The representative said the national government is releasing this year

another P70 million for the Asuncion-Laak Road, in addition to the P95 million provided last year for the upleveling and concreting of the road, which passes through Barangay Igangon. Cong. del Rosario also bared more nationallyfunded projects are in the pipeline in his district, to include the electrification of yet unlighted remote areas and the development of local tourism sites. He said some P38 million is appropriated for the rural electrification program in the province. While the province is also included in the national government’s list of tourism development priorities, where billions of pesos will be poured in to improve access going to tourist destinations.

P4.4-B infra to boost agri in Mindanao

HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 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 Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and Central 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 them would be provided with irrigation facilities, in the hope of increasing income of 69,091 farmerbeneficiaries in 12 settlement areas, 205 barangays and 25 towns in the three regions, a release from the agency said. 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, sus-

tainable and technologybased agriculture sector to ensure food security, increase farmer’s income, attract investments and generate employment opportunities,” Pacturan said. He added that the project would also help reduce risk through climate change adaptation and mitigation, and rational use of our agricultural land,” Pacturan said. Funded by JICA and the Philippine government, Pacturan said, the project would be carried out in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), along with local non-government and people’s organizations and the private sector. “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. DAR11

TREE PLANTING. DavNor 1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario huddles with Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr., Board Member Atty. Joey Millan, 1003rd IB Commander Col Lysander Suerte, together with Capitol

executives during tree planting activity at the third convergence outreach in Igangon, San Isidro, Davao del Norte. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO

3 new tramlines to benefit tribes in Davao region

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 cost 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 Ba-

rangay 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

Quips

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.

‘I aM So Happy wItH tHIS prograM, tHat’S wHy wE, at tHE congrESSIonal offIcE HavE dEcIdEd to joIn In and HElp out by provIdIng fundS.’

--Rep. Anthony G. del Rosario (1st District, Davao del Norte), after handing over P800,000 for the treatment of cancer patients.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Starmobile launches flagship store in Davao with one-day sale on March 14

T A R M O BILE celebrates the opening of its flagship concept store at the 3rd floor of Gaisano Mall in Davao City on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 with a grand and exciting one-day sale that will surely be a treat to all Starmobile customers! Enjoy brighter deals as Starmobile awards the first 50 buyers of the Mercury B101 and Mercury B201 mobile phones with a 50% discount. And for those who choose to go for a more sophisticated and feature-packed model, Starmobile offers as much as P1000 off for the first 50 buyers of the Jupiter Q501i. What’s more, a 10% discount will be available

EDGEDAVAO

wORLD TODAY The Business PAPER

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

Davao across all other Starmobile models such as the Neptune B301 with its slim design, the music edition Neptune B302, the bestselling Neptune B501 with mobile TV, the touch screen Neptune T501 and the chic and stylish Venus SQ301. Exclusive discounts and super-value offers await those who visit the Starmobile store opening in Davao on March 14. Line opens at 1PM. Starmobile dual SIM phones are also available in stores nationwide. Check out www.starmobile.com.ph, Happy Man by Starmobile on Facebook, and @happymanPH on Twitter for more exciting news from Starmobile.

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

Enjoy the movies with ‘Sun Sinehan’

UN Cellular makes the movies more accessible with Sun Sinehan, a roving movie house that will visit selected barangays in Mindanao and offer free movie viewing for the public! This is great news, especially for Maja Salvador fans, as they can watch her latest movie, Thelma, at the comfort of their own community! “Thelma” is an inspiring and uplifting story of a mischievous and tomboyish teenage girl from Ilocos Norte portrayed by Maja Salvador. Her passion for running serves as an outlet to unsaddle herself on her life’s misgivings. A disappointment to her farmer father’s dream of having a son for a first-born, she is also an elder sister to a smarter and more passionate little sister. Despite being secretly envious of her kin, they are best friends. Sun Sinehan will be the ultimate Maja fanatics gettogether! Get a chance to win special prizes just by bringing out the Maja in you with their Dance Ala Maja, Maja Makeover and Haircut Ala Maja contests! Make sure to bring along the all your family and friends as a special prize awaits the biggest BARKADA or PAMILYA group. Just purchase any Sun Prepaid SIM plus load to get free movie tickets, free items and discounts!

F. Torres St., Davao City Tel No. 227-3773 - (72) Fax: 295-3485

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PNP...

