Edge Davao 5 Issue 71

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

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Serving a seamless society

Indulge Page A1

IPO survey

More parents against K +12

By Lorie A. Cascaro

T

he Institute of Popular Opinion (IPO) of the University of Mindanao revealed yesterday the results of their

survey conducted among Dabawenyos on their opinion regarding the enhanced K to 12 basic education program of the Department of Education (DepEd) which is being implemented this school year.

Using systematic sampling in the three districts of Davao City, the survey that was conducted last May 16 to 26 show what Dabawenyos think of K+12, an issue that affects every Filipino, the IPO said.

FMORE, 13

Nation/World Page 12 Sports Page 14

EMPTY WEEKEND. Two open classrooms in the middle of an agricultural area in Davao City are empty during the first weekend of the new school year. The classrooms are the annex campus of the Mintal Comprehensive High School. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Landslide

1 dead, 1 missing in Marilog district Follow Us On

By Jade C. Zaldivar

O

NE 11-year old girl died while another is missing following a landslide at about 2 a.m. yesterday in Sitio Ladian,

Marilog district, this city.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio told reporters that approximately 7 to 9 families fell victims to the landslide which totally damaged their homes.

The fatality was identified as one Jahira Unad while the missing has yet to be identified.

Retrieval operations are being conducted by the Urban Search and Rescue Team of

F1 DEAD, 13

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THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

PHL labor force to increase over the next 10 years -BSP

By Lorie A. Cascaro

O

VER the next decade, the Philippines will have a significant increase in its labor force which indicates a significant economic growth, Diwa C. Guinigundo, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor for Monetary Stability Sector said yesterday.

With a very young population based on the results of first consumer finance survey (CFS) in the Philippines released

by BSP last April 18, a much bigger number of young people could enter the labor force every year compared to the number of older people who leave the labor force age group.

The age distribution of household members show that 21.5% were five to 14 years old, while those who were about to retire or were close to compulsory retirement (55-64 y.o.) were 6.9%

n PHL has a young tional courses.

population

and the elderly (65 y.o. and over) 5.4% at the time of survey (November 2008 to January 2009).

Guinigundo said with an inflation rate of 6.4% in the first quarter, the country needs to expand its capital force is necessary, adding, “How can you sustain a 6.4% increase without also a corresponding increase in people, in raw materials?”

Noting that if a country could not produce labor forces, it needs to increase its minimum wages, he said, however, the Philippines will not experience this as Filipinos are very productive considering that the population growth is still high.

“So, we supply a steady stream of workers to services, agriculture and also industry,” he said, adding that the country should also produce more scientists and engineers, not only graduates from voca-

However, he admitted that the Philippines is still producing workers in excess of what the country needs, which, according to him, is actually good.

To avoid social conflict, excess labor force are sent abroad as migrant workers, which, he said is a good thing because they are also sending money back here.

“And, if you look at one of the findings of the CFS, one of the sources of income of households is financial assistance coming from abroad… So, it also tends to support consumption expenditures,” he added.

Seventy percent of household spending goes to consumption expenditures, according to the

EDGEDAVAO

Arson attempt on CEO fails

By Jade C. Zaldivar

C

ITY Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday confirmed report received by Edge Davao that there was an attempt to set fire to the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) building.

The attempt at arson was set for last April through a lit mosquito coil connected by a piece of twine to a flammable liquid.

The attempt failed, however, and the following day the flammable paraphernalia were discovered by CEO employees.

Duterte-Carpio said the motive was to incinerate the records division.

“Tanan, kanang mga building permit, mga pending nga mga concerns related sa city engineer’s office nasunog kung nadayon to,” she said in a media briefing in

acting city building n Motive was to in- ang official, had CCTV camcinerate records installed around the n Not politically re- eras building,” she said.

lated - Sara

her office.

The mayor dismissed speculation that the foiled attack was politically motivated.

“Dili man. Ang investigators ilang pananaw is ang gi-apas ato kay ang mga building permit records,” she said.

Asked whether the incident was an inside job, the city mayor said investigators were not able to brief her on that perspective.

Acting city building official Jim Adalin, the mayor said, has suggested the installation of CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras outside the CEO’s building, a wooden structure, as a safety precaution against future attempts to burn it down.

“The ad hoc official,

Duterte-Carpio also dismissed loose talks that CEO department head Jose Gestuveo Jr. has been removed from office.

Gestuveo, the city mayor said, has been reassigned to focus on a project.

“Na-reassign lang siya as chief sa atong batching plant sa Malagos (Calinan District, Davao City)” she said.

The re-assignment of Gestuveo had been effective since August of last year.

Meanwhile, acting as CEO head in terms of its office functions is its assistant chief for administration Rolando Reyes.

The batching plant project in Malagos has an allotment of P750 million from the city government’s funds.

FPHL, 13

Mayor Sara resigns from PDP-Laban

D

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday announced that she had resigned from the PDP-Laban (Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan) political party.

Duterte-Carpio said keeping her membership in PDPLaban would conflict with her membership in the local political group Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (Hugpong) which has formally applied for recognition by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a political party.

The application is pending approval as of this writing.

“Naay conflict between the two, so I decided it would be better to focus na lang sa local,” she said in a media briefing in her city hall office.

In her letter dated last May 22 to Vice President Jejomar Binay, the city mayor informed him, as chair of PDPLaban, of her irrevocable resignation as member effective that date from the party.

“I would like to focus on the development and progress of Davao City, as well as devote my full time to local issues. Rest assured, I will always be at your service in Davao,” she said in her letter.

“The Party had been very supportive and helpful to me during the 2007 and 2010 elections and I will always be grateful for all your kindness,” she said.

The resignation letter was copy furnished to the officers

n

Says she’ll focus on local politics

of PDP-Laban: Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, who is president of the party, and secretary general of the party Joey de Venecia, former candidate for the Senate.

The lady mayor said she also sent a copy of the letter to former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. who had invited her into the party.

“Pag-respeto na lang pud since siya ang nangimbita sa akoa nga musulod sa party,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio admitted she did not inform any of the local members of PDP-Laban as she is “not campaigning.”

“Dili na man siguro kinanglan. Wala koy gisultian [kabahin sa akong desisyon] nga muhawa ko sa PDP-Laban.

Wala man pud ko nangampanya,” she said, adding that she’d rather have Hugpong become stronger as a local political party without having to depend on a national party.

Answering queries on her possible candidacy in the 2013 elections, the mayor said Hugpong has not yet decided on its line-up and neither has she decided what position she would be running for.

She, however, admitted that Hugpong needs strong candidates who could go match up with the bets of the rival political group under former House Speaker Prospero Nograles. [JADE C. ZALDIVAR]

WHERE ARE THE TRAFFIC ENFORSERS? Paying no attention to the “No Helmet, No Driving” policy of the law are these motorcycle drivers .[ KARLOS MANLUPIG]

De Lima nominated for Chief Justice

D

EPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M. De Lima was nominated on Monday to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).

The Chief Justice position was vacated with the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust on May 29, 2012.

Dante Jimenez, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman, confirmed on Monday that he has submit-

ted the nomination of De Lima to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

Likewise, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Zambales Chapter also on Monday recommended the nomination of De Lima as Chief Justice of the SC. IBP-Zambales said that De Lima has the competence, professional qualifications and ethical standards to serve as Chief Justice.

They said that De Lima’s elevation to the SC would likely contribute significantly to reshaping Philippine

jurisprudence in a direction that would protect and strengthen the fundamental rights of the people.

De Lima is reportedly one of the early strong contenders to the top judicial post.

Other nominees to the position of Chief Justice are Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares, Atty. Katrina Legarda, former Ateneo De Manila College of Law Dean Cesar Villanueva, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, former University of the Philippines (UP)

College of Law Dean Raul Pangalangan and former Laguna Assistant Prosecutor Marianito Sasondocillo.

The five most senior Associate Justices of the SC are automatically nominated to the Chief Justice post.

They are acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio, and Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Jr., Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Arturo Brion and Diosdado Peralta.

The period of application and nomination for the Chief Justice position will be until June 18, 2012. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

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Comelec junks election protest NorCot Gov. Mendoza case

By Lorie A. Cascaro

N

NEW AIRLINE FLIES DAVAO-MANADO. Wings Air, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Air, launched last weekend its Davao-Manado roundtrip special charter using its new 72-seater ATR 72-500 arriving in full capacity. Regular weekly charters will start in July. [DOT 11]

ORTH Cotabato governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza announced last Saturday that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division had dismissed the election protest filed against her by former governor Emmanuel F. Piñol in the May 10, 2010 automated national and local elections.

In her press conference at the Swiss Deli restaurant, Lanang, Davao City, Mendoza said she was happy with the Comelec’s decision released last June 7, adding, “hopefully this will end the protestant’s allegations” against her.

“I feel vindicated after almost two years and finally the first division of the Comelec dismissed the case filed against me… And tomorrow, back to business.

We still have one year to go.

So, I encourage them to prepare for battle,” she said.

Piñol had charged Mendoza with massive cheating, electronic fraud, votepadding, vote-buying and

harassment of voters during the election in contesting the results of 1,280 established precincts or 279 clustered precincts.

On June 15, 2010, Mendoza strongly denied the allegations, saying that there were no complaints of votebuying or cheating, and that no untoward incident occurred during the election until the counting of votes was completed.

The revision/recount of 56 pilot clustered precincts was held last September 5 to 9 at the PMO Work Area, COMELEC, Manila.

Piñol garnered only 199,332 votes compared to the 236,966 votes of Mendoza or a difference of 37,643 votes from 4.354 established precincts or 913 clustered precincts in the province.

The revision was done in only on 56 pilot precincts identified by Piñol or 20% of the contested precincts as ordered by the Comelec to determine the merit and legitimacy of his protest before recounting the remaining 80%.

Based on the results,

FCOMELEC, 13

Mining firms form group MILF seeks more foreign help for new Bangsamoro institute in Central Mindanao T

M

INING companies in region or Southwestern Mindanao have organized themselves into an association in a bid to strengthen the industry and to push for “responsible mining” among the members, an official said.

Constancio A. Paye Jr., regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said the SOCCSKSARGEN Mining Association (SMA) was formed recently and consists of six major mining companies in the region.

“The association vows to showcase and

advocate responsible mining for a sustainable development,” he said.

Paye identified the members as Sagittarius Mines Inc., Tribal Mining Corp., Epochina Mining Corp., GRCO Isulan Mining Corp., Kiamba Mining Corp., RX11 Mineral Development Corp. and South Davao Development Co. Inc. Joel Bernales of Epochina Mining was chosen as the interim president of SMA, a statement from the MGB regional office said.

“The SMA will be responsible in delivering vital information and

services to its host mining and neighboring communities,” it added.

Paye said the MGB regional office has already collaborated with SMA in conducting a forum for evangelical groups in South Cotabato, which hosts the massive Tampakan copper-gold project of Sagittarius Mines.