Mayor...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1 The Discon which ended last Saturday was attended by 1,500 Rotarians coming from the Visayas and Mindanao led by District Governor Leoncio “Nonoy” VillaAbrille. Bartolome immediately left for the airport after delivering his speech on the PNP’s peace keeping efforts, said Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa who escorted Bartolome. In a letter received by Mayor Duterte-Carpio March 7, the national police gave its nod to the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) resolution dated February 28 requesting General Bartolome to declare a gun ban from March 1-31 in Davao City as a security measure during the Araw ng Dabaw celebrating the 75th founding anniversary are Davao City. Shoot to kill Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte-Carpio gave orders to the city’s peace keeping units not to

Ayala...

hesitate to gun down criminals refusing to surrender. “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,” the mayor said in a text message. The DCPO director said they will “seriously follow the mayor’s instructions.” “Seryoso to. Shoot to kill basta armado unya musukol. (It’s serious. We’re going to shoot to kill if the criminal is armed and would resist arrest). In situations that civilians are in danger especially now that there’s Araw ng Dabaw,” dela Rosa said in an interview. Dela Rosa also said that the City Mayor “need not give this order.” “Even if though there’s no order from her, if we are put into that situation (wherein an armed criminal refuses to surrender)

we have to defend ourselves,” dela Rosa said. Police Regional Office 11 director P/C Superintendent Jaime Morente also gave his concurrence, reminding people from the neighboring provinces “not to carry their guns inside Davao City.” The 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.

Ayala owned Abreeza mall launched Friday, March 9, the Green Fridays campaign in collaboration with its merchants, aiming to encourage customers to use biodegradable packaging or paper bags in lieu of plastic bags. Abreeza operations manager Antonio Luigi C. Escano said the advocacy aspires for mall clients to make it a habit to use an eco-bag to save the environment. While shopping every Friday starting March 9, mall shoppers could use any reusable bags or the Ayala Malls Eco bag available at the mall’s concierge for P50 each, Escano told the media during the Kapihan sa PIA-XI held at the Abreeza VIPinoy Lounge. He said that incentive program is offered to participating customers who will get a chance of winning El Nido travel packages in Palawan and one unit of Avida Village House and Lot for the pe-

riod covering March 9 to June 1, 2012. Grand raffle draw is on June 13. A shopper will get one raffle coupon for every use of the Ayala Malls eco bag or any reusable bags, and paper bag/box when shopping at any merchant of the mall (food and nonfood) during the promo period. “Hopefully the customers will be encouraged to participate in the campaign,” Escano stated. He said Ayala Malls commits to plant 100 citrus fruit trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons issued in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The trees will be planted at the Abuan Watershed in Northern Sierra Madre National Park, Isabela province, which, aims to increaseinfiltration/aquifer recharge and baseflows, and reduce erosion and sedimentation of the Abuan River.

FFROM 5 shopping at any merchant of the mall (food and nonfood) during the promo period. “Hopefully the customers will be encouraged to participate in the campaign,” Escano stated. He said Ayala Malls commits to plant 100 citrus fruit trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons issued in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The trees will be planted at the Abuan Watershed in Northern Sierra Madre National Park, Isabela province, which, aims to increaseinfiltration/aquifer recharge and baseflows, and reduce erosion and sedimentation of the Abuan River. In Davao City, the Ayala Malls has also planted trees in Toril as part of the mall’s greening contribution, Escano said. The Abreeza Mall’s existing environment initiatives and practices include the use of rainwater, water treatment plant in all facilities, recycling, environment-friendly equipment and airconditioning units that are energy efficient. PIA-11 As its contribution in protecting the environment, a mall here has embarked on a greening advocacy urging shoppers to minimize the use of plastic bags.

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Quips

‘wE’rE just humans. we’ve been receiving all kinds of insults. there were also name-calling. we’re all hurt by these attacks. who wouldn’t be? these are all baseless and lies.’

--Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona

waiting for me),” she said. Boycott The city mayor also affirmed that there are rumors certain employees of the Central 911 have proclaimed their desire to resign if Monsanto is replaced, or boycotting the new chief. “Yes I have read about that through social networking sights. And I want to get the message across that nga katong gusto mu-resign, pagresign na,” Duterte-Carpio said. “Kung gusto nila mu-resign, I will gladly accept their resignation,” she added. The mayor said she is ready if ever this scenario would happen, saying it could be that the Central 911 would have to pause operation. “I would just have to apologize to the public that it would stop siguro for one or two days so we can look for those who’d fill up the positions but as I said I will gladly accept all their resignations,” she said. In an interview with Edge Davao, five employees of Central 911 denied the rumors of a boycott. The five employees, all of whom did not want to be identified, said they haven’t even heard about Central 911’s newly appointed chief. “Wala gani mi kabalo ana. Ang sa amoa mag-hulat lang gyud mi sa mandate sa City kay under man mi sa City Mayor’s Office. Nagahulat lang man gyud mi ug order,” said an IT programmer who’s been working for 5 years in Central 911. The five praised their former chief. “Maayo man ang pagpadagan diri. Naay sistema. Maayo ang pagpadagan ni Sir Monsanto,” said a emergency medical technician of 6 years. “Ang problema man gyud kay dili masabtan sa mga tao ang tinood nga function sa 911. Sa word nga ‘emergency’ pa lang dapat