He doused fears that mining activities will cause serious destruction of the environment, claiming that the Mining Act of 1995 outlines provisions for environmental protection. [BONG S. SARMIENTO / MINDANEWS]

As PHL marks 114th Independence Day

S

Pinoys urged to continue fight against corruption

ENATOR Teofisto Guingona III has urged every Filipino to make the 114th Independence Day celebration today even more meaningful by recommitting themselves to the continuing crusade against graft and corruption. ”Our nation’s recent victories in our crusade against graft and corruption have made our 114th Independence Day celebration more meaningful,” Guingona said in a press statement on Monday.

Guingona noted that

the successful Senate impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona has shown that the mechanisms of democracy in the Philippines are working well. ”This victory has led to a renewed spirit and atmosphere of transparency and accountability in public service and governance. I believe all these were part of the vision for an independent Philippines which our heroes and forebears fought and died for,” he said.

All is set for the com-

memoration of the proclamation of the country’s independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 with no less than President Benigno S. Aquino III leading the simultaneous flagraising and wreath-laying ceremonies at 8 a.m. in key historical places of the country.

President Aquino, who will lead a ceremony at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos City, Bulacan, is expected to deliver a message focusing on this year’s theme: “Kalayaan:

FPINOYS, 13

HE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has appealed for more foreign aid to help fully operationalize its newly inaugurated leadership institute, one of the fruits of the peace negotiations with the Philippine government.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace panel chief, lauded the Japanese government for funding the construction of the building for the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI).

Other foreign and local agencies that helped in the realization of the BLMI are the Asia Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung through the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, the United States Agency for

International Development, Development Academy of the Philippines, Asian Institute of Management and the Non-Violent Peace Force.

“We hope that with their examples, other wellmeaning donor countries or aid agencies will also help fully operationalize the BLMI. As anyone can see, it is still lacking in many things. We lack equipment, we lack reference books, we need a fence for the compound, and we lack road and water facilities. Moreover, all our workers are volunteers,” Iqbal said in his speech during the inauguration of the BLMI building last June 7.

“Be this as it may, let me assure everyone here that while we hope for outside

help for the BLMI to stand on its feet, but at the same time we pledge unto ourselves that our success in this endeavor starts on our own resolve,” he added.

The BLMI, which was inaugurated late last week, stands on a half-hectare lot in Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao.

The establishment of the BLMI was discussed during the 10th Formal Exploratory Talks between the two parties in February 2006. It was finalized and formally agreed upon during the 14th Formal Exploratory Talks held on November 14-15, 2007, with funding commitment from the Philippine Government to jumpstart the institute’s operations.

[BONG S. SARMIENTO / MINDANEWS]

Abreeza Mall hosts Kalayaan job fair

I

N celebration of Independence Day, Abreeza Mall offers career opportunities to its customers in the 2012 Kalayaan Job Fair on June 12, Tuesday at the Activity Center. This event is in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Employment Service Office – Davao City (PESO-DVO) and GMA network, together with STI and Globe Telecom With over 70 participating companies, including 49 local companies and 21 overseas agencies, job seekers can get an immediate interview and be hired on the spot!

A total of 23,256 jobs will be opened in the one-day fair.

For further inquiries, visit Abreeza Mall’s Concierge counter or check out their Facebook site at www.facebook.com/ AbreezaMall.

4

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Global alliance aims to tackle forest crime I

NTERPOL and the United Nations have joined forces to launch an initiative to tackle global forest crime.

Project Leaf will target criminals involved in illegal logging and timber trafficking.

The scheme will also provide support to enforcement agencies in countries with the biggest problems, Interpol said.

It is estimated that more than a quarter of the world’s population relies on forests for their livelihoods, fuel, food and medicines.

David Higgins, Interpol’s Environmental Crime Programme manager, said that illegal logging was no longer a issue that was restricted by national boundaries.

“The international legislation to protect forests and curtail illegal logging demonstrates this,” he commented.

“Project leaf will ensure these global laws are supported by global enforcement and that the criminals responsible are brought to justice no matter their location, movements or resources.”

Project leaf (Law Enforcement Assistance for Forests) is a partnership between the UN Environment Programme (Unep) and Interpol, with funding provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Interpol said: “Collusive corruption and fraud in the forestry sector undermines the rule of law and... significantly hampers efforts to tackle poverty among the world’s poorest people.”

It added that, in order to be an effective force against criminal activity, it would be necessary for any action to be “coordinated, collaborative and transnational”.

Illegal logging damages biodiversity and undermines people’s livelihoods.

Palm oil’s carbon benefit queried

A

major international study says palm oil plantations reduce plant and animal diversity, and do little to reduce carbon emissions.

Researchers say tropical forests are increasingly cleared to make way for palm oil crops, leading to a reduction in habitats for many rare species.

The problem is most acute in Malaysia and Indonesia which produce around 85% of the world’s palm oil.

The report is published in the journal Conservation Biology.

Palm oil is a common vegetable oil, and is now regarded as a major source of biodiesel, however the researchers question whether it really offers environmental benefits over conventional fossil fuels.

Clearing land to start plantations involves burning huge tracts of forest, a process which produces large amounts of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide.

The researchers esti-

Palm oil plantation

mate at least 75 years of biofuel production is needed from the plantations, to save on emissions anything like the amount of carbon dioxide produced by this burning.

The lead author of the study is Finn Danielsen of Denmark’s Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology.

“Our analysis found that it would take 75 to 93 years to see any benefits to the climate from biofuel plantations on converted tropical forestlands,” he said.

Suitable sites For the study, Emily Fitzherbert from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) assessed the impact of palm oil plantations on animal and plant life in Indonesia.

“Anywhere suitable for oil palm plantations throughout the tropics is vulnerable,” she said.

“There are loads of different figures and calculations out there on biofuels and the carbon balance, we say these figures are not precise, but the propor-

tions are what’s important, to represent the magnitude - oil palm as a biofuel is not a green option,” she added.

The conversion of tropical forest to plantation also dramatically changed the balance of plants and animals living in the area, overall there was a reduction in plant and animal species says the report.

Some common species increased in number in and around the plantations, wild pigs and leopard cats became dominant, but rarer creatures such as the Sumatran tiger were not seen at all.

“For fauna, only one in six forest species can survive in plantations, the study finds. Plantations are frequently dominated by a few abundant species that are widespread and of low conservation concern,” said Matthew Struebig of Queen Mary, University of London, UK. Payback time As well as raising concerns about the loss of biodiversity in plantations, the researchers question the

logic of destroying forests to produce biofuels for export to industrialised world markets.

“Subsidies to purchase tropical biofuels are given by countries in Europe and North America supposedly to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from transport,” said Finn Danielsen.

“While these countries strive to meet their obligations under one international agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, they encourage others to increase their emissions as well as breach their obligations under another agreement, the convention on biological diversity.

“This is not only an issue in South-East Asia - in Latin America forests are being cleared for soy production which is even less efficient at biofuel production compared to oil palm,” added co-author Faizal Parish of the Global Environment Centre in Malaysia.

“Reducing deforestation is a much more effective way for countries to reduce climate change while also meeting their obligations to protect biodiversity.”

On a positive note, the researchers found that grassed areas where forest had been destroyed in the past, the land farmed and then abandoned, did become a net absorber of carbon after 10 years of being planted with palm oil.

“Grasslands where you get the earliest payback are scrubby grasslands not natural or unique habitats - but areas that have clearly been trashed,” said Emily Fitzherbert.

“Globally we don’t want grasslands turned into palm oil plantations. Expansion is going to happen, saying no more palm oil is naive, expand where it will do the least damage and you may get a payback in terms of climate.”

Tropical forests ‘better managed’

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HE world’s tropical forests are better managed now than five years ago, concludes a survey by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

The area under some form of sustainable management plan increased by about 50% over the period; but about 90% of tropical forest lacks protection.

The most significant improvements have been seen in Africa, the report says.

The ITTO is a pro-sustainable use trade body whose 60 member countries account for 90% of the global timber trade.

Its current report - Status of Tropical Forest Management 2011 - analysed data from 33 important forest countries, including the really big players such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia.

“The top line is that the area under sustainable forest management has gone up from 36 to 53 million hectares in five years,” said Duncan Poore, one of the report’s authors and a former head of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“That’s a substantial improvement, but there’s still a long way to go,” he said.

“Forests scheduled by ITTO members as permanent forest cover 760m hectares - so what’s under sustainable management is less than 10%, which is disappointing.”

Deforestation ‘to continue’ Countries that have made major increases in protection include Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Peru and Venezuela.

However, satellite observations recently revealed an alarming escalation in deforestation in Brazil, indicating that loss of forest in some areas of a country can continue even as protection increases in other areas.

“My personal view is that it’s more important to make sure that countries decide what forest they want to keep and for what purpose, and look after that satisfactorily, than to weep crocodile tears over deforestation,” said Dr Poore.

“The reality is that in most countries, deforestation is going to continue.

But if they look after areas that are really important ecologically, that may not be a problem.”

The ITTO report makes clear that pressures leading to forest clearance are continuing to rise, with the expansion of the world’s population, growing use of raw materials such as wood, and increasing demand for land on which to settle and grow food.

The big hope of many in the conservation community is that rich countries may soon start funding poorer ones to protect forests in the interests of absorbing carbon dioxide and curbing climate change.

But despite years of discussion, establishment of an international mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) remains elusive, largely because of wider disagreements within the UN climate convention.

Bringing a REDD scheme into existence would, said Dr Poore, be “very important” for the long-term health of tropical forests.

EDGEDAVAO

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

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

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

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

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

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

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

5 DavNor guv bats for ‘green economy’ THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

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AVAO del Norte Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario ordered the planting of more productive trees to beef up the forest ecosystem management of the province.

He instructed the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) to refocus its re-greening efforts on planting permanent productive trees in forestal areas, as the province veered towards attaining greener economy to ensure sustainable economic growth despite the threat of climate change.

“Let us plant permanent trees such as fruit trees, rubber,

coffee, palm oil, and the likes, in re-greening our forest areas,” the governor announced during the Capitol’s convocation program on June 4, 2012.

As tree crops reduce the risk of crop failure, del Rosario said, productive trees increase and stabilize access of farm households to food.

Rather than cutting trees for lumber, the governor added the farmers earn additional income by harvesting the fruits that allow them to buy staple food from the market.

He also noted that planting tree crops is a better way to fight deforestation and soil ero-

sion, as they are also an effective carbon sink.

In order to beef up its regreening program, the province has partnered with the Hugpong Kinaiyahan, Inc, an umbrella organization of the associations of tree planters, producers and processors in Davao del Norte.

Del Rosario signed a memorandum of agreement with ‘Hugpong’, represented by its chair, Fr. Ronald Sanchez, for the development of 55 hectares of rubber tree plantation in the amount of P1.3 million.

The project, which will be implemented through the plantnow-pay later program of the

among subscribers for our brand in the mass market,” he added.

Among these best-selling, ‘sachet load’ services are the Talk ‘N Text Gaan UnlitextPlus, Gaan All-in-One, and Pa-Toko-Text buckets, and their denominations at various price points.

Usage of these offers has driven the overall first-quarter revenues and wallet-share of Talk ‘N Text to increase yearover-year and quarter-onquarter.