for emergency lang gyud na. We receive an average of 100 calls a day for emergency pero amo nang gina-filter kay ang uban dili tinood nga emergency. “Naay uban sakit ra diay ang tiyan o magpatabang ra diay pahatod sa hospital tungod naka-schedule siya for operation. Tungod sa mga ingana dili na hinoon ma-cater tung mas importante nga emergency gyud,” said emergency medical technician who’s been with 911 for 8 years. The Central 911 employees also concurred with an earlier statement with Monsanto that the lack of ambulance is “not a matter of complaints from people but the status quo.” In an interview March 6, it was a subdued Monsanto who said he would just wait for the mayor’s orders. “I will never question her kung unsa iyahang decision. Basta kung ano ang decision ni mayor I am willing to support her,” Monsanto said in an interview at the City Council wherein he attended the committee hearing on the issue on the inaccessibility of 911 through telecoms Globe and Smart. Monsanto was appointed as head of Central 911 by former city mayor, now Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when it was created in 2002. Monsato said he found fulfillment in his position. “Oo eh, dako gud nag natabang sa syudad. Ang naga-taas nga numbers of responses nga ginahimo sa 911 every year ang proof nga naga-contribute siya sa syudad,” he said. Audit The mayor said the next step would be to conduct an audit of the equipment and expenses of the Central 911. “Dili lang financial audit but an audit of everything: personnel, equipment, budget para mahibaw-an ang problema,” she said.

“Sa karon man gud puro lang complaint di ba. So to verify to validate, we need to do an audit sa ilaha,” she added. Changes The mayor added that there will be changes in the operation of the Central 911. She said among the things being discussed is for the call center of the Central 911 to be transferred under the functions of the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC). “That needs to be discussed because naa didto ang technology. Naa didto ang CCTV cameras, ang monitoring,” she said. Duterte-Carpio also revealed the city has received a donation from the Aboitiz company to strengthen its street monitoring capability. “The Aboitiz has always been our partner for the longest time and they opted to donate new equipment, the technology, to the PSCC,” she said. The mayor earlier expressed her dissatisfaction on the performance of the 911, pointing out that it receives a very high budget from the city. “Sila man ang front liners. Mao na ang ginatawag nga line agencies kumbaga. Mao na ang naa sa front line mag-deliver ug service. Of course (mao na) ang ginexpect nato. (The) chief operations officer siguro should be present during baha, sunog, ug kung unsa pa man ang coordination meeting during events and the likes,” she said during her regular press conference. The mayor, however, stressed that her decision is nothing personal. She however admitted that there is a lack of communication between her office and Central 911. “Actually wala man mi problema kaming duha. It’s just that dili pud mi nagaistorya,” she said referring to Monsanto. [JAde C. ZALdIvAR]

MOTORING

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Southern Motors of Davao named Isuzu’s Dealer of the Year 2011

SUZU’S exclusive dealer for Southeastern Mindanao, Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. (SMDI), marked a major milestone in 2011 as the company secured the Isuzu Dealer of the Year title. This marks the first time that Southern Motors of Davao took the top honors for all Isuzu dealers nationwide. “It’s a proud moment for us,” commented Frank T. Liu Jr., Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. President and General Manager. “2011 has been a challenging year for the industry and the auto sales network as a whole, but through the talent and hard work of our team here at Isuzu Davao, we were able to meet our targets and goals last year.” The Isuzu Dealer of the Year award is given to the full-service Isuzu dealership that fulfills very strict criteria on top of achieving actual sales quotas in terms of both vehicles and service. In 2011, despite the challenges posed by disastrous natural phenomena overseas, Southern

Motors of Davao, Inc. achieved Best in Sales as well as Best in Service Performance, and was duly recognized by Isuzu Philippines Corporation. The management of SMDI has been assumed by Liu just three years ago, and already the company has risen to the many challenges that have faced region and the industry as a whole. The Dealer of the Year award only strengthens the company’s commitment to excellence in serving their customers in the south. “It’s been a trying year for us here at Southern Motors, but we weathered the storms in more ways than one,” continued the SMDI President. “We are very proud of what our dealership has achieved,” said Mr. Kim Liu, SMDI’s Assistant Vice President for Sales and Marketing, “moreover, we are even more proud of our loyal workforce here at SMDI for their determination to overcome the challenges of last year.” SMDI has been in the auto industry for over 60

The Business PAPER

Tagum

years. Originally established as Southern Motors, Inc. in 1949 under the Yutivo and Sons Group of Companies, SMDI, then SMI, sold vehicles made by General Motors Corporation such as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Opel, Holden, Vauxhall and Isuzu. In the 1980’s, SMDI then transitioned to become a part of the Isuzu dealer network with the founding of Isuzu Motors Pilipinas, Inc., the precursor of today’s Isuzu Philippines Corporation. Since then, SMDI has been the exclusive representative of the reliable Isuzu brand in the whole of Southeastern Mindanao. To date, Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. carries the reliable Isuzu Crosswind AUV, the tough Isuzu D-MAX pick-up, the comfortable Isuzu Alterra SUV. For light trucks, SMDI also sells the country’s favorite light and medium commercial trucks such as the N Series and the larger F Series, as well as the new Isuzu I-Van. “2012 is looking bright for all of us, and we at Isuzu Davao are more than happy to deliver the best, most reliable dieselpowered vehicles in the

market such as the Crosswind, D-MAX and Alterra, as well as happily supply all of your parts and servicing needs for the years to come,” said Liu . “We would like to thank our customers -without whose patronage and confidence in SMDI- this would not be possible,” he concluded.

Dealer of the Year - Dennis Torres - Dealer Coordinator, Takashi Tomita Executive Vice Pres. Isuzu Phils. Corp, Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao President Frank T. Liu, Jr., AVP for Sales and Marketing Kim Liu and Sales Executives (Ruth Niog, Maryshel Melo, Rosilyn Mares) and Isuzu Philippines Corporation President Ryoji Yamazaki.

Best in Service Performance - Edward De Guzman - Assistant Division Head Parts and Service Manager Isuzu Philippines Corp., Isuzu Davao Southern Motors of Davao AVP for Sales and Market-

ing Kim Liu and President Frank T. Liu, Jr. and Toshiyuki Watanabe Parts and Service Consultant Isuzu Philippines Corp.

You can now buy your weekly paper fill of in-depth business news and features from any of these establishments still at Php 15.

Best in Sales - Daisuke Inaba - Assistant Division Head Isuzu Phil, Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao AVP for Sales and Marketing Kim Liu, President Frank

T. Liu, Jr. and Sales Executives (Ruth Niog, Maryshel Melo, Rosilyn Mares) and Art Balmadrid Sr. Vice President, Sales Division.

Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao Management and Employess with Isuzu Philippines Executives and

President Ryoji Yamazaki

Jose Abad Santos St., Corner Arellano St., Tagum City 8100 Philippines Tel. No.: (084) 216-3003 Cell No,: 0939-243-8539

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VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

TRAVEL

Urban guide to Araw ng Dabaw A

RAW ng Davao (and the days leading up to it) is one of the most exciting times in Durian City. It is chock full of events to fill the planner, ignite a thirst for ethnocentric fare, and as a bonus, attracts droves of tourists to mingle with. Here is a list of ten events you could enjoy during Davao’s Charter Day with tweetlong (140 characters) descriptions. 1.) Mutya ng Dabaw Coronation Night: Set sights on Davao’s most beautiful and talented during the most prestigious beauty pageant in the city. (March 14, 2012 Davao Recreation Center)

facts you may not know about Davao City

2.) Sayawan sa Da’an: Dance to the hottest beats along with locals and tourists on the biggest dance party to hit the city. (March 15, 2012 Roxas Avenue to Rizal Park) 3.) Hudyakaan Sa Araw ng Dabaw: If you enjoy chill-drinking while listening to various bands and eating some grilled

fare, this event is the one for you. (March 1-31, 2012 Roxas Avenue) 4.) Republiq Celebrates Araw ng Davao: Republiq Superclub (Manila) invades Mindanaon shores and lends its brand of hardcore partying to Davao’s vibrant nightscape. (March 16, 2012 Garden Oases Convention

• The original Chinatown of the city was along San Pedro St., but after World War 2, it moved to its current location in Uyanguren. • The highest building was the three-story AWAD building, breaking the norm of two-storey buildings. • Before malls, A&M was the place to shop for imported items. Don’t forget Felcris Sales, where you can buy imported stuff. • The grounds around the Sangguiniang Panglungsod used to be a zoo. Now, are you surprised you can still see remnants of crocodiles, monkeys, and other animals in the session hall? • The Rizal Park used to be a skating rink. • The park fronting the Southern Philippines Medical Center is actually called Imelda Park, the trees planted by the former first lady herself. • There used to be 32 stand-alone movie theaters in Davao City. In-mall cinemas killed them all. • About two dozens of department stores lining up along San Pedro street were owned by South Asian descent, bumbay ba. And a handful of Filipino Chinese traders. • Victoria Plaza is the first mall in Davao City and in Mindanao. • The location of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was the site of a court and jail. • DCHS, the acronym of Davao City High School used to mean “dala camo hait sanggot” due to the tall grasses in the area. • The lot where the UM Multi-test is and part of the UM Campus was called embassy grounds as it was previously owned by the US Embassy.