Also contributing to its performance are new product innovations like Panalo Phone and Barangay Phone, both geared at putting a mobile phone in the hands of the last 10 million or so Filipinos that still do not have access to basic telecommunications services.

The Barangay Phone is a fixed wireless terminal with a special Talk ‘N Text SIM card, which allows users to call any landline or mobile phone, anywhere in the country, for as low as P3 for a three minute call, or effectively, P1 per minute.

It is deployed in sari-sari stores in the most remote areas in the countryside, and at high-traffic locations such as public markets or transportation terminals.

The Panalo Phone, on the other hand, is one of the world’s most affordable prepaid cellphone kits. (PNA)

HE Department of Energy (DOE) 7 is calling for the establishment of more power plants in the Visayas and for the expansion of existing plants since the region needs 2,000 megawatts (MW) starting in 2015.

The DOE foresees there won’t be enough supply of power in the Visayas by 2015 and onwards unless the existing capacity gets a boost.

During the power summit organized by the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) Cebu on Friday, DOE Visayas director Antonio Labios said the Visayas grid needed a total additional capacity of 2,000 MW starting 2015 and in the next 15 years.

For 2015 alone, Labios said Visayas needed an additional 100 MWs based on DOE’s power supply and demand outlook.

Labios said there was a strong demand for power in the Visayas considering the increasing number of malls, business establishments and residential areas. ”Now until 2014, we still have ample supply of power but 2015 and onwards is really critical,” he said.

The Visayas had at least 408 MWs of reserve power, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

In 2009 and 2010, recurring power interruptions in Cebu compelled Cebu’s largest power utility, the Visayan Electric Company Inc., to rely on the help of large power consumers.

At hours of the day when demand spiked, these large consumers stopped using Veco’s power and relied on their own generators, to prevent brownouts.

Talk ‘N Text adds 1.7-M subscribers

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HE prepaid mobile brand Talk ‘N Text Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) added 1.7 million new subscribers in the first quarter of this year, outpacing the rest of prepaid brands in the industry.

Emmanuel Lorenzana, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division, said the brand posted subscriber base growth in both quarter-on-quarter and year-ago basis, surpassing the industry average.

Talk ‘N Text also increased its contribution to the total Smart revenues to 30 percent, from 28 percent in the same period last year.

Lorenzana added that it is on track to maintain, if not exceed, this level of growth and profitability for the second quarter of the year.

By end-first quarter, the Talk ‘N Text subscriber base totaled 22.2 million, 8.3-percent growth against the previous quarter and 14.2 percent versus the same period last year.

“The brand achieved this stellar performance primarily because of its clear positioning as a value brand addressing the needs of a large base of customers and rising penetration across all regions,” Lorenzana said.

“The exceptionally strong usage of various Talk ‘N Text voice and SMS offers and low churn rate indicates a very healthy brand preference

After Mindanao

province, is set to benefit over 70 upland tree farmers in four municipalities.

In support of the greening program of President Aquino, the province facilitated the planting of some 7,500 seedlings of durian, lanzones, mangosteen, rambutan, cacao and coffee to almost 28.5 hectares in the areas of Kapalong, Talaingod, New Corella, and San Isidro last year.

Some 12,500 seedlings of rubber were also planted to about 25 hectares of forestal lands in three towns, at the same time as palm oil plantations are being expanded in the province.

Visayas power supply to fall short in 2015

T

In the Visayas, Labios said the projected growth in the demand for power was 4.55 percent each year, that’s why new power generation sources were needed to prevent rotating brownouts.

From January to May this year alone, the maximum power demand in the Visayas grid, Labios said, was 1,437 MWs. This reflected an increase of nearly four percent compared to the maximum power demand recorded in the same period last year, which was 1,386 MWs. Labios said the existing power plants were already expanding their operations but could only cover the additional power needed starting from last year until 2014, or about 232 MWs. The Cebu Coal-Fired Power Plant had committed an additional 200 MWs of supply (2011); the Villegas Hydroelectric Power plants has committed to supply eight MWs (2012); the Nasulo Geothermal Power Plant, 20 MWs (2013); and Asian Energy Biomass, four MWs (2014).

Labios said they were running energy investment forums to encourage stakeholders, particularly in the private sector, to pour in more investments to the energy sector and establish more power plants.

Labios said there was already a private entity based in Korea that had expressed interest to invest in a solar power plant with a capacity of 70 MWs. But Labios said everything was still at the proposal stage. ”We are hoping that these projects will proceed to satisfy the additional power requirements,” he said. (PNA)

as of august 2010

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

5J961 / 5J962 Z2390 / Z2390 5J593 / 5J348 PR809 / PR810 PR819 / PR820 5J394 / 5J393 5J599 / 5J594 5J347 / 5J596 5J963 / 5J964 PR811 / PR812 5J595 / 5J966 MI588 / MI588 5J965 / 5J968 5J965 / 5J968

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

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

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

Silk Air Thu/Sun Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri Philippine Airlines August Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippines Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun Cebu Pacific Daily Airphil Express Daily Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday Philippine Airlines Sunday

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

18:55 15:00 Mani2Mani 16:05 16:35 16:55 18:00 18:40 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:20 22:20

Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:50 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Cebu Manila-Davao-Manila Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila Manila-Davao-Manila

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

6

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

MVP says

PHL-US ties founded on trade, not in war

C

ONTRARY to common perception, the Philippines’ relations with the United States began with fruitful and peaceful trade, not in war, said businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan at the launch of the US-Philippines Society Inc., in Washington, D.C. Chaired by former US Secretary of State John Negroponte and co-chaired by Pangilinan, the US-Philippine Society was established in May of this year and is a registered non-profit organization “designed to encourage economic ties, promote trade and investment, support bilateral strategic and political goals, and strengthen cultural, technological, tourism and people-to-people linkages, especially educational and academic exchanges.”

“Many hold the notion that our relationship began in war – born in battle and with blood – in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. Quite the contrary, our bilateral began in peaceful and fruitful trade, more than a century earlier, in May of 1797,” he said.

“That’s when the American brig ‘Astrea’ made the return voyage from Manila to Salem, Massachusetts with a cargo of sugar, pepper, indigo, and tea. I guess that cargo of tea arrived 24 years too late to have played a part in your Boston Tea Party of 1773,” he said.

Pangilinan also noted the long history between the two countries by citing shared experiences covering the Philippine-American war, the Commonwealth period, and the sacrifice shared by both Filipinos and Americans during the World

War II. “The largest American military memorial in Asia must be at Fort Bonifacio in Manila, where 17,000 young Americans are buried, each cross decorated by an American and a Filipino flag,” he said.

Pangilinan, who is Chairman and chief executive of Philex Mining and Philex Petroleum, recognized the strong ties between the two countries but also touched on the trials both have gone through in recent times, including the current diplomatic impasse over sovereignty and territorial issues surrounding the West Philippine Sea. “In current times, that friendship can again be tested,” he said. “There are preeminent strategic concerns on the bilateral agenda such as trade, terrorism, and foreign policy – in particular, the imperatives of clarity and cooperation in developing potential hydrocarbon resources in the South China Sea – or as we call it, the West Philippine Sea.” “I should know – seismic work by our Philex Petroleum survey ship was interrupted only last year off Recto Bank unexpectedly,” he said.

Apart from possible investment and trade agreements, the US-Philippine Society is also expected to provide information on the Philippines to US policy makers, convey to the Philippine government objective feedback on perceptions in the US regarding the country, and embark on partnership programs with NGOs and other institutions to increase public exposure to Philippine issues.

TOUCHDOWN. The newest airline to serve the Davao-Manado route finally made touchdown at the Davao International Airport last week during its maiden flight from the Indonesian hub of Manado. Wings Air is a chartered flight from Manado to Davao. The airline will start their regular flights on July 5, 2012 and a scheduled flight once a week.

PNoy London, US trip nets $2.5-B investments P

RESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III announced on Sunday that he had secured US$ 2.5-billion worth of investment pledges from businessmen he had met during his weeklong trip to the United Kingdom and the United States last week.

The President made the announcement upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City Sunday morning.

He said half of the total investment pledges came from Rolls Royce, Asea Gaz Asia Ltd. and commodities trading giant Glencore, owner of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR), all of which are based in the UK. Glencore plans to expand its smelting capacity by investing US$ 600 mil-

lion; Gaz Asia will work with Aboitiz Equity and invest US$ 150-million to develop plants that will convert organic waste materials into liquid bio methane; and Rolls Royce has signed a P280million service contract with Cebu Pacific for the purchase and service of new airplane engines.

The other half of the investment pledges will come from US-based businesses namely: GN Power Limited, which plans to put up two 300-megawatt coal plants in Bataan; Underwriters Laboratories Inc. which will invest in a global technology research center in Manila; and the Citigroup and USAid which have proposed a mobile financial inclusion program that will bring the benefits of mobile banking to the rural areas.

“Sa kabuuan po, ang halaga ng kalakal na papasok mula sa mga kumpanyang nakapulong natin, sa Britanya at sa Amerika: Hindi bababa sa dalawa’t kalahating bilyong dolyar, o humigitkumulang 100 billion pesos,” the President said.

He added that aside from strengthening the Philippine economy by providing jobs and livelihood, these investments further strengthen the ties and relations the Philippines has with the UK and the US. “Trabaho po ang katumbas ng mga numerong ito; trabahong magdadala ng pagkain sa mesa ng Pilipino. At kasabay po ng magandang balitang ekonomiko, nagbunga rin ng mas malalim pang pakikipagkaibigan ang ating pagbiyahe sa UK at sa Estados Unidos,” the President said. (PNA)

were exposed to the risks Greece’s exit might bring.

Tetangco said the possibility of Greece leaving the eurozone was one of the “hottest topics” in the financial world, noting that EU officials wished to keep it intact.

He said the immediate impact on the global stage would be volatility in financial markets, which could end up in emerging market economies not having

enough funding sources as banks could tighten their hold.

However, Tetangco told the business community that trade for the country could remain robust, although they were also wary of the fact that 13 percent of the country’s exports went to Europe and that 17 percent of overseas Filipino workers’ remittances came from that region.

PHL buffered from eurozone crisis

B

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. sees the events in Europe, such as the impending exit of Greece from the eurozone, will have little impact on the country’s banking system.

Speaking before members of he Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Tetangco said only 1.2 percent of the Philippine banking system’s total assets

EDGEDAVAO

PROPERTY

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

7

Vice President Jejomar Binay, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. President Hans Sy, and GK CEO Jose Luis Oquiñena during the MOA signing. They are shown with BDO SVP Jerome Guevarra, SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia, BDO Foundation President Maureen Abelardo, and SM Supermalls Regional Operations Manager Renee Bacani

SM Prime to construct 200 houses in CDO S

M Prime Holdings, Inc. recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the local government of Cagayan De Oro City, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), and Gawad Kalinga to construct 200 homes in Barangay Canitoan, Cagayan de Oro City.

Vice President and HUDCC chairperson Jejomar Binay witnessed the MOA signing that formalizes the coordination and work between SM Prime and government units and agencies, in the ongoing efforts for the rehabilitation of the victims of typhoon Sendong through the development of the 2.7346-hectare Canitoan Relocation Site.

Other agencies involved are the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

As HUDCC Chair-

person, Vice President Jejomar Binay tasked the NHA to implement the development of the Canitoan Relocation site that will accommodate families displaced by the typhoon Sendong, and those residing along riverbanks and danger areas of the city.

The Canitoan Relocation site will be composed of 200 homes donated by SM Prime, as well as 100 homes donated by BDO Foundation – a total of 300 homes to be constructed by Gawad Kalinga who will also organize a community association, which will serve to empower the families and the whole community towards self-reliance and sustainability.

The local government of Cagayan De Oro City meanwhile will also provide additional housing units as well as community facilities such as multi-purpose covered court, material recovery facility, transport terminal, police sub-station, school, wet/dry market, day care and health centers.

The DSWD will be leading the social preparations and community organizing; the DPWH

will be assisting in the construction of roadworks, drainage works and rainwater impounding area; and the DENR will take over the issuance of permits for environmental clearance.

SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy, NHA General Manager Chito Cruz, HUDCC Secretary General Cecilia Alba, Social Welfare & Development Secretary Corazon Soliman, Public Works & Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Chairman of Housing Committee for Sendong Victims Msgr. Jemar Vera Cruz, V.G. and Gawad Kalinga Executive Director Jose Luis Oquiñena formalized the partnerships by signing the MOA at the Coconut Palace in Pasay City. SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia, Regional Operations Managers Renee Bacani and Debby Go, and Gawad Kalinga Partnerships Manager Tito Cajulis joined them in the event.

The construction of homes for Sendong typhoon victims in Cagayan de Oro is one of SM Prime’s many projects to enhance the lives in the communities it serves.

Stakeholders push for protection of watersheds, river basins in planning city development zones

V

ARIOUS stakeholders in Mindanao have signified eagerness in considering watersheds and river basins as bases for planning the economic development in the island.

This stance of almost 300 stakeholders from different government agencies, private/business sector, religious sector, civil society, and nongovernment organizations was conveyed during the Mindanao Economy and Environment Summit held on June 4 and 5 at Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City.

“Everybody (in the summit) is agreeable to consider watersheds and river basins as bases for planning economic development in Mindanao,” Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Luwalhati R. Antonino bared in a press conference last June 5.

She said the position of the stakeholders was one of the outcomes of the summit, which tackled the importance of watersheds and river basins in the quest for food security and sustainable development in the island.

MinDA spearheaded the summit as a platform under the Mindanao Nurturing Our Waters (Min-

daNOW) Program, an integrative development initiative of MinDA that aims to institutionalize the sustainable development and management of Mindanao’s natural resources.

Antonino stated that Mindanawons have to make a decision of balancing the use of natural resources, such as using these for health use, general use, industry use, and for power generation.

However, Antonino said, “To enrich the economy, natural resources could be used by other sectors, while still maintaining ecological balance.”

She emphasized the need for the proper management and sustainable development of natural resources in Mindanao, noting its present condition which she said is in a “pathetic stage of degradation due to decades of neglect and abuse.”

“The quality of our waters has been degraded and rivers are now heavily-silted. Our coastal and marine resources have likewise been depleted,” Antonino lamented in her message during the opening rites of the summit.

She said there are 262 watershed areas and eight river basins in Mindanao

that need to be preserved and protected. The country has 18 river basins.

At the summit, the stakeholders also came up with the recommendation to complete the organization of river basin councils across Mindanao, she stated.

She also mentioned that the stakeholders have drafted a doable action plan which will be integrated in the final plans under the MindaNOW program, adding that donor agencies have already committed to share some funds to help the program.

The implementation of the MindaNOW program is in partnership with key national government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Agriculture.

The other partner agencies are National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Office of Civil Defense-National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Local and Interior Government, and the local government units. (CLC-PIA 11)

8

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

O

EDITORIAL

F

Pacman at the crossroads

ILIPINO boxing icon cum Sarangani Representative to Congress Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, the eight division champion and generally recognized as the world’s “best pound for pound” boxer, is at the crossroads of his boxing career.

The Philippines’ sports hero lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown to American what’s-his-name?...Timothy Bradley?…over the weekend via a highly controversial split decision that stunned most of the over 14,206 fans that filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the fabulous gambling city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Including, lest we forget, 40 of Manny’s own fellow-congressmen who came all the way across the Pacific Ocean to cheer on their colleague and, presumably, go casinohopping and have a good time.

A majority of boxing writers slammed the split decision as a ‘great robbery’ and so did 93 million Filipinos around the world as well as millions of other fans who saw the fight on pay-per-view. Manny took his “loss”in stride, vowing to get his crown back in their November rematch where he would not allow judges to decide the outcome in the best way he can—knock out what’s-his-name again?

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We suggest that after he accomplishes that, Manny, the born-again Christian who swears by the Bible these days, heed the Word of God and renounce all that is evil in this world—including those spawned by charlatans in professional boxing involved in fixing results of certain fights wherein two judges can negate the choice of a third judge as well as electronic data on the number of punches, including power punches, thrown and landed, and the choice of millions around the world who watched the fight on television.

The fight game has been proven to harbor get-rich-quick cheats of the Mafia breed who decide the winners in advance. Manny Pacquiao has proven to be an honest, even compassionate sportsman to a fault at times.

He should steer clear of any involvement in cheating in the fight game because the GOD HE WORSHIPS frowns on such shenanigans.

Manny can opt to retire from the profession of boxing, perhaps become the next governor of Sarangani and serve his constituents well. He has nothing more to prove inside the ring—except knock out what’s his name in November, hang up his gloves and become a preacher.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

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

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

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EDGEDAVAO Betty More

NE of the pioneer women researchers and organizers in Davao is Betty More, who was Training Officer of a women’s research and education institution where I joined as a fledgling writer of women issues back in mid 80s.

Betty was one of the women we looked up to. As a leading trainor in the basic education seminar for women, she encouraged women to engage in livelihood projects in that time when women struggled to assert their right to work outside of home.

Men then were averse to the idea of women leaving the house to work for a living, for who would prepare their meals when they get home, who would tend to the children when they were away at work, who would wash their clothes and clean the house?

I remember Betty trying to lift women›s awareness that they too had the right to choose to work, that biology was not their destiny - born to bear offspring and become mere carers of children, husbands, and the house.

Betty was one of those strong women in thought, word, and resolve. Outspoken, she cast critical eyes on matters that required her attention, and spoke her mind. This slim, medium built woman has travelled throughout Mindanao, meeting women from the cities to the municipalities to the remote hinterlands.

She has made a difference in many women›s lives, and these women also made a difference in hers. In her desire to help empower them, Betty pushed herself to look for ways and means to empower women through livelihood.

This commitment has brought her to many conferences on SMEs, Alternative Trade, Community Education, Gender Issues, Agriculture, Watershed Management, and Fair Trade all over the globe, such as in Australia, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, and China.

It’s no wonder then that Betty has received many awards, such as Mindanao Commission on Women’s “Breaking New Grounds in Social Entrepreneurship” in 2011. She was also bestowed the 2009 Most Inspiring Dabawenyo Entrepreneur by Go Negosyo in Davao City.

Now as Executive Director of Kababayenan Alang sa Teknolohiya nga Haum sa Kinaiyahan ug Kauswagan (KATAKUS) Inc., she leads a motley crew of women who design, produce and market handmade paper products. They get the handmade paper from an organization of peasant women (which I mentioned in my article on Fair Trade), thereby providing them a steady source of income.

Under Betty’s leadership, Katakus has garnered eight awards such as 3rd place for Best Practice in Community-Based Training and Enterprise Development Implementation from TESDA in 1999. They also received seven more awards in the following years in the field of agri-entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises.

In her motivation to strengthen the R & D of their paper business, Betty experimented on discarded Durian shells she could see rotting in heaps around the city. The environmentalist inside of her thought these must still be of some use, so she relentless tried and, after many trials and errors, was able to make paper out of Durian fiber.

It was an invention that would later on earn recognition. The project “Durian Fiber Processing by Women” was among the Ten Finalists of the SEED AWARD in 2008, besting 373 other applicants worldwide by the Seed Initiative composed of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the governments of Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the USA. The same project was also one of the eight winners in the Business Plan competition joined by 106 entries in the Business in Development Challenge Philippines organized by the Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Betty also topped the “Business Plan Competition” in the BID Challenge Philippines 2010 sponsored by PBSP-Citibank, with her “Coconut Sugar Processing: A Key to Improving the Lives of Coconut Farmers”, which she was asked to present in Bogota, Colombia, in September 2011.

Let me stop here. I could go on and on about the good things Betty has done over the years, for her contribution to women empowerment and the accolades heaped upon her for her untiring commitment to the rights and welfare of her fellow women.

Bottom line is, Betty More is an essential woman, one we would be hard pressed to find just anywhere. And for that, we are lucky to have her within our midst.

EDGEDAVAO

A

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

Against Pacquiao, Bradley’s chin more than held up

MERIC A N Timothy Bradley proved his chin is more than match to Manny Pacquiao’s hardest punches.

And then he shocked everybody by escaping with a controversial decision to dethrone the world’s pound for pound boxing king which many Filipinos, and even the harshest of Pacquiao critics, believed was a highway robbery.

Nay, a casino strip stick-up. Pacquiao dominated Bradley in all but perhaps one or two rounds and couldn’t believe he lost for the fourth time in his career, also his first in seven years. Many said all but two – the two judges who saw Bradley winning by identical 115-113 margins – saw a different fight. One where Pacquiao was the more aggressive and dominant fighter.

Hell, Pacquiao even had all statistics going for him. Pacquiao threw the most punches, connected with higher precision (34 percent to 19 at 253 as against 159 punches) and landed more power

punches by a margin close to 2:1 (190108). It was evident in the faces of Pacquiao and Bradley who got the worse of the beatings. But still, Pacquiao lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight title to a man who was given a 1-to-7 odd to beat the fighting Filipino congressman.

But sometimes that is how all boxing stories and personal glories are being played in the world stage.

No, Pacquiao did not lose to a better man. He lost to himself by allowing Bradley to escape without being counted out or even knocked down. Pacquiao left it to the judges. This time, the judges were terribly wrong. At least in the eyes of the many who watched the fight live in Las Vegas or those who shelled out their hard earned money for pay per view in the comfort of their (or their neighbor’s) homes.

Pacquiao started strong and showed little effect of his late entrance following a decision to watch the Celtics-Heat knockout game for the right to play in the 2012 NBA Finals. Did Pacquiao’s deserved prima donna privilege rub off the goats of the

judges? Maybe. But that is not reason enough to take away the victory from Pacquiao.

While Bradley was competitive, he did not prove he deserved the win and for that matter the championship belt.

He never landed any shot that remotely hurt Pacquiao but he was several times stopped on his track with repeated left straights from Manny.

While he fought a tactical battle, preferring to dance and box away in the latter rounds, it was a result of his realization that Pacquiao was too much for his own good than his ring savvy. Several times he engaged Pacquiao in furious exchanges. He ended up getting the worst of them.