Center) 5.) Pahalipay Concert: This free-for-all two-day concert features some of the best local acts and is the biggest convergence of local music enthusiasts. (March 16-17, 2012 Rizal Park) 6.) Confessions of a Partyphile’s Araw ng Davao Party: Popular for drinking games, quirky themes, an intimate setting, and gorgeous crowd,

this party is definitely going to be a smash hit. (March 17, 2012 Marco Polo Davao’s Eagles Bar) 7.) Starr Dine Party Shine: A must-visit for local and visiting partyphiles during the Charter Day festivities; this bar draws in hot yuppie spenders. 8.) Hybrid: If you’re young, looking to mingle, and plan to break a sweat on the dance floor, Hybrid is the perfect spot to cel-

ebrate Araw ng Davao. 9.) The Venue Party Boat: With different themes per week, this new party concept takes the dance floor in the middle of the sea on board a pimped-out boat. 10.) MTS Taboan: Taboan is a hub for drinks, music, and fun. This truly Davaoeno establishment has a vibe of its own and is the perfect place to unwind.

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Hot or Not ENTERTAINMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Davao’s Urban legends

VERY big city in the world has its own set of urban legends, from alligators in the sewers of New York City to ghosts in London City’s famed underground. Durianburg also has it’s own fair share of urban legends.

• Giant snake in a department store. It’s our take on the rumored snake that lives in the basement of a popular mall in Metro Manila. Rumor has it that the floor of the department store is a trap door that leads to the chamber of the giant snake, which is said to be the twin of one of the department store owners. • Kid ghost in hotel’s 3rd floor. This posh hotel in downtown Davao is not as old as other hotels but there are already sightings of ghosts in the hotel’s third floor. Rumor has it that if she doesn’t like you, she’ll make noises you will never forget. • Haunted house in Champaca. It’s another ghost sighting or rumored ghost sighting in this old abandoned house in Champaca St., Juna Subdivision. We don’t know if the house is still there or if the ghost has found a new home. • Devil Woman. In the 60s, women

were properly dressed when they go to church but this woman went to church wearing a red torero. Then the woman suddenly grew a tail. Believe it or not. • Mermaid. A mermaid was apparently caught and was placed inside a barrel at the Philippine Constabu-

lary Barracks, now known as the DCPO compound. • White Lady. Drivers report seeing a white lady along Bajada near the Southern Philippines Medical Cen-

P a r typhile answers: Hey J i l l ! Thanks for writing in. I’m sure a lot of people canrelate with that problem. Unfortunately, in this country, event invitations are taken more lightly and people think it is alright to tag a friend (or friends) along to any party or event. However, you must understand why the party’s host/ess sent out invitations to specific people that s/he wants to see in her event. Any party must work around a budget. Thus, the number of people attending matters a lot. Imagine yourself in her shoes. If you invited twenty people, you would probably prepare enough food and drinks for that number of people (or, if you are a host/ess with good sense, a little over that number). Thus, when your guests bring in more people than expected, you would either run out of food and refreshments, or would have to buy more; which just brings unnecessary stress. Also, don’t ask the host if you could bring more friends with you. Obviously, the only choice s/he has it to agree with you because it would be very embarrassing to turn such a suggestion down. Pressuring the host/ess

is not a good even if it means that you get your way and get to enjoy the party with your friend. So here are my suggestions. If you are not very close with the host/ess, I would suggest that you send a negative RSVP. That way, s/he wouldn’t be expecting you at the party. Instead, send some gift like homemade pastries, some wine, or foodstuff s/he could serve at the party. This tells the host that you have not forgotten about the occasion and that you want to share it with him/her. Also, it would be good to ask the host/ess if you could set another date for you to have some coffee or dinner to “celebrate” whatever it is that the party is celebrating. However, the best thing to do is to go to the party. Your friend obviously invited you because s/he wants to share this moment with you; s/he wants to create a wonderful memory with you. Once you get to the party (alone), I’m sure you would find some common friends or familiar faces. If not, you could always try to make friends with other people in the party. The thing is, you can always go home once you feel uncomfortable. Until then, you owe it to your friend to at least show up. I hope I answered your question Jill! Thank you for writing in. Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 on 105.9 Mix FM. For questions, comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or follow him on twitter.com/zhaun

ter and in front of the Carmelites Monastery. The white lady goes as far as riding the jeep or taxi.

Partyphile woes CHARICE Pempengco bares her new look and a tattoo!? What on earth was she thinking? We’ll pass judgment and ask you instead. Is her new look hot or not? Send your comments to indulgetweets@gmail.com

THE Azkals are now facing a new scandal that allegedly happened inside the locker room. The subject is very sensitive so we leave judgment to you. Aren’t the Azkals a little too old to be rascals?

ERE is the deal. I only receive two types of mail. Being a partyphile, I get a lot of letters of invitation for events, social gatherings, or party-interventions. Being a sarcastic bastard, I also get a lot of hate mail which are a lot more entertaining than invites. Thankfully, I get soo much more hate mail than event invites and that inspires me to open my mailbox daily.