No matter how he gloated that Pacquiao was not able to put him down, there is no escaping the fact that he never pulled the miracle of miracles worthy of praises. He did prove his chin is durable. But beyond that nothing suggests he really beat the man to beat. Now, we will wait for the rematch. [MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Edwin Espejo writes for the asiancorrespondent.com]

Monkey Business

the papers gives one psychological indigestion and emotional diarrhea. The idiot box (TV) literally churns out idiotic programs. So, what’s there to talk about that is ennobling and inspiring?

Politics/politicians? People generally agree that politicians stink. They are sceptic liars. Everytime they open their mouth, they pollute the atmosphere with their bogus sense of importance and self-righteousness. They manipulate people and issues. Someone said that there are no politicians in heaven.

He could be right.

Businessmen? Like the shameless and rotten politicians most, if not all, are smart liars. They would likely cavort with Lucifer just to earn quick profits.

Movie people? Ahhh, the celluloid characters who look prim and beautiful!

They are garbage. Their private lives are in perpetual mess mainly because of their perverted sense of moral values. Behind the glitter and the glamour is a world of intrigues, deceit, illusions.

They cannot separate the real from the reel. They think that life is a never-ending sage of make-believe.

Peace and order? This is an issue that never seems to leave us in peace.

The MILF don’t want peace in our country. What they want is a PIECE of the country and create an independent state.

The nation’s economy? Well, the Aquino government is proposing a Ph2Trillion national budget for 2013. Is this good for the country? Yes, it is good for corrupt government men, but bad for the rest of our countrymen.

And now, on to the meat of this piece – the dog.

The dog is a carnivorous animal. Animal book author Maxwell Riddle asserts that the dog’s association with man be-

gan at least 10,000 years ago.

Dogs are found wherever man lives.

The dog population today is placed between 200 and 300 million.

There is no available figure for the Philippines, but considering the quaint taste buds of some of our countrymen, one can safely assume that the dog population here rises at a very slow pace.

You see, dog meat is a regular meal fare in homes in some parts of the country.

Here are more interesting vignettes about the dog: In ancient Egypt, dogs were trained for hunting. But, the rich kept dogs as pets.

In Greece during the olden days, dogs helped hunt lions, and were used for guarding and herding farm animals.

Today, in our advanced technological age, dogs are used to detect banned drugs and bombs. Dogs also help find bodies of victims of earthquake buried underneath buildings.

The Newfoundland, a working breed of dogs were used to save sailors who fell overboard ships at sea.

The toy poodle is admired for its sense of humor and its beauty and brains.

There are five major breed categories of dogs namely, sporting breed, working breed, terrier breed, toy breed and nonsporting breed.

The smallest breed is only about 1 1/8 pound (Chihuahua), and the largest is over 200 pounds (St. Bernard).

Summing up, since pre-historic times, dogs served man as hunters, guards, herders, pack animals and, most important, loyal companions.

Truly, the dog is man’s best friend. If you can help it, get one now, and make it your friend. It’s better than a politician.

L

ET’S talk a b o u t dogs for a change. After all, it is generally an accepted fact that the dog is man’s best friend – lovable, loyal, faithful and true.

So many horrible things are happening everyday in our country and elsewhere around the world that one is tempted to cry out loud “Hey, what’s the world coming to?!”

Despicable and abominable crimes seem ordinary nowadays like: - gang rape, incest, sex video, child abuse, - homicide, parricide, suicide, massacre, - hold-up, hulidap, carnap, kidnap, hijack, piracy, ambush, - hazing, torturing, swindling, smuggling, hostage-taking, plagiarizing, demonizing, destabilizing, planking, noynoying, effigy-burnin g; - drug pushing, drug trafficking, drug manufacturing; - intellectual property piracy, DVD piracy; - investment scam, cyber scam, textbook scam, fertilizer scam; - illegal gambling, illegal recruiting, illegal detention, illegal logging, illegal mining, illegal dogfight, illegal dismissal, illegal arrest, illegal strike; - teen-age ruble, gang war, prison rumble, prison breakout; - oil leak gas leak, bank account leak, board exam leak, Vatileak (Vatican).

By golly, there seems to be no more pleasant things t talk about. Reading

Of dogs and men

T

9

The shifting sands of Initao

UBIGON, Initao, Misamis Oriental-- Sixteen years have passed since the last time I set foot on this place together with six friends, maybe seven. Back then, we came for a sad occasion – to throw some ashes of a friend into the spot where he loved to snorkel.

How time flies, I told myself as my eyes surveyed the changes around.

Only the fond memory of that departed friend in this place has not changed.

The bamboo and nipa structures that served as dormitories and function halls have given way to concrete buildings stuffed with amenities found in average homes like TV and videoke. I have always disliked the idea of making vacation places a “home away from home.” If your destination is no different from home, then what’s the point of leaving? Fortunately, classes had started, and there were only a few guests at the resort. That lessened the chances of having to endure unwanted decibels, allowing the heart to savor not just the memories but also to enjoy the feel of the sea breeze and the rhythm of the waves.

Nature’s greatest music, I mused as I stretched my legs on a bench made of driftwood upon arriving from Malaybalay City, a copy of Paolo Coelho’s “The Witch of Portobello” in hand. I didn’t get to finish past ten pages of the book.

The white sand on the shore beckoned as the sun set and the water retreated.

It felt good to walk barefoot and feel your soles sink into the wet sand. In a spot where the low tide had exposed some small rocks, presumably degraded corals, shellfish could be seen racing towards the sea.

The water also looked inviting. But it wasn’t the best time for a plunge; one has to wait for the high tide, when the sea would cover the part of the shore where there are no rocks or corals. At this time of the year in Initao, the sea rises at around midday and recedes by mid-afternoon.

“Why don’t they remove these rocks so that we can have more space for swimming?” I wondered aloud. Noli, who happened to talk to a employee at the resort, echoed the explanation she got from the latter. “It isn’t always like this. From November and up to a certain point in May, these rocks would be covered by sand. Maybe it depends on the flow of the currents.” “Shifting sands,” I tried to sound poetic.

But while many may find the presence of the rocks annoying, Ed found them to be a source of an enjoyable experience. He said that while he was sitting on one of the rocks he felt a tickle on his feet. Upon gazing in the water he saw little fish nibbling on his skin. He was having free spa! Ben, on the other hand, spotted a marine turtle while wading across the rocks. “Perhaps its back is as big as a winnower,” he said.

Now, these made me realize I was being stupid in wanting to have the rocks removed. Nature placed them there for a purpose.

Perhaps if the rocks weren’t there, Ed would not have experienced the free spa and Ben would not have seen a marine turtle in its natural habitat.

This is the beauty of whiling away your time in Initao’s beach. It may not be renowned like other destinations, but one can still get a piece of Creation and taste life in an unhurried pace. [H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews]

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VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

DCWD distributes educational supplies to PO’s in watersheds

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DCWD’s “Tulong Aral” program. Children beneficiaries, local barangay officials, teachers and DCWD employees with acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado (3rd from L, seated second row) pose for posterity after the distribution of bags and school supplies at Malagos Nature Park.

HE Davao City Water District distributed educational supplies to 375 children of partner people’s organizations (PO’s) living inside Malagos and Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watersheds for its “Tulong Eskwela” program. Distributions were done last June 7 at Malagos and last June 2 at Sitio Baracayo Grande in New Daliaon, Purok 6 in the Tungkalan indigenous people’s area and Purok 9 in Tungkalan.

Recipients thanked DCWD for the donations of bags, notebooks, paper, pens and pencils. They were very grateful for the supplies which came in time for the opening of classes.

Acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado explained that the Environmental Protection agendum of DCWD is not limited to the rehabilitation and pro-

tection of the watersheds.

It also empowers the community through various educational assistance programs, one of which is the “Tulong Eskwela” which is now in its 10th year.

“These programs motivate children in the uplands, especially those living inside the three watersheds of Davao City, namely, Mt. Talomo-Lipadas, Mt. Tiplog-Tamugan and Malagos, to acquire basic education and help alleviate their living conditions. These programs are among the strategies that the DCWD employs to further strengthen its partnership with partner PO’s in the rehabilitation and protection of the watersheds,” Regalado said.

More educational supplies will be distributed to the PO’s at Manuel Guianga on June 15 and Tambobong on June 16. (JOVANA T. DUHAYLUNGSOD)

Tagum continues donating chairs for public schools O NE week before the opening of classes, Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy personally delivered one truckload of new yellow school chairs to the two (2) schools in the Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte: the Balisong Elementary School and Kinamayan Elementary School last June 1, 2012.

A total of one hundred eighty five (185) yellow school chairs given to Kinamayan Elementary School and seventy five (75) in Balisong Elementary School.

With that, on May 9, 2012, one hundred ninety five (195) school chairs were sent to Talisay Elementary School in Batangas, Island Luzon the first school outside Davao Region, Island Mindanao to benefit in the CFSC Program of which the Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo, Jr., the field Operation Officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) requested the school chairs

to City of Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy. Again, on May 25, 2012 another request of school chairs from Municipality of Camiling in the Province of Tarlac to requested 200 pieces of school chairs to be used for the district which is composed of five (5) Barangay Schools (Bacabac, Cayaoan, Libueg, Pindangan 1st and Pindangan 2nd) to Mayor Uy, who immediately facilitated the hauling of chairs to be delivered to Tarlac. Additional 79 pieces were added as per advised of Mayor Uy since the wing van can still accommodate more chairs.

The new school chairs were made from the confiscated logs and fabricated by the Local Government Unit of Tagum thru the initiated of Mayor Rey T. Uy, dubbed as the Care for School Chairs (CFSC) Program. Mayor Uy initiated this program because he finds out and believed that Education is the first priority that needs to give more focus.

Mayor Uy helped different schools even outside City of Tagum by giving school furniture such as armchairs, kiddie tables, kiddie chairs, desk, benches, bookshelves, rostrums, double-deck beds, hospital beds, computer tables, teacher’s tables, working tables and home economic tables, etc. The CFSC has been known not just here in the City of Tagum as well as in Province of Davao del Norte but Nationwide because of its impressive and remarkable cause of augmenting the school fixture shortages in the region.

As of the this writing, records show that LGU Tagum through the Care for School Chairs Program already delivered 45,815 pieces of new chairs since its conception in August 2011 to the schools in Provinces of Davao del Norte ( 31, 889), Davao del Sur and Davao City (743), Compostela Valley (12,709) and in Island Luzon (474).

THE STUDENT’S PARENTS from the Balisong Elementary School in the Municipality of Sto.Tomas, Davao del Norte wearing a smile while carrying new yellow which are fabricated by the Local Government Unit of Tagum City thru the initiated by the City of Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy dubbed as the Care for School Chairs Program. This is for the preparation of the opening of classes and for the students to conveniently seat down and study while on their classes.

ON CONTINUOUS DELIVERY - One truck load consists of 260 pieces of new yellow school chairs from Care for School Chairs Program with worth 130,000 pesos estimated costs which are fabricated by the Local Government Unit of Tagum City thru the initiated by the City

of Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy delivered to two (2) schools to the Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, the Balisong Elementary School and Kinamayan Elementary School last June 1, 2012.

UNSTOPPABLE GIVING - One week before the opening of classes for the school year 2012-2013 the Care for School Chairs Program of which are fabricated by the Local Government Unit of Tagum City thru the initiated by

the City of Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy continuously distributed 260 pieces of new school furniture at Balisong and Kinamayan Elementary School in the Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte last June 1, 2012.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

Father’s Day

Sun Cellular salutes dads I T’S not everyday that we get to show dad how much we appreciate the things he does for the family. And while we know that a simple hug or greeting would already make his day, a thoughtful gift is also one way to warm his heart.

So this Father’s Day, surprise dad with Sun Cellular’s Plan 350 which comes with a free Android Phone. The Alcatel Glory 918N has a dual SIM feature that allows dad to easily use the phone for both personal and business lines. Get this postpaid plan now and let dad enjoy the complete Android experience. For a P500 initial cash-out under a 30-month holding period, you get unlimited Sun calls and texts and free 250 texts to other networks for an affordable service fee of just P350 a month.

On the other hand, ex-

ecutive dads will appreciate receiving a Blackberry unit which perfectly pairs up functionality and mobile efficiency. Get him a Blackberry Curve 8520 this Father’s Day when you enroll to Sun’s BlackBerry Data Plan 600. This subscription comes with unlimited BlackBerry internet service, unlimited mobile internet, and free 200 Sun texts. With this postpaid plan, dad can access news and information anywhere, check and shoot e-mails on the go, and surf the web from his phone. Also available is BlackBerry Social Plan 600 which comes with a string of unlimited services including access to BlackBerry browser, Facebook, Twitter, BBM, and Sun calls and texts.

Plus, for every BlackBerry Plan 600 subscription, dad gets a FREE Jabra Bluetooth headset – a cool accessory he can

bring anywhere, allowing him to multi-task while talking on the phone.

This offer is available at selected The Sun Shops: Rob Galleria, Parksquare, Market Market, SM Megamall, Shangrila, SM Fairview, Trinoma, SM North EDSA, Rob. Metroeast, Festival Mall, SM Valenzuela, Cash & Carry, SM MOA, Rob. Ermita, Greenbelt 1, Ali Mall, SM Centerpoint. Better hurry, because offer is good until supplies last.

To know more about other Sun postpaid plans, visit The Sun Shop branch nearest you or call the Sun Hotline 200 using a Sun-powered handset or (02) 395-8000 from any landline. You can also visit www.suncellular.com.ph or official Facebook page www.facebook.com/suncellularph. You may also follow Sun Cellular on Twitter via www.twitter. com/suncelltweets.

walk-in billing, collection, and metering service inquiries and complaints.

Davao Light regularly makes available its frontline services during holidays to accommodate customers who are not able to make transactions on normal workdays.

Collection hours for Ponciano, Bajada and Panabo will be from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, no noon break, while the Calinan,

Toril and Sto Tomas collection office will accept payments from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon, and 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Ponciano and Panabo’s customer service area will be open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, no noon break.

Emergency service will remain available 24 hours.

Regular office hours will resume the next day, June 13.

Davao Light offices open today

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AVAO Light and Power Company’s collection offices in Ponciano, Bajada, Toril, Calinan, Panabo and Sto Tomas will continue to serve the public on Tuesday, June 12, declared a non-working holiday to mark the 114th Independence Day celebration.

Also open is the electric utility’s Ponciano and Panabo Offices customer service area to cater to

Waterfront joins DOT’s Kulinarya Kalayaan 2012!

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N support of Deparment of Tourism’s Kulinarya Kalayaan Food Festival, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao commemorates

the great Jose Rizal in a sumptuous spread inspired by his life and travels. Executive Chef Kiko brings his special touch to Café Uno

tomorrow, June 12, in honor of our nation’s noble hero. For inquiries and reservations, please call (082) 2332881 local 8700.

COMMUNITY SENSE 11

12 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEFS Optimistic

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HE leader of the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group is optimistic about the signing of a peace deal with the government, the group said on its website Sunday.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim acknowledged as a “breakthrough” an agreement signed in April where both sides committed to create a new autonomous political region in the troubled south.

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Petition

cultural activist seeks to stop the construction of a condominium building which would allegedly ruin the view of the Rizal Monument in Luneta Park.

In a petition posted on Change.org, Manila tour guide Carlos Cedran is enlisting public support to urge DMCI Homes to abandon its plan to build the high-rise Torre de Manila Condominium right behind Jose Rizal’s shrine.

Joining

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HE United Nationalist Alliance on Monday announced three more names for its 2013 senatorial slate.

The alliance will field former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay, and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in 2013, UNA spokesman JV Bautista said.

This, despite Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s objection to Zubiri’s inclusion in the UNA slate.

Optimism

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ONETARY authorities have expressed optimism the Philippines would achieve another credit rating upgrade from international credit rating agencies within the second half of the year on the back of the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the convergence of high economic growth and stable inflation would finally convince international credit rating agencies to upgrade the country’s credit rating.

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Supporting

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) does not mind at all if Congress would decide to scrap the law allowing recall elections.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brilllantes said putting an end to recall elections would be better for the poll body due to its insufficient budget. Brillantes said they support House Bill 6222 since the Comelec finds it difficult whenever there is a recall election.

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Greek polls sets up long, hot eurozone summer A

WORLD TODAY

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ORLD leaders will be keenly watching fresh elections in Greece next Sunday that could herald its exit from the eurozone, with potentially dire consequences for Europe and the global economy.

“Events in Greece could trigger financial fright in Spain, Italy, and across the eurozone, pushing Europe into a danger zone,” Robert Zoellick, World Bank president, warned in the Financial Times on June 1.

The summer of 2012, Zoellick said, “offers an eerie echo of 2008,” when the US subprime market breakdown and the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the worst financial crisis since the Wall Street crash of 1929.

Greece is not the only worry. Spain, the fourthlargest economy in the 17-country eurozone, on Saturday secured a European lifeline of up to 100 billion euros ($125 billion) to save its stricken banks It thus became the fourth eurozone member to require a bailout, following Greece (twice), Ireland and Portugal.

Nervousness about the crisis is evident beyond Europe, with Japan calling on the EU to act “responsibly” and US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke saying the situation posed

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Protesters hold letters reading ‘No Nazi in Parliament’ World leaders will be keenly watching fresh elections in against the Golden Dawn far-right party, ahead of Greece that could herald its exit from the eurozone, with general elections predicted to see the far right make potentially dire consequences for Europe and the global inroads, during a May Day rally in Athens in May 2012. economy. “significant risks” to the salaries and pensions that political scientist at Athworld’s top economy and have added to the coun- ens’ Panteio University, its banks. try’s economic woes, with told AFP. With investors and a recession now in its fifth The man keeping Eucredit rating agencies year and one in five un- ropean politicians awake spooked by Greece having employed. most at night is Alexis the highest debt-to-outAs became clear from Tsipras, whose leftist put ration in the eurozone the previous legislative Syriza party came a shock -- an estimated 161.7 per- elections on May 6, or- second last month and cent in 2011 -- Athens is dinary Greeks are thor- who wants to tear up the effectively unable to raise oughly fed up, with some bailout deals, branding money by issuing bonds.

70 percent of voters sup- them an “automatic pilot This has forced the porting parties that are to utter disaster.” country to seek interna- opposed to more auster“There is one real tional help twice, first for ity. choice in these elections: 110 billion euros ($137.1 After those elections the bailout or your digbillion) in May 2010 and no party leader was able nity,” the 37-year-old said. then for 130 billion eu- to put together a workBut getting more slack ros earlier this year plus able coalition, prompting from the troika --- the a 107-billion-euro private the need for Sunday’s re- International Monetary debt write-off. run.

Fund, the European Union The price though has At stake this time “is and the European Central been Greek promises of whether the country will Bank -- and staying in the painful belt-tightening stay in the eurozone,” euro could well turn out involving deep cuts in Vassiliki Georgiadou, a to be incompatible. [AFP]

Rare Napoleon letter exhibits English skills

N illuminating letter written by Napoleon in English, sold at auction Sunday for €325,000 ($405,000),

Islamic law

L Qaeda’s leader called on Tunisians on Sunday to defend Islamic law from an Islamist party that won elections in the North African country and promised not to impose sharia.

In an audio recording attributed to Ayman alZawahri and released on Islamist websites, the Qaeda leader said Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party, which rules with secular parties, had betrayed itself and the religion.

offers a window into the mind of the French emperor, struggling with syntax of the language of enemy Britain.

A March 9, 1816 letter written in English by French emperor Napoleon the 1st is presented Sunday, June 10, 2012 in Fontainebleau, South of Paris, before being auctioned.

The standard-sized sheet of paper is a homework exercise Napoleon sent to an English teacher for correction in 1816 and was sealed with the imperial eagle wax stamp.

It’s one of three such English-language letters by Napoleon in the world, according to the auction organizers, and was bought by Paris’ Museum of Letters and Manuscripts in a dramatic bidding war near the Chateau of Fontainebleau, one of Napoleon’s south of Paris.

The selling price — five times what was predicted — suggests the document’s historic value, as rare proof that Napoleon, who famously dismissed England as a “nation of shopkeepers,” learned to speak the language of Shakespeare late in life.

He wrote the letter while a captive by the Brit-

ish in the remote island of Saint Helena following his defeat at Waterloo, according to the Osenat auction house.

The house’s president, Jean-Pierre Osenat, says Napoleon’s English lessons were “very noble, respectful.”

“He really had a great admiration for England, the rules and history. The English have the wrong idea: Napoleon didn’t hate them, he was just a military man, and the French interests were different to the English,” he said.

But did admiration alone lead the empirebuilding Frenchman to learn English?

It seems that vanity, too, may have played a role — and though he was stranded on the South Atlantic Ocean island, he still cared about what people thought.

Searched

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USSIAN police and investigators searched the homes of several prominent opponents of President Vladimir Putinon Monday, one day before a protest opposition leaders hope will draw tens of thousands of people.

Russia’s main investigation agency said it planned to conduct about 10 searches in connection with a criminal probe into violence against police at a protest held in Moscow on the eve of Putin’s inauguration on May 7.

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Graffiti

graffiti thanking the EBREW

Nazi leader Adolf Hitler for the Holocaust and denouncing Zionism were sprayed inside the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, an AFP correspondent said on Monday.

Seven giant slogans, including one which read: “Thank you Hitler for your wonderful Holocaust that you arranged for us, it’s only because of you that we got a state at the UN” were sprayed in Warsaw Ghetto Square near the sculpture depicting the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

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Detained

EPRESENTATIVES of the International Criminal Court arrived in Tripoli on Sunday to try to secure the release of a detained delegation visiting Muammar Gaddafi’s captured son, a Libyan official said.

The four-member delegation was being held in the western mountain town of Zintan after one of its lawyers, Australian Melinda Taylor, was found carrying documents regarded as suspicious for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a Libyan lawyer and a militia member said on Saturday.

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Tense

ORTHWEST Myanmar was tense on Monday after sectarian violence engulfed its largest city at the weekend, with Reuters witnessing rival mobs of Muslims and Buddhists torching houses and police firing into the air to disperse crowds.