So you could only imagine my surprise when I receive a letter from a woman who was asking some advice. I couldn’t believe it! After three years of talking about parties on my radio show and writing about partying on this newspaper column, somebody actually trusts my party-sense enough to ask me a question. So that inspired me to start giving some advice to people who actually need help in terms of party etiquette, party planning, the art of socializing, or anything related to the partyphile lifestyle. So here it is, my first ever advice article! Jill writes: “Hello partyphile! My name is Jill. I wanted to ask you something about partying. I was invited to a party to celebrate my friend’s return to the Philippines. I got an invitation and it doesn’t say anything about taking a friend with me. I don’t think I know anyone else in the party aside from my friend who is hosting it. Should I still attend? Should I bring a friend with me? What may I do? Thanks for the help”

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Review in a jiffy:

John Carter E! Online reviews the movie John Carter, which is now showing throughout the city. Here’s what they think of the movie: Part western, part swashbuckler, and a huge part science fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ century-old story of a Confederate veteran turned warlord of Mars finally makes it to the big screen, after many aborted attempts over the years. Taylor Kitsch stars as the title character in a surprisingly intricate and violent space fantasy epic...from Disney! Review in a Hurry: Disney’s tone-deaf marketing of John Carter led many of us to fear the worst, from its curious omission of the word “Mars” to early looks at unfinished CG aliens who looked like cartoons (particularly frightening since the director, Andrew Stanton, came from cartoons). Now, at the last minute, all the effects are finished and the TV spots are finally showing off some of the larger-scale set pieces. Is it too late? Let’s hope not, because there’s material here to sustain a solid franchise if the demand is there. As in the Burroughs books, Carter is posited as an uncle of Burroughs himself (portrayed here by former Spy Kid Daryl Sabara), whose journal comes into the author’s possession as a result of the former’s apparent death. Inside are stories of Barsoom, the Martians’ word for their home planet, where red-tattooed human tribes (changed from red skin in the books, which presumably would come across too un-PC today) battle each other and the green-skinned Tharks, tall-tusked aliens with four arms. Into the midst of these conflicts come yet another race, the Therns, led by—who else—Mark Strong. Seemingly possessed of mystical powers they seek to tilt the balance of power by introducing a new energy weapon into the hands of Sab Than (Dominic West), evil ruler

of the red city of Zodanga. Meanwhile, in the blue city of Helium (Barsoom seemingly only has two cities on the entire planet, though any potential sequels will surely reveal otherwise), princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) is on the verge of discovering this same energy weapon entirely without outside assistance. Throw into the mix a Civil War veteran who finds the interstellar pathway via a mysterious cave of gold, and winds up among the Tharks...and you’ve got a whole mess of complications in play for the fate of the red planet. Kitsch in costume may bring back uncomfortable flashbacks to Prince of Persia, but he’s far better than that, delivering a female-friendly face and bod while still being tough enough for the guys. His appeal here owes a not-insignificant debt to his interactions with HYPERLINK “http://www.eonline.com/celebs/Willem_ Dafoe/117388”Willem Dafoe’s alien chieftain Tars Tarkas, whose hardass ways and hidden

heart of gold steal the show. Director Stanton loves his environmentally pillaged, futuristic wastelands, but that’s about all John Carter has in common with Wall-E. Parents be warned—the body count in this movie, which includes the Tharks shooting their own egg-hatchling babies, is massive. There’s a cute alien dog that kids will love, but even it gets kicked around nastily before Carter comes to the rescue. For those old enough to enjoy the books, however, the action is large-scale and awesome. The 3-D isn’t essential to the viewing—it neither adds much depth nor throws things out at you, and feels like an afterthought. What does add depths are the suggestions of a larger mythology connecting Earth and Mars that seems like it might be fun to explore more of. Let’s hope we get that chance. The 180—a Second Opinion: Remember, Burroughs wrote these books a hundred years ago. If you’re looking for strict scientific accuracy, this is so not your kind of film.

Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

BOOKS

Steve Jobs

by Walter Isaacson Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years, the author has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

by Marites Danguilan Vitug It is impossible to pore over this book without developing a keen awareness of how important change is in an institution we like to call the “last bulwark of democracy.” I brought to this work a journalist’s inquiring mind, accompanied by the hope that this spurs a national conversation. - Vitug

by Amy Chua Read the book that set off a global parenting debate with its story of one mother’s journey in strict parenting. Here, Chua argues that Western parenting tries to respect and nurture children’s individuality, while Chinese parents typically believe that arming children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence prepares them best for the future.