At least eight people were killed and many wounded, authorities say, in the worst communal violence since a reformist government replaced a junta last year and vowed to forge unity in one of Asia’s most ethnically diverse countries.

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Guesting at the Kapihan sa Dabaw, SM City Davao, Maria Linda Arquiza, IPO director, said 55.3% of the respondents who claimed to know the K to 12 program do not agree with it, while 40.92% support it, and the rest cannot decide and have no opinion.

Out of 1,151 total respondents, 83.93% claimed to know about the K to 12 program, while the rest do not have any knowledge about this educational reform despite DepEd’s information dissemination, and media news releases.

When asked about what they feel about its implementation this year, 35.88% of the respondents expressed helpless acceptance as they feel powerless to do anything about it even if they disagree while 34.75% day it must not be implemented and another 26.67% are convinced that the implementation should proceed.

The respondents were also asked to give their reasons for approval or disapproval.

The top six reasons for approval of K+12 are 1) High school graduates can have better chance to land

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VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

FFROM 1 a job; 2) It would make graduates globally competitive; 3) High school graduates can have the choice of vocational courses; 4) It will make Filipinos compete with other countries; 5) It would address the problem of poor education quality; and, 6) Since it is patterned after the US, Canadian, Australian educational system, it must be good and would help the country.

Meanwhile, the top six reasons behind disapprovl K+12 are: 1) It means additional burden to the Filipino households as parents spend more for additional fees; 2) Additional years is not the solution but quality teaching and adequate educational materials; 3) Instead of adding years, schools should decrease the number of students per class instead; 4) It won’t work because the government has a low budget for education; 5) It would only contribute to cheap and low-skilled labor due to the expected high dropout rate; and, 6) Length of education does not relate to a student’s intelligence.

The respondents also gave their opinion on the problems of the educa-

tional system that they believe should be addressed, which include high student-classroom ratio (94.09%); low education budget (92.44%); low support for Science and Technology (90.62%); rampant corruption in education sector (79.93%); lack of transparency in the spending of education budget ( 78.80%); poor teaching quality (71.24%); high cost of education (71.07%); students are not inspired to finish school (65.77%); colonial-dominated curriculum (38.14%).; and, lack of schooling years (31.09%).

With these results, the IPO inferred that Dabawenyos are obviously divided on the K+12 program as a correct response of the government to the problem of deteriorating quality of Philippine education.

“But, they surely agree on the most obvious problems that should not be ignored,” it said, adding, “First and foremost is the perceived inability of the government to provide adequate financial support to education which may be the root of all these problems.”

Davao City’s emergency response unit Central 911 in coordination with community residents and the elements of the 84th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

According to its commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Gabriel Viray, three of the destroyed houses belonged to CAFGU (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) personnel in the area.

Mayor Sara said there was no rain that could have triggered the incident, however, the Office of Civil Defense for Davao region there had been heavy rains in the area for the past few days.

“Walay ulan nga nahitabo. Nibigay lang gyud ang yuta,” Mayor Sara told reporters in a press briefing in her office.

Duterte-Carpio said the victims of the landslide will be given ample assistance from the local government.

“Since na totally-dam-

PHL...

aged ang ilang mga balay, hatagan nato sila ug P10,000 each dili pa apil ang para sa burial services sa katong mga namatayan,” she said.

“We will also be providing food assistance which will be done by the City Social Services and Development Office,” she added.

Although near the landslide site, the Davao-Bukidnon highway was not affected by the calamity.

In a geo-hazard mapping conducted last year, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau or MGB of the DENR identified barangays Marilog and Magsaysay as having several sitios determined as landslide-prone.

Relocate The mayor said she wants the victims of the landslide to use the financial assistance as means to relocate.

“We expect them to relocate and rebuild their

homes somewhere else not within the areas considered as landslide-prone,” she said, recalling how in past years residents had been warned about the danger of building their houses on landslide0prone areas.

Duterte-Carpio said the residents have been informed for the past years that they have built their homes along landslideprone areas.

“The MGB together with the City Planning and Development Office have been informing all barangays about areas identified as risky, not just landslides but also flooding,” she said.

“These areas are not just private properties but also public thus they are duly informed. They are told of the risks. Gina-sultian na sila ana,” she said. “We hope this will serve as a lesson that we should take heed of warnings.” [with RG Alama/PIA 11]

the business community to put up more eating places kasi yun unang unang pinupuntahan ng kanilang expenditure,” he said.

The CFS has a sample size of 10,520 households consisting of 3,872 households (36.8%) from the National Capital Region (NCR) and 6,648 households (63.2%) in areas outside NCR (AONCR), specifically Regions 1, 7 and 11.

The CFS also generates data on the financial conditions of households, including what they own (financial and non-financial assets) as well as from whom and how much they borrow (sources of credit and level of indebtedness).

Home appliances, own residence and re-

tirement insurance are the most common types of assets owned by households.

Household liabilities are in the form of consumer and real property loans. Few households had outstanding loans on their residence (3.7%) and other real property (5.8%). The Davao region has the highest percentage of households with housing loans based on CFS. Consumer loans such as motor vehicle loans have a bigger percentage of household outstanding loans with 13.5%; personal, salary, all purpose loans (20.9%); and credit card loans (3.9%).

In the Davao region, motorcycle has the highest percentage or 79.4% of motor vehicle owned.

precinct-count optical scan (PCOS) machines due to the nature and character of shading.

“So during the manual count, the board of revisors managed to appreciate kung asa mas klaro, mas prominente ang shade, didto siya ihatag,” she said.

Saying that se will be running again in 2013 elections, Mendoza prefers electronic counting as manual counting

is prone to human intervention.

Asked whether or not PCOS machines are reliable, she said, “Yes, they are… The Comelec simply impresses to everyone that a PCOS machine is very reliable. So why change something that is reliable?

Why change something that is not prone to manipulation? So it’s up for the Comelec now to finalize the necessary things for 2013 elections.”

FFROM 2

study, and food and beverages consumed at home is accounted for 38.5% of the annual household expenditures.

This was followed by rent (18.5%), transportation and communication (10.7%), utilities (7.2%), food and beverages consumed outside the home (6.7%), education (5.5%), medicine and medical services (5%), and celebration during special occasions, household help services, and purchase of furniture and appliances at one percent each.

Guinigundo said having a young population means that there is a scope for business to make money.

“Ang ating populasyon bata bumibili yan, nagko-consume so it means a challenge to

Comelec...

FFROM 3

there was no irregularity in the counted and transmitted results of the elections as t/ he result of the physical count of the ballots reflect that of the transmitted results and printed in the election returns and votes per election return.

Mendoza said her votes were even augmented for about a thousand because there were some votes that were not counted by the

Pinoy...

FFROM 3

Pananagutan ng Bayan para sa Tuwid na Daan.”

After the Malolos event, the President will rush back to Malacanang for the traditional vin

d’honneur, a cocktail reception for the members of the diplomatic corps, at 9 a.m.

On the other hand, Vice President Jejomar Binay will spearhead the flag-raising and wreathlaying rite at the Rizal

National Monument in Rizal Park while Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Manuel A. Roxas will lead the same activity at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. [PNA]

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SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

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REMATCH Manny: It will make me a warrior

Manny Pacquiao tags Timothy Bradley in the head in one of the heated action of their Sunday fight won by Bradley.

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AS VEGAS - Boxers usually look devastated in defeat but Manny Pacquiaosmiled and turned his mind to quick, brutal revenge after being stunned by a controversial split decision loss to Timothy Bradley in their WBO welterweight showdown on Saturday.

Pacquiao said he was “100 percent” confident he had won the 12-round fight at the MGM Grand and, like his American challenger Bradley, eagerly looked forward to a rematch on November 10 at a venue yet to be decided.

“I didn’t listen to the announcement because I thought I had won (verdicts from) all the judges,” Filipino southpaw Pacquiao told reporters after ending an unbeaten run of 15 bouts.

“I respect the decision but 100 percent I believe I won the fight. I don’t even remember if he hurt me one punch. He got me with a couple of jabs but I don’t remember if he hit me a solid punch in my face.

“I give Bradley credit, maybe three rounds for him because in some rounds I relax. Aside from three rounds, every round I hurt him.”

Pacquiao surrendered his WBO welterweight title after earning one verdict from judge Jerry Roth (115-113) while CJ Ross (115-113) and Duane Ford (115-113) gave the fight to the American.

The Filipino’s trainer, Freddie Roach, was dumbfounded by the decision.

“I was very surprised they gave it so close,” the bespectacled Roach said.

Manny Pacquiao comforts trainer Freddie Roach after the fight.

“I had it for Manny by 10 rounds to two.”

Even Bradley sounded surprised at the decision.

“Pacquiao was a tough, tough warrior. This guy can punch, he has speed. He has all the tools,” he said.

“I used my ability to clear some rounds, maybe the last five rounds I feel, to get the victory. I am still shocked.”

DISH SERVED COLD While Pacquiao said he wanted to respect Bradley after a result which was roundly booed by the crowd, he promised to beat the American inside the distance when they next met.

“It will make me a warrior in having this kind of rematch,” Pacquiao said, looking to avenge the loss.

“I want to finish him before the whole 12 rounds. I

want the rematch.”

Bradley, a 5-1 underdog against Pacquiao, was also itching to have the rematch, which he had arrogantly promoted during the build-up to Saturday’s fight.

“That was all my idea, pretty much,” said the 28-year-old from Palm Springs in California after improving his career record to 29-0 with 12 knockouts.

“Just part of promoting the fight, hyping it up,” he added, addressing reporters from a wheelchair.

“I felt I was going to win this fight so the rematch is in place, the date is there.

It’s definitely going to be a different fight.”

Bradley conceded that hearing the boos from the crowd after the decision had been announced gave him added motivation to get back into the ring with Pacquiao.

“I’m happy to be the new welterweight champion but I definitely would like to do this again,” said the American, who was back in the ring for the first time since he retained his WBO junior welterweight title by stopping Cuba’s Joel Casamayor in November.

“I heard all the boos at the end of the fight, which is okay because we need to do this again. Let’s make this more decisive.”

Bradley spoke to the media while sitting in a wheelchair before being taken to hospital to have a check on his ankles, which he said he had twisted during the second round.

“I injured my left foot in the second round, twisted my ankle, and now both of my ankles are swollen,” he added. “I got hit with some big shots early on but I persevered and went through the pain.”

EDGEDAVAO

Manny is a fighter no more

T was one of those decisions that could trigger a revolution. A war even. Or an impeachment.

In boxing, however, no matter how unpopular the decision it will stay that way.

I have yet to know of a decision that was reversed in boxing of late. The last one was the Joey Giardello-Billy Graham middleweight fight in the 50s which went down in boxing history as the “Reversed Reversal.” Graham was given the decision, later reversed in favour of Giardello, and then reversed again some time later in favour of Graham.

There are no appeals either. Not impeachment too.

Sorry, but what Filipinos can do to a Chief Justice they cannot do to a boxing judge.

I feel sorry for the 188 colleagues of Manny Pacquiao in Congress. They cannot do otherwise to two boxing judges whose decision will have to be part of this nation’s nightmare.