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EVENT

Learning and showing

HE fashion design students of the Philippine Women’s College of Davao recently held a fashion show to show off the skills they learned in PWC’s fashion design program. Although the show was for the design students, I can see that a lot of thinking, and effort went into the creation of each group of student’s collections ranging from preppy denim wear, to club wear, office power dresses, summer wear, and luxe eve-

ning wear. Each collection really aimed to highlight the construction and draping of the clothes and these clearly showed on the runway. Fashion program director Emi Alexander Englis beams “The

students really put their heart and soul into these projects, school events like this aims to bring out their confidence and allows them to explore with different concepts and ideas when it comes to designing.” What really amazed me the most though was that all the clothes shown in the show used to be pre-loved, pre-owned clothing. “We wanted to challenge the students by giving them a theme and then giving them an element to work with, in this case, clothes from the ukay-ukay, and have them engineer these pieces into new wearable pieces” says Emi. Honestly, if he had not mentioned to me that the pieces used to be ukayukay then I would have not known. That shows

the level of creativity and passion these design students possess. They have their mentors proud. And as for Davao’s design future, I believe it will be fabulous thanks to these

bright young minds. And as a word of advice to these budding young designers, I say GO LANG NG GO! Take every challenge in stride and make every effort to be yourself.

EDGEDAVAO

MOTORING

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

will switching off the aircon save you on gas? By Neil Bravo

opening windows instead of using the AC would save us on gas, we are actually consuming more if we do not know when to switch AC off and open windows. Close Windows and Use A/C at High Speeds There is an efficiency debate here: Open the windows in summer to avoid running your energy-intensive air conditioner, or keep the windows closed and the a/c on to preserve your car’s aerodynamic profile? We came across a very helpful article from Practical Mechanics. According to Practical Mechanics, driving at 55 mph with the a/c running, yielded a test result

FERRARI Motor Show. The Pavilion Mall hosted the annual Ferrari motor show with over 50 Ferrari cars all lined up in the mall grounds located at Jalan Ismail in

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Edge Motoring had the chance of taking a close look at the Ferrari Spiders and GTOs on display.

Toyota cited as corporate role model T OYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) got commendation from Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. for being a model corporation in the country by respecting its employees and maintaining high quality vehicles for its customers. Coloma led the car lineoff ceremonies recently. “More than being a most outstanding employer, TMP has been a model corporate citizen, always in the top rungs of taxpayers by dint of its efficient and profitable operations and serving as an exemplar in caring for the environment through its massive reforestation project in Penablanca, Cagayan. For these, the Filipino people are most grateful to TMP,” Coloma said in his message during the launching of TMP’s 500,000th car in its

Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant on Thursday. In 2008, Coloma said he participated at TMP’s 20th anniversary celebration and underwent an immersion program enabling him to fully understand Toyota’s corporate culture. “I realized that respect for people is deeply embedded in the norms and values as well as in the basic philosophy that underpins the production process of TMP,” he said. The “Toyota Way” is person-centered, as the company considers every team member a valuable contributor to the attainment of the company’s collective goal as an organization, Coloma said. He added that the company is also spirit-driven which is composed of individuals that are motivated by a cause that is greater than themselves.

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF STATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

Notice is hereby given that the INTESTATE ESTATE OF JESUS A. RALOTA and VICTORIA Z. RALOTA with waiver of rights has been the subject of extra judicial settlement by his heirs per Doc. No. 430, Page No. 86, Book No. III, Series of 2011

OU can never pick the time when fuel prices go up. And just as your pocket start to grimace in pain with the rash of fuel hikes, here comes the dreaded time of the year to use gas—summer. Gasoline price is almost P60 per liter and there is no indication of any rollback on sight. Now, how do you deal with things like going on a road trip this summer? Conventional wisdom tells us that first to go would be the aircon. It’s the first to get switched off so we save on gas. Right? Eeenk. Wrong. While we think that

SOS XI tops DFA U16 elims

ESPITE being held to a draw in their last outing, SOS still took top honors after the single round eliminations of the 2012 DFA Under 16 Girls Football Tournament at the FAITH Academy Field. The SOS side drew with the Lady Knights 1-1 in their final eliminations assignment and saw their four-game winning streak snapped. But a 4-win 1-draw card is all that they needed to top the eliminations of this tournament devoted to girls aged 16 years old and below. The Lady Knights

PARTICIPATING TEAMS

Pts

Rank

SOS

1ST

MEDVIL FC

2ND

Lady Knights

3RD

Faith Academy

4TH

U13 Davao

-10

5TH

Tambayan FC

-21

6TH

dropped to 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss to wind up in third place. Medvil FC took the no. 2 spot after blasting U13 Davao Selection 7-2 behind twin markers by both Sanaa Jikiri and Nina Lumactod. Host FAITH Academy finished the elims with a 2-1-2 card for fourth place while

U13 Davao recorded a 2-0-3 win-draw-loss slate for 5th. Tambayan FC rounded out the five squads with an 0-0-5 performance. The tournament is sanctioned by the Davao Football Association with Ching delos Reyes as Match Commissioner.

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of 24 mpg; turning it off resulted to 28 mpg. Then they opened all four windows, one at a time, and lost 1 mpg per window until they were back at 24 mpg. So at that speed, it’s a wash. The reason is that aerodynamic drag rises exponentially with speed—the faster you go, the more the open windows hurt efficiency. Now, going back to the fierce debate. Opening windows or switching the a/c on? The answer: Below 55 mph, open the windows and leave the a/c off. But at 60 mph or higher, keeping them closed and the air conditioning running will burn less fuel.

LIST OF AWARDEES [FIRSt OF 2 PARtS] 1. ARNIS Jezebel S. Morcillo Bill Amper Maria Strella Sapar 2. ATHLETICS Ernesto Alsa Jonash Melchor Micheal Ian Constantino Noemel John Lanuza Nova Belle M. Tega Meezel Cabreros 3. BASKETBALL Danny Colango Karen Cantaluna Jose Maria College Kings Assumption College of DavaoMen 4. BADMINTON Marinel A. Diansay Kim Therese B. Jarabelo Klowie Garcia 5. BASEBALL Earl Ryan Del Socorro 6. BODY BUILDING Eliaquim C. Balbero Rey Ylanan Ruthelo Labestre Annie Grace H. Yatar 7. BOWLING(Duckpin) John Alvert Baluyot Romeo Manlubatan 8. CHESS Ella Grace Moulic Irish Yngayo Mary Israel Palero Austin Jacob Literatus Elect Edgar Reggie Olay Rowelyn-Joy Acedo

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Mayor vows continued support for athletes by Neil Bravo

BALLWATCH. Phoenix Petroleum CEO Dennis Uy watches his chip shot from the apron in his round on Saturday in the Phoenix Cup golf tournament at Rancho Palos Verdes. (Boy Lim)

EDGEDAVAO

ITZ-Hotel-Garden Oases’ ballroom literally lit up with stars and Mayor Sara Duterte knew exactly what to do next—keep them shining. Mayor Duterte threw a party for the city’s highachieving athletes and then vowed to continue her administration’s support for sports during Friday’s Recognition Night for Davao City Athletes. 130 athletes led by controversial world kickboxing welterweight champion Steve Grandeza were honoured by the city government, receiving a specially crafted trophy and P2,000 cash each as incentive. The award was based on recommendations from various sports associations in Davao City. “I will continue to support our athletes in their participation in various competitions and implement grassroots sports development program,” Mayor Duterte told media. Oona Ysabelle Barnes, a gold medalist in the recent SMA Karatedo Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also gave a touching response on behalf of the athletes. She thanked the city government for the recognition and vowed to always play her best for the honor of the city and her family. Aside from the athletes, also paresent were the coaches and repre-

sentatives of the various sports associations in the city. “There are no distinctions whether you are NSA or not, this rec-

ognition is for everybody who gave the city honor and pride in sports,” said city sports development officer-in-charge Pocholo Elegino.

AWARDEES. Sports awardees from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Kassandra Barnes, Dave Bacayo, Arthur Lao III, Oona Ysabelle Barnes and Carmela Marie Estarina show their trophies during the 1st Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-VM Rodrigo Duterte Recognition Night. The AAK is under the tutelage of Rommel Tan. (Boy Lim)

Atty. Iroy makes a comeback

OU never know. That is a favourite line of Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr. In the vernacular streetspeak, that’s di lang mahibaw-an. The Davawenyo lawyer is “back” as the Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) effective March 1, this year. Iroy also serves as senior executive assistant of PSC Chairman Ritchie Garcia since 2010. “I’m back,” Iroy excitedly wrote in a chat message to this Hangtimer yesterday. The 42-year old former national football player who finished his education out of an athletic scholarship at the University of Mindanao is actually “back” to the old position he held during the time of former PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez until a falling out with the latter forced him to resign from his post. I r o y also worked at the Presidential Legal Office before his

return to the PSC in August 2010. “I am happy to be given this trust by the Chairman. This is a huge responsibility and I hope in our own little way we can be instrumental in instituting reforms in this agency.” In January 2005, Iroy was appointed ED of the PSC by Ramirez. He stayed in the position until June 2006 at the height of some controversies in the PSC stemming from reports of unliquidated funds in the 2005 SEA Games. Iroy is a dyed-in-thewool sportsman. He once said, “I maybe a lawyer, I may be assigned elsewhere in any departments of government or in private corporations, but I will most likely still end up handling a sports position.” Once a sportsman always a sportsman. This guy never ceases to amaze me. Despite his accomplishments, he has remained humble and ready to lend a hand. I doff my hat once more to you, buddy. Indeed, we never know.