The judges with questionable scorecards are Duane Ford and Cynthia J. Ross (or CJ Ross). Both are Americans.

Both from the gambling capital of Nevada.

If you suspect, there is a boxing underworld still existing to this day, and Ford and Ross are part of a conspiracy, that is your speculation. We will not dig on that.

But perhaps, someone forgot to think that Manny is fighting an American this time, in America, and in Nevada in particular. There is not what you call a neutral judge—because that, in essence, is not a rigid rule in Nevada.

So Manny walked into a fight on Sunday thinking he will walk away a winner once more. In fact, Nike already produced a signature shirt for him with the imprint—Victory 55. That victory never came. He got stuck at 54.

After 12 rounds, he said he never bothered to listen.

He said he liked what he did.

Or so he thought. Ford and Ross did not like what they saw. And gave the fight to Bradley, who they thought was the fight’s aggressor.

Manny forgot that he was fighting in Nevada. In Nevada, you got to be the aggressor to win.

From an ordinary eye, Manny won the fight. Fair and square. He hit Bradley more tellingly. He did what a Manny Pacquiao does on a fight. Easily. Ordinarily.

On an ordinary day, you judge a fight by the way the fighters performed against each other.

In this fight, Duane Ford and CJ Ross judged it the way they knew Manny Pacquiao.

Duane Ford has been a jude in five of Manny’s fights since 2006. He was a judge in the 2006 Morales fight won

by Pacquiao in 3 rounds and the 2009 Miguel Cotto fight won also by Pacquiao in 12.

His record shows a consistency in fights that lasted the distance. He scored in favour of Manny (115-112) in the controversial second fight with Marquez where another judge in the Bradley fight— Jerry Roth—scored in favour of arquez (115-112).

Ford scored for Manny in the Joshua Clottey fight more convincingly 120-108 where two other judges—Levi Martinez and Nelson Vazquez scored a closer 119-109.

Last year, Ford was again the judge in Manny’s fight against Shane Mosely where he once again scored the more convincing scorecard (120-107) while Dave Moretti scored 120-108 and Glen Trowbridge had it 119-108.

The other controversial judge, CJ Ross, was in Manny’s fights in only two occasions prior to Sunday. Both fights ended with Manny pummeling David Diaz via TKO in the 9th round and Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds.

Taken both records together, these two judges had Manny a notch higher in their standards. Naturally, they went to MGM Grand on Sunday with the mindset that Manny will destroy Bradley.

They did not see a ‘real’ Manny on Sunday. They saw a fighter who had lost a fastball. Lost step in a dance beat. Had nothing close to the warrior they saw in the fights where Manny captured global adoration—Diaz, Dela Hoya, Hatton, Cotto.

I must admit, since the fight against Mosely and Marquez, Manny has not been the warrior that he was. He seemed to have lost hunger.

Boxing is hunger games in real life. On Sunday, Manny was a diplomat, preacher, gentleman.

He was fighting like a politician.

He was fighting good. Not rough, not ugly, not nasty.

Ford and Ross are electorates not within Manny’s constituency. They were asking more from Manny. They expected to see the warrior in him. Not the diplomat, preacher, gentleman. These judges were schooled and trained to see a fight, not a display of statesmanship or charismatic work.

I admire Manny’s transformation as a boxer who will transcend from his generation. He is a fighter of a different genre. Far from the flamboyance of a Floyd Mayweather. Far from a beastly Mike Tyson.

After the fight, Manny was an image of a winner. Not a loser. He was what you call in beauty business as flawless. He did his rituals after the fight. Looked up in prayer, and hugged his trainer in self-assurance. Normally, it’s the trainer who comforts a defeated boxer. In Manny’s case, he comforted his team like he was saying “we have done our job.”

He was gracious in defeat. You could not ask for more from a champ.

He loved this sport. In the run up to the fight, Manny was seen wearing a shirt that reads: Fight for a better world. At the back of my mind, I remember Michael Jackson tell Paul McCartney in a song, “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

Yes, Manny Pacquiao is a lover. A fighter no more.

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

15

Waking up to a Bradley nightmare

By Neil Bravo

T

HE Philippines woke up to a maddening Monday with iconic athlete Manny Pacquiao defeated and dethroned.

Not since 2005 when a younger and lighter Pacquiao lost to Mexican rival Erik Morales did it feel close to this. This time, there was a lot of denial. A lot of debates too.

Timothy Bradley, nicknamed “Desert Storm”, made Pacquiao pay dearly for not knocking him out not badly beating him on Sunday as he stripped the Filipino boxing hero not only his World Boxing Organization welterweight title, but also his stature as the world’s best fighter today.

Like the American war staged in Iraq in the 1990s, Bradley swept through the country’s Manny-madness, piercing the Filipinos’ hearts in a painful loss that will take a lifetime to heal.

“It hurts to see our champion lose, more so if it’s going to be this questionable,” says Filipino engineer Chito Malabanan straight out of Saudi Arabia, which was spared by the rampage of the 1990 Desert Storm but not this current version of the American operations.

Bradley did just enough damage in the closing rounds to earn the unpopular nod of two American judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford (115113) in a controversial split decision that is sure to spark debates in the boxing circles. The only judge who liked what Pacquiao did in the fight was Jerry Roth who had it 115-113 for the Filipino.

Most sports media or-

ganizations and experts had Pacquiao the winner. Yahoo! Sports scored it 117-111 for Pacquiao, the same margin as Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press and Steve Carp of the Las Vegas ReviewJournal. Dan Rafael of ESPN had it 118-110 for Pacquiao. HBO’s Harold Lederman had it 119-109, or 11 rounds to one, for Pacquiao.

A check on the punch stats also showed a great disparity, although boxing matches are not decided by statistics. Not just yet.

Pacquiao landed 94 more punches than Bradley according to CompuBox, but it was not enough as the judges stunningly awarded a split-decision win to Bradley. Pacquiao landed 253 of 751 punches, a connect rate of 34 percent. Bradley landed 159 of 839, a connect rate of just 19 percent. On top of that, Pacquiao seemed to land the more powerful shots.

Which only brings boxing fans to ask: “Was Pacquiao robbed?”

“I thought I won the fight,” said Bradley, who said he hurt his ankle in the second round and went to the post-fight press conference wheeled by his seconds. “I didn’t think he was as good as everybody says he is.

I didn’t feel a lot of his power.”

Experts say it was an excellent see-saw battle, but Pacquiao seemed to control it by landing more, landing at a higher percentage and landing the harder punches.

Both Pacquiao and Bradley were surprised after the announcement of the verdict.

“I do my best and I guess my best wasn’t good enough,” said Pacquiao, whose seven-year

Manny Pacquiao connects viciously to Timothy Bradley. winning run ended on Sunday. “I’ve been watching the tapes of his fights.

Tonight, he never hurt me. Most of his punches hit my arms. I don’t know what happened [with the scoring]. I have no problem. I’ll be ready for the rematch. No doubt [I won the fight.]”

Aftermath:

“Can you believe that?” promoter Bob Arum said. “I had it 10-2!

After I got into the ring after the fight, I went over to Bradley and said ‘You did very well.’ He said, ‘I tried hard, but I couldn’t beat the guy.’ This is crazy.

You talk about killing boxing? All three scorecards

you throw out.”

The astute boxing businessman Arum, however, saw an opportunity out of the bizarre end.

“I’m going to make a ton of money on the rematch,” Arum said.

If that ever happens, it will come not later than November, a month after

Boxing website BoxingSccene.com reported that the four division champion said that Pacquiao easily won the fight and he was surprised by the scores.

“I didn’t think the fight was that close. I think Pacquiao won by at least five points,” said Marquez to BoxingScene.com.

The fighter of Mexican descent has been on the short end of the stick when it comes to his three close fights against Pacquiao. Marquez insisted that he didn’t find any pleasure in Pacquiao’s controversial loss.

“No it doesn’t make me happy that he lost that way but now he knows how I felt this past November,” Marquez told BoxingScene.

UANE Ford, one of two Nevada judges (along with C.J. Ross) who scored last night’s Pacquiao vs Bradley fight a shocking 115-113 for Bradley, has defended his decision today when speaking with Vegas journalist Steve Carp, who tweeted some of Ford’s quotes this afternoon.

“You’ve got to put the ball in the basket and Manny didn’t put the ball in the basket enough. ... This isn’t American Idol. If I judge for the people, I shouldn’t be a judge. I went in with a clear mind and judged each round. ... I don’t look at the punch stats but I saw Manny miss a lot of punches and Bradley hit Manny and win a lot of the exchanges. ... I’m comfortable with my per-

Marquez: Now he knows how I feel

A

NOTHER bitter Manny Pacquiao rival saw the fight go to the Filipino champion by at least five points.

Interim-WBO junior welterweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez was in Las Vegas for Sunday’s pay-per-view clash between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley.

Marquez saw his hopes for a fourth fight against Pacquiao go up in smoke, for the time being, after Bradley won a controversial split decision.

Aftermath:

the filing of election candidacy in the Philippines where Pacquiao is seeking a gubernatorial seat in Sarangani Province.

For now, the country will have to get used to waking up with Manny Pacquiao, the “former” eight-time world champion.

Boxing judge: This is not American Idol

D

formance. I thought Bradley gave Pacquiao a boxing lesson,” Ford said.

This has nothing to do with “judging for the people” and everything to do with “judging correctly.”

That’s the issue. It’s not about being popular. If you want to bring American Idol into it -- and I don’t, but he did -- this would be the equivalent of having given the trophy or whatever it is those dorks get at the end to someone who did OK on the audition show, but was also told, “No, I’m sorry, you’re not going to Hollywood. Keep working hard though!”

Ford’s comments, however, were flooded with negative reaction in the social media.

The punch stats of Compubox and the three scorecards of the Manny Pacquiao-Tmothy Badley fight.

16

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 71 • JUNE 12, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Hero’s welcome still awaits Pacquiao

D

ESPITE losing his welterweight title in Sunday’s controversial match in Las Vegas, a hero’s welcome still awaits boxing sensation and Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao when he returns home to General Santos City in the next few days.

General Santos City Mayor Darlene AntoninoCustodio said Pacquiao, who grew up in this city, remained the champion in the eyes and hearts of residents here and believes he successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against controversial winner American Timothy Bradley.

“It wasn’t even close.

You heard the crowd, a lot were unconvinced that Manny lost,” the mayor told reporters.

Custodio, South Cotabato’s first district Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. and other city officials watched

Sunday’s fight along with some 7,000 residents at the city gymnasium in Barangay Lagao here.

The crowd at the city gymnasium, which was opened by the local government for the free live viewing of the fight, roared with lively cheers as Pacquiao, Sarangani’s lone district representative to Congress, pummeled Bradley with his power punches starting from the opening bell of the 12-round fight.

But they later emerged from the building in reserved silence, clearly dissatisfied with the split decision issued by the three ringside judges in favor of Bradley.

Bradley, who rose to become WBO’s light welterweight title with a clean record, won 115-113 in the score cards of two judges. The third judge saw Pacquiao winning the match 115-113. (ALLEN V. ESTABILLO /MINDANEWS)